TOP 10 Classical games of May 2025

Unlike last month, when there weren’t as many games played, this time there was plenty to choose from! Besides Norway Chess, which is in full swing, and Superbet, where the chess elite also clashed, there were several strong opens (like Baku, the Asian Championships, Sharjah Masters) as well as closed tournaments (TePe Sigeman, German Masters) and team competitions (Mitropa Cup, Chinese League, French League...). A ton of games to watch and analyze, making the final selection very tough.
I think I managed to put together a nice mix of wild, exciting battles and some beautiful positional masterpieces. Among these contrasting styles, I highly recommend checking out Salem Saleh’s games this month — he’s got a super dynamic style, full of fierce fights, so it’s no wonder he made the cut twice! Also, don’t miss Vincent Keymer’s games if you’re into positional play. While the competition in the German Masters wasn’t the toughest, some of his games (like the one against Svane) are true gems.

Link to the study where the featured games are analyzed: GAMES
Throughout the article, you can try to solve the diagrams from selected games
So, no need to wait around — let’s jump right in!

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10. Iniyan P (2573) vs Meng Yihan (2443)

Let’s kick things off with a game from the Asian Championship. Grandmaster Iniyan was clearly in a fighting mood, choosing a sharp line involving a piece sacrifice on f7. A thematically instructive example of how to play against a king stuck in the center.
Black did get a chance to escape later in the game—but missed it—and was rightfully dismantled in the resulting rook endgame.

WHITE TO MOVE. Try to calculate a variation after Qxb4 and evaluate the final position. Is there an alternative?

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9. Lagarde Maxime (2622) vs Sankalp Gupta (2548)

Our next example comes from the tournament in Ljubljana. Lagarde is well known for his attacking style, and in this game, he certainly didn’t hold back.
Take a look at how he sacrificed material in a typical Nimzo-Indian structure and found a way to launch a powerful attack against his opponent’s king.

WHITE TO MOVE. What is the most aggresive response after h6?

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8. Salem Saleh (2631) vs Indjic Aleksandar (2637)

In this game, two specialists of dark-square structures—typical of the King’s Indian and Benoni—went head-to-head. What followed was a dynamic and eye-pleasing shootout, full of strategic nuances and sharp twists and turns.
And as a bonus, we even get a rook and bishop vs. rook and opposite-colored bishop endgame—an imbalanced material scenario that’s actually very important for strong players to understand.

BLACK TO MOVE. Is there any way to create threats against White ́s king?

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7. Dobrikov Marco (2404) vs Keymer Vincent (2720)

This game is a strategically interesting example of a situation where one side has an extra exchange but lacks the space to activate their rooks, while the other enjoys freedom of movement—but suffers from a miserable pawn structure.
BLACK TO MOVE. White ́s last move was e5. Try to calculate as deep as possible and evaluate arising position.

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6. Abdusattorov Nodirbek (2771) vs Salem Saleh (2631)

This won’t be the last time Nodirbek shows up in our selection. The Uzbek prodigy brought a killer-instinct attitude to the Sharjah Masters.
At first glance, nothing much seemed to be happening in this game—but it was just the calm before the storm. Nodirbek quietly built up his position, waiting for the right moment... and then struck with full force when his opponent least expected it.

WHITE TO MOVE. Is there any alternative other than taking the knight on f2?

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5. Nikitenko Mihail (2516) vs Indjic Aleksandar (2637)

Now we’re getting into the big five. The order here could basically be anywhere from 1 to 5 — as always, it’s just my personal preference.
This game is probably the wildest of them all. White quickly decided early on to sacrifice a piece in exchange for the opponent’s poor piece coordination. However, neither side responded precisely in the complicated position.
After a series of inaccuracies, the game reached an unusual material imbalance — queen versus rook and two minor pieces. Despite all White’s efforts, they ultimately couldn’t hold on.

BLACK TO MOVE. Find the best continuation

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4. Carlsen Magnus (2837) vs Gukesh D. (2787)

Probably the most anticipated clash of the year: the long-time chess number one versus the reigning young world champion. The game was quite combative, even if it didn’t look like it at first glance, as both players searched for ways to steer the game away from a draw.
Gukesh defended tenaciously, but it only takes one mistake for the whole game to collapse like a house of cards.
Let’s see how the rematch will turn out!

BLACK TO MOVE. Can you find the drawing line?

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3. Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu (2758) vs Abdusattorov Nodirbek (2771)

Pragg has been in great form this year, and he showed it once again in Romania. In his game against Nodirbek, he hardly gave his opponent a chance, delivering a technical masterpiece with surgical precision.

WHITE TO MOVE. Look for ways to limit Black ́s mobility

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2. Erigaisi Arjun (2782) vs Gukesh D. (2787)

And Gukesh faces defeat again. The World Champion’s tournament in Norway got off to a disastrous start, but the pairings were anything but kind. After losing to Carlsen, he faced the unpredictable Arjun with the black pieces.
Arjun once again unleashed chaos on the board. The game wasn’t clean—he allowed the World Champion to escape into a drawn endgame—but Gukesh couldn’t find the right moves and ultimately had to bow down.

WHITE TO MOVE. Black's last move was a mistake. Can you find the best continuation in this complicated position?

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1. Abdusattorov Nodirbek (2771) vs Iniyan P (2573)

And for me, the winner is this game! It’s fascinating to see how relentlessly players like Nodirbek fight for the win. Here, he didn’t hesitate at all and, at just the right moment, sacrificed a piece for a passed pawns.
Under time pressure, his opponent couldn’t find the correct defense, and Nodirbek’s courage was richly rewarded.

WHITE TO MOVE. The bishop on h7 is stuck on the edge — can you find a way to bring it back into play?