Six players shared the lead going into the final round but only one player emerged with a win in the end.

Sergey Karjakin defeated Leinier Dominguez Perez in a double edged struggle. Dominguez went for the win and victory in the tournament but eventually missed his way and Karjakin struck back to win both the game and the tournament. See Michiel Abeln's notes.

Dominguez Perez,L (2717) - Karjakin,Sergey (2706) [B90]

Corus A Wijk aan Zee NED (13), 01.02.2009
[Michiel Abeln]

A very tough fight today, Domiguez didn't want to play an easy draw. He came a long way, was close to a winning position, but lost his way in wild complications. Karjakin played very well today, keeping his head cool.

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 Ng4 7.Bc1 Nf6 8.Be3 Ng4

Unusual for Karjakin, but he wanted to play for a win as well, and decided that he had more chances by sidestepping Dominguez's preparation. He prepared last night till 1 am!

9.Bg5 h6 10.Bh4 g5 11.Bg3 Bg7 12.h3 Nf6 13.Qe2

[13.Qf3 Qb6 14.0-0-0 Nc6 15.Nxc6 Qxc6 16.Be2 Nd7 17.Nd5 Ne5 18.Qb3 Be6 19.h4 Rc8 20.hxg5 1/2-1/2 Van den Doel,E-Huzman,A/Tel Aviv 2001/CBM 081 ext]

13...Nc6 14.Nxc6 bxc6 15.e5 dxe5 16.Bxe5 0-0 17.g4

A novelty

17...a5 18.h4

Domiguez decided to really go for the first place today. This is a very committing move, there is no way back. [18.Bg2 Ba6 19.Qe3 Qd7 20.Qd4]

18...Bxg4 19.f3 Bf5 20.hxg5 hxg5 21.Qe3

[Other ways of attacking don't really work: 21.Qh2 Qb6 and black obtains crucial control over square e3.]

21...a4

Karjakin is softening the black squares around white's king and also the black queen can now go to a5. [21...e6 22.Qxg5 Bg6]

22.Qxg5 Bg6 23.Bd3

[Less clear is 23.Bc4 e6 24.Bxe6 Re8 25.Qxg6 Rxe6 and black is doing fine]

23...a3

[23...Ra5 24.0-0-0 is very dangerous for black]

24.b4!?

taking away square a5 from the black queen [24.b3 Qa5 25.0-0-0 Ne4 26.Bxe4 Qxe5 27.Qxe5 Bxe5 with equality]

24...Qb6

25.Rh4?

[But now Domiguez had a better option: 25.Bxg6 The difference with the game is that black gets no chance to play Nh7 25...fxg6 26.Rh4 Rad8 27.Ke2 and if black checks, the white king will run to g2.]

25...Nh7!

A very good defensive move by Karjakin. [25...Bxd3?? 26.cxd3 Rfd8 27.Rg4]

26.Rxh7

[26.Qg4]

26...Kxh7 27.0-0-0 Qxb4 28.Rh1+ Kg8

29.Bxg7?

The final mistake. Dominguez was using almost all his time, looking for a win as he said afterwards. [29.Bxg6 fxg6 30.Qxg6 (30.Rh8+ Kf7!! (30...Kxh8 31.Qh6+; 30...Bxh8 31.Qxg6+) ) 30...Rf6 31.Qh7+ (31.Bxf6 Qf4+ 32.Kd1 (32.Kb1 Rb8+ 33.Ka1 Qxf6) 32...Rd8+ 33.Ke1 Qxf6 with a draw) 31...Kf7 32.Rg1 Qb2+ 33.Kd2 Rd8+ 34.Ke2 and the fight would have continued with wild complications]

29...Kxg7 30.Qh6+

Dominguez had about 10 seconds left in a hopeless position

30...Kf6 31.Ne4+ Ke6 32.Rd1 Qb2+ 33.Kd2 Kd7 34.Qf4 Rfd8 35.Ke2 Ke8 36.Rh1 Ra5 37.Qc7 Rad5 38.Ke3 Kf8 39.c3 Rxd3+ 40.Kf4 f6 41.Rh8+ Kf7

and Karjakin is winner of Corus 2009!

0-1

Magnus Carlsen made his reputation at Wijk aan Zee but this year just seemed a bit out of sorts. In fact for the last few months he doesn't seem to be in the best form, just trying a little too hard and playing a few too many bad positions in trying to win. Today he had black against Wang Yue. Carlsen certainly equalised and tried to complicate to get the win that would take him to a share of the lead. However he switched off after move 40 and lost his passed b-pawn, he still should have drawn fairly comfortably but defended very badly to lose. Its time for Carlsen to go away and have a think. I always say 19 is the age when you see the first sight of the fully finished player, I think its partially to do with physical development of the brain, so no need to panick but I think Carlsen has gone backwards in the last few months.

Wang Yue (2739) - Carlsen,M (2776) [D45]

Corus A Wijk aan Zee NED (13), 01.02.2009
[Mark Crowther]

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 c6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Qc2 b6 7.Bd3 Bb7 8.0-0 dxc4 9.Bxc4 c5 10.Rd1 Qc8 11.d5 exd5 12.Nxd5 Bxd5 13.Bxd5 Nxd5 14.Rxd5 Be7 15.e4 0-0 16.Bg5 Re8 17.Rad1 Nf8 18.Qc4 Qe6 19.b3 h6 20.Bf4 Ng6 21.Bg3 Bf8 22.Nd2 Ne7 23.Rd3 Nc6 24.Qxe6 Rxe6 25.a4 a6 26.f3 b5 27.Bf2 Rc8 28.axb5 axb5 29.Nf1 Nb4 30.Rc3 Ra6 31.Ne3 Ra3 32.Be1 Nc6 33.Rb1 Rca8 34.Kf1 Nd4 35.Rd3 Ra2 36.b4 R8a3 37.Rbd1 Ne6 38.bxc5 Bxc5 39.Rxa3 Rxa3 40.Nd5

Wang has equalised. I think Carlsen knew it too. Not that he would really have deserved to win the tournament.

40...Rb3 41.h4 b4

Not a terrible move but it is going to lose this b-pawn.

42.f4 Rb2

[42...g5 makes good sense and fights white's plan.]

43.f5 Nd4 44.Bxb4 Bxb4 45.Rxd4

Now Carlsen is going to have to work for his draw.

45...Rb1+ 46.Ke2 Rb2+ 47.Kf3 Be1 48.h5 Rf2+ 49.Ke3 Rxg2 50.Ra4 Bh4 51.Ra8+ Kh7 52.Rf8 Bg5+ 53.Kf3 Rh2 54.Rxf7 Kg8 55.Ra7 Rxh5 56.e5 Rh3+ 57.Ke4 Rh1 58.e6 Re1+ 59.Kd4

Its about time Carlsen knuckled down to the task of saving this game, instead he loses it in a couple of moves.

59...h5?!

[59...g6! draws]

60.Kc5 Re5? 61.f6!

wins.

61...Bxf6 62.Kd6 Rf5 63.Nxf6+ Rxf6 64.Kd7 h4 65.e7 Rf7 66.Kd8 Kh7 67.Ra6 1-0

Rather surprisingly Teimour Radjabov took a quick draw with white against Daniel Stellwagen. He didn't have much of an advantage but there was still quite a bit of play in the position.

Jan Smeets got a small advantage with white against Levon Aronian and the pair repeated position after 22 moves.

Gata Kamsky played fairly quietly on the white side of a Sicilian against Sergei Movsesian, the game when into a drawn rook and pawn ending and peace was agreed on move 47.

Michael Adams saw out the event with perpetual check against Loek van Wely's Sicilian Defence. This left Adams tied for last place but given that this included Vassily Ivanchuk and Alexander Morozevich should give him some relief but it has to be said that Adams is going through a worrying slide at the moment.

Alexander Morozevich against Vassily Ivanchuk was a bizarre game to go with just a bad tournament for both players. Ivanchuk for me has been at times the best player in the world, and has added consistancy to his play, but time after time he's played badly at Wijk aan Zee, and in fact its always not been a particular surprise as his form has been on the way down coming into the tournament. Morozevich had a complete disaster with the black pieces and was out of form throughout. The game today finished in bizarre manner, Ivanchuk was slightly better, allowed a breakthough which still wasn't losing for him, and then either because he got careless or didn't realise he still had a draw and 44...Kb7 drew because Morozevich couldn't stop the perpetual check instead he played the losing Kd7 and resigned the following move.

Morozevich,A (2771) - Ivanchuk,V (2779) [D10]

Corus A Wijk aan Zee NED (13), 01.02.2009
[Mark Crowther]

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e3 a6 5.Nf3 b5 6.b3 Bg4 7.Bd2 e6 8.h3 Bxf3 9.Qxf3 Ba3 10.Bd3 0-0 11.0-0 Nbd7 12.Rad1 Rc8 13.Qe2 Re8 14.c5 Bb4 15.a3 Bxc3 16.Bxc3 e5 17.dxe5 Nxe5 18.Bf5 Ra8 19.Bd4 Qe7 20.Bb1 a5 21.Qb2 a4 22.f4 Ned7 23.b4 Qf8 24.g4 Ne4 25.g5 f5 26.gxf6 Ndxf6 27.Kh2 g6 28.Rg1 Kf7 29.Qg2 Qh6 30.Rdf1 Qh5 31.Qb2 Ra7 32.Rg5 Qh4 33.Qg2 Rae7 34.Bc2 Kf8 35.Re5 Rf7 36.Rxe8+ Kxe8 37.f5 g5 38.Bxe4 Nxe4 39.f6 h5 40.Rf4 gxf4 41.Qg8+ Rf8 42.Qe6+ Kd8 43.Qe7+ Kc8 44.Qxf8+

44...Kd7??

[44...Kb7 and black will escape checks and draw.]

45.Qe7+ 1-0

Nigel Short had first place alone in the A-Group all sewn up and was even pressing against Fabiano Caruana, then a winning continuation he thought he had turned out not to work, nevertheless he found a way out of the problem and had a perpetual check, unfortunately he gave the wrong check (not that hard to spot that this one drew immediately) and lost handing Caruana, a really rather fortunate win in the event. Caruana is an up and coming player but in general his play was a little disappointing in the B-Group. He will need to be a lot better in the A-Group next year. I suppose this is one good thing, Short has expressed the view that he's not sure about playing in events as strong as the A-Group anymore whereas I'm sure Caruana will be up for it. Nevertheless Short's play has been very enjoyable throughout the tournament and its a disappointment he didn't get the tournament win his play deserved.

Caruana,F (2646) - Short,N (2663) [E05]

Corus B Wijk aan Zee NED (13), 01.02.2009
[Mark Crowther]

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Nf3 Be7 5.Bg2 0-0 6.0-0 dxc4 7.Qc2 a6 8.Qxc4 b5 9.Qc2 Bb7 10.Bd2 Bd6 11.Ng5 Bxg2 12.Kxg2 Qc8 13.e4 Qb7 14.Re1 Nbd7 15.Nf3 e5 16.Bg5 exd4 17.Nxd4 Rfe8 18.Nd2 c5 19.Nf5 Bf8 20.b3 Re6 21.f3 Rae8 22.Rad1 Ne5 23.Bf4 Nfd7 24.Qc3 h5 25.Ne3 Nb6 26.Ndf1 Ng6 27.Bg5 c4 28.bxc4 Qc7 29.Rc1 bxc4 30.Nf5 Rc8 31.Nd2 f6 32.Be3 Ne5 33.Rb1 Bc5 34.Bf4 Rd8 35.Red1 g6 36.Nh4 Red6 37.Nxg6 Bd4 38.Qa5?!

This is where Caruana starts to go wrong.

38...Nxg6

[38...c3]

39.Bxd6 Rxd6 40.Qxh5

[40.Rbc1]

40...Kg7

[40...Qf7]

41.Nf1 c3 42.Rbc1 Nc4 43.f4 Qb7 44.Qe2 f5 45.Re1 Qc6 46.Qf3? Nd2 47.Nxd2

Short's played wonderfully well to get this postion.

47...Nh4+?!

[47...cxd2 48.Rxc6 dxe1N+ 49.Kf1 Nxf3 50.Rxd6 fxe4 51.Rxa6 should win for Short.]

48.gxh4 Rg6+ 49.Kh3 Qd7

This was Short's big idea, but sadly white has a way out.

50.Qh5 cxd2 51.exf5 Rh6!!

Actually with all the other games finished this should guarantee Short a win in the tournament. I'm also pretty much guessing Short wasn't happy with the way things had gone over the last few moves. Perhaps this explains the mistake that comes up, once you start missing things its difficult to get back on track.

52.Qg5+ Kf7 53.Qxh6 Qxf5+ 54.Kg3 dxc1Q 55.Rxc1 Qd3+ 56.Kg4 Qe2+ 57.Kf5

57...Qb5+?

No, no, no, [57...Qd3+ 58.Kg5 Qb5+ 59.Kg4 (59.f5 Be3+) 59...Qe2+ 60.Kf5 Qd3+ and this is perpetual.]

58.Ke4

Short has just given Caruana the win. There is nothing to be done now.

58...Qe2+ 59.Kd5 Qxa2+ 60.Rc4 Bf6 61.Qh7+ Kf8 62.Qe4 Bxh4 63.Ke6 Kg7 64.f5 Bd8 65.f6+ Kf8 66.Qd5 Qe2+ 67.Re4

Sad.

1-0

C-Group winner Wesley So. Photo © Janis Nisii

Wesley So duely won the C-Group getting the quick draw he no doubt wanted against David Howell. There were just four decisive games in the final round!!

Corus A Wijk aan Zee (NED), 17 i-1 ii 2009														cat. XIX (2716)
					1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4
1.	Karjakin, Sergey	g	UKR	2706	*	½	½	1	½	1	0	½	½	½	0	1	1	1	8	2803
2.	Aronian, Levon	g	ARM	2750	½	*	½	1	½	0	1	½	½	½	½	½	1	½	7½	2770
3.	Radjabov, Teimour	g	AZE	2761	½	½	*	½	½	½	1	0	1	½	1	½	½	½	7½	2769
4.	Movsesian, Sergei	g	SVK	2751	0	0	½	*	½	½	½	1	½	½	1	½	1	1	7½	2770
5.	Carlsen, Magnus	g	NOR	2776	½	½	½	½	*	1	½	½	0	1	½	½	½	½	7	2740
6.	Dominguez Perez, Leinier	g	CUB	2717	0	1	½	½	0	*	½	½	½	½	½	1	½	1	7	2745
7.	Kamsky, Gata	g	USA	2725	1	0	0	½	½	½	*	½	½	½	½	½	½	1	6½	2715
8.	Van Wely, Loek	g	NED	2625	½	½	1	0	½	½	½	*	½	½	½	½	½	0	6	2694
9.	Wang Yue	g	CHN	2739	½	½	0	½	1	½	½	½	*	½	0	½	0	1	6	2685
10.	Smeets, Jan	g	NED	2601	½	½	½	½	0	½	½	½	½	*	1	½	½	0	6	2695
11.	Ivanchuk, Vassily	g	UKR	2779	1	½	0	0	½	½	½	½	1	0	*	½	½	0	5½	2654
12.	Stellwagen, Daniël	g	NED	2612	0	½	½	½	½	0	½	½	½	½	½	*	½	½	5½	2667
13.	Adams, Michael	g	ENG	2712	0	0	½	0	½	½	½	½	1	½	½	½	*	½	5½	2659
14.	Morozevich, Alexander	g	RUS	2771	0	½	½	0	½	0	0	1	0	1	1	½	½	*	5½	2654

Round 13 (February 1, 2009)
Radjabov, Teimour	- Stellwagen, Daniël	½-½	24	B83	Sicilian Scheveningen
Dominguez Perez, Leinier	- Karjakin, Sergey	0-1	41	B90	Sicilian Najdorf Variation
Kamsky, Gata	- Movsesian, Sergei	½-½	47	B83	Sicilian Scheveningen
Wang Yue	- Carlsen, Magnus	1-0	67	D45	Anti-Meran Variations
Smeets, Jan	- Aronian, Levon	½-½	22	B42	Sicilian Paulsen
Adams, Michael	- Van Wely, Loek	½-½	35	B84	Sicilian Scheveningen
Morozevich, Alexander	- Ivanchuk, Vassily	1-0	45	D10	Slav Defence

Corus B Wijk aan Zee (NED), 17 i-1 ii 2009														cat. XVI (2641)
					1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4
1.	Caruana, Fabiano	g	ITA	2646	*	1	½	½	½	0	0	1	½	½	1	1	1	1	8½	2751
2.	Short, Nigel D	g	ENG	2663	0	*	½	1	½	1	½	1	1	½	1	½	½	0	8	2726
3.	Motylev, Alexander	g	RUS	2676	½	½	*	1	½	½	½	0	½	1	1	½	1	½	8	2725
4.	Kasimdzhanov, Rustam	g	UZB	2687	½	0	0	*	½	1	½	½	½	1	1	1	½	1	8	2724
5.	Volokitin, Andrei	g	UKR	2671	½	½	½	½	*	½	0	1	1	1	½	½	½	½	7½	2696
6.	Vallejo Pons, Francisco	g	ESP	2702	1	0	½	0	½	*	½	0	1	0	1	1	1	1	7½	2693
7.	Efimenko, Zahar	g	UKR	2688	1	½	½	½	1	½	*	0	0	½	0	1	½	1	7	2666
8.	Navara, David	g	CZE	2638	0	0	1	½	0	1	1	*	½	½	0	½	½	1	6½	2641
9.	Reinderman, Dimitri	g	NED	2549	½	0	½	½	0	0	1	½	*	1	½	½	½	½	6	2619
10.	Hou Yifan	wg	CHN	2571	½	½	0	0	0	1	½	½	0	*	½	1	½	1	6	2617
11.	L'Ami, Erwin	g	NED	2603	0	0	0	0	½	0	1	1	½	½	*	½	1	½	5½	2587
12.	Mecking, Henrique	g	BRA	2567	0	½	½	0	½	0	0	½	½	0	½	*	½	1	4½	2537
13.	Werle, Jan	g	NED	2607	0	½	0	½	½	0	½	½	½	½	0	½	*	0	4	2503
14.	Sasikiran, Krishnan	g	IND	2711	0	1	½	0	½	0	0	0	½	0	½	0	1	*	4	2495

Round 13 (February 1, 2009)
Caruana, Fabiano	- Short, Nigel D	1-0	67	E06	Catalan
Motylev, Alexander	- Kasimdzhanov, Rustam	1-0	75	B07	Pirc Defence
Vallejo Pons, Francisco	- Sasikiran, Krishnan	1-0	52	C69	Ruy Lopez Exchange
Efimenko, Zahar	- Volokitin, Andrei	1-0	40	B42	Sicilian Paulsen
Navara, David	- Mecking, Henrique	½-½	33	C96	Ruy Lopez
L'Ami, Erwin	- Hou Yifan	½-½	53	E12	Queens Indian Petrosian
Werle, Jan	- Reinderman, Dimitri	½-½	21	E94	King's Indian Classical

Corus C Wijk aan Zee (NED), 17 i-1 ii 2009														cat. XI (2521)
					1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4
1.	So, Wesley	g	PHI	2627	*	1	½	½	½	0	½	1	1	1	1	1	1	½	9½	2687
2.	Hillarp Persson, Tiger	g	SWE	2586	0	*	1	0	1	1	½	0	½	1	½	1	1	1	8½	2626
3.	Giri, Anish	f	RUS	2469	½	0	*	1	½	½	½	½	½	½	1	1	1	1	8½	2635
4.	Gupta, Abhijeet	g	IND	2569	½	1	0	*	1	1	0	0	0	1	0	1	1	1	7½	2574
5.	Howell, David W L	g	ENG	2622	½	0	½	0	*	½	0	1	1	0	1	1	1	1	7½	2570
6.	Holzke, Frank	g	GER	2524	1	0	½	0	½	*	½	½	0	1	1	0	1	½	6½	2520
7.	Harika, Dronavalli	m	IND	2473	½	½	½	1	1	½	*	½	0	½	½	½	0	0	6	2495
8.	Bitalzadeh, Ali	m	NED	2400	0	1	½	1	0	½	½	*	1	0	0	1	0	0	5½	2473
9.	Nijboer, Friso	g	NED	2560	0	½	½	1	0	1	1	0	*	0	1	0	0	½	5½	2461
10.	Bosboom, Manuel	m	NED	2418	0	0	½	0	1	0	½	1	1	*	0	1	0	½	5½	2472
11.	Pruijssers, Roeland	m	NED	2444	0	½	0	1	0	0	½	1	0	1	*	0	1	½	5½	2470
12.	Iturrizaga, Eduardo	g	VEN	2528	0	0	0	0	0	1	½	0	1	0	1	*	1	1	5½	2463
13.	Leon Hoyos, Manuel	g	MEX	2542	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	1	1	0	0	*	1	5	2432
14.	Romanishin, Oleg M	g	UKR	2533	½	0	0	0	0	½	1	1	½	½	½	0	0	*	4½	2410

Round 13 (February 1, 2009)
So, Wesley	- Howell, David W L	½-½	19	C96	Ruy Lopez
Holzke, Frank	- Romanishin, Oleg M	½-½	11	E16	Queens Indian
Harika, Dronavalli	- Giri, Anish	½-½	59	D12	Slav Defence
Bitalzadeh, Ali	- Nijboer, Friso	1-0	39	A85	Dutch
Bosboom, Manuel	- Hillarp Persson, Tiger	0-1	29	A04	Dutch System
Iturrizaga, Eduardo	- Pruijssers, Roeland	1-0	33	E94	King's Indian Classical
Leon Hoyos, Manuel	- Gupta, Abhijeet	0-1	40	A15	English counter King's Fianchetto