Tata Steel Chess 2026: Top players, new time control and format

The Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2026 is all set to begin on Saturday, January 17, and for the next two weeks, some of the strongest chess players on the planet will battle it out at Wijk aan Zee in the Netherlands.

Known as the “Wimbledon of Chess”, the Tata Steel Chess Tournament is one of the most respected and longest-running events in the sport. This year, the Masters event will see a total of four Indians taking part – the maximum from any country.

India’s challenge will once again rest heavily on D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa and Arjun Erigaisi, three players who have become regular names at the elite level.

World champion Gukesh will be keen to make a strong start to the year after an up-and-down 2025. Praggnanandhaa is returning as the defending champion and will look to carry that confidence before shifting focus to the Candidates later this season. Arjun, on the other hand, is the highest-rated Indian in the field and will aim to turn his consistent performances into big results.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Tata Steel Chess Masters and Challengers tournaments.

Tata Steel Chess Masters 2026: All you need to know

The Tata Steel Chess Masters will see 14 of the strongest players in the world competing in a classical round-robin format. Some of the biggest names in world chess and several Indian stars are part of this elite field.

The players competing in the Masters tournament are:

• GM Arjun Erigaisi

• GM R Praggnanandhaa

• GM Anish Giri

• GM Vincent Keymer

• GM Gukesh Dommaraju

• GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov

• GM Hans Niemann

• GM Javokhir Sindarov

• GM Vladimir Fedoseev

• GM Aravindh Chithambaram

• GM Jorden van Foreest

• GM Matthias Bluebaum

• GM Thai Dai Van Nguyen

• GM Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus

The Masters tournament will be played over 13 rounds, with each player facing the others once. All games will be held at De Moriaan in Wijk aan Zee. Rounds 1 to 12  will start at 14:00 local time (6:30 PM India time), while the final round will begin at 12:00 (4:30 PM India time).

Tata Steel Chess Masters 2026: T****ime control 

The tournament has introduced a new classical time control from 2026, similar to the FIDE Candidates Tournament. Players will get 120 minutes for the first 40 moves, 30 minutes for the rest of the game, and a 30-second increment per move starting from move 41. Players are not allowed to agree to a draw before Black’s 40th move, unless permitted by the arbiter.

Tata Steel Chess Masters 2026: Tiebreak rules

In the Masters section, players who finish with the same score will share their final position. However, if two or more players tie for first place, tiebreak games will be played to decide the champion. Prize money will be shared equally among players with the same score, regardless of tiebreak results.

Tata Steel Chess Masters 2026: Pairings for Round 1

The first-round pairings for the Tata Steel Masters include exciting matchups such as Arjun Erigaisi vs R Praggnanandhaa, Vincent Keymer vs Anish Giri, and Gukesh Dommaraju vs Javokhir Sindarov.

Tata Steel Chess Masters 2026 live streaming

The live streaming of the Tata Steel Chess Masters 2026 will be available on the tournament’s official website and the YouTube channels of Chess.com and ChessBase India.

Tata Steel Chess Challengers 2026

The Tata Steel Chess Challengers will also feature 14 players and follow the same round-robin format. The winner of the Challengers will earn a place in the Tata Steel Masters the next year, making it a crucial event for emerging players.

The Challengers tournament will also run from January 17 to February 1, 2026.

The following are the players:

In the Challengers, Round 1 will see players like Vasyl Ivanchuk facing Carissa Yip, while young talents such as Faustino Oro and Panesar Vedant will also feature.