86th Tata Steel 2024 (9)
Tata Steel Masters Round 9 in the Hague sees 5 decisive games
Mark Crowther – Tuesday 23rd January 2024
The ninth round of the Tata Steel Masters moved to the AFAS
Theatre in the Hague. Five of the seven games in the Masters
were decisive and six of seven in the Challengers.
At the end of the round four players share the lead with 5.5/9,
Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Anish Giri, Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa.
Wei Yi, Santosh Vidit and Alireza Firouzja are all on 5/9.
Abdusattorov beat Jorden van Foreest pretty convincingly in just
24 moves. Praggnanandhaa beat Ju Wenjun taking on the Two Knights with
the sharp Ng5. Giri drew with black against Ding Liren and Gukesh drew
with Vidit. Alireza Firouzja lost his third game of the event when
he allowed Alexander Donchenko a huge attack, Ian Nepomniachtchi lost the thread
in a decent position against Wei Yi, and finally Maghsoodloo managed
a miracle win against Max Warmerdam, this kind of loss will
likely give the Dutchman nightmares, he went from won to equal to lost
with moves 51, 52 and 53.
Round 9 Standings:
1st= Abdusattorov, Giri, Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa 5.5pts
5th= Wei Yi, Vidit, Firouzja 5pts
8th Nepomniachtchi 4.5pts
9th= Ding Liren, Warmerdam 4pts
11th= Maghsoodloo, Ju Wenjun, Donchenko 3.5pts
14th Van Foreest 3pts
Round 10 1pm: 24th January 2024.
Firouzja-Giri,
Nepomniachtchi-Ding Liren,
Van Foreest-Wei Yi,
Warmerdam-Abdusattorov,
Ju-Maghsoodloo,
Vidit-Praggnanandhaa,
Donchenko-Gukesh.
Round 9 Summary
Nodirbek Abdusattorov tonked Jorden van Foreest in one of those
4.d3 Two Knights/Giuoco Pianissimos that have been common in this
event. Nothing went right for black after 10…g6 which prevented
11.Qh5+ but was a cure worse than the disease (10…a4 should have been tried
according to the engines). The engines suggested 13.Bh6 as being
white’s best and black sort of started to recover until the plan of
17…Bf5?! (17…Be6 needs to be played and the position is still worse for black)
18.Nfd2 Nd7? a final error after which black’s position just collapsed in a few moves, following 24.Qd2 black
had seen enough.
Why does no-one play 4.Ng5 against the Two Knights anymore? Asked one commenter on twitter
after seeing Abdusattorov play but before seeing Praggnanandhaa had tried it against Ju Wenjun.
I know why I don’t play the Two Knights as black, 4.Ng5 is a massive memory test and the resulting positions
seem irrational to me, the reason top players generally don’t play it
is that the complications are supposed to fizzle out and black is fine.
10.b3 put Ju on her own and things went more or less fine until
16.Ba6 Be6?! (16…Bxa6) 17. Nc4 Bb4 (maybe 17…Nxc4) 18.0-0-0
Nb7?! (maybe Rae8). Black was now clearly in trouble and after 22…exf3? (22…Kh7)
white was winning, the game ending on move 33.
Alireza Firouzja’s wild tournament continued with yet another loss, this
time against Alexander Donchenko. The opening started as an exchange
Queen’s Gambit, I suppose they reached a Ragozin of sorts after 5…Bb4.
Firouzja was doing fine, indeed after 20.Qe3 Kg7! more than fine, but
then he started to drift, 23.Kf1 Qb6?! (23…Bd7 keeps the advantage)
but it was 26…Bb5? that was totally misjudged, after 27.Bf5 black
was already in trouble but the game ended with a double error.
32…h5 33. Bf3?! (33.Bh3 is still very good for white) 33…Rh6?
(33…Qe6 is almost equal) 34.Rc7! and it’s over.
Another player who has had an up and down event is Ian Nepomniachtchi, today
was another down as he just collapsed against Wei Yi. From a position of
rough equality after 20.cxd5 black was lost just 4 moves later. 20…h5
was the way to equality, after 20…Rad8 white was a bit better and after
black avoided the Queen exchange with 22…Qg5 white was seriously better
and after 24…Kf8 25.Re7! (one has to suppose black thought Kf8 was doing
something against this move) black was practically winning and won in 41 moves.
The final game to finish was Parham Maghsoodloo against Max Warmerdam.
Warmerdam repeated bis von Hennig Schara Gambit and after 11.Ng5 Nb4
black equalised. Maghsoodloo followed this up with 13.Nge4? (13.a3 is best but
13.Bd2 and 13.Nf3 are playable) and after 13…0-0-0 he was much worse. Things
went along in a logical fashion for a long while and then in a position where
black had clearly made big progress towards the win he gave up the exchange
for no reason I can fathom with 30…Rxe3 (30…Re7 and black will surely win). Maghsoodloo
was only the tiniest bit worse but 37.Rd1?! (37.Ra1!) allowing a5 gave black
renewed hope of a win. 38.Ra1?! (38.Rb1 was a better try). The black was
winning until 51…Ra3?? (51…Ba3 really does finish things) 52.Rxc5 a1=Q
53.e7 and suddenly white is queening too. Not willing to accept that the
fate of the game was a draw Warmerdam played 53…Qh8? and after 54.Rc8
(exploiting a knight fork) it is now white who is winning.
Ding Liren tried to sharpen things up against Anish Giri with 7.g4
against the Queen’s Gambit, a line that’s quite topical, also
it’s a line that goes all the way back to the World Championship match Botvinnik-Petrosian
in 1963. Giri was doing fine throughout and the game was drawn by repetition in 34 moves, even
at the end the engines like 34…Rh8 with a small edge for black.
Gukesh against Santosh Vidit was a Petroff. By the time 23…h5 was played, the
first new moves, the game was already heading towards a draw.
| 86th Tata Steel Masters Wijk aan Zee (NED), 12-28 i 2024 | cat. XIX (2712) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||||||||||||||
| 1. | Abdusattorov, Nodirbek | g | UZB | 2727 | * | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | . | ½ | 0 | ½ | . | . | 1 | . | 1 | 5½ | 2823 | |||||||
| 2. | Giri, Anish | g | NED | 2749 | 0 | * | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | . | . | ½ | . | 1 | ½ | 1 | . | 5½ | 2789 | |||||||
| 3. | Gukesh, D | g | IND | 2725 | ½ | 0 | * | . | 1 | ½ | . | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | . | . | 1 | 5½ | 2787 | |||||||
| 4. | Praggnanandhaa, R | g | IND | 2743 | ½ | ½ | . | * | ½ | . | . | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | . | ½ | 5½ | 2786 | |||||||
| 5. | Wei, Yi | g | CHN | 2740 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | * | . | 0 | 1 | ½ | . | . | 1 | 1 | . | 5 | 2780 | |||||||
| 6. | Vidit, Santosh Gujrathi | g | IND | 2742 | . | ½ | ½ | . | . | * | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | . | ½ | ½ | 5 | 2740 | |||||||
| 7. | Firouzja, Alireza | g | FRA | 2759 | ½ | . | . | . | 1 | 0 | * | . | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2735 | |||||||
| 8. | Nepomniachtchi, Ian | g | RUS | 2769 | 1 | . | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | . | * | . | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | . | 4½ | 2692 | |||||||
| 9. | Ding, Liren | g | CHN | 2780 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | . | * | . | . | ½ | ½ | . | 4 | 2686 | |||||||
| 10. | Warmerdam, Max | g | NED | 2625 | . | . | 0 | ½ | . | ½ | ½ | 0 | . | * | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2662 | |||||||
| 11. | Ju, Wenjun | g | CHN | 2549 | . | 0 | ½ | 0 | . | ½ | 1 | ½ | . | ½ | * | . | ½ | 0 | 3½ | 2635 | |||||||
| 12. | Maghsoodloo, Parham | g | IRI | 2740 | 0 | ½ | . | ½ | 0 | . | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | . | * | . | ½ | 3½ | 2650 | |||||||
| 13. | Donchenko, Alexander | g | GER | 2643 | . | 0 | . | . | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | . | * | ½ | 3½ | 2630 | |||||||
| 14. | Van Foreest, Jorden | g | NED | 2682 | 0 | . | 0 | ½ | . | ½ | 0 | . | . | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | * | 3 | 2569 | |||||||
| Round 9 (January 23, 2024) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abdusattorov, Nodirbek | – Van Foreest, Jorden | 1-0 | 24 | C55 | Two Knights Defence | |
| Gukesh, D | – Vidit, Santosh Gujrathi | ½-½ | 31 | C42 | Petroff’s Defence | |
| Praggnanandhaa, R | – Ju, Wenjun | 1-0 | 33 | C58 | Two Knights Defence | |
| Wei, Yi | – Nepomniachtchi, Ian | 1-0 | 41 | C24 | Bishop’s Opening | |
| Ding, Liren | – Giri, Anish | ½-½ | 34 | D31 | Semi-Slav Defence | |
| Maghsoodloo, Parham | – Warmerdam, Max | 1-0 | 57 | D32 | Tarrasch Defence | |
| Donchenko, Alexander | – Firouzja, Alireza | 1-0 | 35 | D35 | QGD Exchange | |
| Tata Steel Challengers Wijk aan Zee (NED), 12-28 i 2024 | cat. XIII (2570) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||||||||||||||
| 1. | Maurizzi, Marc’Andria | g | FRA | 2572 | * | ½ | . | . | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | . | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | . | 6½ | 2746 | |||||||
| 2. | Mendonca, Leon Luke | g | IND | 2608 | ½ | * | ½ | 0 | 1 | . | . | 1 | 0 | . | 1 | . | 1 | 1 | 6 | 2676 | |||||||
| 3. | Dardha, Daniel | g | BEL | 2602 | . | ½ | * | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | . | 1 | ½ | . | ½ | . | 5½ | 2683 | |||||||
| 4. | L’Ami, Erwin | g | NED | 2627 | . | 1 | ½ | * | ½ | ½ | . | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | . | 1 | . | 5½ | 2674 | |||||||
| 5. | Korobov, Anton | g | UKR | 2663 | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | * | . | 0 | . | . | . | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5½ | 2609 | |||||||
| 6. | Niemann, Hans Moke | g | USA | 2692 | 0 | . | ½ | ½ | . | * | ½ | . | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | . | 0 | 5 | 2595 | |||||||
| 7. | Salem, A.R. Saleh | g | UAE | 2630 | 0 | . | 0 | . | 1 | ½ | * | ½ | 1 | 0 | . | 1 | . | 1 | 5 | 2618 | |||||||
| 8. | Santos Latasa, Jaime | g | ESP | 2615 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | . | . | ½ | * | . | 1 | ½ | 0 | . | 1 | 4½ | 2556 | |||||||
| 9. | Vrolijk, Liam | g | NED | 2573 | . | 1 | . | ½ | . | 0 | 0 | . | * | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 4½ | 2550 | |||||||
| 10. | Yilmaz, Mustafa | g | TUR | 2665 | ½ | . | 0 | ½ | . | ½ | 1 | 0 | 0 | * | . | 1 | . | 0 | 3½ | 2488 | |||||||
| 11. | Dronavalli, Harika | g | IND | 2500 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | . | ½ | ½ | . | * | . | 1 | . | 3½ | 2517 | |||||||
| 12. | Divya, Deshmukh | m | IND | 2420 | 0 | . | . | . | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | . | * | ½ | 1 | 3½ | 2499 | |||||||
| 13. | Beukema, Stefan | m | BEL | 2428 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | . | . | . | ½ | . | 0 | ½ | * | 1 | 2½ | 2383 | |||||||
| 14. | Roebers, Eline | m | NED | 2381 | . | 0 | . | . | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | . | 0 | 0 | * | 2 | 2368 | |||||||
| Round 9 (January 23, 2024) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maurizzi, Marc’Andria | – Divya, Deshmukh | 1-0 | 51 | D79 | Gruenfeld 3.g3 | |
| Mendonca, Leon Luke | – Santos Latasa, Jaime | 1-0 | 111 | C50 | Giuoco Piano | |
| Dardha, Daniel | – Salem, A.R. Saleh | 1-0 | 33 | A15 | English counter King’s Fianchetto | |
| L’Ami, Erwin | – Yilmaz, Mustafa | ½-½ | 31 | D38 | QGD Ragozin | |
| Dronavalli, Harika | – Niemann, Hans Moke | 0-1 | 43 | E00 | Catalan | |
| Beukema, Stefan | – Korobov, Anton | 0-1 | 59 | A20 | English Opening | |
| Roebers, Eline | – Vrolijk, Liam | 0-1 | 31 | C37 | Muzio Gambit | |
Tata Steel Round 9 Commentary
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