Corus Wijk aan Zee, 14-29 Jan 2006
Last Edited:
Friday September 1, 2006 2:26 PM
Round 10: 90% perspiration
Round 10 (2006.01.25)
Topalov, Veselin - Aronian, Levon 1-0 44 E15 Queen's indian
Gelfand, Boris - Kariakin, Sergey 1/2 22 E05 Nimzo Indian
Van Wely, Loek - Leko, Peter 1-0 47 E32 Nimzo Indian
Tiviakov, Sergei - Ivanchuk, Vassily 1/2 40 C77 Ruy Lopez
Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar - Anand, Viswanathan 1/2 26 E15 Queen's indian
Bacrot, Etienne - Kamsky, Gata 1-0 46 B42 Sicilian
Sokolov, Ivan - Adams, Michael 1/2 33 E14 Queen's indian
Corus Wijk aan Zee (NED), I 2006 cat. 19 (2716)
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Positions after Round 10 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 1 1 7.5 2888
2 Anand, Viswanathan g IND 2792 . * = . 1 1 1 . 1 = = 1 = 0 7.0 2852
3 Adams, Michael g ENG 2707 1 = * 0 = 1 . = = = . . = 1 6.0 2796
4 Gelfand, Boris g ISR 2723 = . 1 * = . = = = . = 1 1 0 6.0 2774
5 Kariakin, Sergey g UKR 2660 0 0 = = * . = = = . 1 1 . 1 5.5 2755
6 Ivanchuk, Vassily g UKR 2729 . 0 0 . . * = = = 1 = = 1 1 5.5 2746
7 Van Wely, Loek g NED 2647 0 0 . = = = * = 1 1 = . = . 5.0 2726
8 Tiviakov, Sergei g NED 2669 = . = = = = = * . = = 0 = . 4.5 2677
9 Leko, Peter g HUN 2740 . 0 = = = = 0 . * = . = = 1 4.5 2674
10 Aronian, Levon g ARM 2752 0 = = . . 0 0 = = * 1 = . 1 4.5 2683
11 Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar g AZE 2709 = = . = 0 = = = . 0 * = = . 4.0 2645
12 Bacrot, Etienne g FRA 2717 0 0 . 0 0 = . 1 = = = * . 1 4.0 2654
13 Sokolov, Ivan g NED 2689 0 = = 0 . 0 = = = . = . * = 3.5 2610
14 Kamsky, Gata g USA 2686 0 1 0 1 0 0 . . 0 0 . 0 = * 2.5 2538
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Steve Giddins reports direct from Wijk aan Zee -
It was once said that genius consists of 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration.
Looking at events so far at this year's Corus tournament, one can see
how true this is in modern-day chess. For all their exceptional talent,
one of the main reasons why Anand and Topalov are dominating the tournament
is the level of their opening preparation. In almost every game, they
manage to spring some kind of opening innovation on their opponents, and
both did so again today.
So far, the Queen's Indian has proved the most popular opening of all
at this year's Corus A Group, figuring in some 13% of all the games. Today
saw two more examples, plus a closely-related Bogo-Indian in Sokolov-Adams.
In the capable hands of Vishy Anand, the opening produced solid equality
and an early draw. 15...Nf6 was a novelty, with 15...Bxg5 having secured
Leko a fairly easy draw against Aronian earlier in the tournament. Anand's
treatment proved equally solid, and if anything, he even had the opportunity
of seeking the initiative himself with 25...a5. However, Black does not
really have anything after 26 Qb3, so he settled for the draw.
Gelfand-Kariakin was a short and uneventful draw in a currently topical
line of the Catalan. White obtained some pressure against the backward
pawn on c7, but Black's control of the squares e4 and d5 allowed him to
harass White constantly, and prevent him doubling rooks on the c-file.
After prolonged thought, Gelfand accepted the draw by repetition on move
22.
Tiviakov-Ivanchuk was another uninteresting draw, which, although it
lasted 42 moves, was over within 2 hours. Tiviakov's favourite 5 Qe2 in
the Lopez failed to yield anything, and the manner in which the players
hoovered the board clean between moves 12-25 was worthy of Petar Trifunovic
in his palmiest days. However, having reached a totally level knight and
pawn ending with symmetrical pawns, they then forgot to shake hands, and
played on for a further 17 moves, before bowing to the inevitable.
The battle of the cellar-dwellers, Bacrot-Kamsky, was another debacle
for the latter, whose opening again proved a fiasco. When he allowed the
tactical blow 12 Nxe6!, it was the second game running where he had been
close to lost inside a dozen moves. Although he temporarily regained the
pawn, the resulting position was horrible for Black, and despite some
slightly uncertain play by the Frenchman, the result was never really
in doubt.
The games Sokolov-Adams and van Wely-Leko were similar, in that both
featured White trying to prove the advantage of the bishop pair in a solid
Nimzo/Queen's Indian formation. Sokolov failed to make much impression
on Adams' solid defence, and the pawn sacrifice 20 Nc6 yielded only enough
pressure to force the return of the pawn, with a drawn ending. However,
van Wely made a considerably better job of it as White, grinding down
Leko in impressive fashion. Sergey Tiviakov, when he took a quick glance
through the game, was immediately suspicious of the move 29...Nc4?!, preferring
29...Bc4. Leko's move left the knight pinned against the a6 pawn, and,
sure enough, after the further error 30...g6?, Black found himself facing
the loss of a pawn after 31 Nd2!. He managed to retain material equality,
but only by allowing White a winning passed pawn on the a-file. Leko now
falls back to minus-1, a very disappointing performance for the Hungarian.
Once again, it was left to Veselin Topalov to play the game of the day.
Topalov, seen playing Kariakin in Round 9
Topalov - Aronian [E15]
Wijk aan Zee, 2006, Rd 10
1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nf3 b6 4 g3 Ba6 5 b3 Bb4+ 6 Bd2 Be7 7 Bg2 c6 8
Bc3 d5 9 Ne5 Nfd7 10 Nxd7 Nxd7 11 Nd2 0-0 12 0-0 Nf6
Black has many choices here, including 12...Rb8, 12...Rc8, and 12...f5.
The text move is another well-established option, but it may fall under
a cloud after the present game.
13 e4 b5 14 exd5 exd5
The alternative recapture 14 ..cxd5 has been out of favour ever since
the game Anand-Adams, from last year's Corus tournament, which demonstrated
that the exchange sacrifice 15 c5 b4 16 Bxb4 Bxf1 17 Bxf1 is quite unpleasant
for Black.
15 Re1 Rb8 16 c5 Bc8 17 Nf3 Ne4
This position has been reached in a number of games, including two Kramnik-Leko
encounters. White has been unable to demonstrate any advantage after 18
Ne5 Nxc3 19 Qc2 Qc7 20 Qxc3 Re8. However, Topalov had come to the board
armed with a significant improvement, which he and his team had found
during their preparations for the FIDE world championship tournament in
St Luis.
18 Rxe4! dxe4 19 Ne5
The pawns on c6 and e4 are both attacked. Defending only the former by
19...Qc7 leaves White with excellent compensation after 20 Bxe4, followed
by Qf3, with great pressure against the important c6 pawn. Aronian therefore
plays the most logical move, defending both attacked pawns.
19...Qd5 20 Qe1!
Better than 20 Qe2, which leaves the Bc3 hanging in a line such as 20...Bf5
21 g4 Bg6 22 f3 Bxc5!
20...Bf5
After 20...f5 , White continues with 21 f3, when the c6 pawn remains
a very sore point in the black position.
21 g4
Here, too, 21 f3 was a good alternative, but Topalov was still following
his preparations.
21...Bg6
21...f6? is bad because of 22 Nxc6 Qxc6 23 gxf5, when the e4-pawn also
drops.
22 f3 b4!?
Topalov mentioned here that the main line of his analysis was 22...Bxc5
23 dxc5 Qxc5+ 24 Kh1. He did not elaborate further, but this does indeed
look like a better try than the game. After 24...b4 25 Bb2 Qc2, the position
is fairly unclear, although Topalov's analysis had presumably gone significantly
further.
23 fxe4 Qe6 24 Bb2 Bf6 25 Nxc6!
25 d5 was another option, but Topalov was unconvinced about the position
after 25...Qe7! 26 d6 Qe6 27 Nxg6 Bxb2 28 Nxf8 Bd4+ 29 Kh1 Kxf8, which
he felt was not clear at all.
25...Qxc6 26 e5 Qa6
26...Qb5!? was also possible, with the point that the queen is defended
after 27 exf6 Rfe8 28 Qf1 Re2. Even so, 29 Re1 is clearly better for White.
27 exf6 Rfe8 28 Qf1
28 Qg3 Qe2, and 28 Qf2 Re2 are both less clear.
28...Qe2 29 Qf2 Qxg4 30 h3! Qg5
Trying to stop the white rook coming to the e-file, since 30...Qh5 31
Re1 is very good for White.
31 Bc1 Qh5
The ending after 31...Qxf6 32 Qxf6 gxf6 is hopeless for Black.
32 Bf4 Rbd8?!
This loses a tempo when the white pawns reaches c7, so 32...Rbc8 was
slightly better, although it should not change the outcome of the game.
33 c6 Be4 34 c7 Rc8 35 Re1 Qg6
This allows White to wrap things up in style, but 35...Bxg2 36 Rxe8+
Rxe8 37 Qxg2 is equally hopeless, eg. 37...g6 (37...Qd1+ 38 Kh2 g6 39
Qe4! Rc8 40 d5 Qf1 41 Bg3 Qxf6 42 d6+-) 38 Qg4 Qxg4+ 39 hxg4 Rc8 40 Bd6!,
when the black king cannot come across and White wins by pushing his d-pawn.
Similarly, 35...Qf5 36 Bg3 Qxf2+ 37 Kxf2 Bxg2 38 Rxe8+ Rxe8 39 Kxg2 wins
in the same fashion.
36 Rxe4!
Those of you with some computer skills might like to test your mastery
of database search functions, by seeing how many other games you can find,
in which a player sacrificed two exchanges, in the same game, and on the
same square!
36...Rxe4 37 d5
There is no defence to the march of the white pawns.
37...Rce8 38 d6 Re1+ 39 Kh2 Qf5 40 Qg3 g6 41 Qg5! Qxg5 42 Bxg5 Rd1
43 Bc6 Re2+ 44 Kg3 1-0
Another great game by Topalov, and a tremendous example of the depth
of his opening preparation. Most interesting of all, however, was Vishy
Anand's comment, when asked if he was impressed by the preparation: "Well,
yes, but this idea of Rxe4 was known to quite a few people, I think".
Anand himself was obviously one of them!
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