In a gripping 72-move battle that kept chess enthusiasts on the edge of their seats, D Gukesh emerged victorious over German Grandmaster Vincent Keymer in Round 5 of the Tata Steel Chess Tournament in Wijk aan Zee. The game, which lasted over three hours, turned out to be the longest in the Masters section on Wednesday. With this hard-fought win, Gukesh not only claimed a crucial point in the tournament but also surged ahead of Arjun Erigaisi to become the new India No. 1 in live chess ratings.
The match itself was a rollercoaster of emotions. Despite early mistakes that allowed Keymer to seize some control of the game, Gukesh’s resilience and sharp tactical awareness eventually turned the tide. Keymer’s strategy seemed focused on tiring out the Indian prodigy, but Gukesh’s ability to navigate through the complexity of the game proved decisive, ultimately forcing Keymer to resign. The victory boosted Gukesh’s Elo rating by 7 points, bringing it to 2784.
On the other hand, Arjun Erigaisi, who was India’s No. 1 player before this tournament, has seen his rating dip. He lost 21.5 Elo points following his poor form in Wijk aan Zee, where he has managed just two draws and three losses. Erigaisi, who was once part of the exclusive 2800 club, now sits at 2779 and finds himself struggling at the joint-bottom of the tournament standings alongside Leon Luke Mendonca.
This change in the live ratings has elevated Gukesh to the top spot in India, with Erigaisi now in second place. However, the race for the top remains fluid. With eight more rounds to go in the Swiss-system format, the leaderboard could still change, especially if Erigaisi finds his form in the upcoming games. The possibility of a dramatic turnaround and a return to the No. 1 spot for Erigaisi remains very much alive, as the tournament heads towards its final stages.
As of now, Gukesh remains unbeaten in the tournament. He has earned two wins and three draws so far. Alongside his victory against Keymer, he also triumphed over Dutch GM Anish Giri. His draws came against Russian grandmasters Vladimir Fedoseev and Alexey Sarana, showing his resilience against tough opponents.
Meanwhile, despite not competing in the tournament, Magnus Carlsen continues to lead the global chess rankings with a commanding rating of 2832.5, followed by American GM Hikaru Nakamura (2802) in second and Italian-American Fabiano Caruana (2798) in third. Gukesh’s impressive form has propelled him into fourth place, while Erigaisi, at 2779, now holds the fifth spot.
In another exciting development, R Praggnanandhaa has climbed up three positions in the live rankings, reaching 10th place with a rating of 2753.9. The young Indian GM has consistently shown strong performances in recent months. Meanwhile, former world champion Viswanathan Anand, despite his ongoing contributions to the game, has seen a slight dip in his rating, with 2750 points, placing him 11th in the rankings.
As the Tata Steel Chess Tournament progresses, all eyes will be on Gukesh, who has solidified his position as India’s top chess player, and Erigaisi, who will look to bounce back and reclaim his place at the summit. With eight rounds remaining, the battle for supremacy among the Indian chess elite promises to intensify.
