World Champion D Gukesh Wins the Rapid Title at 2025 Grand Chess Tour Zagreb

D GukeshD Gukesh

D. Gukesh emerged victorious in the Grand Chess Tour 2025 Rapid & Blitz in Zagreb, Croatia, on Friday,while Jan-Krzysztof Duda of Poland came in second. The 19-year-old finished with 14 points out of a potential 18 points, securing top honors in style. He displayed poise, tactical accuracy, and explosive form.

After losing the opening round, the defending world champion gained five straight victories, including one against Magnus Carlsen, to take the lead.

With a cool 36-move performance that took advantage of a tactical blunder to turn a material advantage into two full points, he finished the quick section with a memorable victory over Wesley So of the United States in the last round. It was a fitting conclusion to a run that ended with one loss, two draws, and six victories.

The other Indian on the field, R. Praggnanandhaa, had a more restrained appearance. He finished with nine points after drawing seven of his nine games and winning one, against Aric. The 18-year-old won the Bucharest leg and finished third in Warsaw, so even though he is not as fast in Zagreb, he is still a serious contender in the overall rankings.

This weekend, July 5 and 6, is when the blitz portion will happen. The overall champion will be the player with the highest total number of points at the end of the last day.

Gukesh’s commanding performance in Zagreb could prove to be a turning point in what is already turning out to be a historic year for Indian chess, with two more stops planned: in the United States (August) and Brazil (September–October).

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