The Week in Chess

Hans Tikkanen and Alexei Shirov were day one winners in the 19th Sigemann and Co Tournament. Shirov bounced back from his rapid losses to Anand in Leon with a nice win against Jonny Hector. Shirov's 18.Ng4 in a sharp Slav was new. He quickly gained an initiative and then winning position. 28. Qc2 and 33.Rc6 would have won quicker but he had a decisive advantage in a queen ending. Hans Tikkanen and Nils Grandelius followed Ivanchuk-Navara from 2004 until Grandelius' new 16...Qc6. Almost straight after he got into trouble and Tikkanen got a position where he had shut out most of black's pieces with his pawns and had all his pieces pointed at his opponents king. Anish Giri equalised easily enough as black against Wesley So and a draw was agreed on move 45 after they traded most of the pieces.