German grandmaster Matthias Bluebaum defeated world champion D Gukesh in round nine of the 2026 Tata Steel Chess Masters, marking Gukesh's third loss in four games. Jorden van Foreest and Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus joined Javokhir Sindarov in second place after decisive wins, while defending champion Praggnanandhaa secured his first victory. Nodirbek Abdusattorov maintained his lead with a draw against Sindarov.
In round nine of the 2026 Tata Steel Chess Masters, held in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands, four games produced decisive results, shaking up the leaderboard. Nodirbek Abdusattorov preserved his sole lead at 6/9 points by drawing with compatriot Javokhir Sindarov, who had a chance to overtake him but couldn't convert a slight edge despite being 50 minutes behind on the clock.
Jorden van Foreest delivered a stunning 26-move victory over top seed Vincent Keymer using the London System, a move he called 'boring' but effective with the innovative 9.h4. 'I didn’t expect to win today and especially the way it went. It’s an amazing feeling—maybe the strongest player I’ve ever beaten!' Van Foreest said, earning applause from local fans for his 17.Qe3+!. This win, described as a 'masterpiece' by GM Rafael Leitao, propelled Van Foreest to 5.5 points, tying for second.
Joining him was 14-year-old prodigy Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus, who outplayed Thai Dai Van Nguyen in time trouble to reach 5.5 points and a live rating of 2687.9. 'I was feeling comfortable because he was low on time, he was closer to flagging!' Erdogmus noted, expressing his goal: 'I want to become 2700 quickly and playing good chess—that’s my goal.'
Matthias Bluebaum, playing Black, comprehensively beat Gukesh in 37 moves after the world champion opted for the rare Bishop's Opening. 'Yesterday and the whole rest day I thought I’d never win a chess game again, but now I feel a bit better!' Bluebaum said, now at 5 points and close to 2700. Gukesh, on 4/9, has lost three of his last four games.
Defending champion Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu finally won his first game, grinding out an 84-move endgame victory over Aravindh Chithambaram despite a pawn-down draw seeming likely. 'Once I got my rook active it’s quite tricky,' Praggnanandhaa explained, also reaching 4 points. Other games ended in draws: Arjun Erigaisi vs Hans Moke Niemann (22 moves) and Anish Giri vs Vladimir Fedoseev.
Pre-tournament favorites Gukesh, Keymer, Arjun Erigaisi, and Praggnanandhaa now sit at 4/9. Round 10 features Erdogmus-Gukesh on January 28.
