Gukesh wins Zagreb SuperUnited Rapid Chess title! Defeats Wesley So in 36 moves, scores 14/18 points in a stunning victory
Indian chess player Dommaraju Gukesh won the rapid title at the Grand Chess Tour 2025 SuperUnited Rapid and Blitz tournament in Zagreb, Croatia.
Key Highlights:
Gukesh became the champion with 14 out of 18 points in the tournament.
In the last round, American player Wesley Son secured the title by defeating him in 36 moves.
He gave a strong performance with 6 wins, 2 draws and 1 loss from 9 matches.
Tournament Turning Points:
1. Defeat in the first match: Lost to Polish player Jankrzysztof Duda in 59 moves, but then made a comeback.
2. Double victory over Carlsen:
Defeated world number 1 Magnus Carlsen in the sixth round.
He also defeated Carlsen in the Norway Chess Tournament last month.
3. Other important wins:
French Grandmaster Alireza Firouza
Indian player Praggnanand
Uzbek player Nodirbek Abdussattarov
American Grandmaster Fabiano Caruana
Performance of other Indian players:
Praggnanand: 9 points with just 1 win out of 9 (7 draws, 1 loss). But, he is in a strong position in the overall ranking of the Grand Chess Tour.
Final Standings (Rapid):
1. Dommaraju Gukesh (India) – 14 points
2. Jankrzysztof Duda (Poland) – 13 points
3. Magnus Carlsen (Norway) – 12 points
Next Stage: Blitz Chess (July 56)
Points from the blitz round will be combined with rapid points.
The overall winner will be determined by the total points from rapid + blitz.
The significance of Gukesh's success:
Showed stability in the ratings as a world champion.
Strengthened his title claim by defeating top-ranked players like Carlsen.
Article published | Sat | 05 Jul 2025 | 8:49 PM