R Praggnanandhaa has emerged victorious over D Gukesh-A fierce struggle to Tata Steel Chess glory

It has been a very long, crazy day, said Grandmaster Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa. It's hard to put in words what was going through my mind, said the young chess prodigy as he reflected on the mental and physical effort he had to undergo to secure his first Tata Steel Chess Tournament title after an intense showdown with the reigning World Champion D Gukesh.

Praggnanandhaa did not find the road to victory easy at all. Actually, the first classical game consumed around 6.5 hours, and then the blitz tiebreakers had added to this exhausting nature of the contest. Still, he held onto his resolve, quite well knowing this was his one chance to do history. "This is a very special event in the chess world, and I have seen games from this tournament growing up. Last year, things did not go my way, so I was really motivated for this tournament," he shared.

This, in many ways, was reflected in his game - played with a lot of ambition and resilience during the event where Praggnanandhaa won six games, drew five and lost only two. His recovery from mishaps showed maturity as a player. He admitted that he needed to make some changes to his game. "I knew what was wrong in the last six months and what I had to improve. I changed a few things for this tournament, and it worked. I will keep trying to improve."

The tiebreaker was the most tensed part of the match. Praggnanandhaa said he made an unnecessary mistake in the first game, which he lost. "I could have just taken the draw," he said candidly. He came back strongly in the return game, capitalizing on all his mistakes and then overwhelming Gukesh. In the decider, Praggnanandhaa found himself on the back foot with the white pieces, but this time, he was able to deliver precise moves. Gukesh, perhaps overambitious in a position that could have easily been drawn, failed to capitalize on it and ended up losing to Praggnanandhaa.

Speaking of another turning point in the tournament, he remembered his classical game loss to Germany's Vincent Keymer. He had been playing well to get a very good middle-game position, but Praggnanandhaa somehow collapsed. "I was enjoying that spot, and then I started playing weird stuff. At that stage, I could see Gukesh was getting lost, but I can only sit there, wait and suffer in that spot. I cannot resign; I cannot move my piece. That was really dissatisfying," he admitted.

But still Praggnanandhaa learned to regain his mental equilibrium. When he was asked how he felt when the tiebreaker came, he admitted being upset about it but considered it as a situation to change things around. "I sat at the venue, closed my eyes, and tried to sleep. This was one-time opportunity—I could either stay upset and lose or calm myself and make the most of it," he explained. His victory was built on the idea of regaining focus during pressure. This helped him win in the end.

Gukesh played like a top player all through the tournament, and this victory just makes Praggnanandhaa's all the more impressive. They knew what the match was about. "We were both very happy to get this opportunity to play, as we both got outplayed earlier in the tournament," Praggnanandhaa said.

Now, with this monumental achievement behind him, Praggnanandhaa is already looking ahead. He is set to compete in the Prague Masters, where he will look to take his current form forward. His commitment to bettering his game speaks volumes of his ambition to climb higher up the chess world.

A victory in the Tata Steel Chess Tournament is a hallmark in Praggnanandhaa's career, assuring him a place in the pantheon of world chess's elite. His rise to this title exemplifies sheer persistence along with strategic brilliance and spirit that will not give in. This win is just the starting point of what promises to be a lustrous career for the young Grandmaster.