Tata Steel Chess: Abdusattorov sole leader, as Gukesh blunders inexplicably

Painful to watch

Round six of the Tata Steel Chess Tournament saw Nodirbek Abdusattorov move into sole first place after defeating world champion Gukesh Dommaraju with the white pieces. The game appeared to be drifting towards a draw in a balanced major-piece endgame when it ended abruptly. On move 36, Gukesh played the inexplicable 36…Rg5??, a one-move blunder that immediately lost a rook.

Abdusattorov played 37.Qxf6+ without hesitation (38.Qxg5 would follow), and Gukesh resigned straight away. The suddenness of the error made the moment particularly striking.

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Gukesh notices he has blundered his rook right after pressing the clock

The incident inevitably recalled an earlier and highly consequential encounter between the same two players at the 2022 Chess Olympiad in Chennai. In that match, a then 16-year-old Gukesh, playing board one for India 2, faced a 17-year-old Abdusattorov in a critical clash against tournament leaders Uzbekistan.

With Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu seemingly on course to defeat Javokhir Sindarov on board three, a draw by Gukesh would have sufficed for match victory. However, he blundered with 72.Nf3??, allowing the decisive 72…Qb7+, attacking the knight while giving check.

While the Wijk aan Zee game did not carry comparable team implications, committing a similarly inexplicable one-move error against the same opponent is undoubtedly difficult to absorb, particularly for a player of Gukesh’s stature.

Sindarov, who had entered the round tied for first place, drew his game with the black pieces against Aravindh Chithambaram after failing to find the correct continuation to make the most of a clear advantage on move 40.

Black is completely winning here. But with 22 seconds on the clock, Sindarov blundered with 40…a2??, allowing 41.Qg6 and White escapes with a perpetual check.

Instead, 40…Qxc5 is winning. If White goes for the same idea as in the game with 41.Qg6, Black can improve his queen’s position via checks starting with 41…Qc8+, as White can never place his king on the g-file because of …Rf8-g8, winning the queen.

A sample line is 41…Qc8+ 42.Kh4 Qc4+ 43.Kh3 Qf1+ 44.Kh4 Qf2+, with an easy win.

The result left him in sole second place after Abdusattorov’s win, meaning that the two Uzbek participants now occupy the top two positions in the standings as we approach the halfway mark of the tournament.

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Javokhir Sindarov, Aravindh Chithambaram

Javokhir Sindarov missed a huge chance in his round-six game against Aravindh Chithambaram | Photo: Tata Steel Chess / Lennart Ootes

The third co-leader at the start of the day, Hans Niemann, suffered a setback, losing to Vincent Keymer. For Keymer, the win represented an important response after mixed results earlier in the event, while Niemann dropped into a group of three players standing a full point behind Abdusattorov. This group also includes Keymer and Vladimir Fedoseev, who remain within striking distance of the lead.

The remaining decisive game of the round saw 14-year-old Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus score his first win of the tournament. Erdogmus defeated Jorden van Foreest, a notable achievement for the Turkish youngster in his Masters debut.

One of the four draws seen in the round was close to ending decisively, as Arjun Erigaisi escaped with a half point in his game with black against Matthias Bluebaum.

Round 6 results

Niemann 0-1 Keymer

Vincent Keymer, Hans Niemann

Vincent Keymer has so far scored three wins and suffered two losses | Photo: Tata Steel Chess / Lennart Ootes

Bluebaum ½-½ Erigaisi

The King‘s Indian Attack is a universal opening: easy to learn, flexible, and rich in both tactical and positional opportunities.

Arjun Erigaisi

Arjun Erigaisi | Photo: Tata Steel Chess / Lennart Ootes

Abdusattorov 1-0 Gukesh

Standings after round 6

All games

Woodward sole leader in the Challengers

Round six of the Challengers mirrored developments in the Masters, as a sole leader also emerged after an eventful round. The day began with three players tied for first place, and once again the pattern was one win, one draw and one loss for the co-leaders.

Andy Woodward climbed into clear first place after achieving a marathon, 131-move victory over Carissa Yip in an all-American encounter. The game transitioned into a materially balanced queen endgame already on move 44.

Woodward gained a pawn on move 48, but engine still evaluated the position as equal.

Naturally, Woodward continued to press relentlessly, probing for small inaccuracies. After nearly 70 further moves, he played 119…e3, fully aware that 120.Qxe3 Qxe3 121.fxe3 would lead to a winning king-and-pawn endgame.

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Under sustained pressure after hours of defence, Yip finally faltered on move 129 and resigned two moves later. The win was Woodward’s fifth in a row, following his opening-round loss to Bibisara Assaubayeva, a game in which he had earlier missed a winning tactical shot.

Carissa Yip, Andy Woodward

Carissa Yip and Andy Woodward in good spirits before the start of what would turn out to be a marathon battle | Photo: Tata Steel Chess / Lennart Ootes

Five additional games ended decisively in the Challengers on Friday. Velimir Ivic, Marc’Andria Maurizzi, Vasyl Ivanchuk and Daniil Yuffa all scored wins with the white pieces. Meanwhile, Max Warmerdam defeated former co-leader Faustino Oro with black. The third former co-leader, Aydin Suleymanli, drew his game with white against Vedant Panesar.

After six rounds, Woodward leads the Challengers outright. Maurizzi and Suleymanli share second place, half a point behind, while Oro now stands alone in fourth place, another half point further back.

Round seven will feature Woodward playing white against Suleymanli, while Maurizzi is set to face Eline Roebers with the black pieces.