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Tata Steel Challengers (2017) The 2017 Tata Steel Challengers took place from 14-29 January in Wijk aan Zee, the Netherlands. The 14-player single round-robin offered the winner an automatic place in the 2018 Tata Steel Masters. Austria's Markus Ragger was top seed, while 16-year-old World Junior Champion Jeffery Xiong from the USA was one of the players to watch. The time control was 100 minutes for 40 moves followed by 50 minutes for 20 moves, then 15 minutes for the rest of the game, with a 30-second increment per move from move 1. If two or more players tied for first place then a rapid or blitz playoff would be held. (1) Gawain Jones took first, winning the tiebreak against Markus Ragger, and qualified for Tata Steel Masters (2018). Official site: https://history.tatasteelchess.com/.... Schedule and results: https://history.tatasteelchess.com/... Elo 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 1 Jones 2665 * 1 0 1 ½ 0 1 ½ ½ 1 1 1 ½ 1 9 2 Ragger 2697 0 * 1 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 1 1 9 3 Xiong 2667 1 0 * 0 ½ 1 0 ½ 1 ½ 1 1 1 1 8½ 4 Hansen 2603 0 0 1 * 1 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 ½ ½ 8 5 Lu Shanglei 2612 ½ ½ ½ 0 * 0 1 ½ 1 1 1 1 ½ ½ 8 6 Smirin 2667 1 ½ 0 0 1 * 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 1 1 8 7 Tari 2584 0 ½ 1 ½ 0 1 * ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 7½ 8 l'Ami 2605 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ * ½ ½ ½ 0 1 1 7 9 Grandelius 2642 ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ * ½ 1 ½ 1 1 7 10 Bok 2608 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 0 ½ ½ ½ * 0 ½ 1 1 5½ 11 Dobrov 2499 0 0 0 0 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 1 * 0 1 1 4½ 12 van Foreest 2612 0 0 0 0 0 0 ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 * 0 ½ 4 13 Tingjie Lei 2467 ½ 0 0 ½ ½ 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 * 1 3½ 14 Guramishvili 2370 0 0 0 ½ ½ 0 0 0 0 0 0 ½ 0 * 1½ (1) Chess24: Tata Steel Challengers https://chess24.com/en/watch/live-t... Previous: Tata Steel Challengers (2016). Next: Tata Steel Challengers (2018). See also Tata Steel Masters (2017)  page 2 of 4; games 26-50 of 91  Game   Result Moves Year Event/Locale Opening 26. T Lei vs L'Ami 0-1 41 2017 Tata Steel Challengers A62 Benoni, Fianchetto Variation 27. N Grandelius vs Xiong 0-1 27 2017 Tata Steel Challengers B01 Scandinavian 28. S Guramishvili vs Smirin   0-1 46 2017 Tata Steel Challengers A25 English 29. M Ragger vs S Lu   ½-½ 33 2017 Tata Steel Challengers B90 Sicilian, Najdorf 30. L'Ami vs E Hansen   ½-½ 37 2017 Tata Steel Challengers D85 Grunfeld 31. J van Foreest vs V Dobrov   1-0 59 2017 Tata Steel Challengers B12 Caro-Kann Defense 32. A Tari vs S Guramishvili   1-0 65 2017 Tata Steel Challengers B51 Sicilian, Canal-Sokolsky (Rossolimo) Attack 33. Smirin vs N Grandelius   ½-½ 43 2017 Tata Steel Challengers B84 Sicilian, Scheveningen 34. B Bok vs G Jones   0-1 57 2017 Tata Steel Challengers E70 King's Indian 35. Xiong vs T Lei   1-0 55 2017 Tata Steel Challengers D12 Queen's Gambit Declined Slav 36. Smirin vs A Tari   0-1 31 2017 Tata Steel Challengers B12 Caro-Kann Defense 37. N Grandelius vs T Lei 1-0 63 2017 Tata Steel Challengers B18 Caro-Kann, Classical 38. V Dobrov vs L'Ami   ½-½ 54 2017 Tata Steel Challengers A83 Dutch, Staunton Gambit 39. E Hansen vs Xiong 1-0 42 2017 Tata Steel Challengers B04 Alekhine's Defense, Modern 40. G Jones vs M Ragger 1-0 50 2017 Tata Steel Challengers C45 Scotch Game 41. S Lu vs J van Foreest   1-0 42 2017 Tata Steel Challengers B40 Sicilian 42. S Guramishvili vs B Bok 0-1 22 2017 Tata Steel Challengers C03 French, Tarrasch 43. A Tari vs N Grandelius   ½-½ 88 2017 Tata Steel Challengers A13 English 44. J van Foreest vs G Jones   0-1 56 2017 Tata Steel Challengers C53 Giuoco Piano 45. Xiong vs V Dobrov   1-0 38 2017 Tata Steel Challengers B27 Sicilian 46. B Bok vs Smirin   0-1 38 2017 Tata Steel Challengers B06 Robatsch 47. L'Ami vs S Lu   ½-½ 31 2017 Tata Steel Challengers D02 Queen's Pawn Game 48. M Ragger vs S Guramishvili   1-0 32 2017 Tata Steel Challengers B50 Sicilian 49. T Lei vs E Hansen   ½-½ 41 2017 Tata Steel Challengers D74 Neo-Grunfeld, 6.cd Nxd5, 7.O-O 50. A Tari vs B Bok   ½-½ 27 2017 Tata Steel Challengers C11 French  page 2 of 4; games 26-50 of 91    REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2)   < Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 3 OF 3 ·  Later Kibitzing> Jan-23-17    Mr. V: <dumbgai> Because there aren't that many talented Dutch female players. Anne Haast, and then there's Sopiko whose husband plays for the Dutch federation. But that's not why she was invited, as stated earlier. Jan-24-17    gopi11: This is getting interesting... Jan-25-17    JohnBoy: Xiong catches the leaders at 7/10. Three rounds left. Jan-25-17    fisayo123: Jeffery had a pretty tough start to this event with 3 blacks in his first 4 games but he's hitting his stride now. These things even out themselves eventually. Jan-25-17    fisayo123: Pretty shocking performance so far from Van Foreest. I can't say I'm too surprised because I felt his 2612 rating overrated him a bit judging from what I've seen from his games. The fact that he's currently behind a no name Russian sub-2500 GM must be somewhat embarrassing for him. Jan-25-17    sac 4 mate: <Jeffery had a pretty tough start to this event with 3 blacks in his first 4 games but he's hitting his stride now. These things even out themselves eventually.> Indeed, he's won all his white games so far. He'll have a tough task on Friday against Smirin, however. Jan-25-17    waustad: I couldn't find the tiebreak details if there is a tie for first. Who is elevated to the Masters section next year? Jan-25-17    JohnBoy: Sopiko has an infant. That is always tougher on the mother than father. How much you want to bet she's the one getting up twice in the night to nurse the child. Jan-25-17    dumbgai: And Hansen only a half point back. Come on, make me some chessbucks! Jan-25-17    PhilFeeley: Go chessbrah! Jan-27-17    JohnBoy: Xiong taking it to Smirin! First place and pressing. Jan-27-17    belgradegambit: Xiong finishes 2 lower ranked opponents in Bok and Tari. Jan-27-17    Imran Iskandar: Everything falling perfectly into place for Xiong it seems! Jan-27-17    fisayo123: <belgradegambit> Yeah but two young, talented and dangerous opponents. Jeffery just has to play normally and not try to be conservative as black in his next game vs Tari. Jan-27-17    gopi11: USA's future board 4 is starting to flex his muscles! Out of the top 100 players (rating wise), Jeffery Xiong is the only unrated rapid and blitz player. I wonder how strong his rapid/blitz game if he needs it? Jan-28-17    Jambow: Xiong is moving rather quick... and as <gopi11> said USA future board 4 seems to be in our mix. Man it is amazing how fast the USA has become a force in chess and rather unexpected too. Rex Sinqufield certainly has had a role... Polgar deserves mention too. Will USA be able to send two teams? I mean Shankland, Sevian and Robson are all very strong players. Maybe not world beaters but on any given day... Well two rounds left and it isn't over yet, games to be won drawn or lost. Jan-28-17    PhilFeeley: Sopiko might win her first game - against Eric Hansen :-( Jan-29-17    ketchuplover: <Jambow> All chess players would like to repossess their pieces during games :) Jan-29-17    Dionysius1: <JohnBoy> I bet Anish Giri is doing his share. Jan-29-17    dumbgai: Sopiko manages to outdo Anne Haast's 2/13 from last year by scoring 1.5/13. Next year perhaps Tata Steel should consider inviting Mohamed Ali Dima to keep the progress going. Jan-29-17    WannaBe: Tata wouldn't dare inviting me, I'd set all sort of (futility) records. Jan-29-17    John Abraham: Sopiko might want to stop taking lessons from her husband about how to get drawn games, and instead try winning some. Seems like she wanted to draw all her games here but ended up losing many of them. Jan-29-17    WorstPlayerEver: The trouble with the Dutch is they have no training program for their talents. Jan-29-17    sonia91: Gawain Jones won on tiebreak and qualified for the 2018 Masters! Jan-30-17    Dionysius1: Yay! Go Gawain! Jump to page #    (enter # from 1 to 3) search thread:    < Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 3 OF 3 ·  Later Kibitzing> NOTE: Create an account today to post replies and access other powerful features which are available only to registered users. 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