India, July 9 -- At just 19 years of age, Indian Grandmaster Gukesh Dommaraju has already crafted one of the most compelling recent narratives in chess. He rose to the top by dethroning then-World Champion Ding Liren last December to claim the No. 1 spot in the rankings. But after a loss to compatriot Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, who is the only Indian other than Viswanathan Anand to win the Tata Steel Chess Tournament, Gukesh appeared to hit a downward spiral.

He struggled at the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam in Weissenhaus, ending the tournament with zero wins, 11 draws, and six defeats. Things didn't improve much at the Superbet Chess Classic in Romania, where he managed only one win, six draws, and two defeats.

However, he turned things ...