Praggnanandhaa vows to do better after famous win over world champion Gukesh

Chennai: After scripting a memorable success story at the Tata Steel Masters 2025 in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands, Grandmaster Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa has vowed to keep his momentum going in the new year.

In a dramatic final, Praggnanandhaa clinched the prestigious title with a thrilling victory over Dommaraju Gukesh, handing him his first defeat as world champion. In doing so, Praggnanandhaa became only the second Indian to win the event, following in the footsteps of his idol, five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand.

Praggnanandhaa, who received a warm welcome upon his arrival in Chennai, reflected on his journey to this landmark triumph. He admitted that the recent successes of his competitors and compatriots had inspired him to push harder and elevate his game.

“I didn’t have a great end to 2024. So I worked hard for it (the tournament). I am happy to have such a great start to this year. Gukesh also played well. It was an exciting tiebreaker. Results from other Indian chess players, like Gukesh winning the world championship or Arjun Erigaisi crossing 2800 (Elo rating in classical chess), inspired me to work harder. Another reason was that I wasn’t happy with my game. I wanted to play better. So I kept practising,” Praggnanandhaa told reporters.

“I want to give my best in every tournament. I will take the confidence from this tournament. We (Gukesh and I) spoke very little about the games.”

Both Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa suffered surprise losses in Round 13, resulting in a tie at the top of the classical standings and setting up a tense tiebreak battle. After losing the first game of the tiebreaker, Praggnanandhaa showed remarkable composure under pressure, rallying to win the next two games and securing a dramatic 2-1 victory.

Praggnanandhaa’s sister and fellow Grandmaster, Vaishali Rameshbabu, commended his dedication. “He worked hard for this tournament. The last few months didn’t go well for him, so I am happy with his victory. He deserves this. This will motivate him to improve and work even harder. We discuss the game a lot.”

After finishing as the runner-up in the 2023 World Cup, the 19-year-old endured a mixed 2024. Praggnanandhaa placed fifth at the Candidates Tournament but played a crucial role in India’s gold-medal-winning campaign at the Budapest Chess Olympiad. However, his loss to Wesley So in the penultimate round ended India’s unbeaten run in the Open section.

With this victory, Praggnanandhaa has set the tone for an exciting 2025, reinforcing his status as one of India’s brightest chess talents.

— With inputs from ANI