Tata Steel champion Praggnanandhaa jokes about gifting Erigaisi for beating Gukesh

R Praggnanandhaa secured the 2025 Tata Steel Chess title after a thrilling tiebreak victory over D Gukesh, crediting Arjun Erigaisi's crucial win and humorously suggesting he should buy him a gift for the assist.

In Short

• Praggnanandhaa defeated Gukesh in dramatic tiebreak for title
• Erigaisi’s win over Gukesh forced the championship decider
• Praggnanandhaa joked about rewarding Erigaisi for keeping title hopes alive

Indian chess grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa secured the 2025 Tata Steel Chess Championship in a thrilling finale, overcoming reigning world champion D Gukesh in a sudden-death tiebreaker. However, his path to victory was significantly shaped by fellow Indian grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi, whose crucial win over Gukesh in the final round of classical play forced the title decider.

Acknowledging Erigaisi’s role in his triumph, Praggnanandhaa humorously suggested that he owed him a gesture of gratitude. Speaking after the final, Praggnanandhaa reflected on how unexpected Erigaisi’s win had been and how it ultimately kept him in contention for the title. He admitted that he had not anticipated the match unfolding in such a way but was grateful for the opportunity to compete in the tiebreaker.

“Should probably by something for Arjun, yeah? I didn’t really expect (Arjun to beat Gukesh). Because at some point felt that Gukesh was actually better. When I saw the result (of Gukesh vs Arjun), I had already misplayed and I was in such a difficult position that I could not really do much than sit and defend. I didn’t think practically I had any chance in my own position,” Praggnanandhaa said.

The tournament’s final day saw a dramatic shift in momentum. Praggnanandhaa’s defeat to Vincent Keymer in Round 13 had seemingly dented his title hopes, while Gukesh needed only a draw against Erigaisi to secure the championship. However, Erigaisi played fearlessly, handing Gukesh a defeat and ensuring that both he and Praggnanandhaa finished with 8.5 points each, leading to the tiebreak showdown.

“Yeah, for sure. When I came here, I wanted to win the event. But the field was very strong. I didn’t really think about it much until yesterday. Can’t really express it... I’m really happy,” Praggnanandhaa added.

The two-game blitz tiebreaker began with Gukesh drawing first blood, winning the first game with the white pieces. With just a draw needed in the second game to secure the title, he appeared to be in control. However, Praggnanandhaa showcased remarkable resilience, winning the second game to force a sudden-death Armageddon match.

In the final showdown, Praggnanandhaa held his composure and secured the crucial win, completing a stunning comeback to lift the Tata Steel Chess title.