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 7 · 24 Jan 2026

Gukesh D — Giri

The Matchup

White
Gukesh DCredit
🇮🇳IND
4th · 3.0

Gukesh D

2728 Performance · 1.5 behind leader

Last 5 games½½½WL
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 →
0–1Black wins
Black
Anish GiriCredit
🇳🇱NED
5th · 2.0

Anish Giri

2666 Performance · 2.5 behind leader

Last 5 games½L½½½
World#8FIDE Standard world ranking from the latest monthly classical rating list before this tournament started. List: 2026-03-01.Elo2760Age31

Dutch chess's perennial contender, valued for creative opening ideas, rapid adaptation, and razor-sharp theoretical preparation.

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

English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Fianchetto Line, with Bc5
BlackGiriNED2760
WhiteDIND2732
B
-0.3W

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.

Engine & players agree

Playable moves worth considering here.

O-Oe1g1
+0.1484%

MAIA 2200

PLAYER LIKELIHOOD84% would play this move

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

What changed

Threatening
Bd2c1d2
+0.065%

MAIA 2200

PLAYER LIKELIHOOD5% would play this move

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

What changed

Threatening
Ng5f3g5
-0.242%

MAIA 2200

PLAYER LIKELIHOOD2% 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

Ng5 is active (king-zone pressure)

Hard to spot

Nxd5c3d5
+0.111%

MAIA 2200

PLAYER LIKELIHOOD1% 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

Nd5 is active

Critical reply

Qxd5!Critical

Critical line

After critical line

Loses material on f3

Black king is exposedWhite controls d4, e4, e5

White gets the main benefit, but white creates more concrete threats.