India, Jan. 23 -- In a protracted contest lasting 72 moves, D Gukesh demonstrated 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 remarkable 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 exhibited strong form against Keymer, despite encountering some initial mistakes. In his previous match against Ding Liren in Singapore, Gukesh's approach was to exhaust his opponent, a strategy that Keymer attempted to replicate against the Indian grandmaster. However, Keymer's plan faltered as he found himself at a disadvantage in the middle game, with Gukesh having a pawn advantage. Rather than conceding defeat, Keymer continued to play until the 72nd move, at which point, with Gukesh's victory all but assured, the German player resigned. 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, 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."

"With Gukesh, the preparation was executed swiftly. I believe the overarching goal was to avoid time trouble. Time pressure heightens the risk of losing control, which is the last situation one would want to encounter. In contrast, Ding Liren

Read Also: Rahane Names Opening Pair for Mumbai

"Get the latest Bollywood entertainment news, trending celebrity news, latest celebrity news, new movie reviews, latest entertainment news, latest Bollywood news, and Bollywood celebrity fashion & style updates!"