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The much-anticipated Tata Steel Masters kicked off on Saturday in Wijk aan Zee. A lively first round saw four players scoring full points, all with the black pieces — Ian Nepomniachtchi, Alireza Firouzja, Anish Giri and Wei Yi are sharing the lead after the first day of action. The Challengers also saw four players grabbing wins right off the bat. | Photo: Tata Steel Chess Tournament / Lenart Ootes
This week's Wednesday Workout starts a two-part series on the 2023 Gashimov Memorial rapid and blitz event, featuring a number of prominent top players. Played in Azerbaijan in honor of the late Azeri great, Indian GM Vidit Gujrathi won with a score of 5/9 in the rapid and and 12/18 in the blitz, totaling a 22/36 score (as rapid games counted for two points each). Vidit finished a half-point ahead of countryman GM Arjun Erigaisi, and Romanian GM Richard Rapport was third with 19/36.
After finishing the rapid section in shared second place, Vidit Gujrathi tied for first in the blitz to claim overall first place at the Gashimov Memorial. Vidit managed to keep his ½-point lead over Arjun Erigaisi by winning his final game in Gabala — Arjun also scored a full point in the 18th round of blitz and grabbed clear second place. Richard Rapport, who had struggled in the rapid but obtained as many points as Vidit in the blitz, finished third. | Photo: Mukhtar Ahmad
The youngest and lowest-rated participant prevailed in the rapid section of the Gashimov Memorial. 18-year-old Aydin Suleymanli played fearlessly on day 3 of the rapid to collect two wins and a loss, and go into Monday’s 18 rounds of blitz as the sole leader in Gabala. Sharing second place, one point behind, are Vidit Gujrathi, Arjun Erigaisi and the top scorer in the final three rounds of rapid, Jorden van Foreest. | Photos: Official website
No player has managed to remain undefeated after six rounds at the Gashimov Memorial in Gabala, Azerbaijan. Rounds 4-6 were played on Saturday and featured a number of entertaining encounters. Three players emerged as co-leaders, with Arjun Erigaisi and Aydin Suleymanli (pictured) joining early leader Nijat Abasov at the top of the standings, all with plus-one scores. A very closed competition, all remaining seven participants have either fifty-percent or minus-one scores. | Photos: Official website