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Two rising stars, Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu and Nodirbek Abdusattorov, have taken the lead after an eventful third round at the Tata Steel Masters. Both players, aged 19 and 20 respectively, secured their second consecutive victories, reaching 2½ points out of 3. Praggnanandhaa defeated Arjun Erigaisi in an instructive positional battle, while Abdusattorov showcased his tactical skills to outplay Max Warmerdam.
The remaining games in round 3 ended in draws, though two of them were closely contested and provided plenty of excitement. The much-anticipated clash between top seed Fabiano Caruana and reigning world champion Gukesh Dommaraju ended in a 24-move draw. Caruana, playing with black, aggressively advanced his kingside pawns early on, looking to unsettle the world champion. However, Gukesh suddenly opted for a repetition of moves, bringing the game to an early conclusion. In the post-game interview, the 18-year-old admitted that he had misevaluated the position, noting that he had underestimated his chances to fight for a win.
Another closely watched draw came from the game between defending champion Wei Yi and Vincent Keymer. Keymer, playing black, entered a deeply prepared line, advancing his kingside pawns (much like Caruana) and forcing Wei to think hard from the start. The Chinese grandmaster quickly fell behind on the clock - he was soon trailing by a full hour - and committed a critical mistake with 17.f4
Keymer later explained that he recognised Wei's move as a mistake, as it was not part of his extensive preparation. Despite spending 40 minutes searching for the best continuation, the German missed the precise refutation: 17...Nxg5, followed by 18.hxg5 exf4 19.Bxf4 and the stunning 19...Ne5 (diagram).
Instead, Keymer played 17...Bg4, which allowed Wei to stabilise the position. The game ultimately ended in a 27-move draw after a triple repetition, with both players acknowledging missed opportunities in the post-game analysis.
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The round's results left Caruana, Gukesh and Keymer tied for third place, just half a point behind Praggnanandhaa and Abdusattorov. The stakes are rising in Wijk aan Zee, with two key matchups scheduled for Tuesday. Caruana will face Anish Giri with the white pieces in a clash of heavyweights, while co-leader Abdusattorov will take on Wei Yi in what promises to be another fighting encounter.
Fabiano Caruana and Gukesh Dommaraju | Photo: Tata Steel Chess / Jurriaan Hoefsmit
Out of a Catalan Opening, the queens were traded on move 7. In the ensuing position, Pragg correctly noted he had a good chance to fight for a win with the white pieces. On move 17, he had his first long think of the game, as he spent 21 minutes before playing 17.Be3, with a second piece now looking at c5.
Clearly, Arjun also felt this was a critical position in the game, as he employed 35 minutes before replying by 17...Rfc1, when engines suggest 17...Nd5 as a better try. Things looked good for White out of the opening, as he could slowly put pressure on his opponent without running many risks.
After the bishops left the board, White began manoeuvring his pieces while targeting Black's pawn weakness on a5. Eventually, Arjun crumbled under the pressure, as both players fell below the 5-minute mark by move 34.
Once Pragg played 39.Nb5, it was clear that Arjun's chances of saving a draw were very slim.
Black is forced to play 39...Ra7 to save the exchange, but now White gains a pawn with 40.Nd6+ Kc7 41.Nxf7. The time control had been reached, and Arjun kept fighting until move 60, when he finally resigned in a position with mate-in-1 on the board.
Arjun Erigaisi had a tough start in Wijk | Photo: Tata Steel Chess / Jurriaan Hoefsmit
Unlike the all-Indian battle described above, the other decisive game of the day featured numerous tactical shots once the position opened up - with queens still on the board.
Abdusattorov gained a pawn after Warmerdam failed to foresee a tactical idea on move 35.
Warmerdam had 5 minutes to Abdusattorov's 25 when he faltered with 35.Nd5, allowing 35...Nh3+, which gains a pawn by force - i.e. 36.gxh3 Bxd5 37.cxd5 38.Qg5+, gaining the knight on d2 with a fork.
White did not grab the knight immediately, but went for 36.Kf1 instead.
The clear rating favourite had a clear advantage, but his Dutch opponent was not willing to go down without a fight. Warmerdam transferred his king to the queenside and gave up a couple more pawns as he continued to muddy the waters.
In the following position, engines consider Black's advantage to be worth less than a pawn - despite White being three pawns down.
Nonetheless, Abdusattorov still had a major advantage on the clock, which helped him to outplay his stubborn rival in the ensuing complications. Resignation, in fact, came only seven moves later.
Nodirbek Abdusattorov v. Max Warmerdam | Photo: Tata Steel Chess / Jurriaan Hoefsmit
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Round 3 results
Round 3 of the Tata Steel Challengers delivered a rare spectacle, with all seven games ending decisively - and all seven favouring the player with the white pieces. Such a result is almost unheard of, even in the more unpredictable Challengers section, which is known for its fighting spirit.
Before the round, half the field - seven players - were tied for first place. After the all-decisive day, three co-leaders emerged: Czech grandmaster Thai Dai Van Nguyen, Dutch opening expert Erwin l’Ami and 14-year-old Chinese prodigy Lu Miaoyi. Nguyen overcame Uzbekistan's Nodirbek Yakubboev in a strong performance, while L'Ami defeated fellow Dutchman Benjamin Bok in a clash of local stars. Lu, continuing her impressive run, got the better of Germany's Frederik Svane to join the leading group with 2½ points.
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Lu's performance so far has been particularly noteworthy. The 14-year-old is the second-lowest-rated player in the tournament and the second-youngest participant, yet she has excelled against strong opposition. Lu has faced three grandmasters in her first three games, winning both times she had the white pieces. Her victories have already earned her 14.8 rating points, underlining her potential as one of the brightest young talents in the game.
Another young star making headlines is Faustino Oro, the 11-year-old Argentine sensation. Oro claimed his first win of the tournament - and his first-ever at Wijk aan Zee (of many?) - by defeating Romania's Irina Bulmaga. In a queenless middlegame with rooks and knights, Oro outplayed his opponent with remarkable precision.
Speaking to Fiona Steil-Antoni after the game, the youngest IM in history showed confidence beyond his years, declaring, "The first GM norm is my goal - or win the tournament and qualify to the Masters, obviously". Dubbed the 'Messi of chess', Oro's ambition and talent are shining through on one of the sport's biggest stages.
In the shortest game of the day, Lu claimed his second GM scalp of the tournament (in only 3 rounds) after Svane blundered early on with 20...Bf5
White gains a decisive material advantage with a forcing sequence starting with 21.Bxf6
Now if 21...Bxf6, White wins with 22.Rxd8+ Qxd8 23.Nxf6+, emerging with an extra piece in all lines. Svane, surely shocked by his mistake, decided to enter a different line, one which left him with a rook and a pawn for a queen: 21...Bxe4 22.Bxd8 Rxe5 23.Qc3 Re6 24.Ba5 Bxc2 25.Qxc2 Bxd4
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Lu had no trouble finding the cleanest path to victory. Resignation came after 26.Bc3 Rae8 27.Kf1 Bc5 28.Re1
Lu Miaoyi v. Frederik Svane | Photo: Tata Steel Chess / Jurriaan Hoefsmit
Round 3 results