Zagreb, July 5: Reigning World Champion D. Gukesh underlined his growing stature on the global stage, clinching the rapid title at the SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz tournament – part of the 2025 Grand Chess Tour – in Zagreb, Croatia, on Friday. The 19-year-old showcased composure, tactical precision and blistering form to finish with 14 points from a possible 18, sealing top honours in commanding fashion.His campaign began with an early stumble – a first-round defeat to Jan-Krzysztof Duda. But that only sparked a remarkable turnaround. Gukesh responded with five consecutive victories, including a clinical dismantling of World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen in Round 4, a result that firmly placed him in control of the leaderboard.
He capped off the rapid section with a signature win over Wesley So of the United States in the final round – a composed 36-move performance that exploited a tactical oversight to convert a material edge into two full points. It was a fitting end to a run that included six wins, two draws, and a solitary loss.
Day 3 began with a quiet draw against Dutch GM Anish Giri, as the players reached a near-locked middlegame and shook hands. The second game of the day – against Croatia’s Ivan Aric—was a lengthy contest where Gukesh employed the Marshall Gambit. The 87-move encounter eventually ended in a draw, but showed Gukesh’s readiness to fight for every inch.
Carlsen made an encouraging start to the final day, defeating Fabiano Caruana in his opening game, but a subsequent draw against Nodirbek Abdusattorov put paid to his chances of closing the gap. Duda, the only player to defeat Gukesh in Zagreb, finished second, his consistency keeping the pressure alive until the end.
R. Praggnanandhaa, the other Indian on the field, had a more subdued outing. He picked up one win – against Aric—and drew seven of his nine games, finishing with nine points. While off the pace in Zagreb, the 18-year-old remains a strong contender in the overall standings, having won the Bucharest leg and secured third place in Warsaw.
The blitz section of the SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz gets underway on Saturday and concludes on 6 July. Combined points from both formats will determine the overall winner.