Burnout
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.
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Teenage world champion D Gukesh recently withdrew from the Tata Steel India Rapid and Blitz tournament in Kolkata for personal reasons, a rare move amid his packed schedule. With the FIDE World Championship defense looming in less than 10 months, Gukesh and R Praggnanandhaa are adopting a more selective approach to events in 2026, focusing on classical chess to avoid burnout. Experts highlight the mental fatigue from non-stop play affecting their performances.