Wijk aan Zee Round 9 25th January 2005
Michiel Abeln is on the spot in Wijk aan Zee. He is sending photos, analysis and some comments. The report is compiled by Mark Crowther who is making additional editorial comment.
Vesselin Topalov and Viswanathan were the first to finish after halving their game in round 9. Photo © Michiel Abeln.
Vesselin Topalov against Viswanathan Anand was the first game to finish today. Vishy wanted to play solidly after some bad results against the Bulgarian recently and Topalov saw no reason to risk everything. A sideline of the Petroff was played (14.Be3) and Vishy soon found the right antidote to make a draw after less than two hours of play.
Topalov,V (2757) - Anand,V (2786) [C42]
Corus A Wijk aan Zee (9), 25.01.2005
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 Vishy wanted to play solidly today because last year he lost to Topalov here and also in Monaco he lost to him. 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Nc6 7.0-0 Be7 8.c4 Nb4 9.Be2 0-0 10.Nc3 Bf5 11.a3 Nxc3 12.bxc3 Nc6 13.Re1 Re8 14.Be3
This was a surprise for Vishy. 14...Bf6 [14...a6 15.cxd5 Qxd5 16.c4 Qe4 17.Ra2 Bf6 18.Rd2 Rad8 19.h3 Qe7 20.g4 Qd7 21.d5 Ne5 22.Qb3 Be4 23.Nxe5 Rxe5 24.Qxb7 Bxd5 25.Red1 Qe6 26.Bf3 Bxb7 27.Rxd8+ Bxd8 28.Rxd8+ Qe8 29.Rxe8+ Rxe8 30.Bxb7 Rd8 31.Bf4 Rd1+ 32.Kg2 Ra1 33.Bxc7 Rxa3 1-0 Rizouk,A-Angulo Martinez,J/Erandio ESP 2004/The Week in Chess 530 (33); Vishy pointed out that he was aware of a trick that white can play in these kind of positions: 14...Na5 15.cxd5 Qxd5 16.Ne5 Qb3 17.Bc4] 15.Nd2 Na5 [There is a way to lose immediately with black: 15...Ne7? 16.g4 Bg6 17.g5] 16.cxd5 Qxd5 17.Qa4 Bd7 [17...c6 is an alternative, but Vishy wanted his knight to play a more active role in the game.] 18.Qb4 Be7 19.Qb2 Bc6 20.Bf3 [Of course if white wants to play he has to try 20.Bf1 b5 21.a4 a6 but here black has no worries.] 20...Qd7 Now the position is dead equal. 21.Qa2 Rad8 22.a4 b6 23.h3 Bxf3 24.Nxf3 Qd5 25.Qxd5 1/2-1/2
Peter Leko defeated Nigel Short in round 9. Photo © Michiel Abeln.
Peter Leko won in a rather simple way against Nigel Short. After a normal Chigorin line of the Ruy Lopez, Leko played the novelty 23.Bd3. Short did not react in the most precise way and was soon in a hopeless endgame.
Leko,P (2749) - Short,N (2674) [C95]
Corus A Wijk aan Zee (9), 25.01.2005
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.h3 Nb8 10.d4 Nbd7 11.Nbd2 Bb7 12.Bc2 Re8 13.Nf1 Bf8 14.Ng3 g6 15.b3 Bg7 16.d5 Qe7 17.c4 c6 18.Be3 Rec8 19.Rc1 a5 20.Qd2 bxc4 [20...Nc5 21.Bxc5 dxc5 22.dxc6 Bxc6 23.cxb5 Bxb5 24.a4 Bc6 25.Bd3 Nd7 26.Nf1 Rcb8 27.Rc3 Rb4 28.Ne3 Kh8 29.Nc4 Nf8 30.Bc2 f6 31.Qd6 Qxd6 32.Nxd6 Ne6 33.Bd3 Bf8 34.Bb5 Bxb5 35.Nxb5 Nd4 36.Nfxd4 cxd4 37.Rf3 Rc8 38.Rxf6 Rxb3 39.Re6 d3 40.Rd1 Bb4 41.Nd6 Rc2 42.Nf7+ Kg7 43.Nxe5 d2 44.Rc6 Rxc6 45.Nxc6 Rc3 0-1 Efimenko,Z-Socko,B/Hastings ENG 2005/The Week in Chess 530 (45)] 21.bxc4 cxd5 22.cxd5 Nc5
23.Bd3 This is a new idea found by Leko's coach Petrosian some time ago. The move order is actually quite important here and it's not so easy for black. 23...h5 [23...Nxd3 24.Rxc8+! (Automatically taking back was not Leko's intention: 24.Qxd3 Rxc1 25.Rxc1 Bxd5 26.exd5 e4 and black equalizes) 24...Bxc8 25.Qxd3 Ba6 26.Qa3 and with pressure on black's both weaknesses white is clearly better; 23...Nfd7 24.Bb5+/=] 24.Bxc5 dxc5
25.Qg5 Short had probably seen this move but underestimated it. White's idea is not to take on e5 (black has alsways Nxd5) but to paralyze black's position and to prevent Ne8-d6. 25...Rc7 26.Nf1 Rac8 27.N1d2! [Less precise is 27.Ne3 c4 28.Rxc4 Qa3 29.Rxc7 Rxc7 30.Qxe5 Rc8 and black has some counterplay] 27...Ne8 Again it was probably black's best chance to sacrifice his pawn to obtain some counterplay. 28.Qxe7 Rxe7 29.Nc4 Ba6 30.Nfxe5 Bxe5 31.Nxe5 c4 32.Bxc4 Rxe5 33.Bxa6 Rxc1 34.Rxc1 Rxe4 35.f3 Re5 36.Rc5! A nice killer 36...h4 37.d6 1-0
Ruslan Ponomariov at the start of his game against Michael Adams. Photo © Michiel Abeln.
Michael Adams made a draw with black against Ponomariov with the Petroff. This, however, was not a boring game at all! After some logical opening moves Adams made a strong sacrifice to get a winning a position only to let Ponomariov escape with a three-fold repetition in a winning endgame
Ponomariov,R (2700) - Adams,Mi (2741) [C42]
Corus A Wijk aan Zee (9), 25.01.2005
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Nc6 7.0-0 Be7 8.Re1 Bg4 9.c3 f5 10.Qb3 0-0 11.Nbd2 Na5 12.Qc2 Nc6 13.b4 a6 14.a4 Bd6 15.Ba3 Kh8 [15...Rf6 16.b5 Nxd2 17.Qxd2 Bxf3 18.bxc6 Rg6 19.g3 bxc6 20.Bxd6 cxd6 21.Bxf5 Rf6 22.Qd3 g6 23.Qxf3 Rxf5 24.Qe2 Rf7 25.a5 Kg7 26.Reb1 Rb8 27.Qxa6 Qf6 28.Qf1 Rxb1 29.Rxb1 c5 30.a6 cxd4 31.Rb7 dxc3 32.Rxf7+ Kxf7 33.a7 Qd8 34.Qb1 c2 35.Qb7+ Ke6 36.Qc6 Qa5 37.a8Q Qxa8 38.Qxa8 c1Q+ 39.Kg2 Qc7 40.h4 Qf7 41.f4 h5 42.Kf3 Qe7 43.Qc8+ Kf7 44.Kf2 Qe6 45.Qb7+ Kf6 46.Qb2+ Kf5 47.Qb6 Kg4 48.Qd4 Qe4 49.Qd1+ Kf5 50.Qb3 Qd4+ 51.Kf3 Qc4 52.Qb8 Qf1+ 53.Ke3 Kg4 54.Qxd6 Qe1+ 55.Kd4 Qe4+ 56.Kc5 Qf5 57.Qe7 Kxg3 58.Qe1+ Kxf4 59.Qg1 Qe4 60.Qg5+ Kf3 61.Qf6+ Ke2 62.Qb2+ Ke3 63.Qf6 d4 64.Qg5+ Ke2 65.Kb4 d3+ 66.Kc3 Qf5 67.Qg2+ Ke3 68.Qg3+ Ke2 69.Qg2+ Qf2 70.Qe4+ Qe3 71.Qg2+ Ke1 72.Qh1+ Kf2 73.Qh2+ Kf3 74.Qh3+ Kf4 75.Qh2+ Kg4 76.Qg2+ Kxh4 77.Qxg6 Qf3 78.Qd6 Kh3 79.Qe6+ Kg2 80.Qg6+ Kf1 81.Qg5 Kf2 82.Qh4+ Kg2 83.Qg5+ Kh3 84.Qg6 h4 85.Qg1 Qe2 86.Qh1+ Kg3 87.Qg1+ Qg2 88.Qe3+ Qf3 89.Qg1+ Kh3 90.Qg5 Qg3 91.Qf5+ Kh2 92.Kd2 h3 93.Qe6 Kg2 94.Qe4+ Qf3 95.Qg6+ Kf1 96.Qd6 h2 97.Qxh2 Qe2+ 0-1 Morozevich,A-Karpov,A/Eurotel Trophy, Prague CZE (3.1) 2002 (97)] 16.b5 axb5 17.Bxd6 cxd6 18.axb5 Na5 19.h3 Bh5 20.Nh2 Rc8 21.Ra3 b6 22.Ndf1 f4 23.f3 Qh4 24.Re2 Ng3 25.Nxg3 fxg3
26.Nf1 Ponomariov saw the sacrifice, but did not spend a lot of time on it. He figured that black does not have any direct threats and that his knight is way off so there should be a good defence for white. 26...Bxf3 27.gxf3 Rxf3 And now Ponomariov sank into deep thought because he saw no defence! In the end he played something that at least does not lose immediately. 28.Nd2 [28.Qd1 Rcf8] 28...Rf2 29.Rxf2 gxf2+ 30.Kg2 Qg5+ Adams has here a winning advantage but also was in time trouble 31.Kxf2 Rf8+ 32.Nf3 Qf4 33.Qe2 Qh2+ 34.Ke1 Qg3+ 35.Qf2 Rxf3 36.Qxg3 Rxg3 37.Bf1 h5 38.Kd2
38...Rf3? [Here Adams misses a direct blow: 38...Rxh3 39.Rxa5 (39.Bxh3 Nc4+ 40.Kd3 Nxa3) 39...Rh2+ 40.Be2 bxa5 41.b6 Rf2 42.b7 Rf8 game over] 39.Ke2 Rg3 40.Kd2 Rf3 [Here there are several possibilities to make it to the time control in a safe way, e.g. 40...Rg1 ] 41.Ke2 but now Adams has again all the time in the world to realize that he has nothing better than to go for the three fold repitition in a winning position.... 41...Rg3 [If you want to avoid the repitition you get a position you really don't want to have: 41...Rf8 42.Bg2 and Ra1 is coming] 1/2-1/2
Vladimir Kramnik took on Loek van Wely in round 9. Photo © Michiel Abeln.
Vladimir Kramnik and Loek Van Wely put another Svesnikov on the board. This time it was a variation in which black's pawn structure was severely comprised in exchange for activity. During the whole game Kramnik tried to make something of the structural weaknesses in black's camp, but Van Wely was always just in time to keep the balance.
Alexander Morozevich seemed to have found some form in round 9 but there were a lot of mistakes from his opponent. Photo © Michiel Abeln.
Alexander Morozevich won against Ivan Sokolov with the Albins Countergambit. If you go over the game quickly it looks like a typical Morozevich victory, but as he explained himself, Sokolov made quite a few mistakes and this is still not the real Morozevich.
Sokolov,I (2685) - Morozevich,A (2741) [D08]
Corus A Wijk aan Zee (9), 25.01.2005
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 d4 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.Nbd2 Nge7 6.Nb3 Nf5 7.a3 Be7 [7...Be6 8.h3 h5 9.Bg5 Be7 10.Bxe7 Qxe7 11.Qd3 0-0-0 12.h4 a5 13.g3 a4 14.Bh3 g6 15.Nbd2 Qc5 16.0-0 Kb8 17.Bg2 Nxe5 18.Nxe5 Qxe5 19.b3 Bc8 20.bxa4 c6 21.Rab1 Kc7 22.Nf3 Qe7 23.Rfd1 c5 24.Qd2 Kd7 25.e3 Ke8 26.exd4 Nxd4 27.Nxd4 Rxd4 28.Qa5 Rxd1+ 29.Rxd1 Kf8 30.Qd8+ Qxd8 31.Rxd8+ Kg7 32.Rxh8 Kxh8 33.a5 Kg7 34.Kf1 Kf6 35.Ke2 Ke5 36.Ke3 Kd6 37.Bd5 Be6 38.Bxe6 Kxe6 39.Kf4 f5 40.f3 Kf6 41.g4 fxg4 42.fxg4 hxg4 43.Kxg4 Kf7 44.Kg5 Kg7 45.a4 1/2-1/2 Napier,W-Tarrasch,S/Monte Carlo 1902/EXT 2000 (45)] 8.g3 a5 9.Qd3 [White could immediately have gone for 9.Bh3 d3 10.Qxd3 Qxd3 11.exd3 Nh4 12.gxh4 Bxh3~~] 9...a4 10.Nbd2 h5 With the simple idea to prevent white's g4. 11.Bh3 [11.h4 Nh6 to put the bishop on f5 and the knight on g4] 11...g6 12.Ne4 h4 13.Bf4? A very serious mistake by Sokolov, now the initiavie switches to black and that's laway very dangerous when you're playing Morozevich! [13.g4 Ng7 14.Bd2 Ne6 15.0-0-0 with the idea e3 and probably white has a big advantage] 13...hxg3 14.hxg3 Ng7 [14...Nxg3 15.Bd7+ Kxd7 16.Rxh8 Qxh8 17.Nxg3 and white is better] 15.Bg2 [Morozevich pointed out that Sokolov should have tried to attack: 15.Nf6+ Kf8] 15...Rxh1+ 16.Bxh1 Bf5 17.Nfg5?! [There was an interesting alternative 17.0-0-0 Ne6 18.Bg2 Nc5 19.Nxc5 Bxd3 20.Nxd3 Qd7 21.Rh1 Bf8 and things are not so clear] 17...Na5 [17...Nh5 also comes into consideration] 18.Qf3 Ne6
19.Nh7? A very strange move by Sokolov, the question is what the knight is looking for on h7. [Better was 19.Nxe6 Bxe6 20.0-0-0 with very complicated play] 19...Bxe4 20.Qxe4 c6 21.e3?! [Sokolov refuses to castle in this game, but here he was already in time trouble. 21.0-0-0 ] 21...Nb3 22.Rd1 Qa5+ 23.Ke2 Nec5 At several points Moro looked at Qxc6 but there was never a mate. 24.Qg2 Qa6 and suddenly black's pieces are so active that he really doesnot need his rook on a8. 25.Kf1 Qxc4+ 26.Kg1 Qc2 [Less precise would have been 26...d3 27.Qh3 and now after Qc2 white can protect his rook with Bf3] 27.Qf3 d3 28.Bg5 Ne4 29.Bxe7 Nxf2! [29...Kxe7 30.Rf1 Nbd2 31.Qg4 and things are not as clear as in the game] 30.Qxf2 [30.Bb4 Qxd1+ 31.Kxf2 Qc2+ 32.Kg1 d2 also wins because after 33.Nf6+ Kd8 white has no more checks] 30...Qxd1+ 31.Kg2 Qc2 32.Bd6 0-0-0 33.Kg1 Qxf2+ 34.Kxf2 Rh8 And Morozevich added: "I don't wanna look back at this tournement, only forward!" 0-1
Lazaro Bruzon against Judit Polgar in their game in round 9. Photo © Michiel Abeln.
Judit Polgar played against Lazaro Bruzon who surprised her by playing the Berlin Wall or Berlin Defence to the Ruy Lopez for the first time in his life. After Judit made an inaccuracy just after the opening after which she could no longer hope for an advantage. After another mistake she was even slightly worse, but Bruzon still had the feeling that he never had a real chance for a victory. Nevertheless, it was a nice game for him after the two losses in the previous rounds.
Peter Svidler at the start of round 9 where he defeated Alexander Grischuk. Photo © Michiel Abeln.
The last game to finish was between Peter Svidler and Alexander Grischuk. Soon after the opening Svidler obtained an overwhelming position, but he had trouble in converting this to a full point. In the endgame Grischuk probably missed a chance for a draw after which Svidler finally took the full point.
Svidler,P (2735) - Grischuk,A (2710) [B31]
Corus A Wijk aan Zee (9), 25.01.2005
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 g6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.d3 Bg7 6.h3 Nf6 7.Nc3 Nd7 8.Be3 e5 9.Qd2 h6 10.0-0 Qe7 11.Nh2 Nf8 12.f4 exf4 13.Rxf4 Be6 14.Rf2 0-0-0 15.Raf1 Nd7 16.Ne2 f6 17.Qa5 [17.Nf3 b6 18.Bf4 h5 19.Bh2 Bh6 20.Nf4 Bf7 21.Nh4 Rdg8 22.Qc3 Kb7 23.Kh1 Rh7 24.a3 Qd8 25.Ne2 Bg5 26.g3 Be6 27.Kg2 f5 28.Nf3 Bf6 29.Qd2 g5 30.Ne1 h4 31.exf5 Bd5+ 32.Nf3 g4 33.hxg4 Rxg4 34.c4 hxg3 35.Bxg3 Bxf3+ 36.Kxf3 Qg8 37.Rg2 Ne5+ 38.Kf2 Rd7 39.d4 cxd4 40.Rfg1 Nxc4 41.Qd3 Ne3 42.Rh2 Rd5 43.Rh5 Bg5 44.Rgh1 Rxf5+ 45.Ke1 Ng2+ 46.Kd1 Ne3+ 47.Ke1 Qc4 48.Rh7+ Ka6 49.Qxc4+ Nxc4 50.Rd7 Ne3 51.Bb8 c5 52.a4 Ka5 53.Rxa7+ Kb4 54.Rhh7 Kb3 55.Ng3 Rf6 56.Rh2 Bh6 57.Rxh6 Rxh6 58.a5 Kc2 59.Be5 Ng2+ 0-1 Rublevsky,S-McShane,L/Istanbul TUR 2003/The Week in Chess 449 (59)] 17...Kb8 18.b4 f5 19.bxc5 fxe4 20.d4
20...Bc4? A first mistake by Grischuk [Grischuk should have played 20...g5! and it's totally unclear who is better 21.Ng3 Nf6 22.Nf5 (22.c4 Bxc4 23.Nf5 Qf7 24.Rb1 Bd3 25.Rb3 Rd7 26.Nd6 Qe7 27.Rfb2 Nd5 28.Rxb7+ Rxb7 29.Rxb7+ Qxb7 30.Nxb7 Kxb7) 22...Bxf5 23.Rxf5 Qe6; 20...Ka8 21.Nf4 Bf7] 21.Qa4 Bxe2? Followed by second mistake. [The only reasonable move was 21...b5 22.cxb6 Nxb6 23.Qxc6 with very complicated play 23...g5 24.Ng4 (24.Rb1 Rc8 25.Qg6 Rhg8) 24...Rd6 25.Qc5 Rc8 26.Qa3 Bxe2 27.Rxe2 Nc4 28.Qb4+] 22.Rxe2 Qe6 23.c4 Ka8 24.Rb1 Nb8
25.Rd2 After Grischuk's two mistakes white has a fantastic position, but Peter Svidler admitted afterwards that he could probably have played better in this phase. 25...Qf7 26.Ng4 Rd7 27.Qb3 Rhd8 28.Rbd1 g5 29.Nf2 Qf5 30.d5 h5 31.dxc6 Nxc6 32.Rd5 Be5 33.Qb1 g4 34.hxg4 hxg4 35.Qxe4 Qf7 36.Nxg4 Bb8 37.Bg5 Re8 38.Rxd7 Qxd7 39.Rxd7 Rxe4 40.Ne3 a5 Time trouble is over, white has a very promising endgame, but there still some technical problems to overcome. 41.Kf1 Re8 42.a4 Ka7 43.g4 [43.Nd5 Re4 44.Nb6; 43.Kf2 Rf8+ 44.Ke2 Rg8 45.Bh6 Rg6 46.Rh7] 43...Rg8 44.Bh6 Rg6 45.Rh7 Be5 46.Kg2 Bd4 47.Kh3
47...Bxc5? And here Grischuk misses what seems to be his final chance. [47...Ne5 makes it very hard for white to achieve victory: 48.Nc2 is probably whiote's best chance a) 48.Bf4 Nd3 49.Nd5 Nf2+ 50.Kg3 Nxg4; b) 48.Bg7 Nf3 49.Bxd4 Ng5+ 50.Kg3 Nxh7 51.c6+ Ka6 b1) 51...Kb8 52.Be5+; b2) 51...b6 52.c7 Kb7 53.Nd5 Rc6 54.Bxb6 Rxc4 55.Bxa5 (55.Ne7) ; 52.c7; 48...Bxc5 49.Be3 Bxe3 (49...Kb6) 50.Nxe3 Rf6 51.Kg2 Rf4 (51...Rf3 52.Rh3) 52.g5 Nxc4 53.Kg3 Re4 54.Nxc4 Rxc4 55.Rf7 (55.g6 Rc6) ] 48.Bf4 Re6 49.Nd5 Re4 50.g5
50...Ne7 [50...Nb4 51.Rh4! (51.g6 Nxd5 52.cxd5 Rxf4 53.g7 Rf1) ; 50...Rxc4 51.g6 Nb4 (51...Bd4 52.g7 (52.Be3 Bxe3 53.g7 Rc1 54.Nxe3 Ne7) 52...Bxg7 53.Rxg7 Ka6 54.Nc7+ (54.Be3 b6) 54...Ka7 55.Nb5+ Ka6 56.Be3 b6 57.Nc7+ Kb7 58.Nd5+ Ka6 59.Nxb6+-) 52.g7 Nxd5 53.Bb8++/-] 51.Kg4 Nxd5 52.cxd5 Rxa4 53.g6 Bd6 54.Rf7 Be5 55.Kg5 Bb2 56.d6 Rd4 57.Be3 1-0