First Time in 3 Years, R Praggnanandhaa Topples D Gukesh in Classical Format

Last Updated:August 19, 2025, 09:01 IST

Praggnanandhaa scored his first Classical victory in three years over world champion D Gukesh, vaulting to world No. 3. This win marks a breakthrough in their rivalry.

The two prodigies from Chennai have been battling each other across formats since their early teens, but the Classical format has been Gukesh’s fortress—until now (Photo: Crystal Fuller/@STLChessClub)

In a stunning start to the Sinquefield Cup 2025 in St. Louis, India’s R Praggnanandhaa scored his first Classical victory in three years over reigning world champion D Gukesh, marking a breakthrough moment in their high-profile rivalry. The 20-year-old grandmaster clinched the point in just 36 moves, vaulting to world No. 3 in live rankings with a career-best rating of 2784. Gukesh, meanwhile, slipped to No. 5 on the live leaderboard.

“This was probably my smoothest game against him in Classical," Praggnanandhaa told the Grand Chess Tour broadcast after the match. “I knew I had messed up too many chances last year. Today, things finally came together."

The two prodigies from Chennai have been battling each other across formats since their early teens, but the Classical format has been Gukesh’s fortress—until now. Since his last Classical win over Gukesh at the Reykjavik Open in April 2022, Praggnanandhaa had repeatedly fallen short, including several painful misses in 2024 where he squandered winning positions.

The narrative shifted dramatically on Monday. Playing White, Praggnanandhaa pushed Gukesh into early time trouble before navigating to a favourable endgame. The 19-year-old world champion, known for his composure, faltered with multiple inaccuracies and was forced to resign before the position became untenable.

Gukesh entered the 2025 Sinquefield Cup as not just the World Champion—having wrested the crown from Ding Liren in December 2024—but also as one of the most consistent players in Classical format.

With the win, Praggnanandhaa joined Levon Aronian at the top of the leaderboard. Aronian defeated Nodirbek Abdusattorov, while the remaining games ended in draws.

• Joint leaders (1 point each): R Praggnanandhaa, Levon Aronian
• Half-points: Magnus Carlsen, Ian Nepomniachtchi, Alireza Firouzja, Anish Giri, Wesley So
• 0 points: D Gukesh, Nodirbek Abdusattorov

In Round 2, Praggnanandhaa will face Fabiano Caruana, whom he leapfrogged in live world rankings, while Gukesh takes on Abdusattorov in what is already a must-win game to revive his campaign.

Why This Win Matters

For Praggnanandhaa, this victory is more than just a rating milestone: It breaks a three-year Classical drought against his biggest contemporary rival. It strengthens India’s case as the new powerhouse in world chess, with two players in the top five worldwide.

It sets the tone for what could be the defining rivalry of the 2020s, much like Carlsen-Anand and Kasparov-Karpov of earlier eras. “This start gives me confidence," Praggnanandhaa said, smiling. “Last year at this event, I drew all nine games. This time, I wanted to change the story."

Vineet Ramakrishnan

Vineet R, an accomplished sports journalist with over 13 years of experience in digital media, currently serves as the Associate Editor - Sports at CricketNext and News18 Sports. With a specialization in cricke...Read More

Vineet R, an accomplished sports journalist with over 13 years of experience in digital media, currently serves as the Associate Editor - Sports at CricketNext and News18 Sports. With a specialization in cricke...

Read More

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St. Louis, Missouri

First Published:

August 19, 2025, 09:01 IST

News sports First Time in 3 Years, R Praggnanandhaa Topples D Gukesh in Classical Format

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