It’s that time of the year when this coastal village in northern Netherlands sees a rise in footfalls. Wijk aan Zee is a tourist destination. In addition, it has been staging this tournament nicknamed the Wimbledon of Chess for decades.
The Tata Steel Masters begins on Saturday (January 17). For the next fortnight, it will be the centre of attention in chess. Held under different names since 1938, this is one of the strongest competitions on the annual calendar and among the most prestigious ones.
Event and the contestants
It’s a 14-player field, where all play all once. The world’s top three players are not around this year. Present are the world No. 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9. Germany’s Vincent Keymer is the highest-ranked player with a rating of 2776.
Three-time champion and home favourite Anish Giri is another force to reckon with. Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov and World Cup winner Javokhir Sindarov are formidable opponents as well. It’s difficult to pick one or two because 11 of the 14 participants are rated 2700 or above.
The Indian angle
India has four participants — the maximum from any country. It’s a fresh start for D Gukesh after an indifferent first year as world champion. He was tied first on points in the last two editions and finished runner-up on tie-breaker both times. After a break to prepare for this, he would be raring to go.
Arjun Erigaisi’s good work often went unrewarded last year. He is the highest-rated Indian and world No. 5. Having seen the elite level from close, he would like to see if he can be a dominating figure. R Praggnanandhaa will try to defend his crown before going on a break for the Candidates in March.
For Aravindh Chithambaram, it’s an opportunity to prove that he is no pushover at the 2700-plus level. He excelled in elite fields last year and also found himself in the receiving end. This tournament will be a reality check.
The Candidates quartet
Praggnanandhaa, Giri, Sindarov and Matthias Bluebaum of Germany are the players who will also be in action at the Candidates in March-April. The winner of that event will challenge Gukesh in the World Championship match.
Don’t expect the four to show glimpses of what they will unearth at the Candidates. That is two months away and most of the contestants will start preparing for it after Wijk aan Zee. In all likelihood, these players will not reveal anything.
A wonder kid in the mix
Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus is a 14-year-old from Turkiye. He is the youngest participant, fourth-youngest Grandmaster of all time and the youngest to attain an ELO rating of 2600. Anything he achieves has the potential to become a highlight.
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