The Week in Chess

• Abdusattorov beats Erigaisi to win the Tata Steel Masters - 13

  Nodirbek Abdusattorov took clear first in the Tata Steel Masters 2026. This is his second major victor in a row after winning the London Chess Classic, that followed a disaster at the Sinquefield Cup in August last year where he finished last.

  Abdusattorov was unsurprisingly very happy to win this year having come so close to winning the tournament several times in recent years. He said winning this tournament was a childhood dream. Abdusattorov had a half point lead and he beat Arjun Erigaisi in convincing style on the black side of an Evans Gambit. The result relegated Erigaisi to 13th place a terrible result for a player of his class. Javokhir Sindarov managed to squeeze out a win against Thai Dai Van Nguyen and finished in clear second place. Jorden Van Foreest had good winning chances against Praggnanandhaa but failed to convert in the end, he was on the same score was Hans Moke Niemann and Vincent Keymer but took 3rd on tie-break.

  My thanks to Michiel Abeln for his help with notes...

• Abdusattorov takes a half point lead into the final round of the Tata Steel Masters - 12

  Nodirbek Abdusattorov beat Matthias Bluebaum in Round 12 of the Tata Steel Masters to take a half point lead into the final round of the Tata Steel Masters. Abdusattorov was sharing the lead with his fellow-countryman Javokhir Sindarov who took a quick draw against Praggnanandhaa, he has a final round game against Thai Dai Van Nguyen who has lost his last four rounds, but Nguyen has had winning positions in some of these games. Nguyen has clearly been outclassed but been very game, time trouble in coping with the problems he's been set has been a major issue. Nguyen qualified for this last year, he probably won't play such an event again I think he'll be motivated tomorrow. Abdusattorov faces Erigaisi in the final round, last year the same player ruined his chances in Round 12.

  This has been a brutal event with very few draws. Bluebaum has impressed and could have been leading but his game against Abdusattorov was settled by a very bad blunder. He was hardly alone, Hans Moke Niemann sacrificed a...

• Sindarov joins Abdusattorov in the lead of the Tata Steel Masters with two rounds to go - 11

  Javokhir Sindarov won a sharp game against Arjun Erigaisi, Sindarov got a winning advantage on the run up to move 40 but things were still very tricky and it was only after 52.Re4? that he was winning. In the meantime the leader Nodirbek Abdusattorov had a calm draw against Jorden Van Foreest.

  Hans Moke Niemann took a huge amount of risks against the struggling Thai Dai Van Nguyen, although the engine says he was losing at various points Nguyen's desperate time trouble was enough to justify his approach. 40.f4? left Niemann winning, 42...b2? gave Nguyen a final chance but after 43.Kf2? he was lost.

  Anish Giri won a sharp calculating game against Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus, 23...Ba6? was the losing move. Vincent Keymer beat Praggnanandhaa, 25.Nd6? was the move that started the trouble.

  Vladimir Fedoseev and Matthias Bluebaum drew in 66 moves, it seemed pretty accurate. Gukesh couldn't convert a winning advantage against Chithambaram Aravindh.

  My thanks to Michiel Abeln for...

• Abdusattorov leads on 6.5/10 Sindarov, Van Foreest and Bluebaum are in the chasing pack - 10

  Nodirbek Abdusattorov continues to lead the Tata Steel Masters by half a point after the tenth round. Abdusattorov hasn't won a game since Giri beat him in Round 8 but no-one has caught him yet, today there was a draw against Vladimir Fedoseev where both players enjoyed the advantage at one stage or another.

  Discussion today has centred around why there have been so many errors with both Keymer and Gukesh talking about it. A combination of the youth and ambition of the field combined with the first time control with no increment has probably contributed.

  In second place Jorden Van Foreest and Javokhir Sindarov played each other and drew a well played game, they're now joined by Matthias Bluebaum who was confronted with an aggressive Anish Giri who played the Modern Defence, Giri was doing fine according to the engine until 15...h5? which relied on a cute tactical point that actually fails on move 21, long line wrong line as Larsen used to say.

  14 year old Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus...

• Abdusattorov draws against Sindarov in Tata Steel Masters Round 9 to keep a half point lead - 9

  Nodirbek Abdusattorov continues to lead the Tata Steel Masters with a score of 6pts/9 after drawing with closest rival Javokhir Sindarov. However there is now more of a chasing pack on 5.5pts following wins for Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus over Thai Dai Van Nguyen and Jorden Van Foreest who absolutely crushed Vincent Keymer in a sharp London System.

  The travails of Gukesh continue when he was thoroughly outplayed by Matthias Bluebaum who is now a point off the lead alongside Hans Moke Niemann who now hasn't won since round 4. The final game to finish saw Praggnanandhaa beat Chithambaram Aravindh in a major piece endgame that seems to me likely to be worth studying.

  Round 9 Standings: 1st Abdusattorov 6pts, 2nd= Erdogmus, Sindarov, Van Foreest 5.5pts, 5th= Niemann, Bluebaum 5pts, 7th= Giri, Fedoseev 4.5pts 9th= Keymer, Erigaisi, Praggnanandhaa, Gukesh 4pts, 13th Nguyen 3pts and 14th Aravindh 2.5pts.

  Round 10 Wed 28th 1pm Jan 2026: Abdusattorov-Fedoseev, Bluebaum-Giri, Erdogmus-Gukesh,...

• Nodirbek Abdusattorov still leads the Tata Steel Masters with 5.5/8 even after losing to Anish Giri - 6

  The Tata Steel Masters reached its second rest day with Nodirbek Abdusattorov leading by half a point over fellow Uzbek Javokhir Sindarov. Abdusattorov had the disappointment of losing to Anish Giri, he almost pulled off a miracle save but failed at the last hurdle. Sindarov drew against Vincent Keymer, maybe Keymer had a small chance in the opening but otherwise it was a steady draw.

  The only other decisive game of the day was Gukesh's fine win against Vladimir Fedoseev. There was uncompromising chess from both players but in the end it was Gukesh that brought home the full point. Matthias Bluebaum spent several minutes at the board trying to come to terms with how he botched a winning position on the board and clock against Thai Dai Van Nguyen and allowed his opponent to escape with a draw.

  The other drawn games were Hans Moke Niemann against Jorden Van Foreest where the American had a significant advantage at one stage, Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus was close to winning against Praggnanandhaa...

• Abdusattorov leads the Tata Steel Masters by a point after beating Keymer in Round 7 - 7

  Nodirbek Abdusattorov extended his lead of the Tata Steel Masters after defeating Vincent Keymer in Round 7 to move to 5.5/7 a point clear of fellow countryman Javokhir Sindarov who drew with Hans Moke Niemann.

  Anish Giri beat World Champion Gukesh who was probably still unstable after his shocking Round 6 blunder. Teenager Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus moved into a share of third with an impressive win against Arjun Erigaisi. Thai Dai Van Nguyen drew with Vladimir Fedoseev and Praggnanandhaa drew a wild game with Matthias Bluebaum.

  MarcAndria Maurizzi has joined Andy Woodward in the lead with 5.5/7 after his five game winning run came to an end with a draw against third placed Aydin Suleymanli. Looking like these three may be the ones to fight for first although Vasyl Ivanchuk and Faustino Oro lie a further half point back.

  My thanks to Michiel Abeln for the photos and short notes to five of the games, I've added extra notes using Stockfish.

  Round 7 Standings: 1st Abdusattorov...