In the fourth round of the Tata Steel Masters, world champion D Gukesh held defending champion R Praggnanandhaa to a draw using an unusual opening variation. Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Hans Moke Niemann emerged as joint leaders with three points each. The round featured several decisive results, intensifying the competition among top players.
The fourth round of the Tata Steel Masters saw intense battles among chess elite. World champion D Gukesh, playing black, opted for an unusual variation against the French defense to counter compatriot R Praggnanandhaa. Despite Praggnanandhaa's efforts to dent white's pawn structure on the queenside, the game ended in a drawn queen and pawns endgame. This result marked Gukesh's fourth consecutive draw, while Praggnanandhaa, with two draws and two losses, remained at the bottom of the standings alongside Anish Giri.
Anish Giri also drew his game, this time against India's Arjun Erigaisi, in a rook and pawns endgame where white found no breakthroughs. Erigaisi, known for his contrasting aggressive style to Giri's solidity, sits just behind the leaders with two points, tied with Uzbek Javokhir Sindarov and Dutch Jorden van Foreest.
The round's winners included Nodirbek Abdusattorov, who defeated Thai Dai Van Nguyen of the Czech Republic, and Hans Moke Niemann, who overcame India's Aravindh Chithambaram in a skillful display featuring a dangerous queen sacrifice. Sindarov secured a victory over Germany's Matthias Bluebaum. Abdusattorov and Niemann now lead with three points out of four, as the tournament promises further excitement with players vying for supremacy.