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Home » Chess News » Events » 85th Tata Steel 2023 » Abdusattorov keeps his lead going into the final round of the Tata Steel Masters

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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	7½	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	6½	2772
6.	Caruana, Fabiano	g	USA	2766	½	½	0	½	½	*	½	½	½	1	.	1	½	½	6½	2762
7.	Rapport, Richard	g	ROU	2740	0	.	0	½	½	½	*	½	1	½	1	½	½	1	6½	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	5½	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	4½	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	7½	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	6½	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	5½	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	4½	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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