Pragg ends 8-game winless run, but Gukesh loses three in four

Defending champion R Praggnanandhaa got his first win of the Tata Steel Chess Masters 2026 in the ninth round at Wijk aan Zee in the Netherlands.

Pragg, as he is affectionately called, got his first full point of the event against compatriot Aravindh Chithambaram. He had drawn six games in a row after losing the first two. Pragg still trails the league leader, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, by two points.

Just when Pragg seems to have turned a page, World Champion D Gukesh has hit a bumpy road. Gukesh lost his ninth round game against Matthias Bluebaum of Germany to make it three losses in four rounds.

The Tata Steel Masters event is one of the most popular annual events, popularly called the 'Wimbledon of chess'. It is held in the classical format, which is Gukesh's best variant.

Arjun Erigaisi, the fourth Indian in the 14-player field, has also not had consistent results. After starting the event with a win against Pragg, Erigaisi has not secured a full point in eight rounds. He drew with Hans Moke Niemann in round nine.