88th Tata Steel 2026 R2: Sindarov misses big against Giri

by Shahid Ahmed - 19/01/2026

R Praggnanandhaa had a rough start at 88th Tata Steel Masters 2026. He lost his second consecutive game. This time against Nodirbek Abdusattorov (UZB). Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus (TUR) had one solitary opportunity against Aravindh Chithambaram. The former could not capitalize on it due to being low on time. World Champion, D Gukesh and World no.5, Arjun Erigaisi drew their respective games against Tata Steel 2021 winner, Jorden van Foreest (NED) and Czech Republic no.1, Thai Dai Van Nguyen. Vladimir Fedoseev (SLO) bounced back with a win over the World no.4, Vincent Keymer (GER). Round 3 starts today at 2 p.m. local time, 6:30 p.m. IST for both Masters and Challengers section. Photo: Lennart Ootes / Tata Steel Chess

Praggnanandhaa loses two in-a-row

The second round witnessed two decisive games in the Masters and four in the Challengers section. IM Faustino Oro (ARG) scored a win against GM Erwin l'Ami (NED).

Gukesh - Jorden: 0.5-0.5

The reigning World Champion, D Gukesh (2754) and Tata Steel 2021 winner, Jorden van Foreest (NED, 2703) played five Classical rated games against each other. Three of them ended in draws and Gukesh won two. Gukesh had the black pieces in all five of them. First time, he had white pieces against Jorden in a Classical battle. It ended in a draw.

D Gukesh - Jorden van Foreest (NED): 0.5-0.5 | Photo: Jurriaan Hoefsmit / Tata Steel Chess

Giri - Sindarov: 0.5-0.5

FIDE Grand Swiss 2025 winner, Anish Giri (NED, 2760) and FIDE World Cup 2025 winner, Javokhir Sindarov (UZB, 2726) played only once at Qatar Masters in 2023. It had ended in a draw. This time also the result was the same. However, Giri blundered in the pawn endgame and created a winning opportunity for his opponent.

Position after 38...Kf5

39.Ke2 or Kf2 would have been fine for White. 39.c5?? certainly creates a passed pawn on the c-file. However, it is losing for White after 39...bxc5-+ 40.bxc5 Ke6 41.f4 a5?? instead 41...f6 would have maintained the decisive advantage for Black. 42.c6= and White managed to get away with a draw.

Javokhir Sindarov (UZB) cannot believe what he missed against Anish Giri (NED)| Photo: Lennart Ootes / Tata Steel Chess

Abdusattorov - Praggnanandhaa: 1-0

Nodirbek Abdusattorov (UZB, 2751) and R Praggnanandhaa (2758) have played a dozen Classical rated games against each other since 2014. Praggnanandhaa had won four and the remaining eight ended in draws. This was Abdusattorov's first win over Praggnanandhaa in a Classical time control as the latter went wrong in the rook endgame.

Nodirbek Abdusattorov - R Praggnanandhaa, Commentary by IM Sagar Shah | Video: ChessBase India

Nodirbek Abdusattorov (UZB) scored his first Classical win over R Praggnanandhaa | Photo: Jurriaan Hoefsmit / Tata Steel Chess

Thai Dai Van - Arjun: 0.5-0.5

The Czech Republic no.1, Thai Dai Van Nguyen (CZE, 2656) and Arjun Erigaisi (2775) played two Classical rated games against each other. Both of them ended in draws. One of those were at Tata Steel Challengers 2022. Their third Classical battle against each other also ended in a draw.

Thai Dai Van Nguyen (CZE) - Arjun Erigaisi (pictured): 0.5-0.5 | Photo: Prajwal Bhat

Slovenia no.1 Vladimir Fedoseev bounced back with a win against the World no.4 - Vincent Keymer (GER) | Photo: Jurriaan Hoefsmit / Tata Steel Chess

Aravindh Chithambaram and Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus analyze their game | Video: ChessBase India

Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus (TUR) had one solitary chance against Aravindh Chithambaram which the former could not capitalize due to time trouble and the game ended in a draw | Photo: Jurriaan Hoefsmit / Tata Steel Chess

Round 2 in progress | Photo: Jurriaan Hoefsmit / Tata Steel Chess

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Replay Round 2 live commentary by IM Sagar Shah, Amruta Mokal and GM Harshit Raja | Video: ChessBase India

Replay Round 2 Masters games

Replay Round 2 Challengers games

Masters Round 2 results

Bo.	No.	Rtg		White	Result		Black	Rtg	No.
1	14	2751	GM	Abdusattorov, Nodirbek	1 - 0	GM	Praggnanandhaa, R	2758	8
2	9	2656	GM	Nguyen, Thai Dai Van	½ - ½	GM	Erigaisi, Arjun	2775	7
3	10	2754	GM	Gukesh, D	½ - ½	GM	Van Foreest, Jorden	2703	6
4	11	2760	GM	Giri, Anish	½ - ½	GM	Sindarov, Javokhir	2726	5
5	12	2705	GM	Fedoseev, Vladimir	1 - 0	GM	Keymer, Vincent	2776	4
6	13	2679	GM	Bluebaum, Matthias	½ - ½	GM	Niemann, Hans Moke	2725	3
7	1	2658	GM	Erdogmus, Yagiz Kaan	½ - ½	GM	Aravindh, Chithambaram Vr.	2700	2

Details

Standings after Round 2

Rk.	SNo		Name	FED	Rtg	TB1
1	3	GM	Niemann, Hans Moke	USA	2725	1,5
	7	GM	Erigaisi, Arjun	IND	2775	1,5
	14	GM	Abdusattorov, Nodirbek	UZB	2751	1,5
4	1	GM	Erdogmus, Yagiz Kaan	TUR	2658	1
	2	GM	Aravindh, Chithambaram Vr.	IND	2700	1
	4	GM	Keymer, Vincent	GER	2776	1
	5	GM	Sindarov, Javokhir	UZB	2726	1
	6	GM	Van Foreest, Jorden	NED	2703	1
	9	GM	Nguyen, Thai Dai Van	CZE	2656	1
	10	GM	Gukesh, D	IND	2754	1
	12	GM	Fedoseev, Vladimir	SLO	2705	1
	13	GM	Bluebaum, Matthias	GER	2679	1
13	11	GM	Giri, Anish	NED	2760	0,5
14	8	GM	Praggnanandhaa, R	IND	2758	0

Details

Round 3 pairings

Bo.	No.	Rtg		White	Result		Black	Rtg	No.
1	2	2700	GM	Aravindh, Chithambaram Vr.		GM	Abdusattorov, Nodirbek	2751	14
2	3	2725	GM	Niemann, Hans Moke		GM	Erdogmus, Yagiz Kaan	2658	1
3	4	2776	GM	Keymer, Vincent		GM	Bluebaum, Matthias	2679	13
4	5	2726	GM	Sindarov, Javokhir		GM	Fedoseev, Vladimir	2705	12
5	6	2703	GM	Van Foreest, Jorden		GM	Giri, Anish	2760	11
6	7	2775	GM	Erigaisi, Arjun		GM	Gukesh, D	2754	10
7	8	2758	GM	Praggnanandhaa, R		GM	Nguyen, Thai Dai Van	2656	9

Details

Challengers Round 2 results

Bo.	No.	Rtg		White	Result		Black	Rtg	No.
1	14	2466	IM	Yip, Carissa	1 - 0	GM	Warmerdam, Max	2576	8
2	9	2406	FM	Panesar, Vedant	0 - 1	IM	Lu, Miaoyi	2431	7
3	10	2608	GM	Woodward, Andy	1 - 0	IM	Roebers, Eline	2398	6
4	11	2628	GM	Suleymanli, Aydin	½ - ½	GM	Assaubayeva, Bibisara	2497	5
5	12	2516	IM	Oro, Faustino	1 - 0	GM	L'ami, Erwin	2634	4
6	13	2604	GM	Yuffa, Daniil	½ - ½	GM	Ivic, Velimir	2638	3
7	1	2605	GM	Ivanchuk, Vasyl	½ - ½	GM	Maurizzi, Marcandria	2611	2

Details

Standings after Round 2

Rk.	SNo		Name	FED	Rtg	TB1
1	7	IM	Lu, Miaoyi	CHN	2431	2
2	5	GM	Assaubayeva, Bibisara	KAZ	2497	1,5
	11	GM	Suleymanli, Aydin	AZE	2628	1,5
	12	IM	Oro, Faustino	ARG	2516	1,5
	14	IM	Yip, Carissa	USA	2466	1,5
6	1	GM	Ivanchuk, Vasyl	UKR	2605	1
	2	GM	Maurizzi, Marcandria	FRA	2611	1
	3	GM	Ivic, Velimir	SRB	2638	1
	9	FM	Panesar, Vedant	IND	2406	1
	10	GM	Woodward, Andy	USA	2608	1
	13	GM	Yuffa, Daniil	ESP	2604	1
12	4	GM	L'ami, Erwin	NED	2634	0
	6	IM	Roebers, Eline	NED	2398	0
	8	GM	Warmerdam, Max	NED	2576	0

Details

Round 3 pairings

Bo.	No.	Rtg		White	Result		Black	Rtg	No.
1	2	2611	GM	Maurizzi, Marcandria		IM	Yip, Carissa	2466	14
2	3	2638	GM	Ivic, Velimir		GM	Ivanchuk, Vasyl	2605	1
3	4	2634	GM	L'ami, Erwin		GM	Yuffa, Daniil	2604	13
4	5	2497	GM	Assaubayeva, Bibisara		IM	Oro, Faustino	2516	12
5	6	2398	IM	Roebers, Eline		GM	Suleymanli, Aydin	2628	11
6	7	2431	IM	Lu, Miaoyi		GM	Woodward, Andy	2608	10
7	8	2576	GM	Warmerdam, Max		FM	Panesar, Vedant	2406	9