Giri allows Firouzja to close the lead after missed chances against Maghsoodloo in Tata Steel Round 6

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86th Tata Steel 2024 (6)

Giri allows Firouzja to close the lead after missed chances against Maghsoodloo in Tata Steel Round 6

Mark Crowther - Friday 19th January 2024

Anish Giri missing his final chance against Parham Maghsoodloo. Photo ©

Anish Giri missing his final chance against Parham Maghsoodloo. Photo © | https://tatasteelchess.com

The sixth round of the Tata Steel Masters saw wins for Alireza Firouzja against Wei Yi, Gukesh against Jorden van Foreest and Max Warmerdam against Alexander Donchenko. The leader Anish Giri got a tremendous position against Parham Maghsoodloo almost straight out of the opening, let most of the advantage go but missed a cast iron chance after 36...Qd6? but instead, even after having a few minutes to think, allowed his opponent to get into a drawish endgame a pawn down. Nepomniachtchi-Praggnanandhaa, Ding-Abdusattorov and Ju Wenjun-Vidit were all drawn.

Round 6 standings: 1st Giri 4.5pts, 2nd Firouzja 4pts, 3rd= Praggnanandhaa, Abdusattorov, Gukesh, Warmerdam 3.5pts, 7th= Wei Yi, Ding Liren, Vidit, Nepomniachtchi 3pts, 11th Ju Wenjun 2.5pts, 12th Van Foreest 2pts, 13th= Maghsoodloo, Donchenko 1.5pts.

Round 7 Saturday 20th Jan 1pm GMT: Vidit-Firouzja, Donchenko-Ju Wenjun, Gukesh-Warmerdam, Praggnanandhaa-Van Foreest, Maghsoodloo-Nepomniachtchi, Abdusattorov-Giri, Wei Yi-Ding Liren.

Round 6 Summary

Anish Giri will have been very frustrated at himself for not converting a number of chances in his game against Parham Maghsoodloo. First of all club players may well choose 1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 c6 3. Bg2 Bg4 themselves as black, I've seen quite a few games where this solid line goes wrong in recent times. Giri seemed to get a very nice position long before they left theory. 21.fxe5? (21.f5!) was a definite step in the wrong direction. 21....Rd5?! (21...Rhe8!) didn't take advantage of this, 24...Qg6?! 25.Qe3?! (25.Qg6 maybe) b6?! (25...Nxe5=) 26.b4?! (26.Rf7! with advantage) left Giri only a bit better but 36...Qd6? was a losing error in quite a few ways, 37.Kh3 is very much best (37.Kh2 and 37.e4 might have been easier to win perhaps) but only if white sees the cruncher 37...hxg3 38.Qf6!! As it was 38.Qxg3, played almost instantly, led to a drawn endgame a pawn down for black which he had no trouble holding.

Alireza Firouzja got back in contention after Wei Yi just subsided in an endgame he should have held. 28...Ng6?! (28...Rb8) was the start of problems and after 32...Ne5?! (Nf4, maybe even a move earlier, was better) he just couldn't find any defence.

Gukesh scored his second win in a row when he beat Jorden van Foreest on the black side of a Scotch. Gukesh was already at least equal after the opening but the key sequence was 20...g5 (maybe not even that good) 21.fxg6 Qxg6 22.Qf2? (a very strange error 22.Qe3 is obvious and good) and after taking twice on d3 black was material up and better and went on to win although 32...Qg4 seems better than 32...Rxa4 which provoked complications that eventually also proved good for black.

Max Warmerdam won against Alexander Donchenko, this was a sharp struggle in a King's Indian and then 27...Re7?? 28. Qg3 dropped the house for black.

Praggnanandhaa seemed very comfortably placed out the opening of a Symmetrical English as black against Ian Nepomniachtchi. 22...Nd3 (22...Qd3) seemed to give white something especially after the pseudo-sac 27.Bxe7! There could have been much suffering but Praggnanandhaa's pragmatic 33...Nxd4 giving up a piece for liquidation into an eventually draw endgame was well judged. Ding Liren and Nodirbek Abdusattorov drew a not very interesting game in 30 moves. Ju Wenjun and Santosh Vidit drew a Queen's Indian by repetition in 27 moves.

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.	Giri, Anish	g	NED	2749	*	.	½	.	1	.	½	.	.	.	1	.	½	1	4½	2883
2.	Firouzja, Alireza	g	FRA	2759	.	*	.	½	.	½	.	.	.	1	0	1	1	.	4	2802
3.	Praggnanandhaa, R	g	IND	2743	½	.	*	½	.	.	.	½	1	½	.	.	½	.	3½	2807
4.	Abdusattorov, Nodirbek	g	UZB	2727	.	½	½	*	½	.	.	.	½	½	.	.	1	.	3½	2804
5.	Gukesh, D	g	IND	2725	0	.	.	½	*	.	.	1	0	1	.	1	.	.	3½	2798
6.	Warmerdam, Max	g	NED	2625	.	½	.	.	.	*	½	0	.	.	½	1	.	1	3½	2747
7.	Vidit, Santosh Gujrathi	g	IND	2742	½	.	.	.	.	½	*	½	½	.	½	½	.	.	3	2692
8.	Nepomniachtchi, Ian	g	RUS	2769	.	.	½	.	0	1	½	*	.	.	½	.	.	½	3	2671
9.	Ding, Liren	g	CHN	2780	.	.	0	½	1	.	½	.	*	.	.	.	½	½	3	2720
10.	Wei, Yi	g	CHN	2740	.	0	½	½	0	.	.	.	.	*	.	.	1	1	3	2722
11.	Ju, Wenjun	g	CHN	2549	0	1	.	.	.	½	½	½	.	.	*	0	.	.	2½	2664
12.	Van Foreest, Jorden	g	NED	2682	.	0	.	.	0	0	½	.	.	.	1	*	.	½	2	2548
13.	Maghsoodloo, Parham	g	IRI	2740	½	0	½	0	.	.	.	.	½	0	.	.	*	.	1½	2556
14.	Donchenko, Alexander	g	GER	2643	0	.	.	.	.	0	.	½	½	0	.	½	.	*	1½	2531

Round 6 (January 19, 2024)
Giri, Anish	- Maghsoodloo, Parham	½-½	63	A07	Barcza System
Firouzja, Alireza	- Wei, Yi	1-0	46	D40	Semi-Tarrasch Defence
Warmerdam, Max	- Donchenko, Alexander	1-0	42	E92	King's Indian Classical
Nepomniachtchi, Ian	- Praggnanandhaa, R	½-½	44	A05	Various
Ding, Liren	- Abdusattorov, Nodirbek	½-½	30	D27	QGA
Ju, Wenjun	- Vidit, Santosh Gujrathi	½-½	27	E15	Queens Indian
Van Foreest, Jorden	- Gukesh, D	0-1	45	C45	Scotch Game

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.	L'Ami, Erwin	g	NED	2627	*	.	½	.	½	½	.	1	.	.	1	.	1	.	4½	2755
2.	Salem, A.R. Saleh	g	UAE	2630	.	*	1	.	.	1	½	.	½	0	.	.	.	1	4	2729
3.	Korobov, Anton	g	UKR	2663	½	0	*	1	½	.	.	.	.	.	.	1	.	1	4	2663
4.	Maurizzi, Marc'Andria	g	FRA	2572	.	.	0	*	.	.	1	½	1	.	½	.	1	.	4	2709
5.	Dardha, Daniel	g	BEL	2602	½	.	½	.	*	.	½	½	.	.	½	.	½	.	3	2573
6.	Vrolijk, Liam	g	NED	2573	½	0	.	.	.	*	.	1	0	1	½	.	.	.	3	2620
7.	Santos Latasa, Jaime	g	ESP	2615	.	½	.	0	½	.	*	.	.	1	.	1	.	0	3	2545
8.	Mendonca, Leon Luke	g	IND	2608	0	.	.	½	½	0	.	*	.	.	1	1	.	.	3	2542
9.	Niemann, Hans Moke	g	USA	2692	.	½	.	0	.	1	.	.	*	½	.	0	.	1	3	2540
10.	Yilmaz, Mustafa	g	TUR	2665	.	1	.	.	.	0	0	.	½	*	.	0	.	1	2½	2494
11.	Dronavalli, Harika	g	IND	2500	0	.	.	½	½	½	.	0	.	.	*	.	1	.	2½	2511
12.	Roebers, Eline	m	NED	2381	.	.	0	.	.	.	0	0	1	1	.	*	0	.	2	2486
13.	Beukema, Stefan	m	BEL	2428	0	.	.	0	½	.	.	.	.	.	0	1	*	½	2	2392
14.	Divya, Deshmukh	m	IND	2420	.	0	0	.	.	.	1	.	0	0	.	.	½	*	1½	2422

Round 6 (January 19, 2024)
Salem, A.R. Saleh	- Divya, Deshmukh	1-0	53	A07	Barcza System
Korobov, Anton	- L'Ami, Erwin	½-½	109	C42	Petroff's Defence
Vrolijk, Liam	- Mendonca, Leon Luke	1-0	76	A05	Various
Santos Latasa, Jaime	- Dardha, Daniel	½-½	22	C67	Ruy Lopez Berlin
Niemann, Hans Moke	- Maurizzi, Marc'Andria	0-1	51	C55	Two Knights Defence
Yilmaz, Mustafa	- Roebers, Eline	0-1	85	E94	King's Indian Classical
Beukema, Stefan	- Dronavalli, Harika	0-1	73	A03	Bird's Opening