GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov won the 2026 Tata Steel Chess Masters in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands, ending a long-standing jinx with a strong performance that included six wins. Fellow Uzbek GM Javokhir Sindarov finished second, marking a dominant showing for Uzbekistan. Indian stars like D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa, and Arjun Erigaisi struggled, finishing in the bottom half amid concerns over burnout from excessive play.
The 2026 Tata Steel Chess Tournament, held in Wijk aan Zee, concluded with 21-year-old GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov securing sole first place in the Masters section after 13 rounds. Abdusattorov, who had come close in previous years but faltered in 2023, 2024, and 2025, achieved six wins, six draws, and one loss to GM Anish Giri. His victories included defeats of higher-rated players such as GMs R Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, D Gukesh Dommaraju, Vincent Keymer, and Arjun Erigaisi. "I had a dream to win this tournament when I was a kid and finally my dream came true," Abdusattorov said, adding, "It was a long way for me. 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 win in a very nice style."
His performance rating of 2862 boosted him to 2770.5, placing him fifth in the world. Sindarov, unbeaten with four wins, finished half a point behind at second, rising to world number 11 after gaining 19 rating points. He highlighted a brilliant defense against Gukesh in round one and a key move, 24...Nd3!!, against GM Matthias Bluebaum. Third place, with 7.5/13, went to GMs Jorden van Foreest, Keymer, and Hans Niemann.
The event featured 45 percent decisive games, up from 40 percent in 2025, attributed partly to the new time control: 120 minutes for 40 moves without increment until then, leading to blunders like Gukesh's 36...Rg5?? against Abdusattorov. GM Vasyl Ivanchuk, 56, nearly won the Challengers but drew in the final round against 15-year-old GM Andy Woodward, who claimed the title with 10/13.
Indian players faced a rare setback. Gukesh finished joint eighth with three wins, Praggnanandhaa 11th with one win, Arjun and GM Aravindh Chithambaram joint second-bottom with one win each. GM Pravin Thipsay attributed this to burnout: "The biggest one (reason) is probably that they are playing too many tournaments… Our top players are exhausted." He contrasted this with players like Fabiano Caruana and Hikaru Nakamura, who take breaks, noting the mental toll of continuous events including rapid and blitz. With the Candidates in March and World Championship later, rest is advised.
Young talents shone: 14-year-old GM Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus scored +1 in his Masters debut, reaching 2686.6 and world number 38; 12-year-old IM Faustino Oro doubled his score to 7/13. Abdusattorov now leads the FIDE Circuit.
