Tata Steel Chess R8: Firouzja beats Ding, shares the lead

Ding blunders

Following a long hiatus from competitive chess, world champion Ding Liren is struggling to recover his usual form in Wijk aan Zee. So far in the 14-player Tata Steel Masters, Ding has signed five draws, defeated Gukesh D., and lost to Praggnanandhaa R. and Alireza Firouzja.

These results have cost him 10.8 rating points, as he now stands 1½ points behind the leaders with five rounds to go.

In the last round before the second rest day of the event, Ding had the black pieces against Firouzja, who came from playing three decisive games in a row — a loss, a win and a loss — in the previous rounds.

The contenders entered a sharp line out of a QGD Semi-Tarrasch, with Firouzja giving up a pawn as early as on move 11. Consequently, tactical opportunities emerged rather quickly.

White has a strong initiative for the pawn, and Black needs to be permanently careful due to his weakened dark squares on the kingside (he was forced to play ...g7-g6 to deal with his opponent’s threat along the b1-h7 diagonal).

After thinking for around 25 minutes, Firouzja here played the strong sequence 17.Rxe7 Nxe7 18.Rxd4, when Black needs to tread lightly to keep things under control.

Placing one of the knights on d5 is Black’s best chance here, though extreme precision would still be needed in order to consolidate his position in the ensuing struggle.

Ding was surely in trouble, but his next move (a blunder) was nonetheless a big surprise for those following the game live — 18...Qc7 simply gives up material after 19.Ne4 Qxc2 20.Nxf6+ Kg7 21.Bxc2

White has two minor pieces for a rook, and the better coordinated army. Ding’s facial expressions showed disappointment, but he continued playing until move 43, forcing his opponent to demonstrate good technique before grabbing his fourth win of the event.

Video analysis by IM Robert Ris

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Another crucial matchup in the fight for the lead ended decisively in round 8. Nodirbek Abdusattorov, who came from scoring an outstanding positional victory over long-time sole leader Anish Giri, was defeated by Ian Nepomniachtchi in similar, positional style. Nepo’s handling of his strategic edge was nothing short of impressive (find below expert analysis of the game by GM Karsten Müller).

With Giri and Abdusattorov losing in consecutive rounds, the top of the standings looks crowded in the Masters. Firouzja, Giri and Gukesh are now sharing the lead with +2 scores, while there are no fewer than four players standing a half point back: Nepomniachtchi, Abdusattorov, Praggnanandhaa and Vidit Gujrathi.

On Tuesday, after the participants get a second rest day, Giri will play black against Ding, Gukesh will have the white pieces against Vidit, and Firouzja will try to make the most of his game with black against underdog Alexander Donchenko.

Results - Round 8

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Co-leader Anish Giri | Photo: Tata Steel Chess Tournament / Lennart Ootes

Nepomniachtchi 1 - 0 Abdusattorov

Analysis by GM Karsten Müller

Nepomniachtchi, Ian2769

1–0

Abdusattorov, Nodirbek2727

86th Tata Steel Masters 2024 Wijk aan Zee21.01.2024[Mueller,Karsten]

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Be7 5.0-0 0-0 6.Re1 d6 7.a4 Be6 8.a5 Bxc4 9.dxc4 b6 10.Bd2 Nxa5 11.Bxa5 bxa5 12.Rxa5 c6 13.Ra2 Qc7 14.Nc3 a5 15.Qe2 Nd7 16.b3 Nc5 17.Na4 Ne6 18.c5 dxc5 19.Nb2 Nd4 20.Qd3 Qb8 21.Rea1 Rd8 22.g3 Qb4 23.Nc4 Nb5 24.Qe3 Qc3 25.Nfxe5 Rac8 26.Qxc3 Nxc3 27.Rxa5 Nxe4 28.Nb6 Rc7 29.Ra8 f6 30.Rxd8+ Bxd8 31.Ra8 fxe5 32.Rxd8+ Kf7 33.Nc4 Ke6 34.Kg2 Nf6 35.Kf3

A light initiative weighs heavily. This is the main guideline in the endgame with rook and knight against rook and knight: 35...e4+? This opens White's king road. Only after 35...Kf5 36.Ke2 can e4 be played with drawing chances. 36.Kf4 Ke7 37.Rd6 Rc8 38.h3 Ne8 39.Rd1 Nf6 40.Rd6 Ne8 41.Rd2 Nf6 42.Nd6!

The decisive knight invasion. 42...Ra8 42...Rf8 is met by 43.Nxe4 Nd5+ 44.Ke5 g6 45.Nxc5+- 43.Nxe4 Nd5+ 44.Ke5 c4 45.bxc4 Nb6 46.Re2 Nxc4+ 47.Kd4 Na3 Here the knight on the rim is dim. But Black was lost in any case, e.g. 47...Nd6 48.Ng5+ Kd7 49.Nxh7 Rh8 50.Ng5+- 48.c4 Rb8 49.Ra2 Ra8 50.Rb2 Ke6 51.Kc3 Ke5 52.Nd2 Ra7 53.Rb3 Ke6 54.Nf1 Kd6 55.Nd2 Ke6 56.h4 Kf5 57.f3 h6 58.Rb6 Re7 59.Ne4 g5 Desperation, but Black is lost in any case. 60.hxg5 hxg5 61.Rxc6 g4 62.Nd6+ Kf6 63.Nc8+ Re6 64.Rxe6+ Kxe6 65.f4

What a knightmare for Black's knight! 65.fxg4 wins as well. 1–0

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Divya Deshmukh following Ian Nepomniachtchi’s game | Photo: Tata Steel Chess Tournament / Jurriaan Hoefsmit

Standings after round 8

All games

Challengers: Maurizzi beats Salem, takes the lead

For a second day in a row, we saw the sole leader of the Challengers losing and allowing another contestant to get sole first place in the standings. Saleh Salem, who inflicted a first loss on Erwin l’Ami to grab the lead in round 7, was defeated by Marc’Andria Maurizzi, the new sole leader in the ‘B group’.

Maurizzi recently won the World Junior Championship (for players under 20) at 16 years of age. In round 8, the youngster saw Salem giving up a pawn for activity in the middlegame.

White controls the open c-file and has the bishop pair, but Black looks fairly solid — and has an extra pawn, after all.

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What followed was a combative struggle, lasting 59 moves, with Maurizzi showing tenacity to take down a resourceful defender. The junior world champion told Fiona Steil-Antoni afterwards that he was not sure exactly where Salem had gone wrong in the middlegame.

Marc’Andria Maurizzi | Photo: Tata Steel Chess Tournament / Lennart Ootes

Three more games finished decisively in the Challengers:

• Leon Luke Mendonca climbed to shared second place after grabbing a second win in a row, as he defeated Anton Korobov with the black pieces (find below expert analysis of the game by GM Karsten Müller).
• Divya Deshmukh also collected a second consecutive win. The Indian rising star beat Eline Roebers, who has yet to sign a draw in the event.
• Daniel Dardha, who came from drawing all his games until round 7, got the better of second seed Mustafa Yilmaz.

Results - Round 8

Daniel Dardha beat Mustafa Yilmaz | Photo: Tata Steel Chess Tournament / Jurriaan Hoefsmit

Korobov 0 - 1 Mendonca

Analysis by GM Karsten Müller

Korobov, Anton2663

0–1

Mendonca, Leon Luke2608

86th Tata Steel Challengers 2024 Wijk aan Zee21.01.2024[Mueller,Karsten]

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 c5 4.Ngf3 cxd4 5.Nxd4 Nf6 6.e5 Nfd7 7.N2f3 Nc6 8.Bf4 Be7 9.Bd3 After 9.c3 one engine line runs g5 10.Nxg5 Nxd4 11.Nxf7 Nc2+ 12.Kd2 Kxf7 13.Qh5+ Kg8 14.Qg4+= 9.h4!? 9...g5 10.Bg3 Qb6 11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.h4 gxh4 Very risky, but probably playable. The alternatives were 12...Qb4+!? 12...g4!? 13.Bxh4 Qxb2 14.Bxe7 Kxe7 15.Rb1 Qxa2?

But this is too greedy. 15...Qc3+ is forced and White has good compensation, but not more. 16.0-0 Qa4 17.Qd2 Qg4 18.Nh2 Qg7? The engines favor 18...Qd4 but Black's king is so weak that it is hard to believe that he can survive. 19.f4 Rg8?! In the end this helps White. But Black's king is too open in any case. 20.Rf2 a5 21.c4 White plans to open attacking roads on all wings. Ba6 22.Nf3 Rgc8?!

Not the most tenacious, but Black is defenseless in any case. 23.f5 The ram opens the roads. Qg4 23...Nxe5 24.Nxe5 Qxe5 25.fxe6 fxe6 26.c5 Bxd3 27.Rb7+ Rc7 28.Rxc7+ Qxc7 29.Qg5++- 24.fxe6 fxe6 25.Qh6 The queen invasion wins. Black's king is just too open. Rg8 26.Bxh7 26.Nd4!?+- 26...Rg7 26...Rgf8 is refuted by 27.Nd4 Nxe5 28.Bf5+- 27.cxd5 27.Nd4 wins as well and might be even easier, e.g. Rh8 28.Nxc6+ Ke8 29.Bg6+ Rxg6 30.Qxh8+ Rg8 31.Qh7+- 27...Rh8 28.Nh2? The first step in the wrong direction. 28.dxc6 wins due to Rgxh7 29.Rd2 Rxh6 29...Nxe5 30.Nxe5 Rxh6 31.Rd7+ Kf6 32.Nxg4++- 30.Rxd7+ Kf8 31.Rb8+ Bc8 32.Rxc8# 28...Qg3! The only defense. 29.Rb3?

This goes too far. White had to force a draw with 29.Qxe6+ Kd8 30.dxc6 Rgxh7 31.c7+ Kxc7 32.Rc2+ Kd8 33.Rb8+ Nxb8 34.Qb6+ Ke7 35.Qd6+ Ke8 36.Qxb8+ Ke7 37.Qd6+= 29...Qxe5! Of course not 29...Qxb3?? 30.Qh4+ Ke8 30...Nf6 31.Qxf6+ Kd7 32.Qxg7++- 31.Bg6+ Rxg6 32.Qxh8+ Ke7 33.d6# 30.d6+ 30.Qh4+ is met by Kd6 31.Nf3 Rgxh7-+ 30...Kd8 31.Qh4+ Kc8 32.Nf3 Qd5 32...Qd5 33.Rfb2 Rgxh7-+ 0–1

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Standings after round 8

All games

Links

• Official website
• Anish Giri wins Tata Steel Masters after late twist (2023)
• Magnus Carlsen grabs eighth title in Wijk aan Zee (2022)
• Van Foreest beats Giri in Armageddon, wins Tata Steel Masters (2021)