Anish Giri revitalized. From the ELO slump to the hunt for Gukesh

Anish Giri (Netherlands)

* Date of birth: June 28, 1994 (31 years old)

* GM Age: 14 years, 7 months

* Ranking: Winner of the 2025 FIDE Grand Swiss

* Maximum ELO Rating: 2798

* Profile: The quintessential theorist. He arrives at his peak after his resounding victory in the Grand Swiss.

Anish's tradition: Hunting world champions at Tata Steel

The first game between Anish Giri and Magnus Carlsen dates back to 2011, when the Norwegian was already world number one, although he had not yet won the world championship. That game ended in victory for the Dutchman, but from then on, the head-to-head record between the two took a turn for the worse for Giri, who didn't manage to knock him off his feet again until 2023. Interestingly, both matches took place at the Tata Steel Arena, a venue that would later witness other significant encounters.

By the time of that second victory over Carlsen, in Wijk aan Zee in 2023, the Norwegian had already relinquished the world title, which was then held by the Chinese player Ding Liren. In that same edition of the Dutch tournament, Giri also defeated Ding, although it wasn't the first time he had beaten him: his first victory against the Chinese player came in 2015, also at the classic Wijk aan Zee tournament.

As if the tradition of defeating world champions on the shores of the North Sea weren't enough, Giri has built an even more impressive record against the current king, Gukesh Dommaraju. In the 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026 editions of the Tata Steel tournament, the Dutchman defeated the young Indian prodigy every time, cementing a streak that has already become part of the tournament's recent history.

The most difficult opponent for the current world champion

Of all the players involved in the Candidates Tournament, Giri has the best record against Gukesh. As I mentioned before, Anish has beaten him repeatedly, and the head-to-head record between them is 4-0 in favor of the Dutchman. If Giri qualifies, he will undoubtedly be Gukesh's most difficult opponent. Here's Giri's most recent victory over the world champion

Best cooking skills

If chess awarded Michelin stars for cooking up good, new ideas, Giri should have several in his trophy case. We all know he's an outstanding chef who makes the best home preparations.

The following game is linked to a personal anecdote. I learned of Giri's idea through my friend, Grandmaster Dylan Berdayes. We were talking about chess when he mentioned that the position following Grischuk's 19th move had a bad reputation for Black. It not only appeared in some opening materials, but the engines didn't seem very confident that Black could equalize. However, the idea implemented by Anish resolved these problems.

About Anish Giri in the Candidates Tournament.

Throughout 2025, we've seen a highly motivated Giri. After winning the Grand Swiss , he even said he would prepare intensely for the Candidates Tournament. Most of us are really enjoying this new version of him. Everyone understands that he's a rival to be reckoned with. However, I believe it will be favorable for Giri if the tournament enters a dynamic that allows the winner to be crowned with +2. Due to his style, he's not a player who wins many matches, so it would be better if he didn't have to chase down someone who's broken away from the pack.