Javokhir Sindarov defeated Arjun Erigaisi in Round 11 of the Tata Steel Chess Masters 2026 to join Nodirbek Abdusattorov at the top of the standings. Other Indian players endured a tough day in the ongoing tournament in Wijk aan Zee.
Javokhir Sindarov produced one of the most important wins of the tournament in Round 11 of the Tata Steel Chess Masters 2026, defeating India’s Arjun Erigaisi to join Nodirbek Abdusattorov at the top of the standings. With two rounds still to be played, both Uzbek grandmasters now share the lead on 7 points and remain firmly in the race to become the next champion.
Sindarov, playing with the black pieces, was pushed hard by Arjun, who found a long stretch of strong moves and kept the game alive even after a mistake around move 40 appeared to swing the balance against him. Refusing to give up, the Indian grandmaster continued to test Sindarov and even gave the co-leader a brief scare before the Uzbek player finally held his nerve and converted the advantage to win.
Abdusattorov, the other co-leader, settled for a draw against Jorden van Foreest. While the result helped him maintain his position at the top, it also allowed Sindarov to catch up after his crucial victory in Wijk aan Zee.
“Now I have all the chances to fight for first place! For me it’s more of a training tournament before the Candidates, and I’m just trying to play with this time control and learn something for my main tournament,” Sindarov said after the win.
Results of the Masters & Challengers after Round 11!💙#TataSteelChess pic.twitter.com/7wk3wiB3lg
— Tata Steel Chess Tournament (@tatasteelchess) January 30, 2026
Hans Niemann is another player who is now in real contention for the title going into the final two rounds after he beat Thai Dai Van Nguyen with black pieces. He is currently tied for second place with 6.5 points alongside Jorden van Foreest and Matthias Bluebaum.
“My play has been very solid. I was taking a huge gamble, but look at his time—he’s got two minutes for 10 moves. Perhaps only someone as delusional as me could have the vision of this working out so well. It was incredibly fortunate, but obviously this time control is unforgiving, and he collapsed,” Niemann said.
It was a tough round overall for the Indian players.
Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu suffered a loss against Vincent Keymer. He now sits on 4.5 points and is out of contention for the title.
Gukesh Dommaraju played out a quiet draw against Aravindh Chithambaram in an all-Indian encounter. The world champion is currently on 5.5 points and remains in the middle of the table.
Meanwhile, Dutch grandmaster Anish Giri was one of the few players to enjoy success in Round 11. The local star defeated Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus to reach 5.5 points and keep himself in touch with the chasing pack.
Tata Steel Chess Masters Standings after Round 11
| Rank | Player | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | GM Javokhir Sindarov | 7.0 |
| 2 | GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov | 7.0 |
| 3 | GM Jorden van Foreest | 6.5 |
| 4 | GM Matthias Bluebaum | 6.5 |
| 5 | GM Hans Moke Niemann | 6.5 |
| 6 | GM Vincent Keymer | 6.0 |
| 7 | GM Anish Giri | 5.5 |
| 8 | GM Gukesh Dommaraju | 5.5 |
| 9 | GM Vladimir Fedoseev | 5.5 |
| 10 | GM Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus | 5.5 |
| 11 | GM Praggnanandhaa R | 4.5 |
| 12 | GM Aravindh Chithambaram | 4.0 |
| 13 | GM Arjun Erigaisi | 4.0 |
| 14 | GM Thai Dai Van Nguyen | 3.0 |
End of Article
