The John Henderson Report: Round 4 January 19th 2000.

Round 4 Results and Standings.

Round 4 (January 19, 2000)

Piket, Jeroen          -  Van Wely, Loek         1/2   11  D10  Slav defence
Anand, Viswanathan     -  Kramnik, Vladimir      1/2   40  B66  Sicilian
Morozevich, Alexander  -  Korchnoi, Viktor       1/2   20  C11  French; Classical
Short, Nigel D         -  Polgar, Judit          1-0   40  B85  Sicilian
Timman, Jan H          -  Nikolic, Predrag       1/2   27  E32  Nimzo indian
Adams, Michael         -  Kasparov, Gary         1/2   61  B50  Sicilian
Lputian, Smbat G       -  Leko, Peter            0-1   37  A34  English; 1.c4 c5


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 . . . .  3.0  2921
 2 Kasparov, Gary         g RUS 2851 . * = . . . . 1 . = . 1 . .  3.0  2856
 3 Piket, Jeroen          g NED 2633 . = * . . . . . 1 . . = . 1  3.0  2882
 4 Anand, Viswanathan     g IND 2769 = . . * . = . . = . 1 . . .  2.5  2794
 5 Morozevich, Alexander  g RUS 2748 = . . . * = . = . . . . 1 .  2.5  2795
 6 Leko, Peter            g HUN 2725 . . . = = * = . . . . . . 1  2.5  2796
 7 Short, Nigel D         g ENG 2683 0 . . . . = * . . . = . 1 .  2.0  2700
 8 Korchnoi, Viktor       g SUI 2659 . 0 . . = . . * . = . 1 . .  2.0  2740
 9 Timman, Jan H          g NED 2655 . . 0 = . . . . * . = . . 1  2.0  2666
10 Adams, Michael         g ENG 2715 0 = . . . . . = . * . . = .  1.5  2644
11 Nikolic, Predrag       g BIH 2659 . . . 0 . . = . = . * . . =  1.5  2591
12 Van Wely, Loek         g NED 2646 . 0 = . . . . 0 . . . * = .  1.0  2507
13 Polgar, Judit          g HUN 2658 . . . . 0 . 0 . . = . = * .  1.0  2505
14 Lputian, Smbat G       g ARM 2605 . . 0 . . 0 . . 0 . = . . *  0.5  2346
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Games from rounds 1-4 in PGN

IN THE SOUP

AS explained previously, the annual Wijk aan Zee tournament is one that is built up on tradition like the chief arbiter, Thomas van Beekum, starting the days' play by banging the "Wijk gong". However, there's one tradition that's become synonymous with Wijk - the famous serving of pea soup!

It first started in 1944 (incidentally, up until 1968, the Hoogovens tournament was played in the nearby municipality town of Beverwijk) when there was a chronic food shortage in war-occupied Holland. The players were not interested in money or trophies - they just wanted a decent meal. It was then that Hoogovens came up with the idea of providing pea soup, a gesture that was greatly appreciated by the players. After the war, the sponsors decided to carry on with the gesture and to the present day every tournament ends with a dinner for all the players alike, whether world champion, grandmasters or amateur. And the menu has not changed - pea soup!

And talking about soup, world champion Garry Kasparov was most definitely "in it" today throughout his long game with England's Mickey Adams. The young Englishman nearly caused the sensation of the Corus Tournament in the fourth round when he came within a whisper of recording his first victory over Kasparov.

Michael Adams had Garry Kasparov on the rack in round 4

I remember once having a conversation with Adams who commented that: "I just play to stifle these guy's [Kasparov, Anand and Kramnik]," explaining that he avoids highly theoretical lines in preference of a rock-solid sideline. His philosophy being that they will need to take risks in orders to make any progress. Playing White today, this is exactly what Adams did as he thwarted his opponent's famous prepared lines in the Sicilian by opting for an offbeat Anti-Sicilian system. Clearly upset by not being able to make any headway in the opening, Kasparov reacted in this fashion with an unwise pawn sacrifice but Adams' solid position proved impossible to breach.

Kasparov struggled to a draw against Adams in Round 4

Such was Kasparov despair that he was on the verge of resignation after barely making it to the time control at his 40th move.

Adams-Kasparov Round 4 After 41. Kg3

After 41 Kg3, Kasparov stood to lose a second pawn - the one on g4 - that meant he would have a hopelessly lost ending. But then he found the only way out. He had to play 41 … Qa1! and follow-up with the pawn thrust f7-f5, the idea being that after 42 Kxg4 f5! 43 exf5 Qg7+, Black wins back his pawn by taking on g2. "The closer I looked at this manoeuvre, the more counter chances I found," Kasparov told reporters shortly after the six-hour battle. "It was quite a relief, I can tell you," he added. "For a while, I really thought I was lost."

In the pressroom, Nigel Short thought that even after 43 exf5 (instead of 43 Qe3) 43…exf5 Qe1+ 44 Kxg4 Bxg2 45 Qg3! offered realistic winning chances for Adams. But, according to Kasparov, the final result was never in doubt once he had found his saving queen manoeuvre at the start of the game's second session. The draw kept Kasparov on top of the leader board, as both his main rivals in the thirteen-round Wijk aan Zee event failed to collect more than half a point from Wednesday's action.

Jeroen Piket needed only eleven moves to agree a quick draw with his fellow Dutchman, Loek van Wely. The big clash between the world no.2, India's Vishy Anand, and world no.3, Russia's Vladimir Kramnik, also ending in a draw though Kramnik can take some comfort by being better throughout.

Playing his favourite Sicilian Richter-Rauzer, Kramnik had much the better by having an advantage throughout. In the post mortem, both players agreed that White was suffering, but not suffering enough to lose. In the end, Anand managed to wriggle out with an unexpected exchange sacrifice that turned the position into a dead-drawn rook and pawn ending.

Kramnik may have had black but he had much the better of the draw against Anand.

Anand,V (2769) - Kramnik,V (2758)
Sicilian Richter-Rauzer

1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 Nc6 6 Bg5 e6 7 Qd2 a6 8 0–0–0 Nxd4 9 Qxd4 Be7 10 f4 b5 11 Bxf6 gxf6 12 e5 d5 13 Kb1 Bb7 14 f5 fxe5 15 Qxe5 Bf6 16 Qg3 Qe7 17 fxe6 fxe6 18 Be2 h5 19 Bf3 0–0–0 20 h4 b4 21 Ne2 e5 22 Nc1 Kb8 23 Nb3 Qc7 24 Bxh5 Rxh5 25 Qg6 Rxh4 25 ..Rc8 26 Qxf6 Qxc2+ 27 Ka1 Qxg2 28 Rhg1 Qc2 (28 ..Qe2 29 Rge1 Qb5 30 Rxe5) 29 Na5 26 Qxf6 Rf4 27 Qg6 d4 In order to try for the win, Kramnik has to activate his bishop to counter moves like Rh7. The problem, however, with 27..d4 is that it makes a target of the pawns, causing enough problems for Anand to draw. Initially during the post mortem, Kramnik thought that perhaps he would have been better opting instead for 27 ..Rf2 only to discover that that too would lead to a draw 28 Rh7 Rxg2 29 Rxc7 Rxg6 30 Re7 e4 31 Nc5 Bc8 32 Kc1 Rc6 (32 ..Bg4 33 Rd4) 33 Nxe4 Bf5 34 Rd4 a5 35 Kd2 Kc8 36 Ng3 Rxc2+ 37 Kd1 Bg6 38 Rg4 Rd6 39 Rxg6 Rxg6 40 Kxc2 Rxg3 41 Ra7 28 Rh7 Be4 29 Qxe4 29 Rxc7? Bxg6 30 Rc6 Be4 would have been winning, as the bishop is too powerful. 29 ..Rxe4 30 Rxc7 Kxc7 31 Nc5! Just in the nick of time. 31 ..Re3 32 Ne6+ Kd7 33 Nxd8 Kxd8 34 Kc1 Ke7 35 Rd3 Re2 36 Rd2 Re1+ 37 Rd1 Re2 38 Rd2 Re4 39 Rd3 Ke6 40 c3 ½–½

Kramnik and Anand, working hard even in the post-mortem.

The encounter between the young Russian, Alexander Morozevich, and the old Lion, Viktor Korchnoi was also agreed a draw just when we thought it would be getting interesting. However, the unexpected draw nearly never took place! Korchnoi commented that after Morozevich made his 20th move, he thought that he'd heard his opponent say something. His hearing not being what it used to be due to his advancing years, he said to his young opponent "Did you say something?", to which Morozevich remained silent. Kasparov, who was standing beside the board, whispered to Korchnoi: "He just offered you a draw" - which Korchnoi readily accepted!

IViktor Korchnoi, more than happy to accept Morozevich's draw offer.

En route to Wijk, the tournaments youngest player, Hungary's Peter Leko, won convincingly a six-game match in Budapest against Alexander Khalifman, 4.5-1.5. Last year he enjoyed his greatest success to date by taking the Dortmund tournament ahead of Kramnik, Karpov and Anand. In a recent interview with the German magazine Schach, Peter Leko said he hoped to prepare Vishy Anand for the Indian's world title challenge with Kasparov. If Leko keeps on progressing the way he has in the last year, it might well be that Anand could be preparing him!

Peter Leko is improving rapidly again

Leko was IM strength at age 11, and by 15 had broken the record of Bobby Fischer and Judit Polgar as the youngest-ever grandmaster. This opened up opportunities to meet the world's top players, but the youngest GM label proved a burden and his style had a reputation of becoming too drawish. When finally France's Etienne Bacrot broke the record, Leko rediscovered a new lease of life for the game to turn in some impressive results.

With a new rating of 2725 (and climbing) to make him the world No.6, Leko has now firmly established himself in the top ten and seen by many as a possible contender to the Kasparov throne. He now works eight hours a day at chess on his new goal, replacing Kasparov as the new world number one. Helping him on his road, the German company, Westphalian Gas, have a sponsorship deal with him until the year 2004, but if he reaches No.1 in the FIDE rankings, he will be free to negotiate with potential new sponsors.

It was also disclosed in the German article that the young Hungarian also has frequent face-to-face and telephone contact with 56-year-old Bobby Fischer, still exiled in Budapest after his much publicized spat with the US State Department following his match against Boris Spassky in war-sanctioned Yugoslavia in 1992. The legendary American shows him old games and ideas and they analyse new material. Leko is impressed at the depth of understanding behind Bobby's suggestions, and describes him as "a good man, much more relaxed than people think".

Starting off with three draws, Leko moved into contention after picking up the spectators 500 guilders ($ 250) "Game of the Day" award for his fine victory with Black against Armenia's Smbat Lputian.

Leko later admitted he wasn't "feeling very happy" when White's "interesting technical novelty 15 gxf4" had deprived him from most of his attacking chances, but fortunately - for him, that is - Lputian, yet again getting into time-trouble, wasted his advantage when he allowed Black to free his game with the breakthrough 22 … c4. A few moves later, Leko came up with a nice combination and sacrificed his way to victory.

Smbat Lputian. Blunders in time trouble cost him the game against Leko.

Lputian,S (2605) - Leko,P (2725)
English Opening

1 Nf3 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 g3 d5 4 cxd5 Nxd5 5 Bg2 Nc6 6 Nc3 Nc7 The Rubinstein Variation - basically Black's playing a reversed Sicilian Marcozy. 7 d3 e5 8 Nd2 Bd7 9 0–0 Be7 10 Nc4 f6 11 f4 b5 12 Ne3 Rc8 12 ..Rb8?! 13 Nf5 Bxf5 14 Bxc6+ Bd7 15 Bxd7+ Qxd7 16 fxe5 fxe5 17 a4 13 a4 b4 14 Nb5 exf4 15 gxf4 15 Rxf4 is more common. 15 ..Nxb5 15 ..a6 16 Nxc7+ Qxc7 17 Nc4 0–0 18 Bd5+ Kh8 19 e4 Bd6 20 Be3 Na5 21 Qh5 16 axb5 Nd4 17 Rxa7 Nxb5 18 Ra6 0–0 19 f5 Lputian would ideally like to play 19 Nc4 with the idea of Bd5+ and e4. However, Leko can thwart the plan with 19..Bg4 and ..Nd4. 19 ..Nd4 20 Rf4 Kh8 21 Qf1 Bb5 22 Ra7 c4! Opening up the vulnerable a7-g1 diagonal to good effect. 23 dxc4 Bxc4 The immediate 23 ..Bc5 also looked promising; 24 Rxg7 (24 Rb7 Ba6) 24 ..Kxg7 25 cxb5 24 Nxc4 Rxc4 25 Be3 Nc2 26 Ra8 Rxf4 Also promising was the queen sacrifice with 26 ..Qxa8 27 Bxa8 Nxe3 28 Qf3 Rc1+ 29 Kf2 Bc5 30 Kg3 Rg1+ 31 Kh3 Rf1 32 Qc6 Rxf4 33 Qxc5 Rxa8 34 Qxe3 Rxf5 27 Bxf4 Qd4+ 28 Kh1 Rxa8 29 Bxa8 Qxb2 30 Qd1 b3 31 Be4 Qd4 32 Qxd4 32 Bxc2 Qxf4 33 Bxb3 Qe4+ 34 Kg1 Bc5+ 35 e3 Bxe3+ 36 Kf1 Qxf5+ 32 ..Nxd4 33 Bc1 Nxe2 34 Bb2 Bc5 35 Bd3 Nd4 36 h3 Nf3 37 Bc4 Bd4 0–1

Holland's Jan Timman, meanwhile, was still struggling with the after effects of a nasty flu. He was pitted with White against Dutch champion Predrag Nikolic in an unusual variation of the Nimzo-Indian, in which he held a clear advantage from as early as the eighth move but failed to convert his edge into a win.

"I should have gotten something out of the mess Black was in," Timman complained afterwards, "but I'm still sniffing and coughing - not the best condition to play chess in." The game ended in a draw, when Nikolic finally fought his way out to reach a balanced Queens' ending.

For many years, Judit Polgar has been Nigel Short's bête noire with the former world title challenger having at one time a horrendous score of two out of eleven against the world's top female player. After just playing 26. ...Rd7, Polgar offered Short a draw, which he declined. "If I had understood the position better, I would have accepted," Short said afterwards. "So I played on a couple of moves confidently only to notice that I was suddenly much worse."

Short-Polgar round 4. After 26. ...Rd7

Too embarrassed to offer a draw himself in case she rejected it, Short said that he decided instead to make "a couple of confident pawn thrusts" to see what would happen…

27 Rg1 Rff7 28 Rde1 Nh5 29 Re4 Rf5 30 b3 Rdf7 31 c4 bxc4 32 bxc4 Rxf3? In time-trouble, Judit blunders away the game when the simple 32 ..h6 or 32 ..Qb7 leaves Short struggling. 33 Rh4 g6 33 ..Nf6 34 Bxf6 and the self-inflicted pin on the queen proves fatal. 34 Rxh5 R7f5 35 Rxf5 exf5 36 Re1 h6 37 Bd4 g5 38 Kg1 g4 39 Qe2 g3 40 Qe5 and not only is Judit completely lost, her flag fell also here.

"I'm not ashamed of winning this way," said Short after the game. "I used to have an extremely bad score against Judit. I've given her so many points that it's only fair that she gives me some back."