Tata Steel Masters Rd 1-7: So near, yet so Firouzja
It's his first supertournament, but 16 year-old Alireza Firouzja is sensationally leading Tata Steel Masters by half a point.
At this point, he can clearly be called one of the most promising youngsters in modern times. As if increasing a staggering 100 points in 2019 wasn't unreal enough, he's now skyrocketed himself into the World Top 20 list.
His round 7 victory against another teen talent, Xiong Jeffery, was a clean effort where he slowly outplayed his opponent:
As they say, well begun is half done. Photo: Tata Steel Chess Youtube Channel
But to say that he has completely stolen the limelight would be an overstatement, for there is someone who's performance has been at least as stunning: Jorden Van Foreest, who is in the chasing pack with 4.5/7 along with Wesley So and Fabiano Caruana.
It's not everyday that you see the last seed of a supertournament on a +2 score. In Round 7, he even broke the Black jinx, when for the first time in the tournament, the score "0-1" flashed on one of the boards. Barring a loss to Xiong Jeffery, Jorden has beaten Yu Yangyi, Daniil Dubov and Nikita Vitiugov, not to mention draws against Carlsen, Caruana and Anand.
And the guy had Magnus on the ropes!
Can Jorden continue his impressive run? Photo: Alina l'Ami/Tata Steel Chess
Wesley So, also on 4.5, has had a solid event so far, with 2 wins and 5 draws. He took the sole lead in round 4 when he beat Alireza Firouzja with some clinical endgame play.
Usually 3 draws to consolidate a +2 score in such events is quite fine to at least retain joint lead, but Firouzja's will to win has seen Wesley slip down to joint second.
So near, yet so Firouzja. Photo: Alina l'Ami/Tata Steel Chess
After a grinding win against Dubov in Round 7, Fabiano Caruana has kept up the hunt with a +2 score. Earlier, in round 3 he won against Yu Yangyi and drew effortlessly with Black against Magnus in Round 6.
A good tournament so far for Fabiano Caruana. Photo: Tata Steel Chess Youtube Channel
Magnus Carlsen, who recently became the triple crown holder, has been having a subpar event, with 7 draws in 7 games. The main issue, however, is that he has been in trouble in most of the games.
The silver lining between all this, though, has been his undefeated streak going up to a massive 114 games, the highest ever.
The streak is phenomenal, but there is still work to be done in Wijk Aan Zee. Photo: Tata Steel Chess Youtube Channel
Round 8 features some very exciting clashes, Jorden Van Foreest vs Alireza Firouzja being the most important to the tournament standings. Will youth continue to prevail, or will the likes of Caruana and Wesley step up? Stay tuned, and let me know your thoughts in the comments section below!
