The Week in Chess

Wesley So had an easy draw with the black pieces to retain the lead in the Tata Steel Masters with two rounds to go. A struggling Dmitry Andreikin played a well known drawing variation as white and So probably wasn't averse to an easy day.

Wei Yi made a very sharp material grab against Sergey Karjakin which isn't supposed to be that threatening but Karjakin quickly went wrong (9...Nf6xe4 seems the more successful move) and Wei Yi was completely winning only a few moves later, finishing in 31 moves, and he moved into clear second half a point behind So. Wesley So has the white pieces in tomorrow's game against Wei Yi.

Defending champion Magnus Carlsen drew with Baskaran Adhiban who is having an excellent tournament. Adhiban continued his policy of well prepared unpredictability when he chose the Centre Counter. Carlsen played quietly initially but when he made a pawn grab a few moves later he had to face very dangerous attacking possibilities and this was at least not better for him. Carlsen's 34.Bd2 tried to keep some chances but if Adhiban had found the strong reply 34...Qg4 he would have had a winning position. He turned it down missing a Rook sacrifice and tried to set up Ne3 with 34...Qc6 but missing 35.Ne2 saving Carlsen. The game finished in a draw in 49 moves.

Anish Giri got a huge opening advantage against Pentala Harikrishna but lost control and in his opponents time trouble even gave him brief winning chances before the game was drawn. Richard Rapport got a very decent advantage with 1.b3 but went astay and was losing in a time scramble on the run up to first time control but the game finished in perpetual check instead. Radoslaw Wojtaszek had the advantage against Levon Aronian but allowed his opponent to escape with a draw. Pavel Eljanov couldn't make anything of an edge with black against Ian Nepomniachtchi.

After a slow start the talented Jeffrey Xiong leads the Challengers Group with 8/11 half a point clear of Markus Ragger and Gawain Jones.

Round 11 Standings: 1st Wesley So 7.5pts, 2nd Wei Yi 7pts, 3rd Aronian, Carlsen, Eljanov 6.5pts, 6th Adhiban, Karjakin 6pts, 8th Harikrishna, Giri 5.5pts, 10th Andreikin, Nepomniachtchi, Wojtaszek 4.5pts, 13th Rapport, 4pts, 14th Van Wely 2.5pts.

Round 12 pairings Saturday 28th January 2017 12:30pm UK time. Aronian- Van Wely, L. Harikrishna- Rapport, R. Adhiban- Giri, A. Eljanov- Carlsen, M. Karjakin- Nepomniachtchi, I. So-Wei Yi, Wojtaszek-Andreikin.