Elite chess explained, move by move
Dates
17 Jan — 28 Jan 2026
Location
Wijk aan Zee, NL
Field
14 players
Format
Round-robin
Time control
Classical
Rounds
13 · 13 played
Decisive
45%
Avg. rating
2725

Round 5 · 22 Jan 2026

Nguyen — Gukesh D

The Matchup

White
Thai Dai Van NguyenCredit
🇨🇿CZE
4th · 1.5

Thai Dai Van Nguyen

2697 Performance · 1.5 behind leader

Last 5 games½½½L
World#88FIDE Standard world ranking from the latest monthly classical rating list before this tournament started. List: 2026-03-01.Elo2656Age33

The Czech Republic's leading player, valued for solid classical fundamentals and the calm technique to hold nerve in elite open tournaments.

Games in this event →
0–1Black wins
Black
Gukesh DCredit
🇮🇳IND
3rd · 2.0

Gukesh D

2741 Performance · 1 behind leader

Last 5 games½½½½
World#10FIDE Standard world ranking from the latest monthly classical rating list before this tournament started. List: 2026-03-01.Elo2754Age19

India's reigning world champion, combining lightning calculation with resolute classical play in the sport's highest-pressure moments.

Games in this event →

Head to head

Classical over-the-board (indexed)

Lifetime FIDE classical score unavailable (missing FIDE ID or cache not warmed).

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Key Moments

Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Nimzowitsch Variation, Quiet Line
BlackDIND2732
+1
WhiteNguyenCZE2656
B
-3.3W

Classical factors on this position

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Checks, captures, and threats for the side to move

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The Moves

Other lines considered

From the crossroads before this move — engine and player perspectives.

Tempting traps

Nd3e5d3
-3.4233%

MAIA 2200

PLAYER LIKELIHOOD33% would play this move

The Maia model estimates how often 2200-rated players choose this move from this position.

What changed

Attacking
Threatening

Immediate impact

Nd3 is active (king-zone pressure)

Engine & players agree

Playable moves worth considering here.

Ng4e5g4
-4.0852%

MAIA 2200

PLAYER LIKELIHOOD52% would play this move

The Maia model estimates how often 2200-rated players choose this move from this position.

What changed

Attacking
Threatening
Board structure

Immediate impact

1 checking resource
Nf3e5f3
-3.437%

MAIA 2200

PLAYER LIKELIHOOD7% would play this move

The Maia model estimates how often 2200-rated players choose this move from this position.

What changed

Attacking
Threatening

Immediate impact

Nf3 is active (king-zone pressure)