Tata Steel Masters: Gukesh slumps to another defeat against Giri

World Champion D Gukesh suffered his second defeat in a row and third in the event, going down to local star Anish Giri in the seventh round of Tata Steel Masters in Wijk Aan Zee.

On what turned out to be a tough day for Indians, Arjun Erigaisi found himself on the receiving end against Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus of Turkiye who played a remarkable game to beat the world No. 5 and the top seeded.

Aravindh Chithambaram also ended up losing with black pieces against another Dutchman Jorden van Foreest while R Praggnanandhaa was held to a draw by Matthias Bluebaum of Germany.

With six rounds still to come in the 14-player 13-rounds event, Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan played his best game yet in the event to extend his lead by a full point.

The Uzbek defeated Germany’s Vincent Keymer using black pieces to perfection.

With Abdusattorov running away on 5.5 points, World Cup winner and his teammate Javokhir Sindarov remains his closest rival on 4.5 points.

Erdogmus, Foreest, Hans Moke Niemann of United States and Vladimir Fedoseev of Slovenia share the third spot on 4 points apiece, half point ahead of Bluebaum and Keymer.

Gukesh and Arjun share the ninth spot with Giri on three points and Praggnanadhaa on 2.5 is still looking for an elusive victory.

Aravindh is currently on the last spot with just two points.

For Aravindh, it became a tricky choice as he went for the King’s Indian defense, an opening that had already been played by van Foreest a couple of times.

“The opening caught me by surprise. I know he’s really unpredictable, but still, the King’s Indian is what I have been playing this tournament for a couple of games and somehow he hit me with it.”

“Sometimes it’s good to use your opponent’s weapons against him, but I don’t think it really worked out for him today”, Foreest said.

For Gukesh, things did not go well in an English opening as white when Giri got the initiative rolling in his favour with a central bind.

By the time Gukesh was able to remove the bind, his position had worsened and on this day the Dutchman made no mistakes.

Arjun was outdone on another English opening day but it was some great imaginative display by the young Turk.

Arjun felt the heat right from the opening and it was consistent pressure coming from Erdogmus that became impossible to handle even after trade of Queens.

Results round 7: Jorden van Foreest (Ned, 4) beat Aravindh Chithambaram (Ind, 2); D Gukesh (Ind, 3) lost to Anish Giri (Ned, 3); Arjun Erigaisi (Ind, 3) lost to Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus (Tur, 4); R Praggnnanandhaa (Ind, 2.5) drew with Matthias Bluebaum (Ger, 3.5); Vincent Keymer (Ger, 3.5) lost to Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzb, 5.5); Javokhir Sindarov (Uzb, 4.5) drew with Hans Moke Niemann (Usa, 4); Thai Dai Van Nguyen (Cze, 2.5) drew with Vladimir Fedoseev (Slo, 4).