Corus Wijk aan Zee, 14-29 Jan 2006
Last Edited:
Friday September 1, 2006 2:26 PM
Rest Day after Round 8
Round 8 (2006.01.22)
Topalov, Veselin - Gelfand, Boris 1/2 72 C42 Petroff defence
Adams, Michael - Leko, Peter 1/2 24 B22 Sicilian 2 c3
Van Wely, Loek - Ivanchuk, Vassily 1/2 46 E34 Nimzo Indian
Tiviakov, Sergei - Kariakin, Sergey 1/2 44 B22 Sicilian 2 c3
Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar - Aronian, Levon 0-1 58 E15 Queen's indian
Sokolov, Ivan - Kamsky, Gata 1/2 23 D15 Slav defence
Bacrot, Etienne - Anand, Viswanathan 0-1 62 E15 Queen's indian
Corus Wijk aan Zee (NED), I 2006 cat. 19 (2716)
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Positions after Round 8 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 1 5.5 2851
2 Topalov, Veselin g BUL 2801 . * . 0 = . 1 . . = = 1 1 1 5.5 2834
3 Kariakin, Sergey g UKR 2660 0 . * = . . = = . = 1 . 1 1 5.0 2803
4 Adams, Michael g ENG 2707 = 1 = * 0 1 . = = = . . . . 4.5 2776
5 Gelfand, Boris g ISR 2723 . = . 1 * . = = . = = . 0 1 4.5 2752
6 Ivanchuk, Vassily g UKR 2729 0 . . 0 . * = = 1 . . 1 1 = 4.5 2759
7 Van Wely, Loek g NED 2647 . 0 = . = = * . 1 = = = . . 4.0 2716
8 Leko, Peter g HUN 2740 0 . = = = = . * = . . = 1 . 4.0 2717
9 Aronian, Levon g ARM 2752 = . . = . 0 0 = * . 1 . 1 = 4.0 2715
10 Tiviakov, Sergei g NED 2669 . = = = = . = . . * = = . 0 3.5 2663
11 Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar g AZE 2709 . = 0 . = . = . 0 = * = . = 3.0 2620
12 Sokolov, Ivan g NED 2689 = 0 . . . 0 = = . = = * = . 3.0 2634
13 Kamsky, Gata g USA 2686 1 0 0 . 1 0 . 0 0 . . = * . 2.5 2594
14 Bacrot, Etienne g FRA 2717 0 0 0 . 0 = . . = 1 = . . * 2.5 2588
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Steve Giddins reports direct from Wijk aan Zee -
The tournament is now well over half finished, with eight of the scheduled
13 rounds played. As was anticipated at the very start, it is Topalov
and Anand who share the lead with 5 ½, with Kariakin in a surprise
third place. Since his opening round loss to Anand, the 16 year old Ukrainian
has shown remarkable maturity, and has not tasted defeat again. However,
he has a tough finish to come, including games against Topalov, Gelfand
and Ivanchuk, so he will do very well to hold on to his present position
in the table. Of the other players, Adams is well-placed on 4½,
having already played all of the favourites. Yesterday, he was complaining
of having contracted a bit of a cold, but hopefully today's rest day will
give him time to shake it off.
The biggest news story of the past week has once again been Magnus Carlsen,
the Norwegian prodigy. In the B Group, he has raced to 6½/8, a
full point clear of the field, and has done so with a brand of exciting,
sacrificial chess which has made him the darling of the public. If he
can hold his form and win the group, he will secure a place in next year's
A Group as of right, although the way things are going, the organisers
will probably be very tempted to invite him anyway. His main rival is
David Navara, the young Czech GM, who has been doing great things for
Slough Sharks in this year's 4NCL. By contrast, the tournament is turning
into an absolute nightmare for Katerina Lahno, the only non-GM in the
group. She has managed just one draw in her eight games so far, and looks
totally demoralised. Suat Atalik continues to dominate the C Group, where
he looks quite unstoppable.
Magnus Carlsen (photo Steve Giddins)
The past few days have seen a number of distinguished visitors to the
tournament. Two days ago, it was legendary Czech GM Vlastimil Hort, who
was here to do commentaries for the audience. Having heard the man in
action in the same role a couple of years ago, I am sure that he will
have provided great entertainment. Yasser Seirawan is a permanent fixture
in the Press Room, as he is doing live audio commentary for the Playchess.com
server.
Yesterday, Dutch chess legend Jan Timman was here, principally to meet
up with his old friend, Bessel Kok. The latter, who was the well-respected
head of the late and much lamented Grandmasters Association (GMA) in the
late 1980s, is running against Illumzhinov for the Presidency of FIDE
later this year. He seems to be in Wijk as part of a canvassing tour,
hoping to enlist the support of more of the world's top GMs (not that
any of them have a vote, of course!).
When play resumes tomorrow, the A Group pairings see Kariakin take on
Topalov, whilst Anand has White against van Wely, and Adams Black against
Kamsky. For now, though, I leave you with another of Carlsen's fine wins
from Group B. Most of his games have been sharp, sacrificial encounters,
but here he shows his maturity, by beating a strong grandmaster with deceptive
ease:
Carlsen - Vescovi [B46]
Wijk aan Zee B Group
1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nc6 5 Nc3 a6 6 Nxc6
Many Taimanov practitioners prefer the move-order 5...Qc7, in order to
avoid this exchange variation. Although White strengthens his opponent's
pawn centre, he causes problems for Black's development, and the whole
line remains a critical challenge for the opening.
6...bxc6 7 Bd3 d5 8 0-0 Nf6 9 Re1 Be7 10 e5 Nd7 11 Qg4 g6 12 Na4 Qa5
13 Bh6 Qb4 14 Qxb4 Bxb4 15 c3
15...Bf8?!
Romanishin preferred 15...Ba5 against Hazai, at Sochi 1982. He notched
an easy draw, although that does not really mean very much, since his
opponent is a player who is notoriously unambitious. Even so, avoiding
the bishop exchange has its points. Black intends to follow up with Bc7,
forcing White to cut off his own bishop's retreat with f4. After the exchange
in the game, Black has very weak dark squares.
16 Bxf8 Rxf8 17 c4!
White is ahead in development, so opening lines on the queenside favours
him.
17...Ke7 18 cxd5 cxd5 19 Rac1 Ra7 20 b4!
Fixing the weak a-pawn on a6. If Black ever plays a5, White will reply
b5, with a strong passed pawn.
20...Bb7 21 f4 Rc8 22 Rxc8 Bxc8 23 Rc1 Kd8
It is extremely hard to suggest any constructive plan for Black, apart
from the exchange of rooks. However, this does not really ease his position,
because the resulting minor piece ending is very bad.
24 Kf2 Nb8 25 Nc5 Rc7 26 Rc2 Nd7 27 Nb3 Rxc2+ 28 Bxc2 Nb8 29 Nd4 Bd7
30 g4
Setting up the squeeze on the kingside is the standard plan in such positions.
White would like to get his pawn to h6 is possible, fixing h7 as a weakness,
and setting up tactical breakthrough possibilities, involving a sacrifice
on g6. Vescovi stops this, but weakens his structure further in so doing.
30...h6 31 Ke3 Kc7 32 a4 Kb6 33 a5+ Kb7 34 Bd3 Ba4 35 Be2 Nd7 36 h4
Nb8
37 f5!
The decisive breakthrough. Black would like to be able to take twice
on f5, but now this would lose the h6-pawn.
37...gxf5
37...Bd7 38 fxg6 fxg6 39 Kf4 is equally hopeless.
38 gxf5 Bd7 39 Bh5 1-0
A pawn is lost, without any improvement in Black's position. A most impressive
performance by Carlsen, in which it is hard to pin-point exactly where
Black went wrong.
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