Abdusattorov downs Pragg, three share lead @ Wijk aan Zee

GMs Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Erigaisi Arjun and Hans Moke Niemann led with 1.5 points after the second round of the 88th TATA Steel Chess (Masters section) at the traditional De Moriaan Community Centre, Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands. 15-year-old Chinese Lu Miaoyi led the Challengers section with a 2/2 score. Earlier, Russian Slovenian GM Vladimir Fedoseev bounced back from first round defeat accounting for the top seed GM Vincent Keymer in an interesting encounter. The Nimzo-Indian game saw the German World No. 4 going down without a fight against superior preparation executed by Fedoseev.

Defending Champion GM Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu suffered his second loss in a row going down to Uzbek GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov. The Queen’s Gambit Declined game between GMs Abdusattorov and Praggnanandhaa appeared heading for a quiet draw before the Uzbek brought the curtains down on the Indian. The one pawn up position and the subsequent grind by GM Abdusattorov reminded one of former World Champion Anatoly Karpov at his best. More questions than answers face Pragg who’s world has turned upside down in just two days’ time. Damage control should be the order of the day, as Pragg next faces TATA Steel 2025 Challengers winner GM Nguyen Thai Dai Van.

Prague Masters Champion GM Aravindh Chithambaram had a narrow escape against Turkish wonderboy GM Erdogmus Yagiz Kaan (DOB 3rd June, 2011). The Sicilian game turned out to be razor sharp and GM Aravindh walked himself into difficulty through 21…Nec5? which GM Erdogmus instantly pounced upon. But the 14-year-old returned the favor a couple of moves later with 25.b4?? after which the Indian Grandmaster played out a precise draw. The rook and pawn ending looked threatening but GM Aravindh made light of the task and finished the game with a stupendous rook sacrifice. More will be heard of GM Erodgmus who’s improving leaps and bounds with every game.

In other games, World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju settled for a draw against former TATA Steel champion GM Jorden van Foreest, while the games between GMs Bluebaum vs Niemann, Giri vs Sindarov, Nguyen vs Erigaisi also ended evenly.

Round three starts by Monday, 19th January at 8 AM ET/ 2 PM CET / 6:30 PM IST.

Pairings (Round 3): Aravindh – Nodirbek, Niemann – Erdogmus, Keymer – Bluebaum, Sindarov – Fedoseev, van Foreest – Giri, Erigaisi – Gukesh, Pragg – Nguyen.

Results (Masters Round 2): Bluebaum (1.0) drew with Niemann (1.5), Giri (0.5) drew with Sindarov (1.0), Gukesh (1.0) drew with van Foreest (1.0), Abdusattorov (1.5) beat Praggnanandhaa, Nguyen (1.0) drew with Erigaisi (1.5), Fedoseev (1.0) beat Keymer (1.0), Erdogmus (1.0) drew with Aravindh (1.0).

Results (Challengers Round 2): Woodward (1.0) beat Roebers, Yip (1.5) beat Warmerdam, Suleymanli (1.5) drew with Assaubayeva (1.5), Panesar (1.0) lost to Miaoyi (2.0), Ivanchuk (1.0) drew with Maurizzi (1.0), Yuffa (1.0) drew with Ivic (1.0), Oro (1.5) beat L’Ami.

Nodirbek Abdusattorov (2751) – Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu (2758) 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 h6 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Bf4 Bd6 7. Bxd6 Qxd6 8. e3 Bf5 9. Nh4 Bh7 10. Bd3 O-O 11. Bxh7+ Kxh7 12. Qb3 Nbd7 13. O-O Rab8 14. a4 c6 15. a5 g6 16. Nf3 Kg7 17. Qa3 Ne8 18. a6 b5 19. Qxd6 Nxd6 20. Rfc1 Rfc8 21. b3 b4 22. Na4 Rb5 23. Ne1 c5 24. dxc5 Nxc5 25. Nxc5 Rcxc5 26. Rxc5 Rxc5 27. Nd3 Rb5 28. f3 Nc4 29. Kf2 Na5 30. Rc1 Nxb3 31. Rc7 d4 32. Rxa7 Nc5 33. Nxc5 Rxc5 34. exd4 Rc6 35. Ra8 Kf6 36. Ke3 b3 37. a7 Rc7 38. h4 h5 39. Ke4 Rb7 40. Rb8 Rxa7 41. Rxb3 Ra2 42. g3 Rg2 43. f4 Ke6 44. d5+ Kd6 45. Rb6+ Ke7 46. Rb7+ Kf6 47. Rb3 Ke7 48. f5 gxf5+ 49. Kxf5 Rd2 50. Re3+ Kf8 51. Re5 Rd4 52. Kf6 Rd3 53. Rxh5 Rf3+ 54. Ke5 Rxg3 55. Kd6 Ra3 56. Re5 f6 57. Re1 Rh3 58. Kc6 Rxh4 59. d6 Rc4+

60. Kd5 1-0

Vladimir Fedoseev (2705) – Vincent Keymer (2776) 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 O-O 5. Nf3 c5 6. dxc5 Na6 7. g3 Nxc5 8. Bg2 Nce4 9. Bd2 Nxd2 10. Nxd2 a6 11. O-O Rb8 12. Nde4 Ne8 13. c5 Qc7 14. Rac1 f5 15. Qb3 Ba5 16. Nd2 b6 17. Nd5 exd5 18. Qxd5+ Rf7 19. cxb6 Qxb6 20. Nc4 Bb7 21. Nxb6 Bxd5 22. Nxd5 Rxb2 23. Rc5 Rb5 24. Rfc1 Nd6 25. e3 Bd8 26. Rxb5 axb5 27. Bf1 g5 28. Rc5 b4 29. Bc4 Kg7 30. Bb3 Rf8 31. Nxb4 f4 32. Rd5 Be7 33. exf4 gxf4 34. Rd4 fxg3 35. hxg3 h5 36. Nd3 Kh6 37. Ne5 h4 38. g4 Kg5 39. Rd5 Kh6 40. Nd3 h3 41. f4 Kg7 42. Kh2 Rh8 43. Ne5 Rh4

44. Rd3 1-0

Erdogmus Yagiz Kaan (2658) – Aravindh Chithambaram (2700) 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nbd7 6. g4 h6 7. h4 a6 8. Rg1 Nc5 9. Qe2 g6 10. g5 hxg5 11. hxg5 Nfd7 12. Be3 b5 13. O-O-O Bb7 14. Bg2 Rc8 15. f4 Rh2 16. Rh1 Rxh1 17. Rxh1 b4 18. Nd5 e6 19. Nxb4 Qb6 20. c3 Nxe4 21. Ndc2 Nec5 22. Nd5 Qa5 23. Bxc5 Bxd5 24. Bxd5 Nxc5 25. b4 Nd3+ 26. Qxd3 Qxd5 27. Qxd5 exd5 28. Kb2 Bg7 29. Rh3 Rc4 30. Rf3 Kd7 31. Kb3 Kc6 32. a4 Re4 33. Rd3 Rxf4 34. b5+ axb5 35. Nb4+ Kb7 36. axb5 Rf5 37. Rxd5 Be5 38. Nc6 Rxg5 39. Nd8+ Kb6 40. Nxf7 Rf5 41. Nxe5 Rxe5 42. Rxd6+ Kxb5 43. Rxg6 Re4 44. Kc2 Rh4 45. Kb3 Rb4+

46. cxb4 1/2-1/2

Complete Results

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Photo courtesy: Jurriaan Hoefsmit / Lennart Ootes / TATA Steel Chess 2026