The John Henderson Report: Round 7 January 23rd 2000.

MIRROR, MIRROR IN THE HALL

Kasparov v Anand and Van Wely v Short for 21 moves their games followed the same course.

The magic of Wijk aan Zee is like a magnet as each year it lures the players - famous and the not so famous - back to the Dutch seaside resort for the popular annual tournament. Former Candidates' Boris Ivkov and Vlastimil Hort being classic examples.

Borislav Ivkov, a previous winner in Wijk aan Zee

Ivkov, who in 1951 became the first World Junior Champion and was a World Championship Candidate in 1964, shared first place with Bent Larsen at the Hoogovens Grandmasters of 1961 when he was at his prime. Now aged 67, the Yugoslav GM plays each year in the Reserve Group, pitting his wits across the board with all the young wannabes looking for a qualifying place in the following year's Grandmaster "B" tournament. After three rounds of his tournament, the old maestro was unbeaten on a score of 2/3.

Ivkov,B - Floor,D
King's Indian Defence
Reservegroep (2)

1 Nf3 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nc3 Bg7 4 e4 d6 5 d4 0-0 6 Be2 e5 7 dxe5 dxe5 8 Qxd8 Rxd8 9 Bg5 c6 10 Nxe5 Re8 11 0-0-0 Na6 12 f4 Nc5 13 Bf3 Nfxe4 14 Nxe4 Nxe4 15 Bxe4 f6 16 Bxf6 Bxf6 17 Rhe1 Bxe5 18 fxe5 Be6 19 b3 Re7 20 Bf3 Kg7 21 Kb2 Rae8 22 Kc3 c5 23 a3 Rf8 24 Rd6 b6 25 b4 cxb4+ 26 axb4 Bf5 27 Kd4 Bc2 28 c5 bxc5+ 29 bxc5 a5 30 c6 Rf4+ 31 Kc5 Bf5 32 Rd4 Rxd4 33 Kxd4 a4 34 Ra1 Ra7 35 Ra3 Ra5 36 Bd5 Kf8 37 e6 Ra8 38 Kc5 Ke7 39 c7 Rc8 40 Kc6 1-0

Likewise each year the Czech legend, Vlastimil Hort, one of the strongest players of his generation, returns to Wijk - but unfortunately not to play. Nowadays, he's called in for his entertaining commentaries, which attracts a larger than usual audience at the tournament. Today was his first stint in a packed commentary room all eagerly awaiting the big clash between world no.1, Garry Kasparov, and the world no.2, Vishy Anand. Meanwhile, the crowds inside the tournament hall had reached straining point with the spectators at least ten deep in anticipation of the encounter.

A full house on Sunday for Round 7.

Today's play on the top board reminded me of the famous chess tale from the Gothenburg tournament of 1955 when the Argentinean contingent of Najdorf, Panno and Pilnik, all playing black in the 14th round against the Soviet might of Keres, Geller and Spassky, decided that they would all play the same risky line of the Sicilian Najdorf that they had prepared before the round in an effort to collectively confuse their opponents. As the games progressed, the Soviets' quickly twigged what was happening as they watched each other's games from the demonstration boards. Rather than refute it individually, legend has it that Keres and Spassky decided to wait and follow the example of the renowned opening's expert, Efim Geller, to come up with the refutation of the so-called Gothenburg Variation - which he, and they did, to win 3-0!

The reason for telling this tale is that it's a ploy that today could have saved Vishy Anand a painful few hours of torture at the hands of Kasparov. As the opening moves were being played on the top board, at the other end of the tournament hall, it was like looking in to a mirror as Loek Van Wely and Nigel Short had the same moves as the Kasparov-Anand game - even right up to Kasparov's TN at move 19!

Kasparov had found a big improvement over the Shaked-Georgiev game from Las Vegas 1999, in a one of his favourite systems against the Nimzo-Indian with g3. And, every move the world number one made with White against Anand, Van Wely was faithfully reproducing in his game against Short.

Vlastimil Hort, "It's an instance of cloning"

"It's an instance of cloning," commentator Vlastimil Hort informed his audience. "Pretty smart, actually, since Van Wely is a few moves behind, so he can see how White's plan works out. Kasparov doesn't seem to mind but if I were Short, I'd be rather annoyed. After all, he's playing Kasparov two days running!"

Luckily for the wily Short, he managed to find the correct defensive plan to easily draw. Now if only Anand had had the sense to slow down to find out how Short was going to handle the opening….

There was no doubt Anand-Kasparov was the most anticipated game before round 7 started.

Kasparov,G - Anand,V
Nimzo-Indian Defence

1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 Nf3 c5 5 g3 cxd4 6 Nxd4 0-0 7 Bg2 d5 8 cxd5 Nxd5 9 Qb3 Nc6 10 Nxc6 bxc6 11 0-0 Qa5 12 Bd2 Bxc3 13 bxc3 Ba6 14 Rfd1 Qc5 15 e4 Bc4 16 Qa4 Nb6 17 Qb4 Qh5 18 Be3 Be2 19 Rd2! Kasparov's TN. 19 Re1 Nc4 20 Qc5 Rfd8 was Shaked-Georgiev, Las Vegas 1999. 19 ..Rab8 20 Bxb6 axb6 21 Qd6 Bf3?! "It seemed a good idea at that point," said Anand at the press conference after the game. "I was convinced that I'd win the pawn back soon enough." He did not, however, and had to work hard for another 35 moves to salvage a half point from the encounter.

Short, who was in exactly the same position as his Indian colleague, came up with a better idea. He played the simple 21 ..Rfc8! (later Kasparov suggested 21. ...Rbc8 as his preferred move here MC) "I'm much better than this Indian guy," he boasted after he left the tournament hall. "What's he doing, giving away a pawn like that?" Kasparov later - his game lasted three hours longer - remarked that Van Wely wasted his chances with his weak 22 h3. Short disagreed, showing he might just as easily have drawn after the stronger 22 Rb1 that Kasparov suggested. A) 22 h3 Bf3 23 g4 (23 Rb1 Bxg2 24 Kxg2 Qa5 and Van Wely and Short opted for the draw here) 23 ..Qg5! 24 Rb1 Rd8 25 Rxb6 Ra8! 26 Ra6 Rab8 Now 27 Rb6 is a draw by repetition as White's only other option is: 27 Qxd8+ Rxd8 28 Rxd8+ Qxd8 29 Bxf3; B) 22 Rb1 22 ..h6 Black has to watch the back-rank. 23 e5 Bf3 24 Rdb2 b5 25 c4 (25 a4 Rd8 26 Qc5 Rd5 27 Qxc6 Rd1+) 25 ..Bxg2 26 Kxg2 Ra8 holds comfortably for Black 22 Qxc6 Bxg2 23 Kxg2 Qe5 24 Qc4 Rfc8 25 Qd4 Qa5 26 Rb1 h6 27 Rb4 Qc5 28 Rd3 Exchanging queen's leads to a drawn rook and pawn ending: 28 Qxc5 Rxc5 29 Rdb2 Rxc3 30 Rxb6 Rxb6 31 Rxb6 Ra3 32 Rb8+ Kh7 33 Rb2 Kg6 28 ..Qc7 29 a4 Rd8 30 Qe3 30 Qc4!? may have been best for Kasparov: 30 ..Qxc4 (30 ..Qe7 31 Rxd8+ Qxd8 32 Qc6) 31 Rxd8+ Rxd8 32 Rxc4 with a better rook and pawn ending. 30 ..Rxd3 31 Qxd3 Rc8 32 Qb1 Qxc3 33 Rxb6 Rc4 Anand has to activate his pieces at all costs. Staying passive would just allow Kasparov to make progress with his extra pawn. 34 Rb8+ Kh7 35 Rb7? A mistake from Kasparov who didn't realise how good Anand's reply was. Instead, it was felt in the pressroom that his best option was: 35 e5+ Qc2 36 Qxc2+ Rxc2 37 a5 Ra2 38 Ra8 Kg6 39 g4 h5 40 h3 hxg4 41 hxg4] 35 ..f6! [35 ..Qf6 36 e5+ Qg6 37 Qxg6+ Kxg6 38 a5 Ra4 39 Ra7 f6 40 exf6 Kxf6 41 a6 Ke5 42 h4 is eventually going to lead to a won king and pawn ending.; 35 ..Kg8 36 e5 Rc8 37 Qe4 36 Re7 Rb4 37 Qa2 Qc4! Now the forced exchange of queen's allows Anand to simplify down to rook and three against rook and four on the same side - a GM draw with correct technique. 38 Qxc4 Rxc4 39 a5 Ra4 40 Rxe6 Rxa5 41 Rd6 Ra4 42 Kf3 Ra3+ 43 Ke2 h5! Stopping g4. 44 Rd3 Ra2+ 45 Ke3 Kg6 46 h3 Ra4 47 f4 Rb4 48 Ra3 Rc4 49 g4 hxg4 50 hxg4 Rb4 51 Ra6 Kf7 52 Ra7+ Kg6 53 f5+ Kh6 54 g5+ Kasparov's last try. 54 ..fxg5 [54 ..Kxg5? 55 Rxg7+ Kh4 56 Kf4 Kh3 57 Rg3+ Kh2 58 Rg6 Rb6 59 Kg4 Ra6 (59 ..Rb4 60 Rxf6 Rxe4+ 61 Kg5) 60 Kh5] 55 e5 g4 56 e6 Kg5 ½–½

After the game, Kasparov felt he had missed a chance of a win somewhere and tried to show Anand where he might have gone wrong, analysing their game at the board after shaking hands on the draw. "The man was a pawn up," Anand explained. He thought he had a win. But then, the arbiter came and told him to leave!" Analysing, of course, is not allowed in the tournament hall with other games still in progress. Kasparov left for his hotel without another word, leaving Anand clueless as to where White might have done better than he did in the game.

Afterwards at the press conference, Australia's Ian Rogers asked Anand if he at any moment he had felt jealous of Short? "Oh, yes," replied Anand. "When he left the tournament hall a good three hours before I did!"

Despite missing a possible win, Kasparov remained on top of the leader board as his fellow front runner, Russia's Vladimir Kramnik, also had to settle for a draw. Playing White in a Queen's Gambit against Dutch champion Predrag Nikolic, Kramnik had a slight advantage throughout but that proved insufficient for a win. Nikolic made no mistakes and was rewarded with a half point after 21 moves.

Hungary's Peter Leko remained level with Anand in third position after an uninspired draw in 46 moves with White from an Open Ruy Lopez against Holland's Jeroen Piket. Also drawn were the encounter between Leko's fellow Hungarian, Judit Polgar, and Holland's Jan Timman and the game between England's Michael Adams and Alexander Morozevich of Russia. Polgar-Timman, a Sozin Sicilian - with the Hungarian, contrary to her normal style, in a positional mood - finished after 31 moves in barely three hours, but Adams-Morozevich was another matter - but believe me, anyone could have won that 64 move slugfest!

No one could fathom out what was happening in the Morozevich-Adams encounter - we gave up trying to guess the move (Nigel Short giving up in disgust after only getting 1 out of 5!) or who would actually win! Yasser Seirawan and myself speculated that it would be an ideal game to ruin GM Danny King's 'How Good Is Your Chess?' column. "You are black and sitting beside the exciting young Russian grandmaster Alexander Morozevich as he takes on Michael Adams. Cover up the page now and try to guess black's moves…" Not a snowballs chance in hell!

Adams and Morozevich played a very complex game in round 7.

Adams,M (2715) - Morozevich,A (2748)
French Defence

1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 Nd2 Be7!? The latest wrinkle in the Tarrasch, with Morozevitch and Nigel Short being two of its biggest adherents. The young Russian has also experimented on the ICC with 3..Ne7!?. 4 Bd3 4 e5 was the choice of Korchnoi when he played Short in round 5. 4 ..c5 5 dxc5 Nf6 6 Qe2 Nc6 7 Ngf3 Nb4 8 Nb3 Nxd3+ 9 cxd3 a5 A common move in this line when White takes the c5-pawn. Its aim is to try and shift the b3 knight. If White replies with a4, then Black gets compensation from the holes made in the process. 10 a4 b6 11 e5 Nd7 12 c6 Nc5 13 Nbd4 Ba6 14 Nb5 Nb3 15 Rb1 Bb4+ 16 Kf1 0–0 17 d4 f6 Black has to open as many lines as possible to survive. 18 Qe3 Another possibility was 18 Be3 Rc8 (18 ..Bxb5 19 Qxb5) 19 Qd3 Bxb5 20 Qxb5 fxe5 21 Nxe5 Nd2+ 22 Bxd2 Bxd2 23 Rd1 (23 Nd7 Rf5 24 Qxb6 Qh4 25 g3 Qe4) 23 ..Be3 24 Nf3 Bf4 25 Rd3 Qc7 26 Rc3 Bd6 with the idea of tripling on the f-file to disrupt White's development. 18 ..Bxb5+ 19 axb5 a4 20 g3 Qe8 20 ..Ra5!? going directly for the b-pawn may have been wiser: 21 Qd3 fxe5 22 Nxe5 Qf6 23 f4 Qf5 24 Qxf5 exf5 25 Be3 Rxb5 21 Qd3 Nxc1 21 ..Qh5!? was also possible: 22 Kg2 fxe5 23 Nxe5 Nxd4! 24 Nd7 Nf3 25 Nxf8 Rxf8 A) 26 h4 Ne5 27 Qd1 Qf5 28 Be3 (28 Bf4 Nd3 29 Qf3 Bd6) 28 ..Qe4+ 29 Kh3; B) 26 Be3 26 ..d4 27 Bc1 Qd5 22 Rxc1 a3 23 b3?! Leading to untold complications. However, taking the pawn also had its problems, but may have been preferable: 23 bxa3 Rxa3 24 Qe2 Qh5 25 Ng1 Qf5 26 exf6 Qxf6 27 Kg2 Bc3 28 Nf3 Bb2 29 Rc2 Rxf3 30 Rxb2 Qxd4 31 Rf1 e5 32 Rd2 23 ..a2

The position now resembles a retrograde problem! How did the Black pawn get to a2? 24 Kg2 Qg6! 25 Qxg6 The only option. Keeping the queen's on is better for Black. 25 Qe3 Ba3 26 Ra1 Bb2 25 ..hxg6 26 exf6 gxf6 27 Rhd1 Kf7 27 ..Ra5! Going for the b-pawn immediately may have been wiser as now the game swings to and fro. 28 Ne1 Ba3 29 Rc2 Bb2 30 Rxb2 a1Q 31 Rxa1 Rxa1 32 Nc2 Ra5 33 b4! The pawns on b5 and c6 along with the knight prove to be more than a match for the rook. 33 ..Ra4 34 h4 Ke7 35 Ne3 Kd6 36 Ng4 Ra3 36 ..e5 also has its own problems: 37 dxe5+ fxe5 38 Ne3 Ke6 39 c7 d4 (39 ..Rc8 40 Rc2 Rxb4 41 Rc6+ Kd7 42 Rxb6! d4 43 Nd5) 40 Nc4 Ra7 41 Re2 Rxc7 42 Nxe5 Kf5 (42 ..Kf6 43 Re4) 43 g4+ Kf6 44 Re4 37 Rc2 Kc7 38 Re2 Kd6 39 Rc2 Ke7 40 Re2 Rc8 41 Ne3 Kf7 41 ..Kd6 42 f4 (42 Ng4 Rb3) 42 ..Rb3 43 Nc2 42 g4 Rc7 Though it looks dangerous, Black might just get away with moving the rook away from the a-file: 42 ..Rb3 43 Ra2 Rc7 44 Ra6 Rxb4 45 Rxb6 Ke7 46 h5 gxh5 47 gxh5 Rxd4 48 Kg3 Kd6 49 Ng4 Rg7 43 g5! Trying to access the e5-square for the knight. 43 ..Rd3 43 ..Rb3 activating the rooks, has its dangers: 44 Nc2 Ra7 45 Re3! A) exchanging rooks only lands Black with greater problems: 45 ..Rxe3 46 Nxe3 f5 47 Kg3 Ra2 48 f3 Ra4 49 Kf4 Ke7 50 c7 Kd7 (50 ..Ra8 51 Ke5 Rc8 52 Ng2 Rxc7 53 Nf4 Kf7 54 h5 gxh5 55 g6+ Ke7 56 Nxe6 Rc3 57 Ng5) 51 Ke5 Ra2 52 h5 gxh5 53 g6 Ra8 54 Ng2 Rg8 55 Kf6; B) 45 ..Rb2 46 Rc3 Rc7 47 gxf6 Kxf6 48 Kf3 e5 49 Ke3 Kf5 50 dxe5 Kxe5 51 Kd2 44 Ng4?! Defending the pawn would have set Black problems: 44 Nc2 fxg5 45 hxg5 Ke7 46 f3 Kd6 47 Kg3 44 ..Rxd4 45 Nh6+ Ke7 45 ..Kg7 46 Rxe6 Rxh4 47 Rd6 Re4 48 Rxf6 46 Ng8+ Kf7 47 Nh6+ Ke7 48 Ng8+ Kd6 49 Nxf6 Rc8 50 Kg3 Rxb4 51 h5 gxh5 52 g6 h4+ 53 Kh3 Rf4 54 Nd7 Rg8 55 Nxb6 Rb4 Taking the g-pawn immediately allows White a drawing resource: 55 ..Rxg6 56 Nc8+ Kc7 (56 ..Kc5 57 Rc2+ Kxb5 58 c7) 57 b6+! Kxc8 58 Ra2 Kb8 59 c7+ Kb7 60 Ra7+! (60 Ra8 Rc4 61 Rb8+ Ka6) 60 ..Kxb6 61 c8Q Rf3+ 62 Kxh4 Kxa7 56 Rc2 Kc7 57 Nd7 Rxb5 58 Nf6 Rb3+?! In the desperate struggle to reach the second time control, Morozevitch misses a probable win with: 58 ..Rbb8!? 59 Re2 (59 Nxg8 Rxg8 60 f4 Rxg6 61 Kxh4 Rg7) 59 ..Rxg6 60 Rxe6 Rxf6! 61 Rxf6 d4 62 Rf3 Rd8 63 Rd3 Kxc6 64 Kxh4 Kd5 65 f3 Rg8 59 Kxh4 Rxg6 60 Ne8+ Kc8 61 c7 e5 61 ..Rb6 is no stronger: 62 Ra2 Rc6 63 Ra8+ Kd7 64 Rd8+ Ke7 65 c8Q Rxc8 66 Rxc8 Rg8 67 Nd6 Rg2 68 Nb5 Rxf2 69 Kg5 drawing. 62 Ra2 Rc6 63 Ra8+ Kd7 64 Rd8+ ½–½

The two grandmasters were rightly rewarded for their effort with the daily spectators' "Best Game of the Day" prize.

When you're on a roll, you're on a roll. And in the final game of the day, Smbat Lputian of Armenia defeated Switzerland's Viktor Korchnoi in 48 moves from a Queen's Gambit. It was Lputian's second victory in a row after his poor start. The Armenian, who won the Grandmaster "B" group last year and was his country's board one when they recently won the European Team championships, is now making his debut in the premier section of the tournament, moved up from the last to a shared eleventh spot in the standings.

Round 7 Results and Standings.

Games from rounds 1-7 in PGN

Round 7 (January 23, 2000)

Kramnik, Vladimir      -  Nikolic, Predrag       1/2   21  D36  Queen's gambit
Kasparov, Gary         -  Anand, Viswanathan     1/2   56  E20  Nimzo indian
Leko, Peter            -  Piket, Jeroen          1/2   46  C82  Ruy Lopez
Adams, Michael         -  Morozevich, Alexander  1/2   64  C03  French; Tarrasch
Korchnoi, Viktor       -  Lputian, Smbat G       0-1   47  D37  Queen's gambit
Polgar, Judit          -  Timman, Jan H          1/2   31  B57  Sicilian
Van Wely, Loek         -  Short, Nigel D         1/2   24  E20  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 . .  5.0  2848
 2 Kasparov, Gary         g RUS 2851 . * = . = 1 . = = . 1 . . 1  5.0  2851
 3 Anand, Viswanathan     g IND 2769 = = * = . . = . . 1 1 . = .  4.5  2811
 4 Leko, Peter            g HUN 2725 . . = * = = = = . 1 . 1 . .  4.5  2780
 5 Piket, Jeroen          g NED 2633 . = . = * . 1 . = 0 . 1 . =  4.0  2743
 6 Morozevich, Alexander  g RUS 2748 = 0 . = . * . . = . = . 1 1  4.0  2766
 7 Timman, Jan H          g NED 2655 = . = = 0 . * . . = . 1 = .  3.5  2686
 8 Short, Nigel D         g ENG 2683 0 = . = . . . * . = = . 1 =  3.5  2708
 9 Adams, Michael         g ENG 2715 0 = . . = = . . * . = . = 1  3.5  2707
10 Nikolic, Predrag       g BIH 2659 = . 0 0 1 . = = . * . = . .  3.0  2639
11 Korchnoi, Viktor       g SUI 2659 . 0 0 . . = . = = . * 0 . 1  2.5  2614
12 Lputian, Smbat G       g ARM 2605 0 . . 0 0 . 0 . . = 1 * 1 .  2.5  2576
13 Polgar, Judit          g HUN 2658 . . = . . 0 = 0 = . . 0 * =  2.0  2530
14 Van Wely, Loek         g NED 2646 . 0 . . = 0 . = 0 . 0 . = *  1.5  2476
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