Corus Wijk aan Zee, 14-29 Jan 2006
Last Edited:
Friday September 1, 2006 2:26 PM
Round 6: Revenge of the Comeback Kid
Round 6 (2006.01.20)
Adams, Michael - Ivanchuk, Vassily 1-0 44 B80 Sicilian
Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar - Gelfand, Boris 1/2 35 E15 Queen's indian
Tiviakov, Sergei - Topalov, Veselin 1/2 61 B22 Sicilian 2 c3
Van Wely, Loek - Kariakin, Sergey 1/2 80 E15 Queen's indian
Sokolov, Ivan - Leko, Peter 1/2 31 E12 Queen's indian
Kamsky, Gata - Anand, Viswanathan 1-0 47 D20 Queen's Gambit Accepted
Bacrot, Etienne - Aronian, Levon 1/2 29 D38 Queen's Gambit
Corus Wijk aan Zee (NED), I 2006 cat. 19 (2716)
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Positions after Round 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4
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1 Anand, Viswanathan g IND 2792 * . . . 1 1 . = 1 . . = 0 . 4.0 2834
2 Topalov, Veselin g BUL 2801 . * 0 . . . = . . = 1 . 1 1 4.0 2814
3 Adams, Michael g ENG 2707 . 1 * 0 1 = . = . = . . . . 3.5 2779
4 Gelfand, Boris g ISR 2723 . . 1 * . . = . = . = . 0 1 3.5 2758
5 Ivanchuk, Vassily g UKR 2729 0 . 0 . * . . 1 = . . 1 1 . 3.5 2784
6 Kariakin, Sergey g UKR 2660 0 . = . . * . . = . = . 1 1 3.5 2771
7 Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar g AZE 2709 . = . = . . * . . = = = . = 3.0 2707
8 Aronian, Levon g ARM 2752 = . = . 0 . . * = . . . 1 = 3.0 2728
9 Leko, Peter g HUN 2740 0 . . = = = . = * . . = . . 2.5 2667
10 Tiviakov, Sergei g NED 2669 . = = . . . = . . * = = . 0 2.5 2654
11 Van Wely, Loek g NED 2647 . 0 . = . = = . . = * = . . 2.5 2651
12 Sokolov, Ivan g NED 2689 = . . . 0 . = . = = = * . . 2.5 2657
13 Kamsky, Gata g USA 2686 1 0 . 1 0 0 . 0 . . . . * . 2.0 2617
14 Bacrot, Etienne g FRA 2717 . 0 . 0 . 0 = = . 1 . . . * 2.0 2594
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Steve Giddins reports direct from Wijk aan Zee -
One of the numerous luxuries which the generously-sponsored Corus tournament
can afford is its own tournament doctor. Thankfully, he has thus far had
nothing to do, but this morning, he almost had a couple of patients. The
trouble all started when Vasyl Ivanchuk's breakfast apple put up unexpected
resistance, and the Ukrainian did his best to slice off his own arm, along
with a piece of fruit. Fortunately, no harm was done and he dissolved
into laughter, but Vishy Anand just happened to look over at that precise
moment, and almost choked on his corn flakes. Having breakfast with a
room full of chess geniuses can be highly entertaining.
Once the hazards of the breakfast room were over and the players reached
the relative safety of the chessboard, it soon became clear that Bacrot-Aronian
was not going to stir the blood. The multi-French champion had lost three
games in a row, and today he put up the shutters without any pretence,
and the players soon hoovered off the pieces to a drawn ending.
Mamedyarov-Gelfand had a most interesting opening. In a Queen's Indian,
the world junior champion gambited a pawn in a fashion which usually arises
after 4 a3, rather than 4 g3. Since he later had to play 10 a3 anyway,
he was effectively a tempo down on the known lines, but since these are
regarded as quite dangerous for Black, the gambit may still be good. White
obtained a menacing-looking position, and was also over an hour up on
the clock by move 15. However, Gelfand defended very accurately, returned
the pawn and, within a few moves, Black stood better, with White desperately
wishing his pawn was still on g2. He was eventually relieved to be able
to force perpetual check.
Sokolov-Leko was another Queen's Indian, with the former adopting the
4 a3 system. The players soon reached an IQP structure, but such positions
rarely promise White much when his pawn has gone to b5, since Black has
free use of squares on the c-file, such as c3, c4 and c5. So it proved
here, and Leko even momentarily looked to have a slight initiative in
the ending, but a draw soon resulted.
It was another good day for Mickey Adams, who defeated Ivanchuk. Facing
his third consecutive Najdorf, Adams switched to 6 Be3, rather than the
6 Be2 which he had used in rounds 2 and 4. Ivanchuk's opening play looked
extremely suspect, with 13...g6 being especially surprising. However,
Adams failed to find a plan to capitalise on his impressive-looking position,
and soon began to worry about his weak e-pawn. He even offered a draw
at move 24, which was turned down, but as both players drifted into time-trouble,
Ivanchuk's nerves snapped and he gave the game away with 34...b4?, when
there appears to be nothing wrong with the simple 34...Bf7.
For the second day running, Kariakin's opponent snatched a hot-looking
pawn. Today, it was Van Wely who did so, trading his fianchettoed bishop
to eliminate one of Black's hanging pawns. The position looked dangerous
for White, but Kariakin didn't find anything clear, and drifted into a
double minor piece ending, with opposite-coloured bishops and White having
four pawns against three on the same side. Had Black's e-pawn not been
isolated and fixed on the same colour as White's bishop, he would presumably
have drawn easily, but as it was, he had to suffer considerably longer
before securing his half point.
Tiviakov-Topalov was another great battle. Topalov's pawn sacrifice 16...Nc4
is thematic for such positions, and yielded Black good play on the light
squares. Even so, White's position remained solid and he retained his
pawn plus. After the game, Tiviakov felt that he was better throughout,
and should have been winning somewhere before the first time control.
32 Nd3 may have been an improvement, pinning Black on the c-file. As it
was, Black obtained counterplay and a drawn knight ending resulted.
The big story of the day was the defeat of the leader Vishy Anand, at
the hands of the bottom-placed player, Gata Kamsky:
Kamsky - Anand [D20]
Corus Wijk aan Zee
1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 e4 Nf6 4 e5 Nd5 5 Bxc4 Nb6 6 Bd3 Nc6 7 Ne2 Be6
8 Nbc3 Qd7 9 Ne4 Bd5 10 Be3
The first new move of the game, with 10 0-0 being the normal move here.
10...0-0-0!?
A slight surprise, according to Kamsky, who expected 10...e6 11 a3 Bc4,
with equal chances.
11 a3 Qe8 12 Qc2 f5?!
This was also a surprise, and possibly not a very good move. Instead
of fixing the pawn structure, it looks more natural to play 12 ..f6, nibbling
at the white centre.
13 N4c3
Black's last move conceals a small trap. Against the natural 13 Nc5,
play continues 13...e6 14 Nf4 Bxc5 15 dxc5 Nd7 16 Nxd5 and now, instead
of 16 ..exd5 17 f4, with a clear advantage for White, Black has 16 ..Ndxe5!
17 Bxf5 exf5 18 Qxf5+ Kb8 19 0-0-0 Nc4, with good compensation for the
pawn.
13 ..Bxg2
The alternative was 13 ..e6, but White looks to be doing well after 14
Nf4 Bc4 15 Bxc4 Nxc4 16 0-0-0, especially in view of 16...g5? 17 Nxe6.
14 Rg1 Bf3 15 Bxf5+ e6 16 Bh3 Kb8 17 Rg3 Bxe2
This concedes the bishop pair, but both 17...Bh5 18 Qb3 and 17...Bd5
18 Nf4 are better for White.
18 Nxe2 Nd5 19 Nc3
19...Nxe3?!
Writing live on the Russian Chesspro site, Sergey Shipov said at this
moment that Anand had solved his opening problems, but then the moment
he saw this exchange on e3, he changed his mind and declared that White
was better. It certainly does look a strangely anti-positional decision
from Anand. 19...Qd7? 20 Nxd5 Qxd5 21 Bg2 was also bad, but 19...Qf7 20
Nxd5 Rxd5, planning Ne7, is a better chance.
20 fxe3
Now the strong white centre and the weakness of e6 mean that White is
clearly better.
20...Qh5 21 Qe2!
Anand may have underestimated the strength of this when playing his 19th
move. Once the queens come off, White has a large advantage. Black would
prefer to retain them, but after 21...Qh6 22 Qg4! (but not 22 0-0-0? Nxd4)
Re8 23 0-0-0, White is much better.
21...Qxe2+ 22 Kxe2 Re8 23 Rf1 Nd8 24 Ne4 g6 25 Ng5 Re7 26 Rgf3 Bh6
27 Nf7
This incursion seals the fate of Black's e6 pawn, and it is just a question
of whether the opposite-coloured bishops can save him.
27...Nxf7 28 Rxf7 Rhe8 29 R1f6
Kamsky revealed after the game that, when playing 27 Nf7, he can been
intending the following long forcing line: 29 d5 exd5 30 Bd7 Rxf7 (30
..Rxe5 31 Bxe8) 31 Rxf7 Rxe5 32 Rxh7 Rxe3+ 33 Kf2 c5 34 Rxh6 Rb3 35 Rxg6
Rxb2+ 36 Kg3. However, he decided that the final position was still quite
unclear, and with the thought that "I am too old to calculate such
variations", he decided simply to grab the pawn.
29...a5 30 Rxe7 Rxe7 31 Rxe6
31 Bxe6 does not prevent the rook exchange, in view of 31...Bg7.
31...Rxe6 32 Bxe6
32...Bg5!?
This is a very interesting ending, and it is far from clear whether White
is winning. Unfortunately, for such a great player, Anand's endgame technique
has always been a trifle suspect, and he goes down without a fight here.
Kamsky thought that Black should probably play 32...c6!?, stopping White's
next move.
33 d5! Ka7?
And thus fundamentally wrong, since Black just marches his king away
from the scene of the action. Kamsky expected 33...Be7, with the idea
of sacrificing a K-side pawn to get the king into the centre, eg. 34 Bg8
Kc8 35 Bxh7 g5 36 Bf5+ Kd8, when it is not evident how White can make
progress. Kamsky actually intended to play simply 34 Kd3, keeping the
bishop on e6 to prevent the Black king coming across, and hoping to strengthen
his position by other means, but it is not clear if this is enough to
win.
34 Bg8 h6 35 Bf7 Kb6?
Probably the final mistake. Even here, Black may still be able to hold
the game, if he acknowledges his mistake and brings his king back by 35...Kb8
36 Bxg6 Kc8.
36 Bxg6 Kc5 37 Bf7
Now the position is hopeless for Black. White will simply put his bishop
on the a2-g8 diagonal and then play Kf5.
37...h5 38 Kd3 h4 39 h3 b5 40 Ke4 b4 41 axb4+ axb4 42 b3 Bh6 43 Bh5
Bg5 44 Be2 Bh6 45 Bc4 Bg5 46 Kf5 Bxe3 47 d6 1-0
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