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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 1 of 4; games 1-25 of 91  Game   Result Moves Year Event/Locale Opening 1. G Jones vs N Grandelius   ½-½ 20 2017 Tata Steel Challengers C45 Scotch Game 2. S Guramishvili vs Lu Shanglei ½-½ 41 2017 Tata Steel Challengers B90 Sicilian, Najdorf 3. Smirin vs V Dobrov   ½-½ 34 2017 Tata Steel Challengers B93 Sicilian, Najdorf, 6.f4 4. B Bok vs Tingjie Lei 1-0 40 2017 Tata Steel Challengers D45 Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav 5. M Ragger vs Xiong 1-0 41 2017 Tata Steel Challengers B90 Sicilian, Najdorf 6. J van Foreest vs L'Ami 1-0 40 2017 Tata Steel Challengers B18 Caro-Kann, Classical 7. A Tari vs E Hansen   ½-½ 49 2017 Tata Steel Challengers C96 Ruy Lopez, Closed 8. Lu Shanglei vs Smirin   0-1 37 2017 Tata Steel Challengers A07 King's Indian Attack 9. Tingjie Lei vs M Ragger 0-1 84 2017 Tata Steel Challengers E60 King's Indian Defense 10. Xiong vs J van Foreest 1-0 64 2017 Tata Steel Challengers E62 King's Indian, Fianchetto 11. V Dobrov vs A Tari   ½-½ 40 2017 Tata Steel Challengers D96 Grunfeld, Russian Variation 12. N Grandelius vs L'Ami   ½-½ 37 2017 Tata Steel Challengers C07 French, Tarrasch 13. G Jones vs S Guramishvili 1-0 35 2017 Tata Steel Challengers B51 Sicilian, Canal-Sokolsky (Rossolimo) Attack 14. E Hansen vs B Bok   ½-½ 26 2017 Tata Steel Challengers B94 Sicilian, Najdorf 15. L'Ami vs Xiong   ½-½ 29 2017 Tata Steel Challengers D20 Queen's Gambit Accepted 16. B Bok vs V Dobrov   0-1 39 2017 Tata Steel Challengers B30 Sicilian 17. J van Foreest vs Tingjie Lei 0-1 65 2017 Tata Steel Challengers B10 Caro-Kann 18. Smirin vs G Jones 1-0 36 2017 Tata Steel Challengers C77 Ruy Lopez 19. M Ragger vs E Hansen 1-0 24 2017 Tata Steel Challengers C65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense 20. S Guramishvili vs N Grandelius   0-1 34 2017 Tata Steel Challengers B42 Sicilian, Kan 21. A Tari vs Lu Shanglei   0-1 41 2017 Tata Steel Challengers B90 Sicilian, Najdorf 22. E Hansen vs J van Foreest 1-0 33 2017 Tata Steel Challengers B48 Sicilian, Taimanov Variation 23. Lu Shanglei vs B Bok   1-0 52 2017 Tata Steel Challengers B90 Sicilian, Najdorf 24. V Dobrov vs M Ragger 0-1 45 2017 Tata Steel Challengers A34 English, Symmetrical 25. G Jones vs A Tari   1-0 57 2017 Tata Steel Challengers A48 King's Indian  page 1 of 4; games 1-25 of 91    REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2)   < Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 2 OF 3 ·  Later Kibitzing> Jan-18-17    starry2013: This has been quite a bloodbath. Sopiko is well outrated which makes the invite surprising. Jan-18-17    sonia91: Sopiko <qualified> to this tournament by coming second in the Top Ten tournament last year in Wijk aan Zee, which was won by Vladimir Dobrov : http://www.tatasteelchess.com/news/... <The WGM is actually a GM-elect> and she is also the number 1 in the FIDE top girls list: http://ratings.fide.com/top.phtml?l... Jan-19-17    ketchuplover: Xiong is down a rook :( Jan-19-17    Mr. V: The Dutch have many young players: Robin Van Kampen, Benjamin Bok, Giri, Jorden van Foreest. Unfulfilled potential? Jan-19-17    starry2013: Giri transferred across there, Van Wely is still probably the top ranked native. Jan-20-17    paavoh: van Foreest is doing surprisingly poorly. I expected more of him, hopefully it is just a transient bad form. Jan-21-17    GiuocoPianoMan: I find it fascinating that Anish finally won a game at a time and place where his wife is having a disastrous result. Almost as if he is defending the family pride. Coincidence? Jan-21-17    dumbgai: Sopiko is totally outclassed here. Turns out that being significantly out-rated and being inactive due to having a recent baby is not a winning combination. Jan-21-17    paavoh: Let us dearly hope that Morozevich and Kramnik do not get pregnant. Jan-21-17    me to play: Guramishvili is having a rough go of things. If they still had the "c" group, she would probably be a bit more suited for that. Jan-22-17    ndg2: Exactly. "C" group is sorely missed. Jan-22-17    dumbgai: Hey, she drew today against Van Foreest (who is also struggling). All the way up to 1/8! Jan-22-17    Mr. V: It was her or Anne Hast. I think Sopiko is doing better than Anne usually did. Jan-22-17    sonia91: <I think Sopiko is doing better than Anne usually did.> In 2015 (Tata Steel Group B (2015) ) Anne Haast didn't do too bad imho: after 8 rounds she had 3/8 and eventually she managed to achieve an IM norm (i.e. 2450+ performance): http://ratings.fide.com/apps/236199... Jan-22-17    dumbgai: <Mr. V: It was her or Anne Hast.> But why? There are plenty of well qualified players to choose from. Hell, invite Kostniuk or Stefanova or someone like that if they must have a female. Jan-22-17    mike1: yes, Sopiko is not a match to these players this year... But as far as I remember, somebody will come last in any given tournament format. AND she simply qualified for her spot in last year's group. See Sonia91's comment from the 18th. 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! Jump to page #    (enter # from 1 to 3) search thread:    < Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 2 OF 3 ·  Later Kibitzing> NOTE: Create an account today to post replies and access other powerful features which are available only to registered users. Becoming a member is free, anonymous, and takes less than 1 minute! If you already have a username, then simply login login under your username now to join the discussion. Please observe our posting guidelines: No obscene, racist, sexist, or profane language. No spamming, advertising, duplicate, or gibberish posts. No vitriolic or systematic personal attacks against other members. Nothing in violation of United States law. 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