The Week in Chess

1. Jan Timman 1951-2026 - 1951-2026

   Jan Timman, the Dutch number one chess player for many years and World number two in January 1982, has passed away at the age of 74. Timman first qualified for an Interzonal in 1979 and was a Candidate between the years of 1986 and 1996. He fought a 24 game match for the FIDE World Chess Championship against Anatoly Karpov in 1993. His most impressive tournament win was the 1991 Immopar Rapid in Paris, this was a knockout where he beat Gata Kamsky, Anatoly Karpov, Viswanathan Anand, and Garry Kasparov. Timman was a very successful tournament player, especially in the 1980s and his career results are more than comparable with the legendary Bent Larsen. Timman had a Universal and varied style and at his best his games were of the very highest quality. He noted in his book Timman's Triumphs that there were frequently errors in conversion of advantages, even in his best games, and also noted too many dubious positions with black, these were the key downsides to his play. That games collection was just one of his many excellent books, he was also a renowned study composer. His last games were in the Dutch Championship in July 2024 where he lost to Erwin L'Ami in the first round of this knockout tournament. He announced that he was retired from over the board play in May 2025.

2. FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship 2026 - Games and Results

   The FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship took place in Wangels, Germany, Fri 13th Feb to Sun 15th Feb 2026. Time control 10m+5spm. Round Robin followed by KO. Carlsen won the all-play-all with 4.5/7 half a point clear of Caruana, Keymer and Abdusattorov and they played for the title over the weekend. Aronian, Erigaisi, Niemann and Sindarov played off for the minor placings.

   Magnus Carlsen beat Fabiano Caruana 2.5-1.5 in the final to win the title, he won game three.

   The games are available for download but I can't display them.

3. chess.com Speed Chess Final 2025 - Games and Results

   chess.com Speed Chess Final 2025 took place in person in London 7th to 8th February 2026. The was hosted by Chess.com's server. Magnus Carlsen won the event by defeating Denis Lazavik in the semifinals and Alireza Firouzja in the final. Lazavik beat Hikaru Nakamura to 3rd place.

4. 88th Tata Steel 2026 - Games and Results

   The 88th Tata Steel Chess tournament took place in Wijk aan Zee Fri 16th Jan to Sun 1st Feb 2026. Players: Masters: Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus, Aravindh Chithambaram, Hans Niemann, Vincent Keymer, Javokhir Sindarov, Jorden van Foreest, Arjun Erigaisi, Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, Van Nguyen Thai Dai, Gukesh Dommaraju, Anish Giri, Vladimir Fedoseev, Matthias Bluebaum and Nodirbek Abdusattorov.

   Challengers: Vasyl Ivanchuk, Marc Andria Maurizzi, Velimir Ivic, Erwin l'Ami, Bibisara Assaubayeva, Eline Roebers, Miaoyi Lu, Max Warmerdam, Panesar Vedant, Andy Woodward, Aydin Suleymanli, Faustino Oro, Daniil Yuffa and Carissa Yip.

   Nodirbek Abdusattorov won the Masters, Andy Woodward the Challengers and the top Amateur group was won by Christian Gloeckler. Woodward will play in the Masters next year and Gloeckler the Challengers.

5. Abdusattorov beats Erigaisi to win the Tata Steel Masters - 13

   Nodirbek Abdusattorov took clear first in the Tata Steel Masters 2026. This is his second major victor in a row after winning the London Chess Classic, that followed a disaster at the Sinquefield Cup in August last year where he finished last.

   Abdusattorov was unsurprisingly very happy to win this year having come so close to winning the tournament several times in recent years. He said winning this tournament was a childhood dream. Abdusattorov had a half point lead and he beat Arjun Erigaisi in convincing style on the black side of an Evans Gambit. The result relegated Erigaisi to 13th place a terrible result for a player of his class. Javokhir Sindarov managed to squeeze out a win against Thai Dai Van Nguyen and finished in clear second place. Jorden Van Foreest had good winning chances against Praggnanandhaa but failed to convert in the end, he was on the same score was Hans Moke Niemann and Vincent Keymer but took 3rd on tie-break.

   My thanks to Michiel Abeln for his help with notes and photos throughout the tournament.

   In the Challengers Andy Woodward won in the final round against Erwin L'Ami to qualify for next year's Masters event, his rivals for this place for much of the time were Marc'andria Maurizzi and Aydin Suleymanli but losses toward the end cost them. Instead it was Vasyl Ivanchuk who scored 6 wins and 2 draws in his final 8 rounds and he took second place half a point behind the winner.

   Final Standings Masters: 1st Nodirbek Abdusattorov 9pts, 2nd Javokhir Sindarov 8.5pts, 3rd Jorden Van Foreest 7.5pts, 4th Hans Moke Niemann 7.5pts, 5th Vincent Keymer 7.5pts, 6th Matthias Bluebaum 7pts, 7th Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus 7pts, 8th Anish Giri 6.5pts, 9th Vladimir Fedoseev 6.5pts, 10th D Gukesh 6.5pts, 11th R Praggnanandhaa 5.5pts, 12th Chithambaram V Aravindh 4.5pts, 13th Arjun Erigaisi 4.5pts, 14th Thai Dai Van Nguyen 3pts.

   Final Standings Challengers: 1st Andy Woodward 10pts, 2nd Vasyl Ivanchuk 9.5pts, 3rd Aydin Suleymanli 9pts, 4th Marc'andria Maurizzi 8pts, 5th Bibisara Assaubayeva 7.5pts, 6th Faustino Oro 7pts, 7th Carissa Yip 7pts, 8th Max Warmerdam 6.5pts, 9th Velimir Ivic 6pts, 10th Daniil Yuffa 5.5pts, 11th Erwin L'ami 5pts, 12th Vedant Panesar 4pts, 13th Miaoyi Lu 3.5pts, 14th Eline Roebers 2.5pts.

6. Abdusattorov takes a half point lead into the final round of the Tata Steel Masters - 12

   Nodirbek Abdusattorov beat Matthias Bluebaum in Round 12 of the Tata Steel Masters to take a half point lead into the final round of the Tata Steel Masters. Abdusattorov was sharing the lead with his fellow-countryman Javokhir Sindarov who took a quick draw against Praggnanandhaa, he has a final round game against Thai Dai Van Nguyen who has lost his last four rounds, but Nguyen has had winning positions in some of these games. Nguyen has clearly been outclassed but been very game, time trouble in coping with the problems he's been set has been a major issue. Nguyen qualified for this last year, he probably won't play such an event again I think he'll be motivated tomorrow. Abdusattorov faces Erigaisi in the final round, last year the same player ruined his chances in Round 12.

   This has been a brutal event with very few draws. Bluebaum has impressed and could have been leading but his game against Abdusattorov was settled by a very bad blunder. He was hardly alone, Hans Moke Niemann sacrificed a piece against Gukesh no doubt reasoning that he had to win, he was totally busted instead and somehow Gukesh allowed him to escape with a draw, twice, he messed it up, was given a final chance and missed that too.

   Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus recovered from two losses in a row by beating Vladimir Fedoseev, but his opponent probably hasn't played a worse game in a very long time. Anish Giri confessed to missing an awful lot in his draw against Chithambaram Vr. Aravindh. Vincent Keymer eventually beat Thai Dai Van Nguyen, he probably can't win the event but will be looking to win again against Gukesh.

   I was playing chess all day, my thanks to Michiel Abeln for the photos, most of the annotations and the basis of the summary below.

   Aydin Suleymanli leads on tie-break from Andy Woodward, both have 9pts, going into the final round of the Challengers, Vasyl Ivanchuk has an outside chance half a point further back. Woodward-L'Ami, Yuffa-Ivanchuk and Suleymanli-Ivic are the key pairings.

   Round 12 Standings: 1st Abdusattorov 8pts, 2nd Sindarov 7.5pts, 3rd= Niemann, Keymer, Van Foreest 7pts, 6th= Erdogmus, Bluebaum 6.5pts, 8th= Gukesh, Giri 6pts, 10th Fedoseev 5.5pts, 11th Praggnanandhaa 5pts, 12th= Aravindh, Erigaisi 4.5pts and 14th Nguyen 3pts.

   Round 13 Sat 1pm 31st Jan 2026. Erigaisi-Abdusattorov, Praggnanandhaa-Van Foreest, Nguyen-Sindarov, Gukesh-Keymer, Giri-Niemann, Fedoseev-Aravindh and Bluebaum-Erdogmus.

7. Sindarov joins Abdusattorov in the lead of the Tata Steel Masters with two rounds to go - 11

   Javokhir Sindarov won a sharp game against Arjun Erigaisi, Sindarov got a winning advantage on the run up to move 40 but things were still very tricky and it was only after 52.Re4? that he was winning. In the meantime the leader Nodirbek Abdusattorov had a calm draw against Jorden Van Foreest.

   Hans Moke Niemann took a huge amount of risks against the struggling Thai Dai Van Nguyen, although the engine says he was losing at various points Nguyen's desperate time trouble was enough to justify his approach. 40.f4? left Niemann winning, 42...b2? gave Nguyen a final chance but after 43.Kf2? he was lost.

   Anish Giri won a sharp calculating game against Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus, 23...Ba6? was the losing move. Vincent Keymer beat Praggnanandhaa, 25.Nd6? was the move that started the trouble.

   Vladimir Fedoseev and Matthias Bluebaum drew in 66 moves, it seemed pretty accurate. Gukesh couldn't convert a winning advantage against Chithambaram Aravindh.

   My thanks to Michiel Abeln for the photos and notes.

   In the Challengers Andy Woodward bounced back from his loss to Vasyl Ivanchuk to beat Marc'andria Maurizzi. Woodward leads on 8.5/11 by half a point from Vasyl Ivanchuk and Aydin Suleymanli. Ivanchuk beat Suleymanli today.

   Round 11 Standings: 1 Sindarov, Abdusattorov 7pts, 3 Niemann, Van Foreest, Bluebaum 6.5pts, 6 Keymer 6pts, 7 Erdogmus, Gukesh,Giri, Fedoseev 5.5pts, 11 Praggnanandhaa 4.5pts, 12 Aravindh, Erigaisi 4pts, 14 Nguyen 3pts.

   Round 12 Sat 1pm 31st Jan 2026. Abdusattorov-Bluebaum, Erdogmus-Fedoseev, Aravindh-Giri, Niemann-Gukesh, Keymer-Nguyen, Sindarov-Praggnanandhaa, Van Foreest-Erigaisi.

8. Abdusattorov leads on 6.5/10 Sindarov, Van Foreest and Bluebaum are in the chasing pack - 10

   Nodirbek Abdusattorov continues to lead the Tata Steel Masters by half a point after the tenth round. Abdusattorov hasn't won a game since Giri beat him in Round 8 but no-one has caught him yet, today there was a draw against Vladimir Fedoseev where both players enjoyed the advantage at one stage or another.

   Discussion today has centred around why there have been so many errors with both Keymer and Gukesh talking about it. A combination of the youth and ambition of the field combined with the first time control with no increment has probably contributed.

   In second place Jorden Van Foreest and Javokhir Sindarov played each other and drew a well played game, they're now joined by Matthias Bluebaum who was confronted with an aggressive Anish Giri who played the Modern Defence, Giri was doing fine according to the engine until 15...h5? which relied on a cute tactical point that actually fails on move 21, long line wrong line as Larsen used to say.

   14 year old Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus seemed to be making a run but was upset today by World Champion Gukesh, that said Gukesh avoided a likely draw with 24...Bb3 with another long sequence that was actually wrong, the quiet 28.Rad1 would have won for Erdogmus, as it was he lost an endgame.

   In the battle of the tail-enders Chithambaram Aravindh won a game against Thai Dai Van Nguyen where he was completely busted for some time. Vincent Keymer beat Arjun Erigaisi in a game where the Indian played a poor opening and just suffered until he lost. Hans Niemann had a brief chance against Praggnanandhaa but didn't take advantage and drew again.

   My thanks to Michiel Abeln for five annotated games and the photos.

   Aydin Suleymanli leads the Challengers, he beat Daniil Yuffa whilst previous leader Andy Woodward ran into the curse of Vasyl Ivanchuk.

   Round 10 Standings: 1st Abdusattorov 6.5pts, 2nd= Sindarov, Van Foreest, Bluebaum 6pts, 5th= Erdogmus, Niemann 5.5pts, 7th= Keymer, Gukesh, Fedoseev 5pts, 10th= Praggnanandhaa, Giri 4.5pts, 12th Erigaisi 4pts, 13th Aravindh 3.5pts, 14th Nguyen 3pts

   Final Rest Day Thurs 10th Jan

   Round 11 Fri 30th 1pm Jan 2026: Van Foreest-Abdusattorov, Erigaisi-Sindarov, Praggnanandhaa-Keymer, Nguyen-Niemann, Gukesh-Aravindh, Giri-Erdogmus, Fedoseev-Bluebaum.