A lengthy battle of 72 moves unfolded as D Gukesh drew upon his extensive experience to secure a victory over Vincent Keymer in the fifth round of the Tata Steel Chess tournament held in Wijk aan Zee on Wednesday. This win also marked a significant moment, as it came against one of his Seconds from his historic World Chess Championship triumph in December of the previous year. Furthermore, this victory propelled Gukesh to the position of India’s new No. 1, surpassing Arjun Erigaisi in the live ratings.

Competing with the white pieces, Gukesh demonstrated commendable form against Keymer, despite encountering some initial mistakes. In his previous match against Ding Liren in Singapore, Gukesh's strategy involved exhausting his opponent, a tactic that Keymer attempted to replicate against the Indian grandmaster. However, Keymer's strategy faltered as he found himself at a disadvantage in the middle game, with Gukesh holding a pawn advantage. Rather than resigning, Keymer continued to play until the 72nd move, at which point, with Gukesh's victory all but assured, the German player conceded. Although Keymer had a pawn advantage, Gukesh possessed an extra bishop. Keymer was one of Gukesh’s two Seconds participating in this year's Tata Steel, alongside Pentala Harikrishna.

Prior to his match against Keymer, D Gukesh was inquired about his preparations for facing his Seconds. He responded succinctly, stating, “Once I get to the board, in general I don’t really care about the opponent, whether it’s a good friend or anyone. It will be business as usual. We have developed a close bond over the year. I’m glad they’re playing in this tournament.”

In a related discussion, Keymer elaborated on his role as Gukesh’s Second during the Singapore match. In an interview with Chessbase India, he remarked, “My job as a second during the match was, of course, to help prepare the openings. It's good to bring your own style and ideas to the table, but ultimately it's up to Gukesh and his head coach to decide. Of course, we had a direction before the match and knew what we wanted to look at in detail.”

The approach taken with Gukesh involved a rapid preparation strategy. The primary objective was to circumvent potential time difficulties, as such challenges heighten the likelihood of losing control, which is undesirable. In contrast, Ding Liren exhibited a meticulous approach to time management. However, World Championship matches operate under unique conditions, and after the initial six rounds, we considered ourselves fortunate not to be trailing. This was due to the fact that certain games could have resulted in unfavorable outcomes for us, he remarked.

Keymer, a former junior world number one in the FIDE rankings, currently holds a FIDE rating of 2733, placing him 20th in the world. He has previously garnered notable acclaim from World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen for his innovative opening strategies.

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