Nihal, Ushenina Winners In Contrasting Styles
GM Nihal Sarin won the 2022 Tata Steel Chess India Open Rapid with a round to spare, while GM Anna Ushenina tied for first and won the tiebreak match to win the 2022 Tata Steel Chess India Women's Rapid.
In the Open section, while Nihal scored 6.5 points, GM Arjun Erigaisi finished second, half a point behind. GM Vidit Santosh Gujrathi featured in a tie for places 3-7 with 4.5 points and finished third on a better tiebreak score. The trio thus swept the podium finish for India.
In the women's section, Ushenina and overnight leader GM Nana Dzagnidze finished with 6.5 points at the end of the ninth and final round to tie for the top place. Ushenina won the blitz tiebreak match with a 2-0 score and thus wins the trophy, but the prize money will be shared equally between them. GM Harika Dronavalli finished third with 5.5 points.
The blitz section of the event continues on Dec 2 at 22:30 p.m. PT/Dec 03 at 07:30 CET after a rest day.
How to watch the Tata Steel Chess India Rapid and Tata Steel India Chess Women's Rapid
You can keep up with all the details of the tournament on our live events platform by following separate links for open and women's sections.
Open
Commenting on the seventh-round encounter between GM Shakhriyar Mamedyarov and Nihal, GM Viswanathan Anand heaped praise on the smoothness of Nihal's play. He particularly pointed to Nihal's 21...Rd7 as "majestic":
There is a certain lack of purpose to White's piece placement, whereas Black can effortlessly increase pressure with seemingly simple but purposeful moves. After the game continuation, Nihal was on the way to a smooth win.
The fluency of his play carried on to the next round too, when he kept the position balanced and outwitted GM Parham Maghsoodloo when the latter got a little too ambitious:
When I asked him at the press conference if such smoothness of play is the result of playing an amazing number of online blitz games, Nihal answered: "I don't know. But I guess it definitely works. Playing in simple positions, making quick moves here and there. I think online blitz definitely helps".
A completely contrasting performance came from Erigaisi, who defeated GM Hikaru Nakamura in the penultimate round. The game was a tactical melee, and it is our Game Of The Day:
After his win against Nakamura in the penultimate round, Erigaisi faced Nihal in the last round and defeated him in a fascinating encounter. The audience witnessed just a complicated fight, but the jaw-dropping moment came up during the press conference after the tournament.
Analyzing the position at 28...Rxd4, Anand remarked: " [I] cannot recall a similar position where you are a piece down for so long, and Black also has this a-passed pawn. But yet, somehow it just doesn't work out [for Black]." And that is when Erigaisi revealed the depth of his preparation for the audience:
As Erigaisi rattled out the variations, Anand exclaimed: "That is simply one of the most beautiful lines I have heard. I assume most of you will get home and get the transcript done seeing the board! [Chuckles.] ...To play (35.)f3 at the end is simply spectacular. ... I have never seen prep like that far. Usually, it finishes a little bit before—that's amazing."
That is simply one of the most beautiful lines I have heard ... I have never seen prep like that far.
—Viswanathan Anand
All Games Open - Day 2
Standings
| Rk. | Fed | Name | Rtg | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Pts. |
| 1 | GM Nihal Sarin | 2616 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 6.5 | ||
| 2 | GM Erigaisi Arjun | 2628 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 6 | ||
| 3 | GM Vidit Santosh Gujrathi | 2662 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 4.5 | ||
| 4 | GM Nakamura Hikaru | 2789 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4.5 | ||
| 5 | GM Gukesh D | 2632 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4.5 | ||
| 6 | GM Mamedyarov Shakhriyar | 2747 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 4.5 | ||
| 7 | GM Abdusattorov Nodirbek | 2676 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 4.5 | ||
| 8 | GM Maghsoodloo Parham | 2656 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 9 | GM So Wesley | 2784 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 4 | ||
| 10 | GM Sethuraman S.P. | 2545 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 2 |
Women's
Comparatively, the women's section quickly turned into a two-horse race. Ushenina began the day briskly defeating a heavyweight and another title aspirant, GM Mariya Muzychuk, who blundered in a difficult position:
Dzagnidze still maintained her half-point lead, winning against WIM Savitha Shri.
The eighth round proved to be the most dramatic one. While Ushenina could defeat Savitha, Dzagnidze was left looking at a certain defeat against GM Anna Muzyuchuk right out of the opening. In a topsy-turvy encounter, Dzagnidze finally saved herself from defeat:
In the final round, both the contenders drew their games, thus paving way for the blitz tiebreak, which proved to be an anti-climax. Speaking at the press conference after the game, Dzagnidze confessed that all the defending throughout the tournament left her completely tired, and she collapsed dramatically to lose both the blitz games, thus giving the title to Ushenina.
All Games Women's - Day 2
Standings
| Rk. | Fed | Name | Rtg | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Pts. |
| 1 | GM Ushenina Anna | 2371 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 6.5 | ||
| 2 | GM Dzagnidze Nana | 2475 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 6.5 | ||
| 3 | GM Harika Dronavalli | 2475 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 5.5 | ||
| 4 | GM Muzychuk Mariya | 2476 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 5 | ||
| 5 | GM Koneru Humpy | 2474 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 5 | ||
| 6 | IM Vaishali Rameshbabu | 2351 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | ||
| 7 | IM Kiolbasa Oliwia | 2304 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 4.5 | ||
| 8 | WGM Vantika Agrawal | 2262 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | ||
| 9 | GM Muzychuk Anna | 2458 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 3 | ||
| 10 | WIM Savitha Shri B | 2311 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 |
The 2022 Tata Steel Chess India Rapid and Women's Rapid are two of India's most prestigious rapid chess events. Players compete in a 10-player round-robin in rapid games with a 15+10 time control. The prize fund for each event is $24,000.
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