Tata Steel Chess 2025: Pragg and Abdusattorov in the Lead

Both now top the standings with 2½ points each, half a point ahead of Fabiano Caruana, Gukesh Dommaraju and Vincent Keymer. In the Challengers section, all six decisive games were won by White in an extraordinary display of attacking prowess.

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In Monday’s third round of the Tata Steel Masters, both Abdusattorov and Praggnandhaa continued their strong starts by notching up victories. Their 2½/3 score puts them in front of a tightly packed field with Caruana, Gukesh, and Keymer hot on their heels with 2/3 each.

Over in the Challengers section, the action was no less dramatic: all six decisive games ended in favor of the player with the white pieces—a rarity at this level. This wave of wins propelled Mai Lu, Tuan Minh Nguyen, and Erwin l’Ami to a shared lead on 2½/3. Vaishali Rameshbabu also picked up a full point to keep herself within striking distance of the leaders.

Schedule and Format

• Both the Masters and the Challengers are 14-player single round robins.
• Time control: 100 minutes for the first 40 moves, plus 50 minutes for the rest of the game, with a 30-second increment from the start.
• If players tie for first place, blitz tiebreaks will decide the champion.
• Rounds 1–5 run from January 18–22, followed by a rest day on January 23.
• After rounds 6–8 (January 24–26), players rest again on January 27.
• Rounds 9–10 are set for January 28–29, with the final rest day on January 30.
• The tournament concludes with rounds 11–13 from January 31 to February 2.

With intense battles in every round and multiple star-studded matchups looming, the 2025 edition of the “Wimbledon of Chess” is living up to its reputation. Stay tuned for more updates, game analyses, and expert commentary as the world’s top talents continue their quest for one of chess’s most prestigious titles.