Tata Challengers: Jobava Joins Saric Again, Timman Clear Third
The fight for promotion to the 2015 Tata Steel tournament's Masters Group in Wijk aan Zee continues. Baadur Jobava re-joined Ivan Saric in first place on Wednesday by beating GM-elect Benjamin Bok, while Saric drew quickly with Anna Muzychuk. Dutch legend Jan Timman beat Etienne Goudriaan and is now in clear third place behind the two leaders.
The Challengers Group has been a back-and-forth between Baadur Jobava and Ivan Saric, and with three rounds to go it will be exciting to see who will eventually win. Besides the first prize, it's of course all about promoting to the Masters Group of the 2015 edition.
In Wednesday's 10th round Jobava recovered from his unnecessary loss in round 9 against Sabino Brunello. He beat Benjamin Bok, who followed the unwritten rule that the first game after clinching an IM or GM title is usually lost! Meanwhile, Jobava is turning into a modern-day Mikhail Tal, winning with amazing sacrifices that computers don't like. But, as Boris Gelfand said earlier in the tournament, who cares about computers?
Tata Steel 2014 | Challengers | Round 10 Standings
| # | Name | Rtg | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Pts | SB |
| 1 | Saric | 2637 |  |
½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 7.5/10 | 33.75 | |||
| 2 | Jobava | 2710 | ½ | |
½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7.5/10 | 31.75 | |||
| 3 | Timman | 2607 | ½ | |
½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 7.0/10 | ||||
| 4 | Muzychuk | 2566 | ½ | ½ | ½ | |
½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 6.5/10 | ||||
| 5 | Brunello | 2602 | 1 | 0 | |
0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 5.5/10 | ||||
| 6 | Bok | 2560 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | |
½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 5.0/10 | 25.00 | |||
| 7 | Reinderman | 2593 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | |
1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5.0/10 | 23.75 | |||
| 8 | Yu | 2677 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 5.0/10 | 19.50 | |||
| 9 | Wojtaszek | 2711 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | |
½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5.0/10 | 17.50 | |||
| 10 | Duda | 2553 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | |
1 | 4.5/10 | ||||
| 11 | Troff | 2457 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | |
½ | 1 | 4.0/10 | 18.25 | |||
| 12 | Zhao | 2567 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | 0 | ½ | |
½ | 1 | 4.0/10 | 15.25 | |||
| 13 | Van Delft | 2430 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | |
1 | 2.5/10 | ||||
| 14 | Goudriaan | 2431 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
1.0/10 |
The Tata Steel tournament runs 11-26 January and is held in Wijk aan Zee, Amsterdam and Eindhoven. You can find the official website here and the live games here. The live streaming commentary can also be found here on Chess.com!
Peter Doggers joined a chess club a month before turning 15 and still plays for it. He used to be an active tournament player and holds two IM norms. Peter has a Master of Arts degree in Dutch Language & Literature. He briefly worked at New in Chess, then as a Dutch teacher and then in a project for improving safety and security in Amsterdam schools. Between 2007 and 2013 Peter was running ChessVibes, a major source for chess news and videos acquired by Chess.com in October 2013. As our Director News & Events, Peter writes many of our news reports. In the summer of 2022, The Guardian’s Leonard Barden described him as “widely regarded as the world’s best chess journalist.”
Peter's first book The Chess Revolution is out now!
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