TWIC is 30. First issue 17th September 1994.
87th Tata Steel 2025 (7)
Gukesh joins Abdusattorov and Praggnanandhaa in the lead of the Tata Steel Masters after 7 Rounds
Mark Crowther - Saturday 25th January 2025
Gukesh beat Pentala Harikrishna in Round 7. Photo © | https://tatasteelchess.com/en
The Tata Steel Masters has only just past the half way stage and there is a three way tie between Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa on 5/7. World Champion Gukesh was the only one of these leaders who won today.
Gukesh beat Pentala Harikrishna on the white side of an Advance French. Harikrishna came up with a novelty of 11...Qb6 but then after 12.g4 didn't follow up with 12...Ncxd4 which he surely would have if he's really prepared this, he would then have had an unclear position. Gukesh immediately got an advantage but the position proved rather difficult for both sides, it was only after several adventures that the error 29...Nxe3? gave Gukesh a winning position. Tomorrow, in round 8, Gukesh faces Praggnanandhaa with black.
Both Jorden van Foreest and Praggnanandhaa hoped to surprise each other with in an interesting Sicilian but both knew what they were doing and the game quickly burned out to a draw. Anish Giri and Abdusattorov drew in an English Reversed Sicilian. Vladimir Fedoseev moved within half a point of the lead with a fine win over Vincent Keymer in a Semi-Slav. The only other decisive game was Max Warmerdam's win against Arjun Erigaisi, this game was notable for Erigaisi's really risky play and it just did not pay off at all, he probably needs to go into damage limitation now by trying to draw a few games, that would certainly be the old Soviet advice under such circumstances. Fabiano Caruana drew with Alexey Sarana, he might have had a knight for three pawns but he came nowhere near proving this was an advantage. Wei Yi and Leon Luke Mendonca drew an interesting Ruy Lopez, both players may have missed small chances to put pressure on their opponent.
In the Challengers Thai Dai Van Nguyen joined Erwin L'Ami in the lead after defeating Faustino Oro.
My thanks to Michiel Abeln for the photos and notes to the games. A full summary and these notes are in the body of the article.
Masters Round 7 Standings: 1st= Abdusattorov, Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa 5pts, 4th Fedoseev 4.5pts, 5th Sarana 4pts, 6th= Wei Yi, Caruana, Harikrishna 3.5pts, 9th= Keymer, Giri, Warmerdam 3pts, 12th Van Foreest 2.5pts, 13th Mendonca 2pts, 14th Erigaisi 1.5pts
Masters Round Pairings 8 Jan 26 at 13.00 GMT: Erigaisi vs Sarana, Keymer vs Caruana, Abdusattorov vs Fedoseev, Harikrishna vs Giri, Praggnanandhaa vs Gukesh, Mendonca vs Van Foreest and Warmerdam vs Wei Yi.
Challengers Round 7 Standings: 1st= Nguyen, L'Ami 5pts, 3rd= Bok, Lu 4.5pts, 5th= Nogerbek, Svane, Vaishali, Suleymanli 4pts, 9th Gurel 3.5pts, 10th Yakubboev 3pts, 11th Pijpers, Oro 2.5pts, 13th Divya 1.5pts, 14th Bulmaga 1pt.
Challengers Round 8 Pairings Jan 26 at 13.00 GMT: Erigaisi vs Sarana, Keymer vs Caruana, Abdusattorov vs Fedoseev, Harikrishna vs Giri, Praggnanandhaa vs Gukesh, Mendonca vs Van Foreest and Warmerdam vs Wei Yi.
Tienkamp Round 2 Standings: 1st= Smeets, Lohia, Grutter, Panesar 1.5pts, 5th= Holzke, Tudor, 1pt, 7th= Sofronie, Zwirs, Slagboom, Beukema 0.5pts.
Round 7 Summary
Gukesh vs Harikrishna Tata Steel 2025 Round 7 Photo © Michiel Abeln
World Champion Gukesh joined the lead with a win over Pentala Harikrishna in Round 7. The French Defence is currently very fashionable, as is the Advance Variation. Harikrishna found a rather banal novelty with 11...Qb6, a move it's scarcely possible to believe hasn't been tried before. Harikrishna is a renowned theoretician but I wonder how well this was prepared as 12.g4 allowed 12...Ncxd4! which I'm certain would have been played if this had indeed been prepared. As it was Harikrishna quickly got into trouble 14...g6 preventing 15.g6 was definitely a good idea and Harikrishna can't have been enjoying life around here. 17.Na4 might have been better than Gukesh's 17.Bd3 but after 20.b4? (20.Nc5) black was suddenly equal again and indeed the engine thinks that instead of 21...axb5 the move 21...Nxe3 might have given black a small edge. The game continued on like this with the players exchanging small inaccuracies until 28...Rxc5?! (28..Rfc8) 29.Nxc5 Nxe3? (29....Bxe3) when black was busted and Gukesh won in 45 moves.
Gukesh explains his win
Giri vs Abdusattorov Tata Steel 2025 Round 7 Photo © Michiel Abeln
Anish Giri against Nodirbek Abdusattorov was a reasonably interesting English Reversed Sicilian where black equalised out of the opening. The engine's showed a flicker of interest on white's behalf after 22...Na5 (22...Ba3) but it could never be said black was in any trouble at all. 26.Bh5+ might have been slightly more interesting than the game but a draw was agreed on move 31 in a completely level position.
Fedoseev vs Keymer Tata Steel 2025 Round 7 Photo © Michiel Abeln
Vladimir Fedoseev returned to winning ways beating Vincent Keymer in 51 moves. The Semi-Slav quickly went into uncharted waters with Keymer's 8...Qe7, the position then remained about equal until 24...Qb4? when white is a bit better and after 25...Qa3? he's close to winning. Fedoseev's advantage reduced a bit after 29...f5 but he was still a lot better and after 32.Re1 Rf7 the evaluation was around +1 but 33...Nf8? (33...Rb3!) 34.Re3 Nh7? left white in a winning position and by first time control it was only a matter of time before Keymer was forced to resign.
Warmerdam vs Erigaisi Tata Steel 2025 Round 7 Photo © Michiel Abeln
Arjun Erigaisi has a cold, he's now dead last in a tournament he was one of the favourites to win and his 2800 rating is going to be a distant memory. Today he tried to will a win with black against Max Warmerdam and it didn't work. Warmerdam chose a slow Alapin Sicilian with 4.h3 and was rewarded with the wild 7...g5 which not surprisingly wasn't very good. Warmerdam reacted cautiously and Erigaisi could have more or less equalised with 12...Qd7, instead after 12...e6 13.Nd2 b5 he was in terrible trouble and after 18.Qh5 was down to just one move to keep going, the dodgy looking 18...Qf6. Part of Erigaisi's problem was Warmerdam had many moves to keep the advantage. 19.Kh2 wasn't near the top of any engine's list but it was still a lot better for white. As Warmerdam moved in for the kill he played the obvious but imprecise 29.Ra8 (29.Be3) when after 29...Qe6 white would have to find 30.Qf3 but after 29...Rxa8? it was all over and black resigned on move 38. I suspect we'll see Erigaisi try and put the brakes on, this is long past fixing and drawing out the event would now be a big win for him. It's been a while since I've seen anything like this at the Tata Steel tournament but players such as used to have such problems too.
Max Warmerdam explains his win.
Wei Yi vs Mendonca Tata Steel 2025 Round 7 Photo © Michiel Abeln
Wei Yi against Leon Luke Mendonca was a Classical Ruy Lopez where black got a small edge after 13.c4. Things were roughly level again after 20...Qb7 (20...Nd4!?). After 30...Qc5 Wei Yi perhaps had better than 31.Ra4= and the players repeated the position three times shortly afterwards and drew on move 40.
Van Foreest vs Praggnanandhaa Tata Steel 2025 Round 7 Photo © Michiel Abeln
Jorden Van Foreest against Praggnanandhaa was the first game to finish, drawn in 36 moves. The Sicilian variation 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 is quite topical and unbalanced. The provocative 5...Nh5 somehow didn't lose a piece because white's light squared bishop got trapped on the other side of the board, all this happened before they left known theory with 15.dxc4 and near equality. Van Foreest said after the game that this had been seen with reversed colours and whilst he didn't expect the line, he was aware it was possible. Because Van Foreest wasn't prepared in detail he allowed Queens to come off for a small advantage, 13. h6 Bh8 14. Nxb5 was more complicated and it turned out Praggnanandhaa was ready for this. Now pieces started disappearing at a rapid rate and once they reached an endgame with bishops of opposite colours a draw was only a matter of time.
Caruana vs Sarana Tata Steel 2025 Round 7 Photo © Michiel Abeln
Fabiano Caruana and Alexey Sarana drew an Open Catalan in 43 moves. Caruana won a piece for three pawns and was certainly better but really never came close to increasing his small advantage.
Standings
| 87th Tata Steel Masters Wijk aan Zee (NED), 18 i-2 ii 2025 | cat. XX (2726) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||||||||||||||
| 1. | Gukesh, D | g | IND | 2777 | * | ½ | . | ½ | ½ | . | ½ | 1 | 1 | . | 1 | . | . | . | 5 | 2890 | |||||||
| 2. | Abdusattorov, Nodirbek | g | UZB | 2768 | ½ | * | ½ | . | . | ½ | . | . | ½ | 1 | . | 1 | 1 | . | 5 | 2867 | |||||||
| 3. | Praggnanandhaa, R | g | IND | 2741 | . | ½ | * | . | . | ½ | . | 1 | . | ½ | . | ½ | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2869 | |||||||
| 4. | Fedoseev, Vladimir | g | SLO | 2717 | ½ | . | . | * | 0 | . | 1 | . | ½ | . | 1 | ½ | . | 1 | 4½ | 2845 | |||||||
| 5. | Sarana, Alexey | g | SRB | 2677 | ½ | . | . | 1 | * | ½ | ½ | . | ½ | ½ | . | ½ | . | . | 4 | 2779 | |||||||
| 6. | Wei, Yi | g | CHN | 2751 | . | ½ | ½ | . | ½ | * | ½ | ½ | . | . | ½ | . | ½ | . | 3½ | 2722 | |||||||
| 7. | Caruana, Fabiano | g | USA | 2803 | ½ | . | . | 0 | ½ | ½ | * | . | ½ | . | . | 1 | . | ½ | 3½ | 2733 | |||||||
| 8. | Harikrishna, Pentala | g | IND | 2695 | 0 | . | 0 | . | . | ½ | . | * | . | 1 | . | ½ | ½ | 1 | 3½ | 2719 | |||||||
| 9. | Giri, Anish | g | NED | 2731 | 0 | ½ | . | ½ | ½ | . | ½ | . | * | . | ½ | . | . | ½ | 3 | 2703 | |||||||
| 10. | Warmerdam, Max | g | NED | 2646 | . | 0 | ½ | . | ½ | . | . | 0 | . | * | ½ | . | ½ | 1 | 3 | 2672 | |||||||
| 11. | Keymer, Vincent | g | GER | 2733 | 0 | . | . | 0 | . | ½ | . | . | ½ | ½ | * | ½ | 1 | . | 3 | 2655 | |||||||
| 12. | Van Foreest, Jorden | g | NED | 2680 | . | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | . | 0 | ½ | . | . | ½ | * | . | . | 2½ | 2631 | |||||||
| 13. | Mendonca, Leon Luke | g | IND | 2639 | . | 0 | 0 | . | . | ½ | . | ½ | . | ½ | 0 | . | * | ½ | 2 | 2575 | |||||||
| 14. | Erigaisi, Arjun | g | IND | 2801 | . | . | 0 | 0 | . | . | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | . | . | ½ | * | 1½ | 2480 | |||||||
| Round 7 (January 25, 2025) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gukesh, D | - Harikrishna, Pentala | 1-0 | 45 | C02 | French Advance | |
| Fedoseev, Vladimir | - Keymer, Vincent | 1-0 | 51 | D43 | Anti-Meran Gambit | |
| Wei, Yi | - Mendonca, Leon Luke | ½-½ | 40 | C77 | Ruy Lopez Anderssen | |
| Caruana, Fabiano | - Sarana, Alexey | ½-½ | 61 | A14 | Reti Opening | |
| Giri, Anish | - Abdusattorov, Nodirbek | ½-½ | 31 | A20 | English Opening | |
| Warmerdam, Max | - Erigaisi, Arjun | 1-0 | 38 | B50 | Sicilian Defence | |
| Van Foreest, Jorden | - Praggnanandhaa, R | ½-½ | 36 | B30 | Sicilian Rossolimo | |
| Tata Steel Challengers Wijk aan Zee (NED), 18 i-2 ii 2025 | cat. XII (2547) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||||||||||||||
| 1. | Nguyen, Thai Dai Van | g | CZE | 2668 | * | ½ | . | . | ½ | . | . | . | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | . | 5 | 2719 | |||||||
| 2. | L'Ami, Erwin | g | NED | 2614 | ½ | * | 1 | . | ½ | . | . | ½ | . | . | ½ | . | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2713 | |||||||
| 3. | Bok, Benjamin | g | NED | 2583 | . | 0 | * | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | . | 1 | . | . | 1 | . | . | 4½ | 2634 | |||||||
| 4. | Lu, Miaoyi | m | CHN | 2429 | . | . | 0 | * | . | ½ | 1 | 1 | . | . | ½ | . | 1 | ½ | 4½ | 2614 | |||||||
| 5. | Suleymanli, Aydin | g | AZE | 2623 | ½ | ½ | ½ | . | * | . | . | . | 1 | 0 | ½ | . | 1 | . | 4 | 2637 | |||||||
| 6. | Vaishali, Rameshbabu | g | IND | 2476 | . | . | ½ | ½ | . | * | 0 | ½ | . | 1 | . | 1 | . | ½ | 4 | 2576 | |||||||
| 7. | Nogerbek, Kazybek | g | KAZ | 2514 | . | . | ½ | 0 | . | 1 | * | ½ | . | ½ | ½ | . | . | 1 | 4 | 2574 | |||||||
| 8. | Svane, Frederik | g | GER | 2664 | . | ½ | . | 0 | . | ½ | ½ | * | . | ½ | . | 1 | . | 1 | 4 | 2553 | |||||||
| 9. | Gurel, Ediz | g | TUR | 2624 | ½ | . | 0 | . | 0 | . | . | . | * | 1 | 1 | . | 0 | 1 | 3½ | 2554 | |||||||
| 10. | Yakubboev, Nodirbek | g | UZB | 2659 | 0 | . | . | . | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | * | . | . | 1 | . | 3 | 2529 | |||||||
| 11. | Pijpers, Arthur | m | NED | 2474 | 0 | ½ | . | ½ | ½ | . | ½ | . | 0 | . | * | ½ | . | . | 2½ | 2457 | |||||||
| 12. | Oro, Faustino | m | ARG | 2447 | 0 | . | 0 | . | . | 0 | . | 0 | . | . | ½ | * | 1 | 1 | 2½ | 2432 | |||||||
| 13. | Divya, Deshmukh | m | IND | 2490 | ½ | 0 | . | 0 | 0 | . | . | . | 1 | 0 | . | 0 | * | . | 1½ | 2350 | |||||||
| 14. | Bulmaga, Irina | m | ROU | 2386 | . | 0 | . | ½ | . | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | . | . | 0 | . | * | 1 | 2229 | |||||||
| Round 7 (January 25, 2025) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| L'Ami, Erwin | - Suleymanli, Aydin | ½-½ | 41 | C50 | Giuoco Piano | |
| Lu, Miaoyi | - Divya, Deshmukh | 1-0 | 40 | B30 | Sicilian Rossolimo | |
| Vaishali, Rameshbabu | - Bok, Benjamin | ½-½ | 54 | B22 | Sicilian Alapin | |
| Nogerbek, Kazybek | - Pijpers, Arthur | ½-½ | 47 | B50 | Sicilian Defence | |
| Svane, Frederik | - Bulmaga, Irina | 1-0 | 91 | C50 | Giuoco Piano | |
| Gurel, Ediz | - Yakubboev, Nodirbek | 1-0 | 38 | C65 | Ruy Lopez Berlin | |
| Oro, Faustino | - Nguyen, Thai Dai Van | 0-1 | 50 | B23 | Sicilian Closed | |
| Tata Steel Top Tienkamp Wijk aan Zee (NED), 17 i-2 ii 2025 | cat. VI (2400) | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 1. | Smeets, Kobe | f | NED | 2355 | * | ½ | . | . | . | 1 | . | . | . | . | 1½ | 2570 | |||
| 2. | Grutter, Tim | f | NED | 2380 | ½ | * | . | . | . | . | . | 1 | . | . | 1½ | 2560 | |||
| 3. | Lohia, Sohum | f | ENG | 2367 | . | . | * | ½ | . | . | 1 | . | . | . | 1½ | 2654 | |||
| 4. | Panesar, Vedant | f | IND | 2446 | . | . | ½ | * | . | . | . | . | . | 1 | 1½ | 2588 | |||
| 5. | Holzke, Frank | g | GER | 2426 | . | . | . | . | * | . | ½ | ½ | . | . | 1 | 2428 | |||
| 6. | Tudor, Henry Edward | f | ROU | 2375 | 0 | . | . | . | . | * | . | . | 1 | . | 1 | 2362 | |||
| 7. | Zwirs, Nico | m | NED | 2476 | . | . | 0 | . | ½ | . | * | . | . | . | ½ | 2203 | |||
| 8. | Sofronie, Iulian | m | ROU | 2380 | . | 0 | . | . | ½ | . | . | * | . | . | ½ | 2210 | |||
| 9. | Slagboom, Leandro | f | NED | 2369 | . | . | . | . | . | 0 | . | . | * | ½ | ½ | 2206 | |||
| 10. | Beukema, Stefan | m | BEL | 2423 | . | . | . | 0 | . | . | . | . | ½ | * | ½ | 2214 | |||
| Round 2 (January 25, 2025) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grutter, Tim | - Smeets, Kobe | ½-½ | 45 | A07 | Barcza System | |
| Lohia, Sohum | - Zwirs, Nico | 1-0 | 33 | B92 | Sicilian Najdorf with 6.Be2 | |
| Holzke, Frank | - Sofronie, Iulian | ½-½ | 65 | C78 | Ruy Lopez Moeller Defence | |
| Slagboom, Leandro | - Tudor, Henry Edward | 0-1 | 60 | B92 | Sicilian Najdorf with 6.Be2 | |
| Beukema, Stefan | - Panesar, Vedant | 0-1 | 34 | A20 | English Opening | |
Tata Steel Chess Round 7 Commentary
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