GM Arjun Erigaisi pounced on a blunder by GM Jorden van Foreest to seize his second win and be part of GM Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus within the 2026 TePe Sigeman Chess Match lead. Erdogmus escaped with a 104-move draw vs. GM Andy Woodward, whereas GM Magnus Carlsen is half some extent again after successful an “extremely shaky” sport in opposition to GM Zhu Jiner. GM Nils Grandelius lastly bought on the scoreboard with a draw in opposition to GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov.
The sixth spherical is on Wednesday, Might 6, beginning at 9 a.m. ET / 15:00 CEST / 6:30 p.m. IST.
Grandelius-Abdusattorov was a uncommon ‘non-game’ in Malmo, however we bought two decisive video games and one missed win and 104-move draw within the remaining video games.
Spherical 5 Outcomes
Arjun has caught Erdogmus with two rounds to go, whereas Carlsen joins Abdusattorov half some extent behind. Grandelius is off the mark!
Standings after Spherical 5
Grandelius ½-½ Abdusattorov
This was an immediately forgettable sport, however it was additionally totally comprehensible—after 4 rounds wherein the Swedish number-one’s uncompromising chess had given him 4 losses in a row, Grandelius lastly determined sufficient was sufficient and performed what he cheerfully admitted on the reside broadcast was “a really boring sport!”
It was a case of job accomplished, and his opponent Abdusattorov acknowledged the actual fact: “It was really fairly humorous that after the sport my opponent stated to me just one phrase, ‘congrats!'”
It was really fairly humorous that after the sport my opponent stated to me just one phrase, ‘congrats!’
—Nils Grandelius on Nodirbek Abdusattorov’s response to their draw
Abdusattorov had missed two huge probabilities in earlier video games in Malmo this 12 months, however within the fourth attract a row there was no trace of something greater than equality.
“In fact it feels fairly good to not have zero factors, a minimum of!” stated Grandelius, and chess followers may haven’t any complaints, because the remaining video games have been filled with motion.
Carlsen 1-0 Zhu
If there was one certainty about this sport it was that Carlsen would attempt to hit again after his loss to Van Foreest. Certain sufficient, he went for the King’s Indian Assault and was prepared to take dangers, although he admitted after the sport that issues had gotten fully out of hand: “It was extremely shaky! I believed early on that I used to be doing alright, however I couldn’t determine it out, after which I misplaced the thread. I feel she fully outplayed me for some time there—I didn’t like what was happening in any respect.”
I feel she fully outplayed me for some time there!
—Magnus Carlsen on Zhu Jiner
Carlsen admitted his 14.Nh4?! was “actually a bit an excessive amount of,” explaining, “I simply did not know what to do and I used to be all the way down to 26 minutes or one thing, and having no concept what my plans have been,” whereas a badly-timed 20.f3? left White in serious trouble, a minimum of in opposition to greatest play.
Zhu was additionally struggling to navigate the complexities, nevertheless, and withdrew her bishop to h8 as a substitute of following the pc suggestion of inviting a commerce with 20…Kh7!.
The clock state of affairs solely added to the strain, with Carlsen getting all the way down to underneath a minute on his clock whereas Zhu’s queen, rook, and knight threatened to overwhelm the white king. It was balanced on a razor’s edge, however, maybe unsurprisingly, Carlsen dodged all of the threats, pounced on a mistake, and emerged after the time management with a completely successful place. Zhu had seen sufficient and resigned on transfer 41.
A really relieved Carlsen commented, “It was very, very harmful for me, and I simply really feel actually, actually fortunate that I managed to outlive—it was very tough to calculate, and I definitely was not succesful!”
That is our Recreation of the Day, which GM Rafael Leitao has analyzed beneath.
Carlsen additionally addressed the loss the day earlier than, commenting: “Yesterday was form of enjoyable, to be sincere! Much more enjoyable than immediately, that’s for certain.” He talked concerning the uncommon feeling (for him) of feeling reduction at saving a sport solely to seek out himself shedding once more, however credited Van Foreest: “I misplaced fairly deservedly as effectively, so these issues occur once you play fairly sharp chess, which I’m probably not able to for the time being!”
Carlsen additionally talked about Van Foreest’s comparatively late rise into the top-20. He defined the Dutchman has nice potential, however is an uncommon participant: “Clearly I’ve performed in opposition to him and I’ve seen numerous his video games in opposition to others, additionally in coaching camps. Jorden can look 2800 and 2400 within the span of minutes, each together with his strikes and his explanations and all of that, and that form of makes him actually attention-grabbing.”
Jorden can look 2800 and 2400 within the span of minutes, each together with his strikes and his explanations.
—Magnus Carlsen on Jorden van Foreest
Sadly for Van Foreest, spherical 5 witnessed one among his 2400 moments!
Arjun 1-0 Van Foreest
Unsurprisingly for a conflict of two of probably the most artistic gamers in chess, this sport left the trodden path early on. Van Foreest’s 4…h6 was nearly a brand new transfer, with Arjun saying he did not understand it however responded quick as a result of he anticipated the place to transpose into one thing he knew.
It did not, so Arjun then determined to “freestyle” (his phrase) with 7.Ne5, threatening mate-in-one on transfer seven. He defined that after a traditional setup reminiscent of 7.g3 and Bg2 to observe, Black could be fairly snug.
It wasn’t a tough menace to parry in itself, however Van Foreest’s delay when taking part in 7…e6 was comprehensible, since we noticed within the sport that his light-squared bishop would get fully shut out on h7 after Arjun was capable of play f3 and e4. “I feel he made numerous submissive strikes” was how Arjun defined why issues regularly turned disagreeable for Black.
An extended sport nonetheless appeared inevitable, with Arjun making an attempt to therapeutic massage a small edge right into a win, when all of the sudden Van Foreest, regardless of not being in time bother, lashed out with a really non-submissive transfer, 25…e5?. GM Erwin l’Ami known as it “an enormous determination,” that might both pressure a fast draw or, which is what we noticed within the sport, condemn Black to a swift loss. Solely 5 strikes later, the Dutchman resigned.
That win took Arjun into the lead and, after beginning the match exterior the highest 10, he is now up 4 locations to world number-seven on the reside score record.
The win may have been sufficient for the only real lead, however Erdogmus dodged a bullet in opposition to one other participant searching a bounce-back win, Woodward.
Woodward ½-½ Erdogmus
This was one other sport that featured an …e5 break by Black, however this one was fully sound and appeared as if it was going to result in a fast draw, with Erdogmus safely sustaining the lead. As an alternative it led to a treacherous queen endgame the place Woodward was a pawn up and, within the run-up to the time management, may have received one other pawn and sure the sport. As an alternative the possibility slipped, however over 60 extra strikes adopted earlier than Woodward lastly acceded to a draw.
Each youngsters have big video games to observe that marathon. In Wednesday’s penultimate spherical, Erdogmus has White in opposition to Abdusattorov, whereas Woodward is White vs. Carlsen. Zhu-Arjun would be the different huge sport for the battle to win the match.
Spherical 6 Pairings
The way to watch?
The Tepe Sigeman Chess Match takes place Might 1-7, 2026, on the Elite Plaza Lodge in Malmo, Sweden. The gamers compete in an eight-player single round-robin. The time management is 90 minutes for 40 strikes, with 30 extra minutes for the remainder of the sport and a 30-second increment per transfer from transfer one.
Earlier protection:
