Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2025 Round 2: Praggnanandhaa beats Harikrishna; Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi held to draws

Pentala Harikrishna vs Praggnanandhaa game 

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. Nc3 Qc7 5. O-O Nd4 6. Re1 a6 7. Bf1 Ng4 8. g3 Nxf3+ 9. Qxf3 Ne5 10. Qe2 e6 11. d3 d6 12. Be3 Nc6 13. f4 Be7 14. Qf2 O-O 15. Bg2 Bd7 16. g4 b5 17. h4 Nd4 18. Rac1 Rae8 19. Ne2 Nxe2+ 20. Rxe2 d5 21. g5 d4 22. Bd2 c4 23. c3 dxc3 24. Rxc3 f6 25. g6?! (Inaccuracy. gxf6 was best) hxg6 26. dxc4 bxc4 27. b3 Bc5 28. Be3 Bxe3 29. Rexe3 g5 30. f5 Qf4 31. hxg5 Qxf2+ 32. Kxf2 cxb3 33. axb3 fxg5 34. Rc7 Bb5 35. Bh3 exf5 36. exf5 Rxe3 37. Kxe3 Rd8 38. Bg4 Rd7 39. Rc8+ Kf7 40. b4 Kf6 41. Rf8+ Rf7 42. Rb8 Rc7 43. Rb6+ Rc6 44. Rb7?? (Blunder. Rxc6+ was best) Rc3+ 45. Kf2 Rd3 46. Bh5 Rd7? (Mistake. Rh3 was best) 47. Rb8?? (Blunder. Rxd7 was best) Kxf5 48. Rf8+ Ke5 49. Bg6?! (Inaccuracy. Kg3 was best.) Kd4 50. Rc8 Rd6 51. Bh5 Rc6 52. Rg8 Rc7 53. Kg3 Kc3 54. Bd1 Kxb4 55. Kg4 a5 

Here is how Pragg beat the veteran Harikrishna 

So Arjun playes out a draw against local favourite Anish Giri after 51 moves. And both players spend a considerable amount of time after the game ended and the draw was agreed on the board discussing the game. 

Meanwhile, here's how the game played out. 

Gukesh is still unbeaten after becoming World Champion. A day after he defeated Anish Giri in the first round on Saturday, he has managed to hold his opponent to a draw in the second game. 

Gukesh was not really better in the whole game. But he did defend resolutely to grind out a draw with black pieces against Vladimir Fedoseev, who had defeated Magnus Carlsen in the Chess Olympiad. 

Here are all the moves from the Vladimir Fedoseev (Slovenia) vs Gukesh D game:

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. e4 b5 6. e5 Nd5 7. Nxb5 Nb6 8. Nc3 Nc6 9. Be3 Bb7 10. Be2 Ne7 11. b3 cxb3 12. Qxb3 Nf5 13. Bb5+ c6 14. Bd3 Be7 15. O-O Nxe3 16. fxe3 O-O 17. Ne4 Rb8 18. Nc5 Bxc5 19. dxc5 Nd5 20. Qa3 a5 21. Rad1 Qc7 22. Bc4 Nb4 23. Rd6 Ba6 24. Bxa6 Nxa6 25. Rc1 Nb4 26. h3 Qa7 27. e4 Qa6 28. Kf2?! (Inaccuracy. Nd4 was best) h6 29. Rc3 a4 30. Rd4 Qb5 31. Rcc4 Na6 32. Kg3 Rfd8 33. Rxa4 Rxd4 34. Nxd4 Qxc5 35. Qxc5 Nxc5 36. Nxc6 Rb6 37. Ne7+ Kf8 38. Rc4 Nxe4+ 39. Rxe4 Kxe7 40. Rg4 g6 41. Re4 Rb1 42. h4 Kf8 43. Kf3 Ke7 

Here's how the Vladimir Fedoseev (Slovenia) vs Gukesh D game played out. 

Here are the game notations from Lichess on the Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzbekistan) vs Leon Luke Mendonca Round 2 game which ended with Leon losing his second straight game in a row. 

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. c3 Nc6 5. Nf3 Qb6 6. a4 cxd4 7. cxd4 Nh6 8. Bb5 Nf5 9. Nc3 Bd7 10. O-O a6 11. Bxc6 Bxc6 12. Ne2 Be7 13. b3 O-O-O 14. Bd2 Kb8 15. b4 Rc8 16. Rb1 Bd7 17. b5 axb5?! (Inaccuracy. a5 was best.) 18. axb5 Rc4 19. Qb3 g5 20. h3 h5 21. Bxg5 Rb4 22. Qa2 Rxb5 23. Ng3 Bxg5?! (Inaccuracy. Nxg3 was best) 24. Nxf5 exf5 25. Nxg5 Qxd4?! (Inaccuracy. Qa5 was best)  26. Ra1 Kc7 27. Nxf7 Rg8 28. Nd6 Rb4?! (Inaccuracy. Rc5 was best.) 29. Qa5+ Qb6 30. Qxd5 Rd8 31. Nc4 

This is how the game played out: 

It seemed inevitable ever since he castled on the other side. Leon Luke Mendonca, one of the lowest rated players in the Tata Steel masters section has lost his second game in a row. 

This time, against Nodirbek, he loses.

(PHOTO: Chess24/YouTube)

That rook from Fedoseev is on such a dangerous square. And it has been propped up there by two white pawns.

Gukesh is behind by 10 minutes. Both players have level material on the board.  

Leon Luke Mendonca, the lowest rated Indian player in the Masters field, has just over 25 minutes to make his next 25 moves! 

He's under some pressure after allowing Vincent Keymer to escape with a win despite holding the upper hand in the game. 

Here are all the 15 moves so far from both players from the Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzbekistan) vs Leon Luke Mendonca game:

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. c3 Nc6 5. Nf3 Qb6 6. a4 cxd4 7. cxd4 Nh6 8. Bb5 Nf5 9. Nc3 Bd7 10. O-O a6 11. Bxc6 Bxc6 12. Ne2 Be7 13. b3 O-O-O 14. Bd2 Kb8 15. b4 Rc8 

Just look at the playing hall at the Tata Steel Chess event in Wijk aan Zee.

Those people in the foreground are playing in the amateur event which is being hosted side-by-side with the Masters and the Challengers event (the masters and the challengers games are being played on the far end of the photo, where the top players are seperated by a transparent wall).

The village of Wijk aan Zee has been the host of the Tata Steel Chess Tournament since 1968. The tournament website sayd that the seaside location offers the widest sandbeach of the Netherlands and is located next to the beautiful dune reserve of Noord-Holland.

(PHOTO: Screengrab via YouTube/Chess24) 

Arjun Erigaisi has built up an almost 30-minute advantage on the clock against Anish Giri. Anish is contemplating his 20th move. 

Here's how the Anish vs Arjun game has built up:

We're 14 moves into the game so far. And Gukesh is already behind by about 15 minutes. Both players yet to castle in the game. 

Vladimir Fedoseev (Slovenia) vs Gukesh D move order:

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. e4 b5 6. e5 Nd5 7. Nxb5 Nb6 8. Nc3 Nc6 9. Be3 Bb7 10. Be2 Ne7 11. b3 cxb3 12. Qxb3 Nf5 13. Bb5+ c6 14. Bd3

Here's how the game Fedoseev vs Gukesh game has progressed so far: 

Leon thinking about his 10th move and he's burnt up plenty of time on the clock. he's already under an hour on the clock. How much is yesterday's game rankling on his mind at the moment. Remember, he had the upper hand against Vincent Keymer yesterday in the firts round, having both advantage on the clock and a two-pawn edge on the board. Then he eased up his grip which led to Keymer not just equalising but also defeating Leon. 

In fact, Nodirbek also experienced something similar in the first round. He was putting pressure on Pragg for a lot of the game. Then in one erroneous push of the rook, he allowed Pragg to get out of jail. That game at least ended in a draw. 

Here are all the moves so far from the game Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzbekistan) vs Leon Luke Mendonca game:

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. c3 Nc6 5. Nf3 Qb6 6. a4 cxd4 7. cxd4 Nh6 8. Bb5 Nf5 9. Nc3 Bd7 10. O-O 

Here are all the moves so far from the game between Pentala Harikrishna and Praggnanandhaa

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. Nc3 Qc7 5. O-O Nd4 6. Re1 a6 7. Bf1 Ng4 8. g3 Nxf3+ 9. Qxf3 Ne5 10. Qe2 e6 11. d3 d6

This is how the game has progressed so far:

Vladimir Fedoseev pushes his queen pawn ahead with white against Gukesh. And we're off! 

And we have a Queen's Gambit Declined, the Three Knights variation on the board. 

Here are the first few moves from the Gukesh vs Fedoseev game.

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. e4 b5 6. e5 Nd5 7. Nxb5 Nb6

Arjun Erigaisi vs Anish Giri (Netherlands)

Vladimir Fedoseev (Slovenia) vs Gukesh D 

Fabiano Caruana (United States) vs Jorden van Foreest (Netherlands)

Alexey Sarana (Serbia) vs Wei Yi (China) 

Vincent Keymer (Germany) vs Max Warmerdam (Netherlands)

Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzbekistan) vs Leon Luke Mendonca

Pentala Harikrishna vs Praggnanandhaa

After the first round, Gukesh and his two seconds from the World Chess Championship -- Harikrishna and Vincent Keymer -- were on top of the 14-player standings. All three players won their opening games.

Gukesh defeated Anish Giri after a blunder from the Dutchman. Harikrishna outlasted Arjun Erigaisi, who is the top-ranked Indian player in the world. 

Meanwhile, Keymer got a slice of luck --- just as Gukesh had vs Giri --- against Leon Luke Mendonca to win. 

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the second round of the Tata Steel Chess event from Wijk aan Zee. 

There are seven Indians in action at the event that is known as the Wimbledon of Chess.