Tata Steel Chess R9: The world champion grabs the lead

Gukesh leads, Fedoseev joins chasing pack

In his first tournament after winning the World Championship, Gukesh Dommaraju has taken the sole lead after the ninth round of the Tata Steel Masters tournament. While the other two former co-leaders, Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu and Nodirbek Abdusattorov, both dropped points - Abdusattorov drawing with black against Fabiano Caruana and Praggnanandhaa suffering a defeat against Anish Giri - the world champion secured a full point against Leon Luke Mendonca. Out of a Spanish Opening, Mendonca held his own with black for a long time, but shortly before the time control, Gukesh gained the upper hand.

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Leon Luke Mendonca v. Gukesh Dommaraju | Photo: Tata Steel Chess / Jurriaan Hoefsmit

Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu was taken down by Anish Giri | Photo: Tata Steel Chess / Jurriaan Hoefsmit

Giri's victory against Praggnanandhaa was the result of a fine positional game out of a Catalan Opening. In the endgame, Giri converted a small but lasting advantage into a win.

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Vladimir Fedoseev is now sharing second place | Photo: Tata Steel Chess / Jurriaan Hoefsmit

The in-form Vladimir Fedoseev also secured another full point. He had opened with the London System, was gifted an exchange by Harikrishna, but had to keep his king in the centre. The white king survived, and Fedoseev was able to capitalise on his material advantage with attacking play.

The Dutch duel between Jorden van Foreest and his occasional second Max Warmerdam ended in a draw. The same result was seen in the game between Serbian GM Alexey Sarana and German star Vincent Keymer.

The game between Wei Yi and Arjun Erigaisi also ended drawn.

Expert commentary

Analysis by GM Daniel King

Analysis by IM Sagar Shah

How to Avoid Mistakes and Boost Your Winning Rate

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Round 9 results

	Name	Rtg.	Nt.	Pts.		Pts.		Name	Rtg	Nt.
	Caruana,F	2803		4½	½-½	5½		Abdusattorov,N	2768
	Giri,A	2731		3½	1-0	5½		Praggnanandhaa,R	2741
	Fedoseev,V	2717		5	1-0	4		Harikrishna,P	2695
	Gukesh,D	2777		5½	1-0	2½		Mendonca,L	2639
	Sarana,A	2677		4½	½-½	3		Keymer,V	2733
	Wei,Y	2751		4½	½-½	2		Erigaisi,A	2801
	Van Foreest,J	2680		3	½-½	3		Warmerdam,M	2646

Standings

Rk.		Name	Rtg.	Nt.	Pts.	n	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	TB	Perf.
1		Gukesh,D	2777		6.5	9		½	½	½	½	½		1	1		1			1	28.25	2889
2		Abdusattorov,N	2768		6.0	9	½		½	½		½	½	½		1		1		1	25.75	2846
3		Fedoseev,V	2717		6.0	9	½	½			0	1		½	1	½	1		1		25.25	2866
4		Praggnanandhaa,R	2741		5.5	9	½	½					½	0	1	½		½	1	1	21.25	2801
5		Sarana,A	2677		5.0	9	½		1			½	½	½		½	½	½	½		23.00	2781
6		Caruana,F	2803		5.0	9	½	½	0		½		½	½		1	1		½		21.75	2780
7		Wei,Y	2751		5.0	9		½		½	½	½			½		½	1	½	½	20.50	2766
8		Giri,A	2731		4.5	9	0	½	½	1	½	½			½		½		½		21.50	2746
9		Harikrishna,P	2695		4.0	9	0		0	0			½	½		½		1	1	½	13.75	2677
10		Van Foreest,J	2680		3.5	9		0	½	½	½	0			½		½	½		½	15.00	2633
11		Keymer,V	2733		3.5	9	0		0		½	0	½	½		½		½		1	13.25	2633
12		Warmerdam,M	2646		3.5	9		0		½	½		0		0	½	½		1	½	12.50	2641
13		Erigaisi,A	2801		2.5	9			0	0	½	½	½	½	0			0		½	11.00	2545
14		Mendonca,L	2639		2.5	9	0	0		0			½		½	½	0	½	½		9.25	2566
TBs: Sonneborn-Berger

All games

Challengers: Nguyen grabs the sole lead

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In the Challengers, Thai Dai Van Nguyen defended his lead with a draw against Kazybek Nogebek, as his closest pursuer, Erwin l'Ami, was also unable to secure more than half a point against Nodirbek Yakubboev.

Frederik Svane also drew against Arthur Pijpers. The game featured the Dragon Variation, where Pijpers, facing the 9.Bc4 line, managed to find a safe equalising path.

Further draws occurred in the games between Lu Miaoyi and Aydin Suleymanli, as well as Vaishali Rameshbabu against Divya Deshmuk.

Additionally, the ninth round of the Challengers saw two victories with the black pieces. Ediz Gürel defeated Faustino Oro, while Benjamin Bok overcame Irina Bulmaga.

Round 9 results

	Name	Rtg.	Nt.	Pts.		Pts.		Name	Rtg	Nt.
	Nogerbek,K	2514		5	½-½	6		Nguyen,T	2668
	L'Ami,E	2614		5½	½-½	4		Yakubboev,N	2659
	Lu,M	2429		4½	½-½	5		Suleymanli,A	2623
	Svane,F	2664		4½	½-½	3		Pijpers,A	2474
	Oro,F	2447		2½	0-1	4		Gurel,E	2624
	Bulmaga,I	2386		1	0-1	5		Bok,B	2583
	Vaishali,R	2476		4½	½-½	1½		Deshmukh,D	2490

Standings

Rk.		Name	Rtg.	Nt.	Pts.	n	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	TB	Perf.
1		Nguyen,T	2668		6.5	9		½		½	½	1			½	1	1	1	½		27.50	2708
2		L'Ami,E	2614		6.0	9	½		1	½			½		½	½	½		1	1	24.00	2700
3		Bok,B	2583		6.0	9		0		½	½	1	½	½	1			1		1	24.00	2656
4		Suleymanli,A	2623		5.5	9	½	½	½			½			1	0	½	1	1		23.00	2634
5		Nogerbek,K	2514		5.5	9	½		½			0	½	1		½	½		1	1	20.75	2617
6		Lu,M	2429		5.0	9	0		0	½	1		1	½			½		1	½	20.00	2585
7		Svane,F	2664		5.0	9		½	½		½	0		½		½	½	1		1	18.75	2552
8		Vaishali,R	2476		5.0	9			½		0	½	½			1	½	1	½	½	18.25	2559
9		Gurel,E	2624		5.0	9	½	½	0	0						1	1	1	0	1	17.75	2592
10		Yakubboev,N	2659		4.5	9	0	½		1	½		½	0	0				1	1	16.75	2562
11		Pijpers,A	2474		3.5	9	0	½		½	½	½	½	½	0			½			17.25	2482
12		Oro,F	2447		2.5	9	0		0	0			0	0	0		½		1	1	4.75	2388
13		Deshmukh,D	2490		2.0	9	½	0		0	0	0		½	1	0		0			10.75	2342
14		Bulmaga,I	2386		1.0	9		0	0		0	½	0	½	0	0		0			5.00	2206
TBs: Sonneborn-Berger

All games

Links

• Official website
• Wei Yi brilliantly wins Tata Steel Masters in blitz playoff (2024)
• 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)