The XTX London Chess Classic, held this week in the elegant surroundings of Arsenal's Emirates Stadium, was decisively won by Uzbekistan's rising star, Nodirbek Abdusattorov. The 21-year-old grandmaster delivered a commanding performance, headlined by a staggering Tournament Performance Rating (TPR) of 3050, cementing his status among the world's elite.
A Masterclass in Preparation and Precision
Abdusattorov's victory was built on formidable preparation and flawless execution. A pivotal moment came in the second round against American prodigy Abhimanyu Mishra. Facing a rare Arkhangelsk variation of the Ruy Lopez, Abdusattorov revealed after the game that he had memorised and improved upon deep analysis for the first 34 moves. He noted that his 30th move, Ke3!, was a refinement on a 2025 game by Alexander Grischuk, and that his 34th move was the only path to a winning position.
"It's very easy to misjudge this endgame from a human perspective," Abdusattorov remarked. "That's how we tend to think as humans, but the engine is merciless." His relentless pressure eventually forced Mishra's resignation after 49 moves.
England's Spirited Final-Round Resurgence
While Abdusattorov dominated the leaderboard, the home nation's players provided the tournament's most dramatic narrative shift. After struggling for much of the event, all four English competitors won their eighth-round games on Thursday night. This collective surge transformed a challenging tournament into a showcase of resilience.
The standings after eight of the nine rounds were: Abdusattorov (Uzbekistan) 7 points, Alireza Firouzja (France) 5, Nikita Vitiugov (England) 4.5, Luke McShane and Michael Adams (both England) 4. The English victories ensured a strong home presence near the top of the final table.
Notable Performances Across the Tournament
Abdusattorov's campaign peaked in round six with a crushing win over American Sam Shankland, a victory that propelled his TPR to the astronomical 3050 mark. His main rival, Frenchman Alireza Firouzja, predicted by Magnus Carlsen as a future champion, lacked sharpness and drew several games with lower-ranked opponents.
In the event's Fide Open, world number seven Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu secured his qualification for next year's Candidates tournament, though he made hard work of it. He eventually shared the £10,000 first prize with a score of 7.5/9, alongside Serb Velimir Ilic and England's Ameet Ghasi.
Ghasi's story was particularly remarkable. The 38-year-old, who works full-time for Biogen and only earned his grandmaster title a year ago, scored the best result of his career as an amateur, having taken an eight-year break from chess in his late teens.
The tournament also highlighted promising English junior talent, with 11-year-old Supratit Banerjee and 13-year-old Kai Hanache both posting strong rating performances, though no GM or IM norms were achieved.
The final round of the London Classic was broadcast live on Friday, allowing fans to witness the conclusion of a tournament that blended world-class dominance with a thrilling home nation fightback.
