Abdusattorov beats Giri to transform the leader board of the Tata Steel Masters after 7 rounds

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86th Tata Steel 2024 (7)

Abdusattorov beats Giri to transform the leader board of the Tata Steel Masters after 7 rounds

Mark Crowther - Saturday 20th January 2024

Nodirbek Abdusattorov defeated Anish Giri in Round 7. Photo ©

Nodirbek Abdusattorov defeated Anish Giri in Round 7. Photo © | https://tatasteelchess.com

Nodirbek Abdusattorov defeated Anish Giri in the seventh round of the Tata Steel Masters to catch the Dutchman in the lead on 4.5 points. Giri was comfortable out of the opening but just one slightly poor move 22...b5?! led to a world of trouble and an eventual loss.

Gukesh also caught Giri after a slightly fortunate win against Max Warmerdam following a very late blunder by the Dutchman in a drawn rook and pawn endgame. Vidit was the beneficiary of a single very bad move from Alireza Firouzja in a known position and went on to win in 42 moves.

The remaining games were drawn Parham Maghsoodloo against Ian Nepomniachtchi, Praggnanandhaa against Jorden Van Foreest, Alexander Donchenko against Ju Wenjun and the first game to finish by far Wei Yi against Ding Liren.

Round 7 Standings: 1st-3rd Abdusattorov, Gukesh, Giri 4.5pts, 4th-6th Praggnanandhaa, Vidit, Firouzja 4pts, 7th-10th Wei Yi, Ding, Warmerdam, Nepomniachtchi 3.5pts, 11th Ju Wenjun 3pts, 12th Van Foreest 2.5pts, 13th= Maghsoodloo, Donchenko 2pts.

Round 8 pairings Sunday 21st Jan 1pm: Firouzja-Ding Liren, Giri-Wei Yi, Nepomniachtchi-Abdusattorov, Van Foreest-Maghsoodloo, Warmerdam-Praggnanandhaa, Ju Wenjun-Gukesh, Vidit-Donchenko.

Round 7 Summary

Nodirbek Abdusattorov caught Anish Giri in the lead by defeating him in 60 moves. Giri had no problems out of the opening in a Petroff Defence sideliner, 22...b5?! (22...Rxe5) was the start of black's difficulties and really black's position just steadily went downhill after that without any really obvious mistake, 33...Kd8 was probably a new error in a difficult position and white converted convincingly.

Gukesh too joined Abdusattorov and Giri in the lead after a last gasp win against Max Warmerdam. I believe this was a Von Hennig-Schara Gambit by transposition and Warmerdam kept compensation for the pawn throughout. Just within reach of the draw 53.Rg1?? (strictly 53.Kf6 needs to be played but one would normally say what else?) and after 53...Kf2 white could cross to the g-file with his king and pick up another pawn and with it the game.

Santosh Vidit was gifted a point by Alireza Firouzja. This was a sharp Najdorf where black sacrificed a piece with 12...Nxc2. The players were following the game Karjakin-Khismatullin from Kazan 2014 until 14...Qa4+? (14...d5 was played in the original game and is strictly the only move) 15.Kd3! (but even 15.b3 is good for white) and black was just a piece down. White perhaps didn't play the very best but after the further error from Firouzja 24...Rf8? there was no coming back.

The remaining four games were drawn. Parham Maghsoodloo against Ian Nepomniachtchi was a Petroff where black eventually got a small advantage but 32...Rb3?! (32...Re8) made things equal again. Wei Yi against Ding Liren was a quick draw amongst compatriots. Praggnanandhaa looked to be getting somewhere against Jorden Van Foreest in a slow Semi-Slav come Queen's Gambit but this advantage dribbled away and after 33.Bxf5 white offered a draw and this was accepted. Alexander Donchenko and Ju Wenjun drew a Queen's Gambit which I, at least, found interesting.

The Challengers Group lead also changed after Salem Salah beat Eline Roebers whilst leader Erwin L'Ami lost to Jaime Santos Latasa. Marc`andria Maurizzi and Anton Korobov caught L'Ami too.

86th Tata Steel Masters Wijk aan Zee (NED), 12-28 i 2024																cat. XIX (2712)
					1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4
1.	Abdusattorov, Nodirbek	g	UZB	2727	*	½	1	.	½	½	½	.	½	.	.	.	1	.	4½	2850
2.	Gukesh, D	g	IND	2725	½	*	0	.	.	.	0	1	1	1	.	1	.	.	4½	2826
3.	Giri, Anish	g	NED	2749	0	1	*	½	½	.	.	.	.	.	1	.	½	1	4½	2797
4.	Vidit, Santosh Gujrathi	g	IND	2742	.	.	½	*	.	1	½	½	.	½	½	½	.	.	4	2751
5.	Praggnanandhaa, R	g	IND	2743	½	.	½	.	*	.	1	½	½	.	.	½	½	.	4	2791
6.	Firouzja, Alireza	g	FRA	2759	½	.	.	0	.	*	.	.	1	½	0	1	1	.	4	2736
7.	Ding, Liren	g	CHN	2780	½	1	.	½	0	.	*	.	½	.	.	.	½	½	3½	2722
8.	Nepomniachtchi, Ian	g	RUS	2769	.	0	.	½	½	.	.	*	.	1	½	.	½	½	3½	2681
9.	Wei, Yi	g	CHN	2740	½	0	.	.	½	0	½	.	*	.	.	.	1	1	3½	2731
10.	Warmerdam, Max	g	NED	2625	.	0	.	½	.	½	.	0	.	*	½	1	.	1	3½	2695
11.	Ju, Wenjun	g	CHN	2549	.	.	0	½	.	1	.	½	.	½	*	0	.	½	3	2659
12.	Van Foreest, Jorden	g	NED	2682	.	0	.	½	½	0	.	.	.	0	1	*	.	½	2½	2581
13.	Maghsoodloo, Parham	g	IRI	2740	0	.	½	.	½	0	½	½	0	.	.	.	*	.	2	2594
14.	Donchenko, Alexander	g	GER	2643	.	.	0	.	.	.	½	½	0	0	½	½	.	*	2	2541

Round 7 (January 20, 2024)
Abdusattorov, Nodirbek	- Giri, Anish	1-0	60	C42	Petroff's Defence
Gukesh, D	- Warmerdam, Max	1-0	66	D32	Tarrasch Defence
Vidit, Santosh Gujrathi	- Firouzja, Alireza	1-0	42	B90	Sicilian Najdorf Variation
Praggnanandhaa, R	- Van Foreest, Jorden	½-½	33	D43	Anti-Meran Gambit
Wei, Yi	- Ding, Liren	½-½	32	C47	Four Knights
Maghsoodloo, Parham	- Nepomniachtchi, Ian	½-½	56	C42	Petroff's Defence
Donchenko, Alexander	- Ju, Wenjun	½-½	39	D36	QGD Exchange

Tata Steel Challengers Wijk aan Zee (NED), 12-28 i 2024																cat. XIII (2570)
					1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4
1.	Salem, A.R. Saleh	g	UAE	2630	*	1	.	.	½	.	.	½	0	1	.	1	1	.	5	2730
2.	Korobov, Anton	g	UKR	2663	0	*	½	1	.	.	½	.	.	.	½	1	1	.	4½	2635
3.	L'Ami, Erwin	g	NED	2627	.	½	*	.	0	1	½	.	.	½	1	.	.	1	4½	2671
4.	Maurizzi, Marc'Andria	g	FRA	2572	.	0	.	*	1	½	.	1	½	.	½	.	.	1	4½	2697
5.	Santos Latasa, Jaime	g	ESP	2615	½	.	1	0	*	.	½	.	1	.	.	0	1	.	4	2606
6.	Mendonca, Leon Luke	g	IND	2608	.	.	0	½	.	*	½	.	.	0	1	.	1	1	4	2576
7.	Dardha, Daniel	g	BEL	2602	.	½	½	.	½	½	*	½	.	.	½	.	.	½	3½	2590
8.	Niemann, Hans Moke	g	USA	2692	½	.	.	0	.	.	½	*	½	1	.	1	0	.	3½	2549
9.	Yilmaz, Mustafa	g	TUR	2665	1	.	.	½	0	.	.	½	*	0	.	1	0	.	3	2504
10.	Vrolijk, Liam	g	NED	2573	0	.	½	.	.	1	.	0	1	*	½	0	.	.	3	2541
11.	Dronavalli, Harika	g	IND	2500	.	½	0	½	.	0	½	.	.	½	*	.	.	1	3	2531
12.	Divya, Deshmukh	m	IND	2420	0	0	.	.	1	.	.	0	0	1	.	*	.	½	2½	2507
13.	Roebers, Eline	m	NED	2381	0	0	.	.	0	0	.	1	1	.	.	.	*	0	2	2456
14.	Beukema, Stefan	m	BEL	2428	.	.	0	0	.	0	½	.	.	.	0	½	1	*	2	2372

Round 7 (January 20, 2024)
L'Ami, Erwin	- Santos Latasa, Jaime	0-1	52	A13	Reti Opening
Maurizzi, Marc'Andria	- Yilmaz, Mustafa	½-½	78	E04	Catalan
Mendonca, Leon Luke	- Beukema, Stefan	1-0	41	D45	Anti-Meran Variations
Dardha, Daniel	- Niemann, Hans Moke	½-½	39	B22	Sicilian Alapin
Dronavalli, Harika	- Korobov, Anton	½-½	30	D22	QGA
Divya, Deshmukh	- Vrolijk, Liam	1-0	57	A22	English Opening
Roebers, Eline	- Salem, A.R. Saleh	0-1	30	C72	Ruy Lopez Modern Steinitz