Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa conquered fatigue and anxiety to secure the Tata Steel Masters title, achieving his inaugural win in this esteemed competition and reinforcing India’s supremacy in global chess.
In a dramatic face-off against compatriot and world champion D Gukesh, the 19-year-old from Chennai, a city-renowned chess powerhouse, won 2-1 in a tiebreaker. This victory came after both players, having lost their final round games, tied with 8.5 points each.
Praggnanandhaa expressed his disbelief and elation at his victory. “I am still shaking; it was such a crazy day. I didn’t really expect to win. Somehow, things went my way,” he told the official tournament website. Reflecting on the tension of the day, he noted, “Today is more special because I won the tournament. It was the most stressful day.”
The win places Praggnanandhaa alongside chess legend Viswanathan Anand as the only Indian to secure this title. Anand previously won the tournament formerly known as the Corus Chess Tournament three times as an individual event and shared the honours twice when it was known as the Hoogovens Tournament.
The tiebreaker games were fraught with tension, illustrating the fierce competitiveness of the young players. Despite a blunder that cost him a rook in the initial game, Praggnanandhaa managed a comeback in the subsequent rounds. He adeptly handled the Trompowsky opening in the second game of the tiebreaker, which was crucial for his victory.
Reflecting on his performance and the exhausting nature of the competition, Praggnanandhaa shared, “I was just trying to relax, to rest a bit. It was a very difficult game. Against Vincent, I didn’t play anywhere close to the level I was playing here. I should buy something for Arjun. At some point, I thought Gukesh was better.”
In a nail-biting sudden-death match, Praggnanandhaa, drawing white, managed to capitalize on errors made by Gukesh, who had gained a slight edge.
