Breaking News: Anish Giri is the 2023 Tata Steel Masters Champion

GM Anish Giri beat Richard Rapport in the last round of the Tata Steel Masters 2023 to win his first Tata Steel Masters event. The 18-year-old GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov was the leader of the tournament until Round 12 but he lost against Jorden Van Foreest to tie second with Magnus Carlsen.

Photo: Lennart Ootes (Source)

Anish Giri finally won his first Tata Steel Masters tournament after finishing second five times, twice after a playoff!

The Dutch GM started the last round against Richard Rapport half a point behind the tournament’s leader since Round 5, GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov. After a huge blunder by Rapport, Giri shook his head, took the opportunity and along with it the desired point to move to the tiebreaks in case Nodirbek drew his game against Jorden Van Foreest.

“I’m very happy! The only problem is that I have to play the tiebreak and I don’t like the tiebreaks. The only good thing is that my son was looking forward to seeing me play and I know that he likes when it’s blitz and there’s over the board action. So maybe I’ll do it.” Anish said after improving to first place with 8.5/13, adding: “I told myself before that if it ever happens again, I’m not going to play. I’ll say ‘Just take your prize and go to hell’! I’m not gonna play it anymore because it’s completely nonsense. I mean we played so many days and at the end of the day everyone is happy, all the guys that did nothing during the tournament, and then there is one winner and one loser, and everybody else is just chilling! [...] But I think because of the fact that my son likes to watch blitz, maybe that will make it more tolerable. At least he’ll get to see a game”

As Mr.Dodgy has predicted, there was a chance! 18-year-old Nodirbek Abdusattorov was leading the tournament until the very last round, when he lost against Jorden Van Foreest and left half a point behind Anish Giri. Maybe the Uzbek GM failed to become the youngest winner of the Tata Steel Masters but he had an impressive tournament, winning World No1 & 2, Magnus Calrsen and Ding Liren, and gaining 20.5 rating points to get in the Top20.

Magnus Carlsen took down Arjun Erigaisi in Round 13 and joined the second place with Abdusattorov, with 8/13 points.