The Week in Chess

Home » Chess News » Events » 73rd Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2011 » Carlsen beats Nakamura in great style, Nakamura and Anand share lead on 5.5/8

Magnus Carlsen played his best game of the event so far in defeating Hikaru Nakamura. In a Sicilian Najdorf Carlsen managed to get a sort of English Attack by a slightly unusual move order. After some useful but slow looking preparitory moves Nakamura still hadn't developed any serious counter-play and he was crushed as every one of Carlsen's pieces ended up pointing at, and taking part in the decisive attack on the King. Carlsen admitted his surprise that Nakamura chose the Sicilian when his standing meant that a draw would have been good enough. Carlsen liked his 18.Ka1! According to the Round 8 Bulletin on the Official Site Carlsen thought that after 19...Qc5? instead of 19...g6 he was already winning. However 19...g6 also seems to be losing also so the position may be lost even at this stage.

Carlsen,Magnus - Nakamura,Hikaru [B92]
73rd Tata Steel GMA Wijk aan Zee NED (8), 23.01.2011

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be2 e5 7.Nb3 Be7 8.Be3

[8.g4 Be6 9.f4 exf4 10.Bxf4 Nc6 11.g5 Nd7 12.Qd2 0-0 13.h4 Nb6 14.0-0-0 Ne5 15.Qe1 Nbc4 16.Nd5 Bxd5 17.exd5 Rc8 18.Rh3 Re8 19.Qf1 g6 20.Kb1 Bf8 21.Nd4 Bg7 22.h5 Qa5 23.Rb3 b5 24.h6 Bh8 25.a3 Nxb2 26.Kxb2 Nc4+ 27.Bxc4 bxc4 28.Rb4 Qxd5 29.c3 a5 30.Rb5 Rb8 31.Rxb8 Rxb8+ 32.Ka2 Bxd4 33.Rxd4 Qb7 34.Qc1 Re8 35.Qb2 Qf3 36.a4 Qc6 37.Qb5 Qc8 38.Rxd6 1-0 Stein,A (2425)-Yanayt,E (2266)/Agoura Hills USA 2007/The Week in Chess 638]

According to a ChessVibes Interview after Round 9 Nakamura blamed his next move for the loss. He said he hadn't played the Najdorf in a while and forgot that he should play 8...Be6 instead of 0-0 and after g4! he knew he was going to struggle.

8...0-0? 9.g4! Be6 10.g5 Nfd7 11.h4 Nb6 12.Qd2 N8d7 13.f4

Seems to be a novelty that transposes to known positions

[13.0-0-0]

13...exf4 14.Bxf4 Ne5 15.0-0-0 Rc8 16.Kb1 Qc7 17.h5N

This finally seems to be new.

[17.Nd4 Nbc4 18.Bxc4 Nxc4 19.Qd3 Qb6 20.Bc1 Na3+ 21.Ka1 Qxd4 22.Qxd4 Nxc2+ 23.Kb1 Nxd4 24.Rxd4 Rc4 25.Rxc4 Bxc4 26.Rd1 f6 27.Nd5 Bxd5 28.Rxd5 Rc8 29.gxf6 gxf6 30.Bf4 Rc4 31.Bxd6 Rxe4 32.Kc2 Bxd6 33.Rxd6 Kf7 34.Rb6 Re7 35.Kd3 Kg6 36.a4 Kf5 37.Rb4 Kg6 38.Rb6 Kh5 39.Rxf6 Kxh4 40.Rh6+ Kg5 41.Rh1 h5 42.Rg1+ Kf4 43.Rg6 h4 44.Rh6 Kg3 45.Rg6+ Kh2 46.b4 h3 47.Rg4 Kh1 48.Kd2 h2 49.a5 Re6 50.Kd1 b6 51.axb6 Rxb6 52.Ke2 Rc6 53.Kf2 Rc2+ 54.Kf1 Ra2 55.Re4 Ra1+ 56.Kf2 Rc1 57.Rd4 Rc2+ 58.Kf1 Rc6 1/2-1/2 Arizmendi Martinez,J (2470)-Ferrer,P (2265)/Torrevieja 1997]

17...Rfe8 18.Ka1!

This seems really slow but takes away checks on c2. Carlsen was very pleased with this move.

18...Bf8 19.Nd4 Qc5?

After the game Carlsen identified this as the decisive mistake (according to the official site), he believed 19...g6 was correct here. However it does seem even this is losing.

[19...Nbc4]

20.g6

[20.Nxe6]

20...Nec4 21.Bxc4 Nxc4 22.Qd3 fxg6

There is probably not much to be done.

[22...h6]

23.hxg6 h6

Now Black needs to arrange some kind of counter-play or he is going to get mated very quickly.

24.Qg3 Qb6 25.Bc1

Its very bad news that this defensive move is available.

25...Qa5 26.Rdf1 Ne5 27.Nd5 Bxd5 28.exd5 Qxd5 29.Bxh6!

Winning by force. Not a particular surprise, every single white piece is pointed at black's king.

29...gxh6 30.g7 Be7 31.Rxh6 Nf7 32.Qg6 Nxh6 33.Qxh6 Bf6 34.Qh8+

Again the most precise.

34...Kf7 35.g8Q+ Rxg8 36.Qxf6+ Ke8 37.Re1+

[37.Re1+ Qe5 38.Rxe5+ dxe5 39.Qe6+ Kd8 40.Qxg8+]

1-0

Ian Nepomniachtchi took a lot of risks in the opening against Erwin L'Ami opening his King up to an attack that he only just managed to parry. Eventually Nepomniachtchi was rewarded with a slightly better ending but L'Ami played the ending really well and the game finished in a drawn.

L'Ami,Erwin - Nepomniachtchi,Ian [D76]
73rd Tata Steel GMA Wijk aan Zee NED (8), 23.01.2011

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nf3 Bg7 4.g3 0-0 5.Bg2 d5 6.cxd5 Nxd5 7.0-0 Nb6 8.Nc3 Nc6 9.e3 Re8 10.Re1 a5 11.Qe2 e5 12.dxe5 Nxe5 13.Nxe5 Bxe5 14.e4 Be6 15.f4 Bxc3 16.bxc3 Bd5 17.Qf2 Bc6 18.Ba3

[18.f5 Na4 19.c4 Qf6 20.Be3 Rad8 21.h4 Qb2 22.c5 Qxf2+ 23.Bxf2 Nc3 24.fxg6 fxg6 25.Re3 Nd1 26.Re2 Nxf2 27.Kxf2 Rd3 28.Re3 Rd2+ 29.Re2 Rxe2+ 30.Kxe2 Bxe4 31.Bxe4 Rxe4+ 32.Kd3 Rg4 33.Rb1 Rxg3+ 34.Kc4 Rg4+ 35.Kb5 Rb4+ 36.Rxb4 axb4 37.c6 bxc6+ 38.Kxb4 Kf7 39.Kc5 Ke6 40.Kxc6 h5 0-1 Bocharov,D (2618)-Nepomniachtchi,I (2706)/Irkutsk RUS 2010/The Week in Chess 825]

18...Na4 19.Rad1 Qf6 20.Rd4 Rad8 21.e5 Qe6 22.f5 gxf5 23.Bxc6 Qxc6 24.Qxf5 Rxd4 25.cxd4 Qe6 26.Qg5+ Qg6 27.Qd2 Nb6 28.Qxa5 Qd3 29.Qc5 Na4 30.Qc1 Qxd4+ 31.Qe3 Qxe3+ 32.Rxe3 Nb6 33.Rc3 Nd5 34.Rb3 b6 35.Bb2 Kf8 36.Kf2 Ke7 37.a3 Ke6 38.g4 Rg8

Now black has a slightly better position. However white defends almost perfectly.

39.Rg3

[39.h3 Denies white's Rook the h3 square which is potentially important for counter-play.]

39...c5 40.Kf3 c4 41.Ke4 Rg5 42.a4! h5

This is probably the only try but it simplifies white's task also.

43.h3 hxg4 44.hxg4 Rg8 45.Kd4 Ra8 46.Kxc4 Rxa4+ 47.Kb3 Rb4+ 48.Ka3 Re4 49.g5 Kf5 50.Rd3 Ne3 51.Kb3 b5 52.Rd7 Kg6 53.Rb7 Nc4 54.Rxb5 Nxb2 55.Kxb2 Kxg5 56.Rb7 Kg6 57.Rb6+ Kg7 58.Rb5 Kg6 59.Rb6+ Kf5 60.Rf6+ Kxe5 61.Rxf7 1/2-1/2

Vladimir Kramnik quickly equalised against Ruslan Ponomariov in a Queen's Gambit and the game was agreed drawn in 19 moves.

Ponomariov,Ruslan - Kramnik,Vladimir [D38]
73rd Tata Steel GMA Wijk aan Zee NED (8), 23.01.2011

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 Bb4 5.Qa4+ Nc6 6.e3 0-0 7.Bd2 dxc4 8.Bxc4 Bd6 9.Nb5 Bd7

[9...Ne4 10.Nxd6 cxd6 1/2-1/2 Slavina,I (2399)-Kosyrev,V (2531)/St Petersburg RUS 2003/The Week in Chess 468]

10.Qb3 Ne4 11.Nxd6 cxd6 12.Bd3 Nxd2 13.Nxd2 Qa5

Black has completely equalised.

14.a3 Rab8 15.Qb5 Qxb5 16.Bxb5 Rfc8 17.Ne4 d5 18.Nc5 Be8 19.Bxc6 Rxc6

White has traded to a draw.

1/2-1/2

Levon Aronian chose the Marshall as a defence to Viswanathan Anand's Ruy Lopez. Anand's 24.Rec1 was new but it didn't cause Aronian any problems and in the final position despite Aronian still being a pawn down the weakness on the light squares made progress for Anand unlikely. Aronian keeps his record of having never lost on the black side of a Marshall.

Anand,Viswanathan - Aronian,Levon [C89]
73rd Tata Steel GMA Wijk aan Zee NED (8), 23.01.2011

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.c3 d5 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Rxe5 c6 12.d4 Bd6 13.Re1 Qh4 14.g3 Qh3 15.Be3 Bg4 16.Qd3 Rae8 17.Nd2 Qh5 18.Qf1 Re7 19.a4 Rfe8 20.axb5 axb5 21.Bxd5 Qxd5 22.Qg2 Qxg2+ 23.Kxg2 h5 24.Rec1

[24.Ra5 h4 25.Rea1 hxg3 26.hxg3 Be6 27.Ra8 Bd5+ 28.Kf1 Bxg3 29.Bg5 f6 30.Bxf6 Re1+ 31.Rxe1 Rxa8 32.fxg3 gxf6 33.Ne4 Kf7 34.Nd6+ Kg6 35.Re8 Ra1+ 36.Re1 Ra8 37.Re8 Ra1+ 38.Re1 1/2-1/2 Bacrot,E (2728)-Aronian,L (2754)/Nalchik RUS 2009/The Week in Chess 755]

24...f6 25.b3 g5 26.c4 bxc4 27.Nxc4 Bc7 28.Na5 Bxa5 29.Rxa5 Bd7 30.b4 Rb8 31.Rc4 Kf7 32.Kf1 Kg6 33.Ke2? Bg4+ 34.Kd2 1/2-1/2

33.Ke1 was better but probably not sufficient for a win. Anand straight away realised that this was a mistake and after Bg4+ followed by Bf3 the game is completely drawn.

Anish Giri returned to winning ways when he got the better of the opening against Wang Hao. Wang Hao sacrificed a pawn to try and free his position but Giri had it all under tactical control and gradually converted a favouable position.

ChessVibes has a very nice explanation by Giri of his win.

Giri,Anish - Wang Hao [D45]
73rd Tata Steel GMA Wijk aan Zee NED (8), 23.01.2011

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e3 a6 5.Nf3 e6 6.b3 Bb4 7.Bd2 Nbd7 8.Bd3 0-0 9.0-0 Bd6 10.Re1 dxc4!?

A novelty, but black's plan doesn't turn out too well.

[10...e5 11.cxd5 cxd5 12.e4 exd4 13.Nxd5 Nxd5 14.exd5 Nf6 15.Rc1 Bg4 16.h3 Bh5 17.Bg5 h6 18.Bxf6 Qxf6 19.g4 Bg6 20.Rc4 Rad8 21.Kg2 Rfe8 22.Rxe8+ Rxe8 23.Rxd4 Bxd3 24.Qxd3 g6 25.a4 Qe7 26.Qd2 Kg7 27.Rc4 Qf6 28.Qd3 Rd8 29.Qc2 Bf4 30.Qe4 Bd6 31.h4 Rh8 32.Qc2 h5 33.g5 Qa1 34.Qd2 Re8 35.Rc1 Qa3 36.Qc3+ Kg8 37.Re1 Rxe1 38.Nxe1 Bf8 39.Nf3 Qd6 40.Qc4 Qd7 41.Qe4 Bg7 42.Nd2 b5 43.axb5 axb5 44.Nf1 Bf8 45.Ng3 Bd6 46.Qd4 Bxg3 47.Kxg3 Qd6+ 48.Kf3 Kf8 49.b4 Ke8 50.Qc5 Qd7 1-0 Sasikiran,K (2688)-Moradiabadi,E (2575)/Guangzhou CHN 2010/The Week in Chess 838]

11.bxc4 b6 12.Rb1 Qc7 13.a4 a5 14.Ne4 Nxe4 15.Bxe4 Bb7 16.Qc2 h6 17.Bc3 Rab8 18.Red1 Ba6 19.Bh7+ Kh8 20.Bd3 f5 21.g3 Bb4 22.Bxb4 axb4 23.Rxb4

White is a pawn up and now plays accurately to stop black becoming active.

23...c5 24.Rbb1 cxd4 25.exd4 Bb7 26.d5 Nc5 27.Bf1 Rbd8 28.Bg2 Rf6 29.Nd4 exd5 30.Nb5 Qf7 31.cxd5 f4?

[31...Ne4]

32.a5! Rc8?!

Now things are simple for white.

[32...Rf8 33.Rd2 f3 34.axb6 Na6 35.Bf1 Rxb6 36.d6]

33.Na7 Rf8 34.Rxb6 fxg3 35.Rxf6 Qxf6 36.hxg3 Nd7 37.Nc6 Qd6 38.Re1 Ba6 39.Qc3 Nc5 40.Ne5

[40.Re7 Finishes things immediately. 40...Qg6 41.Qxc5 Qb1+ 42.Kh2 Qf5 43.Qd4 Qh5+ 44.Kg1 Qg5 45.Ne5]

40...Kg8 41.Ng6 Rf6 42.Nf4 1-0

With Jan Smeets in freefall Maxime Vachier-Lagrave obviously targeted him as a potential win today. Vachier took huge risks in the opening and was rewarded with Smeets falling catastrophically behind on the clock. Smeets was better at some point but this quickly reduced down to a difficult position and probably he made the decisive blunder on move 38. Smeets is going to have to go away and work out where he is wasting so much time and being such an organised player I'm sure he can do that.

Smeets,Jan - Vachier-Lagrave,Maxime [B06]
73rd Tata Steel GMA Wijk aan Zee NED (8), 23.01.2011

1.d4 d6 2.e4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.f4 a6 5.Nf3 b5 6.Bd3 Bb7 7.e5 Nd7 8.Be3

[8.0-0 e6 9.a4 b4 10.Ne4 Bxe4 11.Bxe4 d5 12.Bd3 Ne7 13.Qe1 c5 14.dxc5 Nc6 15.Be3 Bf8 16.Nd4 Nxd4 17.Bxd4 Nxc5 18.a5 Nxd3 19.cxd3 Be7 20.Bb6 Qd7 21.Rc1 Qb5 22.d4 Rb8 23.Qg3 0-0 24.f5 exf5 25.Rxf5 Rbc8 26.Rcf1 Rc2 27.R5f2 Qc4 28.b3 Qc3 29.Rf3 Qb2 30.R3f2 Rxf2 31.Rxf2 Qb1+ 32.Rf1 Qe4 33.Rf4 Qe2 34.Rf1 Qe4 35.Rf4 Qe2 36.Rf1 Qe4 1/2-1/2 Barbosa,E (2279)-Crosa Coll,M (2398)/Santos BRA 2010/The Week in Chess 823]

8...c5 9.Be4 Bxe4 10.Nxe4 Nh6 11.dxc5 Ng4 12.Bg1 dxe5 13.h3 Nh6 14.c6

[14.Qd5 0-0 15.0-0-0 Nf6 16.Nxf6+ exf6 17.fxe5 fxe5 18.Bf2 is about equal.]

14...Nf6 15.Qxd8+ Rxd8 16.c7 Rc8 17.Nxf6+ exf6 18.Bb6 Kd7 19.0-0-0+?!

[19.fxe5 fxe5 20.0-0-0+ Kc6 21.Ba5]

19...Kc6 20.Ba5 Nf5 21.Rd8?!

Now white is going to be worse.

21...Bh6 22.Rhd1 Bxf4+ 23.Kb1 e4

Smeets was already in horrible time trouble about here.

24.Nd4+ Nxd4 25.R1xd4 Bxc7 26.Bxc7 Kxc7 27.R8d7+ Kb6 28.Rxe4 f5 29.Red4 Rhe8 30.b4 Re1+ 31.Kb2 Re2 32.R4d6+ Rc6 33.Rxc6+ Kxc6 34.Rxf7 Rxg2 35.Rxh7 Re2

This seems unduly passive but it certainly isn't clear that the direct methods work either.

[35...f4; 35...Kd5]

36.Ra7 Kb6 37.Rf7 Re6

38.Kb3?

This turns out to be a complete waste of time but by now Smeets had almost no time left.

[38.a4 bxa4 39.c4]

38...Kc6 39.h4 Kd5 40.h5 Ke4 41.hxg6

[41.h6 g5 42.h7 Rh6 43.c4 bxc4+ 44.Kxc4 g4 wins.]

41...Rxg6 42.a4 f4 43.axb5 axb5 44.Re7+ Kf5 45.Kc3 Rd6 46.Rb7 Rd5

[46...f3 will win also.]

47.Kb2 f3 48.c4 bxc4 49.Kc3 Ke4 50.Rh7 Rf5 51.Rh1 f2 52.Rf1 Kd5 53.b5 Kc5 54.b6 Rf3+ 55.Kd2 Kxb6 56.Ke2 Rf5 57.Rxf2 Rxf2+ 58.Kxf2 Kc5 59.Ke3 Kb4 60.Kd2 Kb3 0-1

Alexei Shirov found a player struggling worse than he is today. Alexander Grischuk has been out of sorts here and today he played into a variation where he voluntarily gave up the exchange for at most a draw. His position required precise defence but this didn't happen and Shirov got a winning position. He missed a fast way of concluding the game but instead we were treated to an instructive Rook and Rook Pawn vs Bishop and Rook Pawn techincal ending where Shirov didn't make any mistake in the long winning method required.

Shirov,Alexei - Grischuk,Alexander [B90]
73rd Tata Steel GMA Wijk aan Zee NED (8), 23.01.2011

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 Ng4 7.Bg5 h6 8.Bh4 g5 9.Bg3 Bg7 10.Be2 h5 11.Bxg4 hxg4 12.Nd5 Nc6 13.Nf5 Bxf5 14.exf5 Bxb2 15.Rb1 Qa5+ 16.Qd2 Bd4 17.Qxa5 Nxa5 18.c3

[18.0-0 Kd7 19.Rb4 Ba7 20.Re1 Rhe8 21.Rxg4 Rac8 22.Rge4 Nc6 23.c3 f6 24.Re6 Ne5 25.Rb1 b5 26.Rd1 Rc4 27.h3 Bc5 28.Bxe5 fxe5 29.Rg6 Rf8 30.Rxg5 Rf7 31.g4 a5 32.Rg6 b4 33.cxb4 axb4 34.Rd2 Bd4 35.h4 Kc6 36.Ne3 Rc3 37.Re2 Kc5 38.h5 e4 39.Kg2 d5 40.h6 Ra3 41.Rg8 1-0 Polgar,J (2656)-Leitao,R (2567)/Buenos Aires ARG 2000]

18...Bc5 19.Nc7+ Kd7 20.Nxa8 Rxa8 21.h4 gxh3 22.Rxh3 b5

The question is why black played this variation that can offer nothing but a miserable draw.

23.Ke2 f6 24.Rbh1 Nc6 25.Rh8 Ra7 26.f4 gxf4 27.Bxf4 a5 28.g4 b4 29.Bd2 bxc3 30.Bxc3 d5 31.g5 fxg5 32.f6 exf6 33.Bxf6 Nd4+ 34.Kd3 Ne6 35.R1h6 Ra6 36.Bxg5 Bb4 37.R8h7+ Kc8 38.Be3 Rd6 39.Ra7 Nc5+ 40.Kd4 Ne6+ 41.Ke5 d4

42.Bxd4?!

Throwing away some of his advantage.

[42.Rhh7 Kb8 43.Rhb7+ Kc8 44.Re7 Rb6 45.Re8+ Nd8 46.Bxd4]

42...Nxd4 43.Rh8+ Rd8 44.Rxd8+ Kxd8 45.Kxd4 Kc8 46.Kd5 Kb8 47.Rh7 Bd2 48.Kc6 Bb4 49.Rd7 Kc8 50.Rd3

White has played this phase nicely. The point is that an ending similar to Kramnik - Ponomariov at the Tal Memorial 2009 arises where white wins the a-pawn by force because it is caught in the same corner as the pawn. This was as pointed out by Alex Yermolinsky in the ICC broadcast on the round. He also added that the ending that results isn't totally trivial.

50...Kb8 51.Kb6 Kc8 52.Rd1

Now zugzwang and the a-pawn falls.

52...Be7 53.Kxa5 Bh4 54.Rf1 Bg5 55.Rf3

Now white's plan involves keeping the bishop off the g8-b3 diagonal, white must be especially careful not to play a5 at the wrong time as many of those positions are drawn.

55...Kb7 56.Kb5 Bd8 57.Rf7+ Bc7 58.Rd7 Kb8 59.Ka6 Bh2 60.Rb7+ Ka8 61.a4 Bg3 62.a5

With the King stuck in the corner here a5 is just winning.

62...Bf2 63.Rf7 Bc5 64.Rf5 Bd6 65.Kb6 Bb8 66.Rf7

[66.a6? may be one of those draws you have to watch out for here. 66...Ba7+ 67.Kc6 Bg1 68.Rf7 Kb8 69.Rg7 Bd4 70.Rg4 Be3 71.Rg3 Bd4 72.Rd3 Bf2 73.Rd7 Ka8 74.Rb7 Bd4 etc]

66...Bh2 67.Ra7+ Kb8 68.Rg7 Ka8 69.a6

Now with the g1 square covered a6-a7 is decisive.

69...Be5 70.Ra7+ Kb8 71.Rd7 Ka8 72.a7 Bd4+ 73.Ka6 Bb6 74.Re7

[74.Re7 Bd8 75.Rg7 Be7 76.Rg8+ Bf8 77.Rxf8#]

1-0

73rd Tata Steel GMA Wijk aan Zee (NED), 14-30 i 2011																cat. XX (2740)
					1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4
1.	Anand, Viswanathan	g	IND	2810	*	.	½	½	½	.	.	1	.	½	1	.	½	1	5½	2883
2.	Nakamura, Hikaru	g	USA	2751	.	*	½	0	.	.	.	½	½	1	.	1	1	1	5½	2870
3.	Aronian, Levon	g	ARM	2805	½	½	*	½	½	½	1	.	.	.	½	.	1	.	5	2858
4.	Carlsen, Magnus	g	NOR	2814	½	1	½	*	.	.	.	½	0	1	.	½	.	1	5	2821
5.	Kramnik, Vladimir	g	RUS	2784	½	.	½	.	*	.	½	½	1	.	½	1	½	.	5	2845
6.	Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime	g	FRA	2715	.	.	½	.	.	*	.	½	½	½	½	1	½	1	5	2813
7.	Nepomniachtchi, Ian	g	RUS	2733	.	.	0	.	½	.	*	½	1	½	1	½	½	.	4½	2777
8.	Ponomariov, Ruslan	g	UKR	2744	0	½	.	½	½	½	½	*	.	½	.	.	.	1	4	2737
9.	Giri, Anish	g	NED	2686	.	½	.	1	0	½	0	.	*	½	1	.	.	½	4	2727
10.	L'Ami, Erwin	g	NED	2628	½	0	.	0	.	½	½	½	½	*	.	.	.	½	3	2652
11.	Wang, Hao	g	CHN	2731	0	.	½	.	½	½	0	.	0	.	*	½	1	.	3	2666
12.	Shirov, Alexei	g	ESP	2722	.	0	.	½	0	0	½	.	.	.	½	*	1	0	2½	2604
13.	Grischuk, Alexander	g	RUS	2773	½	0	0	.	½	½	½	.	.	.	0	0	*	.	2	2563
14.	Smeets, Jan	g	NED	2662	0	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	½	½	.	1	.	*	2	2540

Round 8 (January 23, 2011)
Anand, Viswanathan	- Aronian, Levon	½-½	34	C89	Ruy Lopez Marshall
Carlsen, Magnus	- Nakamura, Hikaru	1-0	37	B92	Sicilian Najdorf with 6.Be2
Ponomariov, Ruslan	- Kramnik, Vladimir	½-½	19	D38	QGD Ragozin
Giri, Anish	- Wang, Hao	1-0	42	D45	Anti-Meran Variations
L'Ami, Erwin	- Nepomniachtchi, Ian	½-½	61	D76	Gruenfeld 3.g3
Shirov, Alexei	- Grischuk, Alexander	1-0	74	B90	Sicilian Najdorf Variation
Smeets, Jan	- Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime	0-1	60	B06	Modern Defence

Wesley So has well and truly put his slow start behind him with his fourth win in a row to lead on 6/8 in the B-Group half a point clear of Luke McShane who drew with Gabriel Sargissian.

73rd Tata Steel GMB Wijk aan Zee (NED), 14-30 i 2011																cat. XVII (2659)
					1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4
1.	So, Wesley	g	PHI	2673	*	.	½	.	½	.	1	.	½	1	1	.	½	1	6	2854
2.	McShane, Luke J	g	ENG	2664	.	*	½	1	.	1	.	1	0	½	.	½	.	1	5½	2788
3.	Sargissian, Gabriel	g	ARM	2667	½	½	*	.	.	½	½	½	.	.	1	1	.	½	5	2734
4.	Wojtaszek, Radoslaw	g	POL	2726	.	0	.	*	.	½	0	1	1	1	.	1	.	½	5	2739
5.	Efimenko, Zahar	g	UKR	2701	½	.	.	.	*	0	1	½	.	½	½	.	1	1	5	2747
6.	Tkachiev, Vladislav	g	FRA	2636	.	0	½	½	1	*	.	.	½	½	.	½	1	.	4½	2713
7.	Navara, David	g	CZE	2708	0	.	½	1	0	.	*	.	½	½	1	.	½	.	4	2679
8.	Li, Chao b	g	CHN	2649	.	0	½	0	½	.	.	*	1	.	½	½	1	.	4	2663
9.	Le, Quang Liem	g	VIE	2664	½	1	.	0	.	½	½	0	*	.	.	1	.	0	3½	2605
10.	Fressinet, Laurent	g	FRA	2707	0	½	.	0	½	½	½	.	.	*	1	½	.	.	3½	2624
11.	Ganguly, Surya Shekhar	g	IND	2651	0	.	0	.	½	.	0	½	.	0	*	.	1	1	3	2575
12.	Nijboer, Friso	g	NED	2584	.	½	0	0	.	½	.	½	0	½	.	*	½	.	2½	2529
13.	Hammer, Jon Ludvig	g	NOR	2647	½	.	.	.	0	0	½	0	.	.	0	½	*	1	2½	2502
14.	Spoelman, Wouter	g	NED	2547	0	0	½	½	0	.	.	.	1	.	0	.	0	*	2	2481

Round 8 (January 23, 2011)
McShane, Luke J	- Sargissian, Gabriel	½-½	39	A07	Barcza System
Wojtaszek, Radoslaw	- Le, Quang Liem	1-0	61	D10	Slav Defence
Tkachiev, Vladislav	- Efimenko, Zahar	1-0	70	A13	Reti Opening
Li, Chao b	- Ganguly, Surya Shekhar	½-½	44	A29	English Four Knights
Fressinet, Laurent	- Navara, David	½-½	33	D85	Gruenfeld Defence
Nijboer, Friso	- Hammer, Jon Ludvig	½-½	60	C65	Ruy Lopez Berlin
Spoelman, Wouter	- So, Wesley	0-1	34	E44	Nimzo Indian Rubinstein

Daniele Vocatouro is a point clear on 6.5/8 in the C-Group after beating Mark Van Der Werf and Illya Nyzhnyk lost to Ivan Ivanisevic.

73rd Tata Steel GMC Wijk aan Zee (NED), 14-30 i 2011																cat. XI (2507)
					1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4
1.	Vocaturo, Daniele	g	ITA	2570	*	.	.	.	0	1	1	.	1	½	.	1	1	1	6½	2735
2.	Lahno, Kateryna	g	UKR	2518	.	*	.	½	1	.	½	½	0	1	1	.	1	.	5½	2636
3.	Nyzhnyk, Illya	g	UKR	2530	.	.	*	0	1	1	½	.	½	.	1	.	1	½	5½	2646
4.	Ivanisevic, Ivan	g	SRB	2630	.	½	1	*	0	.	.	½	½	1	½	.	½	.	4½	2517
5.	Tania, Sachdev	m	IND	2391	1	0	0	1	*	0	.	1	.	.	.	½	.	1	4½	2581
6.	Kazhgaleyev, Murtas	g	KAZ	2637	0	.	0	.	1	*	1	.	.	0	.	1	½	1	4½	2530
7.	Bluvshtein, Mark	g	CAN	2590	0	½	½	.	.	0	*	1	.	0	.	1	.	1	4	2516
8.	Swiercz, Dariusz	g	POL	2540	.	½	.	½	0	.	0	*	0	.	1	.	1	1	4	2491
9.	Van Der Werf, Mark	m	NED	2439	0	1	½	½	.	.	.	1	*	½	0	0	.	.	3½	2472
10.	Bok, Benjamin	m	NED	2453	½	0	.	0	.	1	1	.	½	*	½	.	.	0	3½	2489
11.	Siebrecht, Sebastian	g	GER	2439	.	0	0	½	.	.	.	0	1	½	*	1	½	.	3½	2461
12.	Van Kampen, Robin	m	NED	2443	0	.	.	.	½	0	0	.	1	.	0	*	½	1	3	2411
13.	Pruijssers, Roeland	m	NED	2484	0	0	0	½	.	½	.	0	.	.	½	½	*	.	2	2345
14.	De Jong, Jan-Willem	m	NED	2437	0	.	½	.	0	0	0	0	.	1	.	0	.	*	1½	2268

Round 8 (January 23, 2011)
Lahno, Kateryna	- Swiercz, Dariusz	½-½	32	D31	Semi-Slav Defence
Ivanisevic, Ivan	- Nyzhnyk, Illya	1-0	57	E00	Catalan
Tania, Sachdev	- De Jong, Jan-Willem	1-0	46	D37	QGD 5.Bf4
Van Der Werf, Mark	- Vocaturo, Daniele	0-1	40	A14	Reti Opening
Bok, Benjamin	- Bluvshtein, Mark	1-0	34	B07	Pirc Defence
Siebrecht, Sebastian	- Van Kampen, Robin	1-0	32	E71	King's Indian 5.h3
Pruijssers, Roeland	- Kazhgaleyev, Murtas	½-½	52	C51	Evans Gambit

View the games on this Page

Download the PGN from this page

vs

---

The Week in Chess Magazine

Send a £30 donation via Paypal and contact me via email (Email Mark Crowther - mdcrowth@btinternet.com) I'll send you an address for a cbv file of my personal copy of every issue of the games in one database. Over 3 million games.

Alternatively subscribe to donate £4 a month

Read about 25 years of TWIC.

TWIC 1536 15th April 2024 - 6345 games

Read TWIC 1536

Download TWIC 1536 PGN

Download TWIC 1536 ChessBase