WIJK AAN ZEE, 2 FEB

 In a thrilling twelfth round of the Tata Steel Masters, World Champion D Gukesh played out a draw against Holland's Jorden van Foreest, while compatriot R Praggnanandhaa secured his third consecutive victory, defeating Alexey Sarana of Serbia. Both Indians now sit atop the leaderboard with 8.5 points, eyeing a historic title win—the first by an Indian in Tata Steel Masters history.

After a promising start, Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan suffered defeat at the hands of Arjun Erigaisi and is now unlikely to contend for the title with only 7.5 points. Praggnanandhaa, playing with the white pieces, demonstrated tactical brilliance against Sarana, executing a stunning piece sacrifice that dismantled his opponent's defence, ultimately leading to checkmate.

Gukesh’s match against van Foreest was marked by fluctuating fortunes as he navigated a tense Queen pawn game. After a period of stalemate, Gukesh's slight miscalculation allowed van Foreest to launch a counterattack, ending in a draw.

Arjun Erigaisi's decisive win over Abdusattorov showcased his strength in the Nimzo-Indian Defence, as he capitalised on his opponent's blunders to clinch victory.

In the challengers’ section, Aydin Suleymanli, Nguyen Thai Dai Vam, and Erwin L’Ami share the lead on 8.5 points, while Divya Deshmukh faced defeat against Benjamin Bok.

The final round promises excitement, with Gukesh facing Erigaisi and Praggnanandhaa up against Vincent Keymer. If both matches end in draws, a playoff will determine the champion.