Chess: Uzbek pair share narrow half-point lead as Wijk aan Zee reaches final weekend
Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Javokhir Sindarov lead the 14-man field, but their closest rivals are all only half a point behind with two rounds to go
Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Javokhir Sindarov are just half a point ahead of their closest three rivals as the “chess Wimbledon” at Tata Steel Wijk aan Zee heads into its final two rounds this weekend. Abdusattorov was the clear leader, but he has drawn three and lost one of his last four games.
Leading scores after 11 of the 13 rounds are Abdusattorov and Sindarov 7, Matthias Blübaum (Germany), Jorden van Foreest (Netherlands) and Hans Niemann (US) 6.5, Vincent Keymer (Germany) 6, Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus (Turkey), Gukesh Dommaraju (India), Vladimir Fedoseev (Slovenia) and Anish Giri (Netherlands) 5.5.
Erdogmus, 14, has already set multiple age records. He is the best 12-, 13- and 14-year-old in chess history. He is the youngest ever 2600-rated player, and is now closing in on the 2700 mark, where he would beat the previous records set by China’s Wei Yi at 15 years nine months and Magnus Carlsen at 16 years four months.
He has a wealthy sponsor, and is coached by the elite GM Shakhriyar Mamedyarov. His playing style is a well-organised mix of strategy and tactics, and he has already played the “Turkish Immortal” game at the 2025 Fide Grand Swiss. Erdogmus looks increasingly like a player who will dominate world chess in the 2030s.
On Wednesday, for a brief moment, it could have been even better. In his game with Gukesh, Erdogmus missed a beautiful hidden win at move 28 which would have taken him into a share of the tournament lead and also made him the youngest ever to defeat a reigning world champion.
Erdogmus has his own characteristic stance when seated at the board, which the commentator Simon Williams called his “death sway”. Long ago in the mid-20th century, the English master and author Gerald Abrahams had a similar action, but he swayed from side to side in a Talmudic shuckling movement that was irreverently nicknamed the “runaway rocking horse”.
As for Gukesh, he has become a player of ups and downs. The most crushing down was against Abdusattorov.
Gukesh blundered fatally by 36…Rg5?? allowing 37 Qxf6+ and 38 Qxg5+, winning a rook with check. The decisive moment was caught on video, as the grief-stricken Indian buried his head in his hands and could not bear to look at the board.
Two days on, after also losing his next game then winning in fine style in round eight, Gukesh took a more philosophical view. He said: “I cannot explain what happened. These kinds of blunders are easier to handle than something you can explain. So this just happens. Shit happens!”
The worst ever blunder by a reigning world champion was probably when Vladimir Kramnik allowed checkmate in one by the computer Deep Fritz in their 2006 match, played during the few years when humans and chess engines were of approximately equal strength.
After 11 of the 13 rounds in the Challengers, whose winner qualifies for the 2027 Masters, four players have broken clear of the field: Andy Woodward (US) leads with 8.5, followed by Aylin Suleymanli (Azerbaijan) and Vasyl Ivanchuk (Ukraine) 8, and Marc’Andria Maurizzi (France) 7.5. The youngest competitor, Argentina’s Faustino Oro, aged 12, has 6.
Wijk aan Zee continues daily at 1pm GMT. The 13th and final round, including any required playoff for first prize, will be on Sunday. Games can be followed live and free on lichess, chess.com, and the official site, where the commentators are England’s GM Simon Williams and IM Jovanka Houska.
4009: 1 Rxg7+! Kxg7 2 Nh5+ Kh6 3 Qxf6+ Kxh5 4 g4+! Kxg4 5 Rd4+ Kh5 6 Rh4 mate.