The Tata Steel Masters, the world's oldest running super tournament, finally kicked off in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands, after a delayed start caused by environmental activists' protest. The first round delivered nearly five hours of gripping chess action that kept fans glued to their screens.
Indian stars face mixed results
Top seed Arjun Erigaisi scored a convincing victory over his compatriot R Praggnanandhaa. Erigaisi faced the Queen's Gambit accepted against his friend and calculated precisely when Praggnanandhaa made an early error in the middle game. Praggnanandhaa's king got stuck in the center, allowing Erigaisi to inflict significant damage. The game concluded decisively in just 32 moves.
World Champion D Gukesh played out a hard-fought draw against World Cup winner Javokhir Sindarov of Uzbekistan. Gukesh came close to victory but could not convert his advantage against the resourceful Sindarov. Employing the Queen's Gambit declined, a trusted part of his arsenal, Gukesh executed a stylish queen sacrifice that might have sealed the game on another day. However, Sindarov resisted strongly despite his king appearing in mortal danger. Their contest stretched to 78 moves, making it the longest game of the round.
The other Indian participant, Aravindh Chithambaram, also started with a draw against Germany's Matthias Bluebaum. Bluebaum, who will compete in the forthcoming Candidates tournament, remained solid and tricky throughout the Catalan opening game. The match ended peacefully after 41 moves.
International players make their mark
Hans Moke Niemann of the United States scored the first victory of the event. He capitalized on an optical blunder by Slovenian Vladimir Fedoseev early in the middle game. Niemann pounced on the opportunity like a hawk, forcing Fedoseev to resign as early as move 16 when material loss became inevitable.
German Vincent Keymer emerged as another winner, defeating Dutch star Anish Giri. This victory placed Keymer alongside Erigaisi and Niemann at the top of the leaderboard.
Standings after round one
Arjun Erigaisi, Vincent Keymer, and Hans Moke Niemann now share the lead with a full point each. They stand half a point ahead of D Gukesh and seven other players who managed draws in their opening games.
Other results from the round
- Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus of Turkey drew with Nodirbek Yakubboev of Uzbekistan
- Jorden van Foreest of the Netherlands signed peace with Thai Dai Van Nguyen of the Czech Republic
The tournament promises more excitement as it progresses, with Indian chess fans particularly watching the performances of Erigaisi, Gukesh, and Chithambaram.
