D Gukesh leaves ex-World No. 3 GM shellshocked, world champion stages sensational comeback to open 2025 season with win

Having become the youngest-ever world chess champion in history, D Gukesh began his 2025 season on a positive note, at the Tata Steel Masters in Wijk Aan Zee, Netherlands on Sunday. The 18-year-old staged a sensational comeback win against Dutch grandmaster Anish Giri, in what was his first first match since defeating Ding Liren at the World Chess Championship in Singapore.

Gukesh arrived in the Netherlands, just hours before his opening game against the former World No. 3 Giri. It looked like jet lag was taking its effect on Gukesh, as he began the match with an error. But then he fought back brilliantly to seal a win.

At one point, the game almost looked lost for Gukesh, but he found his special moves which left Giri with some difficult choices and he failed to convert his strong start to a win.

D Gukesh leaves Anish Giri shellshocked

When Gukesh took control after making his comeback, the look of despair and pain was visible on Giri’s face. In a video which has gone viral on social media, the 30-year-old could be seen sighing in frustration when he realized that he was losing the game.

The result sent social media into a state of meltdown as fans, current and former players lauded Gukesh for his win. Meanwhile, American grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura praised the Indian chess star’s defensive style.

Speaking on his Youtube channel, he said, “It’s really really really a heartbreaker for Anish. On the flip side the coin Gukesh did defend very well.”

“Sure Gukesh blundered with h3, but he did defend resiliently under time pressure. So you have to give him a lot of credit for putting Anish to the test.

“Unfortunately for Anish, he wasn’t up to the test. The world champion gets a win in his first classical game since his epic victory over Ding Liren in Singapore a couple of months ago. Exciting start to the tournament,” he added.