NEW DELHI: Anish Giri, the Dutch No.1 and a home favourite at the Tata Steel Chess Tournament, faced a heartbreaking start to the 2025 edition of the Masters in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands.
A tense opening-round match against the newly crowned World Chess Champion, D Gukesh, took an unexpected turn, culminating in a viral moment that left the chess world buzzing.
The game began with Giri showcasing his signature sharp play and an early advantage despite wielding the black pieces.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!By the 15th move, he appeared in control. However, a critical lapse—his queen’s move to b6—proved disastrous. Gukesh pounced on the error with a stunning counter play, repositioning his queen to f6. What initially seemed to be a mere trade evolved into a devastating blow for Giri, as Gukesh’s pawn capture forced a sequence that Giri could not recover from.
The tension peaked in a moment that encapsulated Giri's dismay. As the position unravelled on the board, Anish, agitated by the blunder, visibly slumped back in his chair and heaved a deep, disappointing sigh.
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His subsequent moves only hastened his downfall, culminating in a resigned handshake that marked Gukesh’s spectacular opening victory.
For the 18-year-old Gukesh, the triumph was an emphatic start to his campaign. Despite an exhausting schedule that included receiving the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award and a grand felicitation in India mere days earlier, Gukesh seemed undeterred by jetlag or the lack of recent practice.
“I just landed in Amsterdam at 9 am and played around 2 pm, so it was a new experience, but it went well!” said Gukesh post-match. His effortless domination of a seasoned opponent highlighted the form that secured his World Champion title against Ding Liren last month.
Giri, meanwhile, must regroup quickly as he next faces India No. 1 Arjun Erigaisi, while Gukesh moves forward to face Russian chess grandmaster Vladimir Fedoseev in Round 2 on Sunday.
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