Gukesh Beats Giri, Thai Dai Van Nguyen Aims for Challengers Triumph

Gukesh Shines as World Champion

The main spotlight is on the Masters tournament, featuring 14 top-class players. Newly minted world champion GM D. Gukesh showed he has lost none of his fighting spirit, unveiling a bold piece sacrifice against GM Anish Giri. Despite flirting with defeat, Giri missed a winning move in time trouble, allowing Gukesh to claim a dramatic victory and affirm his status as the world’s top player.

A record five Indians are in the Masters this year, including R Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi, Pentala Harikrishna, and Leon Luke Mendonca, who qualified by winning last year’s Challengers. Both Harikrishna and Vincent Keymer—Gukesh’s second in the world championship—scored victories in the opening round, with Keymer pulling off a comeback from a nearly lost position against Mendonca.

Record-Breaking Indian Contingent and a Czech Hopeful

This year’s Wijk aan Zee event features seven Indians across both sections—a record for the tournament. The Challengers boasts several promising talents, among them 11-year-old Argentine “Messi of Chess” Faustino Oro, 14-year-old IM Miaoyi Lu from China, and GM R Vaishali, an Olympiad gold medalist and sister to GM R Praggnanandhaa.

From a Czech perspective, the key name is GM Thai Dai Van Nguyen, considered one of the biggest hopes of Czech chess. If he tops the Challengers, he will secure a coveted spot in next year’s Masters.

Czech GM Fights for a Spot in the Masters

At just 21, GM Thai Dai Van Nguyen began his Challengers campaign against IM Arthur Pijpers (NED). Known for his aggressive style, he will be facing multiple ambitious opponents—including several rising prodigies—throughout the event. Winning the Challengers is a tough task, but it could propel him into the 2026 Masters lineup, following the path of last year’s winner Leon Luke Mendonca.

Dramatic Start, Bright Prospects

Right from the first round, the Tata Steel Chess tournament—often dubbed the “Wimbledon of Chess”—lived up to its reputation. Gukesh’s victory over Giri has already stirred the global chess scene, and the Challengers section is shaping up to be a fierce battleground for ambitious talents. Whether Thai Dai Van Nguyen can navigate this field to claim a spot in the Masters, and how Gukesh will continue to defend his standing as the world’s top player, remains to be seen. One thing is certain, however: we can expect more exhilarating games and high-stakes drama from Wijk aan Zee.