As the Tata Steel Chess tournament in Wijk aan Zee approaches its final rounds, Round 11 delivered significant shifts and maintained the tension at the top. While tournament leader D Gukesh successfully navigated his game to retain his lead, a critical victory by R Praggnanandhaa against a top-ranked opponent dramatically tightened the race for first place.
Pragg`s Decisive Blow Against World No. 4
The most impactful result of the round came from the board featuring R Praggnanandhaa and Fabiano Caruana. Pragg, playing with the black pieces, faced the formidable American world no. 4. Instead of opting for a quiet game, Pragg met Caruana`s early maneuvers with active, fighting chess. He later commented on being ready for a battle, even if the deepest lines weren`t fully evaluated beforehand.
The game transitioned into a complex middlegame. What appeared to be a relatively balanced position began to tilt after a couple of subtle inaccuracies from Caruana. The decisive moment occurred on move 32. Caruana`s decision to move his queen away from a key defensive post created a tangible weakness, and Praggnanandhaa, with clinical precision, exploited this by capturing a critical pawn with his knight. Facing a rapidly deteriorating position where further resistance was futile, Caruana resigned just five moves later. This crucial win elevated Praggnanandhaa to 7.5 points, placing him just half a point behind the leader and firmly in contention for the title.
Gukesh Holds Steady, Abdusattorov Misses a Chance
Tournament leader D Gukesh, meanwhile, faced Chinese Grandmaster Wei Yi. Gukesh, who remains unbeaten in the tournament, employed a surprising knight maneuver early on, successfully steering the game away from Wei Yi`s probable preparation. This led to a sharp, complex position that required extensive calculation from both players.
Despite the initial complexity and tactical possibilities, the game eventually simplified through a series of exchanges. The resulting endgame offered no clear path to victory for either side, and a draw was agreed upon on move 30. This result allows Gukesh to maintain his narrow half-point lead heading into the final stretch. Furthermore, his performance in the tournament has been strong enough to propel him to world no. 3 in the live chess rankings, a remarkable achievement.
Uzbek star Nodirbek Abdusattorov also kept pace with Praggnanandhaa, reaching 7.5 points after a draw with Vincent Keymer. However, this was a game Abdusattorov may view with some frustration. He managed to secure a winning position after Keymer weakened his king by advancing a pawn. Unfortunately, a later strategic choice involving a queen trade allowed Keymer just enough counterplay to escape, and the game concluded in a lengthy draw. A valuable half-point gained for Keymer, but arguably a full point lost for Abdusattorov.
Elsewhere in the Masters and Challengers
Other games in the Masters section saw important results:
- Pentala Harikrishna demonstrated tenacity, securing a hard-fought victory over Alexey Sarana.
- Leon Luke Mendonca achieved his first win of the tournament, defeating Vladimir Fedoseev by capitalizing on an endgame oversight.
- Arjun Erigaisi`s challenging event continued. He faced difficulties against Jordan van Foreest, briefly reaching a losing position, but managed to find the necessary defenses to secure a quick draw.
- Anish Giri defeated Max Warmerdam but is now mathematically out of contention for the top spot with only two rounds remaining, sitting two points behind the leader.
In the parallel Tata Steel Challengers event, Divya Deshmukh secured a positive result with a win against Irina Bulmaga. Conversely, R Vaishali`s difficult run continued with another loss against Aydin Suleymanli.
Tata Steel Chess Masters Standings After Round 11:
- Dommaraju Gukesh: 8 points
- Nodirbek Abdusattorov: 7.5 points
- R Praggnanandhaa: 7.5 points
- Wei Yi: 6 points
- Anish Giri: 6 points
- Vladimir Fedoseev: 6 points
- Fabiano Caruana: 5.5 points
- Pentala Harikrishna: 5.5 points
- Alexey Sarana: 5 points
- Vincent Keymer: 4.5 points
- Jordan van Foreest: 4.5 points
- Leon Luke Mendonca: 4 points
- Arjun Erigaisi: 3.5 points
- Max Warmerdam: 3.5 points
With only two rounds left, the stage is set for a compelling finish. Gukesh maintains a slender lead, but Praggnanandhaa and Abdusattorov are poised to strike. The battle for one of the most prestigious titles in chess remains wide open, promising high-stakes action in the tournament`s closing stages.
Finley Holt