Chess player Anish Giri still has a view of the final victory in Tata Steel Chess, but the Dutch grandmaster is still half a point behind leader Nodirbak Abdoesattorov at the start of the thirteenth and final round. The Uzbek came to a draw in the twelfth round with the American Wesley So. Giri shared the point with compatriot and former winner Jorden van Foreest after a long match.
Abdusattorov has collected 8 points after twelve games, Giri is on 7.5. The Norwegian eight-time winner Magnus Carlsen and Wesley So are also in the race for the title in Wijk aan Zee with 7 points on paper.
In 2021, Giri and Van Foreest played in a memorable play-off for the overall victory in Tata Steel Chess. Van Foreest won the rapid chess games and thus became the first Dutch winner of the ‘Wimbledon of chess’ after Jan Timman in 1985. Giri can become the next Dutch winner, but then everything has to fall its way in the final round on Sunday. The number 7 in the world plays with white against the Romanian Richard Rapport. Abdoesattorov meets Van Foreest with white.
The two Dutchmen were behind the board for just under seven hours, with Van Foreest always having a slight advantage with white and several times getting the chance to corner his compatriot. But Giri managed to get out of difficult positions and force a draw after 79 moves.
Source: ANP
