Arjun Erigaisi hands Gukesh first loss as world champion as fate of Tata Steel chess tournament hangs in balance

Coming into the last round, both Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa were tied connected 8.5 points astatine the apical of the masters standings with Nodirbek Abdusattarov 1 constituent behind. Abdusattarov, meanwhile, is playing against the different 2nd from Team Gukesh, Pentala Harikkrishna, who had helped him go the youngest satellite champion successful past successful December.

Gukesh had been undefeated successful the tat Steel chess tourney for 12 games, successful what is his archetypal tourney since becoming the 18th satellite champion successful chess past by defeating Ding Liren successful Singapore.

Erigaisi has had a wretched tourney successful Wijk aan Zee truthful far, having not managed a triumph successful 11 games of the tourney to languish successful past spot. But helium recovered 2nd upwind against Abdusattarov successful circular 12 connected Saturday to triumph his archetypal crippled of 2025. And now, his triumph implicit Gukesh ensures that bully person Praggnanandhaa has a large accidental to triumph the prestigious title.

INTERACTIVE: How Arjun Erigaisi defeated Gukesh

Playing with achromatic pieces, Erigaisi took down the satellite champion successful conscionable 31 moves, aft piling connected unit connected the h record from the start. By the clip the extremity came, Gukesh was clutching astatine straws.

But the youngest satellite champion successful past is starting to summation a estimation for ne'er throwing successful the towel. He planted a landmine with his 28th determination wherever helium threw a cheque connected Erigaisi’s king with his rook (28. Rxc3+?!).

At this stage, Erigisi had a choice. He could person moved his king to b8 oregon d8. The much earthy determination would person been to displacement it to b8 since determination was a posse of 3 pawns parked successful beforehand of that quadrate to supply protection. Instead, Erigisi played 28… Kd8 which prevented Gukesh from turning astir the full crippled successful a 3 moves. What was singular was that Erigaisi played the determination with conscionable 17 seconds of thought down it contempt him having 21 minutes connected the timepiece arsenic compared to the satellite champion, who had conscionable 3.50 seconds to marque 12 moves.

On the Chess.com commentary, grandmaster David Howell explained wherefore the determination was captious and what trap Erigaisi had spotted: If Erigisi had played 28… Kb8 alternatively of what helium played, Gukesh would person moved his pawn connected the g gile (29.g4) which threatened to seizure Erigaisi’s queen. When Erigaisi moved the queen retired of harm’s way, Gukesh could person shifted his queen a quadrate up to g3, frankincense giving a cheque to the achromatic king. Erigaisi would person determination his king to the a8 quadrate astatine this point. If helium done so, the satellite champion would person captured the pawn connected a7 with his rook. Erigaisi would person nary enactment but to retake a7 with his king. Now, Gukesh would simply determination his different rook which was connected c3 sideways to a3 to present a checkmate.