Grand Chess Tour: Gukesh dominates Wesley So in Croatia rapid, takes big lead into blitz

IANS July 5, 2025 367 views

Gukesh continues his stellar run in the Grand Chess Tour, defeating Wesley So in rapid chess to solidify his lead. The World Champion has now won seven matches, including a shock victory over Carlsen. With the blitz rounds next, Gukesh holds a three-point advantage over second-placed Duda. The tournament features four of the world’s top five players, making Gukesh’s dominance even more impressive.

"Gukesh silenced his critics with a sensational display in rapid chess, beating Carlsen himself in the sixth round." – IANS
Grand Chess Tour: Gukesh dominates Wesley So in Croatia rapid, takes big lead into blitz
Zagreb, July 5 : Gukesh Dommaraju, the World Champion in classical chess, once against proved his growing stature as a force to recknon with as a force in the shorter formats by beating American Wesley So in the final round of rapid portion of Grand Chess Tour's SuperUnited Croatia Rapid & Blitz 2025 tournament here on Friday.

Key Points

1

Gukesh extends lead with dominant win over Wesley So

2

Carlsen trails behind as Gukesh proves rapid chess prowess

3

Indian GM scores seventh rapid win ahead of blitz rounds

4

Praggnanandhaa holds fourth spot in star-studded Grand Chess Tour

Zagreb (Croatia), July 5 (IANS) Gukesh Dommaraju, the World Champion in classical chess, once against proved his growing stature as a force to recknon with as a force in the shorter formats by beating American Wesley So in the final round of rapid portion of Grand Chess Tour's SuperUnited Croatia Rapid & Blitz 2025 tournament here on Friday. Gukesh, the youngest World Champion in chess, scored a totally dominant win over Wesley So in the ninth round and extended his lead at the top of the table, moving to 14 points from nine rounds. Jan-Krzysztof Duda of Poland is placed second with 11 points, with former World Champion and World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen of Norway third with 10. India's Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu is fourth with nine points.

Gukesh defeated Wesley in 38 moves with white pieces to secure his seventh win of the rapid section. It is a big upset in rapid chess as Wesley is quite strong in the shorter version of the game and is ranked 15th, while Gukesh is placed 42nd. The Indian GM was under pressure coming into the rapid section of this event, as his forte is Classical chess. World No.1 Magnus Carlsen even dismissed him as a "weak player" in rapid chess. But Gukesh silenced his critics with a sensational display in rapid chess, beating, among other,s Carlsen himself in the sixth round.

The 18-year-old Grandmaster from Chennai will now go into the blitz portion of the third round of the 2025 Grand Chess Tour on top with a huge lead over the field, as he has so far won six consecutive matches in the event.

The nine rounds of rapid action will be followed by 18 rounds of blitz in the event, in which four out of the five highest-rated players in the world -- Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana, Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, and Gukesh Dommaraju -- are included.

In other games in the round, Alireza Firouzja of France drew with Nodirbek Abdusattorov; Magnus Carlsen was held by Anish Giri, while Praggnanandhaa also shared the point with Jan-Krzysztof Duda. On the last board, Fabiano Caruana defeated Ivan Saric with white pieces.

Reader Comments

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Priya S
As a chess mom, I'm so proud to see Indian players shining on global stage! Gukesh and Pragg are making us all proud. Chennai is truly becoming the chess capital of the world 🏆
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Michael C
Respectfully, while Gukesh's performance is impressive, let's not get carried away. Wesley So had an off day. The real test will be maintaining this lead in blitz where Carlsen is the king.
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Shreya B
Yaar, this is just amazing! From Vishy Anand to these young guns, India's chess legacy continues to grow. Gukesh's game against Carlsen was pure brilliance - like watching a Bollywood underdog story but in chess! ♟️
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Rohit P
The best part? Both Gukesh and Pragg are performing well. Indian chess is in safe hands for next decade at least. Hope they continue supporting each other rather than becoming rivals.
K
Kavya N
Chess is becoming so exciting in India! My 10-year-old has started playing because of these young champions. Gukesh's journey from Chennai to world champion is so inspiring ❤️
D
David E
As an American chess fan, I

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Tags:
Gukesh Dommaraju Wesley So Magnus Carlsen Grand Chess Tour Rapid Chess Blitz Chess Praggnanandhaa