World Chess Champion’s Blitz Struggles Persist: Gukesh Loses 5-1 to Poland’s No. 1

On August 7, 2025, World Chess Champion Gukesh Dommaraju faced Polish Grandmaster Jan-Krzysztof Duda in a thrilling six-game blitz exhibition match in Katowice, Poland. The match was particularly exciting since Duda has been a part of Team Gukesh which led to his World Championship victory over Ding Liren.

The match featured a 3m + 2s time control. Despite a strong start for Gukesh, winning the first game in 45 moves, Duda took control of the match in no time. Being a blitz specialist, Duda dominated the next four games, sealing the match in his favour with a game to spare. Because it was an exhibition match, the players went on to play the 6th game, which was again won by Duda, securing a decisive 5-1 victory over the Indian prodigy. Duda’s tactical sharpness and speed overwhelmed Gukesh as he lost a couple of the games either on or because of low time. Extrapolated from Gukesh’s performance in Zagreb at the GCT rapid and blitz tournament, the scoreline against Duda was not a surprise for many critics. With this display, the classical world champion’s weakness in the fast time controls got exposed further. However, fans continue to root for the world champion, who is only 19 and still has plenty of room to grow.

Only in 3 days, more rapid and blitz action is on the menu, as the Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz is set to commence on August 11, where Gukesh Dommaraju will take charge as the only player representing the Indian flag.