The prestigious Tata Steel Chess Masters, taking place in Wijk Aan Zee, Netherlands, reached a critical juncture with the conclusion of Round 7. The day`s results significantly tightened the race at the top, primarily thanks to a crucial victory by Indian Grandmaster Dommaraju Gukesh.
Gukesh faced his compatriot, Pentala Harikrishna, in a highly anticipated encounter. Intriguingly, Harikrishna chose the French Defense, an opening frequently employed by the reigning World Champion, Ding Liren. However, this didn`t appear to faze Gukesh. The game remained complex until a subtle inaccuracy by Harikrishna around move 15 allowed Gukesh to seize a discernible advantage. From this point, Gukesh meticulously improved his position, employing systematic pressure rather than seeking immediate tactical fireworks. This positional masterclass eventually compelled Harikrishna to resign after 45 moves.
This win was not the first time Gukesh had defeated someone who served as his second for the 2024 World Championship; he had previously overcome Vincent Keymer earlier in the tournament. His latest victory brings Gukesh`s score to 5 points, placing him in a three-way tie for the lead alongside Nodirbek Abdusattorov and R Praggnanandhaa. Neither Abdusattorov nor Praggnanandhaa managed decisive results in Round 7, both drawing their respective games, which allowed Gukesh to catch up.
Beyond the leading pack, Round 7 saw two other decisive outcomes. Dutch player Max Warmerdam secured a win against Arjun Erigaisi, while Vladimir Fedoseev defeated Vincent Keymer. Erigaisi`s result is particularly noteworthy, marking his twentieth consecutive game at the Tata Steel Masters (across the 2023 and 2025 editions) without a win. His performance so far in this event, yielding just 1.5 points out of 7, has resulted in a considerable drop in his live rating, unfortunately costing him the status of India`s highest-rated player.
Other games included a relatively quick draw between Praggnanandhaa and Jordan van Foreest, and a draw between Wei Yi and Leon Luke Mendonca. Fabiano Caruana also drew against Alexey Sarana, and Anish Giri split the point with co-leader Nodirbek Abdusattorov.
With the tournament now heading into its second half, the top of the leaderboard is exceptionally tight. A headline fixture in Round 8 will see two of the co-leaders, Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa, face off. This all-Indian battle is set to be a crucial encounter that could significantly impact the title race.
Round 7 Results at 2025 Tata Steel Chess Masters:
- Dommaraju Gukesh 1-0 Pentala Harikrishna
- Jordan van Foreest 0.5-0.5 R Praggnanandhaa
- Max Warmerdam 1-0 Arjun Erigaisi
- Anish Giri 0.5-0.5 Nodirbek Abdusattorov
- Wei Yi 0.5-0.5 Leon Luke Mendonca
- Fabiano Caruana 0.5-0.5 Alexey Sarana
- Vladimir Fedoseev 1-0 Vincent Keymer
Standings after Round 7:
- Dommaraju Gukesh: 5
- R Praggnanandhaa: 5
- Nodirbek Abdusattorov: 5
- Vladimir Fedoseev: 4.5
- Alexey Sarana: 4
- Wei Yi: 3.5
- Pentala Harikrishna: 3.5
- Fabiano Caruana: 3.5
- Anish Giri: 3
- Max Warmerdam: 3
- Vincent Keymer: 3
- Jordan van Foreest: 2.5
- Leon Luke Mendonca: 2
- Arjun Erigaisi: 1.5
Finley Holt