In a challenging turn of events at the prestigious Tata Steel Chess 2026 Masters, World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju encountered his second consecutive defeat, succumbing to Dutch grandmaster Anish Giri in the seventh round on Saturday. Simultaneously, Indian prodigy R Praggnanandhaa's winless streak persisted as he settled for a draw against French grandmaster Matthias Bluebaum, extending his run without a victory at the tournament held in Wijk aan Zee.
Gukesh's Struggles Continue with Loss to Anish Giri
Gukesh Dommaraju, the reigning world champion, faced a tough battle against Anish Giri, resigning after 37 moves. This defeat marked his second loss in a row, following a gut-wrenching blunder in the previous round against Nodirbek Abdusattorov. Giri, who had been having a forgettable tournament with two losses and four draws prior to this match, secured his first victory of the event against the Indian teenager, who is a favorite to contend in the upcoming World Championship later this year.
Recovery from a Painful Blunder
The loss to Abdusattorov on Friday was particularly devastating for Gukesh, as he made a one-move blunder that led to a quick resignation. Witnesses described the scene as emotional, with Gukesh spending nearly five minutes with his face buried in his palms, struggling to come to terms with the mistake. He later retreated to a corner in the media room, standing alone with his head bowed for about 15 minutes, reflecting the depth of his disappointment.
Abdusattorov expressed sympathy after his win, stating, "I feel very sorry for him. It's a terrible feeling. I've done it myself many times. So it's an absolutely horrible feeling," and called the blunder "unexplainable." This setback proved hard to overcome, as evidenced in Gukesh's subsequent game against Giri, where he made another error by pushing his queen to d6 instead of d5, though it did not lead to an immediate resignation.
Praggnanandhaa's Consistent but Winless Performance
R Praggnanandhaa, after a stellar 2025 season, has faced difficulties in defending his title at Tata Steel Chess. He started the tournament with two successive losses against Arjun Erigaisi and Nodirbek Abdusattorov but has since stabilized his form with five consecutive draws. In the seventh round, he played out a 33-move draw against Matthias Bluebaum, marked by a threefold repetition.
Romantic Chess and Strategic Play
Unlike his previous draws, Praggnanandhaa showcased some old-fashioned romantic chess against Bluebaum, sacrificing his rook as early as the 19th move to mount a full-fledged attack on the Frenchman's king on the kingside. Bluebaum struggled with time management, spending nearly 50 minutes on a single move by the 17th move, but Pragg ultimately opted for a draw, continuing his winless run at Wijk aan Zee.
As the tournament progresses, both Indian stars face mounting pressure to turn their fortunes around. Gukesh's back-to-back losses and Praggnanandhaa's inability to secure a win highlight the intense competition at this elite chess event, setting the stage for crucial upcoming rounds that could define their campaigns.
