Sponsored by the London Chess Center
| Round 6 Wijk aan Zee |
The John Henderson Report: Round 6 January 22nd 2000.
Round 6 Results and Standings.
Round 6 (January 22, 2000)
Anand, Viswanathan - Korchnoi, Viktor 1-0 19 C11 French; Classical
Piket, Jeroen - Adams, Michael 1/2 30 E05 Nimzo indian
Morozevich, Alexander - Van Wely, Loek 1-0 29 B80 Sicilian
Timman, Jan H - Kramnik, Vladimir 1/2 39 B30 Sicilian
Short, Nigel D - Kasparov, Gary 1/2 34 B26 Sicilian; Closed
Nikolic, Predrag - Leko, Peter 0-1 50 D73 1.d4 d5 2.c4 g6
Lputian, Smbat G - Polgar, Judit 1-0 60 E05 Nimzo indian
Corus Wijk aan Zee NED (NED), 15-30 i 2000 cat. XVIII (2697)
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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4
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1 Kramnik, Vladimir g RUS 2758 * . = . . = = 1 1 . . . 1 . 4.5 2888
2 Kasparov, Gary g RUS 2851 . * . . = 1 . = = . 1 . . 1 4.5 2873
3 Anand, Viswanathan g IND 2769 = . * = . . = . . 1 1 = . . 4.0 2810
4 Leko, Peter g HUN 2725 . . = * . = = = . 1 . . 1 . 4.0 2811
5 Piket, Jeroen g NED 2633 . = . . * . 1 . = 0 . . 1 = 3.5 2745
6 Morozevich, Alexander g RUS 2748 = 0 . = . * . . . . = 1 . 1 3.5 2773
7 Timman, Jan H g NED 2655 = . = = 0 . * . . = . . 1 . 3.0 2691
8 Short, Nigel D g ENG 2683 0 = . = . . . * . = = 1 . . 3.0 2718
9 Adams, Michael g ENG 2715 0 = . . = . . . * . = = . 1 3.0 2700
10 Nikolic, Predrag g BIH 2659 . . 0 0 1 . = = . * . . = . 2.5 2621
11 Korchnoi, Viktor g SUI 2659 . 0 0 . . = . = = . * . . 1 2.5 2678
12 Polgar, Judit g HUN 2658 . . = . . 0 . 0 = . . * 0 = 1.5 2501
13 Lputian, Smbat G g ARM 2605 0 . . 0 0 . 0 . . = . 1 * . 1.5 2488
14 Van Wely, Loek g NED 2646 . 0 . . = 0 . . 0 . 0 = . * 1.0 2437
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PRINS FOR A DAY
Lodewijk Prins, lived near to Wijk aan Zee.
Round 6 commemorated him, he died late last year.
TODAY was officially renamed 'Lodewijk Prins Day' in tribute to the memory of the Dutch player (and previous winner at Wijk in 1948), Lod Prins (1913-1999), who died last November 11, aged 86, at his home, not far from Wijk aan Zee, in Heems Te De.
Genna Sosonko, long time resident in the
Netherlands.
A crowd of some 300 (including his widow, Hermance) were entertained by an enlightening talk on the life and times of Lod Prins by the former Soviet émigré, Genna Sosonko, who has now been a long-time resident of the Netherlands, and the Dutch journalist, Lex Jongsma. Prins, Sosonko explained, was a colourful and controversial character whose merits for chess were not limited to his achievements as a player. He was a major figure in Dutch chess for many years, a first time national champion in '65 at the age of 52, and playing on every Dutch Olympiad team from 1939 to 1970, when the refusal of his justified claim to a new place on it led to a total break with official Dutch chess which lasted until his death. In his last Olympiad, Lugano 1968, on the 6th board, he'd had the best score of the team, 9 out of 12. He founded the International Chess Tradition Amsterdam Foundation, which helped organise the world tournament of 1950, the 1954 Olympiad and the 1956 Candidates' tournament, and was a prolific chess writer, whose 1949 book on Capablanca, "The Chess Phenomenon José Raoul Capablanca y Graupera", is still regarded as a classic. In 1982, he was made a grandmaster retrospectively by FIDE for his achievements. He was an arbiter and an endgames judge, and in his later years he had a problems column in a national Dutch newspaper, leading him to organise yearly composing competitions. He was one of the first who tried to set up a system where players would receive royalties for their published games. As a player, Sosonko said he was a rather gifted opportunist. Very often, against the best, he got terrible positions in the opening, but quite often he managed to make something out of his position. He often shunned theory (1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Qa5 was a particular hobby of his), but at the same time he invented a variation in the Grünfeld (7...Na6) which now bears his name, and which is now a firm favourite of Garry Kasparov who used it in round two against Jeroen Piket. He won games against Euwe, Kotov, Pilnik, Tartakower, Gligoric, Pirc, Rossolimo, and, in the forties and fifties, strong tournaments in Spain and Holland. Prins achieved notoriety in the chess world due to his protracted dispute with Jan Hein Donner who ridiculed him in his book, "The King", for winning the Dutch championship with the observation that he could not 'tell a knight from a bishop'.
Prins,L - Kotov,A [A53]
Amsterdam
Olympiad, 1954
1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 d6 3 Nc3 e5 4 dxe5 dxe5 5 Qxd8+ Kxd8 6 Bg5 Be7 7 Nf3 Nbd7 8 Bh4 c6 9 0-0-0 Ng4 10 Bg3 f6 11 Nh4 Nh6 12 e4 Bb4 13 Be2 Ke7 14 f4 exf4 15 Bxf4 g5 16 Be3 Ne5 17 Nf3 Nhg4 18 Bg1 Be6 19 Nd4 Bxc3 20 bxc3 Nh6 21 Nxe6 Kxe6 22 c5 Rhd8 23 Bd4 Nhf7 24 Rhf1 Ke7 25 Rf2 Rf8 26 Bh5 Nh8 27 Bxe5 fxe5 28 Rf5 Rxf5 29 exf5 Rf8 30 g4 b6 31 Rd6 Rf6 32 Rxf6 Kxf6 33 Kd2 Ng6 34 fxg6 hxg6 35 cxb6 axb6 36 c4 gxh5 37 c5 b5 38 gxh5 g4 39 Ke3 Kg5 40 Ke4 Kxh5 41 Kxe5 Kh4 42 Kf6 Kh5 43 a3 1-0
Alexander,C - Prins,L [B28]
Clare
Benedict Cup Bern (3), 1962
1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 a6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 e5 6 Nf3 Bb4 7 Bc4 Qc7 8 Qd3 b5 9 Bb3 Bb7 10 Bd2 Bxc3 11 Bxc3 d6 12 Ng5 0-0 13 0-0-0 h6 14 h4 Nc6 15 Nf3 Rad8 16 g4 Ne7 17 Nd2 Ng6 18 g5 Nd7 19 gxh6 Nf4 20 Qf3 g6 21 h5 Kh7 22 Bxf7 g5 23 Bg6+ Kxh6 24 Rdg1 Nc5 25 Qg4 Qe7 26 Bf5 Rxf5 27 exf5 Bxh1 28 Rxh1 Ncd3+ 29 cxd3 Nxd3+ 30 Kb1 Nxf2 31 Qg2 Nxh1 32 Ne4 Rg8 33 Bb4 Qf7 34 Bxd6 Qxf5 35 Qxh1 g4 36 Ka1 g3 37 Qg2 Rg4 38 Nc3 b4 39 Bxb4 Rxb4 40 Qxg3 Rf4 0-1
Tribute over, it was down to business with the serious little matter of round six, and the intriguing pairing of the 1993 contestants for the World Championship: Nigel Short and Garry Kasparov.
Like his fellow countryman Michael Adams in round four, Short had specially chosen the Closed Sicilian to avoid his opponent's feared prepared lines. And like the encounter with Adams, Kasparov looked decidedly uneasy at the board - with Short taking the initiative with a speculative pawn sacrifice in the opening.
Short-Kasparov, the spectators game of the day.
"There was no concrete idea behind my sacrifice," Short explained later during the post mortem with Kasparov, "but I was sure you would find one and that gave me confidence." Kasparov just laughed. As a result, Short now had his opponent, in his own words, "by the short and curlies" and came close to a win. "Optically, it looked good for White - which it probably was," said Short during the press conference after the game. "But technically, it was hard."
Short,N (2683) - Kasparov,G (2851)
Closed Sicilian
1 e4 c5 2 Nc3 d6 3 g3 Nc6 4 Bg2 g6 5 d3 Bg7 6 Be3 Nd4 7 Qd2 Qa5 8 f4 e6 9 Nf3 Ne7 10 0-0 Nec6 11 e5 dxe5 12 Nxe5 0-0 Taking the e-pawn is too dangerous: 12 ..Nxe5? 13 fxe5 Bxe5 14 Qf2 f5 15 Ne4! 0-0 (15 ..fxe4 16 Qf7+ Kd8 17 Bg5+) 16 b4! Qxb4 (16 ..Qa3 17 Nxc5 Qxb4 18 c3 Qxc3 19 Rac1 Qb4 20 Rc4) 17 c3 winning. 13 Rae1 f5 During the post mortem, Kasparov thought, that on reflection, perhaps he should have opted for: 13 ..Nxe5 14 fxe5 Bxe5 15 Bh6 Bg7 16 Bxg7 Kxg7 17 Qf2 f6 or 17 ..f5 with an edge - though White's not without chances. 14 Bxc6 Nxc6 15 Nxc6 The obvious 15 Nc4?! gets hit by 15 ..Qa6 16 Bxc5 Rd8 17 Qg2 b5! 18 Nd6 Rxd6! 19 Bxd6 Bb7 (the long white diagonal is deadly) 20 Qf2 Rd8 21 Bc5 Nd4 with a big advantage for Black. 15 ..bxc6 16 Nd1! Missed by Kasparov, who was expecting 16 Qf2. 16 ..Qxa2 The ending is hopeless for Black: 16 ..Qxd2 17 Bxd2 Rb8 18 b3 17 Bxc5 Rd8 18 b3 Rb8 19 Rf2 Qa6 20 Nc3 Rxb3! Black's only hope. 21 cxb3 Rxd3 22 Qa2 Rxc3 22 ..Bxc3 23 Qxa6 Bxa6 24 Rxe6 23 b4 Ra3 24 Qc2 Rd3! The only move - 24 ..Rc3? 25 Qd1 Rd3 26 Rd2 Rd5 27 Rxd5 cxd5 28 Bd4 leaves White in control.
Short-Kasparov (6) after 24. ...Rd3
Short misses a chance.
25 Rd2? The wrong rook! During the post mortem, Kasparov pointed out the simple win with: 25 Rd1! Rd5 26 Rxd5 cxd5 27 Qa2! (The big difference: with the rook on f2, Short has a simple win 27 ..Qc4 (27 ..Qxa2 28 Rxa2 a6 29 b5!) 28 Qxa7 Ba6 29 Qb8+ Kf7 30 Qc7+ Kg8 31 Qd8+ Kf7 32 Qe7+ Kg8 33 Qe8+ mating. 25 ..Rd5 26 Rxd5 cxd5 27 Bf2 Bb7 28 Qc7 d4 29 Qd8+ 29 Qd7!? Bd5 30 Qe8+ Bf8 31 Bxd4 Qa2 32 Bf2 Qc2 33 Qb8 Qc3 34 Rf1 Qc2 (34 ..Qf3 35 Qxf8+ Kxf8 36 Bc5+) 35 Re1 a6 also draws as White can't escape from the potential mate on g2. 29 ..Bf8 30 Qf6 d3 31 Bc5 Bxc5+ 32 bxc5 d2 33 Qd8+ Kg7 34 Qe7+ ½-½
Drawn games are rarely considered for the Wijk 'Best Game of the Day' award, but this encounter between Short and Kasparov was an exception. Despite its peaceful result, the game was awarded the daily spectators' prize of 500 guilders (250 dollars) with an overwhelming share of the vote from the audience thronging (and I really mean thronging!) the commentators' room on Saturday, hosted by Genna Sosonko.
Short and Kasparov discuss their game along with
Yury Dokhoian (Kasparov's second).
The draw kept Kasparov on top of the leader board, level with fellow Russian grandmaster Vladimir Kramnik, who similarly fought back from a worse position with Black to manage a draw against Holland's Jan Timman. After 39 moves from an anti-Sicilian system, the Dutchman was a pawn up but went astray in time-trouble and had to settle for a repetition.
It's not often you see a fighter like Viktor Korchnoi losing in under 20 moves, but, after getting his theory a bit muddled against India's Vishy Anand, he got into a difficult position, finally falling for the atrocious 15…Bxg2? - After which, Vishy needed only four more moves to seal his opponent's fate.
Korchnoi checks the theory after his game
against Anand
The blunder allowed Anand to move within a half point of the two front-runners and buoyed him up for the crunch round seven meeting with Garry Kasparov.
Anand-Korchnoi a 19 move win for the
Indian.
Anand,V (2769) - Korchnoi,V (2659)
French Defence
1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 Nc3 Nf6 4 Bg5 dxe4 5 Nxe4 Nbd7 6 Nf3 Be7 7 Nxf6+ Bxf6 8 h4 h6?! Korchnoi, a French Defence expert, should know better. If he checks his database he'll find the correct set-up being: 8 ..0-0 9 Qd2 e5 10 Bxf6 (10 0-0-0 e4 11 Bxf6 Nxf6 12 Ne5 Be6 13 Kb1 c5 14 Bc4 Qd6 15 Bxe6 fxe6 16 Qc3 Rac8 17 Qb3 Nd5 Anand-Korchnoi(!), Tilburg 1991) 10 ..Qxf6 11 0-0-0 h6!? Leko-Korchnoi(!), Tilburg Fontys, 1998. 9 Bxf6 Nxf6 10 Qd2 b6 11 0-0-0 Bb7 12 Ne5 0-0 13 Bd3 c5 14 dxc5 Qc7 15 Rhe1 Bxg2?
Anand-Korchnoi (6) after 15.
...Bxg2 white is winning although black was already in big
trouble.
This is just asking for it. After the game, Korchnoi explained that he "didn't like the idea of Anand playing g4 after 15.. Qxc5." 16 Re2 Kh8 17 Rg1 Bd5 18 Qf4 Threatening 19 Ng6+ winning the queen. 18 ..Qxc5 19 Re3 Korchnoi is doomed when the rook goes to g3, and 19..Nh5 is well met by 20 Qg4. So....1-0
Anand, back in contention. After beating
Korchnoi in round 6 he has black against Kasparov.
Hungary's Peter Leko impressed yet again as he continued to make steady progress to joined Anand in third position on the strength of a nice positional win against Dutch champion Predrag Nikolic. Playing Black in a Grunfeld Defence, Leko found a nice little temporary pawn sacrifice to free his game, obtained equality and then a slight advantage, and then exchanged pieces for a winning endgame.
Another winner in Saturday's round was Russia's Alexander Morozevich, who was pitted with White against Holland's Loek van Wely in a game that kept the pressroom entertained all afternoon. The Dutchman chose the Sicilian Najdorf Variation for his opening and came up with the same aggressive line that had cost him dearly in his encounter with Kasparov three rounds earlier. "It seems Loek wants to prove the Najdorf is still playable," said his second, Roberto Cifuentes during the post mortem. "Personally, I don't like these saber-rattling games. I'm the kind of player who develops, castles and then starts thinking. Not so Loekie. His efforts of trying to prove himself right may work against weaker players but not in this strong field."
Cifuentes was right. Sacrificing a knight to open up the fortress around Black's centered King, Morozevich coasted to victory in a mere 29 moves - made all the easier after 24..Bc8?!.
Alexander Morozevich, a rising star. He beat Van
Wely in Round 6
Morozevich,A (2748) - Van Wely,L
(2646)
Sicilian Najdorf
1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 a6 6 Be3 e6 7 f3 b5 8 g4 h6 9 Qd2 Nbd7 10 0-0-0 Bb7 11 Bd3 Ne5 12 Rhe1 Rc8 13 Kb1 Nfd7 14 f4 Nc4 15 Qe2 Nxe3 16 Qxe3 g5 17 e5 gxf4 18 Qxf4 dxe5 19 Nxe6!
Morozevich-Van Wely (6) after 19.
Nxe6
19 ..Qe7 19 ..exf4?? 20 Nc7 mate! 20 Qd2 The ending is worse for White after 20 Nxf8 exf4 21 Nxd7 Qxe1 22 Rxe1+ Kxd7 23 Bf5+ Kd6 24 Bxc8 Rxc8 20 ..fxe6 21 Bg6+ Kd8 22 Rf1 With the idea of Rf7. 22 ..Rxc3! 22 ..Rc7 23 Rf7 Qe8 24 Qe1 Bd5 25 Nxd5 exd5 26 Rxd5 Be7 is not an attractive proposition – especially when you're up against Morozevich! 23 Qxc3 Qc5 23 ..Qg5?! 24 Qa5+ Kc8 25 Rf7 Be7 26 Be4 A) 26 ..Bxe4 27 Qxa6+ Kc7 (27 ..Bb7 28 Qxe6) 28 Qxe6; B) 26 ..Rd8 27 Rd3 Bxe4 28 Qxa6+ Bb7 29 Qxe6 24 Rf7 Bc8?! With Morozevich's pieces swarming round Van Wely's king, his reasoning for this move was that he “wanted to keep the a-pawn!” A much sterner defence would surely have been 24 ..Bd5! In the post mortem, Morozevich found many ways to continue after 24 ..Bd5, but no definite winning line was found: 25 Qa5+ Qc7 26 Qxa6 Bd6 27 Qxb5 Rg8 28 Bh5 e4 29 h3 (29 a4 Bxh2 30 a5 Bd6 31 a6 Rf8 32 Rxf8+ Bxf8) 29 ..Rf8 30 Rh7 e3 25 Qd2 Qa7 26 g5 b4 27 gxh6 Bxh6 28 Qxb4 Bg5 29 Qg4 1–0
Loek Van Wely has struggled so
far.
The game between Holland's Jeroen Piket and Britain's Michael Adams was an uneventful Catalan that was drawn in 30 moves.
More of a spectators' event was the encounter between Smbat Lputian of Armenia and Hungary's Judit Polgar. Lputian, who qualified for the tournament as winner of the Grandmaster "B" tournament last year, managed to record his first victory in the tournament after Polgar made a few uninspired moves.
"Unfortunately," Lputian said, "I messed up the middle game and had to fight for quite a long time just to keep alive. It was only towards the end - the 50th move to be precise -that Judit made a mistake that proved decisive."
Lputian-Polgar (6) Move 50. Black
to play
50 ..Ne4? 50 ..Kh6! 51 Nf4 Re7 52 Rxe7 Bxe7 and the a-pawn passes. 51 Be8+ Kh6 51 ..Kf6 52 Rf7+ Ke6 53 Nf4+ Kd6 54 Rd7+ Ke5 55 Nd3+; 51 ..Kg8 52 h6 followed by h7 mate. 52 Ne7 Kh7 52 ..Kg7 53 h6+ Kh7 54 Nf5+ Kh8 55 Bg6 53 Bg6+ Kg7 54 Nd5+ Kf8 55 h6 Nd6 56 Rb8+ Ne8 57 Nf6 Bd4 58 Nxe8 Ke7 59 Ng7 Kf6 60 h7 1-0