World champion D Gukesh ended his streak of draws by defeating Thai Dai Van Nguyen in round five of the Tata Steel Chess Masters 2026. The victory propelled him to 3 points out of 5, placing him half a point behind the leaders. The tournament in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands, continues with intense competition among top grandmasters.
The Tata Steel Chess Masters 2026, often dubbed the 'Wimbledon of Chess,' kicked off in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands, with an unusual start: an environmental protest delayed the opening by 90 minutes, forcing grandmaster Hans Niemann to scale a fence for entry. Despite the disruption, the 13-round classical event has quickly intensified.
In round five on January 22, 2026, India's D Gukesh, the reigning world champion, secured his first victory by beating Czech grandmaster Thai Dai Van Nguyen with the black pieces in a grinding Queen's Indian Defense game. Gukesh, who had drawn his previous four games against Javokhir Sindarov, Jorden van Foreest, Arjun Erigaisi, and R Praggnanandhaa, expressed relief post-match: "It feels good. I was supposed to win the first one, but I missed by a whisker. Nice to get a win after draws and before a rest day."
The win boosted Gukesh to joint second with 3 points, trailing leaders Niemann, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, and Sindarov, each on 3.5 points. Fellow Indian Praggnanandhaa drew his third consecutive game, this time against Anish Giri, remaining at 1.5 points and winless. Arjun Erigaisi suffered a setback, losing to Vladimir Fedoseev and dropping to 2.5 points in joint seventh.
Gukesh reflected on the pressure of fan support: "It is always nice to see so many people... especially there are so many kids here and most of the fans are always Indians." He added ambitiously, "Any tournament I play, I want to win. I will be trying my best."
Round six resumes on January 23 at 14:00 CET, with Gukesh facing Abdusattorov. The tournament highlights emerging talents and established stars, drawing global attention to chess's competitive landscape.
