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Tata Steel Masters (2021) The 2021 Tata Steel Masters was a 14-player single round-robin held from 16-31 January at De Moriaan in Wijk aan Zee, the Netherlands. Rest days: 20, 25 and 28 January. World Champion Magnus Carlsen was again heading the field, which included Top 10 stars Vachier-Lagrave and Caruana, as well as young stars Firouzja and Esipenko. Time control: 100 minutes for the first 40 moves, then 50 more minutes for the next 20 moves, then 15 more minutes to finish the game, with 30 seconds added per move from move 1. If a tie for first place between two players there would be two Blitz playoff games (5 min + 3 sec), and if necessary an Armageddon game (5 vs 4 min, with 3 sec added per move from move 60). If a tie between three or more players the ones to play the Blitz playoff would be decided by 1) mutual result, 2) Sonneborn-Berger score, 3) N games with black, 4) drawing of lots. Tournament director: Jeroen van den Berg. Chief arbiter: Pavel Votruba. N games played: 91 + 3 = 94. Jorden van Foreest won with 8.5/11, after he beat Giri in the Armageddon playoff game (see Tata Steel Masters Playoff (2021)). Age Elo 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 1 Van Foreest 21 2671 * ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 1 ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ 8½ 2 Giri 26 2764 ½ * ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 8½ 3 Esipenko 18 2677 ½ ½ * ½ ½ 1 ½ 0 ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 1 8 4 Caruana 28 2823 ½ ½ ½ * ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 1 8 5 Firouzja 17 2749 ½ ½ ½ ½ * 0 1 ½ ½ 1 1 ½ ½ 1 8 6 Carlsen 30 2862 ½ ½ 0 ½ 1 * ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 7½ 7 Harikrishna 34 2732 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ * ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 6½ 8 Tari 21 2625 0 0 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ * ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 6 9 Grandelius 27 2663 0 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 0 ½ * 1 ½ ½ 1 1 6 10 Duda 22 2743 ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 * ½ ½ ½ ½ 5½ 11 Anton 25 2679 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ * ½ ½ ½ 5 12 Wojtaszek 34 2705 ½ 0 0 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ * ½ ½ 5 13 Vachier-Lagrave 30 2784 ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ * 1 5 14 Donchenko 22 2668 ½ ½ 0 0 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 * 3½ Official site: https://tatasteelchess.com/ Regulations: https://tatasteelchess.com/about/to... Chess.com: https://www.chess.com/news/view/jor... ChessBase: https://en.chessbase.com/post/tata-... Chess24: https://chess24.com/en/watch/live-t... TWIC: https://theweekinchess.com/chessnew... FIDE: https://ratings.fide.com/tournament... Previous: Tata Steel Masters (2020). Next: 84th Tata Steel Masters (2022). The side events (Challengers, Qualifiers, etc.) were cancelled due to Coronavirus restrictions.  page 1 of 4; games 1-25 of 91  Game   Result Moves Year Event/Locale Opening 1. Harikrishna vs Vachier-Lagrave ½-½ 64 2021 Tata Steel Masters B90 Sicilian, Najdorf 2. Wojtaszek vs D Anton Guijarro   ½-½ 67 2021 Tata Steel Masters E10 Queen's Pawn Game 3. Carlsen vs Firouzja 1-0 40 2021 Tata Steel Masters D37 Queen's Gambit Declined 4. A Esipenko vs Duda   ½-½ 30 2021 Tata Steel Masters C42 Petrov Defense 5. N Grandelius vs A Donchenko 1-0 47 2021 Tata Steel Masters C50 Giuoco Piano 6. Caruana vs J van Foreest ½-½ 56 2021 Tata Steel Masters D32 Queen's Gambit Declined, Tarrasch 7. Giri vs A Tari 1-0 47 2021 Tata Steel Masters C65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense 8. Harikrishna vs A Esipenko   ½-½ 47 2021 Tata Steel Masters B12 Caro-Kann Defense 9. J van Foreest vs Giri   ½-½ 43 2021 Tata Steel Masters C42 Petrov Defense 10. Duda vs N Grandelius 0-1 40 2021 Tata Steel Masters A30 English, Symmetrical 11. A Donchenko vs Caruana 0-1 32 2021 Tata Steel Masters D12 Queen's Gambit Declined Slav 12. Vachier-Lagrave vs Firouzja   ½-½ 35 2021 Tata Steel Masters B12 Caro-Kann Defense 13. D Anton Guijarro vs Carlsen ½-½ 69 2021 Tata Steel Masters B30 Sicilian 14. A Tari vs Wojtaszek   ½-½ 68 2021 Tata Steel Masters B51 Sicilian, Canal-Sokolsky (Rossolimo) Attack 15. Carlsen vs A Tari ½-½ 56 2021 Tata Steel Masters D40 Queen's Gambit Declined, Semi-Tarrasch 16. Wojtaszek vs J van Foreest   ½-½ 40 2021 Tata Steel Masters D40 Queen's Gambit Declined, Semi-Tarrasch 17. Caruana vs Duda ½-½ 51 2021 Tata Steel Masters C42 Petrov Defense 18. N Grandelius vs Harikrishna 0-1 38 2021 Tata Steel Masters C02 French, Advance 19. Giri vs A Donchenko   ½-½ 42 2021 Tata Steel Masters E21 Nimzo-Indian, Three Knights 20. A Esipenko vs Vachier-Lagrave   ½-½ 33 2021 Tata Steel Masters B53 Sicilian 21. Firouzja vs D Anton Guijarro 1-0 61 2021 Tata Steel Masters D02 Queen's Pawn Game 22. A Tari vs Firouzja ½-½ 30 2021 Tata Steel Masters B12 Caro-Kann Defense 23. Duda vs Giri   ½-½ 39 2021 Tata Steel Masters D87 Grunfeld, Exchange 24. A Esipenko vs N Grandelius ½-½ 44 2021 Tata Steel Masters B92 Sicilian, Najdorf, Opocensky Variation 25. Harikrishna vs Caruana   ½-½ 44 2021 Tata Steel Masters C78 Ruy Lopez  page 1 of 4; games 1-25 of 91    REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2)   < Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 3 OF 19 ·  Later Kibitzing> Jan-19-21    Chessmusings: 2021 Tata Steel Chess Tournament: Round 3 Recap https://youtu.be/xu4btQWT0r0 Jan-19-21    nok: <Messiah: By the way, originally I did not even mention the format, how did you come into that conclusion?> Was asking if you took format bias into account. <AK: So most of the time the WCC title was vacant> That's why rapid and blitz WCCs are yearly. Slow games I can live with every other year. <And whatever happens at this Dutch beach will have no effect on who the WCC is> Guess what I knew that. WCC is one event, this is another --with better format too. Jan-19-21    Messiah: Justin keeps simplifying into rook endgames, failing to understand that the chess world slowly learns how to draw him consistently in these positions. A pretty boring modus operandi after these years, but whatever. Jan-19-21    AylerKupp: <<nok> Guess what I knew that. WCC is one event, this is another> I'm glad to hear that. After your previous claim that the WCC only has the title for one year because no WCC matches are played in the other years I wasn't sure. I look forward to see the debut of your new clown, jester, or troll avatar. When can we expect to see it? Jan-19-21    AylerKupp: <<Messiah> Justin keeps simplifying into rook endgames, failing to understand that the chess world slowly learns how to draw him consistently in these positions.> Perhaps you didn't notice that Carlsen didn't simplify into a rook endgame, by move 48 he simplified into a R+N vs. R+B+P endgame. The winning chances in these endgames for the stronger side are much greater than the winning chances for the stronger side in a rook only endgame, even with a pawn advantage. But maybe you didn't realize that. So if Van Foreest had learned how to draw rook endgames against Carlsen it would not have helped him in this situation, unless he could manage to exchange his knight for Carlsen's bishop. And then you have to factor in that Carlsen is probably a better endgame player than Van Foreest so if one had to guess which player was more likely to make a mistake in this endgame, particularly with a pawn deficit, it would be Van Foreest, not Carlsen. Just remember A Firouzja vs Carlsen, 2020, where Firouzja managed to blow a simple K+P vs. K+P endgame against Carlsen, even though Firouzja is probably a better player than Van Foreest. So, given that on move 48 Carlsen was a pawn ahead with a bishop against a knight I would say that he had reasonably good chances to win the game, but he made a mistake with 48...Rd2 and he threw away any winning chances he might have had. Which just proves that no player, no matter how good, is immune from making mistakes. <A pretty boring modus operandi after these years, but whatever.> You can find it boring if you wish, but I doubt that Carlsen's motivation when playing is to entertain you. I think that he would rather win. Jan-19-21    OhioChessFan: In order, here's who I see as the most likely to dethrone Carlsen. 1. Ferocious Ali 2. Ding 3. Caruana 4. So Jan-19-21    Messiah: <OhioChessFan: In order, here's who I see as the most likely to dethrone Carlsen. 1. Ferocious Ali 2. Ding 3. Caruana 4. So> I think he is much stronger to be beaten in a direct match than to have realistic fears (in the foreseeable future) of GM Firouzja or GM So. I think, if it were decided today, Ding or a hyper strong, hyper prepared and hyper focused Vidit with a full blast thurst from the Indian Chess Federation could beat him (in a direct match, of course), with very slim chances for Rapport, Nepo, Anand, Caruana, and probably Aronian. Maybe, MAYBE Artemiev could be included, but I am very far from being convinced. Dubov was his second, but he might lack serious match experience - his preparation is extraordinary, his vision also bombs, but where is the Golden Endurance...? MVL proves again and again that it is not that difficult to prepare against him. "Not that difficult" on supergrandmaster levels, of course. Grischuk's preparation is a joke, and it rarely has a good punchline. Botvinnik died. Shirov is old. Karpov, Kaspy and Kramnik retired. Salov chases aliens, jews and reptiles. Ivanchuk, Leko, Adams and Morozevich are older than my grandma. Who else remains? Maybe I should supply a deeper explanation why I think this way, but it is easier to spam all around CG, so, with your kind permission, I return to that path. Jan-19-21    metatron2: <Messiah: Who else remains?> I don't know, but Vidit? come on.. Jan-19-21    Sally Simpson: *** In with a shout to dethrone Carlsen will be one of this lot. World Championship Candidates (2020) Based on the reasoning to beat Carlsen in a World Championship match you have to play him in a World Championship match and only one of that lot are currently in with a chance of doing so. *** Jan-20-21    AdolfoAugusto: Lately I have enjoyed quite a lot the thoughts of Messiah. I like his humor, irony and rhetorical devices. It is good to have you back my friend! Jan-20-21    morfishine: Where's So? He finished 3rd last year Jan-20-21    offramp: <morfishine: Where's So? He finished 3rd last year.> I believe that So has followed the primrose path to the everlasting bonfire. He realised that his pretensions to becoming World Champion were all rubbish, and he has settled for being a very large fish in the United States's very large pond. He will take part in, and win, strong tournaments at decent levels for many years. Then comes the period of playing at board 2 in the Bundesliga, while in the US he scores 6/6 at weekend swisses. Finally, we see the shrivelled, broken hustler in fingerless mittens, ekeing a living, a buck at a time, first at Washington Square and then, tragically, at the wrong corner of Santa Familia Square in Bakakeng, using a chess set made of dice, croutons and salt cellars. Tumingin ang Old Offramp sa isang malupit na mundo. Jan-20-21    moronovich: Morning dear <morf> ! I can imagine it is due to tranportation logistics due to the corona.But I dont know. Take care over there ! Jan-20-21    Sally Simpson: *** Offramp: "Finally, we see the shrivelled, broken hustler in fingerless mittens..." :) good. Morf: He's there: https://tatasteelchess.com/app/uplo... (I think) *** Jan-20-21    morfishine: <Sally Simpson> Yes, of course, there he is, wait, thats not him...good one <Sally> Jan-20-21    Messiah: DONCHENKOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO- OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO- OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO- OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO checkm8 him! Jan-20-21    Pedro Fernandez: Caruana let slip vs. Jan-Krzysztof Duda what was going to be one of his best victories of his professional career. The move 41.Rg1? click for larger view instead of playing the unmissable 41.Kc3! which assured him the winning square 'b4', are those absurd plays that cloud the minds of even the best players in the world (and this I have commented a couple of times about Carlsen). That move Fabi did, it doesn't make any sense, and yet he did it. The guilty: Time! He also lost the opportunity to get the lead, but that is not the idea that I want to embody here. Jan-21-21    Everett: <PF> After <41.Kc3 Nd5+> then what? Jan-21-21    Check It Out: Grandelius body slams MVL!! Jan-21-21    Olavi: One is tempted to say that Tari should have studied 19th century Hungarian analysts - the a+b+c vs. f+g+h pawn endgame - and he would not have missed 54...Bb5 no matter how little that he had left. But probably such material is considered to be of little interest. Jan-21-21    OhioChessFan: Tari misses a win. Can you find it? 54....? click for larger view Jan-21-21    Check It Out: Guijarro just missed a winning shot against Tari. That's going to be painful when he sees the move. click for larger view He played 54...c2 after 15 seconds thought, which is a dead draw. Can you see the winning shot? 54...Bb5 click for larger view And now the white king can never approach blacks c-pawn, and is in zugzwang! White has to push his pawns, which the black king will munch like a hungry teenager. Jan-21-21    Check It Out: Oops, sorry <OCF>. Jan-21-21    Check It Out: Also, Tari missed the shot, not Guijarro. heh. Jan-21-21    Check It Out: That will make a good early-week puzzle. Jump to page #    (enter # from 1 to 19) search thread:    < Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 3 OF 19 ·  Later Kibitzing> NOTE: Create an account today to post replies and access other powerful features which are available only to registered users. Becoming a member is free, anonymous, and takes less than 1 minute! If you already have a username, then simply login login under your username now to join the discussion. Please observe our posting guidelines: No obscene, racist, sexist, or profane language. No spamming, advertising, duplicate, or gibberish posts. 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