Gukesh kicks off 2025 at Tata Metal Chess: Key speaking factors, favourites, schedule and the place to look at

The wait is over as new world chess champion and historical past maker Gukesh Dommaraju of India will begin his
2025 marketing campaign on Saturday (18 January) in opposition to Dutch Grandmaster Anish Giri within the Tata Metal Chess Masters 2025 at Wijk aan Zee within the  Netherlands. This might be D Gukesh’s first event since changing into the world champion in December 2024.

Gukesh defeated then reigning champions Ding Liren 7.5-6.5 in a 14-game basic recreation sequence
to turn out to be the youngest chess world champion on the age of 18. The world championship win got here within the last recreation of the match after Ding imploded below stress and made a rookie blunder, taking part in 55.Rf2, which propelled the Chennai lad to victory in Sport 14 with an additional pawn within the king pawn ending.

What to anticipate from Gukesh at Tata Metal Chess 2025?

Gukesh, who acquired the distinguished Khel Ratna on Friday, will attain the venue solely on Saturday, a number of hours earlier than the match. Additionally contemplating that this might be his first match after beating Ding on 12 December and in opposition to an achieved participant like Giri, we are able to count on a sluggish begin from the Indian chess Grandmaster. Nonetheless, Gukesh has repeatedly stunned the chess world and has all it takes to do the identical on Saturday.

Grateful to obtain the distinguished ‘Main Dhyanchand Khel Ratna award 2024’ from our Honourable President mam @rashtrapatibhvn
Thanks for recognising my efforts and achievements and really feel motivated to convey extra laurels to the nation! pic.twitter.com/HewAKqKwTy

— Gukesh D (@DGukesh) January 17, 2025

Who’s the defending champion and who’s lacking?

China’s Wei Yi received the event in 2024 and is at present ranked ninth on the earth per the FIDE score. He at present has an ELo score of 2751. Wei Yi will enter the event having performed a draw in opposition to world No.1 Magnus Carlsen within the Bundesliga final week.

Additionally Learn |
Why Wijk aan Zee chess occasion known as ‘Wimbledon’ of chess

Carlsen isn’t part of the Tata Metal Chess 2025 after lacking the event final yr as nicely. World No.3 Hikaru Nakamura, who has not performed at Wijk aan Zee in over a decade, can also be lacking. GM Alireza Firouzja and GM Ian Nepomniachtchi won’t be there.

Tata Metal Chess Masters 2025 Contributors

Aside from Gukesh, Wei Yi, and 2023 winner Giri, the Masters lineup additionally consists of prime names like world No.2 Fabiano Caruana of the USA, world No. 6 Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Vladimir Fedoseev, Vincent Keymer, Jorden van Foreest, Alexey Sarana, Max Warmerdam, and 4 extra Indians – Arjun Erigaisi, R Praggnanandhaa, Pentala Harikrishna and Leon Luke Mendonca.

Additionally Learn |
D Gukesh seems ahead to dealing with members of his World Championship crew in Tata Metal Chess

That is the primary time that Tata Metal Chess has as many as 5 Indian Grandmasters within the Masters class.

The pairings of the Tata Metal Chess Match 2025 has been introduced this night!🤩 We trying ahead to an thrilling first spherical 💪

Test the web site for all pairings 💻👉 https://t.co/c93eiNlzF6 pic.twitter.com/N2DnLker7G

— Tata Metal Chess Match (@tatasteelchess) January 16, 2025

The Challengers lineup consists of Divya Deshmukh, Vaishali Rameshbabu, Thai Dai Van Nguyen, Frederik Svane, Nodirbek Yakubboev, Ediz Gurel, Aydin Suleymanli, Erwin l’Ami, Benjamin Bok, Kazybek Nogerbek, Arthur Pijpers, Faustino Oro, Miaoyi Lu and Irina Bulmaga.

Tata Metal Chess Masters 2025 Format

The Tata Metal Chess Match includes a 14-player round-robin format. The time management permits 100 minutes for the primary 40 strikes, 50 minutes for the subsequent 20 strikes, and quarter-hour for the rest of the sport, with a 30-second increment added per transfer ranging from the primary transfer.

Tata Metal Chess Masters 2025 LIVE Streaming

There’s no readability on stay streaming particulars for the Tata Metal Chess 2025 event, however the matches might be proven stay on their YouTube channel.

Tata Metal Chess Masters 2025 Schedule

Total 13 matches might be performed by a participant within the Tata Metal Chess Masters 2025 ranging from 18 January.

Spherical 1 – 18 January

Pentala Harikrishna vs Arjun Erigaisi
Praggnanandhaa R vs Nodirbek Abdusattorov
Leon Luke Mendonca vs Vincent Keymer
Max Warmerdam vs Alexey Sarana
Wei Yi vs Fabiano Caruana
Jorden van Foreest vs Vladimir Fedoseev
Gukesh D vs Anish Giri

Spherical 2 – 19 January

Arjun Erigaisi vs Anish Giri
Vladimir Fedoseev vs Gukesh D
Fabiano Caruana vs Jorden van Foreest
Alexey Sarana vs Wei Yi
Vincent Keymer vs Max Warmerdam
Nodirbek Abdusattorov vs Leon Luke Mendonca
Pentala Harikrishna vs Praggnanandhaa R

Spherical 3 – 20 January

Praggnanandhaa R vs Arjun Erigaisi
Leon Luke Mendonca vs Pentala Harikrishna
Max Warmerdam vs Nodirbek Abdusattorov
Wei Yi vs Vincent Keymer
Jorden van Foreest vs Alexey Sarana
Gukesh D vs Fabiano Caruana
Anish Giri vs Vladimir Fedoseev

Spherical 4 – 21 January

Arjun Erigaisi vs Vladimir Fedoseev
Fabiano Caruana vs Anish Giri
Alexey Sarana vs Gukesh D
Vincent Keymer vs Jorden van Foreest
Nodirbek Abdusattorov vs Wei Yi
Pentala Harikrishna vs Max Warmerdam
Praggnanandhaa R vs Leon Luke Mendonca

Spherical 5 – 22 January

Leon Luke Mendonca vs Arjun Erigaisi
Max Warmerdam vs Praggnanandhaa R
Wei Yi vs Pentala Harikrishna
Jorden van Foreest vs Nodirbek Abdusattorov
Gukesh D vs Vincent Keymer
Anish Giri vs Alexey Sarana
Vladimir Fedoseev vs Fabiano Caruana

Spherical 6 – 24 January

Arjun Erigaisi vs Fabiano Caruana
Alexey Sarana vs Vladimir Fedoseev
Vincent Keymer vs Anish Giri
Nodirbek Abdusattorov vs Gukesh D
Pentala Harikrishna vs Jorden van Foreest
Praggnanandhaa R vs Wei Yi
Leon Luke Mendonca vs Max Warmerdam

Spherical 7 – 25 January

Max Warmerdam vs Arjun Erigaisi
Wei Yi vs Leon Luke Mendonca
Jorden van Foreest vs Praggnanandhaa R
Gukesh D vs Pentala Harikrishna
Anish Giri vs Nodirbek Abdusattorov
Vladimir Fedoseev vs Vincent Keymer
Fabiano Caruana vs Alexey Sarana

Spherical 8 – 26 January

Arjun Erigaisi vs Alexey Sarana
Vincent Keymer vs Fabiano Caruana
Nodirbek Abdusattorov vs Vladimir Fedoseev
Pentala Harikrishna vs Anish Giri
Praggnanandhaa R vs Gukesh D
Leon Luke Mendonca vs Jorden van Foreest
Max Warmerdam vs Wei Yi

Spherical 9 – 28 January

Wei Yi vs Arjun Erigaisi
Jorden van Foreest vs Max Warmerdam
Gukesh D vs Leon Luke Mendonca
Anish Giri vs Praggnanandhaa R
Vladimir Fedoseev vs. Pentala Harikrishna
Fabiano Caruana vs Nodirbek Abdusattorov
Alexey Sarana vs Vincent Keymer

Spherical 10 – 29 January

Arjun Erigaisi vs Vincent Keymer
Nodirbek Abdusattorov vs Alexey Sarana
Pentala Harikrishna vs Fabiano Caruana
Praggnanandhaa R vs Vladimir Fedoseev
Leon Luke Mendonca vs Anish Giri
Max Warmerdam vs Gukesh D
Wei Yi vs Jorden van Foreest

Spherical 11 – 31 January

Jorden van Foreest vs. Arjun Erigaisi
Gukesh D vs Wei Yi
Anish Giri vs Max Warmerdam
Vladimir Fedoseev vs Leon Luke Mendonca
Fabiano Caruana vs Praggnanandhaa R
Alexey Sarana vs Pentala Harikrishna
Vincent Keymer vs Nodirbek Abdusattorov

Spherical 12 – 1 February

Arjun Erigaisi vs. Nodirbek Abdusattorov
Pentala Harikrishna vs Vincent Keymer
Praggnanandhaa R vs Alexey Sarana
Leon Luke Mendonca vs Fabiano Caruana
Max Warmerdam vs Vladimir Fedoseev
Wei Yi vs Anish Giri
Jorden van Foreest vs Gukesh D

Spherical 13 – 2 February

Gukesh D vs Arjun Erigaisi
Anish Giri vs Jorden van Foreest
Vladimir Fedoseev vs Wei Yi
Fabiano Caruana vs Max Warmerdam
Alexey Sarana vs Leon Luke Mendonca
Vincent Keymer vs Praggnanandhaa R
Nodirbek Abdusattorov vs Pentala Harikrishna