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Home » Chess News » Events » 72nd Corus Wijk aan Zee 2010 » Kramnik defeats Carlsen to join Shirov in the lead.

In a key day Vladimir Kramnik won a very sharp struggle against Magnus Carlsen to join Alexei Shirov in the lead after he drew against Vassily Ivanchuk. Carlsen had jokingly on facebook said that he was going to "crush Kramnik like a bug." Both players went at the struggle in an uncompromising way and on the run up to the first time control first a pawn sacrifice and then an exchange sacrifice set Carlsen problems he could not solve.

Magnus Carlsen and Vladimir Kramnik played a very sharp Open Catalan. Both players didn't back away from the struggle as white attacked on the kingside and black obtained a big pawn centre. Kramnik sacrificed a pawn and then the exchange, this may have left some chances for white but Carlsen's position proved to be very hard to play and his position fell apart on the run up to first time control. A great game that will repay proper study and a fine achievement from Kramnik who perhaps has gone favourite to win the event.

Carlsen,Magnus - Kramnik,Vladimir [E04]
Corus A Wijk aan Zee NED (9), 26.01.2010

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3 dxc4 5.Bg2 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 a5 7.Nc3 0-0 8.a3

[8.0-0 Bd7 9.Ne5 Bc6 10.Nxc6 Nxc6 11.a3 Be7 12.e3 Nd7 13.Rc1 e5 14.Nd5 exd4 15.exd4 Nxd4 16.Rxc4 c5 17.Bf4 Ra6 18.Bc7 Qe8 19.Re1 Re6 20.Bxa5 Bd8 21.Bd2 b5 22.Rxd4 cxd4 23.Rf1 f5 24.Bb4 Rf7 25.Nf4 Re4 26.Bxe4 fxe4 27.Qxd4 Bb6 28.Qd5 Nf6 29.Qe6 Qxe6 30.Nxe6 Rd7 31.Bc5 Bxc5 32.Nxc5 Rd2 33.b4 Re2 34.Rd1 Ng4 35.Nxe4 Rxe4 36.f3 Re3 37.fxg4 Rxa3 38.Rd5 Ra2 39.Rxb5 Kf7 40.Rb7+ Kg6 41.h3 h6 42.Rb6+ Kg5 43.Rb5+ Kg6 44.Rb7 Kf6 45.b5 Ra1+ 46.Kf2 Ra2+ 47.Ke3 Ra3+ 48.Kd4 Rxg3 49.b6 Rxh3 50.Rd7 Rh1 51.b7 Rd1+ 52.Kc5 Rxd7 53.b8Q Kf7 54.Kc6 Re7 55.Qb3+ Kf8 56.Kd6 Re8 57.Qc4 Re7 58.Qc5 Kf7 59.Qd5+ Kf8 60.Qf3+ Ke8 61.Qf5 Re1 62.Qf4 Re7 63.Qc4 Kf8 64.Qc5 Kf7 65.Qc4+ Kf8 1/2-1/2 Avrukh,B (2652)-Eljanov,P (2639)/Amsterdam NED 2005/The Week in Chess 559]

8...Be7

A novelty in a rare position. It seems better than the previously played 8...Bxc3.

[8...Bxc3 9.bxc3 b5 10.Ne5 Ra6 11.0-0 Nfd7 12.a4 c6 13.Nxc6 Rxc6 14.Bxc6 Nxc6 15.axb5 Ne7 16.Qa4 Nb6 17.Qxa5 Bb7 18.f3 h6 19.Qa7 Bc8 20.e4 Bd7 21.Bf4 Nec8 22.Qb8 Ne7 23.Qxd8 Rxd8 24.Bc7 Rc8 25.Bxb6 Bxb5 26.Bc5 Rc7 27.Rfb1 Bc6 28.Bxe7 Rxe7 29.Rb4 1-0 Scarella,E (2348)-Del Cuadro,N (2186)/Villa Ballester 2004/CBM 101 ext]

9.Qa4 c6 10.Qxc4 b5 11.Qb3 Ba6 12.Bg5 Nbd7 13.Bxf6 gxf6 14.Qc2 b4 15.Na4 Rc8 16.0-0 c5 17.d5 exd5 18.Bh3 Bb5 19.axb4 axb4 20.Rfd1 d4 21.Bf5 Ne5 22.Bxh7+ Kg7 23.Nxe5 fxe5 24.Bf5 Rc6 25.Qe4 Rh8 26.Qxe5+ Bf6 27.Qe4 Re8 28.Qg4+ Kf8

29.Be4

[29.e3 might be better in retrospect.]

29...c4!

Sacrificing the exchange, the taking of which turns out to be very hot indeed.

30.Bxc6 Bxc6

31.Qh5

Maybe this is an error.

[31.Nc5 Qd5 32.Qf3 Qxf3 33.exf3]

31...Re5 32.Qh6+ Ke7 33.e4

[33.Qd2 Rb5 34.Rac1 Rb8 35.b3 c3]

33...d3 34.Qe3 Bxe4

35.Nb6?

An error in a difficult position.

[35.Re1? d2 36.Red1 Bc2 37.Rxd2 Rxe3 38.Rxd8 Ra3 39.bxa3 Kxd8]

[35.Qd2! Qd6 36.Rac1 Bd5 and white can continue]

35...Bb7 36.Qf4?

White already lost but this certainly decides things.

[36.Ra7 Rxe3 37.Rxb7+ Ke6 38.fxe3 c3]

36...Qxb6 37.Qxc4 Re2 38.Rf1 0-1

Kramnik joins Alexei Shirov in the lead on 6.5/9 after Shirov sacrificed material for perpetial check against Vassily Ivanchuk in an interesting Ruy Lopez Moeller Defence.

Ivanchuk,Vassily - Shirov,Alexei [C78]
Corus A Wijk aan Zee NED (9), 26.01.2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 b5 6.Bb3 Bc5 7.a4 Rb8 8.c3 d6 9.d4 Bb6 10.axb5 axb5 11.Na3 Bg4 12.Nxb5 0-0 13.Re1 Bxf3 14.gxf3 Nh5 15.Kh1 Qf6 16.Rg1 exd4

A new twist in a well known position.

[16...Nf4 17.Be3 Ne6 18.Bxe6 fxe6 19.Rg3 Kh8 20.Qd3 exd4 21.cxd4 e5 22.d5 Ne7 (22...Nd4 23.Bxd4 exd4 24.Rc1 Rf7 25.Rc4 Qe5 26.Rc6 g6 27.b4 Kg8 28.Kg2 Rb7 29.Rc4 Rb8 30.Nxd4 Ra8 31.Qd2 Ra1 32.Ne6 Rb1 33.Rc2 Re7 34.Ra2 Ra1 35.Qh6 Rf7 36.Qg5 Qxg5 37.Rxa1 Qxg3+ 38.fxg3 h6 39.Ra8+ Kh7 40.f4 g5 41.Kf3 gxf4 42.gxf4 Re7 43.Rf8 c6 44.dxc6 Rxe6 45.Rf7+ Kg6 46.Rb7 Re8 47.Rxb6 Rc8 48.b5 1-0 Krebs,J (2381)-Huybrecht,F (2331)/ICCF email 2000/Corr 2002) 23.Bxb6 Rxb6 24.Nxc7 Rxb2 25.Ne6 Rg8 26.Kg1 Ng6 27.Qa3 Rb6 28.Kh1 Nf4 29.Nxg7 Ne2 30.Nf5 Rgb8 31.Qd3 Rb2 32.Rf1 Ra8 33.Qc4 Nxg3+ 34.hxg3 Qd8 35.Qc1 Rb3 36.Kg2 Qf8 37.Qc7 1-0 Svidler,P (2690)-Shirov,A (2710)/Linares ESP 1998]

17.Bg5 Qe5 18.Bd5 dxc3 19.Bxc6 cxb2 20.Rb1 Bxf2

Black has three pawns for his piece and pressure on the kingside.

21.Rg2 Rb6 22.Qd5 Bc5 23.Rbxb2

[23.Nxc7 Nf4 24.Qxe5 dxe5 25.Bxf4 exf4 and the b-pawn seems enough compensation for the piece.]

23...Rxc6 24.Qxc6 Ng3+!

Forcing a draw or winning the exchange.

25.hxg3 Qxg5 26.Rb1 Qh5+ 27.Rh2 Qxf3+ 28.Rg2 Qh5+ 1/2-1/2

Nigel Short continued to vary his opening repertoire by playing an f4 Sicilian Closed against Leinier Dominguez Perez which was draw in 27 moves.

Short,Nigel - Dominguez Perez,Leinier [B23]
Corus A Wijk aan Zee NED (9), 26.01.2010

1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 d6 3.Nge2 Nf6 4.f4 a6

[4...e5 5.d3 Nc6 6.Ng3 Be7 7.Be2 Nd4 8.0-0 exf4 9.Bxf4 0-0 10.Kh1 d5 11.Bf3 Nxf3 12.gxf3 Be6 13.Rg1 Re8 14.Qe2 g6 15.Rae1 Rc8 16.Qf2 Qb6 17.Be5 dxe4 18.Ncxe4 Nd7 19.Bc3 c4 20.Bd4 Qa6 21.dxc4 Qxc4 22.c3 Qxa2 23.Nh5 Qa5 24.Ng7 Rf8 25.Qd2 Rc4 26.Qh6 Rxd4 27.Nxe6 fxe6 28.Rxg6+ Kf7 29.Rg7+ Ke8 30.Qxe6 Kd8 31.Qxe7+ Kc7 32.Qxf8 1-0 Short,N (2655)-Karjakin,S (2727)/Kiev UKR 2008/The Week in Chess 713]

5.g3

[5.d3 g6 6.g3 b5 7.Bg2 Bb7 8.a3 Bg7 9.0-0 Nc6 10.h3 e6 11.Be3 Nd7 12.f5 Nd4 13.fxe6 Nxe6 14.Qd2 0-0 15.Rf2 Nb6 16.Bh6 d5 17.Raf1 d4 18.Nd1 Bxh6 19.Qxh6 Qg5 20.Qxg5 Nxg5 21.h4 Ne6 22.Bh3 Bc8 23.b4 Na4 24.Kh2 Ra7 25.c3 Rd8 26.cxd4 cxd4 27.Nf4 1/2-1/2 Short,N (2655)-Van Wely,L (2644)/London ENG 2008/The Week in Chess 719]

5...g6 6.Bg2 Bg7 7.0-0 Nc6 8.d3 0-0 9.h3 Nd7 10.Be3 b5 11.a3 Bb7 12.Qd2 Nd4 13.Rae1 e6 14.Nd1 Qc7 15.Nc1 f5 16.c3 Nc6 17.exf5 exf5 18.Bd5+ Kh8 19.Qg2 Rae8 20.Bf2 Nb6 21.Bf3 Nd8 22.Ne3 Bxf3 23.Qxf3 Qc6 24.Kg2 Kg8 25.Re2 Qxf3+ 26.Kxf3 Ne6 27.Rfe1 Nc7

Careful play from both sides should draw the game.

1/2-1/2

Hikaru Nakamura against Sergey Karjakin was a sharp Nimzo Indian 4.Nf3. The game was very complicated and then suddenly on the run up to the first time control it became very difficult for Nakamura and his position fell apart. It's not clear to me where he went wrong.

Nakamura,Hikaru - Karjakin,Sergey [E21]
Corus A Wijk aan Zee NED (9), 26.01.2010

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Nf3 c5 5.g3 cxd4 6.Nxd4 Ne4 7.Qd3 Nxc3 8.bxc3 Be7 9.Bg2 0-0 10.0-0 d6 11.Rd1 a6 12.Nb3 Qc7 13.Bf4

[13.Rb1 Nc6 14.Ba3 Rd8 15.Nd2 b5 16.Be4 g6 17.Bg2 Rb8 18.cxb5 axb5 19.c4 bxc4 20.Qxc4 d5 21.Qc3 Bxa3 22.Qxa3 Bd7 23.Rxb8 Rxb8 24.Nb3 Be8 25.Rc1 Qb6 26.e3 Ne5 27.Qe7 Qd8 28.Qa7 Ra8 29.Qd4 Nc6 30.Qb2 Na5 31.Nc5 Rc8 32.Qb4 Nc4 33.e4 Qd6 34.Nd3 dxe4 35.Qxd6 Nxd6 36.Rxc8 Nxc8 37.Bxe4 Kf8 38.f4 Ke7 39.Kf2 Kd6 40.Ke3 Bb5 41.Kd4 f6 42.Kc3 Ne7 43.Kb4 f5 44.Bxf5 Ba6 45.Be4 Nd5+ 46.Bxd5 Kxd5 47.Nc5 Bf1 48.Nd7 h6 49.Kc3 Ke4 50.Nc5+ Kf5 51.Kd4 g5 52.fxg5 hxg5 53.a4 Kg4 54.Nxe6 Kh3 55.Nxg5+ Kxh2 56.Ne4 Kh3 57.Ke3 Bg2 58.Kf4 1-0 Babujian,L (2415)-Ibrahimov,R (2537)/Urumia IRI 2008/The Week in Chess 722]

13...e5 14.Be3 Nd7 15.Nd2 f5 16.Rab1 Rb8 17.Ba7 Ra8 18.Be3 Rb8 19.Ba7 Ra8 20.Bd5+ Kh8 21.Qe3 Nf6 22.Bb6 Qd7 23.f4 Qe8 24.Nf3 Qh5 25.Kh1 Re8 26.Qg1

[26.fxe5 Ng4 27.Qg1 dxe5 28.c5]

26...Nxd5 27.cxd5 Bf6 28.Qf2 Bd7 29.c4 Rac8 30.Rdc1 h6 31.e3 Re7 32.c5 exf4 33.gxf4 dxc5 34.Bxc5 Re4 35.Rxb7 Bb5

White's position has suddenly got very difficult.

36.Qg2

[36.d6 Rc4 37.Rxc4 Bxc4 38.Rc7 Rb8]

36...Rc4 37.Rg1 Rc2 38.Qg3 Be2 39.Ne1 R2xc5 40.e4 fxe4 41.Rxg7 Bf3+ 42.Nxf3 Qxf3+ 43.Qxf3 exf3 44.R7g6 Bg7 45.Rxa6 Rc1 46.Rc6 Rxg1+ 47.Kxg1 Bd4+ 48.Kh1 Rb8 0-1

Sergei Tiviakov against Viswanathan Anand was a Sicilian Alapin. If Anand is to achieve anything in this tournament he needs to beat the three tail-enders that most of the players at the top of the standings have. Today he had black against the very solid Tiviakov and although he obtained some advantage it didn't prove enough for his first decisive result.

Loek Van Wely against Peter Leko was an English Symmetrical where Van Wely gradually obtained the upper hand which he took into the endgame.

Jan Smeets against Fabiano Caruana was a Sicilian Paulsen. Smeets finally achieved a decisive advantage in what must have been a long event for him.

Corus A Wijk aan Zee (NED), 16-31 i 2010														cat. XIX (2719)
					1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4
1.	Kramnik, Vladimir	g	RUS	2788	*	.	1	.	1	½	.	.	½	½	½	½	1	1	6½	2866
2.	Shirov, Alexei	g	ESP	2723	.	*	½	.	0	.	½	.	1	1	½	1	1	1	6½	2870
3.	Carlsen, Magnus	g	NOR	2810	0	½	*	.	½	.	1	½	.	.	½	½	1	1	5½	2792
4.	Karjakin, Sergey	g	UKR	2720	.	.	.	*	1	½	.	½	½	½	1	½	½	½	5½	2777
5.	Nakamura, Hikaru	g	USA	2708	0	1	½	0	*	.	½	½	.	.	1	.	1	½	5	2773
6.	Dominguez Perez, Leinier	g	CUB	2712	½	.	.	½	.	*	.	½	½	½	½	1	½	½	5	2750
7.	Ivanchuk, Vassily	g	UKR	2749	.	½	0	.	½	.	*	½	.	½	½	½	1	1	5	2749
8.	Anand, Viswanathan	g	IND	2790	.	.	½	½	½	½	½	*	½	½	½	½	.	.	4½	2719
9.	Leko, Peter	g	HUN	2739	½	0	.	½	.	½	.	½	*	1	.	½	0	1	4½	2707
10.	Caruana, Fabiano	g	ITA	2675	½	0	.	½	.	½	½	½	0	*	.	1	.	0	3½	2646
11.	Short, Nigel D	g	ENG	2696	½	½	½	0	0	½	½	½	.	.	*	.	0	.	3	2612
12.	Tiviakov, Sergei	g	NED	2662	½	0	½	½	.	0	½	½	½	0	.	*	.	.	3	2620
13.	Van Wely, Loek	g	NED	2641	0	0	0	½	0	½	0	.	1	.	1	.	*	.	3	2613
14.	Smeets, Jan	g	NED	2657	0	0	0	½	½	½	0	.	0	1	.	.	.	*	2½	2570

Round 9 (January 26, 2010)
Carlsen, Magnus	- Kramnik, Vladimir	0-1	38	E04	Catalan
Nakamura, Hikaru	- Karjakin, Sergey	0-1	48	E21	Nimzo Indian 4.Nf3
Ivanchuk, Vassily	- Shirov, Alexei	½-½	28	C78	Ruy Lopez Moeller Defence
Short, Nigel D	- Dominguez Perez, Leinier	½-½	27	B23	Sicilian Closed
Tiviakov, Sergei	- Anand, Viswanathan	½-½	63	B22	Sicilian Alapin
Van Wely, Loek	- Leko, Peter	1-0	80	A30	English Symmetrical
Smeets, Jan	- Caruana, Fabiano	1-0	77	B41	Sicilian Paulsen

Corus B Wijk aan Zee (NED), 16-31 i 2010														cat. XVI (2629)
					1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4
1.	Giri, Anish	g	NED	2588	*	½	½	.	.	1	.	1	1	0	1	1	½	.	6½	2791
2.	L'Ami, Erwin	g	NED	2615	½	*	½	½	.	½	1	1	½	.	.	½	.	1	6	2761
3.	Ni Hua	g	CHN	2657	½	½	*	½	½	.	.	0	1	1	.	1	.	1	6	2747
4.	So, Wesley	g	PHI	2656	.	½	½	*	½	½	½	.	½	.	1	.	1	½	5½	2723
5.	Naiditsch, Arkadij	g	GER	2687	.	.	½	½	*	0	½	.	½	.	1	1	½	1	5½	2723
6.	Harikrishna, P	g	IND	2672	0	½	.	½	1	*	½	½	.	1	½	.	.	½	5	2665
7.	Negi, Parimarjan	g	IND	2621	.	0	.	½	½	½	*	½	.	½	½	.	1	1	5	2669
8.	Howell, David W L	g	ENG	2606	0	0	1	.	.	½	½	*	0	.	½	1	1	.	4½	2634
9.	Sutovsky, Emil	g	ISR	2657	0	½	0	½	½	.	.	1	*	½	.	0	1	.	4	2573
10.	Muzychuk, Anna	m	SLO	2523	1	.	0	.	.	0	½	.	½	*	½	½	½	½	4	2592
11.	Nisipeanu, Liviu-Dieter	g	ROU	2681	0	.	.	0	0	½	½	½	.	½	*	1	.	½	3½	2544
12.	Nyback, Tomi	g	FIN	2643	0	½	0	.	0	.	.	0	1	½	0	*	1	.	3	2495
13.	Reinderman, Dimitri	g	NED	2573	½	.	.	0	½	.	0	0	0	½	.	0	*	1	2½	2457
14.	Akobian, Varuzhan	g	USA	2628	.	0	0	½	0	½	0	.	.	½	½	.	0	*	2	2411

Round 9 (January 26, 2010)
So, Wesley	- Sutovsky, Emil	½-½	42	D83	Gruenfeld 4.Bf4
Naiditsch, Arkadij	- Nyback, Tomi	1-0	40	C63	Ruy Lopez Schliemann
Harikrishna, P	- Nisipeanu, Liviu-Dieter	½-½	24	E61	King's Indian Defence
Negi, Parimarjan	- Reinderman, Dimitri	1-0	40	B78	Sicilian Modern Dragon
Howell, David W L	- L'Ami, Erwin	0-1	61	C05	French Tarrasch
Muzychuk, Anna	- Giri, Anish	1-0	55	B51	Sicilian Rossolimo
Akobian, Varuzhan	- Ni Hua	0-1	50	D85	Gruenfeld Defence

Corus C Wijk aan Zee (NED), 16-31 i 2010														cat. IX (2455)
					1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4
1.	Li Chao2	g	CHN	2604	*	½	1	.	½	0	.	½	1	1	.	.	1	1	6½	2619
2.	Vocaturo, Daniele	g	ITA	2495	½	*	1	½	0	1	.	1	0	.	.	1	.	1	6	2623
3.	Robson, Ray	g	USA	2570	0	0	*	1	.	.	1	.	.	1	1	½	1	½	6	2536
4.	Swinkels, Robin	m	NED	2495	.	½	0	*	½	.	½	.	.	1	½	1	1	1	6	2542
5.	Gupta, Abhijeet	g	IND	2577	½	1	.	½	*	.	½	0	.	½	1	½	.	1	5½	2506
6.	Grandelius, Nils	m	SWE	2515	1	0	.	.	.	*	½	1	1	0	0	1	.	1	5½	2512
7.	Peng Zhaoqin	g	NED	2402	.	.	0	½	½	½	*	½	1	.	1	½	½	.	5	2517
8.	Van Kampen, Robin	m	NED	2456	½	0	.	.	1	0	½	*	½	½	.	.	1	1	5	2494
9.	Lie, Kjetil A	g	NOR	2547	0	1	.	.	.	0	0	½	*	1	½	.	½	½	4	2372
10.	Bok, Benjamin	f	NED	2322	0	.	0	0	½	1	.	½	0	*	1	½	.	.	3½	2425
11.	Kuipers, Stefan	f	NED	2340	.	.	0	½	0	1	0	.	½	0	*	1	½	.	3½	2386
12.	Muzychuk, Mariya	m	UKR	2447	.	0	½	0	½	0	½	.	.	½	0	*	1	.	3	2323
13.	Soumya, Swaminathan	wg	IND	2323	0	.	0	0	.	.	½	0	½	.	½	0	*	½	2	2240
14.	Plukkel, Sjoerd		NED	2279	0	0	½	0	0	0	.	0	½	.	.	.	½	*	1½	2236

Round 9 (January 26, 2010)
Li Chao2	- Robson, Ray	1-0	34	B77	Sicilian Modern Dragon
Vocaturo, Daniele	- Muzychuk, Mariya	1-0	86	B33	Sicilian Sveshnikov
Peng Zhaoqin	- Soumya, Swaminathan	½-½	63	D11	Slav Defence
Van Kampen, Robin	- Gupta, Abhijeet	1-0	30	C78	Ruy Lopez Moeller Defence
Lie, Kjetil A	- Grandelius, Nils	0-1	46	A02	From's Gambit and Bird's Opening
Bok, Benjamin	- Kuipers, Stefan	1-0	39	B30	Sicilian Rossolimo
Plukkel, Sjoerd	- Swinkels, Robin	0-1	71	B50	Sicilian Defence

---

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