Tournament Information
The Tata Steel Chess tournament is one of the longest-running chess tournaments in history. It has attracted the world’s top players for decades and is currently celebrating its 87th edition. The Masters section pits 14 players in a big single-player round robin, setting the stage for exhilarating chess battles as the clash of styles and ratings makes for quite the spectacle. The Challengers section is similarly structured, and Tata Steel Chess also includes a well-attended Amateurs section.
The Lichess broadcast coverage can be found here.
Schedule
| Round | Date and Time |
|---|---|
| 12 | February 1, 13:00 UTC |
| 13 | February 2, 13:00 UTC |
Leaderboard
GM Gukesh D vs. GM Wei Yi 1/2-1/2
Photo credit: Jurriaan Hoefsmit / Tata Steel Chess
Photo credit: Jurriaan Hoefsmit / Tata Steel Chess
GM Wei Yi’s early d5 in the Two Knights Defense Italian Game was certainly a somewhat risky attempt at achieving equality, but it was also a very forcing way to do so. GM Gukesh D had to find very precise moves to keep any semblance of an advantage going, and even then, it would have been an open question whether or not White were actually better. As it stood, Gukesh’s first-move opening advantage evaporated and the resulting endgame was drawn by Wei without too much difficulty.
https://lichess.org/study/embed/iAu6JSH1/Dfxt7E7j#0
GM Fabiano Caruana vs. GM Praggnanandhaa R 0-1
Photo credit: Jurriaan Hoefsmit / Tata Steel Chess
GM Fabiano Caruana showed some electrifying opening preparation against GM Praggnanandhaa R as he revealed his aggressive intentions by castling queenside in an opening which rarely sees O-O-O: the Queen’s Gambit Declined, which was arrived at by transposition from the English Opening. Caruana’s opening experiment seemed to be working as he had a slight advantage, but the game remained complicated and Praggnanandhaa’s king was extremely safe, while Caruana’s could get attacked at a moment’s notice. That is exactly what transpired as two inexact moves by Caruana allowed Praggnanandhaa to crash through on the weakened queenside.
https://lichess.org/study/embed/iAu6JSH1/uAG5Gqyz#0
GM Vincent Keymer vs. GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov 1/2-1/2
Photo credit: Jurriaan Hoefsmit / Tata Steel Chess
GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov had a very good chance to catch Gukesh in first as he had a winning advantage against GM Vincent Keymer. Indeed, Abdusattorov made incredible use of Keymer’s misplaced rook, which was at one point threatening Abdusattorov’s king, to break through in the center and infiltrate with his pieces. On move 38, though, Abdusattorov misevaluated the resulting position and allowed Keymer to trade queens, whereafter Keymer, following a long battle, was able to hold the draw.
https://lichess.org/study/embed/iAu6JSH1/JNQVLNZr#0
GM Vladimir Fedoseev vs. GM Leon Luke Mendonca 0-1
Photo credit: Jurriaan Hoefsmit / Tata Steel Chess
GM Leon Luke Mendonca’s Catalan Opening preparation against GM Vladimir Fedoseev was both uncommon and effective. In fact, with Mendonca’s activity, it looked as if Black had not only equalized, but even had a slightly better position. With a knight + rook vs. bishop + rook endgame on the board, it was actually rather difficult for Fedoseev to play the bishop side as Mendonca was very active. The best way to save the game for Fedoseev was the stunning 27. Rd1!!, with the idea 27…Ne4 28. Bb5!! intending to make use of the passed c-pawn. After Fedoseev played 27. Be2, he was effectively lost, and a further blunder on move 29 sealed his fate.
https://lichess.org/study/embed/iAu6JSH1/zntqjSAd#0
GM Anish Giri vs. GM Max Warmerdam 1-0
Photo credit: Jurriaan Hoefsmit / Tata Steel Chess
GM Anish Giri once again presented some creative ideas in the opening as he made use of a rare setup in the Italian Game, Giuoco Pianissimo and activated his queen via e3. GM Max Warmerdam was not in any real danger, though, and appeared to be holding the game despite his time trouble. However, Giri was able to find a very accurate plan in the opposite-colored bishop double rook endgame and won in exemplary fashion.
https://lichess.org/study/embed/iAu6JSH1/wD2dbF8a#0
GM Alexey Sarana vs. GM Pentala Harikrishna 0-1
Photo credit: Jurriaan Hoefsmit / Tata Steel Chess
Passivity was the name of the game in GM Alexey Sarana vs. GM Pentala Harikrishna. Sarana was basically never in the game, especially as soon as he played 17. Be1 — in fact one of the better moves in the position, but a bad omen for Sarana’s piece harmony. Harikrishna played precisely, putting his bishops on active sqaures, where they looked quite intimidating; then, he compelled Sarana to sacrifice an exchange, whereafter Harikrishna converted with no real difficulties.
https://lichess.org/study/embed/iAu6JSH1/n074qloL#0
GM Jorden van Foreest vs. GM Arjun Erigaisi 1/2-1/2
Photo credit: Jurriaan Hoefsmit / Tata Steel Chess
Today’s encounter between GM Jorden van Foreest and GM Arjun Erigaisi, which featured the Sämisch Variation of the Nimzo-Indian Defense, promised to be an exciting battle what with the inherent dynamic nature of the Sämisch Variation. The line played by both players, however, while highly exciting visually, looked to be a worked out equalizing line. After an equal rook endgame arose, a draw was agreed on move 32.
https://lichess.org/study/embed/iAu6JSH1/UdXqk1Xq#0
Round 12 Pairings
| Player (White) | Player (Black) |
|---|---|
| GM Jorden van Foreest | GM Gukesh D |
| GM Arjun Erigaisi | GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov |
| GM Praggnanandhaa R | GM Alexey Sarana |
| GM Wei Yi | GM Anish Giri |
| GM Max Warmerdam | GM Vladimir Fedoseev |
| GM Leon Luke Mendonca | GM Fabiano Caruana |
| GM Pentala Harikrishna | GM Vincent Keymer |