13 - 29 January 2017          Click here for Masters group

Gawain Jones (UK) managed to win the Tata Steel Challengers. The fight for first place was fierce in this group as well during the last round, which started with three players still in the race for victory. Winning the Tata Steel Challengers means that Jones will participate in the Tata Steel Masters in 2018. The top amateur group was won by Lucas van Foreest (15), brother of Jorden van Foreest (17). The latter participated in the Tata Steel Challengers. His victory means that Lucas van Foreest will participate in the Tata Steel Challengers in next year’s edition. The Vugar Gashimov Fair Play Award was won by Adhiban Baskaran (India) and Eric Hansen (Canada). They received the award from Sarkhan Gashimov, Vugar’s brother. The Professor Van Hulst Young Talent Award was won by 16-year-old American Jeffery Xiong, who secured third place in the Tata Steel Challengers. He received the prize from 106-year-old Johan van Hulst.

Results of Tata Steel Challengers 2017

		Score	Rating	TPR	SB	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14
1	Jones, Gawain	9.0 / 13	2665	2728	52.75		1	0	1	½	0	1	½	½	1	1	1	½	1
2	Ragger, Markus	9.0 / 13	2697	2726	51.5	0		1	1	½	½	½	½	½	½	1	1	1	1
3	Xiong, Jeffery	8.5 / 13	2667	2697	47.75	1	0		0	½	1	0	½	1	½	1	1	1	1
4	Hansen, Eric	8.0 / 13	2603	2679	49	0	0	1		1	1	½	½	½	½	1	1	½	½
5	Lu, Shanglei	8.0 / 13	2612	2678	47.75	½	½	½	0		0	1	½	1	1	1	1	½	½
6	Smirin, Ilia	8.0 / 13	2667	2674	45.25	1	½	0	0	1		0	½	½	1	½	1	1	1
7	Tari, Aryan	7.5 / 13	2584	2650	44	0	½	1	½	0	1		½	½	½	½	½	1	1
8	l'Ami, Erwin	7.0 / 13	2605	2621	42.5	½	½	½	½	½	½	½		½	½	½	0	1	1
9	Grandelius, Nils	7.0 / 13	2642	2618	38.5	½	½	0	½	0	½	½	½		½	1	½	1	1
10	Bok, Benjamin	5.5 / 13	2608	2535	30.5	0	½	½	½	0	0	½	½	½		0	½	1	1
11	Dobrov, Vladimir	4.5 / 13	2499	2490	21.75	0	0	0	0	0	½	½	½	0	1		0	1	1
12	van Foreest, Jorden	4.0 / 13	2612	2450	22.25	0	0	0	0	0	0	½	1	½	½	1		0	½
13	Tingjie, Lei	3.5 / 13	2467	2427	18	½	0	0	½	½	0	0	0	0	0	0	1		1
14	Guramishvili, Sopiko	1.5 / 13	2370	2274	10	0	0	0	½	½	0	0	0	0	0	0	½	0

Round 1 (January 14, 2017)
Jones, Gawain C B	Grandelius, Nils	½-½	20	C45	Scotch Game
Ragger, Markus	Xiong, Jeffery	1-0	41	B90	Sicilian Najdorf Variation
Smirin, Ilia	Dobrov, Vladimir	½-½	34	B93	Sicilian Najdorf with 6.f4
Tari, Aryan	Hansen, Eric	½-½	49	C96	Ruy Lopez
Bok, Benjamin	Lei, Tingjie	1-0	40	D45	Anti-Meran Variations
Van Foreest, Jorden	L'Ami, Erwin	1-0	40	B19	Caro Kann
Guramishvili, Sopiko	Lu, Shanglei	½-½	41	B90	Sicilian Najdorf Variation
Round 2 (January 15, 2017)
Jones, Gawain C B	Guramishvili, Sopiko	1-0	35	B51	Sicilian Rossolimo
Xiong, Jeffery	Van Foreest, Jorden	1-0	64	E62	King's Indian 6...Nc6
Hansen, Eric	Bok, Benjamin	½-½	26	B94	Sicilian Najdorf with 6.Bg5
Lu, Shanglei	Smirin, Ilia	0-1	37	B40	Sicilian Classical
Grandelius, Nils	L'Ami, Erwin	½-½	37	C07	French Tarrasch
Dobrov, Vladimir	Tari, Aryan	½-½	40	D96	Gruenfeld Russian
Lei, Tingjie	Ragger, Markus	0-1	84	E60	King's Indian without Nc3
Round 3 (January 16, 2017)
Ragger, Markus	Hansen, Eric	1-0	24	C65	Ruy Lopez Berlin
Smirin, Ilia	Jones, Gawain C B	1-0	36	C77	Ruy Lopez Anderssen
Tari, Aryan	Lu, Shanglei	0-1	41	B90	Sicilian Najdorf Variation
L'Ami, Erwin	Xiong, Jeffery	½-½	29	D20	QGA
Bok, Benjamin	Dobrov, Vladimir	0-1	39	B30	Sicilian Rossolimo
Van Foreest, Jorden	Lei, Tingjie	0-1	65	B10	Caro Kann
Guramishvili, Sopiko	Grandelius, Nils	0-1	34	B42	Sicilian Paulsen
Round 4 (January 17, 2017)
Jones, Gawain C B	Tari, Aryan	1-0	57	A48	King's Indian Defence /c2-c4
Hansen, Eric	Van Foreest, Jorden	1-0	33	B48	Sicilian Paulsen
Lu, Shanglei	Bok, Benjamin	1-0	52	B90	Sicilian Najdorf Variation
Grandelius, Nils	Xiong, Jeffery	0-1	27	B01	Centre Counter
Dobrov, Vladimir	Ragger, Markus	0-1	45	A34	English Symmetrical
Lei, Tingjie	L'Ami, Erwin	0-1	41	A62	Benoni
Guramishvili, Sopiko	Smirin, Ilia	0-1	46	A25	English Sicilian Attack
Round 5 (January 19, 2017)
Ragger, Markus	Lu, Shanglei	½-½	33	B90	Sicilian Najdorf Variation
Xiong, Jeffery	Lei, Tingjie	1-0	55	D11	Slav Defence
Smirin, Ilia	Grandelius, Nils	½-½	43	B84	Sicilian Scheveningen
Tari, Aryan	Guramishvili, Sopiko	1-0	65	B51	Sicilian Rossolimo
L'Ami, Erwin	Hansen, Eric	½-½	37	D85	Gruenfeld Defence
Bok, Benjamin	Jones, Gawain C B	0-1	57	E70	King's Indian Fianchetto
Van Foreest, Jorden	Dobrov, Vladimir	1-0	59	B12	Caro Kann Advanced
Round 6 (January 20, 2017)
Jones, Gawain C B	Ragger, Markus	1-0	50	C45	Scotch Game
Hansen, Eric	Xiong, Jeffery	1-0	42	B04	Alekhine's Defence
Lu, Shanglei	Van Foreest, Jorden	1-0	42	B40	Sicilian Classical
Smirin, Ilia	Tari, Aryan	0-1	31	B12	Caro Kann Advanced
Grandelius, Nils	Lei, Tingjie	1-0	63	B18	Caro Kann
Dobrov, Vladimir	L'Ami, Erwin	½-½	54	A83	Dutch Staunton Gambit
Guramishvili, Sopiko	Bok, Benjamin	0-1	22	C03	French Tarrasch
Round 7 (January 21, 2017)
Ragger, Markus	Guramishvili, Sopiko	1-0	32	B50	Sicilian Defence
Xiong, Jeffery	Dobrov, Vladimir	1-0	38	B27	Sicilian Early Fianchetto
Tari, Aryan	Grandelius, Nils	½-½	88	A13	Reti Opening
L'Ami, Erwin	Lu, Shanglei	½-½	31	D02	Queen's Pawn Game
Bok, Benjamin	Smirin, Ilia	0-1	38	B06	Modern Defence
Van Foreest, Jorden	Jones, Gawain C B	0-1	56	C50	Giuoco Piano
Lei, Tingjie	Hansen, Eric	½-½	41	D74	Gruenfeld 3.g3
Round 8 (January 22, 2017)
Jones, Gawain C B	L'Ami, Erwin	½-½	43	C45	Scotch Game
Lu, Shanglei	Xiong, Jeffery	½-½	37	B90	Sicilian Najdorf Variation
Smirin, Ilia	Ragger, Markus	½-½	30	C26	Vienna Game
Tari, Aryan	Bok, Benjamin	½-½	27	C11	French Defence
Grandelius, Nils	Hansen, Eric	½-½	34	C50	Giuoco Piano
Dobrov, Vladimir	Lei, Tingjie	1-0	39	A11	Reti Opening
Guramishvili, Sopiko	Van Foreest, Jorden	½-½	36	A40	Unusual Replies to 1.d4
Round 9 (January 24, 2017)
Ragger, Markus	Tari, Aryan	½-½	29	B12	Caro Kann Advanced
Xiong, Jeffery	Jones, Gawain C B	1-0	55	E64	King's Indian Fianchetto
Hansen, Eric	Dobrov, Vladimir	1-0	27	C11	French Defence
L'Ami, Erwin	Guramishvili, Sopiko	1-0	39	A49	King's Indian Defence /c2-c4
Bok, Benjamin	Grandelius, Nils	½-½	36	C89	Ruy Lopez Marshall
Van Foreest, Jorden	Smirin, Ilia	0-1	55	B06	Modern Defence
Lei, Tingjie	Lu, Shanglei	½-½	49	B90	Sicilian Najdorf Variation
Round 10 (January 25, 2017)
Jones, Gawain C B	Lei, Tingjie	½-½	120	C07	French Tarrasch
Lu, Shanglei	Hansen, Eric	0-1	20	A00	Irregular Openings
Smirin, Ilia	L'Ami, Erwin	½-½	31	C91	Ruy Lopez
Tari, Aryan	Van Foreest, Jorden	½-½	64	B47	Sicilian Paulsen
Grandelius, Nils	Dobrov, Vladimir	1-0	31	B90	Sicilian Najdorf Variation
Bok, Benjamin	Ragger, Markus	½-½	30	C50	Giuoco Piano
Guramishvili, Sopiko	Xiong, Jeffery	0-1	40	B90	Sicilian Najdorf Variation
Round 11 (January 27, 2017)
Ragger, Markus	Grandelius, Nils	½-½	130	C88	Ruy Lopez Closed
Xiong, Jeffery	Smirin, Ilia	1-0	49	E60	King's Indian without Nc3
Hansen, Eric	Jones, Gawain C B	0-1	62	C78	Ruy Lopez Moeller Defence
L'Ami, Erwin	Tari, Aryan	½-½	33	D85	Gruenfeld Defence
Dobrov, Vladimir	Lu, Shanglei	0-1	39	A04	Dutch System
Van Foreest, Jorden	Bok, Benjamin	½-½	25	C44	Scotch Gambit
Lei, Tingjie	Guramishvili, Sopiko	1-0	35	E73	King's Indian Averbakh
Round 12 (January 28, 2017)
Jones, Gawain C B	Dobrov, Vladimir	1-0	28	B40	Sicilian Classical
Ragger, Markus	Van Foreest, Jorden	1-0	45	B12	Caro Kann Advanced
Smirin, Ilia	Lei, Tingjie	1-0	50	B13	Caro Kann Exchange
Tari, Aryan	Xiong, Jeffery	1-0	42	C42	Petroff's Defence
Grandelius, Nils	Lu, Shanglei	0-1	40	B51	Sicilian Rossolimo
Bok, Benjamin	L'Ami, Erwin	½-½	34	D37	QGD 5.Bf4
Guramishvili, Sopiko	Hansen, Eric	½-½	32	D82	Gruenfeld 4.Bf4
Round 13 (January 29, 2017)
Xiong, Jeffery	Bok, Benjamin	½-½	37	B54	Sicilian Rauzer
Hansen, Eric	Smirin, Ilia	1-0	26	B42	Sicilian Paulsen
Lu, Shanglei	Jones, Gawain C B	½-½	64	C50	Giuoco Piano
L'Ami, Erwin	Ragger, Markus	½-½	34	D80	Gruenfeld 4.Bg5
Dobrov, Vladimir	Guramishvili, Sopiko	1-0	54	D43	Anti-Meran Gambit
Van Foreest, Jorden	Grandelius, Nils	½-½	78	A45	Trompowsky
Lei, Tingjie	Tari, Aryan	0-1	29	E01	Catalan