Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2025: Round 2 Highlights
Gukesh’s First Draw as World Champion
In a notable match during the second round of the Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2025, D Gukesh, playing with black pieces, faced off against Russian grandmaster Vladimir Fedoseev. This game marked Gukesh’s first draw since he claimed the title of world chess champion. The atmosphere at Wijk aan Zee was brisk, yet Gukesh opted to wear his grey hoodie—a familiar sight from previous tournaments—despite the warmth generated by intense competition on the board.
The game commenced cautiously; however, Gukesh soon made a bold move by capturing Fedoseev’s pawn on c5 with his queen. This maneuver allowed Fedoseev to exchange queens, which Gukesh accepted without hesitation by trading queens with Nxc5. As the match progressed into its later stages, Gukesh lost his rook on move 47 but quickly retaliated by taking out Fedoseev’s knight with Kxe7. With both players left holding four pawns and one rook each, they ultimately reached a stalemate and agreed to a draw—an outcome that marked an important moment in this prestigious tournament.
A Day Dominated by Draws
The day was characterized largely by draws among several matches. India’s top player Arjun Erigaisi began strongly against Dutch No. 1 Anish Giri but also ended up settling for a stalemate after both had suffered defeats in their opening games of the tournament.
Despite Arjun’s earlier loss to Pentala Harikrishna not being as disheartening as Anish’s defeat at the hands of Gukesh, Sunday’s draw provided both players an opportunity for reflection and regrouping—especially for Anish who appeared visibly relieved post-game.
In another exciting matchup that day, R Praggnanandhaa achieved victory over Pentala Harikrishna after an extended battle that led to Harikrishna resigning—a significant win that propelled Praggnanandhaa to lead in the Challengers standings.
Praggnanandhaa Shines Amidst Mixed Fortunes
Praggnanandhaa showcased exceptional skill while playing white against Harikrishna; he managed to secure three extra pawns which ultimately forced his opponent into submission. However, not all Indian participants enjoyed success: Leon Luke Mendonca faced another swift defeat against Nodirbek Abdusattorov due to a critical error made during his 25th move (Qxd4). Abdusattorov capitalized on this mistake effectively through precise knight and queen maneuvers.
On an international scale beyond Indian competitors, World No. 2 Fabiano Caruana celebrated his first win of this tournament against Jorden Van Foreest from the Netherlands while defending Masters champion Yi Wei settled for a draw versus Alexey Sarana in what turned out to be one of Sunday’s longer encounters—a grueling affair lasting 66 moves before concluding without resolution.
Challengers Section Overview
In terms of performance within the Challengers section of this year’s event:
- Divya Deshmukh started her game energetically despite arriving late but eventually agreed upon a draw after facing strong resistance from Czech grandmaster Thai Dai Van.
- Rameshbabu Vaishali had previously triumphed in round one but found himself held back when matched up against Miaoyi Lu from China—a promising young talent who managed to secure equality in their encounter.
As we look ahead:
Current Standings After Round Two
Masters Standings:
- Praggnanandhaa (1.5)
- D Gukesh (1.5)
- Fabiano Caruana (1.5)
- Nodirbek Abdusattorov (1.5)
- Vincent Keymer (1)
Challengers Standings:
- Bok (1.5)
- Lu Miaoyi (1.5)
- Nguyen Duc Hoa (1)
This year’s Tata Steel Chess Tournament continues showcasing thrilling matches filled with strategic depth and unexpected turns as players vie for supremacy on one of chess’s most esteemed platforms.
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