The 10 Most Remarkable Chess Games of 2025

Chess in 2025 delivered everything fans could hope for: dramatic upsets, fearless sacrifices, teenage prodigies challenging legends, and creative masterpieces that pushed the boundaries of modern preparation. From elite super-tournaments like Norway Chess to the high-pressure knockout format of the FIDE World Cup, the year was filled with unforgettable battles.

1. D. Gukesh vs Magnus Carlsen: Norway Chess 2025, Round 6

If one moment defined the 2025 chess storyline, it was Dommaraju Gukesh’s first classical victory over Magnus Carlsen. For years, Gukesh had been labeled one of the world’s greatest talents, but beating Carlsen in a classical game was seen as a rite of passage. In Stavanger, on a quiet June evening, that moment finally arrived.

What made this game special wasn’t just the result, but how Gukesh won it. Carlsen came into the round as the favorite, and early in the middlegame he even seemed to seize the initiative. But Gukesh defended with calm precision, refusing to crack under pressure. Slowly, he turned the tables: a subtle regrouping of knights, a timely central break, and a model exploitation of Carlsen’s slightly misplaced pieces.

By the late middlegame, the tables had fully turned. Gukesh’s pieces coordinated beautifully, and the final conversion was clinical, no nerves, no hesitation, just a teenager showing the world that he could stand toe-to-toe with the former World Champion.

This game instantly became a Game of the Year contender, a milestone for Gukesh personally, and a symbolic passing-of-the-torch moment for chess fans who had long wondered who would challenge Carlsen’s supremacy.

2. Richard Rapport vs R. Praggnanandhaa: UzChess Cup 2025, Round 6

Richard Rapport is beloved for his wild creativity, and in 2025 he produced another masterpiece. This time against Indian superstar Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu. Many commentators called it the most spectacular attacking game of the entire year.

Rapport chose an unorthodox opening setup, as he often does, dragging the game into original, double-edged territory from the very start. Pragg responded with energetic counterplay, creating a tense middlegame full of imbalances, exactly the kind of territory where Rapport thrives.

What followed was pure fireworks:
• A sequence of bold piece maneuvers,
• A risky pawn storm,
• And finally a brilliant tactical shot that exploded the position open.

Praggnanandhaa defended resourcefully, but Rapport’s initiative grew with every tempo. The finishing combination will likely be replayed in tactics books for years to come.

This game highlighted two things: Rapport’s unmatched imagination, and Pragg’s willingness to enter sharp battles even against the world’s most creative players. It was a wildly entertaining clash of generations.

3. Pentala Harikrishna vs Arseniy Nesterov: FIDE World Cup 2025

The World Cup format always produces surprises, but few foresaw what Arseniy Nesterov delivered against elite GM Pentala Harikrishna: a queen sacrifice on move eight in a top-level knockout event.

Nesterov’s opening preparation was courageous and deeply computer-inspired. Instead of choosing a solid line, he opted for a line where giving up the queen led to long-term positional and tactical compensation. What made the sacrifice brilliant wasn’t shock value, it was the fact that it was sound.

Harikrishna, caught completely off-guard, spent enormous amounts of time trying to untangle the complications. Meanwhile, Nesterov’s minor pieces coordinated beautifully, dominating key squares and creating constant threats.

In the end, the compensation proved overwhelming. Nesterov converted the position with precision and knocked out one of the event’s most experienced players.

This game became an instant classic, widely shared on social media, and a prime example of how modern computer-assisted preparation has expanded the boundaries of what’s possible in the opening.

4. Javokhir Sindarov vs Wei Yi: FIDE World Cup 2025 Final (Tiebreaks)

The 2025 World Cup Final between Javokhir Sindarov and Wei Yi was dramatic from start to finish, but the most unforgettable moments came during the rapid tiebreaks. Under extreme pressure, both players produced high-level, attacking, resourceful chess.

Sindarov, one of Uzbekistan’s brightest young stars, showed incredible composure throughout the event. Wei Yi, long considered one of the most naturally gifted tacticians in the world, fought fiercely to claim his biggest career title.

In the deciding tiebreak game, Sindarov found multiple computer-like defensive resources, then turned the tables with a precise counterattack. Wei Yi pressed hard but overextended, and Sindarov capitalized with brilliant accuracy.

Winning the tiebreak secured Sindarov the World Cup title, making this game one of the most emotional victories of the year. It also cemented Uzbekistan’s reputation as a rising powerhouse in world chess.

5. Magnus Carlsen vs D. Gukesh: Norway Chess 2025, Round 1

One of the year’s most replayed moments came in the very first classical clash of Norway Chess 2025, when Magnus Carlsen faced the reigning World Champion, D. Gukesh. The game quickly turned into a dramatic tactical spectacle highlighted by what commentators called a modern “king hunt.”

Carlsen, known for his endgame virtuosity and uncanny practical sense, launched a direct assault that chased the black king across the board in a sequence of forcing moves. What made the game special was Carlsen’s clinical execution under practical time pressure: he converted an advantage into an instructive king hunt finish, combining sharp calculation with positional judgement.

The victory helped set the tone for Carlsen’s strong overall performance in the event and gave viewers a compact, thrilling example of how elite players convert small chances into decisive attacks in top-level classical chess.

6. The “Mona Lisa Checkmate” Resurrection Game: who2552 vs. AlirezaDSA (Chess.com, 2025)

In a year filled with elite brilliancies, one of 2025’s most unforgettable games didn’t come from super-GMs. It also came from two sub-700 Chess.com players who accidentally produced one of the most beautiful (and hilarious) checkmates imaginable.

This wild game started out like a typical chaotic beginner slugfest: early queen blunders, random knight hops, pieces hanging everywhere. But somewhere around move 20, the game transformed into something completely different: a full-on “Mona Lisa Checkmate” reconstruction.

White, realizing the win was inevitable, decided to attempt a legendary stunt made famous by GM Aman Hambleton:
– Promote every pawn into the exact pieces Black had captured,
– Rebuild the entire first rank,
– Then deliver checkmate with a fully restored ‘starting army.’

It’s essentially a reverse speedrun: instead of winning as fast as possible, you win as artistically as possible.

What made it iconic was that Black didn’t resign. As AlirezaDSA admitted:

“I wanted to see the end of it.”

And thank goodness they did.

Move by move, pawn by pawn, White calmly rebuilt the army from scratch, avoiding stalemate by inches. After nearly 90 moves of absurdity and suspense, the masterpiece was completed: an immaculate resurrection checkmate, the full starting lineup restored like a museum exhibit.

7. Arjun Erigaisi vs Viswanathan Anand: Jerusalem Masters 2025 Final

The Jerusalem Masters brought a unique storyline: young superstar Arjun Erigaisi facing Indian legend Viswanathan Anand in the final. The symbolism alone made the match historic, but the games themselves delivered far more than a narrative.

In the rapid and blitz tiebreaks, Arjun showed incredible composure, outmaneuvering Anand in complicated positions. One of the decisive games featured a resourceful exchange sacrifice, followed by a smooth endgame conversion that demonstrated Arjun’s maturity.

For Anand fans, the event was a bittersweet reminder of the champion’s enduring strength. For Arjun, it was a career-defining tournament that proved he could defeat a five-time World Champion in a high-stakes final.

This match, and especially the key rapid game, will be remembered as one of the symbolic moments of 2025.

8. Wesley So vs Nodirbek Abdusattorov: Sinquefield Cup 2025

The final round of the Sinquefield Cup often determines the winner, and 2025 was no exception. Wesley So fought an exceptionally long, strategic battle against one of the world’s hottest players: Nodirbek Abdusattorov.

The game featured slow maneuvering, deep positional ideas, and a remarkably instructive king walk in the endgame. So patiently converted a small advantage into a winning position, showcasing what many consider one of the most precise technical performances of the year.

By winning the game, So secured the Sinquefield Cup title – one of the most prestigious events in the chess calendar. The victory highlighted his quiet consistency and reasserted his position among the world’s elite.

9. Levon Aronian vs Hans Niemann: Freestyle Chess Grand Slam (Las Vegas) Final

The rise of freestyle chess has created a new competitive landscape. In 2025, the Las Vegas Grand Slam produced a gripping final between Levon Aronian and Hans Niemann.

Aronian’s victory in the final featured an exceptionally well-prepared and well-executed attacking plan. The highlight game included a series of powerful central breakthroughs and a crushing kingside initiative that left fans in awe.

Niemann fought creatively and forced complications, but Aronian’s experience and accuracy shone through. This game stood out not just for its quality, but for its contribution to the freestyle chess conversation: it showed how human creativity still plays a decisive role, even in highly prepared, engine-influenced formats.

10. Benjamin Bok vs Faustino Oro: Tata Steel Challengers 2025

The final game on the list features one of the most exciting emerging prodigies of the year: Faustino Oro, the young Argentinian talent who drew global attention for his maturity and explosive style.

His clash with GM Benjamin Bok in the Tata Steel Challengers section became one of the most widely replayed games of the event. Oro demonstrated fearless attacking instincts, launching a bold kingside offensive that overwhelmed Bok’s defenses.

The game blended tactical sharpness with practical decision-making, qualities that defined Oro’s impressive tournament run. Many consider this game a glimpse of the future: a teenager showing he is ready to enter the elite scene.