Erdogmus, Keymer win, Abdusattorov leads @ Wijk aan Zee

GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov led the table with 4.5 points after the 6th round of the 88th TATA Steel Masters Chess tournament 2026 at the traditional De Moriaan Community Centre, Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands. Half a point behind tugged FIDE World Cup Goa winner GM Javokhir Sindarov at 4.0 points. In the Challengers section, GM Andy Woodward after five straight wins led with a 5/6 score.

World No. 4 Vincent Keymer scored his second successive win defeating GM Hans Moke Niemann in an Italian Game that lasted 64 moves. The top seeded German has now put behind his two losses in the early rounds and would be looking to emerge a winner in Wijk aan Zee popularly known as the “Wimbledon of Chess”.

Coming up with an impressive display was 14-year-old Grandmaster Erdogmus Yagiz Kaan who scored a fine win over former TATA Steel Masters champion GM Jorden van Foreest. The position emerging from the Four Knights game had much to play and both the Grandmasters fought well into the fifth hour. Deftly moving his rook and minor pieces, Erdogmus swung a subtle mating net which van Foreest fell into. A win on the 46th move takes the teenage prodigy into 50% score with seven rounds remaining.

In a Semi-Slav Defense game GM Aravindh Chithambaram lived dangerously before bailing himself out with a draw against Uzbek GM Javokhir Sindarov. The topsy-turvy middle game saw Sindarov almost running away to a comfortable win. Facing possibly his third defeat in a row, Aravindh just hung on gamely and at an opportune moment snatched a draw through perpetual checks. Shortage of time played havoc with both the players and Sindarov surely will go through a sleepless night, having dropped a sitter. Going through the first time control sans increment has become a mountain to cross for many a Grandmaster.

A moment of chess blindness cost world champion Gukesh Dommaraju a full point against his Uzbek rival GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov. In a Ruy Lopez game that held no surprises, Gukesh kept persisting in a double rook and queen middle game. Just when the game appeared heading for a draw, disaster struck the Indian who blundered a full rook on the 36th move and resigned instantly. It’s the case of Caissa, the Goddess of Chess, smiling on Nodirbek for a second time against Gukesh. Rewind four years back to the 44th Chess Olympiad 2022 at Mamallapuram, Chennai where Gukesh slipped from a winning position against the same opponent.

The games between GMs Fedoseev vs Praggnanandhaa, Giri vs Nguyen and Bluebaum vs Erigaisi ended in draws. The seventh round starts by Saturday, 24th January at 8 AM ET/ 2 PM CET / 6:30 PM IST.

Pairings (Round 7): Keymer – Nodirbek, Sindarov – Niemann, van Foreest – Aravindh, Erigaisi – Erdogmus, Pragg – Bluebaum, Nguyen – Fedoseev, Gukesh – Giri.

Results (Masters Round 6): Fedoseev (3.5) drew with Praggnanandhaa (2.0), Giri (2.0) drew with Nguyen (2.0), Abdusattorov (4.5) beat Gukesh (3.0), Aravindh (2.0) drew with Sindarov (4.0), Erdogmus (3.0) beat van Foreest (3.0), Bluebaum (3.0) drew with Erigaisi (3.0).

Results (Challengers Round 6): Yip (3.5) lost to Woodward (5.0), Suleymanli (4.5) drew with Panesar (1.5), Oro (4.0) lost to Warmerdam (2.5), Yuffa (3.5) beat Miaoyi (2.0), Ivanchuk (3.5) beat Roebers (1.0), Maurizzi (4.5) beat Assaubayeva (3.0), Ivic (2.0) beat L’Ami (1.5).

Erdogmus Yagiz Kaan (2658) – Jorden van Foreest (2703) 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. h3 Bb4 5. Bd3 O-O 6. O-O Bxc3 7. dxc3 a5 8. Be3 d6 9. Nd2 Be6 10. f4 exf4 11. Bxf4 Nd7 12. Nf3 Nce5 13. Nd4 a4 14. Qe1 Ra5 15. c4 Ra8 16. Qc3 Re8 17. b3 h6 18. Nb5 axb3 19. cxb3 Nxd3 20. Qxd3 Nc5 21. Qf3 f6 22. Nc3 Qe7 23. Rae1 Qf7 24. Qg3 Qh5 25. e5 fxe5 26. Bxe5 Qg5 27. Qxg5 hxg5 28. Bd4 Nd3 29. Re3 Nb4 30. Nb5 Bd7 31. Rxe8+ Rxe8 32. Nxc7 Re2 33. a3 Nc2 34. Bf2 Nxa3 35. Rd1 Bc6 36. Rxd6 Rb2 37. Rg6 Kf7 38. Rxg5 Rxb3 39. Rf5+ Ke7 40. Bc5+ Kd8 41. Ne6+ Kd7 42. Nd4 Rb1+ 43. Kh2 Nxc4 44. Rf7+ Kd8 45. Ne6+ Kc8

46. Ba7 1-0

Nodirbek Abdusattorov (2751) – Gukesh Dommaraju (2754) 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. d3 Nd7 8. Nc3 O-O 9. Be3 Re8 10. a4 a5 11. Kh1 Bd6 12. Ne2 Nf8 13. Ng3 c5 14. Nd2 Ne6 15. Nf5 Bf8 16. Nc4 f6 17. Qg4 Kh8 18. Qg3 b6 19. h4 g6 20. Nh6 Qd7 21. Ng4 Bg7 22. f3 Ba6 23. b3 Rad8 24. h5 gxh5 25. Nh6 Bxc4 26. bxc4 Bxh6 27. Bxh6 Rg8 28. Qh2 Rg6 29. Qxh5 Nf4 30. Bxf4 exf4 31. g4 fxg3 32. Kg2 Qd4 33. Rae1 Kg7 34. e5 Rh6 35. Qg4+ Rg6 36. Qf5 Rg5??

37. Qxf6+ 1-0

Complete Results

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Photo courtesy: Lennart Ootes / TATA Steel Chess 2026