Corus Wijk aan Zee 2010 (3)
3rd win for Shirov
IM Malcolm Pein - Wednesday 20th January 2010
Alexei Shirov extended his winning run to three games at the Corus tournament in Wijk aan Zee.
Alexei Shirov. Photo © Michiel Abeln | http://www.chess.co.uk/twic
Alexei Shirov was at his best again at Wijk aan Zee and won his third successive game at Corus with a brilliant attack. The Latvian attacking genius won two nice endgames before Sergei Tiviakov was despatched from the kind of unbalanced position in which Shirov excels. With both kings in the centre and opposite coloured bishops on the board Shirov delivered a succession of tactical blows. Shirov's performance was all the more impressive for the fact that Tiviakov rattled off the first 18 moves as he had analysed the position at home.
Scores: 1 Shirov 3/3; 2-3 Nakamura, Carlsen 2.5; 4 Ivanchuk 2; 5-8 Kramnik, Karjakin, Dominguez, Anand 1.5; 9-12 Caruana, Leko, Van Wely, Tiviakov 1; 13-14 Short, Smeets 0.5;
In middlegames with opposite coloured bishops the activity of the bishops is often the deciding factor. Tiviakov's bishop is stymied by his pawn on f4 as Shirov's bishop has complete mastery of the long white diagonal.
S Tiviakov - A Shirov
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nd4 4.Bc4 e6 5.Nge2 Nf6 6.0-0 a6 7.d3 b5 8.Bb3 Nxb3 9.axb3 Bb7 10.f4 d5 11.e5 d4 12.exf6 dxc3 13.fxg7 Bxg7 14.bxc3 Rg8 15.Rf2 Bxc3
(15...Qd5 16.Qf1 Bf6 17.Ng3 Bh4 18.f5! activates the bishop, after 18...Bxg3 19.hxg3 Rxg3 20.Bf4 Rg8 21.fxe6 fxe6 22.Re1 White has the initiative)
16.Nxc3 Qd4
(Threatening Rxg2+ and Qxc3)
17.Kf1 Qxc3 18.Ra2 Qd4 19.Qh5 c4!!
(19...0-0-0 20.Bb2 Qd5 21.Qxd5 Rxd5 22.Be5 Rg6 23.Ra1 f6 24.Bb2 Kd7 25.Re1 h5 26.Re3 Rf5 is about equal)
20.bxc4 bxc4 21.Ra4 Bd5 22.f5 e5 23.Qxh7?
(23.Qh6 Kd7 is unclear)
23...Kd7!! 24.Qh6 Bxg2+!
Alexei Shirov
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Sergei Tiviakov
Position after 24...Bxg2+!
25.Ke1
(25.Rxg2 Rxg2 26.Kxg2 Rg8+ 27.Kf3 e4+ 28.dxe4 Qd1+ or 27.Kf1 Rg1+ 28.Ke2 Rg2+ 29.Kf3 Qg4+ 30.Ke3 Re2#)
25...Bd5 26.Ba3 Rg1+ 27.Ke2 Qg4+ 28.Ke3 Re1+ 29.Kd2 Qd1+ 30.Kc3 Qa1+ 31.Kb4 Rb1+ 0-1
Alexei Shirov
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Sergei Tiviakov
Final position after 31...Rb1+ and mate next move.
Nigel Short is struggling and was outplayed by US champion Hikaru Nakamura on the white side of a Sicilian Defence.
In Group B David Howell has three draws against quality opposition.
D Vocaturo - R Van Kampen
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 Nbd7 7.Bc4 e6 8.Qe2 b5 9.Bb3 Nc5 10.0-0-0 b4 11.Na4 Nxb3+ 12.axb3 Bd7 13.e5 dxe5 14.Qxe5 Rc8 15.Rhe1 Be7 16.Nf5 exf5 17.Nb6 Rc7 18.Nd5 Nxd5 19.Qxg7 Rf8 20.Rxd5 f6 21.Bxf6 Rf7 22.Qg8+ Rf8 23.Qg5 1-0
