Uzbek grandmaster Nodirbek Abdusattorov, aged 21, secured victory at the Tata Steel Chess Tournament in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands, known as the 'chess Wimbledon'. His compatriot Javokhir Sindarov finished a close second, while Indian favorites struggled near the bottom. This win marks Abdusattorov's breakthrough after years of near misses.
The traditional New Year tournament in the Netherlands concluded last weekend with Nodirbek Abdusattorov emerging as champion, scoring 9 points out of 13. This victory elevates him to No. 5 in the live world ratings and follows his success at the London Chess Classic in December.
Abdusattorov had come close in prior editions: in 2023, he led into the final round but lost to Jorden van Foreest; in 2024, he fell in a four-way playoff won by Wei Yi; and in 2025, Arjun Erigaisi eliminated him in the penultimate round. This time, after an early lead and a mid-tournament wobble with three draws and a loss, he rebounded strongly. In the penultimate round, he dismantled Matthias Blübaum's king defenses. The final round saw him counter Arjun Erigaisi's Evans Gambit (1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bc4 Bc5 4 b4?!) to win a 55-move endgame.
“It was a long way for me,” Abdusattorov said. “I was very close every time and I failed year after year. I’m extremely happy to finally be able to win this tournament and to win in a very nice style.”
Javokhir Sindarov scored 8.5 points, reaching No. 11 in the ratings and positioning himself as a Candidates threat alongside US players Hikaru Nakamura and Fabiano Caruana. Other top finishers included van Foreest, Hans Niemann, and Vincent Keymer on 7.5, and Blübaum and 14-year-old Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus on 7.
The four Indian participants fared poorly, placing 10th to 13th. World champion Gukesh Dommaraju scored 6.5 (50%), while Erigaisi and Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa performed worse, dropping in the rankings.
Abdusattorov's disciplined style echoes Soviet chess legend Mikhail Botvinnik. The tournament distributes funds via appearance fees rather than public prizes, a preference among professionals. He next competes in the Fide Freestyle World Championship on February 13-15 in Weissenhaus, Germany, having qualified online.
