73rd Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2011 (1)
Thrilling start to Wijk aan Zee 2011
IM Malcolm Pein - Monday 17th January 2011
Malcolm Pein looks at a thrilling start to the Wijk aan Zee 2011 tournament.
Winning start for Anand against Ponomariov. Photo © | http://www.tatasteelchess.com
One of the most entertaining first rounds in recent years got the Tata Steel tournament at Wijk aan Zee off to a great start. The Indian sponsors will surely be delighted that the ‘Tiger from Madras’ the world champion Vishy Anand, got off to a winning start. Ruslan Ponomariov had gradually been outplayed. White’s plan is based on the c4-c5 push but a knight on d7 prevented this. On the last move of the time control 40.Qc6-c8? Nd7-e5 was played. The queen is in trouble:
Viswanathan Anand
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Ruslan Ponomariov
Position after 40....Nd7-e5
The game ended:
41.Rc2
(41.Qe8 Nxc4 42.Rc2 Ne5 43.Rc8 Rf8 forces a completely won endgame)
41...Rf8 42.Qe6 Qd8!
(The trap is shut)
43.c5 bxc5 44.bxc5 Rf6 and 0-1 soon after.
A magnificent swindle - How did Vachier-Lagrave not win? The former World Junior champion had just played 32.Bg5-e7, cutting off an escape route for the black King and intending Ng5 and Qh7 mating. There is also the threat of knight moves and Rb3-h3. If you put the bishop back on g5 and play instead 32.Bf6 or 32.Nd2 Black has to resign. From the position above-right, Wang Hao found an ingenious defence. Try and find it.
Wang Hao
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Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
Position after 32.Be7
Hikaru Nakamura outplayed Alexander Grischuk easily and Vladimir Kramnik was held to a draw by fellow Russian Ian Nepomniachtchi despite producing a strong novelty in the opening. The game between world number one and three was a sharp struggle:
M Carlsen - L Aronian
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nxc6 bxc6 6.e5 Qe7 7.Qe2 Nd5 8.c4 Ba6 9.Nd2 g6 10.b3 Bg7 11.Bb2 Nb4 12.0-0-0!? Nxa2+ 13.Kb1 Nb4 14.Ne4 0-0 15.Qf3 Rfe8
(15...Bxe5 16.Bxe5 Qxe5 17.Nf6+ Kg7 18.Nxd7 Qa5 19.Qc3+ f6 20.Nxf8 Rxf8 is unclear)
16.Nf6+ Bxf6 17.exf6 Qc5
(17...Qe4+ 18.Qxe4 Rxe4 19.Bc3! c5 20.Rxd7; 17...Qe4+ 18.Qxe4 Rxe4 19.Rxd7? Re1+)
18.h4 d5 19.Qf4 dxc4 20.bxc4 Rab8 21.Qh6 Qf8 22.Qxf8+ Kxf8 23.h5 Bc8
(23...g5!?)
24.hxg6 fxg6 25.Rxh7 Bf5+ 26.Ka1 Nc2+ 27.Ka2 Nb4+ 28.Ka1 draw
Answer to puzzle:
32...Nd3!! 33.Rxb5
(There is nothing better 33.Rxd3 g5!! 34.Nxg5 Qxd3 defending h7, wins for Black, quite brilliant)
33...Nf4+ 34.Kg3
(34.Kf1 Rc1+ 35.Ne1 Rxe1#; 34.Kg1 Rc1+ 35.Ne1 Rxe1#; 34.Kh1 Rc1+ 35.Ng1 Ne2 36.h3 axb5 37.Qg5 Rxg1+ 38.Kh2 Rb1 and Black is doing well)
34...Ne2+ 35.Kh3 Nf4+ 36.Kg3 Ne2+ 37.Kg2 Nf4+ draw.
