88th Tata Steel Chess 2026 Round 8: World Champion D Gukesh Makes a Strong Comeback
Round 8 of the 88th Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2026 delivered thrilling games and major shifts in the standings.
Anish Giri handed Nodirbek Abdusattorov his first loss of the tournament. Abdusattorov chose an aggressive approach instead of playing safe despite leading the event. Giri gained a comfortable position by move 20 and slowly increased the pressure. The Dutch grandmaster finished the game brilliantly and ended Abdusattorov’s unbeaten run.
World Champion D Gukesh bounced back in style. He defeated Vladimir Fedoseev with a powerful and confident performance. Gukesh seized his chance after a critical mistake by Fedoseev and closed the game decisively. This win brought Gukesh back into the race after earlier setbacks.
Several games ended in hard-fought draws. Aravindh Chithambaram drew against Arjun Erigaisi in a long and intense battle.
R Praggnanandhaa shared the point with young star Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus. Matthias Bluebaum could not convert his advantage and drew with Thai Dai Van Nguyen.
In the Challengers section, the leaders stayed strong. Marc’Andria Maurizzi and Andy Woodward both won their games to remain joint leaders. Indian youngster Vedant Panesar impressed everyone by defending a tough 139-move draw against Daniil Yuffa.
After Round 8, Abdusattorov still leads the Masters with 5.5 points. Javokhir Sindarov follows closely with 5 points. Several top players, including Gukesh and Giri, remain within striking distance.
Round 8 was followed by a rest day. Round 9 begins on Tuesday, January 27, at 2:00 PM local time and 6:30 PM IST. Fans can expect more exciting battles as the tournament enters its crucial phase.
Photos: Lennart Ootes
Source: Chessbase.in
