Gukesh Dommaraju, the 14-year-old Indian chess prodigy, continued his impressive form in the Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2025, defeating compatriot Pentala Harikrishna in Round 7 of the Masters section. Gukesh, playing with the white pieces, opted for the French Opening and capitalized on a misstep by Harikrishna on move 12, exploiting the pressure on the center of the board. The 38-year-old GM tried to reposition his knight, but Gukesh’s decisive move on move 20, b4, put Harikrishna under further pressure. Harikrishna eventually resigned on move 45.
Gukesh’s win elevated him to the top of the Masters leaderboard, tied with Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu and Nodirbek Abdusattorov. Praggnanandhaa also had a good day, drawing his game against Jorden van Foreest. Arjun Erigaisi, on the other hand, continued to struggle, suffering a heavy loss to Max Warmerdam.
In the Challengers section, Thai Dai Van Nguyen and Erwin l’Ami maintained their lead with 5/7 scores. Divya Deshmukh fell to Miaoyi Lu, while Vaishali Rameshbabu secured a hard-fought draw against Arthur Pijpers.
The tournament continues to be a closely contested affair, with several players in with a chance to win the title. The 87th edition of the Tata Steel Chess Tournament, also known as the “Wimbledon of Chess,” is one of the most prestigious and popular tournaments in the world, attracting top players from around the globe.