Tata Steel Chess Claims Record Viewers As Abdusattorov Wins Masters

It's the event that kick-starts the chess year—and this edition, the 88th, didn't disappoint one iota.

Tata Steel Chess 2026 came to a thrilling conclusion on Sunday as Uzbek superstar-in-the-making GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov won perhaps the most prestigious super-tournament of all outside the World Championship cycle.

The 21-year-old from Tashkent, who also won the London Chess Classic before Christmas, held his nerve to score a final round victory over Indian Arjun Erigaisi. After coming close three years in a row, Abdusattorov had finally won the "Wimbledon of chess."

No fewer than five top GMs had been in contention going into Round 13 at Tata, held in the Netherlands seaside town of Wijk aan Zee.

Abdusattorov, the former World Rapid Champion, eventually emerged victorious with six wins, six draws and one loss.

"I can’t express my happiness with words. It was a long way for me," Abdusattorov said afterwards.

"I had a dream to win this tournament when I was a kid and finally my dream came true," he said. "I just told myself: 'Don't let it slip this year.'"

A Record-Breaker

According to the organisers, the grandmasters' games were streamed between 500,000 and 800,000 times per day, with peaks of up to 1 million viewers.

Fans from all over the world followed the moves live, supported by footage from Dorpshuis De Moriaan and café De Zon, where commentators provided live analysis.

It certainly was a feast of chess. The event started with a brief outbreak of chaos as environmental protestors disrupted the first day by dumping coal outside the venue.

The target was Wijk aan Zee's sponsor Tata Steel, one of the world's biggest steel producers.

Tata Steel is a one of Indian heavy industry's biggest success stories and going into the event many hopes were pinned of an Indian victory.

A New Rivalry

The super-strong Indian cohort, which included World champion GM Gukesh D, quickly melted. In total, they scored only six wins in 52 games.

Erigaisi lost 30 FIDE rating points, GM Praggnanandhaa R dropped 17 points while GM Aravindh Chitambaram dropped 16 points. Gukesh also had a ratings drop of six points at Tata Steel. The closest any Indian got to a title was joint 8th in the Challengers. In the Masters, India's stars finished in 10th to 13th places.

Instead it was India's big regional rival in chess Uzbekistan that showed its strength. Not only did the Uzbek number-one Abdusattorov triumph, but the nascent chess nation's number-two GM Javokhir Sindarov clinched second-place.

The 20-year-old reigning World Cup winner will take on the Indians again later this year on home turf in Samarkand at the FIDE Candidates tournament. India and Uzbekistan: it's a rivalry to watch.

Handy Andy

In the Challengers tournament that sits below the Masters, 15-year-old GM Andy Woodward beat the popular Dutchman GM Erwin l'Ami in the final round to triumph.

Woodward will now play in the 2027 Masters. The legendary GM Vasyl Ivanchuk ended half a point behind in second place. What a story it would have been had "Chucky" won, but Woodward's performance was even better. Next year all eyes will be on the teenager and no doubt he will be even stronger.

For the organisers, the event was a resounding success—but then they would say that.

Tournament Director Jeroen van den Berg beamed: "What an incredible achievement by Nodirbek Abdusattorov. His win here is more than deserved—he has been playing at a high and consistent level throughout the entire tournament.

"In recent years he came very close several times, and now he has finally captured the title. I wholeheartedly congratulate him and of course invite him to return to Wijk aan Zee next year to defend his title."

Van den Berg added: “We can look back on a fantastic edition with a large number of visitors, many participating amateur players, and unprecedented international reach.

"The tournament is more alive than ever. And I can already share that the 89th edition of the Tata Steel Chess Tournament will take place from 15 to 31 January 2027 in Wijk aan Zee.

"It promises to be another top‑level event where world‑class players, rising talents, and amateur chess players compete side by side.”