The Uzbeks claimed the top prizes, but the American contingent made a very strong showing as the traditional Tata Steel Masters and Challengers tournaments of 2026 wrapped up Sunday.
With an impressive 9-4 score, Uzbekistan GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov claimed solo first in the premier 14-grandmaster Masters event in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands, the Dutch seaside town that has been host of a string of great tournaments over the decades. It was a breakthrough win for the Uzbek No. 1, who came up just short in the three previous Masters tournaments. Compatriot GM Javokhir Sindarov, one of four players in the field who will compete in FIDE’s Candidates tournament next month, was a half-point back at 8½-4½ and was the only player in the field not to suffer a defeat.
American GM Hans Moke Niemann had an impressive debut in the elite event, hanging with the leaders throughout the tournament and ending in a three-way tie for third with German GM Vincent Keymer and local Dutch star GM Jorden van Foreest. In just one sign of the strength of the field, reigning Indian world champion GM Dommaraju Gukesh could only manage an even 6½-6½ result, losing to both Abdusatorrov and Sindarov along the way.
Rising American junior star GM Andy Woodward continued his breakout year in Wijk aan Zee, capturing the concurrent Tata Steel Challengers Tournament and earning a coveted invitation to play in the 2027 Masters field. The 15-year-old Texan finished an impressive 10-3 despite two losses and gained nearly 40 rating points for his efforts.
American IM Carissa Yip notched a very credible 7-6 finish in the Challengers event, coming just a half-point short of the third and final norm she needs to qualify for the grandmaster title.
Woodward faced a must-win situation in the 13th and final round Sunday, tied for the lead with Azeri GM Aydin Suleymanli, with legendary Ukrainian GM Vasily Ivanchuk — who had defeated Woodward three rounds earlier — just a half-point back. But Suleymanli lost while Woodward came through against another veteran GM, Erwin L’Ami, from the White side of a sharp Grunfeld line to snare the title.
Woodward admitted later he couldn’t recall all the theory in this variation, when White with 5. h4 shows his aggressive intentions. But 13. Qc1!, a novelty in this line, works out well as after 14…Bd4 15. Be3 Bxe3 16. Qxe3 Qf4 17. Kd2; White doesn’t fear the pawn-down ending after the queen trade because of Black’s significant queenside weaknesses.
White has a clear initiative, but L’Ami defends well until 32. Rc2 Nf6 33. Na4 Nxd5?! — better was trading down with 33…Rxd5 (33…c4!? 34. Rxc4 Rxc4 35. bxc4 Re2 was also playable) 34. Rxd5 Nxd5 35. Nxc6 Rb6, as the White rook pair will become a dominant force in the finale.
Black misses another defensive resource in the time control scramble — tougher was 37…Rf5 — and White navigates one last treacherous shoal to victory in the final play: 41. Ne4+ Kd7 (Rc6 42. Rxc6+ Kxc6 43. Rc8+ Kb7 44. Nxg5 Kxc8 45. Nxf7 and White should win the ending) 42. Rfc8 Rf5+! (a resource White missed, but Woodward fortunately does not fall for 43. Kg4?! h5+ 44. Kxf5?? Rd5 mate) 43 Ke3! Rd1 (see diagram) 44. R1c7+ Ke6 45. Rc6+ Kd7 (Ke5 46. f4+ Kd5 47. Nc3 mate) 46. Nc5+ (winning the exchange, the game and the tournament) Rxc5 47. Rxc5 Ne5 48. Rc1, and Black resigned. L’Ami could fight on, but it’s pretty bleak in lines such as 48…Rd6 49. R1c7+ Ke6 50. f4 Nd7 51. Rc6 Nb6 52. Rxd6+ Kxd6 53. Rd8+ Kc5 54. Ke4.
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The looming Candidates tournament may have left some of the Tata participants gun-shy, with players reluctant to tip their hand so close to the event. Dutch GM Anish Giri could only post a 50% score, and 21-year-old Indian star GM Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa (touted by many as a dark horse pick to win the Candidates) won just one game and finished far back in the pack at 5½-7½.
Pragg’s tentative play was on display in a Schmid Benoni battle with German GM Matthias Bluebaum, who also will be in the Candidates field. Black neglects his king’s safety as his queen is lured deeper and deeper into White’s position, leading to a loss in just 25 moves.
White takes the fight to his opponent with an early aggressive push: 13. g4 Ng7 14. f5?!, and Black snaps up the bait with 14…Qh4 15. Nf4 h5? (much more prudent was 15…0-0-0 16. Kh2 h5 17. Ng2 Qe7, with chances for both sides) 16. Ng2 Qxh3?! (and here, the more modest 16…Qd8 17. h4 Ne5 18. Bc2 Bd6 is still available) 17. Rf3! Qxg4 18. Be2!, already setting some nasty queen-trapping threats such as 19. Rd3 Qxe4 20. Re3.
Black’s game deteriorates quickly, with a grim race to see whether his queen or king will fall first: 20. exf5+ Ne7 (Kf8 21. Re8+ Rxe8 22. Bxg5) 21. Qxd6 Bc6 (Ngxf5 22. Qxd7+! Kxd7 23. Rd3+ Ke6 24. Bxg5 Rhg8 25. Bf4, and White is winning) 22. Re4 Qxg2+ (a sad necessity, as both 22…Qxf5 23. Qxe7 mate and 22…Ngxf5 23. Qxc6+ bxc6 24. Bxg5 are out) 23. Kxg2 Bxe4+ 24. Kf2 Bxf5 (Black has gotten enough material for his lost queen, but White’s assault isn’t done) 25. Bg5, and Giri resigned as both his knight on e7 and the game are lost after 25…0-0 26. Bxe7 Rfe8 27. Rg1 Bg6 28. Bxh5! Nxh5 (Bxh5 29. Qh6 Bg6 30. Bf6) 29. Rxg6+! fxg6 30. Qxg6+ Kf7 31. Qxh5+ Kg7 32. Qg5+ Kf7 33. Qf6+ Kg8 34. Qg6+ Kh8 35. Bf6 mate.
(Click on the image above for a larger view of the chessboard.)
Woodward-L’Ami, Tata Steel Challengers Tournament, Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands, February 2026
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. h4 dxc4 6. e4 c5 7. d5 b5 8. h5 Nxh5 9. Nxb5 Qa5+ 10. Nc3 Nd7 11. Bd2 Rb8 12. Rb1 Ba6 13. Be2 Qc7 14. Qc1 Bd4 15. Be3 Bxe3 16. Qxe3 Qf4 17. Kd2 Rb6 18. Rh4 Qxe3+ 19. Kxe3 Nhf6 20. e5 g5 21. Nxg5 Nxe5 22. Nge4 Ned7 23. Bxc4 Rg8 24. Bxa6 Rxa6 25. g3 Nxe4 26. Rxe4 Rg5 27. Rd1 Rb6 28. b3 a6 29. Kf3 Rf5+ 30. Kg2 Rb4 31. Re2 Re5 32. Rc2 Nf6 33. Na4 Nxd5 34. Nxc5 Rb6 35. Nd3 Rg5 36. Rc8+ Kd7 37. Rf8 Rd6 38. Nc5+ Kc7 39. Rc1 Nf4+ 40. Kf3 Ng6 41. Ne4+ Kd7 42. Rfc8 Rf5+ 43. Ke3 Rd1 44. R1c7+ Ke6 45. Rc6+ Kd7 46. Nc5+ Rxc5 47. Rxc5 Ne5 48. Rc1 Black resigns.
Bluebaum-Giri, Tata Steel Masters Tournament, Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands, January 2026
1. d4 g6 2. c4 Bg7 3. e4 d6 4. Nc3 c5 5. d5 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 e5 7. dxe6 Bxe6 8. Bd3 Nf6 9. Ne2 Nh5 10. O-O Nc6 11. f4 Bd7 12. h3 Qe7 13. g4 Ng7 14. f5 Qh4 15. Nf4 h5 16. Ng2 Qxh3 17. Rf3 Qxg4 18. Be2 gxf5 19. Re3 Qg5 20. exf5+ Ne7 21. Qxd6 Bc6 22. Re4 Qxg2+ 23. Kxg2 Bxe4+ 24. Kf2 Bxf5 25. Bg5 Black resigns.
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