Corus, Wijk aan Zee 2006 Round 6. Brief comments by Mark Crowther.

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Corus, Wijk aan Zee 2006

Corus, Wijk aan Zee 2006. Round 6 20th January 2006. Brief comments by Mark Crowther

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Corus A Wijk aan Zee NED (NED), 14-29 i 2006                    cat. XIX (2716)
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                                         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. Karjakin, 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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Round 6 (January 20, 2006)

Adams, Michael          -  Ivanchuk, Vassily       1-0   44  B80  Sicilian Scheveningen
Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar  -  Gelfand, Boris          1/2   35  E15  Queens Indian
Tiviakov, Sergei        -  Topalov, Veselin        1/2   61  B22  Sicilian Alapin
Van Wely, Loek          -  Karjakin, Sergey        1/2   80  E15  Queens Indian
Sokolov, Ivan           -  Leko, Peter             1/2   31  E12  Queens Indian Petrosian
Kamsky, Gata            -  Anand, Viswanathan      1-0   47  D20  QGA
Bacrot, Etienne         -  Aronian, Levon          1/2   29  D38  QGD Ragozin

The leader and pre-event joint favourite plays the man in the cellar and the result is a foregone conclusion. Thus Gata Kamsky defeated Viswanathan Anand in 47 moves of a QGA. Anand equalised with black after a conservative choice from Kamsky and probably felt obligated to play for a win. Everything had clearly gone wrong by move 22 and Kamsky prosecuted his advantage well to a win.

Kamsky,G - Anand,V [D20]
Corus Wijk aan Zee (6), 2006

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 [9.Be4] 9...Bd5 [9...Nb4 10.Bb1 Bc4 11.Nc5 Qg4 12.h3 Qxe2+ 13.Qxe2 Bxe2 14.Kxe2 0-0-0 15.e6 Nc6 16.Be3 f6 17.Be4 g6 18.Nxb7 Kxb7 19.Rac1 Rd5 20.Bxd5 Nxd5 21.Rc5 Nxe3 22.fxe3 Bh6 23.Rd1 Rd8 24.Rd3 Nb8 25.Rb3+ Kc8 26.Rbc3 c6 27.b4 f5 28.b5 f4 29.d5 fxe3 30.g3 Rf8 31.Rc2 Rf2+ 32.Kd3 Rf1 33.dxc6 Kc7 34.Rd5 Rf2 35.Rxf2 exf2 36.Ke2 Be3 37.a4 a6 38.Rd3 Bc5 39.Rf3 axb5 40.axb5 h6 41.Rf8 g5 42.Rh8 Bd6 43.Kxf2 Kb6 44.Rd8 Kc7 45.Rf8 Kb6 46.Rf5 Nxc6 47.bxc6 Kxc6 48.Kf3 Bb4 49.Re5 Bd6 50.Re3 Kd5 51.Kg4 Be5 52.Re2 Bd6 53.h4 gxh4 54.gxh4 Be5 55.Kf5 Bf6 56.Rd2+ Kc6 57.h5 Bg5 58.Rd7 Kc5 59.Kg6 1-0 Kortschnoj,V-Suetin,A/Budva 1967] 10.Be3 [10.0-0 e6 11.a3 Be7 12.Qc2 0-0-0 (12...f5 13.exf6 gxf6 14.Be3 f5 15.Nc5 Bxc5 16.dxc5 Qg7 17.Nf4 Bxg2 18.Nxg2 Rg8 19.f4 Nd5 20.Rae1 0-0-0 21.Bc4 Nd4 22.Qf2 Nxe3 23.Rxe3 Qe7 24.b4 1-0 Volkov,S-Nikitin,A/Orel 1997) 13.Rd1 Nxe5 14.Nc5 Bxc5 15.dxc5 Na8 16.Bf4 Nxd3 17.Qxd3 f6 18.Qc3 Qa4 19.Rac1 Qe4 20.Qf3 Qxf3 21.gxf3 Bxf3 22.Rxd8+ Rxd8 23.Nc3 e5 24.Bg3 c6 25.h3 Nc7 26.Re1 Nd5 27.Ne4 Bxe4 28.Rxe4 Nc7 29.f4 Rd4 30.Rxd4 exd4 31.Bf2 Ne6 32.f5 Ng5 33.Kg2 d3 34.Be3 Ne4 35.Kf3 d2 36.Ke2 g6 37.Bxd2 Nxd2 38.Kxd2 g5 39.Kd3 b6 40.Kc4 h5 41.Kd4 bxc5+ 42.Kxc5 h4 43.Kd6 g4 44.hxg4 h3 45.g5 h2 46.gxf6 h1Q 47.f7 Qd5+ 0-1 Dijankov,O-Nikitin,A/Orel 1997] 10...0-0-0!? The start of the risk taking according to Kamsky. 11.a3 Qe8?! 12.Qc2 f5?! [12...f6] 13.N4c3 Bxg2 14.Rg1 Bf3 15.Bxf5+ e6 16.Bh3 Kb8 17.Rg3 Bxe2 18.Nxe2 Nd5 19.Nc3 Nxe3 20.fxe3 Qh5 21.Qe2! Qxe2+ 22.Kxe2 White is hugely better. 22...Re8 23.Rf1 Nd8 24.Ne4 g6 25.Ng5 Re7 26.Rgf3 Bh6 27.Nf7 Nxf7 28.Rxf7 Rhe8 29.R1f6 a5 30.Rxe7 Rxe7 31.Rxe6!

Converting into a bishops of opposite colour ending. If brutal pawn pushing doesn't work then you need two threats spaced out so that the opposing King can't cope with two threats to win them. The way things go Kamsky's calculation that this ending is winning is spot on. 31...Rxe6 32.Bxe6 Bg5 33.d5 Ka7?! The black King ends up out of things. 34.Bg8 h6 35.Bf7 Kb6 36.Bxg6 Kc5 37.Bf7 h5 38.Kd3 h4 39.h3 b5 40.Ke4 b4 41.axb4+ axb4 42.b3 White is completely winning. It turns out that when Kamsky is set the black King will be in the wrong place to stop the pawn push. 42...Bh6 43.Bh5 Bg5 44.Be2 Bh6 45.Bc4 Bg5 46.Kf5 Bxe3 47.d6 Its all over. 1-0

Shortly after Anand lost Michael Adams beat Vassily Ivanchuk in 44 moves of a Sicilian Scheveningen. Adams got a comfortable opening and gradually forced Ivanchuk into a passive position, which he tried to break out but only succeeded in accelerating his demise.

Adams,Mi - Ivanchuk,V [B80]
Corus Wijk aan Zee (6), 2006

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e6 7.a4 b6 8.g4 Bb7 9.Bg2 Nfd7 [9...h6 10.h4 g6 11.Qe2 Nbd7 12.g5 1/2-1/2 Adams,M-Rowson,J/Mulhouse FRA 2005/The Week in Chess 535] 10.f4 Nc6 11.0-0 Rc8 12.Nxc6 Rxc6 13.f5 White already has a nice initiative. 13...g6!? 14.fxe6 fxe6 15.Ne2 Bg7 16.Nd4 Bxd4 17.Bxd4 e5 18.Be3 Rf8 19.Qe2 Qe7 20.c3 Qe6 21.Rxf8+ Nxf8 22.a5 b5 23.Qf2 Qe7 24.h4 Ne6 25.Rd1 Oddly accompanied by a draw offer, even odder, its was turned down. 25...Rc4 26.g5 Nc5 27.Bxc5 [27.Qd2] 27...Rxc5 28.Rd3 Bc8 29.Rf3 Be6 30.Rf6 Rc6 31.Kh2 Rc5 32.Qe3 Qd7 33.Qf3 Qe7 34.h5 b4?

Black's trouble is that he's passively waiting for white to set up his winning try without any counterplay. But this attempt at counterplay only hastens the end. [34...gxh5 35.Qxh5+ Kd8 36.Qh6] 35.cxb4 Rc2 36.Qd3 Rxb2 37.Qc3 It seems that Ivanchuk's try for freedom has actually accelerated the losing process. 37...Ra2 38.Qc6+ Kd8 39.Qb6+ Kd7 40.Qxa6 gxh5 41.Qb7+ Kd8 42.Qb8+ Kd7 43.a6 Kc6 44.Qb7+ Winning a piece for no compensation, this might not be the best but it will inevitably lead to a win for white anyway. 1-0

Sergei Tiviakov drew with Veselin Topalov in 61 moves of a Sicilian Alapin. Topalov had a minute advantage in a knight and pawn ending but it didn't amount to anywhere near enough for a win.

Ivan Sokolov and Peter Leko drew in 31 moves of a Queens Indian Petrosian System. Sokolov introduced a new idea with 10.Bg5 but it didn't prove to be anything much. Leko forced a repetition.

Shakhriyar Mamedyarov against Boris Gelfand was another draw in a Queens Indian. This time in 35 moves. Gelfand had a bishop and queen battery lined up on a knight that couldn't move. Mamedyarov had to give perpetual check.

Etienne Bacrot drew with Levon Aronian in 29 moves of a QGD Ragozin. Pieces came off into a prospectless double rook ending where both sides had a minor piece.

Loek Van Wely and Sergey Karjakin drew in 80 moves in the final game to finish. The game started as a Queens Indian which after 29 moves saw a Bishop and Knight ending where Van Wely was a pawn up. He tried pressing but never looked like making progress.

The leaders of the B event Arkadij Naiditsch and Magnus Carlsen met in round 6. Naiditsch completely outplayed Carlsen and the young Norwegian Grandmaster went for what can only be described as cheapos as a last option. It was at this point, with time trouble not being a factor (around 20 minutes for both players at the end) Naiditsch had what can only be described as an attack of the heebie jeebies. There was only one real threat and Naiditsch went down to it. I sympathise, its happened to me loads of times.

Naiditsch,A - Carlsen,M [B33]
Corus Wijk aan Zee (6), 2006

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5 6.Ndb5 d6 7.Bg5 a6 8.Na3 b5 9.Nd5 Be7 10.Nxe7 Nxe7 11.Bd3 Nd7 [11...Ng6; 11...0-0; 11...h6] 12.0-0 [12.b4 f6 13.Be3 Nb6 14.c4 bxc4 15.Nxc4 Nxc4 16.Bxc4 Bb7 17.Qg4 Qc8 18.Qxc8+ Rxc8 19.Be6 Rc2 20.Bb3 Rc8 21.Rd1 Bxe4 22.Rxd6 Nf5 23.Rxa6 Bxg2 24.Rg1 Nh4 25.Ke2 Bf3+ 26.Ke1 Bg2 27.Ke2 Bf3+ 28.Kd2 Nf5 29.Bc5 Ra8 30.Rxa8+ Bxa8 31.Be6 g6 32.Bxf5 gxf5 33.Rg7 Bd5 34.a4 Rg8 35.Rxh7 f4 36.b5 e4 37.b6 e3+ 38.fxe3 Rg2+ 39.Kc3 f3 40.e4 1-0 Abdel Aziem,R-Yousry,S/Cairo EGY 2001/The Week in Chess] 12...Nc5 [12...Bb7 13.Re1 f6 14.Bh4 Ng6 15.Bg3 0-0 16.c4 b4 17.Nc2 a5 18.Ne3 Nc5 19.Nd5 Bxd5 20.cxd5 1/2-1/2 Gironella Perello,L-Cortes Bueno,J/St Cugat 1993] 13.b4 Nxd3 14.Qxd3 f6 15.Be3 d5 16.Bc5 dxe4 17.Qxe4 Qd5 18.Qe2 Bb7 19.f3 Ng6 20.Rfd1 Nf4 21.Qf1 Qe6 22.c4 Already things have gone horribly wrong for black. 22...Kf7 23.Rd6 Qf5 24.cxb5 axb5 25.Nxb5 Kg6 26.Rd2 Rhd8 27.Rxd8 Rxd8 28.Nd6 Rxd6 Real desperation. There wasn't even any real time pressure for black to rely on. 29.Bxd6 Qg5 30.Kh1 [30.a4 Ends the game because Ra3 is available to strengthen f3.] 30...h5 31.Bc5 [31.a4 again ends things.] 31...e4