Nodirbek Abdusattorov wins Tata Steel Chess Masters 2026
Nodirbek Abdusattorov emerged victorious at the Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2026. After thirteen rounds of top-level chess in Wijk aan Zee, the Uzbek grandmaster claimed the Tata Steel Masters title on his fourth attempt. The 88th edition of the tournament, often referred to as the “Wimbledon of chess”, was held from 16 January 16 to February 1 and once again brought together the world’s best players, emerging talents and hundreds of amateur chess players under one roof. A thrilling final weekend The battle for first place remained open until the very last round. Going into the final 13th round, no fewer than five players were still in contention for the Masters title: Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Javokhir Sindarov, Hans Niemann, Vincent Keymer and Jorden van Foreest. Abdusattorov had come agonizingly close to winning the tournament in the previous three editions, each time staying among the leaders until the final weekend. In 2026, he finally converted that consistency into overall victory, adding his name to the tournament’s long list of champions. Reaction from the tournament director Tournament director Jeroen van den Berg praised the winner’s performance: “What a great achievement by Nodirbek Abdusattorov. He played at a very high and stable level throughout the tournament. In recent years he was always very close, and now he has rightfully won the title. I congratulate him warmly and of course invite him to return next year to defend his crown in Wijk aan Zee.” Andy Woodward wins the Challengers In the Tata Steel Challengers, Andy Woodward emerged victorious after a closely contested tournament. With his win, Woodward earns an invitation to compete in the Tata Steel Masters 2027, continuing the tournament’s long-standing tradition of promotion from the Challengers group. Vasyl Ivanchuk and Aydin Suleymanli both remained in the race for the Challengers title until the final round! Global reach and new highlights The Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2026 once again attracted a worldwide audience. Games from De Moriaan were followed live by hundreds of thousands of viewers each day, with peak viewing numbers reaching close to one million. New this year was the Tata Steel Chess Rapid Tournament at Hotel Hoge Duin, adding an extra dimension to the event’s already extensive program. Alongside the Masters and Challengers, the tournament also featured numerous amateur tournaments, the Tata Steel Chess Festival for families and children, and live commentary at Café de Zon. Looking ahead After the final games concluded, the prize ceremony took place in De Moriaan, bringing the 88th edition of the tournament to a close. The 89th edition of the Tata Steel Chess Tournament will be held from 15 to 31 January 2027 in Wijk aan Zee. Once again, world-class grandmasters, rising talents and amateur players will come together for two weeks of chess at the highest level. Text and photos: tatasteelchess.com/ Official website: tatasteelchess.com/
FIDE February 2026 rating list published
The first month of the year brought few significant changes at the top of the rating lists. The sole notable shift was Tan Zhongyi’s return to the women’s top five following her strong performance in the Chinese Chess League Division A (+11 points). January has traditionally been the month of the Tata Steel Chess Tournament, but the results of this year’s first major event, concluding tonight, will be incorporated into the March 2026 rating list. Biggest gains in the top 100 Open and Women Li, Rachael WIM USA 2358 (+36) Kairbekova, Amina WGM KAZ 2379 (+31) Efroimski, Marsel IM ISR 2397 (+22) Melamed, Tatjana WGM GER 2355 (+20) Yan, Tianqi WIM CHN 2366 (+19) Erdogmus, Yagiz Kaan GM TUR 2669 (+11) Tan, Zhongyi GM CHN 2535 (+11) Skripchenko, Almira IM FRA 2367 (+10) Alekseenko, Kirill GM AUT 2648 (+9) Xiao, Yiui WGM CHN 2361 (+9) This month’s list of top gainers is dominated by women. WIM Rachael Li leads the category after an excellent showing at the 35th Annual North American Open, where she gained 30 points to make her debut in the women’s top 100. Photo: Saint Louis Chess Club / Crystall Fuller Amina Kairbekova’s solid performance at the Marienbad Open brought her 31 points, propelling the Kazakh youngster to a career-high 61st position on the women’s list. Shining in the Israel National Team Championship and the Israeli Open, Marsel Efroimski gained 20 points to debut in the women’s top 50. Photo: Mark Livshitz Tatjana Melamed (+20) and Yan Tianqi (+19) collected valuable rating points in the team competitions, in Germany and China respectively. Continuing his upward trajectory since last March, Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus added another 11 points to his tally after defeating Maxime Vachier-Lagrave in the Clash of Generations II, marking his first appearance in the Open top 50. Almira Skripchenko picked up 10 rating points in two competitions in Sweden, while Kirill Alekseenko earned 9 points in the Schachbundesliga 2025-2026. The recently concluded European Women’s Rapid and Blitz Championships generated notable rating movements on both rapid and women’s lists. In the rapid event, Alexandra Kosteniuk (+15), Nino Batsiashvili (+11), Ekaterina Atalik (+11) and Mai Narva (+17) were the main beneficiaries. The blitz competition produced even larger gains with standout performances by Yuliia Osmak (+49), Bella Khotenashvili (+32), Nino Batsiashvili (+39), Oliwia Kiolbasa (+78), Alicja Sliwicka (+62) and Olga Badelka (+51).