New Delhi: World Champion D Gukesh staged a strong comeback at the Tata Steel Masters, registering a convincing victory over Vladimir Fedoseev in the eighth round of the prestigious tournament. The win came after two consecutive defeats and marked an important turnaround for the Indian grandmaster, both in terms of points and confidence.
Playing with the black pieces, Gukesh delivered a composed and controlled performance. He remained patient through the middlegame before seizing the initiative and converting his advantage with precision. The contest ended in 41 moves, highlighted by a clean rook maneuver that sealed the result in emphatic fashion. The victory lifted Gukesh to four points and kept him firmly in contention with several rounds still to play.
The day saw limited decisive results, with only two wins recorded across the seven boards. Arjun Erigaisi faced pressure in an all Indian encounter against Aravindh Chithambaram but defended resolutely to secure a draw. R Praggnanandhaa also showed resilience, escaping from a pawn down endgame to hold 14 year old Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus of Turkey.
One of the key moments of the round came when local favorite Anish Giri defeated overnight leader Nodirbek Abdusattorov, adding new intrigue to the standings. Despite the loss, Abdusattorov retained the sole lead with 5.5 points, while his closest challenger Javokhir Sindarov stayed half a point behind after drawing his game against Vincent Keymer.
With five rounds remaining, the tournament remains wide open. Erdogmus continued his impressive run, staying in joint third place alongside Hans Moke Niemann and Jorden van Foreest. A tightly packed group followed closely behind, including Gukesh, Giri, Fedoseev, Keymer and Matthias Bluebaum, all still mathematically in the race for the title.
Erigaisi stands next in line on 3.5 points, while Praggnanandhaa remains in search of his first victory of the event, an unusual position given his recent consistency on the elite circuit.
As the Tata Steel Masters moves into its decisive phase, Gukesh’s timely resurgence has added further excitement to an already competitive field, setting the stage for an intense battle at the top of the standings.
