Reigning world champion D Gukesh defeated Fabiano Caruana a day after beating Candidates winner Javokhir Sindarov to finish fourth in the Rapid section of the Super Rapid and Blitz Poland event in Warsaw on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Reigning world champion D Gukesh produced another stellar performance at the Super Rapid and Blitz Poland on Thursday, defeating world No 3 Fabiano Caruana a day after his victory over Fide Candidates winner Javokhir Sindarov. He had earlier defeated Polish Grandmaster Jan Krzysztof Duda \u2013 who helped him win the 2024 World Championship \u2013 in the opening round on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
With three wins in as many days in the opening event of the 2026 Grand Chess Tour in Warsaw, Gukesh finished a creditable fourth in the Rapid section of the tournament with nine points in as many outings.<\/p>\n
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After nine rounds and three intense days of rapid chess, Hans Niemann finishes the rapid portion as the tournament leader with 13 points. \u2014 Grand Chess Tour (@GrandChessTour) May 7, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Failing to finish among the top-three might normally be seen as a disappointing result for a player who happens to be the reigning world champion. Gukesh, however, has endured a torrid run spanning nearly a year, having produced underwhelming performances at events such as Tata Steel Chess, Prague Masters and the Menorca Open this year.<\/p>\n The Indian Grandmaster\u2019s performance in the Rapid section of the tournament, however, is a promising sign, one that suggests that the youngest world champion of all time might be regaining his form in time ahead of his title defence against Sindarov later this year.<\/p>\n How Gukesh defeated Caruana<\/p>\n Gukesh defeated Caruana in 49 moves while playing with white pieces, opting for a Queen\u2019s Pawn Opening that later developed into a Catalan Opening. Caruana drew first blood in the fourth move by initiating a pawn exchange near the middle of the board.<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t an ideal game for either player, and both Gukesh and Caruana had their fair share of mistakes. The reigning world champion, in particular, had committed an error with his Queen in the 19th move (19. Qb3) that not only strengthened his opponent\u2019s position but could have proved costly for him on the longer run.<\/p>\n STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD<\/p>\n Gukesh, however, managed to bring the contest back on level terms soon after and even got a thumbs up from the Stockfish engine for a solid 26th move (26. Bxg7) in which he initiated a bishop exchange right next to the black king.<\/p>\n Ultimately, it was a blunder by Caruana in his 38th move (38. g4) that proved to be his undoing and tilted the game heavily in Gukesh\u2019s favour. And despite having his Queen on the board along with three pawns and a knight, the American GM raised the white flag of surrender after having his King chased around by Gukesh\u2019s queen.<\/p>\n First Published: Home<\/a>Sports<\/a>Chess<\/a>How D Gukesh defeated Fabiano Caruana to continue impressive run in WarsawEnd of Article
In the final round, Niemann drew against Radoslaw Wojtaszek, while his closest rival Wesley So also split the point with Jan-Krzysztof Duda,\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/aXKmsjNBXu<\/a><\/p>\n
\nMay 08, 2026, 05:00 IST<\/p>\n