Added on 1/16/2025

By David Llada

Its official name is Tata Steel Chess,’ though most people still know it as Wijk aan Zee. We journalists often call it ‘the Wimbledon of chess’ to highlight its importance, its rich tradition, and—let’s be honest—because Dutch isn’t the most user-friendly language for a global audience.

Whatever way you choose to call it, the most prestigious chess tournament on earth will celebrate its 87th edition, with the first round kicking off tomorrow, January 18.

This will mark Gukesh’s first event bearing the title of World Champion, and expectations are sky-high. Last year, his phenomenal 2024 run began here in Wijk aan Zee, where the 17-year-old tied for first place, only to lose in the final tie-break round against Wei Yi.

The Indian sensation continues to enjoy the sweet taste of victory. Yesterday, he was trending on social media thanks to a funny ad for FWD Myntram, and today, he received the Major Dhyan Chand Award—India’s highest sporting honor—from President Droupadi Murmu. Traveling shortly after the ceremony, he will barely have time to rest before his first-round game against Anish Giri.

Gukesh will be the 14th World Champion to participate in the Dutch tournament. Unfortunately, Magnus Carlsen has declined the invitation to play for a second consecutive year, making it clear that he is done with classical chess. The Norwegian, who holds a record eight wins at Wijk aan Zee, did participate in the franchise event Tata Steel India Rapid and Blitz in Kolkata—a faster-paced competition more to his liking. Addressing his decision, Carlsen stated, “I will not particularly mind losing my number-one spot in the world ranking.”

With Magnus out, the top seed in this year’s edition is Fabiano Caruana, the oldest of the participants, with a rating of 2803, followed by Arjun Erigaisi (2803). Third is Gukesh, who, funnily enough, has lost 17 rating points in the last three months and is now at 2777. Fourth on the list is Uzbek prodigy Nodirbek Abdusattorov (2777), and fifth is the defending champion, Wei Yi, with 2737. Unfortunately, the Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun wasn’t able to participate in this edition, as she did last year, since she is set to defend her title against Tan Zhongyi in the coming weeks.

Masters

“I always strive for a balance between well-known top players and promising talents. The Masters will feature Grandmasters who can still be regarded as talents in terms of age, but in terms of performance, they have been outstanding for so long that they have actually outgrown that status. I am referring especially to Praggnanandhaa, Abdusattorov, and indeed Gukesh. I feel proud when I see how, partly due to their previous participations in our tournament, they are now structurally among the world’s top players. In addition, my aim is to select as many players as possible with a strong mentality and willingness to fight for the win. I think we can expect an interesting tournament on that front too,” says tournament organizer Jeroen van den Berg.

Jeroen’s vision is evident in one of the tournament’s traditions: alongside the main event, The Masters, Wijk aan Zee hosts a Challengers tournament, the winner of which automatically earns a spot among the top players for the following year. That was the case, for instance, with Leon Mendonca, winner of the Challengers in 2023, who now joins his countrymen Arjun, Gukesh, Pragg and Vidit as the fifth Indian in the main event.

This incentive, combined with a wise selection of players, makes the Challengers group almost as attractive as the Masters. Sixteen-year-old Ediz Gürel, seeded fourth with an impressive 2624 rating, will have a serious shot at winning the event outright, while 14-year-old Lu Miaoyi and 11-year-old Faustino Oro will be eyeing the GM norm.

Challengers

For Faustino, sponsored by ICC, Wijk aan Zee will be the strongest event of his career so far. The Argentinian prodigy has demonstrated over the past year that his level of play is very close to that of a Grandmaster, and he has a reasonable chance of earning the title in 2025. Achieving it before turning 12, on October 14, would be nothing short of a sensation—and a world record. However, to reach this milestone, a “good result” won’t suffice. As Renier Castellanos shared in an interview, when playing for a norm, there are only two outcomes: achieving it or not. A player in this situation must adapt and be prepared to take more risks to reach their goal.

As Alejandro Oro, Faustino’s father, explained, “We are not thinking in terms of ‘when he will get the title’ but in terms of getting the norms, one at a time. That’s our approach: one step at a time.”

Official website:
https://tatasteelchess.com