D Gukesh Finds His 'Rhythm' With Crushing Win Over Fabiano Caruana: 'Play Fast And Pray'

Last Updated:May 08, 2026, 08:54 IST

Dommaraju Gukesh ties for fourth in Warsaw Super Rapid and Blitz rapid section, beating Jan-Krzysztof Duda, Javokhir Sindarov and Fabiano Caruana despite some inconsistent games

Dommaraju Gukesh delivered another impressive performance at the Super Rapid and Blitz tournament in Warsaw, finishing the rapid section tied for fourth place after a series of standout victories against some of the strongest players in world chess.

Across three days and nine rapid games, the reigning world champion recorded notable wins over Jan-Krzysztof Duda, Javokhir Sindarov and Fabiano Caruana, underscoring his growing confidence in faster formats ahead of a crucial year.

How D Gukesh Beat Fabiano Caruana?

D Gukesh’s latest success came on Thursday against Caruana, one of the world’s elite players over the past several years. With the white pieces, the Indian teenager capitalised on a costly error by the American grandmaster on move 38. Caruana’s kingside pawn push ultimately allowed Gukesh to win a decisive exchange by capturing a rook, after which he maintained full control before forcing resignation.

The victory capped another rollercoaster day for Gukesh, who had earlier suffered a loss to Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and settled for a draw against Vladimir Fedoseev.

“Rapid and blitz are about rhythm! If you find it, you can crush opponents," Gukesh was quoted as saying to the Saint Louis Chess Club in an interview. “My rapid event was inconsistent. Overall, I was playing well, but I missed a few chances. There were also games where I was in trouble and managed to save it. The tournament could have been better."

One of Gukesh’s most talked-about moments came earlier in the tournament when he defeated Sindarov, the challenger for this year’s World Championship match. The Indian star’s emotional fist-pump celebration after that victory quickly became a major talking point.

His opening-day victory over Duda also carried special significance. The Polish grandmaster had worked closely with Gukesh ahead of the 2024 World Championship, helping sharpen his decision-making in faster time controls through extensive blitz sessions.

Asked about his strategy for the blitz portion of the tournament, Gukesh replied humorously: “In blitz, all you have to do is play fast and pray. That’s going to be my strategy."

News sports chess D Gukesh Finds His 'Rhythm' With Crushing Win Over Fabiano Caruana: 'Play Fast And Pray'

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