Chessable

85th Tata Steel 2023 (12)

Abdusattorov keeps his lead going into the final round of the Tata Steel Masters

R Praggnanandhaa frustrated Magnus Carlsen after getting in a very difficult position. Photo © Michiel Abeln

R Praggnanandhaa frustrated Magnus Carlsen after getting in a very difficult position. Photo © Michiel Abeln | https://theweekinchess.com

Nodirbek Abdusattorov takes a half point lead into the final round of the Tata Steel Masters over Anish Giri. There was no change at the top of the standings with wins for Richard Rapport over Ding Liren and Parham Maghsoodloo over Arjun Erigaisi having no impact on who will win the event. Abdusattorov had few problems holding a draw with black against Wesley So today, this wasn't the case for Anish Giri who was lost at one stage against Jorden Van Foreest who came armed with a fabulous opening idea but kept himself in with a chance by eventually holding the draw in the final game to finish. Magnus Carlsen was very disappointed not to get himself into the mix with a win over R Praggnanandhaa but after getting very good chances he started making mistakes himself. Read FM Michiel Abeln's on the spot report below.

In the Challengers Alexander Donchenko was gifted a very quick win by Thomas Beerdsen and that result combined with Mustafa Yilmaz's draw means he will win the event even with a loss in the final round as he beat his closest rival in their individual game which is the first tie-break. The result should mean that we see Donchenko in the Masters next year.

Masters Round 12 Standings: 1st Abdusattorov 8pts, 2nd Giri 7.5pts, 3rd= Carlsen, So 7pts, 5th= Aronian, Caruana, Rapport 6.5pts, 8th Maghsoodloo 6pts, 9th Praggnanandhaa 5.5pts, 10th= Gukesh, Ding Liren, Van Foreest 5pts, 13th Keymer 4.5pts, 14th Erigaisi 4pts.

Masters Final Round 13 Sunday 29th January 11am GMT: Praggnanandhaa-So, Erigaisi-Carlsen, Aronian-Maghsoodloo, Keymer-Gukesh, Ding Liren-Caruana, Giri-Rapport, Abdusattorov-Van Foreest

Michiel Abeln reports from Wijk aan Zee on Tata Steel Round 12 28th Jan

Today was an exciting round with several players avoiding a quick draw and continuing to fight. In the end the standings at the top remained unchanged and we are up for an exciting final day.

Wesley So against Nodirbek Abdusattorov Tata Steel Round 12 in Wijk aan Zee Photo © Michiel Abeln.

Wesley So against Nodirbek Abdusattorov Tata Steel Round 12 in Wijk aan Zee Photo © Michiel Abeln

So versus Abdusattorov saw a Queens Gambit Accepted where the queens were quickly exchanged. In these type of lines White hopes for a small advantage but Black seemed to equalize without too much effort. In fact Black managed to achieve an edge and that was sufficient reason for Abdusattorov not to repeat moves when White offered the chance but to continue the game. However, So started to defend well just in time and the game ended in a draw.

Jorden Van Foreest against Anish Giri Tata Steel Round 12 in Wijk aan Zee Photo © Michiel Abeln.

Jorden Van Foreest against Anish Giri Tata Steel Round 12 in Wijk aan Zee Photo © Michiel Abeln

Van Foreest answered Giri’s Ragozin with the novelty 8.h4 and then sacrificed an exchange which still was part of his preparation. In a way the game was a bit similar to the game Caruana versus Anand, Wijk aan Zee 2020. Giri was using a lot of time and doing ok until he played the dubious 23…,Qb4 (23…,Rb6 would have been stronger). Van Foreest had a hidden tactical opportunity with the move 26.a3 (the simple 26.Rc1 is also strong) with the idea that after 26…,Qxa3 27.dxc5 and now the move played in the game 27…Rc6 fails to 28.Bxf7+. In the game this doesn’t work because Black has the counter Ne2+ and Qh4 mate. Later Van Foreest had another chance with 30.Nxf7, but instead queens were exchanged and the players reached a sharp endgame that objectively was in balance and although Van Foreest pushed hard, Giri managed to reach the safe haven.

Carlsen's interview afterwards

Carlsen versus Praggnanandhaa was also a Queens Gambit Accepted opening just like in the So-Abdusattorov game. The move 9…,g6 was quite rare, but once played by Giri before. Soon the players were on their own with Carlsen unbalancing the position with two knights versus two bishops. White had a clear advantage and maybe should have played 22.Nxf7 and there was another chance with 25.Rxb6. Carlsen couldn’t figure out the difference between that move and taking with the knight on b6 and he chose the latter only to realize soon what he had missed. In the game there were some wild complications but objectively the position was equal. Praggnanandhaa could have made his life easier if he had gone for 34…,Rxe5. Instead in the game Carlsen allowed Black two queens on the board for a while but soon it had become a queen ending where despite some tricks from White Praggnanandhaa reached the draw.

Fabiano Caruana against Vincent Keymer Tata Steel Round 12 in Wijk aan Zee Photo © Michiel Abeln.

Fabiano Caruana against Vincent Keymer Tata Steel Round 12 in Wijk aan Zee Photo © Michiel Abeln

In a main line of the Spanish Keymer surprised Caruana with the move 11…,d5, immediately clarifying the center. The game was balanced until Keymer played the slightly inaccurate 21…,Rfxd8. Caruana could now have used some back rank tactics to achieve an advantage with 25.Bc6 Rc8 (25…,Nxe1 26.Bxa8 Nc2 27.Rb1 h5 28.Bf4) 26.Reb1. Once he missed this his main chance in the game was gone and a draw was unavoidable.

D Gukesh against Levon Aronian Tata Steel Round 12 in Wijk aan Zee Photo © Michiel Abeln.

D Gukesh against Levon Aronian Tata Steel Round 12 in Wijk aan Zee Photo © Michiel Abeln

Gukesh and Aronian played the Ragozin opening, a popular opening this tournament and today also seen in the game Van Foreest against Giri. Already on move 10 the players were on their own but the position remained balanced. The position was still ok for Black when he decided to sacrifice a pawn and reach a rook endgame where White could try to make something of his extra material (Aronian said he had missed 33.Rb8 when he played 26…,d4). The game was still within the drawing margin until Aronian went wrong with 59…,Rg4 (59…Rf3+ was required to put the white king in front of his b-pawn) and now Gukesh could have won with the counter intuitive 60.b4 Kf7 61.b5 Ke7 62.b6 Kd8 (62…,Kd7 fails to 63.Rc1) 63.Rc1 Rg7 64.a5 g2 65.a6 g1Q 66.Rxg1 Rxg1 67.a7 Ra1+ 68.Kb2 winning. Instead he played the natural 60.a5 but then Black could secure the draw.

Richard Rapport against Ding Liren Tata Steel Round 12 in Wijk aan Zee Photo © Michiel Abeln.

Richard Rapport against Ding Liren Tata Steel Round 12 in Wijk aan Zee Photo © Michiel Abeln

Rapport and Ding put a Classical Sicilian on the board and Rapport went for the relative rare approach with 10.Qd3. The queens were soon exchanged and the game was equal despite Rapport losing some tempi with 20.Nf5 when later he had to return to g3 again. Then Ding in time trouble first played the dubious 36…,Bf3 and on the next move he blundered with 37...Nxh5 and soon he had to resign.

Parham Maghsoodloo against Arjun Erigaisi Tata Steel Round 12 in Wijk aan Zee Photo © Michiel Abeln.

Parham Maghsoodloo against Arjun Erigaisi Tata Steel Round 12 in Wijk aan Zee Photo © Michiel Abeln

Maghsoodloo and Arjun followed theory in the Grunfeld until White played the new 19.Qb4 and afterwards it was clear that the Iranian player had studied the position deeper at home than his opponent. In the post mortem it became clear that Black could have played a bit safer with 24…,Qxc5 25.Rxc5 Rxe7 26.Rxe7 Bf8. On move 30 Black should not have pushed his f-pawn two squares but only one and with 35…,Qa1+ he would still have kept the position in balance. Instead after his blunder 35…,Be8 his position was beyond rescue.

Tata Steel Chess Commentary

85th Tata Steel Masters Wijk aan Zee (NED), 13-29 i 2023 cat. XX (2741)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4
1. Abdusattorov, Nodirbek g UZB 2713 * ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 1 ½ ½ ½ . ½ 1 8 2873
2. Giri, Anish g NED 2764 ½ * 1 ½ ½ ½ . ½ ½ 1 1 ½ ½ ½ 2834
3. Carlsen, Magnus g NOR 2859 0 0 * ½ ½ 1 1 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 . 7 2789
4. So, Wesley g USA 2760 ½ ½ ½ * ½ ½ ½ ½ . 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ 7 2801
5. Aronian, Levon g USA 2735 ½ ½ ½ ½ * ½ ½ . ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 2772
6. Caruana, Fabiano g USA 2766 ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ * ½ ½ ½ 1 . 1 ½ ½ 2762
7. Rapport, Richard g ROU 2740 0 . 0 ½ ½ ½ * ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 2768
8. Maghsoodloo, Parham g IRI 2719 0 ½ 0 ½ . ½ ½ * 1 0 ½ 1 ½ 1 6 2743
9. Praggnanandhaa, R g IND 2684 ½ ½ ½ . ½ ½ 0 0 * 0 1 1 ½ ½ 2715
10. Gukesh, D g IND 2725 ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ 1 1 * 0 ½ . ½ 5 2689
11. Ding, Liren g CHN 2811 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ . 0 ½ 0 1 * ½ ½ ½ 5 2676
12. Van Foreest, Jorden g NED 2681 . ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 0 ½ ½ * ½ 1 5 2691
13. Keymer, Vincent g GER 2696 ½ ½ 0 0 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ . ½ ½ * ½ 2659
14. Erigaisi, Arjun g IND 2722 0 ½ . ½ ½ ½ 0 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ * 4 2607
Round 12 (January 28, 2023)
Carlsen, Magnus - Praggnanandhaa, R ½-½ 67 A35 English Symmetrical
So, Wesley - Abdusattorov, Nodirbek ½-½ 41 D27 QGA
Caruana, Fabiano - Keymer, Vincent ½-½ 40 C84 Ruy Lopez Centre Attack
Rapport, Richard - Ding, Liren 1-0 42 B53 Sicilian Hungarian
Maghsoodloo, Parham - Erigaisi, Arjun 1-0 47 D90 Gruenfeld Flohr
Gukesh, D - Aronian, Levon ½-½ 72 D38 QGD Ragozin
Van Foreest, Jorden - Giri, Anish ½-½ 79 E10 Blumenfeld Counter Gambit
Tata Steel Challengers Wijk aan Zee (NED), 13-29 i 2023 cat. XIV (2580)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4
1. Donchenko, Alexander g GER 2627 * 1 ½ ½ . 1 ½ 1 1 0 ½ 1 1 1 9 2768
2. Yilmaz, Mustafa g TUR 2609 0 * 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 1 ½ . 8 2720
3. Sindarov, Javokhir g UZB 2654 ½ 0 * ½ ½ ½ ½ . ½ ½ 1 1 1 1 2674
4. Adhiban, Baskaran g IND 2610 ½ ½ ½ * ½ ½ 1 ½ . 1 ½ ½ 0 1 7 2631
5. Ivic, Velimir g SRB 2585 . ½ ½ ½ * ½ 0 0 ½ ½ 1 1 1 1 7 2632
6. Tabatabaei, M. Amin g IRI 2686 0 0 ½ ½ ½ * ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ . 1 ½ 2613
7. Supi, Luis Paulo g BRA 2608 ½ ½ ½ 0 1 ½ * ½ ½ ½ . 0 ½ 1 6 2579
8. Beerdsen, Thomas m NED 2515 0 ½ . ½ 1 0 ½ * 0 ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 6 2579
9. Warmerdam, Max g NED 2616 0 0 ½ . ½ ½ ½ 1 * 0 ½ 1 1 ½ 6 2574
10. L'Ami, Erwin g NED 2627 1 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ 1 * 1 ½ . 0 2542
11. Mishra, Abhimanyu g USA 2559 ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ . 0 ½ 0 * ½ 1 1 5 2522
12. Vaishali, Rameshbabu m IND 2425 0 0 0 ½ 0 . 1 ½ 0 ½ ½ * 1 ½ 2497
13. Pechac, Jergus g SVK 2637 0 ½ 0 1 0 0 ½ ½ 0 . 0 0 * ½ 3 2378
14. Roebers, Eline m NED 2361 0 . 0 0 0 ½ 0 0 ½ 1 0 ½ ½ * 3 2402
Round 12 (January 28, 2023)
Yilmaz, Mustafa - Supi, Luis Paulo ½-½ 31 D31 Semi-Slav Defence
Ivic, Velimir - Roebers, Eline 1-0 35 E11 Bogo Indian Defence
Tabatabaei, M. Amin - Sindarov, Javokhir ½-½ 46 E36 Nimzo Indian 4.Qc2
Beerdsen, Thomas - Donchenko, Alexander 0-1 22 B12 Caro Kann Advanced
Warmerdam, Max - Vaishali, Rameshbabu 1-0 42 A15 English counter King's Fianchetto
L'Ami, Erwin - Adhiban, Baskaran 0-1 84 C11 French Defence
Mishra, Abhimanyu - Pechac, Jergus 1-0 70 C50 Giuoco Piano

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