Sigeman 2026 Round 2: Carlsen Beats Former Second Grandelius With the Benoni

Magnus Carlsen produced the sharpest result of the day at TePe Sigeman Chess 2026, beating his former second Nils Grandelius with the Benoni Defense to join the Round 1 leaders in a three-way tie for first. The other three games were drawn, though "peaceful" hardly describes the chaos in Abdusattorov-Woodward.

Round 2 Results

Carlsen Dismantles Grandelius in 36 Moves

Carlsen's choice of the Benoni Defense raised eyebrows. It's one of the sharpest, most double-edged replies to 1.d4 and not a regular part of his repertoire. Against his former second, Carlsen clearly came prepared to fight.

Grandelius handled the opening reasonably but started to drift with 20.Qd3, when 20.Qe2 would have kept the position balanced. Carlsen immediately seized the initiative with 20...Ne4, and Grandelius's position began to unravel. By move 28, the home crowd's favorite was down to two minutes on his clock, and Carlsen was winning the queenside pawns.

The b2-pawn fell first, then the a2-pawn. By move 30 the engine was already showing -4.4, and Carlsen's passed a-pawn, combined with his dominant bishop pair, left Grandelius with no defense. He resigned on move 36.

It's Carlsen's first classical win since October 2025, and it came in style. After a cautious draw against Erigaisi in Round 1, the world No. 1 has shifted gears.

For Grandelius, it's 0/2 on home soil. The Swedish No. 1 has been on the wrong end of decisive games in both rounds.

Abdusattorov-Woodward: Four Blunders, Zero Winners

The game between the two overnight leaders was the wildest of the round, even if the result was a draw.

In a Ragozin Defense, Woodward first went wrong with 37...Qb8??, handing Abdusattorov a winning advantage. The defending champion built his position to a commanding +4.7, but then threw it all away with 53.Nf3??, bringing the evaluation crashing back to 0.0. Woodward returned the favor with 56...Rc8?? (back to +4.6), and Abdusattorov blundered once more with 60.Rxf7?? to level the position again.

Four double-digit evaluation swings in a single game. The resulting knight endgame was dead drawn, and the players signed the scoresheet after 79 moves. Both can feel they left a full point on the table.

Two Long Draws Complete the Round

Erdogmus and Erigaisi played a complex Ruy Lopez that lasted 78 moves. The 14-year-old Turkish prodigy, the youngest player ever to break 2700, had a slight edge early but found himself in severe time pressure approaching move 40. Both sides eventually promoted extra queens, but neither could avoid perpetual check. A fair result between two of the most exciting young players in world chess.

Van Foreest pressed against Zhu Jiner for 93 moves in a London System. The Dutchman maintained a nagging advantage for most of the game, with the engine hovering around +2.0, but Zhu defended stubbornly. Van Foreest's inaccuracy with 47.Nc4? allowed Zhu to activate her rooks, and the resulting endgame was a theoretical draw. A valuable half-point for Zhu after her Round 1 loss to Abdusattorov.

Standings After Round 2

Looking Ahead

The three-way tie at the top sets up the next rounds nicely. Carlsen has found his rhythm. Abdusattorov's form remains strong despite the missed win. And Woodward, at just 15, continues to hold his own against the world's best.

Round 3 takes place on May 3 at 15:00 CEST.

Meanwhile, the Grand Chess Tour Super Rapid & Blitz kicks off in Warsaw on May 4, featuring the first encounter between World Champion Gukesh and challenger Sindarov before their title match later this year.

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Want to add the Benoni to your repertoire after watching Carlsen's win? Peter Leko's Super GM Strategy series on Chessable covers the key ideas behind sharp 1.d4 defenses. Browse courses on Chessable.

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