World Champion D Gukesh needed six hours to draw, while R Praggnanandhaa took the sole lead overall with 3.5/4

It’s something of a rite of passage in chess — the new champ is a marked man when he first returns to the board. Indian teenager Dommaraju Gukesh, who became the youngest world champion ever when he dethroned Chinese GM Deng Liren in their December title match,

R Praggnanandhaa won against Arjun Erigaisi in the third round of the Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2025. The game concluded with Praggnanandhaa leading the table with a score of 2.5/3. Other notable matches include a draw between D Gukesh and Fabiano Caruana and Leon Luke Mendonca earning his first point.

Gukesh and Caruana are both on two points after the result and it remains to be seen who among the rest could overtake them.