In the third round of the Tata Steel Masters Chess tournament, defending champion R Praggnanandhaa secured his first half-point with a draw against Thai Dai Van Nguyen, ending a winless start. World champion D Gukesh drew with Arjun Erigaisi in a balanced 34-move encounter, while Jorden van Foreest and Matthias Bluebaum claimed victories to join the leaders. Five players now share the top spot with two points each after three rounds.
The 88th Tata Steel Chess tournament in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands, saw a mix of draws and decisive results in round three on January 20, 2026. Arjun Erigaisi, playing white in a Queen's Gambit against D Gukesh, maintained balance throughout. Gukesh captured a pawn early with 2...dxc4 and checked with 4...Bb4+, but Erigaisi responded effectively, exchanging knights on move 13 and challenging the black queen on move 16. Both players traded minor pieces later, leading to a fair draw by repetition on move 34.
R Praggnanandhaa, who had lost his first two games to Arjun Erigaisi and Nodirbek Abdusattorov, finally opened his account against Thai Dai Van Nguyen. The game remained balanced, with engines noting minor inaccuracies but no clear advantage, resulting in a draw. Praggnanandhaa now has 0.5 points from three games, tying for last with Anish Giri.
Jorden van Foreest defeated Anish Giri in an all-Dutch clash, employing a Najdorf Sicilian. Giri's 20...Bg6? allowed white a small edge, which grew after 30.g5?! and 37...Ra8?, enabling van Foreest to convert his advantage. Matthias Bluebaum beat top seed Vincent Keymer in a Carlsbad pawn structure game, where Keymer's 17.h3? and subsequent errors led to resignation on move 33.
Other games ended in draws: Nodirbek Abdusattorov vs Chithambaram Aravindh (Four Knights, drawn on move 41), Hans Moke Niemann vs Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus, and Javokhir Sindarov vs Vladimir Fedoseev. The leaders—Niemann, van Foreest, Erigaisi, Bluebaum, and Abdusattorov—stand at 2/3 points. Gukesh shares second at 1.5/3 with several others. Round four features Gukesh vs Praggnanandhaa.
