Nepomniachtchi Joins Carlsen, Anand To Lead Tata Steel Chess
Ian Nepomniachtchi defeated Vidit Gujrathi to join Vishy Anand and Magnus Carlsen in the lead in round nine of the Tata Steel Chess Tournament. Teimour Radjabov suffered his first loss vs Vladimir Fedoseev.
The 81st edition of the Tata Steel Chess tournament remains a close affair. With four rounds to go, there are three leaders, and two players trailing them by half a point. Betting on Carlsen to win the tournament is still the safest option, but anything can happen.
After winning the Tal Memorial in 2016 and the 2018 Dortmund tournament, Nepomniachtchi is hoping to score the third major tournament victory in his career. He is still very much in the race after a nice win over Vidit on Tuesday.
The Russian player stepped into Magnus Carlsen's footsteps when he played the move 4.Nd3 in the Petroff. "This endgame is very complex," said Nepomniachtchi. "As far as I know [Vidit] is not a big specialist of the Petroff defense. I thought maybe this endgame would be interesting to play and somehow it paid off."
It definitely did when the white player got an attack on the opponent's king—also without queens on the board, attacking with opposite-colored bishop can be quite devastating!
Nepomniachtchi was interviewed after the game. | Video: Tata Steel Chess.
Nepo's compatriot Fedoseev won his second game in a row and is back to 50 percent. Today he defeated Radjabov in a Chebanenko Slav, an opening that used to be extremely popular some five years ago.
The game was about equal for a long time. It seemed White was having some small chances due to his active queen on the queenside, but at move 49 it was Black who avoided a move repetition. The rook endgame was equal as well, until Radjabov miscalculated. He thought the pawn endgame was OK, but it wasn't, thanks to a devilish trick by Fedoseev.
Carlsen drew with Sam Shankland, who was playing good game. Sometimes there's just nothing to hope for, even if you're the world champion.
"He played in a classical way which I think is not a bad way to meet it," Carlsen described the opening in which he had played a very early ...a6. "He was slightly better for most of the game but I was always very solid I think."
Carlsen was interviewed after the game. | Video: Tata Steel Chess.
The other leader, Anand, played a similar game where, as Black, he was about equal all the time vs Richard Rapport.
Vladimir Kramnik played a bit more solidly and drew with Ding Liren.
The all-Dutch affair between Anish Giri and Jorden van Foreest was quite an interesting game that involved a positional queen sacrifice.
First, Giri picked up Ding's odd-looking 6.Ba3 in the English, which the Chinese GM had tried in the second round against Vidit. Giri said that he had underestimated his opponent's move 14...d5. "I guess I originally blundered my queen in my calculation and then I decided to do it on purpose."
Van Foreest was interviewed after the game. | Video: Tata Steel Chess.
The commentator Sopiko Guramishvili was surprised by her husband's draw offer at the end, and the feeling was mutual. "I was myself surprised!" said Giri. "I felt I misplayed it a little bit. There were all kinds of checks on the horizon and some lines where my a2-pawn is being attacked. I spent a lot of time trying to consolidate the position in my head and I couldn't do that and I had three minutes left..."
Giri was interviewed after the game. | Video: Tata Steel Chess.
Tata Steel Chess Masters | Standings
| # | Fed | Name | Rating | TPR | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Score | SB |
| 1 | Nepomniachtchi | 2763 | 2899 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 6.0 / 9 | 26.5 | ||||||
| 2 | Carlsen | 2835 | 2865 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 6.0 / 9 | 23.25 | ||||||
| 3 | Anand | 2773 | 2868 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6.0 / 9 | 23 | ||||||
| 4 | Ding Liren | 2813 | 2821 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 5.5 / 9 | 23.5 | ||||||
| 5 | Giri, Anish | 2783 | 2827 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 5.5 / 9 | 21.5 | ||||||
| 6 | Fedoseev | 2724 | 2742 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 4.5 / 9 | 21 | ||||||
| 7 | Radjabov | 2757 | 2742 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 4.5 / 9 | 18.25 | ||||||
| 8 | Duda | 2738 | 2739 | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 4.5 / 9 | 18 | ||||||
| 9 | Vidit | 2695 | 2707 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 4.0 / 9 | 18 | ||||||
| 10 | Shankland | 2725 | 2706 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 4.0 / 9 | 16.75 | ||||||
| 11 | Rapport | 2731 | 2693 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 3.5 / 9 | 15.5 | ||||||
| 12 | Mamedyarov | 2817 | 2685 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 3.5 / 9 | 15.25 | ||||||
| 13 | Van Foreest | 2612 | 2635 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 / 9 | 14 | ||||||
| 14 | Kramnik | 2777 | 2613 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 2.5 / 9 | 11.5 |
Pairings for round 10 (Wednesday): Carlsen-Anand, Duda-Rapport, Ding Liren-Mamedyarov, Vidit-Kramnik, Van Foreest-Nepomniachtchi, Fedoseev-Giri, Shankland-Radjabov.
Maksim Chigaev defended his half-point lead in the challengers group against one of his main rivals and compatriots, Andrey Esipenko in a quiet game, or Giuoco Pianissimo in Italian, and that was the opening as well.
The biggest news was IM Stefan Kuipers scoring his first win in the tournament against another Dutchman, Lucas van Foreest. After he had been on the white side of a classical French against Praggnanandhaa (and lost horribly), Kuipers played the same opening and refuted his opponent's attacking play in a funny way by sacrificing an exchange but trapping a white knight on h7.
Tata Steel Chess Challengers | Standings
| # | Fed | Name | Rating | TPR | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Score | SB |
| 1 | Chigaev | 2604 | 2740 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6.5 / 9 | 24.5 | ||||||
| 2 | Kovalev | 2687 | 2715 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 6.0 / 9 | 27.5 | ||||||
| 3 | Esipenko | 2584 | 2714 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 6.0 / 9 | 27 | ||||||
| 4 | Gledura | 2615 | 2670 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 5.5 / 9 | 22.5 | ||||||
| 5 | L'Ami | 2643 | 2612 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 5.0 / 9 | 21 | ||||||
| 6 | Korobov | 2699 | 2618 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 5.0 / 9 | 19.25 | ||||||
| 7 | Maghsoodloo | 2679 | 2594 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5.0 / 9 | 16.5 | ||||||
| 8 | Bareev | 2650 | 2585 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 4.5 / 9 | 19.75 | ||||||
| 9 | Van Foreest | 2502 | 2577 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 4.5 / 9 | 18 | ||||||
| 10 | Keymer | 2500 | 2546 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 4.5 / 9 | 15 | ||||||
| 11 | Praggnanandhaa | 2539 | 2556 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 4.0 / 9 | 16 | ||||||
| 12 | Paehtz | 2477 | 2411 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 2.5 / 9 | 10.75 | ||||||
| 13 | Saduakassova | 2472 | 2400 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 2.0 / 9 | 10 | ||||||
| 14 | Kuipers | 2470 | 2361 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 2.0 / 9 | 8.75 |
Pairings for round 10 (Wednesday): Korobov-L'Ami, Keymer-Kovalev, Maghsoodloo-Bareev, Paehtz-Saduakassova, Kuipers-Gledura, Esipenko-Van Foreest, Praggnanandhaa-Chigaev.
Replay the live broadcast of the ninth round.
The official video broadcast is "proudly powered" by Chess.com, which you can watch on both tatasteelchess.com and Chess.com/TV. All rounds start at 1:30 p.m. local time (7:30 a.m. New York, 4:30 Pacific) in Wijk aan Zee, except for the following two rounds:
- On January 23 (Leiden) the rounds starts half an hour later, at 2 p.m. local time.
- The final round, on Sunday January 27, starts 1.5 hours earlier, at noon local time.
Commentary will be provided by IMs Anna Rudolf and Lawrence Trent during the first week, and GM Robert Hess and IM Sopiko Guramishvili during the second week.
Correction: A previous version of this article failed to mention Nepomniachtchi's tournament victory at the 2018 Sparkassen Chess Meeting in Dortmund.
Previous reports:
- Anand, Carlsen Lead Tata Steel Chess After Great Wins
- Anand Joins Leaders On Tata Steel Chess's Ladies Day
- Carlsen, Giri Join Leaders At Tata Steel Chess
- Ding Liren Catches Nepomniachtchi As Tata Steel Chess Visits Alkmaar
- Tata Steel Chess R4: Carlsen Beats Giri's Drawing Streak
- Tata Steel Chess R3: Nepomniachtchi Wins Again, Grabs Lead
- Dutch Comeback: Giri, Van Foreest Win In Tata Steel Chess Round 2
- Anand, Nepomniachtchi Start With Wins At Tata Steel Chess Tournament
- Carlsen, Mamedyarov, Ding Top Seeds At 81st Tata Steel Chess Tournament
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