Uzbek grandmasters Javokhir Sindarov and Nodirbek Abdusattorov share the lead with 7 points each after round 11 of the Tata Steel Chess Masters in Wijk aan Zee. A chasing pack including Matthias Bluebaum, Jorden van Foreest and Hans Niemann trails by half a point, keeping the title race open with two rounds remaining. In the Challengers section, Andy Woodward took sole first place with a win over Marc'Andria Maurizzi.
The 88th Tata Steel Chess Tournament in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands, reached a thrilling stage after round 11 on January 31, 2026. In the Masters group, Sindarov caught Abdusattorov in the lead by defeating India's Arjun Erigaisi with the black pieces in a tense Semi-Slav Defense. Sindarov, the only undefeated player in the section after 11 rounds, handled the complications with confidence.
Abdusattorov drew against Jorden van Foreest, maintaining his 7 points while van Foreest stayed at 6.5. Hans Niemann joined the chasers at 6.5 by beating Thai Dai Van Nguyen in a wild game where Nguyen missed chances before the initiative shifted. Vincent Keymer also reached 6.5 with a victory over defending champion Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, who attempted an early sacrificial attack that faltered against precise defense.
Anish Giri bounced back to 5.5 points by defeating 14-year-old Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus in 32 moves in a heavily analyzed Queen's Gambit Declined line. The all-Indian clash between world champion Gukesh Dommaraju and Aravindh Chithambaram ended in a draw, with Gukesh missing several winning opportunities. Gukesh reflected on earlier setbacks, saying, “I cannot explain what happened. These kinds of blunders are easier to handle than something you can explain. So this just happens. Shit happens!”
In the Challengers, Andy Woodward moved to sole first with 8.5 points after defeating Marc'Andria Maurizzi, whose aggressive rook sacrifice on h2 proved unsound. Vasyl Ivanchuk beat former leader Aydin Suleymanli in a sharp Sicilian middlegame, joining Suleymanli at 8 points. Faustino Oro and Carissa Yip also won, reaching plus-one scores; Yip needs 1.5 points from her last two games for her third grandmaster norm.
With pairings like Abdusattorov against Bluebaum and Sindarov against Praggnanandhaa set for round 12, the fight for victory remains wide open in both sections.
