2017 Tata R4 Express: Carlsen, So, and Eljanov win

1/17/2017 – The leaders are certainly making themselves felt and noticed, and it was never clearer than in round four. Magnus Carlsen faced Chinese prodigy Wei Yi, and it was a fascinating game to watch as he eventually broke his resistance and scored a win. Not to be outdone, leader Pavel Eljanov overcame B. Adhiban in an excellent endgame, while Wesley So kept pace with a fine win of his own over Loek Van Wely. The Challengers was all-out war with not one draw in seven games. Express report.

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The elite Tata Steel tournaments in Wijk aan Zee are underway and take place from January 13-29, with two main tournaments, the Masters with both Magnus Carlsen and Sergey Karjakin as headliners, as well as Wesley So, Levon Aronian, Anish Giri, Baskaran Adhiban, Radoslaw Wojtaszek, Ian Nepomniachtchi, Richard Rapport, Dmitri Andreikin, Wei Yi, Pavel Eljanov, and Loek van Wely. All rounds in Wijk aan Zee begin at 1.30pm, except for the last round on 29 January 2017, which begins at 12.00pm. Both rounds on the Chess On Tour days start at 2.00pm.

Full report with grandmaster annotations to follow...

Masters tournament

Round 4 - Tuesday, January 17
Aronian, L.
½-½
 Nepomniachtchi, I.
Carlsen, M.
1-0
 Wei, Y.
Giri, A.
½-½
 Andreikin, D.
Rapport, R.
½-½
 Wojtaszek, R.
Van Wely, L.
0-1
 So, W.
Harikrishna, P.
½-½
 Karjakin, S.
Adhiban, B.
0-1
 Eljanov, P.

Game of the day by Daniel King

After a good portion of moves had been played with not much for him to hope for, Magnus Carlsen saw reason to become optimistic, took control, and won the game to move into second place. Only second, because...

... tournament leader Pavel Eljanov also emerged victorious after outplaying his opponent Baskaran Adhiban and converting beautifully his advantage in a bishop endgame.

Wesley So has every reason to smile: not only did he beat Loek Van Wely in a great showing, but he is now tied with Magnus for second-third, and is world no.3 in the Live Ratings with 2815.

It was a fascinating openings battle in which both players gave the impression of being prepared and unprepared. Levon Aronian emered with an advantage, but it soon dissipated and he drew with Ian Nepomniachtchi.

These are the statistics for the Masters section, with 64.3% draws and about a third of the games ending in decisive results

Current Masters standings

Challengers tournament

Round 4 - Tuesday, January 17
Grandelius, N.
0-1
 Xiong, J.
Tingjie, L.
0-1
 l'Ami, E.
Hansen, E.
1-0
 van Foreest, J.
Dobrov, V.
0-1
 Ragger, M.
Lu, S.
1-0
 Bok, B.
Jones, G.
1-0
 Tari, A.
Guramishvili, S.
0-1
 Smirin, I

The Challengers stats are impressive to say the least. With 7 wins in 7 games in round four, the total number of decisive games so far has been 71.4%

Current Challengers standings

Schedule, pairings, and results

Tata Steel Masters 2017

Round 1 - Saturday, January 14
Harikrishna, P.
½-½
  Aronian, L.
Adhiban, B.
½-½
  Van Wely, L.
Eljanov, P.
1-0
  Rapport, R.
Karjakin, S.
½-½
  Giri, A.
So, W.
½-½
  Carlsen, M.
Wojtaszek, R.
½-½
  Nepomniachtchi, I.
Andreikin, D.
½-½
  Wei, Y.
Round 2 - Sunday, January 15
Aronian, L.
½-½
 Wei, Y.
Nepomniachtchi, I.
½-½
 Andreikin, D.
Carlsen, M.
1-0
 Wojtaszek, R.
Giri, A.
½-½
 So, W.
Rapport, R.
½-½
 Karjakin, S.
Van Wely, L.
0-1
 Eljanov, P.
Harikrishna, P.
1-0
 Adhiban, B.
Round 3 - Monday, January 16
Adhiban, B.
½-½
 Aronian, L.
Eljanov, P.
½-½
 Harikrishna, P.
Karjakin, S.
1-0
 Van Wely, L.
So, W.
1-0
 Rapport, R.
Wojtaszek, R.
½-½
 Giri, A..
Andreikin, D.
½-½
 Carlsen, M.
Wei, Y.
1-0
 Nepomniachtchi, I.
Round 4 - Tuesday, January 17
Aronian, L.
½-½
 Nepomniachtchi, I.
Carlsen, M.
1-0
 Wei, Y.
Giri, A.
½-½
 Andreikin, D.
Rapport, R.
½-½
 Wojtaszek, R.
Van Wely, L.
0-1
 So, W.
Harikrishna, P.
½-½
 Karjakin, S.
Adhiban, B.
0-1
 Eljanov, P.
Round 5 - Thursday, January 19
Eljanov, P.
 
 Aronian, L.
Karjakin, S.
 
 Adhiban, B.
So, W.
 
 Harikrishna, P.
Wojtaszek, R.
 
 Van Wely, L.
Andreikin, D.
 
 Rapport, R.
Wei, Y.
 
 Giri, A.
Nepomniachtchi, I.
 
 Carlsen, M.
Round 6 - Friday, January 20
Aronian, L.
 
 Carlsen, M.
Giri, A.
 
 Nepomniachtchi, I.
Rapport, R.
 
 Wei, Y.
Van Wely, L.
 
 Andreikin, D.
Harikrishna, P.
 
 Wojtaszek, R.
Adhiban, B.
 
 So, W.
Eljanov, P.
 
 Karjakin, S.
Round 7 - Saturday, January 21
Karjakin, S.
 
 Aronian, L.
So, W.
 
 Eljanov, P.
Wojtaszek, R.
 
 Adhiban, B.
Andreikin, D.
 
 Harikrishna, P.
Wei, Y.
 
 Van Wely, L.
Nepomniachtchi, I.
 
 Rapport, R.
Carlsen, M.
 
 Giri, A.
Round 8 - Sunday, January 22
Aronian, L.
 
 Giri, A.
Rapport, R.
 
 Carlsen, M.
Van Wely, L.
 
 Nepomniachtchi, I.
Harikrishna, P.
 
 Wei, Y.
Adhiban, B.
 
 Andreikin, D.
Eljanov, P.
 
 Wojtaszek, R.
Karjakin, S.
 
 So, W.
Round 9 - Tuesday, January 24
So, W.
 
 Aronian, L.
Wojtaszek, R.
 
 Karjakin, S.
Andreikin, D.
 
 Eljanov, P.
Wei, Y.
 
 Adhiban, B.
Nepomniachtchi, I.
 
 Harikrishna, P.
Carlsen, M.
 
 Van Wely, L.
Giri, A.
 
 Rapport, R.
Round 10 - Wednesday, January 25
Aronian, L.
 
 Rapport, R.
Van Wely, L.
 
 Giri, A.
Harikrishna, P.
 
 Carlsen, M.
Adhiban, B.
 
 Nepomniachtchi, I.
Eljanov, P.
 
 Wei, Y.
Karjakin, S.
 
 Andreikin, D.
So, W.
 
 Wojtaszek, R.
Round 11 - Friday, January 27
Wojtaszek, R.
 
 Aronian, L.
Andreikin, D.
 
 So, W.
Wei, Y.
 
 Karjakin, S.
Nepomniachtchi, I.
 
 Eljanov, P.
Carlsen, M.
 
 Adhiban, B.
Giri, A.
 
 Harikrishna, P.
Rapport, R.
 
 Van Wely, L.
Round 12 - Saturday, January 28
Aronian, L.
 
 Van Wely, L.
Harikrishna, P.
 
 Rapport, R.
Adhiban, B.
 
 Giri, A.
Eljanov, P.
 
 Carlsen, M.
Karjakin, S.
 
 Nepomniachtchi, I.
So, W.
 
 Wei, Y.
Wojtaszek, R.
 
 Andreikin, D.
Round 13 - Sunday, January 29
Andreikin, D.
 
 Aronian, L.
Wei, Y.
 
 Wojtaszek, R.
Nepomniachtchi, I.
 
 So, W.
Carlsen, M.
 
 Karjakin, S.
Giri, A.
 
 Eljanov, P.
Rapport, R.
 
 Adhiban, B.
Van Wely, L.
 
 Harikrishna, P.
  

Tata Steel Challengers 2017

Round 1 - Saturday, January 14
Jones, G.
½-½
 Grandelius, N.
Guramishvili, S.
½-½
 Lu, S.
Smirin, I
½-½
 Dobrov, V.
Tari, A.
½-½
 Hansen, E.
Bok, B.
1-0
 Tingjie, L.
Ragger, M.
1-0
 Xiong, J.
van Foreest, J.
1-0
 l'Ami, E.
Round 2 - Sunday, January 15
Grandelius, N.
½-½
 l'Ami, E.
Xiong, J.
1-0
 van Foreest, J.
Tingjie, L.
0-1
 Ragger, M.
Hansen, E.
½-½
 Bok, B.
Dobrov, V.
½-½
 Tari, A.
Lu, S.
½-½
 Smirin, I
Jones, G.
1-0
 Guramishvili, S.
Round 3 - Monday, January 16
Guramishvili, S.
0-1
 Grandelius, N.
Smirin, I
1-0
 Jones, G.
Tari, A.
0-1
 Lu, S.
Bok, B.
0-1
 Dobrov, V.
Ragger, M.
1-0
 Hansen, E..
van Foreest, J.
0-1
 Tingjie, L.
l'Ami, E.
½-½
 Xiong, J.
Round 4 - Tuesday, January 17
Grandelius, N.
0-1
 Xiong, J.
Tingjie, L.
0-1
 l'Ami, E.
Hansen, E.
1-0
 van Foreest, J.
Dobrov, V.
0-1
 Ragger, M.
Lu, S.
1-0
 Bok, B.
Jones, G.
1-0
 Tari, A.
Guramishvili, S.
0-1
 Smirin, I
Round 5 - Thursday, January 19
Smirin, I
 
 Grandelius, N.
Tari, A.
 
 Guramishvili, S.
Bok, B.
 
 Jones, G.
Ragger, M.
 
 Lu, S.
van Foreest, J.
 
 Dobrov, V.
l'Ami, E.
 
 Hansen, E.
Xiong, J.
 
 Tingjie, L.
Round 6 - Friday, January 20
Grandelius, N.
 
 Tingjie, L.
Hansen, E.
 
 Xiong, J.
Dobrov, V.
 
 l'Ami, E.
Lu, S.
 
 van Foreest, J.
Jones, G.
 
 Ragger, M.
Guramishvili, S.
 
 Bok, B.
Smirin, I
 
 Tari, A.
Round 7 - Saturday, January 21
Tari, A.
 
 Grandelius, N.
Bok, B.
 
 Smirin, I
Ragger, M.
 
 Guramishvili, S.
van Foreest, J.
 
 Jones, G.
l'Ami, E.
 
 Lu, S.
Xiong, J.
 
 Dobrov, V.
Tingjie, L.
 
 Hansen, E.
Round 8 - Sunday, January 22
Grandelius, N.
 
 Hansen, E.
Dobrov, V.
 
 Tingjie, L.
Lu, S.
 
 Xiong, J.
Jones, G.
 
 l'Ami, E.
Guramishvili, S.
 
 van Foreest, J.
Smirin, I
 
 Ragger, M.
Tari, A.
 
 Bok, B.
Round 9 - Tuesday, January 24
Bok, B.
 
 Grandelius, N.
Ragger, M.
 
 Tari, A.
van Foreest, J.
 
 Smirin, I
l'Ami, E.
 
 Guramishvili, S.
Xiong, J.
 
 Jones, G.
Tingjie, L.
 
 Lu, S.
Hansen, E.
 
 Dobrov, V.
Round 10 - Wednesday, January 25
Grandelius, N.
 
 Dobrov, V.
Lu, S.
 
 Hansen, E.
Jones, G.
 
 Tingjie, L.
Guramishvili, S.
 
 Xiong, J.
Smirin, I
 
 l'Ami, E.
Tari, A.
 
 van Foreest, J.
Bok, B.
 
 Ragger, M.
Round 11 - Friday, January 27
Ragger, M.
 
 Grandelius, N.
van Foreest, J.
 
 Bok, B.
l'Ami, E.
 
 Tari, A.
Xiong, J.
 
 Smirin, I
Tingjie, L.
 
 Guramishvili, S.
Hansen, E.
 
 Jones, G.
Dobrov, V.
 
 Lu, S.
Round 12 - Saturday, January 28
Grandelius, N.
 
 Lu, S.
Jones, G.
 
 Dobrov, V.
Guramishvili, S.
 
 Hansen, E.
Smirin, I
 
 Tingjie, L.
Tari, A.
 
 Xiong, J.
Bok, B.
 
 l'Ami, E.
Ragger, M.
 
 van Foreest, J.
Round 13 - Sunday, January 29
van Foreest, J.
 
 Grandelius, N.
l'Ami, E.
 
 Ragger, M.
Xiong, J.
 
 Bok, B.
Tingjie, L.
 
 Tari, A.
Hansen, E.
 
 Smirin, I
Dobrov, V.
 
 Guramishvili, S.
Lu, S.
 
 Jones, G.
  

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Rama Rama 1/19/2017 09:38
@MikeyBoy
Van Wely is guaranteed entry into this tourney because it his home nation.
geraldsky geraldsky 1/18/2017 05:25
it's easy for Giri to draw, than to win and to lose.
portici portici 1/18/2017 04:06
Giri was under the risk of winning, but managed to avoid 37.e5! to maintain his drawing streak.
amalwa amalwa 1/17/2017 11:57
Another draw for Giri despite winning
Queenslander Queenslander 1/17/2017 10:00
Is Gawain Jones really representing New Zealand now? [See flag next to his name in Jones vs Tari game]
MikeyBoy MikeyBoy 1/17/2017 08:44
I don't want to sound mean, but why does Van Wely keep being invited to these tournaments? He seems to always get ground and pound.
1