TWIC is 29. First issue 17th September 1994.
83rd Tata Steel Chess 2021 (9)
Giri, Caruana and Firouzja share the lead on 6 points after 9 rounds
Mark Crowther - Tuesday 26th January 2021
Anish Giri beat MVL to go back into the joint lead of the Tata Steel Masters after 9 rounds; | https://chess.com
There were three decisive games in Round 9 of the Tata Steel Masters 2021 and the event is still wide open. Leader Alireza again went to the London System and it was met by a very modern setup that I believe has been recommended by Yuri Krykun in one of his courses. A messy game was drawn on move 41. Defending Champion Fabiano Caruana scored a very important win with the black pieces against Radoslaw Wojtaszek. Caruana's 13...Bxc3 was a novelty and it took the game into very non-standard waters, Wojtaszek quickly went wrong and Black took over the entire kingside and broke through to win in 39 moves. Anish Giri was put under severe pressure with a standard exchange sacrifice in a Sicilian by Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. MVL certainly had more than enough compensation but at some point it turned it seems the sequence 37...Qb7?! (37...Qb5) 38.Kc1! Qd7? (the losing move 38...Qb5 still had to be played) was where it all went wrong for him. After first time control Giri finished smoothly. Magnus Carlsen looked extremely relieved to win his game against Nils Grandelius. Carlsen was probably winning in the Queen and Rook endgame but he was uncharacteristically hesitant in conversion, but he didn't make any real errors and won in 65 moves. Carlsen faces Caruana with the black pieces in Round 10. Jorden Van Foreest vs Alexander Donchenko, Aryan Tari vs Jan-Krzysztof Duda and David Anton vs Pentala Harikrishna were all drawn.
Round 9 Standings: 1st-3rd Giri, Caruana, Firouzja 6pts; 4th-5th Esipenko, Van Foreest 5.5pts; 6th Carlsen 5pts; 7th-8th Harikrishna, Grandelius 4.5pts; 9th-12th Duda, Wojtaszek, Tari, Anton 3.5pts; 13th-14th MVL, Donchenko 3pts
Round 10 Pairings Wednesday 27th Jan 2021 1pm: MVL-Donchenko, Duda-Van Foreest, Harikrishna-Tari, Esipenko-Anton, Grandelius-Firouzja, Caruana-Carlsen, Giri-Wojtaszek.
Tata Steel Masters 2021 Round 9 Standings:
| 83rd Tata Steel Masters Wijk aan Zee (NED), 15-31 i 2021 | cat. XIX (2725) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||||||||||||||
| 1. | Giri, Anish | g | NED | 2764 | * | ½ | . | ½ | ½ | . | ½ | 1 | ½ | . | 1 | . | 1 | ½ | 6 | 2834 | |||||||
| 2. | Caruana, Fabiano | g | USA | 2823 | ½ | * | . | ½ | ½ | . | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | . | . | 1 | 1 | 6 | 2836 | |||||||
| 3. | Firouzja, Alireza | g | FID | 2749 | . | . | * | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | . | 1 | . | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 6 | 2840 | |||||||
| 4. | Esipenko, Andrey | g | RUS | 2677 | ½ | ½ | ½ | * | . | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | . | . | ½ | . | 5½ | 2838 | |||||||
| 5. | Van Foreest, Jorden | g | NED | 2671 | ½ | ½ | ½ | . | * | ½ | . | . | . | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 5½ | 2819 | |||||||
| 6. | Carlsen, Magnus | g | NOR | 2862 | . | . | 1 | 0 | ½ | * | ½ | 1 | ½ | . | ½ | ½ | . | ½ | 5 | 2732 | |||||||
| 7. | Harikrishna, Pentala | g | IND | 2732 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | . | ½ | * | 1 | . | ½ | . | ½ | ½ | . | 4½ | 2745 | |||||||
| 8. | Grandelius, Nils | g | SWE | 2663 | 0 | ½ | . | ½ | . | 0 | 0 | * | 1 | ½ | . | . | 1 | 1 | 4½ | 2750 | |||||||
| 9. | Duda, Jan-Krzysztof | g | POL | 2743 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | . | ½ | . | 0 | * | ½ | ½ | ½ | . | . | 3½ | 2647 | |||||||
| 10. | Wojtaszek, Radoslaw | g | POL | 2705 | . | 0 | . | 0 | ½ | . | ½ | ½ | ½ | * | ½ | ½ | . | ½ | 3½ | 2617 | |||||||
| 11. | Tari, Aryan | g | NOR | 2625 | 0 | . | ½ | . | 0 | ½ | . | . | ½ | ½ | * | ½ | ½ | ½ | 3½ | 2656 | |||||||
| 12. | Anton Guijarro, David | g | ESP | 2679 | . | . | 0 | . | 0 | ½ | ½ | . | ½ | ½ | ½ | * | ½ | ½ | 3½ | 2646 | |||||||
| 13. | Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime | g | FRA | 2784 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | . | ½ | 0 | . | . | ½ | ½ | * | . | 3 | 2584 | |||||||
| 14. | Donchenko, Alexander | g | GER | 2668 | ½ | 0 | 0 | . | ½ | ½ | . | 0 | . | ½ | ½ | ½ | . | * | 3 | 2601 | |||||||
| Round 9 (January 26, 2021) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giri, Anish | - Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime | 1-0 | 70 | B90 | Sicilian Najdorf Variation | |
| Firouzja, Alireza | - Esipenko, Andrey | ½-½ | 41 | D02 | Queen's Pawn Game | |
| Van Foreest, Jorden | - Donchenko, Alexander | ½-½ | 32 | C84 | Ruy Lopez Centre Attack | |
| Carlsen, Magnus | - Grandelius, Nils | 1-0 | 65 | B90 | Sicilian Najdorf Variation | |
| Wojtaszek, Radoslaw | - Caruana, Fabiano | 0-1 | 39 | E94 | King's Indian Classical | |
| Tari, Aryan | - Duda, Jan-Krzysztof | ½-½ | 32 | B51 | Sicilian Rossolimo | |
| Anton Guijarro, David | - Harikrishna, Pentala | ½-½ | 45 | B56 | Sicilian Defence | |
Tata Steel Masters 2021 Round 9 Commentary
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