The Tata Steel Masters tournament in Wijk aan Zee witnessed a compelling first round, with Indian Grandmasters making significant impacts. Arjun Erigaisi secured a notable victory over his compatriot R Praggnanandhaa, while World Champion D Gukesh drew his game against Javokhir Sindarov of Uzbekistan.

The start of the tournament was delayed by approximately 90 minutes due to environmental activists. The protestors from Extinction Rebellion blocked the entrance to the playing hall, demonstrating against Tata Steel's environmental impact and claiming the company failed to meet a climate-neutral target set for 2025.

Once play began, Arjun Erigaisi, seeded first, showcased his strategic prowess against Praggnanandhaa in a Queen's Gambit Accepted. Praggnanandhaa's king was caught in the center early in the middlegame, which allowed Erigaisi to capitalize on the positional advantage and secure a win in just 32 moves.

World Champion D Gukesh faced Javokhir Sindarov in a hard-fought encounter. Gukesh, playing the Queen's Gambit Declined, initiated a stylish queen sacrifice, gaining a slightly better position in the middlegame. However, Sindarov defended resiliently, and despite Gukesh's persistent pressure, the game ended in a draw after 78 moves. According to Chess.com, Gukesh was thwarted at the very end despite looking set to win.

Hans Moke Niemann from the United States also had a successful start, capitalizing on a blunder by Vladimir Fedoseev early in the middlegame. Niemann seized the opportunity, leading to Fedoseev's resignation in just 16 moves. German Vincent Keymer secured a win against Anish Giri, adding to the list of decisive results in the first round.

Following the first round, Erigaisi, Keymer, and Niemann share the lead with a full point each, with Gukesh among those trailing by half a point. Other games saw Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus of Turkey draw with Nodirbek Yakubboev of Uzbekistan, and Jorden van Foreest of the Netherlands draw with Thai Dai Van Nguyen of Czech Republic.

The Tata Steel Masters 2026 features a young and competitive field, with the average age of the players being just 23. For some players, including Anish Giri, Matthias Bluebaum, Javokhir Sindarov, and Praggnanandhaa, this tournament serves as crucial preparation for the Candidates Tournament scheduled for the end of March.

In the Tata Steel Chess Challengers tournament, four games concluded decisively, with notable wins for Bibisara Assaubayeva and Lu Miaoyi. The second round of the tournament is set to commence on January 18.