Grand Chess Tour 2025: World Champion D Gukesh wins rapid title
Grand Chess Tour 2025: World Champion D Gukesh wins rapid title
Digital Desk: D. Gukesh, the reigning World Champion, demonstrated his growing worldwide reputation by winning the quick championship at the SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz competition, part of the 2025 Grand Chess Tour, in Zagreb, Croatia, on Friday. The 19-year-old (Gukesh) demonstrated calmness, tactical precision, and blistering form to finish with 14 points out of a potential 18, securing first place in commanding fashion.
His campaign began with an early setback: a first-round loss against Jan-Krzysztof Duda. But it only encouraged a spectacular comeback. Gukesh responded with five consecutive victories, including a clinical destruction of World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen in Round 4, placing him in control of the rankings.
World Champion Gukesh @DGukesh ???????? wins Grand Chess Tour Croatia rapid ????????????https://t.co/ww3WCIsgfi
— Chessdom (@chessdom) July 4, 2025
He finished the quick phase with an iconic win over Wesley So of the United States in the final round, a disciplined 36-move performance that capitalized on a tactical mistake to convert a material advantage into two full points. It was a fitting finale to a run of six wins, two ties, and one loss.
Carlsen made a promising start to the last day, defeating Fabiano Caruana in his first game, but a following draw with Nodirbek Abdusattorov ended his chances of closing the gap. Duda, the only player to defeat Gukesh in Zagreb, finished second, with his consistency keeping the pressure on until the very end.
The SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz blitz section begins on Saturday to July 6. The combined points from both formats will determine the overall winner.
With two more journeys planned in the United States (August) and Brazil (September-October), Gukesh's dominant performance in Zagreb could be a turning point in what is shaping up to be a historic year for Indian chess.
