Woodward Keeps Share of Lead in Tata Steel Challengers

Headed into the second rest day, GM Andy Woodward still holds a share of the lead at Tata Steel in the Challengers section. GM Hans Niemann scored only ½/3 in the second leg of the Masters, but is still tied for third and only a point behind the leader.

Andy Woodward's 6½/8 start in Wijk aan Zee puts him in a tie for first. (All photos courtesy Tata Steel/Lennart Ootes)

Play resumes Tuesday at 9 a.m. CST for Round 9, with Round 10 the following day. Then, after Thursday’s final rest day, the final three rounds begin Friday and carry on through the weekend. Read our report on the first five rounds here.

The highlight of the tournament so far was the Round 6 match-up between Woodward and fellow American IM Carissa Yip, and the only intra-American match this year in Wijk aan Zee did not disappoint.

Woodward - Yip — It's all smiles until the clock starts!

Woodward jumped out to an advantage early, but Yip was able to equalize in mutual time pressure just before the time control. The first 40 moves are played with a time control of two hours per side but no increment, and then on move 40 both players receive an additional 30 minutes plus 30 seconds per move for the rest of the game.

From there, the game remained equal for the next 80 or so moves. But, over those several hours, Woodward kept grinding, looking for any advantage. Finally, in a position where her options were narrowing, Yip slipped:

After a draw with Azeri GM Aydin Suleymanli, Woodward took down 12-year-old phenomenon IM Faustino Oro, of Argentina, for his fifth win in eight rounds:

Woodward (R) against Oro in Round 8.

The win would have been good for sole first if not for the national French champion GM Marc’Andria Maurizzi, who blazed through the second leg with a 3/3 score. All three games are worth review, beginning with a tactical victory against Kazakhstan’s GM Bibisara Assaubayeva:

Maurizzi then found himself in trouble against Duch IM Eline Roebers, but, as often happens, one blunder led to another:

Marc'andria Maurizzi against Eline Roebers in Round 7.

Finally, a positional domination over Chinese IM Lu Miaoyi completed the hat trick:

After a hot start with three wins in five rounds before her heartbreaking loss in the seventh hour against Woodward, Yip lost another game, in Round 8, to Suleymanli:

This was her third loss (including a third-round loss to Maurizzi), moving her down to an even 4/8 score. But, considering that five of her opponents so far have been rated over 2600 FIDE, she is still currently ahead 13 rating points for her 2588 performance.

Uzbekistan is still on top in the Masters, with GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov currently in sole first with 5½/8, a half-point ahead of his Olympiad teammate GM Javokhir Sindarov. Sindarov drew all three games in the second leg, while Abdusattorov put up three decisive results in a row.

Abdusattorov after his fourth win (but before his first loss!).

Abdusattorov kicked off the second leg with a win against GM Gukesh Dommaraju, after a shocking blunder from the world champion.

Abdusattorov looked to be running away with the tournament after showing the meaning of “better bishops” against German GM Vincent Keymer the next round:

But then Dutch GM Anish Giri, who was recovering from a pair of early losses, took down Gukesh and Abdusattorov in consecutive rounds to regain equilibrium and keep the tournament tight.

Niemann entered the second leg with a share of the lead, but a loss in Round 6 to Keymer knocked him back in the standings.

Keymer took the initiative early against Niemann and never looked back.

Niemann is now in a three-way tie for third with van Foreest and Turkish GM Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus, whose win over India’s highest-rated player, GM Arjun Erigaisi, was a thing of beauty:

Prophetic image? The 14-year-old Yagiz Kaan Erdogmas sits on a throne after Round 7.

Tomorrow, Sindarov has the white pieces against Abdusattorov in the Masters’ most significant game for the standings, while Niemann defends as Black against Arjun. Woodward plays as White against Spanish GM Daniil Yuffa in the Challengers, and Yip is Black against Assaubayeva.