India, Jan. 31 -- D Gukesh's performance at the ongoing 2025 Tata Steel Chess Masters has been remarkable. The defending champion has exhibited exceptional skill in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands, effectively addressing the criticisms from notable figures such as Magnus Carlsen.

Following his triumph over Ding Liren at the World Championship in Singapore last month, Gukesh faced disparaging remarks from Carlsen, who questioned the legitimacy of his victory against Liren. Recently, however, Carlsen has moderated his comments, likely due to Gukesh's membership in his Freestyle Chess Players' Club, as the World No. 1 is keen to retain the defending world champion and India's top player in his Grand Slam Tour.

The 18-year-old currently leads the tournament with a score of 7.6/10, maintaining a half-point advantage over second-placed Nodirbek Abdusattorov.

After securing his second consecutive victory against GM Max Warmerdam, which propelled him to the top of the standings, Gukesh participated in a sideline interview. When asked about Carlsen's remarks that he "is a very optimistic player and doesn't bluff," Gukesh responded with humour, effectively countering Carlsen's assertion.

"(Laughs) Optimistic, indeed, but I also bluff. It varies based on the position, the opponent, and other factors. It's not that I never bluff, but I wouldn't consider myself a significant bluffer," he stated.

In the current standings, R Praggnanandhaa is also in close contention, just one point behind the leader after his victory over Vladimir Fedoseev. Meanwhile, Fabiano Caruana, who was favoured to win before the tournament, saw his chances diminish as Pentala Harikrishna managed to escape a rook endgame.

After Round 10, Gukesh stands as the sole leader, followed by Abdusattorov and Praggnanandhaa. Fedoseev occupies the third position with 6 points, while Caruana trails with 5.5 points. Wei Yi is also at 5.5 points, placing him sixth, and Anish Giri is seventh with 5 points. Conversely, Arjun Erigaisi, who was India's top player prior to the Tata Masters, has struggled and currently sits second to last in the standings.

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