Tata Steel Chess 2025 Winner Praggnanandhaa Makes History

Indian chess prodigy R Praggnanandhaa created history by becoming the prestigious Tata Steel Chess 2025 winner against world champion D Gukesh in an exciting sudden-death tiebreak

He received a roaring welcome in Chennai, where representatives of the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT) congratulated him on his triumph. 

Upon his arrival, he expressed an inspiration from fellow chess stars in India, D. Gukesh and Arjun Erigaisi, to put in more hard work to improve.

In Praggnanandhaa’s own words: ‘I put in effort for it’ 

He said of the victory: 

“I did not conclude 2024 on a high note, so I worked very hard for this tournament.” Exciting times, starting the year with an important victory. Gukesh played strong too; we went wing-in-wing, and what a tiebreaker!”

He attributed his driving force to:

• The world championship title won by Gukesh
• Arjun exceeding the 2800 Elo rating.
• Personal dissatisfaction with his performance at the tail end of 2024 

“I was not happy with what I did.” “I wanted to improve myself, so I kept on practicing,” he explained. 

Setting New Milestones in Indian Chess 

With the victory in the Tata Steel Chess 2025, Praggnanandhaa matched the milestone of Indian chess by being the first Indian champion since Viswanathan Anand 19 years ago. 

Meanwhile, Gukesh’s unbelievable run as world champion came to an end, his first tournament loss since winning the title. He was defeated by Arjun Erigaisi in his last game, thus marking his first loss as world champion. 

India’s Chess Prospects Have a Promising Outlook

India has entered a glorious period in chess, as young grandmasters Praggnanandhaa, Gukesh, and Arjun Erigaisi are making their marks on the global chess podium. 

So far, their performance continues to inspire the young and further catapults India’s rising minor stature in international chess. 

This, thus, emerges as one of the most exciting recent news updates of Indian sport since it suggests a rosy future for Indian chess on the world stage.