World Champion Gukesh made a shocking blunder at Tata Steel
“I Haven’t Seen Anything Like This for About 100 Years!” Gukesh Dommaraju and the Blunder That Shocked the Chess World
At the highest level of chess, a mistake is not just an inaccurate move. It is an event. And when the reigning world champion makes that mistake, it becomes a sensation.
In the second half of January, Wijk aan Zee hosts the first super-tournament of 2026 — the prestigious Tata Steel Chess Tournament. And already in the opening phase of the event, a moment occurred that instantly spread across the chess world: world champion Gukesh Dommaraju committed a blunder that some experts were quick to label the “blunder of the year.”
The Tournament in Wijk aan Zee: A Stage for Drama
The Dutch town of Wijk aan Zee is a place where chess history has been written for decades. The world’s strongest grandmasters regularly gather here. The tournament is famous for fierce battles, deep opening innovations, and an extraordinary density of results.
It was in this atmosphere of tension and expectation that the world champion found himself at the center of January’s loudest sensation.
Move 36…Rg5?? — What Happened in Three Minutes
The key moment of the game came on move 36. After a long think — about three minutes — Gukesh played 36…Rg5??.
At first glance, it looked like an attempt to activate the rook. In reality, it was a crude tactical mistake that missed a critical defensive resource and allowed the opponent to launch a decisive attack.
The reaction from the chess community was immediate.
Russian grandmaster and popular commentator Sergey Shipov wrote on his Telegram channel “Crestbook Chess”:
“I haven’t seen such a wild blunder at the highest level for about 100 years! The world champion spent a full three minutes thinking about 36…Rg5?? Three, Karl!”
The emotional tone of the comment only underscored the scale of what had happened.
Why Did This Mistake Shock the Experts?
At the elite level, blunders do happen. But there are important nuances:
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Player’s status — this was the reigning world champion.
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Time spent thinking — the move was not played in time trouble.
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Simplicity of the tactical shot — the opponent’s combination did not require exceptionally deep calculation.
It was precisely this combination of factors that triggered such a strong reaction.
The Human Factor: Even Champions Make Mistakes
It is important to understand: chess is not a machine, but a human versus a human. Even with the deepest computer preparation, there is still room for fatigue, psychological pressure, and momentary loss of concentration.
Gukesh represents a new generation, known for his composure and extraordinary work ethic. But the status of world champion adds pressure:
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every game is examined under a microscope;
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every inaccuracy becomes a topic of discussion;
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every tournament is perceived as a test of championship level.
In such an environment, a single mistake turns into global news.
Blunder of the Year or Just a Working Moment?
How fair is it to call this blunder the “blunder of the year”?
From an emotional standpoint, the wording is understandable. The moment was vivid, unexpected, and sharply contrasted with the player’s status.
From a professional perspective, however, it is just one episode in a long career. Chess history knows many cases where even the greatest champions made gross miscalculations — and went on to keep winning tournaments.
What’s Next for Gukesh?
The key question is not the mistake itself, but the reaction to it.
Elite chess players are distinguished not by the absence of errors, but by their ability to recover quickly. The tournament in Wijk aan Zee is still far from over, and many games remain that can reshape the standings.
If the champion manages to reset psychologically, this episode will remain merely a loud moment in the tournament chronicle.
Chess Is a Game of People, Not Perfect Machines
The story of move 36…Rg5?? served as a reminder of the main truth: even at the top of the chess pyramid, absolute flawlessness does not exist.
Gukesh’s sensational blunder at Tata Steel Chess was not a collapse, but a dramatic episode that added tension and emotion to the tournament.
Perhaps in a few months it will be remembered as a striking curiosity. Or perhaps as the moment that became a reset point for the world champion.
One thing is obvious: chess is alive precisely because of such unexpected turns.