Round two of the TePe Sigeman & Co Chess Tournament in Malmö produced only one decisive result, but all four games came close to ending decisively. Magnus Carlsen defeated Nils Grandelius to join round-one winners Andy Woodward and Nodirbek Abdusattorov in shared first place. After two rounds, Carlsen, Woodward and Abdusattorov lead with 1½ points each.
In the clash between the two early leaders, Abdusattorov had the white pieces against Woodward. The Uzbek grandmaster, who won the tournament in 2024, obtained clear winning chances at several points, but failed to find the most precise continuations. Woodward held firm and the game eventually ended in a draw, allowing both players to remain at the top of the standings.
The other two drawn games were also hard fought. Arjun Erigaisi reached a superior endgame against Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus, with queen and knight against queen and bishop, but the Turkish teenager defended resourcefully and kept creating practical obstacles. The game was finally drawn after 78 moves.
Jorden van Foreest pressed even longer against Zhu Jiner, but his extra pawn never became enough for victory. Zhu defended for more than five hours, and the game was agreed drawn after 93 moves.
Round 2 results
Zhu Jiner showed resilience in defence against Jorden van Foreest | Photo: Petter Doggers / Official website
Carlsen's win over Grandelius was the day's only decisive result. The Norwegian, playing black, faced an opponent he knows well: Grandelius has previously worked as one of his seconds. Their game began as a Benoni Defence and soon became tactically demanding, with calculation playing a central role from an early stage.
The Norwegian navigated the complications more convincingly than his 32-year-old rival, handling the initiative exemplarily. The game ended after 36 moves, giving the world number one his first win of the event after his quiet first-round draw against Arjun Erigaisi.
Afterwards, Carlsen said he had enjoyed playing what he called a "fun game", adding that it was a useful way to "shake off the rust". His comment reflected his limited recent activity in classical chess: since Norway Chess in June 2025, he had played only one official classical game before arriving in Malmö, against a much lower-rated opponent at the Norway Team Championship in November.
Tied for first place with Magnus Carlsen - Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Andy Woodward | Photo: Petter Doggers / Official website
| Advertising |
.jpeg)
