Tata Steel Chess Tournament

Despite the name changes, the series is numbered sequentially from its Hoogovens beginnings; for example, the 2025 event was referred to as the 87th Tata Steel Chess Tournament.

[5][6] Since 1938, there has been a long list of very strong winners; of the fifteen undisputed World Chess Champions since the first tournament in 1938, only five – Alexander Alekhine, Vasily Smyslov, Bobby Fischer, Ding Liren and Gukesh Dommaraju – have not won it.

The first international tournament was held in 1946, with the field expanded to ten, and invitations to Alberic O'Kelly de Galway (Belgium) and Gösta Stoltz (Sweden) along with a Dutch contingent of eight.

Food shortages were still a problem in Europe, so the post-tournament banquet featured pea soup, "inexpensive fare of the common people".

In subsequent years pea soup has been served as the first course of the concluding banquet, a tradition continued when the tournament was moved from Beverwijk to Wijk aan Zee.

[1][10] Winners of the top group:[10] The tournament was moved to the Dutch seaside town Wijk aan Zee in 1968.

A very large crowd sitting around many tables, playing chess in a large hall
Playing hall of the 80th Tata Steel Tournament, 2018
Donner and Euwe talking after their game, still sitting at the board
GM Jan Hein Donner , 3 time winner vs former World Chess Champion (WCC) Max Euwe , 4 time winner, pictured at Hoogovens 1958
Petrosian thinking on a move
Future WCC Tigran Petrosian , pictured at Hoogovens 1960, which he went on to win
Keres thinks on a move
GM Paul Keres , pictured at Hoogovens 1964, which he went on to win
Tal sitted on a table, just before or after a game
Former WCC Mikhail Tal , pictured at Hoogovens 1973, which he went on to win
Karpov updates his movesheet, while Sterren thinks
Former WCC Anatoly Karpov , a 2 time winner vs GM Paul van der Sterren , pictured at Hoogovens 1988; Karpov went on to win
Timman thinks while Kasparov makes a move
GM Jan Timman , a 2 time winner vs WCC Garry Kasparov , a 3 time winner, pictured at Hoogovens 1999; Kasparov went on to win
Polgar thinks on a move
GM Judit Polgar pictured at Hoogovens 1998; she came 2nd in the 2003 edition–the highest position by a woman in the tournament
Anand making a move
WCC Viswanathan Anand , who is also a 5 time winner, pictured at Corus 2010
Carlsen makes a move
WCC Magnus Carlsen , who is also an 8 time winner, pictured at Tata Steel 2013, which he went on to win
Carlsen thinks on a move, while Anand looks away
WCC Magnus Carlsen vs former WCC Viswanathan Anand , pictured at Tata Steel 2019, which Carlsen went on to win
7 GMs sitting on chairs in a row, 7 standing behind them
A group photo of the 14 GMs competing in the Masters section of Tata Steel Chess 2025, including WCC Gukesh Dommaraju (sitting center) and eventual winner R Praggnanandhaa (sitting, 2nd from right)