Dutch grandmaster Anish Giri stunned the leader Nodirbek Abdusattorov with a victory using black pieces in round 8 of the 2026 Tata Steel Chess Masters. World champion Gukesh Dommaraju bounced back with a win over Vladimir Fedoseev after recent setbacks. Abdusattorov maintains a slim half-point lead ahead of Javokhir Sindarov.
In round 8 of the 2026 Tata Steel Chess Tournament in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands, Anish Giri delivered a standout performance by defeating tournament leader Nodirbek Abdusattorov with the black pieces. This win followed Giri's victory over world champion Gukesh Dommaraju in round 7, marking an impressive weekend for the Dutch grandmaster. Giri described the strategic battle succinctly: "The big question is whose king is weaker." He highlighted his approach to preparation, stating, "My prep basically never started and never ended. I am my prep!" Despite the loss, Abdusattorov holds a half-point lead over his compatriot Javokhir Sindarov, who remains unbeaten after drawing against Vincent Keymer.
Gukesh, who had suffered a shocking blunder against Abdusattorov in round 6 and a loss to Giri the next day, rebounded with a convincing win over Vladimir Fedoseev. Reflecting on the earlier blunder, Gukesh said with a smile, "The best part about it is that I cannot even explain how that happened... Sh*t happens!" He noted the game against Giri was more painful, as he played one of his worst recent outings, but viewed the challenge positively: "After two losses, I still have to play good chess, and I’ve managed to do that."
The round featured only two decisive results in the Masters, with all other games ending in draws. Notable draws included Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu versus Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus, and Aravindh Chithambaram against Arjun Erigaisi. One of the most thrilling was Matthias Bluebaum versus Thai Dai Van Nguyen, where Van Nguyen escaped a lost position with 30...Qe2!!, calling it "100 percent the most crazy game I’ve ever played."
In the Challengers section, leaders Marc'Andria Maurizzi and Andy Woodward secured wins against Lu Miaoyi and Faustino Oro, respectively, maintaining their top spots. Aydin Suleymanli defeated Carissa Yip to stay third, while Vasyl Ivanchuk edged out Max Warmerdam in a time-troubled finish. The section nearly saw all decisive games, but Daniil Yuffa drew Panesar Vedant after 139 moves.
Suleymanli emphasized the tournament's intensity: "In this tournament, you don’t have to play good. You have to play amazing to win!" The players now enjoy a rest day before round 9 on January 27.
