Giri snatches Tata Steel Masters crown, So cedes 3rd place to Carlsen

Wesley So could only draw with R. Praggnanandhaa of India on Sunday, January 29 (Monday, January 30, Manila time) and wound up fourth in the 2023 Tata Steel Masters won by Dutch ace Anish Giri following the last-round collapse of longtime pacesetter Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan in Wijk aan Zee, the Netherlands.

World champion Magnus Carlsen also prevailed over Arjun Erigaisi of India and overtook So in third place.

Giri won on demand over Richard Rapport in the 13th and final round to snatch the crown as Abdusattorov got stunned by 2021 Tata Masters champion Jorden van Foreest.

Giri finished with 8.5 points, towing Carlsen and Abdusattorov, who remained at 8 points.

The Bacoor City, Cavite-born So, now representing Team USA, tallied 7.5 points on 2 wins and 11 draws.

So, the reigning Chess.com Global champion, went as high as second place following back-to-back victories over Vincent Keymer and Gukesh D., but went on to draw his last six assignments in the event he ruled in 2017.

Trailing So with 7 points each were Iranian No. 1 Parham Maghsoodloo, who toppled USA’s Levon Aronian, and American Fabiano Caruana, who split the point with world No. 2 Ding Liren of China.

Aronian, a four-time winner of the event, tallied 6.5 points with Rapport. – Rappler.com