Ian Nepomniachtchi Defeats Nodirbek Abdusattorov at Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2024
There are three leaders before a rest day.
The eighth round of the Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2024 is completed in Wijk aan Zee. Ian Nepomniachtchi won against Nodirbek Abdusattorov as White in the Two Knights Defence. The Russian sacrificed a pawn in the middlegame to ruin the opponent's pawn structure and create him multiple weaknesses. Nepo was playing precisely and got an advantage; after the queens were traded, he got a decisive edge in the endgame with rooks and minor pieces.
Alireza Firouzja defeated Ding Liren with the white pieces: the World Champion made a crude mistake in a complex position, which had emerged from the Tarrasch Defence, and suffered significant material losses.
The games Giri - Wei Yi, Vidit - Donchenko, Warmerdam - Praggnanandhaa, Ju Wenjun - Gukesh, and Van Foreest - Maghsoodloo were drawn.
22 January is a rest day.
Standings after Round 8:
1-3. Dommaraju Gukesh, Anish Giri, Alireza Firouzja - 5
4-7. Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Vidit Santosh Gujrathi, Ian Nepomniachtchi, Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, - 4.5
8-9. Max Warmerdam, Wei Yi - 4
10-11. Ju Wenjun, Ding Liren - 3.5
12. Jorden Van Foreest - 3
13-14. Parham Maghsoodloo, Alexander Donchenko - 2.5.
Round 9 pairings:
Donchenko - Firouzja, Gukesh - Vidit, Praggnanandhaa - Ju Wenjun, Maghsoodloo - Warmerdam, Abdusattorov - Van Foreest, Wei Yi - Nepomniachtchi, Ding Liren - Giri.
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