Tata Steel Masters 2024: Day 1 Recap

The 86th edition of the Tata Steel Chess Tournament opened with a gong by Alderman Niek Wijmenga of the municipality of Beverwijk. Until Sunday January 28, Wijk aan Zee will once again be the global center of chess.

The participants of the year’s first major tournament started right off the gate. The first round of the competition produced four victories, all scored by Black. The winners, Anish Giri, Ian Nepomniachtchi, Alireza Firouzja and Wei Yi, took an early lead in the race.

Warmerdam – Nepomniachtchi | 0-1, 29 moves

The first game with classical time control between the opponents saw a trendy line of the Queen’s Gambit Accepted, leading to an unbalanced position with opposite-side castling.

White unforcedly weakened his kingside with 20. g3? and after the inauspicious Rd4-h4 manoeuvre came under a crushing attack. Ian swiftly wrapped it up and scored a full point.

Alexander Donchenko – Wei Yi | 0-1, 36 moves

After Black comfortably equalized in the King’s Indian and even emerged slightly better, Alexander ventured upon a tempting exchange sacrifice for which he did not get sufficient compensation.

19. Rxd4? There was no need for such drastic actions. After 19. Qd3 Nxb5 20. axb5 Qxb5 21. Rfe1 Bd4 Black is slightly better but hardly more.

Wei Yi timely advanced the kingside pawns, forced the exchange of queens and converted his extra material.

Jorden van Foreest – Alireza Firouzja | 0-1, 37 moves

Alireza put some pressure on his opponent in an equal endgame that emerged from the French Defence, but up to a certain point, Jorden was holding his ground. Unluckily for the Tata Steel Masters 2021 winner, he made a dreadful mistake on move 36 that cost him the game.

36. Kd3! was the only move saving the game (36…e2 37. Kd2 Bxg2 38. Nd4 Ke8 39. c5 Bd5 40. c6 e1=Q+ 41. Kxe1 Rxa2). 36.Nd4?, played by Van Foreest, failed to 36…Be4! 37.c5 Rd2 0-1

Vidit Gujrathi – Ding Liren

Vidit introduced a strong novelty on move 12 in a topical line of the Nimzo-Indian and exerted considerable pressure on Black’s position. Trying to disentangle himself, the World Champion sacrificed a pawn with 20…b5!?

White should have maintained the pressure with 21.Rad1, but instead, Vidit accepted the sacrifice with 21. axb5 axb5 22. Nxf6 Nxf6 23.Nxb5 Qb8! which gave Black a sufficient counterplay. Massive exchanges followed, and the opponents split a point in an equal rook endgame.

Gukesh D – Nodirbek Abdusattorov | ½-½, 37 moves

The opponents demonstrated impressive opening preparation in the Two Knight Defence. White tried to engineer an attack on the kingside by advancing his g-pawn, but Black boldly sacrificed a piece and got adequate compensation.

After some exciting complications White emerged with three minor pieces for his queen in a roughly equal position. Both displayed great accuracy in subsequent play, and a draw by perpetual came as a logical outcome.

Praggnanandhaa R – Parham Maghsoodloo | ½-½ , 44 moves

The young Indian sacrificed two pawns in a sharp line of the Najdorf, but Maghsoodloo was up to the challenge. After trading inaccuracies on moves 22 and 23, the opponents liquidated into an equal endgame in which they shook hands on move 44.

Ju Wenjun – Anish Giri | 0-1, 80 moves

The Women’s World Champion obtained a serious advantage in the King’s Indian Attack but proceeded a bit slowly. Anish sacrificed an exchange but got sufficient compensation thanks to pawn weaknesses in White’s camp. Somewhat surprisingly, he decided to trade queens but gave his opponent a chance to get the upper hand. However, Ju missed this opportunity and it was equal again. Several moves down the road, she overlooked a bishop manoeuvre and opted to return an exchange, liquidating into a rook ending. Although the endgame was equal, White had to avoid several pitfalls. Unfortunately for Ju, she eventually stumbled.

53. Kf3? This natural move proved to be the decisive mistake, whereas after 53. Kh3! hxg5 54. Rxe5 White could have saved the game.

As played, Anish slowly but surely got to f5-pawn and sealed the deal on move 80.

Standings after Round 1:

Photos: Jurriaan Hoefsmit and Lennart Ootes – Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2024

Official website: tatasteelchess.com