Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan won the 2026 Tata Steel Chess Masters tournament in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands, securing outright first place with 9 points from 13 games after defeating India's Arjun Erigaisi in the final round. Fellow Uzbek Javokhir Sindarov finished second with 8.5 points, highlighting Uzbekistan's strong performance. India's top players, including world champion D Gukesh, struggled, with Gukesh placing joint eighth at 6.5 points.
The 2026 Tata Steel Chess Tournament, one of the most prestigious events outside the world championship cycle, concluded on February 2 in the Dutch town of Wijk aan Zee. In the Masters section, 21-year-old grandmaster Nodirbek Abdusattorov from Tashkent clinched his first title after three previous near-misses, finishing with 9 points from 13 games. His key victory came in the final round against India's Arjun Erigaisi, confirming his position ahead of the field.
Abdusattorov's compatriot, Javokhir Sindarov, earned silver with an unbeaten 8.5 points, following his FIDE World Cup win in Goa months earlier. This one-two finish for Uzbekistan underscores the nation's rising dominance in chess, especially against India, which had dominated recent narratives with prodigies like Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa R.
India sent four players: Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa, Erigaisi, and Aravindh Chithambaram. Gukesh, the reigning world champion, tied for eighth with 6.5 points alongside Anish Giri and Vladimir Fedoseev, drawing his final game against Vincent Keymer. Praggnanandhaa scored 5.5 points, while Erigaisi and Chithambaram each managed 4.5, placing near the bottom. The Indian contingent collectively lost 69 rating points during the event, a sharp contrast to their tiebreak battle for the title a year prior.
The result intensifies a simmering rivalry. Uzbekistan upset India at the 2022 Chess Olympiad in Chennai, only for India to reclaim gold in Budapest in 2024. The next chapter unfolds in Samarkand, where India defends its title on Uzbek soil. Live rankings post-tournament show Gukesh at world number 10, with Sindarov at 11, Erigaisi at 12, and Praggnanandhaa at 14.
In the Challengers section, 15-year-old American Andy Woodward won with 10 points, earning a Masters spot for 2027 and entering the world top 100 at number 89. Turkish 14-year-old Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus placed seventh in Masters with 7 points, gaining 18 rating points. American Hans Niemann tied for third in Masters at 7.5 points.
