D Gukesh Faces Challenges in St. Louis Rapid and Blitz Chess Tournament

D Gukesh's journey in the St. Louis Rapid and Blitz chess tournament has been challenging, with one win and four draws placing him in joint sixth. As the tournament progresses, he must secure significant victories in the remaining rounds to improve his standing. Levon Aronian currently leads the tournament, while Gukesh's performance has been affected by several losses. The competition remains fierce, and with only nine blitz games left, the stakes are high for Gukesh to make a comeback. Discover the latest standings and results from this prestigious event.

By Narendra Chaudhary Aug 15, 2025, 15:25 IST

Gukesh's Performance Overview

World Champion D Gukesh managed to secure one victory and four draws, resulting in a drop to a tie for sixth place in the St. Louis Rapid and Blitz chess tournament, which is part of the Grand Chess Tour.

To make a significant comeback, Gukesh must perform exceptionally well in the remaining nine blitz games.

Levon Aronian from the United States currently leads the tournament with a score of 6 out of 9, surpassing overnight leader and fellow American Fabiano Caruana.

Current Standings and Competitors

Aronian has accumulated a total of 19 points, while Caruana trails by two points, sitting just half a point ahead of Maxime Vachier-Lagrave from France.

Uzbek Grandmaster Nodirbek Abdusattorov has made a notable comeback, matching Aronian's points in the blitz rounds and moving up to a tie for fourth place with Wesley So from the United States, both holding 15 points.

Gukesh, with 13 points, is currently in sixth place alongside Liem Le Quang from Vietnam, three points ahead of American player Leinier Dominguez Perez.

Gukesh's Journey in the Tournament

Gukesh's sole victory came against Dominguez, but four losses have significantly impacted his standing. Caruana, despite a strong start in the rapid section, lost three matches and went winless in blitz.

In contrast, Aronian has lost one match while winning four and drawing four, allowing him to reclaim the lead.

Vachier-Lagrave has been the most consistent player, achieving two wins and seven draws, remaining undefeated on the second-to-last day of this $175,000 prize money tournament.

Results from the First Nine Rounds

Complete results of first nine rounds (Blitz):

Round 1: Levon Aronian (USA) drew with D Gukesh (IND); Liem Le Quang (VIE) defeated Leinier Dominguez Perez (USA); Grigoriy Oparin (USA) beat Wesley So (USA); Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA) drew with Nodirbek Abdusattorov (UZB); Fabiano Caruana (USA) drew with Sam Shankland (USA).

Round 2: Shankland drew with Gukesh; Abdusattorov lost to Oparin; Dominguez lost to Vachier-Lagrave; Caruana beat Liem; Wesley drew with Aronian.

Round 3: Gukesh lost to Wesley; Liem beat Shankland; Aronian lost to Abdusattorov; Oparin beat Dominguez; Vachier-Lagrave drew with Caruana.

Round 4: Liem drew with Vachier-Lagrave; Caruana drew with Oparin; Dominguez lost to Aronian; Abdusattorov beat Gukesh.

Round 5: Aronian beat Caruana; Gukesh beat Dominguez; Wesley beat Abdusattorov; Vachier-Lagrave drew with Shankland; Oparin drew with Liem.

Round 6: Dominguez drew with Wesley; Liem drew with Aronian; Caruana drew with Gukesh; Shankland lost to Abdusattorov; Vachier-Lagrave drew with Oparin.

Round 7: Gukesh lost to Liem; Oparin beat Shankland; Abdusattorov beat Dominguez; Aronian drew with Vachier-Lagrave; Wesley drew with Caruana.

Round 8: Liem lost to Wesley; Vachier-Lagrave beat Gukesh; Caruana lost to Abdusattorov; Shankland beat Dominguez; Oparin lost to Aronian.

Round 9: Dominguez drew with Caruana; Aronian beat Shankland; Gukesh drew with Oparin; Wesley drew with Vachier-Lagrave; Abdusattorov drew with Liem.

Standings After Nine Rounds

Standings with nine rounds of blitz remaining:

1. Aronian 19; 2. Caruana 17; 3. Vachier-Lagrave 16.5; 4-5. Abdusattorov, Wesley 15 each; 6-7. Gukesh, Liem 13 each; 8. Dominguez 10; 9. Oparin 9; 10. Shankland 7.5.