World Champion D Gukesh added another feather to his cap by winning the rapid section of the SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz tournament in Zagreb, Croatia, on Friday. The 19-year-old Indian grandmaster scored an impressive 14 out of 18 points, showcasing sharp preparation, mental resilience, and consistent performance across the three-day event, part of the 2025 Grand Chess Tour.
Gukesh had a shaky start, losing his first-round game to Jan-Krzysztof Duda. However, he bounced back in spectacular fashion, stringing together five consecutive wins including a pivotal victory over World No.1 Magnus Carlsen in Round 4. That triumph catapulted him to the top of the leaderboard, a position he maintained until the end.
He wrapped up the rapid segment by defeating American Grandmaster Wesley So in the final round. Capitalising on a tactical misstep, Gukesh closed the game in just 36 moves. His final rapid tally stood at six wins, two draws, and one loss.
Strong finish despite early loss
In the final leg of the rapid segment, Gukesh began with a draw against Anish Giri. He then played a grueling 87-move draw against Croatian player Ivan Saric, deploying the Marshall Gambit to neutralize any threats.
Duda secures second; Carlsen falters
Jan-Krzysztof Duda, the only player to defeat Gukesh in the tournament, finished second with a steady performance throughout. Carlsen began Day 3 with a win over Fabiano Caruana but was held to a draw by Nodirbek Abdusattorov in the following round, denting his chances of a comeback.
Praggnanandhaa struggles, stays in tour contention
Fellow Indian R. Praggnanandhaa had a modest outing, winning just one game—against Saric—and drawing seven of his nine matches to finish with nine points. While his performance in Zagreb was underwhelming, his earlier successes in Warsaw and Bucharest keep him in contention for the overall Grand Chess Tour title.
Blitz segment begins Saturday
The blitz section of the SuperUnited tournament begins Saturday and will run through July 6. Combined results from the rapid and blitz formats will determine the overall winner of the Zagreb leg of the Grand Chess Tour.