Uzbek grandmaster Nodirbek Abdusattorov won the 88th Tata Steel Chess Masters on his fourth attempt, securing victory with a final-round win over India's Arjun Erigaisi. His compatriot Javokhir Sindarov finished second, highlighting Uzbekistan's rising dominance in chess. Indian players, including world champion D Gukesh, faced disappointment with poor results and rating losses.
The Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2026, held in the Dutch seaside town of Wijk aan Zee from January 16 to February 1, concluded with a triumphant performance by 21-year-old Nodirbek Abdusattorov. Entering the final round tied with four others, Abdusattorov defeated Erigaisi with black pieces to reach 9 out of 13 points, comprising six wins, six draws, and one loss. This marked his breakthrough after near-misses: second in 2023 and third in 2024 and 2025.
Abdusattorov, the 2021 FIDE World Rapid Champion and part of Uzbekistan's 2022 Chess Olympiad gold-winning team, called the win a childhood dream realized. "I can’t express my happiness with words. It was a long way for me," he said. "I had a dream to win this tournament when I was a kid and finally my dream came true. I just told myself: 'Don't let it slip this year.'"
Sindarov, the unbeaten 2025 FIDE World Cup winner, scored 8.5 points for second place with four wins and nine draws. The Uzbek duo's success underscored a growing rivalry with India, where players like Gukesh (6.5 points, joint eighth), R Praggnanandhaa (5.5), Erigaisi (4.5), and Aravindh Chithambaram (4.5) managed only six wins in 52 games. The Indians lost a combined 69 FIDE rating points: Erigaisi 30, Praggnanandhaa 17, Aravindh 16, and Gukesh 6.
In the Challengers section, 15-year-old American Andy Woodward won with 9 points, earning a spot in the 2027 Masters, ahead of Vasyl Ivanchuk (8.5) and Aydin Suleymanli (also in contention until the end).
The event drew record viewership, with 500,000 to 800,000 daily streams and peaks near 1 million, bolstered by live analysis from venues like Dorpshuis De Moriaan and Café de Zon. It began with environmental protests against sponsor Tata Steel but proceeded as a chess highlight. Tournament director Jeroen van den Berg praised Abdusattorov's consistency and announced the 89th edition for January 15-31, 2027.
This outcome signals challenges ahead for India, especially with the Olympiad in Samarkand later in 2026, where they face Uzbekistan again.