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Home » Chess News » Events » 72nd Corus Wijk aan Zee 2010 » Nakamura defeats Shirov to close the gap to half a point

Round 7 report, mostly by Michiel Abeln but additional reporting by Mark Crowther.

The First few hours of round 7 were not very exciting. Van Wely and Shirov made a quick draw, Van Wely being tired of losing, and Karjakin needing his energy to fight a cold. It also quickly became clear that Ivanchuk had one of his off-days, quickly losing a pawn. He then sacrificed his queen, probably realizing that being a pawn down he would not survive, but the sac really didn’t make any sense and Carlsen won easily.

Carlsen,Magnus - Ivanchuk,Vassily [D10]
Corus A Wijk aan Zee NED (7), 23.01.2010
[Mark Crowther]

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e3 a6 5.Qc2 g6 6.Bd3 Be6

[6...Bg7 1/2-1/2 Rustemov,A (2585)-Papa,S (2399)/Stuttgart GER 2004/The Week in Chess 484 (100)]

7.b3 Bg7 8.Nge2 c5 9.cxd5 Nxd5 10.Nxd5 Bxd5 11.e4 Be6 12.Qxc5 Nc6 13.Be3 Rc8 14.Qa3 0-0 15.Rd1 Nxd4?

White has a nice position but this is just a blunder.

16.Bxd4 Bxd4 17.Bb1 Bc5

[17...Bxf2+ 18.Kxf2 Qb6+ 19.Ke1]

18.b4 Qxd1+

Already a desperate try.

19.Kxd1 Bxf2 20.Nf4 Bc4 21.Bd3 Rfd8 22.Ke2 Bxd3+ 23.Kxf2 Rc2+ 24.Kf3 Bc4 25.Rc1 Rxa2 26.Qc3 b5 27.Ra1 Rdd2 28.Rxa2 Rxa2 29.h4 h5 30.g4 hxg4+ 31.Kxg4 f6 32.e5 Kf7 33.exf6 exf6 34.Qe3 Rc2 35.Qa7+ 1-0

Dominquez and Smeets played a sharp Sicilian Najdorf, where Smeets had analyzed the double rook sacrifice a couple of months ago. There are several ways to a draw in these lines, and some of them have been played before, so the players really focused on finding the right moves to a perpetual. Tiviakov and Leko played exactly as all the bookmakers had predicted, without any excitement to a quick draw.

The game of the round was clearly Nakamura’s win over Shirov. It has to be admitted that Shirov played below his standard level, but this was also certainly caused by the fact that Nakamura managed to face him with an unusual opening line, where both players had to think on their own without relying on some big preparation.

Nakamura,Hikaru - Shirov,Alexei [B33]
Corus A Wijk aan Zee NED (7), 23.01.2010
[Michiel Abeln]

1.e4 c5

A strange choice, considering a draw would have been a perfect result for Shirov, everyone expected 1...,e5.

2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5 6.Ndb5 d6 7.Bg5 a6 8.Bxf6 gxf6 9.Na3 f5 10.Nc4 Nd4

Exactly what Nakamura was hoping for, quickly both players are at unknown territory for them.

[10...b5 11.Ne3 b4 12.Ncd5 fxe4 13.Qh5 Bg7 14.Be2 0-0 15.Bg4 Nd4 16.Bxc8 Rxc8 17.c3 bxc3 18.bxc3 Kh8 19.0-0 Rc5 20.Rac1 Ne6 21.Qf5 Qg5 22.Rfd1 Qxf5 23.Nxf5 Rd8 24.g3 h5 25.Kf1 Kh7 26.Rb1 Nd4 27.Nfe3 Nb5 28.Rb3 Nc7 29.Rb6 Nxd5 30.Rxd5 Rxc3 31.Rxa6 Rd3 32.Ke2 Rd4 33.Rb5 Kg6 34.a4 1/2-1/2 Gutierrez Jimenez,J-Parligras,M/Tarragona 2006/EXT 2007]

11.exf5 Bxf5 12.Ne3

12...Bg6?!

[More logical was 12...Be6 13.Bc4 (or 13.g3 Bg7 14.Bg2 Qd7 with an interesting position) 13...Qg5 14.Bxe6 fxe6 15.Ne4 Qg6 16.Ng3 Bh6 17.0-0 0-0 18.c3 Nf5 19.Ngxf5 exf5 20.Nd5 Kh8 21.f4 Rg8 22.Qd2 Rae8 23.Rae1 Rg7 24.Kh1 Qe6 25.c4 Rf7 26.Qa5 Qc8 27.b3 Bg7 28.Qb4 Qc6 29.a4 e4 30.Qd2 Qc5 31.Rd1 b5 32.axb5 axb5 33.Ne3 bxc4 34.bxc4 Ra7 35.Rfe1 Ra3 36.Qxd6 Qxd6 37.Rxd6 Bc3 38.Re2 Ra1+ 39.Rd1 Rxd1+ 40.Nxd1 Ra8 41.g4 Ra1 42.gxf5 Rxd1+ 43.Kg2 Rd4 44.c5 Bd2 45.Kg3 e3 46.Kf3 Rc4 47.Rg2 Rxf4+ 0-1 Rabeyrin,J-San Emeterio Cabanes,J/France 2007/EXT 2009]

13.Ncd5 Bh6

Not the right plan.

[13...f5!? was a lot more interesting and also more in the style of the real Shirov! 14.c3 f4 15.cxd4 fxe3 16.fxe3 (16.Nxe3 Qa5+ 17.Qd2 Qxd2+ 18.Kxd2 exd4 19.Nd5 Bh6+ 20.f4 0-0 and black has nothing to complain about) 16...Qa5+ 17.Nc3 Bh6 with clear compensation for the pawn]

14.c3 Ne6 15.Bd3

and now Shirov started to realize that normal continuations would not give him the desired position

15...Bxe3

[15...e4 16.Bxe4! Bxe4 17.Qa4+; 15...0-0 16.Nf5 with complete control over the white squares]

16.Nxe3 Qb6

a complete surprise

17.0-0

[17.Rb1]

17...Nf4 18.Be2 Rg8

[taking the pawn is impossible: 18...Qxb2 19.Qxd6 Nxe2+ 20.Kh1 Rd8 21.Qxe5+ Kd7 22.Rad1+ Kc8 23.Nd5 Rxd5 24.Qxh8+ Kc7 25.Rxd5]

19.Bf3

19...Nh3+?

a serious mistake

[also not good was 19...Bd3 20.Nd5 Nh3+ 21.Kh1 Qxf2 22.gxh3 (22.Qxd3 Qg1+ 23.Rxg1 Nf2#) 22...Bxf1 23.Qxf1; 19...0-0-0 was quite playable, because if white sacs the b2 pawn, he doesn't really get any compensation due to the bishop ong6 20.Nd5 Nxd5 21.Qxd5 Qxb2]

20.Kh1

[not possible is 20.gxh3 Bc2+]

20...Nxf2+ 21.Rxf2 Qxe3 22.Bxb7 Rb8

[22...Qxf2 loses to 23.Qxd6 f6 24.Bxa8]

23.Re2

[Not good would be 23.Qxd6 Rxb7 24.Rd1 Qb6 25.Qxe5+ Kf8]

23...Qb6 24.Bd5 Rg7 25.Qd2 f5 26.Rf1 Kd7 27.b4 f4

28.a4?!

[28.a3 with the idea of c4 was probably better, it will be easier for white to breakthrough on the queenside]

28...a5 29.b5 Rd8

Here Nakamura had a long think, he's clearly better because his king is much safer and his pieces are more active, but it's only a matter of 2 moves before black will be ok, so white needs to act quickly

30.g3

opening the f-file, because on the queenside there is no direct way to open up

30...fxg3 31.hxg3 Kc8 32.c4 Kb8 33.Rf6 Re7 34.Kh2

to make sure that if black takes a bishop on d5, there is no check

[34.c5 Qxc5 35.Qxa5 Qxd5+]

34...e4 35.Qc3

[immediately 35.c5 is not winning 35...Qc7 36.cxd6 Rxd6 37.Rxd6 Qxd6 38.Qxa5 Ra7 (38...Qxd5 39.Rd2) 39.Qd2 Rd7]

35...Rc8 36.Re3 Ka7?

a blunder in time trouble, but black could probably not held the position anyway

37.Bc6 Rd8 38.c5 dxc5 39.Bxe4 Rd6 40.Rxd6 Qxd6 41.Qxa5+

[41.Qxa5+ Kb8 42.Rd3 Qxd3 43.Bxd3 Bxd3 44.Qd8+]

1-0

Nigel Short innovated against Vladimir Kramnik's Petroff Defence. Short won a pawn a nurtured his advantage to a winning position. Short then admitted that he became somewhat indecisive. The win was probably to be had by directly shoving the a-pawn at some stage. After Kramnik reduced the pawns down to one side of the board in a Queen and Pawn ending which is probably more drawn than won. He eventually held by a precise Queen sacrifice for stalemate.

Short,Nigel - Kramnik,Vladimir [C43]
Corus A Wijk aan Zee NED (7), 23.01.2010
[Mark Crowther]

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.d4 Nxe4 4.dxe5 d5 5.Nbd2 Nc5 6.a3

A novelty and one that causes Kramnik no end of problems.

[6.Nb3 Ne6 7.c4 dxc4 8.Qxd8+ Nxd8 9.Bxc4 Be6 10.Bxe6 Nxe6 11.Nfd4 Nxd4 12.Nxd4 Bc5 13.Nb5 Kd7 14.Bf4 Kc6 15.Nc3 Nd7 16.Rc1 Rhe8 17.0-0 b6 18.Rfe1 a5 19.Re4 Re6 20.a3 Kb7 21.b4 axb4 22.axb4 Bf8 23.Nb5 Rc6 24.Rd1 Be7 25.h3 Nf8 26.Be3 Ra4 27.Nd4 Rc4 28.Rg4 Ng6 29.b5 h5 30.Re4 Bc5 31.g3 Rab4 32.f3 Bxd4 33.Bxd4 Rxb5 34.e6 fxe6 35.Rxe6 Rg5 36.Kf2 Rc2+ 37.Ke3 Rxg3 38.Bxb6 cxb6 39.Rdd6 Nh4 40.Rxb6+ Kc7 41.Kd3 Rgg2 42.Ke3 Rce2+ 43.Kf4 g5# 0-1 Campbell,M-Pizzato,C/Brisbane 1995]

6...a5 7.Be2 Be7 8.0-0 0-0 9.Re1 Nc6 10.Nf1 Bf5 11.Ng3 Bg6 12.Be3 a4 13.Bb5 Na5 14.Nd4 c6 15.Bf1 f6 16.exf6 Bxf6 17.Nxc6 bxc6 18.Bxc5 Re8 19.Qd2 Rxe1 20.Rxe1 Nc4 21.Bxc4 dxc4 22.Qb4 c3 23.bxc3 Qd2 24.Qc4+ Kh8 25.Re2 Qd1+ 26.Nf1 Bxc3 27.h3 Rd8 28.Re3 Bd2 29.Rf3 Bg5 30.Qxa4 Bxc2 31.Qa5 h6 32.Be3 Bxe3 33.Rxe3 Qd4 34.Rc3 Be4 35.Ne3 Qd2 36.Qe5 Rf8 37.Kh2 Bd5 38.Rc2 Qd3 39.a4 Qg6 40.Rb2 Re8 41.Rb8

Short has done a great job in keeping his extra pawn and control over the position.

41...Rxb8 42.Qxb8+ Bg8

43.Qe5

Maybe just shoving the pawn is the best.

[43.a5 Qd3 44.Qb6 Qd2 45.a6 Qxf2 46.a7 Qf4+ 47.Kh1 c5]

43...Qf7 44.Nf5 Qa7 45.a5 c5 46.f4 Ba2 47.a6 Bc4 48.Nxh6 Qxa6 49.Nf5 Qf6 50.Qxc5 Be6 51.g4 Bxf5 52.Qxf5 Qb2+ 53.Kg3 Qc3+ 54.Kh4 Qe1+ 55.Kh5 Qe8+

Things have got much more tricky already.

56.Qg6 Qe3 57.Kg5 Qe7+ 58.Kh5 Qe3 59.Qf7 Qxh3+ 60.Kg5 Qh6+ 61.Kf5 g6+ 62.Ke5

62. Ke6 g5+ 63. Ke5 gxf4 64. Qxf4 Qxf4+ 65. Kxf4 Kg8 is a drawn rook and pawn ending.

62...Qg5+

63.fxg5

Stalemate. Kramnik said that he was lucky as Short played a great game up until about move 45 or abouts.

1/2-1/2

Fabiano Caruana and Viswanathan Anand drew as the World Champion still couldn't record his first victory in an interesting draw.

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.	Shirov, Alexei	g	ESP	2723	*	0	.	.	.	.	.	1	.	½	1	1	1	1	5½	2912
2.	Nakamura, Hikaru	g	USA	2708	1	*	½	.	.	½	½	.	.	1	.	.	½	1	5	2881
3.	Carlsen, Magnus	g	NOR	2810	.	½	*	.	.	1	½	.	.	½	½	.	1	1	5	2858
4.	Kramnik, Vladimir	g	RUS	2788	.	.	.	*	½	.	.	½	.	½	½	½	1	1	4½	2785
5.	Dominguez Perez, Leinier	g	CUB	2712	.	.	.	½	*	.	½	½	½	.	1	½	½	.	4	2768
6.	Ivanchuk, Vassily	g	UKR	2749	.	½	0	.	.	*	.	.	.	½	½	½	1	1	4	2742
7.	Anand, Viswanathan	g	IND	2790	.	½	½	.	½	.	*	½	½	½	.	½	.	.	3½	2722
8.	Leko, Peter	g	HUN	2739	0	.	.	½	½	.	½	*	½	.	½	1	.	.	3½	2724
9.	Karjakin, Sergey	g	UKR	2720	.	.	.	.	½	.	½	½	*	.	½	½	½	½	3½	2696
10.	Short, Nigel D	g	ENG	2696	½	0	½	½	.	½	½	.	.	*	.	.	.	0	2½	2642
11.	Tiviakov, Sergei	g	NED	2662	0	.	½	½	0	½	.	½	½	.	*	.	.	.	2½	2646
12.	Caruana, Fabiano	g	ITA	2675	0	.	.	½	½	½	½	0	½	.	.	*	.	.	2½	2643
13.	Smeets, Jan	g	NED	2657	0	½	0	0	½	0	.	.	½	.	.	.	*	.	1½	2514
14.	Van Wely, Loek	g	NED	2641	0	0	0	0	.	0	.	.	½	1	.	.	.	*	1½	2512

Round 7 (January 23, 2010)
Nakamura, Hikaru	- Shirov, Alexei	1-0	41	B33	Sicilian Sveshnikov
Carlsen, Magnus	- Ivanchuk, Vassily	1-0	35	D10	Slav Defence
Short, Nigel D	- Kramnik, Vladimir	½-½	63	C43	Petroff's Defence
Tiviakov, Sergei	- Leko, Peter	½-½	31	C77	Ruy Lopez Anderssen
Caruana, Fabiano	- Anand, Viswanathan	½-½	33	D45	Anti-Meran Variations
Smeets, Jan	- Dominguez Perez, Leinier	½-½	30	B96	Sicilian Najdorf
Van Wely, Loek	- Karjakin, Sergey	½-½	16	E15	Queens Indian

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	1	.	.	½	5½	2872
2.	L'Ami, Erwin	g	NED	2615	½	*	½	.	½	.	.	1	½	.	½	.	1	.	4½	2737
3.	Ni Hua	g	CHN	2657	½	½	*	0	.	.	½	.	1	.	1	1	.	.	4½	2719
4.	Howell, David W L	g	ENG	2606	.	.	1	*	.	½	.	½	0	½	1	.	.	1	4½	2745
5.	So, Wesley	g	PHI	2656	.	½	.	.	*	½	½	½	.	1	.	.	½	1	4½	2741
6.	Harikrishna, P	g	IND	2672	0	.	.	½	½	*	1	½	.	.	.	1	½	.	4	2665
7.	Naiditsch, Arkadij	g	GER	2687	.	.	½	.	½	0	*	½	.	1	.	.	1	½	4	2691
8.	Negi, Parimarjan	g	IND	2621	.	0	.	½	½	½	½	*	.	.	.	½	1	.	3½	2626
9.	Sutovsky, Emil	g	ISR	2657	0	½	0	1	.	.	.	.	*	.	0	½	.	1	3	2550
10.	Nisipeanu, Liviu-Dieter	g	ROU	2681	0	.	.	½	0	.	0	.	.	*	1	½	½	.	2½	2516
11.	Nyback, Tomi	g	FIN	2643	0	½	0	0	.	.	.	.	1	0	*	.	.	1	2½	2523
12.	Muzychuk, Anna	m	SLO	2523	.	.	0	.	.	0	.	½	½	½	.	*	½	½	2½	2539
13.	Akobian, Varuzhan	g	USA	2628	.	0	.	.	½	½	0	0	.	½	.	½	*	.	2	2478
14.	Reinderman, Dimitri	g	NED	2573	½	.	.	0	0	.	½	.	0	.	0	½	.	*	1½	2392

Round 7 (January 23, 2010)
Giri, Anish	- L'Ami, Erwin	½-½	61	E04	Catalan
Howell, David W L	- Nyback, Tomi	1-0	23	C45	Scotch Game
So, Wesley	- Reinderman, Dimitri	1-0	36	A81	Dutch Leningrad
Naiditsch, Arkadij	- Ni Hua	½-½	52	A16	English Opening
Negi, Parimarjan	- Harikrishna, P	½-½	33	B17	Caro Kann
Muzychuk, Anna	- Sutovsky, Emil	½-½	46	B10	Caro Kann
Akobian, Varuzhan	- Nisipeanu, Liviu-Dieter	½-½	21	E11	Bogo Indian 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.	Robson, Ray	g	USA	2570	*	.	.	0	1	.	1	.	1	.	½	1	.	1	5½	2633
2.	Gupta, Abhijeet	g	IND	2577	.	*	.	1	½	.	½	.	1	.	½	½	1	.	5	2555
3.	Li Chao2	g	CHN	2604	.	.	*	½	.	½	.	1	.	0	.	1	1	1	5	2577
4.	Vocaturo, Daniele	g	ITA	2495	1	0	½	*	.	1	.	0	.	1	.	.	1	.	4½	2608
5.	Swinkels, Robin	m	NED	2495	0	½	.	.	*	.	½	.	½	.	1	1	.	1	4½	2527
6.	Van Kampen, Robin	m	NED	2456	.	.	½	0	.	*	½	½	.	.	.	½	1	1	4	2474
7.	Peng Zhaoqin	g	NED	2402	0	½	.	.	½	½	*	1	.	½	½	.	.	.	3½	2515
8.	Lie, Kjetil A	g	NOR	2547	.	.	0	1	.	½	0	*	½	.	.	1	½	.	3½	2414
9.	Kuipers, Stefan	f	NED	2340	0	0	.	.	½	.	.	½	*	1	1	.	.	½	3½	2496
10.	Grandelius, Nils	m	SWE	2515	.	.	1	0	.	.	½	.	0	*	1	0	1	.	3½	2412
11.	Muzychuk, Mariya	m	UKR	2447	½	½	.	.	0	.	½	.	0	0	*	.	.	1	2½	2358
12.	Bok, Benjamin	f	NED	2322	0	½	0	.	0	½	.	0	.	1	.	*	.	.	2	2379
13.	Plukkel, Sjoerd		NED	2279	.	0	0	0	.	0	.	½	.	0	.	.	*	½	1	2193
14.	Soumya, Swaminathan	wg	IND	2323	0	.	0	.	0	0	.	.	½	.	0	.	½	*	1	2146

Round 7 (January 23, 2010)
Li Chao2	- Grandelius, Nils	0-1	28	A18	English Opening
Vocaturo, Daniele	- Robson, Ray	1-0	40	C11	French Defence
Van Kampen, Robin	- Lie, Kjetil A	½-½	57	B27	Sicilian Early Fianchetto
Peng Zhaoqin	- Muzychuk, Mariya	½-½	72	E32	Nimzo Indian 4.Qc2
Kuipers, Stefan	- Soumya, Swaminathan	½-½	47	B19	Caro Kann
Bok, Benjamin	- Swinkels, Robin	0-1	33	B66	Sicilian Rauzer
Plukkel, Sjoerd	- Gupta, Abhijeet	0-1	52	B50	Sicilian Defence

---

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