India, Feb. 3 -- In a year in which Gukesh became world champion and Arjun Erigaisi made an astounding climb up the world rankings, one Indian name that wasn't heard as much was Praggnanandhaa. He defeated Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana at Norway Chess in the first half of the year, but as the months passed, his compatriots outshone him with extraordinary performances.

On Sunday, in a Dutch village on the North Sea coast, Praggnanandhaa flicked away a quiet year with a hell-raising performance.

He defeated reigning world champion and fellow Indian Gukesh in a dramatic tiebreak to become only the second player from India, after Viswanathan Anand, to win the Tata Steel Masters title in Wijk Aan Zee. The tournament, steeped in traditio...