Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2021

The Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2021 was the 83rd edition of the Tata Steel Chess Tournament. It was held in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands from 15–31 January 2021, but was not open to visitors ("online only"). The tournament was won by Jorden van Foreest, who defeated Anish Giri in an Armageddon playoff.^[1]

Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2021
Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2021 winner Jorden van Foreest
Location	Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands
Dates	15–31 January 2021
Competitors	14 from 11 nations
Winning score	8.5 points of 13
Champion
Jorden van Foreest
← 2020 2022 →

Standings

83rd Tata Steel Masters, 15–31 January 2021, Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands, Category XIX (2725)

	Player	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	Total	TB	SB	TPR
1	Jorden van Foreest (Netherlands)	2671	Does not appear	½	½	½	½	½	1	1	1	½	1	½	½	½	8½	1+A	53.00	2839
2	Anish Giri (Netherlands)	2764	½	Does not appear	½	½	½	½	½	1	1	½	½	1	1	½	8½	1	52.25	2832
3	Andrey Esipenko (Russia)	2677	½	½	Does not appear	½	½	1	½	0	½	½	1	1	½	1	8		49.00	2815
4	Fabiano Caruana (United States)	2823	½	½	½	Does not appear	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	1	1	1	8		48.25	2804
5	Alireza Firouzja (FIDE)[a]	2749	½	½	½	½	Does not appear	0	1	½	½	1	1	½	½	1	8		48.00	2810
6	Magnus Carlsen (Norway)	2862	½	½	0	½	1	Does not appear	½	½	1	½	½	½	1	½	7½		47.25	2771
7	Pentala Harikrishna (India)	2732	0	½	½	½	0	½	Does not appear	½	1	½	½	½	½	1	6½		38.75	2724
8	Aryan Tari (Norway)	2625	0	0	1	½	½	½	½	Does not appear	½	½	½	½	½	½	6		38.00	2703
9	Nils Grandelius (Sweden)	2663	0	0	½	½	½	0	0	½	Does not appear	1	½	½	1	1	6		34.00	2700
10	Jan-Krzysztof Duda (Poland)	2743	½	½	½	½	0	½	½	½	0	Does not appear	½	½	½	½	5½		35.75	2666
11	David Antón Guijarro (Spain)	2679	0	½	0	½	0	½	½	½	½	½	Does not appear	½	½	½	5		30.75	2641
12	Radosław Wojtaszek (Poland)	2705	½	0	0	0	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	Does not appear	½	½	5		30.75	2639
13	Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France)	2784	½	0	½	0	½	0	½	½	0	½	½	½	Does not appear	1	5		29.75	2633
14	Alexander Donchenko (Germany)	2668	½	½	0	0	0	½	0	½	0	½	½	½	0	Does not appear	3½		23.00	2554

Masters results by round

Pairings and results:^[2]

Numbers in parentheses indicate players' scores prior to the round.

Round 1 – 16 January 2021 Pentala Harikrishna Maxime Vachier-Lagrave ½–½ Radosław Wojtaszek David Antón Guijarro ½–½ Magnus Carlsen Alireza Firouzja 1–0 Andrey Esipenko Jan-Krzysztof Duda ½–½ Nils Grandelius Alexander Donchenko 1–0 Fabiano Caruana Jorden van Foreest ½–½ Anish Giri Aryan Tari 1–0 Round 2 – 17 January 2021 Pentala Harikrishna (½) Andrey Esipenko (½) ½–½ Jorden van Foreest (½) Anish Giri (1) ½–½ Jan-Krzysztof Duda (½) Nils Grandelius (1) 0-1 Alexander Donchenko (0) Fabiano Caruana (½) 0–1 Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (½) Alireza Firouzja (0) ½–½ David Antón Guijarro (½) Magnus Carlsen (1) ½–½ Aryan Tari (0) Radosław Wojtaszek (½) ½–½ Round 3 – 18 January 2021 Magnus Carlsen (1½) Aryan Tari (½) ½–½ Radosław Wojtaszek (1) Jorden van Foreest (1) ½–½ Fabiano Caruana (1½) Jan-Krzysztof Duda (½) ½–½ Nils Grandelius (2) Pentala Harikrishna (1) 0–1 Anish Giri (1½) Alexander Donchenko (0) ½–½ Andrey Esipenko (1) Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (1) ½–½ Alireza Firouzja (½) David Antón Guijarro (1) 1–0 Round 4 – 19 January 2021 Aryan Tari (1) Alireza Firouzja (1½) ½–½ Jan-Krzysztof Duda (1) Anish Giri (2) ½–½ Andrey Esipenko (1½) Nils Grandelius (2) ½–½ Pentala Harikrishna (2) Fabiano Caruana (2) ½–½ Alexander Donchenko (½) Radosław Wojtaszek (1½) ½–½ Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (1½) David Antón Guijarro (1) ½–½ Jorden van Foreest (1½) Magnus Carlsen (2) ½–½ Round 5 – 21 January 2021 Alireza Firouzja (2) Jorden van Foreest (2) ½–½ David Antón Guijarro (1½) Aryan Tari (1½) ½–½ Anish Giri (2½) Pentala Harikrishna (2½) ½–½ Fabiano Caruana (2½) Andrey Esipenko (2) ½–½ Magnus Carlsen (2½) Alexander Donchenko (1) ½–½ Nils Grandelius (2½) Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (2) 1–0 Radosław Wojtaszek (2) Jan-Krzysztof Duda (1½) ½–½ Round 6 – 22 January 2021 Alexander Donchenko (1½) Alireza Firouzja (2½) 0–1 Jorden van Foreest (2½) David Antón Guijarro (2) 1–0 Nils Grandelius (3½) Fabiano Caruana (3) ½–½ Pentala Harikrishna (3) Radosław Wojtaszek (2½) ½–½ Andrey Esipenko (2½) Anish Giri (3) ½–½ Jan-Krzysztof Duda (2) Magnus Carlsen (3) ½–½ Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (2) Aryan Tari (2) ½–½ Round 7 – 23 January 2021 David Antón Guijarro (2) Alexander Donchenko (1½) ½–½ Aryan Tari (2½) Jorden van Foreest (3½) 0–1 Fabiano Caruana (3½) Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (2½) 1–0 Anish Giri (3½) Nils Grandelius (4) 1–0 Magnus Carlsen (3½) Pentala Harikrishna (3½) ½–½ Alireza Firouzja (3½) Jan-Krzysztof Duda (2½) 1–0 Radosław Wojtaszek (3) Andrey Esipenko (3) 0–1

Round 8 – 24 January 2021 Alexander Donchenko (2) Aryan Tari (2½) ½–½ Pentala Harikrishna (4) Alireza Firouzja (4½) 0–1 Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (2½) Jorden van Foreest (4½) ½–½ Fabiano Caruana (4½) Anish Giri (4½) ½–½ Nils Grandelius (4) Radosław Wojtaszek (3) ½–½ Jan-Krzysztof Duda (2½) David Antón Guijarro (2½) ½–½ Andrey Esipenko (4) Magnus Carlsen (4) 1–0 Round 9 – 26 January 2021 Radosław Wojtaszek (3½) Fabiano Caruana (5) 0–1 Alireza Firouzja (5½) Andrey Esipenko (5) ½–½ David Antón Guijarro (3) Pentala Harikrishna (4) ½–½ Anish Giri (5) Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (3) 1–0 Jorden van Foreest (5) Alexander Donchenko (2½) ½–½ Magnus Carlsen (4) Nils Grandelius (4½) 1–0 Aryan Tari (3) Jan-Krzysztof Duda (3) ½–½ Round 10 – 27 January 2021 Fabiano Caruana (6) Magnus Carlsen (5) ½–½ Jan-Krzysztof Duda (3½) Jorden van Foreest (5½) ½–½ Pentala Harikrishna (4½) Aryan Tari (3½) ½–½ Andrey Esipenko (5½) David Antón Guijarro (3½) 1–0 Nils Grandelius (4½) Alireza Firouzja (6) ½–½ Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (3) Alexander Donchenko (3) 1–0 Anish Giri (6) Radosław Wojtaszek (3½) 1–0 Round 11 – 29 January 2021 Aryan Tari (4) Andrey Esipenko (6½) 1–0 Alireza Firouzja (6½) Fabiano Caruana (6½) ½–½ Jorden van Foreest (6) Pentala Harikrishna (5) 1–0 Magnus Carlsen (5½) Anish Giri (7) ½–½ David Antón Guijarro (3½) Nils Grandelius (5) ½–½ Alexander Donchenko (3) Jan-Krzysztof Duda (4) ½–½ Radosław Wojtaszek (3½) Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (4) ½–½ Round 12 – 30 January 2021 Radosław Wojtaszek (4) Magnus Carlsen (6) ½–½ Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (6) Jan-Krzysztof Duda (4½) ½–½ Nils Grandelius (5½) Aryan Tari (5) ½–½ Andrey Esipenko (6½) Jorden van Foreest (7) ½–½ Fabiano Caruana (7) David Antón Guijarro (4) ½–½ Pentala Harikrishna (5) Alexander Donchenko (3½) 1–0 Anish Giri (7½) Alireza Firouzja (7) ½–½ Round 13 – 31 January 2021 Alireza Firouzja (7½) Radosław Wojtaszek (4½) ½–½ Jan-Krzysztof Duda (5) Pentala Harikrishna (6) ½–½ Alexander Donchenko (3½) Andrey Esipenko (7) 0–1 Aryan Tari (5½) Fabiano Caruana (7½) ½–½ Jorden van Foreest (7½) Nils Grandelius (6) 1–0 Magnus Carlsen (6½) Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (6½) 1–0 David Antón Guijarro (4½) Anish Giri (8) ½–½

Firouzja controversy

Going into the final round of the tournament, Alireza Firouzja had the chance to tie for first with a win in his final game. However, due to the tournament's tiebreaker rules, he would be unable to compete for first place even if he finished with the same number of points as the tournament's leaders. In his final round matchup against Radosław Wojtaszek, the arbiters suggested mid-game that the two move to a different table, irritating Firouzja. The situation generated controversy, with many players supporting Firouzja and claiming that arbiters shouldn't interrupt games in such situations.^[3][4][5][6] and the event organizers ultimately apologized.^[7][8] The game ultimately ended in a draw, and Firouzja placed fifth in the tournament with a score of 8/13 (+4-1=8). Firouzja accepted the organizers' apology, but demanded a financial compensation for the incident as part of negotiations for his participation in 2022. His demand was turned down, and Firouzja didn't participate in the 2022 tournament.^[9]