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Tata Steel Masters 2021 Round 6

Jorden van Foreest beat David Anton in a complex Ruy Lopez. White emerged a little better out of the opening but it seems 21...Nh5 (21...Nh7) was the real start of black's problems, this move surprised Van Foreest and he found a way to exploit the rook that became misplaced on that square. Later Anton fought his way back into the game a little but then the game ended suddenly with him blundering a piece.

Alireza Firouzja won with black in a double edged battle against Alexander Donchenko. Donchenko had two bishops but Firouzja had passed a and b pawns as a long term asset. Firouzja thought his opponent played well and had some advantage "but the game was always very complicated" - "we were both in time trouble and he made the final mistake". 33.Qxb2? (33.Bxb2 is equal according to the computer) allows a decisive attack on white's king.

Magnus Carlsen had a brief winning chances in an otherwise balanced encounter with Jan-Krzysztof Duda. The Giuoco Piano led to a very complex manoeuvring game, 35.Rac1 was an error according to the computer as after 35...Red6 36.Re1 Kf7 black is much better, instead 36...Nb4? allowed 37.Rc8+ and white had enough activity for equality.

Leader Nils Grandelius held on for a draw against Fabiano Caruana. Caruana was very slightly better for much of the game but never really came close to winning.

Aryan Tari had the better side of a draw against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. Tari played the Gruenfeld as black and after the artificial 18.Bf1 had a pleasant position, a draw was agreed on move 26.

Pentala Harikrishna had slightly the better of it against Radoslaw Wojtaszek but the game was drawn in 43 moves. Andrey Esipenko played solidly against Anish Giri who in turn tried to unbalance things a bit. The game was drawn in 42 moves.

Tata Steel Masters 2021 Commentary Round 6

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.	Grandelius, Nils	g	SWE	2663	*	0	.	½	.	.	.	½	.	1	1	.	.	1	4	2862
2.	Harikrishna, Pentala	g	IND	2732	1	*	.	½	.	½	.	½	½	.	½	.	.	.	3½	2793
3.	Van Foreest, Jorden	g	NED	2671	.	.	*	½	½	½	½	.	½	.	.	.	1	.	3½	2820
4.	Caruana, Fabiano	g	USA	2823	½	½	½	*	.	.	.	½	.	½	.	.	.	1	3½	2749
5.	Carlsen, Magnus	g	NOR	2862	.	.	½	.	*	.	1	.	.	½	.	½	½	½	3½	2746
6.	Giri, Anish	g	NED	2764	.	½	½	.	.	*	.	½	.	½	.	1	.	½	3½	2743
7.	Firouzja, Alireza	g	FID	2749	.	.	½	.	0	.	*	.	.	.	½	½	1	1	3½	2771
8.	Esipenko, Andrey	g	RUS	2677	½	½	.	½	.	½	.	*	.	½	½	.	.	.	3	2751
9.	Wojtaszek, Radoslaw	g	POL	2705	.	½	½	.	.	.	.	.	*	½	.	½	½	½	3	2686
10.	Duda, Jan-Krzysztof	g	POL	2743	0	.	.	½	½	½	.	½	½	*	.	.	.	.	2½	2692
11.	Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime	g	FRA	2784	0	½	.	.	.	.	½	½	.	.	*	½	½	.	2½	2630
12.	Tari, Aryan	g	NOR	2625	.	.	.	.	½	0	½	.	½	.	½	*	½	.	2½	2700
13.	Anton Guijarro, David	g	ESP	2679	.	.	0	.	½	.	0	.	½	.	½	½	*	.	2	2607
14.	Donchenko, Alexander	g	GER	2668	0	.	.	0	½	½	0	.	½	.	.	.	.	*	1½	2568

Round 6 (January 22, 2021)
Grandelius, Nils	- Caruana, Fabiano	½-½	62	B30	Sicilian Rossolimo
Harikrishna, Pentala	- Wojtaszek, Radoslaw	½-½	43	D38	QGD Ragozin
Van Foreest, Jorden	- Anton Guijarro, David	1-0	37	C84	Ruy Lopez Centre Attack
Esipenko, Andrey	- Giri, Anish	½-½	42	D45	Anti-Meran Variations
Duda, Jan-Krzysztof	- Carlsen, Magnus	½-½	51	C50	Giuoco Piano
Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime	- Tari, Aryan	½-½	26	D78	Gruenfeld 3.g3
Donchenko, Alexander	- Firouzja, Alireza	0-1	43	D31	Semi-Slav Defence

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