Tata Steel Masters: Gukesh, Erigaisi lose in Round 7; Praggnanandhaa manages a draw
It was a tough day for the Indians at the ongoing Tata Steel Masters 2026, taking place in Wijk Aan Zee, Netherlands, as three of them suffered losses in the seventh round on Saturday.
World champion D. Gukesh faced another setback after losing a second consecutive game, this time against Anish Giri, while local hero GM Jorden van Foreest outplayed GM Aravindh Chithambaram.
Arjun Erigaisi, too, slumped to a loss, succumbing to 14-year-old GM Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus, who won a second game in a row.
In a round that featured four wins, R. Praggnanandhaa managed to salvage a draw with GM Matthias Bluebaum.
Meanwhile, Nodirbek Abdusattorov extended his lead by a point after defeating Vincent Keymer with black pieces, taking his tally to 5.5 points. Javokhir Sindrov secured half a point to take second with 4.5.
Gukesh and Erigaisi sit joint-fifth with three points each, while Praggnanandhaa is in joint-sixth with 2.5. Chithambaram finds himself at the bottom of the table with two points.
In the eighth round on Sunday, Gukesh takes on Vladimir Fedoseev, Chithambaram faces Arjun in an all-Indian clash, while Praggnanandhaa meets Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus.
Published on Jan 25, 2026