Six wins in 52 games and 69 ratings points lost, how the event offered a reality check for Indian chess

This 12 months, the Tata Metal Chess match featured amongst its youngest fields with gamers like 14-year-old Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus getting a style of a super-elite invitational match.

The outcomes for Indians had been in stark distinction to their performances within the earlier Tata Metal Chess match, the place Gukesh and Pragg had fought it out within the tiebreaks on the finish of the match to determine a winner. This 12 months, the closest any Indian bought to the title was joint eighth spot.

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Whereas Gukesh managed to win three video games, the remaining three Indians managed to win only one recreation every, with Arjun’s win coming over compatriot and good pal Pragg whereas Pragg’s win coming over a fellow stablemate from RB Ramesh’s academy, Aravindh.

What is going to make issues even worse for the Indian stars will likely be the truth that the highest 2 gamers within the standings had been the Uzbek duo of Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Javokhir Sindarov. Abdusattorov gained the title after scoring 9 out of 13 whereas Sindarov, who gained the FIDE World Cup in Goa simply a few months again, was second with 8.5 factors. In distinction, Gukesh was the highest finisher amongst Indians, ending at joint eighth place with 6.5 factors together with Anish Giri and Vladimir Fedoseev. The trio of Pragg (5.5 factors), Arjun (4.5 factors) and Aravindh (4.5) had been among the many backside 4 gamers on the finish of the occasion.

Simmering rivalry

Over the past half a decade, the rivalry between India and Uzbekistan has been simmering within the sport, due to the Uzbek group successful Olympiad gold on India’s residence turf in 2022—that too with a victory over an Indian group with gamers like Gukesh and Pragg within the ultimate spherical. The Indians had then bounced again to assert the gold at Budapest in 2024. The third act of the rivalry will play out in Uzbekistan’s Samarkand later this 12 months, the place the Indians will defend their title with heavy hopes hanging on the shoulders of gamers like Gukesh, Pragg and Arjun.

After a wretched Wijk, Gukesh is now India’s solely participant within the high 10 standings, coming in at no 10, whereas Sindarov leapt in eleventh spot over Arjun (world no 12) and Pragg (no 14).

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The outcomes of the Indians are significantly alarming as a result of this can be a essential 12 months for them: in a few months’ time, Pragg will likely be enjoying in his second Candidates match harbouring hopes of creating it to the world championship combat whereas Gukesh will defend his world champion’s crown in November-December. The Indian group may even defend their Olympiad crown.

Pragg’s outcomes at Wijk aan Zee come on the heels of a swashbuckling 2025, the place he gained a number of robust tournaments on the way in which to securing a Candidates spot. Arjun too entered 2026 on the again of dual bronze medals on the FIDE World Speedy and Blitz Championship. And whereas Gukesh racked up extra wins and misplaced much less rankings factors than the remainder of the Indians, most of the selections he made on the board have been alarming. He made horror blunders towards Abdusattorov (with a transfer that misplaced him the sport immediately), Anigh Giri, and towards Hans Niemann (with a knight sacrifice that gave the besieged American a get-out-of-jail-free card). He’s additionally allowed successful positions in a pair video games, most notably towards Sindarov, to slide away into attracts.