Tata Steel Masters: Gukesh Suffers Another Setback, Loses to Anish Giri in Round 7
What happened:World Champion D Gukesh endured another difficult outing at the Tata Steel Masters 2026, suffering his second consecutive defeat and third overall loss after...
What happened:
World Champion D Gukesh endured another difficult outing at the Tata Steel Masters 2026, suffering his second consecutive defeat and third overall loss after going down to Dutch Grandmaster Anish Giri in Round 7 at Wijk Aan Zee.
Why it matters now:
With the tournament entering its decisive phase, Gukesh’s defeat adds pressure on the Indian contingent, while Nodirbek Abdusattorov continues to consolidate his lead at the top of the standings.
Tough day for Indian players
Round 7 proved challenging for India’s top chess stars. Alongside Gukesh’s loss, Arjun Erigaisi, the world No. 5 and top seed, was outplayed by Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus of Turkiye, who delivered one of the most impressive performances of the day.
Aravindh Chithambaram also went down with the black pieces against Dutch player Jorden van Foreest, while R Praggnanandhaa had to settle for a draw against Germany’s Matthias Bluebaum, extending his wait for a first win in the event.
How Giri outplayed Gukesh
Playing with the white pieces, Gukesh opted for the English Opening, but Giri seized early initiative with a strong central bind. Although Gukesh managed to loosen the grip later, his position had already deteriorated.
Giri maintained control throughout the middlegame and endgame, making no significant errors and converting his advantage with precision to hand the reigning world champion another defeat.
Standings: Abdusattorov pulls clear
At the top of the table, Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan delivered a near-flawless performance with the black pieces to defeat Vincent Keymer, extending his lead to 5.5 points.
His compatriot and World Cup winner Javokhir Sindarov remains second on 4.5 points.
A group including Erdogmus, Van Foreest, Hans Moke Niemann, and Vladimir Fedoseev share third place on 4 points.
Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi, and Anish Giri are tied on 3 points, while Praggnanandhaa sits at 2.5 points. Aravindh Chithambaram currently remains at the bottom with 2 points.
What players said
Reflecting on his win, Jorden van Foreest noted that using an opponent’s preferred opening can sometimes work to advantage, though it didn’t help Aravindh on the day.
Arjun Erigaisi acknowledged that constant pressure from Erdogmus, even after queen exchanges, proved decisive against him.