Tata Steel Chess Tournament
The Tata Steel Chess Tournament is an annual chess tournament held in January in Wijk aan Zee, the Netherlands.[1] It was called the Hoogovens Tournament from its creation in 1938 until the sponsor Koninklijke Hoogovens merged with British Steel to form the Corus Group in 1999, after which the tournament was called the Corus Chess Tournament. Corus Group was taken over by the Tata Group and became Tata Steel Europe in 2007,[2] with the tournament changing its name in 2011 to its current name. It has also been referred to as "Wijk aan Zee" since the venue change from the town of Beverwijk to the town of Wijk aan Zee in 1968. Despite the name changes, the series is numbered sequentially from its Hoogovens beginnings; for example, the 2025 event was referred to as the 87th Tata Steel Chess Tournament.[3][4]
Top grandmasters compete in the tournament, but regular club players are welcome to play as well in the lower groups.[1] The Masters group pits fourteen of the world's best against each other in a round-robin tournament, and has sometimes been described as the "Wimbledon of Chess".[5][6] Since 1938, there has been a long list of famous winners; of the fifteen undisputed World Chess Champions since the first tournament in 1938, only five – Alexander Alekhine, Vasily Smyslov, Bobby Fischer, Ding Liren and Gukesh Dommaraju – have not won it. In 2001, nine of the top ten players in the world participated.[1]
Magnus Carlsen holds the record for most wins at the tournament, with eight titles to his name. Anand is the only other player to have won the event five or more times, with five wins. R Praggnanandhaa is the defending champion after defeating Gukesh in the tiebreaks in 2025.
Until recently, players ending on the same score shared the title. The first tie-break was held in 2018, with Magnus Carlsen defeating Anish Giri to clinch the title.[6] As of the 2025 edition, if two or more players lead with the same score at the end of the round-robin, they all take part in the tiebreaks to determine the sole winner. The time control of the tiebreaks is blitz, and then sudden death.[a][7]
Tournament history
[edit]Hoogovens Beverwijk
[edit]The early tournaments were very small, starting with groups of four in 1938, and entry restricted to Dutch players. The first four tournaments continued this way, until 1942, when it was expanded to six players, and in 1943 to eight players. No tournament was held in 1945 due to World War II. The first international tournament was held in 1946, with the field expanded to ten, and invitations to Alberic O'Kelly de Galway (Belgium) and Gösta Stoltz (Sweden) along with a Dutch contingent of eight.[1]
The 1946 tournament was one of the first European international chess tournaments after World War II. Food shortages were still a problem in Europe, so the post-tournament banquet featured pea soup, "inexpensive fare of the common people". In subsequent years pea soup has been served as the first course of the concluding banquet, a tradition continued when the tournament was moved from Beverwijk to Wijk aan Zee.[8]
Normal people have to see Naples before they die…, but a chess grandmaster has to win the Wijk aan Zee tournament first of all.
The tournament field was increased to twelve in 1953, and an international women's tournament was also held. In 1954 the tournament field was returned to ten players, but the strength of the competitions increased. The field was greatly enlarged to 18 in 1963, and although it reduced to 16 in 1964, the event had become the strongest international chess tournament in the world.[9]
As the tournament grew in stature, the tournament began to offer lower groups such as a B-group (sometimes called "Challengers" in contrast to group-A or "Masters"), and occasionally a C-group. There also began a tradition to operate a year on year policy of inviting the winner of the B-group to the A-group.[1][10]
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Winners of the top group:[10]
Winners 1938-1967 # Year Winner(s) Score % 1 1938 
Jilling Van Dijk (Netherlands)
2½/3 83.3 Philip Bakker (Netherlands)
2 1939 Nicolaas Cortlever (Netherlands)
3/3 100.0 3 1940 Max Euwe (Netherlands)
3/3 100.0 4 1941 Arthur Wijnans (Netherlands)
2½/3 83.3 5 1942 Max Euwe (Netherlands)
4½/5 90.0 6 1943 Arnold van den Hoek (Netherlands)
5½/7 78.6 7 1944 Theo van Scheltinga (Netherlands)
5/7 71.4 – 1945 No competition[b] 8 1946 
Alberic O'Kelly de Galway (Belgium)
7/9 77.8 9 1947 Theo van Scheltinga (Netherlands)
7½/9 83.3 10 1948 Lodewijk Prins (Netherlands)
6½/9 72.2 11 1949 
Savielly Tartakower (France)
6½/9 72.2 12 1950 Jan Hein Donner (Netherlands)
7/9 77.8 13 1951 
Hermann Pilnik (Argentina)
6½/9 72.2 14 1952 Max Euwe (Netherlands)
7½/9 83.3 15 1953 Nicolas Rossolimo (France)
9/11 81.8 16 1954 Hans Bouwmeester (Netherlands)
6/9 66.7 
Vasja Pirc (Yugoslavia)
17 1955 Borislav Milić (Yugoslavia)
6½/9 72.2 18 1956 
Gideon Ståhlberg (Sweden)
6½/9 72.2 19 1957 Aleksandar Matanović (Yugoslavia)
6½/9 72.2 20 1958 Max Euwe (Netherlands)
5½/9 61.1 Jan Hein Donner (Netherlands)
21 1959 
Friðrik Ólafsson (Iceland)
7½/9 83.3 22 1960 
Bent Larsen (Denmark)
6½/9 72.2 
Tigran Petrosian (Soviet Union)
23 1961 Bent Larsen (Denmark)
7½/9 83.3 Borislav Ivkov (Yugoslavia)
24 1962 Petar Trifunović (Yugoslavia)
6/9 66.7 25 1963 Jan Hein Donner (Netherlands)
12/17 70.6 26 1964 Paul Keres (Soviet Union)
11½/15 76.6 Iivo Nei (Soviet Union)
27 1965 
Lajos Portisch (Hungary)
10½/15 70.0 Efim Geller (Soviet Union)
28 1966 Lev Polugaevsky (Soviet Union)
11½/15 76.6 29 1967 Boris Spassky (Soviet Union)
11/15 73.3
Hoogovens Wijk aan Zee
[edit]
_tegen_Anatoli_Karpov,_Bestanddeelnr_934-1670.jpg)
The tournament was moved to the Dutch seaside town Wijk aan Zee in 1968.[11] Starting from 1982, the tournament mostly settled to its present number of 14 players.
The winners of the top group were:[10]
Winners 1968-1999 # Year Winner(s) Score % 30 1968 Viktor Korchnoi (Soviet Union)
12/15 80.0 31 1969 Mikhail Botvinnik (Soviet Union)
10½/15 70.0 Efim Geller (Soviet Union)
32 1970 Mark Taimanov (Soviet Union)
12/15 80.0 33 1971 Viktor Korchnoi (Soviet Union)
10/15 66.7 34 1972 Lajos Portisch (Hungary)
10½/15 70.0 35 1973 Mikhail Tal (Soviet Union)
10½/15 70.0 36 1974 
Walter Browne (United States)
11/15 73.3 37 1975 Lajos Portisch (Hungary)
10½/15 70.0 38 1976 Ljubomir Ljubojević (Yugoslavia)
7½/11 77.8 Friðrik Ólafsson (Iceland)
39 1977 Gennadi Sosonko (Netherlands)
8/11 72.7 Efim Geller (Soviet Union)
40 1978 Lajos Portisch (Hungary)
8/11 72.7 41 1979 Lev Polugaevsky (Soviet Union)
7½/11 68.2 42 1980 Walter Browne (United States)
10/13 76.9 Yasser Seirawan (United States)
43 1981 Gennadi Sosonko (Netherlands)
8/12 66.7 Jan Timman (Netherlands)
44 1982 
John Nunn (United Kingdom)
8½/13 65.4 Yuri Balashov (Soviet Union)
45 1983 Ulf Andersson (Sweden)
9/13 69.2 46 1984 Alexander Beliavsky (Soviet Union)
10/13 76.9 
Viktor Korchnoi (Switzerland)
47 1985 Jan Timman (Netherlands)
9/13 69.2 48 1986 Nigel Short (United Kingdom)
9½/13 73.1 49 1987 Nigel Short (United Kingdom)
9½/13 73.1 Viktor Korchnoi (Switzerland)
50 1988 Anatoly Karpov (Soviet Union)
9/13 69.2 51 1989 
Viswanathan Anand (India)
7½/13 57.7 Gyula Sax (Hungary)
Zoltán Ribli (Hungary)
Predrag Nikolić (Yugoslavia)
52 1990 John Nunn (United Kingdom)
8/13 61.5 53 1991 John Nunn (United Kingdom)
8½/13 65.4 54 1992 
Valery Salov (Russia)
8½/13 65.4 
Boris Gelfand (Belarus)
55 1993 Anatoly Karpov (Russia)
2½/4[c] 56 1994 
Predrag Nikolić (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
7/9 77.8 57 1995 
Alexey Dreev (Russia)
2½/4[c] 58 1996 
Vasyl Ivanchuk (Ukraine)
9/13 69.2 59 1997 Valery Salov (Russia)
8½/13 65.4 60 1998 Viswanathan Anand (India)
8½/13 65.4 Vladimir Kramnik (Russia)
61 1999 Garry Kasparov (Russia)
10/13 76.9
Corus tournament
[edit]
From 2000, the formal name for the tournament was changed to the "Corus Chess Tournament".[11] The winners of the A-group were:[10]
Winners 2000-2010 # Year Winner(s) Score % 62 2000 Garry Kasparov (Russia)
9½/13 73.1 63 2001 Garry Kasparov (Russia)
9/13 69.2 64 2002 Evgeny Bareev (Russia)
9/13 69.2 65 2003 Viswanathan Anand (India)
8½/13 65.4 66 2004 Viswanathan Anand (India)
8½/13 65.4 67 2005 Peter Leko (Hungary)
8½/13 65.4 68 2006 Viswanathan Anand (India)
9/13 69.2 
Veselin Topalov (Bulgaria)
69 2007 
Levon Aronian (Armenia)
8½/13 65.4 
Teimour Radjabov (Azerbaijan)
Veselin Topalov (Bulgaria)
70 2008 Levon Aronian (Armenia)
8/13 61.5 
Magnus Carlsen (Norway)
71 2009 Sergey Karjakin (Russia)
8/13 61.5 72 2010 Magnus Carlsen (Norway)
8½/13 65.4
Tata Steel tournament
[edit]
From 2011, the formal name changed to the 'Tata Steel Chess Tournament'.[11] The winners of the Masters section were:[10]
Winners 2011-present # Year Winner Score % 73 2011 Hikaru Nakamura (United States)
9/13 69.2 74 2012 Levon Aronian (Armenia)
9/13 69.2 75 2013 Magnus Carlsen (Norway)
10/13 76.9 76 2014 Levon Aronian (Armenia)
8/11 72.7 77 2015 Magnus Carlsen (Norway)
9/13 69.2 78 2016 Magnus Carlsen (Norway)
9/13 69.2 79 2017 Wesley So (United States)
9/13 69.2 80 2018 Magnus Carlsen (Norway)
9/13 69.2 81 2019 Magnus Carlsen (Norway)
9/13 69.2 82 2020 Fabiano Caruana (United States)
10/13 76.9 83 2021 Jorden van Foreest (Netherlands)
8½/13 65.4 84 2022 Magnus Carlsen (Norway)
9½/13 73.1 85 2023 Anish Giri (Netherlands)
8½/13 65.4 86 2024 
Wei Yi (China)
8½/13 65.4 87 2025 R Praggnanandhaa (India)
8½/13 65.4
Multiple winners
[edit]The following players have won the tournament more than once; years where they shared the title are bolded.
| Player | Country | Wins | Tournaments Won |
|---|---|---|---|
| Magnus Carlsen |  Norway
|
8 (1 shared) | 2008, 2010, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2022 |
| Viswanathan Anand |  India
|
5 (3 shared) | 1989, 1998, 2003, 2004, 2006 |
| Max Euwe |  Netherlands
|
4 (1 shared) | 1940, 1942, 1952, 1958 |
| Levon Aronian |  Armenia
|
4 (2 shared) | 2007, 2008, 2012, 2014 |
| Viktor Korchnoi |  Soviet Union Switzerland
|
4 (2 shared) | 1968, 1971, 1984, 1987 |
| Lajos Portisch |  Hungary
|
4 (1 shared) | 1965, 1972, 1975, 1978 |
| Jan Hein Donner | Netherlands
|
3 (1 shared) | 1950, 1958, 1963 |
| Efim Geller | Soviet Union
|
3 (3 shared) | 1965, 1969, 1977 |
| Garry Kasparov |  Russia
|
3 | 1999, 2000, 2001 |
| John Nunn |  United Kingdom
|
3 (1 shared) | 1982, 1990, 1991 |
| Walter Browne |  United States
|
2 (1 shared) | 1974, 1980 |
| Anatoly Karpov | Soviet Union Russia
|
2 | 1988, 1993 |
| Bent Larsen |  Denmark
|
2 (2 shared) | 1960, 1961 |
| Predrag Nikolić |  SFR Yugoslavia Bosnia and Herzegovina
|
2 (1 shared) | 1989, 1994 |
| Friðrik Ólafsson |  Iceland
|
2 (1 shared) | 1959, 1976 |
| Lev Polugaevsky | Soviet Union
|
2 | 1966, 1979 |
| Valery Salov | Russia
|
2 (1 shared) | 1992, 1997 |
| Gennadi Sosonko | Netherlands
|
2 (2 shared) | 1977, 1981 |
| Nigel Short | United Kingdom
|
2 (1 shared) | 1986, 1987 |
| Jan Timman | Netherlands
|
2 (1 shared) | 1981, 1985 |
| Veselin Topalov |  Bulgaria
|
2 (2 shared) | 2006, 2007 |
| Theo van Scheltinga | Netherlands
|
2 | 1944, 1947 |
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ The format and number of games is decided by the number of tied players.
- ^ Due to World War II.[1]
- ^ a b Edition was held as a single-elimination tournament[1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h Frey, Eduard (13 January 2023). "Ten Trivia about the Tata Steel Tournament series, the Wimbledon of Chess". ChessBase. Archived from the original on 15 January 2025. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
- ^ "India media upbeat on Tata's win". BBC News. 1 February 2007. Archived from the original on 9 April 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
- ^ "Masters & Challengers". Tata Steel Chess. 18 January 2025. Archived from the original on 18 January 2025. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
- ^ Ahmed, Shahid (2 February 2025). "Gukesh or Praggnanandhaa - Who will win 87th Tata Steel Masters?". ChessBase India. Archived from the original on 11 February 2025. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
- ^ Barden, Leonard (12 January 2018). "Magnus Carlsen aims for strong showing at 'Wimbledon of chess' event". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 1 December 2018. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
- ^ a b "Magnus Carlsen wins Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2018". FIDE. 29 January 2018. Archived from the original on 28 January 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
- ^ "Format". Tata Steel Chess. Archived from the original on 7 February 2025. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
- ^ Damsky, Yakov; Sugden, John (25 August 2005). The Batsford Book of Chess Records. Batsford Books. p. 164. ISBN 0-7134-8946-4.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ Golombek, Harry (1977). Golombek's Encyclopedia of Chess. Crown Publishers. p. 143. ISBN 0-517-53146-1.
- ^ a b c d e "All-time Tournaments – Tata Steel Chess". Tata Steel Chess. Archived from the original on 18 January 2025. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
- ^ a b c Green, Nathaniel (26 August 2024). "Tata Steel Chess: A Photo Retrospective". Chess.com. Archived from the original on 5 September 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2025.
External links
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