Tata Steel Chess Underway with US Champion Shankland in the Mix

  Tata Steel Chess (January 11-27) is currently underway in Wijk aan Zee, The Netherlands, with both World Champion Magnus Carlsen, and U.S. Champion Sam Shankland competing. Five-time World Champion Vishy Anand is currently sharing the lead with 1.5/2 with Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia.  Ding Liren, Anish Giri and Vladimir Kramnik are also in the mix. The 14-player round robin is a fan favorite since it often sees players on the cusp of the elite matching up against those entrenched in the top ten. Shankland began the event with two draws, against two of the most enterprising players in the World, Mamedyarov and Rapport. He faces Anand tomorrow on January 14th.

[pgn]

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Rapport, Richard"]
[Black "Shankland, Sam "]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "A07"]
[PlyCount "188"]
[SourceDate "2019.01.13"]
[SourceVersionDate "2019.01.13"]

1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 g6 3. Bg2 Bg7 4. O-O e5 5. d3 Nc6 6. e4 dxe4 7. dxe4 Qxd1 8.
Rxd1 Bg4 9. c3 Nf6 10. h3 Bd7 11. Re1 O-O-O 12. Na3 Ne8 13. c4 Bf8 14. Nc2 Be6
15. b3 Nb4 16. Nxb4 Bxb4 17. Rf1 f6 18. Be3 Ng7 19. c5 Rd3 20. Ne1 Rd7 21. c6
bxc6 22. Bxa7 Kb7 23. Be3 Ra8 24. Nf3 Bf7 25. Rfc1 Ne6 26. Bf1 Nd4 27. Kg2 c5
28. Bc4 Ba3 29. Rd1 Bxc4 30. bxc4 Kc6 31. Nh2 Rd6 32. Bh6 Kd7 33. Ng4 Ke6 34.
Rab1 Bb4 35. Ne3 c6 36. a3 Rxa3 37. Ra1 Nb3 38. Rxa3 Bxa3 39. Rxd6+ Kxd6 40.
Nc2 Bb2 41. Kf1 g5 42. Bf8+ Ke6 43. Ke2 Bd4 44. Ne1 Na5 45. Nd3 Nb7 46. f4 gxf4
47. gxf4 Kf7 48. Bh6 Nd6 49. fxe5 fxe5 50. Be3 Nxc4 51. Bf2 Ke7 52. Nxc5 Bxf2
53. Kxf2 Nb6 54. Kf3 Nd7 55. Nb7 c5 56. Ke3 Kf6 57. Nd6 Kg5 58. Kf3 Nb6 59.
Nf7+ Kf6 60. Nh6 Nd7 61. Nf5 Kg5 62. Nd6 Nb6 63. Nf7+ Kf6 64. Nh6 Ke6 65. Nf5
c4 66. Ke2 Kd7 67. Nh6 Kc6 68. Nf7 Nd7 69. Kd2 Kc5 70. Kc3 Nf6 71. Nxe5 Nxe4+
72. Kc2 Kd4 73. Nd7 Ke3 74. Nf8 h5 75. Ng6 Kf2 76. h4 Kg3 77. Kb2 Kg4 78. Kc2
Nd6 79. Kc3 Nf5 80. Ne5+ Kxh4 81. Kxc4 Kg3 82. Ng6 Kf3 83. Kd3 Ne7 84. Ne5+ Kg2
85. Nf7 h4 86. Ng5 Ng8 87. Ke3 Kg3 88. Ne4+ Kg2 89. Ng5 Kg3 90. Ne4+ Kh2 91.
Kf2 Nh6 92. Ng5 Ng4+ 93. Kf3 Ne5+ 94. Ke4 Kg2 1/2-1/2

[/pgn]

[pgn]

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shankland, Sam"]
[Black "Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C42"]
[PlyCount "108"]
[SourceDate "2019.01.13"]
[SourceVersionDate "2019.01.13"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. Bd3 Nf6 6. O-O Be7 7. c3 O-O 8.
Bc2 c5 9. d4 Be6 10. Re1 Re8 11. Bg5 Nbd7 12. Nbd2 Qb6 13. dxc5 dxc5 14. Bb3
Nf8 15. Bxe6 Nxe6 16. Qb3 Qxb3 17. axb3 Nxg5 18. Nxg5 a6 19. g3 Rad8 20. Nc4 h6
21. Nf3 Kf8 22. Kf1 Bd6 23. Na5 Rb8 24. Rxe8+ Kxe8 25. Re1+ Kf8 26. Rd1 Ke7 27.
Ne1 Bc7 28. Nc4 b5 29. Ne3 g6 30. Nd3 Bd6 31. Ra1 Rb6 32. c4 b4 33. Ke2 Ke6 34.
Ra5 Rc6 35. Nd5 Nd7 36. f4 f5 37. Kf3 Nf6 38. Ra1 Nxd5 39. Re1+ Ne3 40. Rxe3+
Kd7 41. g4 fxg4+ 42. Kxg4 Rc8 43. Rh3 Rh8 44. Kf3 Ke6 45. Ke4 Kf6 46. Ne5 Re8
47. Rf3 Bb8 48. h4 a5 49. Rf1 h5 50. Rf3 Bc7 51. Rf1 Rd8 52. Nf3 Re8+ 53. Ne5
Rd8 54. Nf3 Re8+ 1/2-1/2

[/pgn]

Follow the event on the official website at https://www.tatasteelchess.com/ and watch live here.