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Round 4 Report by Michiel Abeln

Praggnanandhaa was the big winner in round four by winning his own game while his co-leader Abdusattorov survived a difficult position and made a draw.

Praggnanandhaa outplayed his opponent Mendonca today straight from the opening. Mendonca won the challengers group last year but this year he is off to a difficult start in the main group. Today he never got any counterplay going and lost without a chance,

Abdusattorov played an aggressive and risky line against Wei Yi’s Nimzo Indian. White first mixed up his preparation, that got an unexpected chance for a large advantage, but after he missed that it was Wei Yi who was in the driving seat. Still, White managed to maintain the balance by precise play from what looked like a difficult position.

Harikrishna won a good game against Max Warmerdam. Despite having a not so great tournament Black chose a risky line against White’s Catalan. Perhaps this was a bit too risky because in the complications he went to the wrong square with his king and soon lost.

Caruana faced a well-prepared Giri. White used a lot of time but managed to keep the game balanced, although Caruana admitted afterwards he was worried about his position.

Giri ended up a bit frustrated. He said that it was clear Caruana had mixed something up but even though he showed some interesting lines in the interview below the game was drawn without much excitement.

This is an excellent interview with Giri.

Vladimir Fedoseev won against Arjun Erigaisi who continued his miserable tournament when he managed to lose a winning position. After 19...c5 Fedoseev was in desperate trouble, 21.Rg5! was the only winning move but then 26.Bxf5?! put the game back in the air (26.Nxf5! wins) and then 27.Nxf5?? completed Erigaisi's misery as he was now lost due to a knight fork on move 29. It never rains but it pours.

Keymer had a small advantage in the opening against Van Foreest but soon the game was equal and despite many more moves ended in a draw.

The same was the case for Sarana against Gukesh, perhaps a small advantage for White, but after a long fight it was also a draw.

In the Tata Steel Challengers group we have three leaders after today: Nguyen, L’Ami, and Lu, all with 3 out of 4.

Round 4 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.	Praggnanandhaa, R	g	IND	2741	*	½	.	.	.	.	1	.	.	.	.	.	1	1	3½	3061
2.	Abdusattorov, Nodirbek	g	UZB	2768	½	*	.	.	.	.	.	½	.	.	.	1	1	.	3	2887
3.	Gukesh, D	g	IND	2777	.	.	*	½	½	.	.	.	½	.	1	.	.	.	2½	2827
4.	Caruana, Fabiano	g	USA	2803	.	.	½	*	.	.	.	½	.	1	½	.	.	.	2½	2829
5.	Fedoseev, Vladimir	g	SLO	2717	.	.	½	.	*	.	.	.	.	½	½	.	.	1	2½	2842
6.	Keymer, Vincent	g	GER	2733	.	.	.	.	.	*	.	½	.	½	.	½	1	.	2½	2774
7.	Harikrishna, Pentala	g	IND	2695	0	.	.	.	.	.	*	.	.	.	.	1	½	1	2½	2801
8.	Wei, Yi	g	CHN	2751	.	½	.	½	.	½	.	*	½	.	.	.	.	.	2	2745
9.	Sarana, Alexey	g	SRB	2677	.	.	½	.	.	.	.	½	*	½	.	½	.	.	2	2713
10.	Van Foreest, Jorden	g	NED	2680	.	.	.	0	½	½	.	.	½	*	.	.	.	.	1½	2645
11.	Giri, Anish	g	NED	2731	.	.	0	½	½	.	.	.	.	.	*	.	.	½	1½	2687
12.	Warmerdam, Max	g	NED	2646	.	0	.	.	.	½	0	.	½	.	.	*	.	.	1	2525
13.	Mendonca, Leon Luke	g	IND	2639	0	0	.	.	.	0	½	.	.	.	.	.	*	.	½	2412
14.	Erigaisi, Arjun	g	IND	2801	0	.	.	.	0	.	0	.	.	.	½	.	.	*	½	2399

Round 4 (January 21, 2025)
Praggnanandhaa, R	- Mendonca, Leon Luke	1-0	46	C77	Ruy Lopez Anderssen
Abdusattorov, Nodirbek	- Wei, Yi	½-½	41	E24	Nimzo Indian Saemisch
Caruana, Fabiano	- Giri, Anish	½-½	34	B31	Sicilian Rossolimo
Keymer, Vincent	- Van Foreest, Jorden	½-½	58	D31	Semi-Slav Defence
Harikrishna, Pentala	- Warmerdam, Max	1-0	23	A08	Barcza System
Sarana, Alexey	- Gukesh, D	½-½	70	D37	QGD 5.Bf4
Erigaisi, Arjun	- Fedoseev, Vladimir	0-1	39	D37	QGD 5.Bf4

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.	Lu, Miaoyi	m	CHN	2429	*	.	.	.	.	½	1	1	.	.	.	.	.	½	3	2703
2.	Nguyen, Thai Dai Van	g	CZE	2668	.	*	.	½	.	.	.	.	.	½	1	1	.	.	3	2754
3.	L'Ami, Erwin	g	NED	2614	.	.	*	.	1	.	.	½	.	.	.	½	.	1	3	2719
4.	Suleymanli, Aydin	g	AZE	2623	.	½	.	*	½	.	.	.	.	1	.	½	.	.	2½	2648
5.	Bok, Benjamin	g	NED	2583	.	.	0	½	*	.	.	.	1	.	.	.	1	.	2½	2672
6.	Vaishali, Rameshbabu	g	IND	2476	½	.	.	.	.	*	0	.	.	.	1	.	1	.	2½	2607
7.	Nogerbek, Kazybek	g	KAZ	2514	0	.	.	.	.	1	*	½	.	.	½	.	.	.	2	2557
8.	Svane, Frederik	g	GER	2664	0	.	½	.	.	.	½	*	.	.	.	.	1	.	2	2501
9.	Gurel, Ediz	g	TUR	2624	.	.	.	.	0	.	.	.	*	0	.	1	.	1	2	2483
10.	Divya, Deshmukh	m	IND	2490	.	½	.	0	.	.	.	.	1	*	0	.	.	.	1½	2556
11.	Yakubboev, Nodirbek	g	UZB	2659	.	0	.	.	.	0	½	.	.	1	*	.	.	.	1½	2450
12.	Pijpers, Arthur	m	NED	2474	.	0	½	½	.	.	.	.	0	.	.	*	.	.	1	2439
13.	Oro, Faustino	m	ARG	2447	.	.	.	.	0	0	.	0	.	.	.	.	*	1	1	2334
14.	Bulmaga, Irina	m	ROU	2386	½	.	0	.	.	.	.	.	0	.	.	.	0	*	½	2206

Round 4 (January 21, 2025)
Nguyen, Thai Dai Van	- Suleymanli, Aydin	½-½	31	C77	Ruy Lopez Anderssen
Bok, Benjamin	- Oro, Faustino	1-0	48	C53	Giuoco Piano
Svane, Frederik	- Nogerbek, Kazybek	½-½	46	C88	Ruy Lopez Closed
Divya, Deshmukh	- Gurel, Ediz	1-0	56	E36	Nimzo Indian 4.Qc2
Yakubboev, Nodirbek	- Vaishali, Rameshbabu	0-1	32	D52	Queens Gambit Cambridge Springs
Pijpers, Arthur	- L'Ami, Erwin	½-½	30	C42	Petroff's Defence
Bulmaga, Irina	- Lu, Miaoyi	½-½	33	C45	Scotch Game

Tata Steel Chess Round 4 Commentary

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