The Week in Chess

There were two decisive games in the first round of the Sigeman & Co Chess tournament, Andy Woodward beat Nils Grandelius after 26...Rd8? blundered an important pawn and the game. Zhu Jiner was starting to be worse against Nodirbek Abdusattorov when she made an incomprehensible blunder 23.Nd4? which was met by the absolutely obvious Rc8 and her position collapsed.

Magnus Carlsen faced Arjun Erigaisi's Petroff, an opening that proved successful in the Candidates, a couple of times it seemed like Carlsen was getting somewhere but he had to settle for a draw. Jorden van Foreest also looked like he might have something but after 20.Re1 it was dead equal.

Round 1 Standings: 1st= Abdusattorov, Woodward 1pt 3rd= Carlsen, Erigaisi, Van Foreest, Erdogmus ½pt 7th= Grandelius, Jiner Zhu 0pts

Round 2 2pm BST 2nd May 2026: Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus-Arjun Erigaisi, Nils Grandelius-Magnus Carlsen, Nodirbek Abdusattorov-Andy Woodward and Jorden van Foreest-Jiner Zhu.