88th Tata Steel 2026 R5: Gukesh scores his first win

by Shahid Ahmed - 22/01/2026

The World Champion, D Gukesh scored his first win at 88th Tata Steel Masters 2026 in Round 5. He defeated last year's Challengers event winner - Thai Dai Van Nguyen (CZE). Gukesh made a nice exchange sacrifice in the endgame and then he converted his advantage smoothly. FIDE World Cup 2025 winner, Javokhir Sindarov (UZB) scored his second consecutive win of the event to join the lead. The coleaders - Hans Niemann (USA) and Nodirbek Abdusattorov (UZB) drew their game against each other. Thus, Hans, Sindarov and Abdusattorov are in a three-way lead 3.5/5 each. Today is the first of three rest days. Round 6 starts tomorrow Friday 23rd January at 2 p.m. local time, 6:30 p.m. IST for both Masters and Challengers section. Photo: Lennart Ootes / Tata Steel Chess

Challengers: Oro and Woodward join Suleymanli at the top

R Praggnanandhaa drew his game against Anish Giri (NED). Arjun Erigaisi suffered a loss against Vladimir Fedoseev (SLO) for the second consecutive year at this event. The Challengers section witnessed four decisive games. GM Andy Woodward (USA) and IM Faustino Oro (ARG) won their respective games against FM Vedant Panesar and IM Miaoyi Lu (CHN). Thus, Woodward and Oro have joined GM Aydin Suleymanli (AZE) in the lead 4/5 each.

World Champion - D Gukesh scored his first win of the event in the fifth round | Photo: Lennart Ootes / Tata Steel Chess

Thai Dai Van - Gukesh: 0-1

The Czech Republic no.1, Thai Dai Van Nguyen (2656) and the World Champion, D Gukesh (2754) have faced each other twice in Classical rated games. The first one ended in a draw and Gukesh won the second battle. The third one also went in favor of Gukesh. In all three games, Gukesh had the black pieces.

Position after 32...Be1

Black made an excellent exchange sacrifice 32...Be1! 33.Bxc6 Bxf2+ 34.Kg2 Rxc6 35.Rc3?? Bd4-+ 36.Rf3 Ne5 37.Rf4 Rxc4 soon White returned the exchange but the evaluation of the position did not change in the resultant rook and knight endgame.

D Gukesh analyzes his game | Video: Tata Steel Chess Tournament

World Champion, D Gukesh en route his first win of the event against Thai Dai Van Nguyen (VIE) as Nodirbek Abdusattorov (UZB) glances | Photo: Lennart Ootes / Tata Steel Chess

Javokhir Sindarov (UZB) capitalized on Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus' (TUR) both mistakes in the endgame | Photo: Lennart Ootes / Tata Steel Chess

Vincent Keymer (GER) analyzes his win against Aravindh Chithambaram | Video: Tata Steel Chess Tournament

Vincent Keymer (GER) won a sharp battle against Aravindh Chithambaram | Photo: Lennart Ootes / Tata Steel Chess

Praggnanandhaa - Giri: 0.5-0.5

R Praggnanandhaa (2758) and Anish Giri (NED, 2760) have faced each other eight times in Classical rated games before this. Praggnanandhaa won one, Giri two and the remaining five games ended in draws. Out of them four times they played at Tata Steel Masters, thrice it ended in draws and Giri won once. Their ninth battle also ended in a draw, although it was Giri who had a tiny sliver of an opportunity in the major piece endgame.

Both R Praggnanandhaa and Giri are still in search of their first win of the event | Photo: Lennart Ootes / Tata Steel Chess

The coleaders - Hans Niemann (USA) and Nodirbek Abdusattorov (UZB) played a well contested draw | Photo: Lennart Ootes / Tata Steel Chess

Arjun - Fedoseev: 0-1

Arjun Erigaisi (2775) played five Classical rated games against Vladimir Fedoseev (SLO, 2705). Both of them won a game each and the remaining three ended in draws. Fedoseev repeated the same result as last year at the very same event against Arjun.

Position after 29...Rc3

White had to play 30.d7 to stay in the fight. 30.Ba2?? invited trouble Qe3-+ White lost material in the next few moves and the game eventually.

Vladimir Fedoseev (SLO) analyzes his win against Arjun Erigaisi | Video: Tata Steel Chess Tournament

Vladimir Fedoseev (SLO) defeated Arjun Erigaisi for the second year in-a-row at Tata Steel Masters | Photo: Lennart Ootes / Tata Steel Chess

Challengers: IM Faustino Oro (ARG) defeated IM Miaoyi Lu (CHN) to join the lead 4/5 | Photo: Lennart Ootes / Tata Steel Chess

GM Andy Woodward (USA) won against FM Vedant Panesar to also join the lead 4/5 | Photo: Lennart Ootes / Tata Steel Chess

IM Eline Roebers (NED) analyzes her win over GM Daniil Yuffa (ESP) | Video: Tata Steel Chess Tournament

IM Eline Roebers (NED) scored her first win of the event against GM Daniil Yuffa (ESP) after suffering four losses | Photo: Lennart Ootes / Tata Steel Chess

Dutch professional footballer - Danny Baker sounded the gong to signal the start of Round 5 | Photo: Lennart Ootes / Tata Steel Chess

Watch Live stream

Replay Round 5 live commentary by IM Sagar Shah, Amruta Mokal and IM Soumya Swaminathan | Video: ChessBase India

Replay Round 5 Masters games

Replay Round 5 Challengers games

Masters Round 5 results

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

Details

Standings after Round 5

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

Details

Round 6 pairings

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

Details

Challengers Round 5 results

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

Details

Standings after Round 5

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

Details

Round 6 pairings

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