Gukesh Wins Rapid Chess Title in Zagreb

World Chess Champion D Gukesh won the rapid title at the SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz 2025 tournament held in Zagreb, Croatia, on July 4, 2025. He scored a total of 14 points out of 18 and is now leading the Grand Chess Tour event. His strong performance puts him ahead of top players like Jan-Krzysztof Duda and Magnus Carlsen.

Gukesh’s Brilliant Performance

D Gukesh, the current World Chess Champion, showed excellent form during the three-day rapid section of the tournament. He played especially well on the second day, winning five games in a row. On the final day, he had two draws—against Anish Giri (Netherlands) and Ivan Saric (Croatia)—before ending with a win over Wesley So from the USA. This final win helped him finish at the top of the standings with 14 points.

Other Key Players and Final Standings

Jan-Krzysztof Duda, who had beaten Gukesh in the first round, came second with 11 points. Magnus Carlsen, the world’s top-ranked player from Norway, finished third with 10 points. He started strong with a win against Fabiano Caruana, but a draw against Nodirbek Abdusattorov prevented a stronger finish.

India’s R Praggnanandhaa also performed well. He defeated Ivan Saric in round 7 and drew with both Wesley So and Duda in the final two rounds. He finished with 9 points, the same as Caruana. Other notable players like Firouzja, Giri, and So scored 8 points each.

Next Up: The Blitz Section

The tournament is not over yet. The blitz section will start on July 5, and the final winner of the SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz 2025 will be decided after combining points from both the rapid and blitz rounds. Gukesh now holds a 3-point lead, giving him a good chance to win the full tournament.