Corus Wijk aan Zee, 14-29 Jan 2006
Last Edited:
Friday September 1, 2006 2:26 PM
Round 7: Latvian Echoes and Hungarian Rhapsodies
Round 7 (2006.01.21)
Topalov, Veselin - Sokolov, Ivan 1-0 37 C78 Ruy Lopez
Anand, Viswanathan - Adams, Michael 1/2 23 C88 Ruy Lopez
Kariakin, Sergey - Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar 1-0 34 C76 Ruy Lopez
Gelfand, Boris - Tiviakov, Sergei 1/2 30 E17 Queen's indian
Ivanchuk, Vassily - Bacrot, Etienne 1/2 43 D52 QGD Cambridge Springs
Leko, Peter - Kamsky, Gata 1-0 46 C99 Ruy Lopez
Aronian, Levon - Van Wely, Loek 0-1 86 D46 Queen's gambit
Corus Wijk aan Zee (NED), I 2006 cat. 19 (2716)
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Positions after Round 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4
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1 Topalov, Veselin g BUL 2801 * . . 0 . . 1 . = = . 1 1 1 5.0 2847
2 Anand, Viswanathan g IND 2792 . * 1 = . 1 . 1 . . = = . 0 4.5 2811
3 Kariakin, Sergey g UKR 2660 . 0 * = . . = = . 1 . . 1 1 4.5 2816
4 Adams, Michael g ENG 2707 1 = = * 0 1 . . = . = . . . 4.0 2782
5 Gelfand, Boris g ISR 2723 . . . 1 * . = = = = . . 1 0 4.0 2746
6 Ivanchuk, Vassily g UKR 2729 . 0 . 0 . * . = . . 1 1 = 1 4.0 2776
7 Van Wely, Loek g NED 2647 0 . = . = . * . = = 1 = . . 3.5 2714
8 Leko, Peter g HUN 2740 . 0 = . = = . * . . = = . 1 3.5 2718
9 Tiviakov, Sergei g NED 2669 = . . = = . = . * = . = 0 . 3.0 2663
10 Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar g AZE 2709 = . 0 . = . = . = * . = = . 3.0 2650
11 Aronian, Levon g ARM 2752 . = . = . 0 0 = . . * . = 1 3.0 2666
12 Sokolov, Ivan g NED 2689 0 = . . . 0 = = = = . * . . 2.5 2624
13 Bacrot, Etienne g FRA 2717 0 . 0 . 0 = . . 1 = = . * . 2.5 2618
14 Kamsky, Gata g USA 2686 0 1 0 . 1 0 . 0 . . 0 . . * 2.0 2584
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Steve Giddins reports direct from Wijk aan Zee -
One of the big questions today was how Vishy Anand would react to his
shock defeat yesterday. Over the years, his self-confidence has often
appeared rather vulnerable after a loss. Today, he had White against Adams,
who has been an extremely good customer of the Indian for many years,
at least with the black pieces. However, suspicions that Anand might not
be feeling quite his usual self were soon confirmed. He achieved nothing
at all with his Anti-Marshall, and by move 23, already stood rather worse,
and was relieved to be offered a draw. After the game, Adams had to spend
some time fending off questions from journalists, who wanted to know why
he had offered a draw when he had such an "obvious advantage".
In fact, he was not convinced that he really had much in the final position,
and Anand, too, after initially thinking that Black was much better, later
agreed that it was hard to find an effective plan. Anyway, a comfortable
draw as Black against his nemesis is a good result for the Englishman,
who remains well in the hunt for the tournament lead.
Sergey Kariakin continues to impress on his debut in the A Group, and
today he moved to "+1" with a remarkably smooth win over the
hitherto unbeaten Mamedyarov. The latter chose the unfashionable Deferred
Steinitz Defence to the Lopez. White's quiet response looked to achieve
little, and indeed, in the one previous GM encounter, Giorgadze drew fairly
comfortable as Black against Tiviakov, with 13...Qe7. Mamedyarov's plan
worked out much less well, merely resulting in his knight spending two
moves going from f6 to h6. By the time White achieved 18 a4, he had a
typical Lopez advantage, which he converted very easily, in the face of
rather feeble resistance. The exact timing of Black's resignation came
as something of a surprise, but the a-pawn is indefensible, and there
is a limit to how long anyone can be expected to continue staring at such
a position.
Gelfand-Tiviakov was a fairly correctly played draw in a Queen's Indian
line of which Tiviakov has great experience. His 15...g6 was technically
a novelty, 15...Qe7 having been played by a youthful Almasi in the only
other GM game to reach that position. Tiviakov's 19...Qe8! was better
than the obvious 19...Bxd4 20 Bxd4 Re8 21 Qf4 Bxe2 22 Rde1 which gives
White long-term threats on the dark squares, eg. 22...Bxf1? 23 Qh6 winning.
Gelfand spent some time in the post-mortem, trying to prove an advantage
after 22 Nc6!?, but Black seems to be holding after 22...Qe4 23 f3 Qe8.
Topalov took another step forward with a crushing win over Ivan Sokolov.
Mickey Adams commented that the latter was rather unfortunate, in that
he chose a rare variation of the New Archangel, only to find his opponent
very well prepared. The position after 10...Ng4 has apparently been reached
only once before, in a game between two Canadian amateurs, but Topalov
nonetheless quickly uncorked the novelty 11 Na3. As in so many variations
of this defence, the move basically wins a pawn, and the issue is usually
one of whether Black can achieve adequate compensation for the missing
unit on b5. Sokolov never really looked like doing so, and by move 20,
he was clearly busted. His ensuing piece sacrifices provided some entertainment
for the spectators, but never looked like being adequate.
So far, the Dutch have not managed a win between them, but today this
unenviable record looks like being broken by their 5-time champion, Loek
van Wely. Over the years, Wijk aan Zee has not exactly been the luckiest
of places for "Lucky Loek", but today he earned his nickname,
after benefiting from the tournament's biggest blunder so far. His early
exchange sacrifice gave rise to the highly unclear position of the diagram:
With everything to play for after a move such as 25 h3, Aronian instead
produced the horrible 25 Rf1??, suffering what should have been decisive
material loss after the reply 25...Qxb3! However, he struggled on for
a long time with a rook against two pieces. The position should surely
have been a fairly easy win for Black, but van Wely's technique did not
impress, and at the time of writing, the game is still in progress [Black
did win in the end - ed]. Vishy Anand assures us that Black is still winning,
although he was only able to say this after he had recovered from a bout
of hysterical laughter, brought on when he replayed the full course of
the game.
Ivanchuk-Bacrot saw the players follow their game from St Vincent 2005,
until the Ukrainian produced the novelty 14 Bxc4. His pawn sacrifice yielded
strong positional pressure, but although it was enough to regain the pawn,
he could not achieve more than a draw in the face of stubborn defence.
The schedule for the A Group has worked out such that each player ends
up at some stage facing Anand and Leko in consecutive rounds. After yesterday's
heroics against the former, Gata Kamsky today faced the second half of
this "double whammy", as Black against a Peter Leko who has
thus far not won a game:
Leko - Kamsky [C97]
Corus Wijk aan Zee
1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 0-0 Be7 6 Re1 b5 7 Bb3 d6 8
c3 0-0 9 h3 Na5 10 Bc2 c5 11 d4 Qc7 12 Nbd2 Bd7 13 Nf1 Rac8 14 Ne3
At Wijk aan Zee one year ago, Leko crushed Bruzon with the move 14 Re2,
but Kamsky was obviously prepared for that line, hence the text move.
14...cxd4 15 cxd4 Nc6 16 d5 Nb4 17 Bb1 a5 18 a3 Na6 19 b4!
This is the move which put this whole line out of favour in the mid-1980s.
White uses a tactical point to seize the important c5 square, thereby
leaving Black's knight without a decent post.
19...axb4
One of the early games with 19 b4 was Tal-Hjartarson, Reykjavik 1987.
Although it is not of great theoretical relevance, I give the whole game
score here, principally because of Tal's wonderful 36th move, which has
a curious echo later in the present game: 19...g6 20 Bd2 axb4 21 axb4
Qb7 22 Bd3 Nc7 23 Nc2 Nh5 24 Be3 Ra8 25 Qd2 Rxa1 26 Nxa1 f5 27 Bh6 Ng7
28 Nb3 f4 29 Na5 Qb6 30 Rc1 Ra8 31 Qc2 Nce8 32 Qb3 Bf6 33 Nc6 Nh5 34 Qb2
Bg7 35 Bxg7 Kxg7
36 Rc5!! Qa6 37 Rxb5 Nc7 38 Rb8 Qxd3 39 Ncxe5 Qd1+ 40 Kh2 Ra1 41 Ng4+
Kf7 42 Nh6+ Ke7 43 Ng8+ 1-0
20 axb4 Qb7
20...Nxb4 21 Bd2 +- is the tactical justification of White's 19th.
21 Bd2 Bd8 22 Bd3 Bb6 23 Nc2 h6
Technically a novelty, but one unlikely to trouble the judges of Informator's
"best innovation" contest. 23...Rfe8 24 Nh2 g6 25 Qf3 Nxe4??
26 Bxe4 f5 27 Bh6 Bd8 28 Bd3 Rc3 29 Qd1 Qxd5 30 Ne3 Qc6 31 Qd2 1-0 was
Anand - Milos, Novi Sad 1990. The basic problem with Black's position
is that he has no counterplay. The entry squares on the c-file are all
covered and his knight on a6 is poorly placed, so Black can do little
but watch, as White takes aim at his king.
24 Nh4 Nh7 25 Qf3 Ng5 26 Qg3 Nc7 27 Ne3 Ra8 28 Nef5 Rxa1
29 Ne7+!?
Leko spent a long time on this. Simply 29 Ra1 looks very strong, but
the text has an important tactical point, which is soon revealed.
29...Kh8 30 Rxa1 Nh7 31 Qf3!
This is the idea. White threatens 32 Qxf7! The only sensible way to save
the pawn is 31...Be8, but then Black is not long for this world after
32 Nhf5. Kamsky prefers to give a pawn.
31...Nf6 32 Bxh6 Ra8 33 Rf1 Nce8 34 Bc1 Ra1 35 Nhf5 Qc7 36 Bd2 Rxf1+
37 Kxf1 g6 38 Ne3 Kg7 39 g4 Nh7 40 Kg2 Qb7
It is not clear how White will make progress, but now Leko uncorks a
move, which provides a lovely echo of the Tal-Hjartarson game quoted above:
41 Nc4!!
The knight is coming to a5, whilst 41...bxc4 allows a forced mate with
42 Bh6+!
41...g5 42 Na5 Qa8 43 Nf5+ Kf8 44 h4 Bd8 45 Nh6 f6 46 hxg5 f5 1-0
A wonderful way to get off the mark.
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