India, Jan. 19 -- D Gukesh showcased his experience and skill by achieving a remarkable comeback victory against Anish Giri on Sunday. The Indian grandmaster arrived just hours before his opening match at the Tata Steel Masters in Wijk Aan Zee, Netherlands. This event marked his first competitive outing since his historic World Championship triumph in December of the previous year.

At the age of 18, Gukesh made headlines by defeating Ding Liren in Singapore, thus becoming the youngest world chess champion in history. He opted to forgo participation in the World Rapid and Blitz Championships at the end of the year due to numerous felicitation ceremonies held in India upon his return.

In his 2025 season debut against the Dutch grandmaster, Gukesh initially made a significant blunder that allowed Giri to seize the advantage. However, leveraging his extensive experience, Gukesh mounted a counter-offensive that culminated in a decisive victory, leaving Giri in a state of shock and despair. The match concluded after 42 moves in favor of Gukesh.

American grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura, speaking on his YouTube channel, provided insight into Gukesh's slow start against Giri. He noted that Gukesh had just received the Khel Ratna Award and arrived only 'three hours' prior to the match. The award ceremony took place on January 17 in New Delhi, where Gukesh was honored by Indian President Droupadi Murmu.

"Nakamura remarked that Gukesh was in India to accept one of the highest civilian honors from the government just the day before, and he flew in for the game, arriving three hours before it commenced. He added, 'Gukesh was likely a bit fatigued and possibly experiencing jet lag. Anish, on the other hand, has historically performed well in this tournament, although he has faced challenges outside of it at times.'"

Gukesh is anticipated to embark on a formidable winning streak this year, with upcoming matches against prominent players such as Viswanathan Anand and Magnus Carlsen in February, utilizing the freestyle chess format. His triumph in the world championship triggered a significant reaction on social media, as fans and both past and present chess luminaries expressed their admiration. However, this victory was met with criticism from figures like Carlsen and Vladimir Kramnik, who previously coached Gukesh. They voiced concerns regarding the match's quality, suggesting that it fell short of the standards expected of a World Championship.

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