D Gukesh gives ice-cold stare to Praggnanandhaa during All-Indian derby, later left in splits after game ends in draw

The ongoing Tata Steel Masters chess tournament saw the all-Indian derby in Round 8 on Sunday, in Wijk Aan Zee, Netherlands. It was a battle between two close friends as reigning world champion D Gukesh took on R Praggnanandhaa. The two Indian grandmasters played out a draw, and are not in joint-lead with Nodirbek Abdusattorov.

Playing with white pieces, Praggnanandhaa had the early advantage, but Gukesh was well-prepared. In the early middle game, Gukesh sacrificed a pawn to start putting pressure on his opponent, but the game always looked like it would end in a draw. Both players also traded their Queens, and reached a rook and minor piece endgame, where Gukesh had the better options and even had an outside passed pawn. But Praggnanandhaa managed to work his rook against the pawn, and the game ended in a draw after 33 moves.

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Ice-cold stare and then laughter

In a viral video of the game, fans got to see Praggnanandhaa arrive at the venue, with Gukesh already there. The India No. 1 initially gave his friend an ice-cold stare as they shook hands. The mood was serious as both players were seeking to play up to their best potential.

But then after the game, the mood changed and the pair were spotted having a chat on the sidelines of another game. They could be heard discussing their moves in another viral video as Gukesh could be seen reaching an understanding of a certain move by Praggnanandhaa. The conversation ended with them in laughter, and with comical expressions.

Gukesh defeated Ding Liren at the World Championship last month, and became the youngest grandmaster at 18-years-old to achieve such a feat. He also became the second Indian grandmaster to win the world championship title, after legend Viswanathan Anand. He decided to skip the year-ending Rapid and Blitz Championship, as he had other commitments in India, including felicitation and award ceremonies. The Tata Steel Masters is his first tournament since his historic triumph in Singapore.