The duo from Tashkent took first and second prizes at the traditional Netherlands New Year tournament, while the favourites from India ended up near the bottom
Nodirbek Abdusattorov added to his growing reputation as one of the world’s top players last weekend when the Uzbek grandmaster, 21, triumphed in the “chess Wimbledon” at Tata Steel Wijk aan Zee, with his compatriot Javokhir Sindarov a close second.
On his previous three attempts Abdusattorov, who has now surged to No 5 in the live ratings, had missed out in the final decisive rounds. This time he led early, had a wobble with three draws and a loss, but was strong in the final two rounds. “It was a long way for me,” he said. “I was very close every time and I failed year after year. I’m extremely happy to finally be able to win this tournament and to win in a very nice style.”
In 2023 he had led with a round to go, but lost in the final round to Jorden van Foreest. He was beaten in a four-way playoff won by Wei Yi in 2024; and was knocked out of contention by Arjun Erigaisi in the penultimate round in 2025.
How much, if anything, he won remains a secret, for Wijk aan Zee prefers to distribute its funds via generous appearance fees rather than cash prizes. Many professional players prefer that.
