D Gukesh loses to Levon Aronian in opening round
Beats Grigoriy Oparin in second round
Ends day on high with win over Liem Le Quang
D Gukesh, the reigning world chess champion from India, made a strong return on Tuesday (August 12, 2025) at the St. Louis Rapid and Blitz tournament, which is part of the prestigious Grand Chess Tour. After an opening-round loss to American grandmaster Levon Aronian, he bounced back with decisive victories over Grigoriy Oparin and Liem Le Quang, finishing the day in joint third place with four points out of a possible six.
Aronian leads with six points, while Fabiano Caruana follows closely with five points after two wins and a draw. Gukesh and American Wesley So share third place, each with four points, and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave along with Leinier Dominguez Perez are tied for fifth with three points apiece.
Liem Le Quang and Grigoriy Oparin are next in the standings with two points each. Nodirbek Abdusattorov holds one point, while Sam Shankland is noted as having lost all his games even though one part of the original report controversially listed him with 10 points.
Aronian outplayed Gukesh in a complex opening-round battle, but Gukesh rebounded by registering a brilliant win against Oparin before completely overwhelming Liem to end the day on a high note. Each rapid win is worth two points, amplifying the importance of every game.
Aronian Makes Perfect Start
Fresh from his triumph in the Freestyle Chess tournament in Las Vegas, Aronian seized an early lead by winning all three games on the opening day. He defeated key rivals, including Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov and France’s Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, to secure a flawless six-point score. Aronian’s flawless performance sets rigorous early benchmarks, intensifying the competitive stakes of the tour.
Gukesh Seizes Critical Moments
For Gukesh, the first round was especially tough as he suffered in the complexities of a Caro Kann defence game against Aronian. However, he quickly recovered, defeating Oparin with flair. The finale showcased a picturesque Sicilian Rossolimo where the Indian sacrificed his queen to checkmate Oparin, the Russian-turned-American.
In the final game of the day, Gukesh, playing black against Liem Le Quang, entered massive complications. Unlike Aronian’s opponent, Liem faltered under pressure and soon faced a lost position once the dust settled.
Round 1: Levon Aronian (USA) beat D Gukesh (India); Grigoriy Oparin (USA) beat Liem Le Quang (Vietnam); Wesley So (USA) drew with Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzbekistan); Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France) drew with Fabiano Caruana (USA); Leinier Dominguez Perez (USA) beat Sam Shankland (USA).
Round 2: D Gukesh beat Grigoriy Oparin; Liem Le Quang beat Sam Shankland; Maxime Vachier-Lagrave lost to Levon Aronian; Nodirbek Abdusattorov lost to Fabiano Caruana; Leinier Dominguez Perez drew with Wesley So.
Round 3: Grigoriy Oparin lost to Maxime Vachier-Lagrave; Liem Le Quang lost to D Gukesh; Wesley So beat Sam Shankland; Levon Aronian beat Nodirbek Abdusattorov; Fabiano Caruana beat Leinier Dominguez Perez.
The standings after day one are: 1. Levon Aronian (6 points); 2. Fabiano Caruana (5 points); 3-4. D Gukesh and Wesley So (4 points each); 5-6. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Leinier Dominguez Perez (3 points each); 7-8. Grigoriy Oparin and Liem Le Quang (2 points each); 9. Nodirbek Abdusattorov (1 point); 10. Sam Shankland (0 points).
(With PTI inputs)
