Corus Wijk aan Zee, 14-29 Jan 2006
Last Edited:
Friday September 1, 2006 2:26 PM
Rd 11: No Change at the Top
Round 11 (2006.01.27)
Anand, Viswanathan - Tiviakov, Sergei 1/2 50 B01 Scandinavian
Adams, Michael - Bacrot, Etienne 1/2 39 C42 Petroff defence
Kariakin, Sergey - Sokolov, Ivan 1-0 50 C83 Ruy Lopez
Ivanchuk, Vassily - Topalov, Veselin 1/2 62 E20 Nimzo Indian
Leko, Peter - Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar 1-0 37 C72 Ruy Lopez
Aronian, Levon - Gelfand, Boris 1/2 22 D17 Slav defence
Kamsky, Gata - Van Wely, Loek 1-0 51 B85 Sicilian
Corus Wijk aan Zee (NED), I 2006 cat. 19 (2716)
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Positions after Round 11 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 8.0 2873
2 Anand, Viswanathan g IND 2792 . * = . 1 1 1 = 1 = 1 = 0 = 7.5 2833
3 Adams, Michael g ENG 2707 1 = * 0 = 1 = = . = = . 1 = 6.5 2788
4 Gelfand, Boris g ISR 2723 = . 1 * = . = = = = 1 = 0 1 6.5 2772
5 Kariakin, Sergey g UKR 2660 0 0 = = * . = = = . 1 1 1 1 6.5 2781
6 Ivanchuk, Vassily g UKR 2729 = 0 0 . . * = = = 1 = = 1 1 6.0 2755
7 Leko, Peter g HUN 2740 . 0 = = = = * . 0 = = 1 1 = 5.5 2710
8 Tiviakov, Sergei g NED 2669 = = = = = = . * = = 0 = . = 5.0 2684
9 Van Wely, Loek g NED 2647 0 0 . = = = 1 = * 1 . = 0 = 5.0 2686
10 Aronian, Levon g ARM 2752 0 = = = . 0 = = 0 * = 1 1 . 5.0 2684
11 Bacrot, Etienne g FRA 2717 0 0 = 0 0 = = 1 . = * = 1 . 4.5 2659
12 Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar g AZE 2709 = = . = 0 = 0 = = 0 = * . = 4.0 2617
13 Kamsky, Gata g USA 2686 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 . 1 0 0 . * = 3.5 2590
14 Sokolov, Ivan g NED 2689 0 = = 0 0 0 = = = . . = = * 3.5 2581
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Steve Giddins reports direct from Wijk aan Zee -
The final three rounds of the tournament begun today, with everything
to play for. Anand trailed Topalov by half a point, but had two Whites
left, to the Bulgarian's one. On the other hand, that one pitches Topalov
against Anand, in what could be the decisive game of the event, tomorrow.
Today, the first game to finish was Aronian-Gelfand. 17 moves of Slav
theory were followed by a further 5 predictable ones, before hands were
shaken. Those seeking a deep analytical reason for the draw will be disappointed,
however, as the true explanation is much more prosaic: Aronian has a cold
and was feeling rather ill.
Mickey Adams is well-placed to achieve a really good result here, because
he has two Whites to come and has already played all of the top players.
However, he was unable to make progress today against Bacrot's Petroff
Defence. Adams adopted the 5 Nc3 line, which Topalov has twice played
at this tournament, but chose to put his QB on e3, rather than f4. However,
he did not achieve any significant advantage. Bacrot's 10...b6 was a new
move, and although Adams managed to reach a position where his knight
was superior to Black's bishop, he could not avoid mass liquidation on
the e-file and a drawn minor-piece ending.
During his winning performance at last year's Corus tournament, Peter
Leko acquired the nickname of "The Hungarian Tourqemada", such
was his prowess with the Spanish Torture. The 2006 Corus has seen a much
less impressive Leko than one year ago, but the two games which he has
won have been against the only two opponents unwise enough to allow him
to play the Lopez. Today it was Mamedyarov, who adopted the Deferred Steinitz
for the third time in the tournament. 12...b4?! compromised the black
queenside pawn structure, and led to the Spanish Bishop ensconsing itself
on c6, where it deprived the Black rooks of the chance to challenge the
e-file. In a difficult position, the world junior champion miscalculated
his exchange sacrifice 22...Rfe8. He had been counting on the line 23...Qg6
24 Qxd4 b3, but later realised that he had missed 25 Rf1! Bxc2 26 Ra1
Nb3 27 Qa4!, hitting the rook on e8. As a result, he never had enough
for the exchange, and Leko wrapped things up easily enough.
The game Anand-Tiviakov threw up the first surprise, as early as move
1! Tiviakov adopted the Scandinavian Defence, a rare guest at this level,
and even rarer with the follow-up 3...Qd6. It would not have been a total
surprise to Anand, because his opponent played it against van den Doel
in the Dutch Championships last year, but then with 5...a6, rather than
today's 5...c6. Anand did not react in the best way and after 7 Bf4?!
Nd5! Black was already equal. Anand offered a rather risky pawn sacrifice,
having totally overlooked Black's counter-blow 12...Bg4! In a way, he
was lucky that this did not win out of hand, but as it turned out, White
was able to retain compensation for the pawn. Black had various possibilities
to try to unravel by f5 and Kf7 (eg. at move 20), but played less accurately
and allowed White to regain the pawn, with some positional advantage.
However, Anand was never able to find anything very clear, and the game
drifted towards a drawn bishop ending.
Kamsky-van Wely saw a major disappointment for the home crowd. The Dutch
champion equalized easily out of the opening, and may even have stood
better after the queen v rook and minor piece transaction around move
30. The position was objectively drawn, but after trying a little too
hard to win, van Wely was horrified to find himself being mated, after
allowing his pieces to be diverted by the White a-pawn.
The game Ivanchuk-Topalov was a battle royal. So far in this tournament,
the latter has sacrificed four exchanges, but today, Ivanchuk decided
to follow the principle "anything you can do, I can do better".
His play certainly appeared to the Press Room (myself included) to be
far too optimistic, but he had judged things better than us (now there's
a surprise...) and Topalov could only reach a rook ending with an extra
pawn, but many pawn weaknesses. Tartakower's dictum about rook endings
proved correct, and the draw resulted on move 62. When asked after the
game to summarise the important points, the FIDE world champion just shrugged
and said "Well, first I was a little worse, then maybe a little better,
but I think a draw was the normal result" - a rather bland summary
of what was a tremendous effort by both players.
The best game of the day was played by Sergey Kariakin, who won his fourth
game of the event:
Kariakin - Sokolov [C83]
Wijk aan Zee 2006 Rd 11
1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 0-0 Nxe4
The Open Variation is a favourite of Ivan Sokolov's, and a line he has
played a lot recently.
6 d4 b5 7 Bb3 d5 8 dxe5 Be6 9 Nbd2 Be7
Black currently has significant theoretical problems in the old line
9...Nc5 10 Bc2 d4 11 Ng5!
10 c3 0-0 11 Bc2 f5 12 Nb3 Qd7 13 Nbd4 Nxd4 14 Nxd4 c5 15 Nxe6 Qxe6
16 f3 Ng5 17 a4 g6
18 Kh1
The first departure from the game Sutovsky-Sokolov, from the last round
of Hoogeveen 2005. That game continued 18 Be3 Qc6, and Black went on to
win.
18...c4
And this is the first completely new move of the game. Kariakin's idea
was that if here 18...Qc6, White continues 19 Bxg5 Bxg5 20 f4 Be7 21 Qd2
with advantage. The usual move is 18...Kh8.
19 b4! a5
Played after long thought. White intends simply Be3 and Qd2, when he
will stand better, so Black needs to find some way to confuse matters.
Of course, 19...Qxe5? is not playable because of 20 f4 Qxc3 21 Bd2, winning
a piece.
20 bxa5
20 Qd4 is another option, with the idea 20...axb4 21 cxb4 bxa4 22 Bxa4
Nf7 23 Bb2! Bxb4? 24 Bd7 winning, but Kariakin could not find anything
clear after simply 20...Nf7. Similarly, 20 axb5 axb4 21 Rxa8 Rxa8 22 cxb4
Qd7 is unclear.
20...Rxa5 21 Bxg5 Bxg5 22 f4 Be7 23 axb5 Rxb5 24 Ba4 Rb2?
This is the first real mistake. Black would be fine after 24...Rbb8!
25 Qd4 (25 Qd2!?) 25...Rbc8 26 Rfd1 Rfd8.
25 Qd4
Now White is just clearly better, since he can follow up with Rfd1, targeting
the weakness on d5.
25...Rc8
Not 25...Ra8 26 Bd7 winning.
26 Rfd1 Rc5 27 Rab1!?
The most direct, but 27 h3 was also an option.
27...Rxb1
27 ..Qb6 loses to 28 Rxb2 Qxb2 29 Bc6, as does 27 ..Ra2 to 28 Rb8+ Kg7
29 Bd7.
28 Rxb1 Ra5 29 Bd1 Qa6?
Another mistake, although even after the superior 29...Bc5, 30 Qd2 Ra8
31 Bf3 Rd8 32 Qa2 is clearly better for White.
30 h3
A useful precaution. After the immediate 30 Bf3 Ra1 31 Bxd5+ (31 Qxd5+
Kg7 32 Qd1 Rxb1 33 Qxb1 Qa3 34 Qd1 similar) 31...Kg7 32 Qd1 Rxb1 33 Qxb1
Qa5, Black has more counterplay.
30...Kg7?!
Kariakin considered 30...Qa7 to be the last chance for Black. After 31
Qxa7 Rxa7 32 Bf3, he has some chances to save the ending.
31 Bf3 Ra1 32 Rxa1 Qxa1+ 33 Kh2
Now the position is technically winning for White, and requires only
due care.
33...Qa5
33...Qe1 34 g3! (but not 34 Bxd5? Bh4) is also winning.
34 Bxd5 Bc5 35 Qxc4 Bf2 36 Qe2 Qc5 37 c4 Bg1+ 38 Kh1 Be3 39 g3 Qa3
40 Kg2 h5 41 h4 Bc5 42 Qc2 Kf8 43 Qb1 Qb4 44 Qc2 Ke7 45 Bf3 Qe1 46 Qb3
Qb4 47 Qd3 Qb2+ 48 Kh3 Bd4 49 Bg2 Kf8?
This loses immediately, but does not change the result.
50 c5! 1-0
After 50...Bxc5 51 Qd8+ is decisive.
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