Gukesh Narrowly Escapes Defeat; Sarana Secures First Win in Tata Steel Chess Round 6

25.01.2025 03:15 | News

In a dramatic sixth round at the Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2025, World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju narrowly avoided defeat against Nodirbek Abdusattorov, salvaging a draw after a tense endgame.

Meanwhile, Alexey Sarana achieved his first victory of the tournament by defeating Vladimir Fedoseev, marking the only decisive game in the Masters section for the day.    

The Tata Steel Chess Tournament's sixth round, held on January 24, 2025, was filled with intense battles and strategic plays. The highlight of the day was the encounter between reigning World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju and Uzbekistan's prodigy, Nodirbek Abdusattorov.


Abdusattorov, playing with the white pieces, introduced a rare line in the Italian Opening, aiming to unbalance the position early on. His innovative approach led to a complex middlegame where he gained significant spatial advantage on both flanks. Gukesh found himself under considerable pressure, especially as Abdusattorov's pieces became more active. In a critical moment, Gukesh's 45...Kf8 move appeared to tilt the game in Abdusattorov's favor. However, displaying remarkable resilience and defensive prowess, Gukesh managed to pose continuous challenges, leading Abdusattorov into time trouble. Ultimately, the game concluded in a draw by threefold repetition, allowing Gukesh to maintain his standing in the tournament.

In another notable game, Alexey Sarana secured his first win of the tournament against Vladimir Fedoseev. The game began with the Exchange Variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined, leading to a slow, positional battle. Fedoseev, playing black, equalized early and even gained a slight edge. However, an ambitious pawn thrust with 16...f5 created weaknesses in his position. Sarana capitalized on these inaccuracies, gradually outmaneuvering his opponent and clinching the full point.

The remaining games in the Masters section ended in draws:

  • Arjun Erigaisi vs. Fabiano Caruana
  • Vincent Keymer vs. Anish Giri
  • R Praggnanandhaa vs. Wei Yi
  • Pentala Harikrishna vs. Jorden van Foreest
  • Leon Luke Mendonca vs. Max Warmerdam
  • Best video game consoles
    Best video game consoles

After six rounds, the tournament standings are as follows:

  1. Nodirbek Abdusattorov– 4.5 points
  2. R Praggnanandhaa– 4.5 points
  3. Gukesh Dommaraju– 4 points
  4. Vladimir Fedoseev– 3.5 points
  5. Pentala Harikrishna– 3.5 points
  6. Alexey Sarana– 3.5 points

In the Challengers section, Erwin l'Ami continues to lead with 4 points. The sixth round saw victories from Aydin Suleymanli and Faustino Oro, adding excitement to the competition.

Chess-Results

As the tournament progresses, the battles at Wijk aan Zee continue to captivate chess enthusiasts worldwide, showcasing high-level play and the unpredictable nature of the game. 

For a detailed analysis of the game between Abdusattorov and Gukesh, you can watch the following video:

0x 185x Petr Koutný
Fotogalerie
Comments (0) Update Show only my comments