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Home » Chess News » Events » 73rd Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2011 » Nakamura half point lead over Anand could have been more

With a half point lead with two rounds to go Hikaru Nakamura had a decision to make against Vladimir Kramnik, did he want to take any risks in trying to beat the very tough former World Champion. The answer came quickly, he followed the Smeets-Kramnik game from Round 10 where white achieved a totally sterile position straight from the opening in order to make sure of the draw, Nakamura had clearly decided his tournament situation meant that a quick draw was good enough so he followed Smeets example and achieved the same result.

Nakamura,Hikaru - Kramnik,Vladimir [C67]
73rd Tata Steel GMA Wijk aan Zee NED (12), 29.01.2011

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.Re1 Nd6 6.Nxe5 Be7 7.Bf1 Nxe5 8.Rxe5 0-0 9.d4 Bf6 10.Re1 Re8 11.c3 Rxe1 12.Qxe1 Nf5

[12...Qe8 1/2-1/2 Polzin,R (2494)-Buhmann,R (2577)/Graz AUT 2011/The Week in Chess 846 (67)]

13.Bd3

'0-1 Rimkus,B (2291)-Nisula,T (2322)/ICCF email 2007/Corr 2011 (55)'

13...d5 14.Bf4 c6 15.Nd2 Nh4 16.Qe2 Bf5 17.Bxf5 Nxf5 18.Nf3 Qe7 19.Re1N

Nakamura follows the game Smeets - Kramnik from round 10 and makes it abundantly clear that he wants a draw as fast as possible today.

[19.Qd3 Nh4 20.Nxh4 Bxh4 21.g3 Bf6 1/2-1/2 Smeets,J-Kramnik,V/Wijk aan Zee NED 2011]

19...Qxe2 20.Rxe2

There is nothing to play for.

1/2-1/2

Anish Giri almost made major headlines for the second time in the event by defeating reigning World Champion Viswanathan Anand. Giri's early innovation of 12...c5 was designed to give Anand new problems and whilst at first it looked like Anand had the better of it he soon was in difficulty. Anand said that he was not in good form today but once he reached a position that was surely lost he continued to find very difficult defensive ideas to keep the game going. Eventually this paid off and when Giri missed a threat of mate Anand drew straight away. Giri has been by far and away the best Dutch player in this event and I have believed for some time now that he is destined for the very top. He's a bit young at 16 so this will probably be a few years away, but he is already a class act.

Anand,Viswanathan - Giri,Anish [D43]
73rd Tata Steel GMA Wijk aan Zee NED (12), 29.01.2011
[Abeln,Michiel]

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bxf6 Qxf6 7.e3 g6 8.Bd3 Bg7 9.0-0 0-0 10.Rc1 dxc4 11.Bxc4 Nd7 12.e4 c5

a novelty prepared by Giri and Chuchelov, according to Chuchelov 'tricky business which makes Anand at least think'.

13.d5 Nb6 14.b3

this is not the most critical line Giri had prepared

14...exd5 15.Nxd5 Qd8 16.h3 Nxc4

[Giri remembered that he could also equalize after 16...Be6 17.Nxb6 Qxb6 18.Bxe6 Qxe6 19.Rxc5 Qxe4 but he also remembered that the game continuation was also ok according to the computer and was a bigger fight]

17.bxc4 Re8

fighting against the e5 push white would like to play

18.Re1 Bd7 19.Qd2 Rc8 20.Qf4

Giri: 'this is quite a risky decision, play becomes really double-edged'

20...b5 21.e5 g5 22.Qg3 bxc4 23.Red1 Rc6

24.Ne3

[24.Nf6+ white should probably have gone for the safe option 24...Bxf6 25.exf6 Qc7 26.Rxc4 Qxg3 27.fxg3 is drawish]

24...Qc7 25.Nxc4 Be6 26.h4

this is a rather slow approach that increases black's chances

26...g4 27.Nfd2 Rd8 28.Re1 Rd4 29.Qe3

Anand: 'I was really not in a good form today and I started to drift.'

29...Qd8 30.g3 Qd5 31.Na5 Rc8 32.Ndc4 Rb8 33.Qe2 Bf8 34.Ne3 Qe4 35.Nb3 Bxb3 36.axb3 Rxb3 37.Qa2 Qb7 38.Qc2 Rb2 39.Qf5 Qe4

[39...Qf3 40.Qxf3 gxf3 41.Ra1 Rb7]

40.Qxe4 Rxe4 41.Ra1 c4 42.Rxa7 Bc5 43.Ra8+ Kh7 44.Rf1 c3

[44...Bxe3 45.fxe3 Rb7 46.Rf4 Rxe3 47.Kf2 Rd3 48.Rxg4]

45.Rc8 Bd4 46.Rc7 Rxe5 47.Rxf7+ Kg6 48.Rd7 Bxe3 49.fxe3

49...Rd2

[here Giri misses his chance to win the game 49...Rb6 50.Rd4 h5 51.e4 Rc5 52.Rdd1 c2 53.Rc1 Anand thought this was drawing, but he missed 53...Rf6! and white cannot hold the fortress]

50.Rc7

and only now Giri found out that white has the idea of playing Rc6+ Kh5 Rff6 with a mating threat, so he had to settle for the draw

1/2-1/2

If Levon Aronian was to win this tournament he had to beat both Erwin L'Ami today and Jan Smeets tomorrow. His approach today seemed to be bluff and aggression but his actual moves were in some cases really not very good. In the end he would probably have been glad of the draw.

L'Ami,Erwin - Aronian,Levon [A56]
73rd Tata Steel GMA Wijk aan Zee NED (12), 28.01.2011
Michiel Abeln

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e5

Aronian's game plan was to bring L'Ami in time trouble in a complicated position, so he played all his moves really fast

4.Nc3 d6 5.e4 Nbd7 6.Bd3 Be7 7.Nge2 g6 8.h3 h5 9.Be3 h4 10.Qd2 a6 11.a4 b6 12.Kd1

a strong move

[if white goes 12.0-0 then 12...Nh5]

12...Nh7 13.Kc2 Rb8 14.Rhf1 Bg5

not a good move, basically losing time

[14...Rb7 would have been correct]

15.Ng1 Rb7 16.Nf3 Be7

and black is forced back again

17.g3 hxg3 18.fxg3 Ndf8

19.g4

not the best move

[white had a chance to keep and edge if he would have gone 19.h4 which looks anti-positional, but turns out to be strong 19...Nf6 20.Nh2 Ng4 (20...Nh5 21.Qg2) 21.Nxg4 Bxg4 22.Rf2 f6 23.Raf1 Qd7 24.Be2 followed by Qd1 and white is better; 19.Rf2 Bxh3 doesn't give white sufficient compensation]

19...g5

Aronian: 'I was enjoying my position so much, all this Petrosian stuff".

20.Ne2 Ng6 21.Ng3 Nf4 22.Nf5

22...Bxf5

[Not working is 22...Nf8 23.h4 Nxd3 24.Qxd3 gxh4 25.Ng7+ Kd7 26.Nxe5+ dxe5 27.Rxf7; A plan considered by Aronian during the game was 22...Kd7 23.Bxf4 gxf4 24.h4 Kc7 25.g5 Kb8 but it's really too slow]

23.exf5 b5

[23...0-0 24.h4 Re8 25.Bxf4 exf4 26.f6 is better for white]

24.axb5 axb5 25.cxb5 Nxd3

[25...0-0 26.Bc4; 25...Nf6 26.Bc4 Ne4 27.Qe1]

26.Qxd3 c4

[26...0-0 27.Nd2 is what Aronian didn't like]

27.Qe2 0-0

[A serious alternative was 27...Nf6 but it seems that also here white will be on top 28.Bxg5 Rxb5 (28...Nxd5 Aronian: 'Once I open the center, it looks so suspicious'. 29.Bxe7 Rxe7 30.Rfd1 Nf4 31.Qe4 d5 32.f6 dxe4 33.Rxd8+ Kxd8 34.Ra8+ Kd7 35.Rxh8 exf3 36.fxe7 Kxe7 37.Ra8) 29.Bxf6 Bxf6 30.g5 Qb8 31.Kb1 Bd8 32.Nd4 Rxd5 33.Nc6 Qc8 34.Nxd8 Kxd8 35.Ra3]

28.b6

28...Rxb6

[Maybe black should have gone for 28...Nf6 29.Qxc4 Nd7 30.Qb5 (30.Qc6 Qb8 31.Ra7 Rc8 32.Rfa1 Nxb6) 30...Nxb6 31.Kb1 Qb8 32.Ra6 Na8 33.Qe2 Nc7 or as Aronian said: 'I have bullshitted you so much, maybe I should have bullshitted you even more!'; 28...Qd7 29.h4 Qb5 30.hxg5 Rc8 31.Ra7 Qxd5 32.Kb1]

29.Bxb6 Qxb6 30.Qxc4 Rb8 31.Ra2 Nf6 32.Kb1

[Here white misses his big chance 32.Nxg5 Qe3 (32...Nxd5 33.Qxd5 Bxg5 34.Kb1) 33.Nf3]

32...Qe3 33.Ka1 e4 34.Nd4 Qxh3

Aronian: 'I was already thinking about my brilliant game plan, but it is not the case'.

35.Qc1!

a strong move found by L'Ami in time trouble

35...e3

not the best move in the position

[black had a better fighting chance in 35...Bf8 36.Qxg5+ Bg7 37.Rd1 Qg2]

36.Ra3

[Again L'Ami fails to find the move that would have brought him a full point 36.Re1! Nxd5 37.Nc6 Rc8 38.Qc4 (the trick 38.Rxe3 fails to 38...Rxc6) ]

36...Bf8

now black is ok

37.Rxe3 Qxg4 38.Rd3 Bg7 39.Rg1 Qe4 40.Qe3

[40.Qxg5 Ra8+ 41.Kb1 Qxd3+ 42.Nc2 Nh5]

40...Qxe3 41.Rxe3 Nxd5 42.Rxg5 Nxe3

[42...f6 43.Rxg7+ Kxg7 44.Ne6+ Kf7 45.Rh3]

43.f6 Nd5

[also leading to a draw is 43...Rb4 44.Nc6 (44.Rxg7+ Kf8 45.Nc6 Rf4 46.Rg3 Nc4 47.Ka2 Rxf6 48.b4 d5 49.b5) 44...Ra4+ 45.Kb1 Rg4 46.Rxg4 Nxg4 47.fxg7 Kxg7 48.b4]

44.Rxg7+ Kf8 45.Rh7 Nxf6 46.Rh6 1/2-1/2

Wang Hao defended the Advanced Caro-Kann defence against Magnus Carlsen and ended up with a passive and indeed lost position almost straight out of the opening. Yasser Seirawan, commentating on ICC, and who played the Caro-Kann himself, said it took a couple of horrible losses in very similar positions to make him realise just how bad this setup was for black. Carlsen went straight for the jugular and finished off his opponent in just 29 moves.

Carlsen,Magnus - Wang Hao [B12]
73rd Tata Steel GMA Wijk aan Zee NED (12), 29.01.2011
[Abeln,Michiel]

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.Be3 e6 5.Nd2 Nd7 6.Ngf3 Bg6

[6...f6 7.Be2 Ne7 8.0-0 Qc7 9.c4 fxe5 10.dxe5 Nxe5 11.Nxe5 Qxe5 12.Nf3 Qd6 13.Qb3 b6 14.Rac1 Bg4 15.cxd5 exd5 16.Rfe1 Bxf3 17.Bxf3 0-0-0 18.Bxb6 axb6 19.Qxb6 h6 20.Rxe7 Bxe7 21.Rxc6+ Kd7 22.Rxd6+ Bxd6 23.Bxd5 Rc8 24.g3 h5 25.Qb5+ Kd8 26.Bc6 1-0 Carlsen,M (2801)-Bareev,E (2634)/Moscow 2009/EXT 2010]

7.Be2 Ne7 8.Nh4 c5 9.c3 Nc6 10.Nxg6 hxg6 11.Nf3 Rc8N

[After the game Carlsen indicated that black has to play 11...Qb6 forcing white to defend in a slightly ugly way: 12.Qb1; 11...Be7 12.0-0 0-0 13.Bd3 Qb6 14.Qe2 Rfc8 15.h4 cxd4 16.cxd4 Nb4 17.Bb1 Qa6 18.Qd1 Qc6 19.Ne1 Bxh4 20.a3 Na6 21.g3 Be7 22.Nd3 Nf8 23.Qg4 Nb8 24.Kg2 Nbd7 25.Rh1 Nh7 26.Qh3 Ndf8 27.Nf4 Bg5 28.Nxg6 fxg6 29.Bxg5 Nxg5 30.Qh8+ Kf7 31.Rh4 Qc1 32.Bd3 Nfh7 33.Rxc1 Rxh8 34.Rc7+ Kg8 35.Rg4 Rf8 36.Bxg6 Nf7 37.Rxb7 Nhg5 38.Rxa7 Rh6 39.Bxf7+ Nxf7 40.Rf4 g5 41.Rf3 Svidler,P (2735)-Macieja,B (2613)/Germany 2004/ EXT 2005/1-0 (61)]

12.0-0

white is now ready to attack on the kingside, what is black going to do on the queenside?

12...a6 13.g3 Be7 14.h4 b5 15.a4

the idea of this move is that after Qb6, white can always counter black's b5-b4 with Ra6

15...Qb6 16.axb5 axb5 17.Kg2

17...c4

after this move it's basically game over, black has no play left on the queenside, while white has a lot of potential on the kingside

18.Ng5 Qd8 19.Bg4

maybe Wang Hao missed this idea for white when he played c4?

19...Bxg5 20.Bxg5 Qc7 21.Rh1 Nb6 22.h5 gxh5 23.Bxh5 Na4 24.Bxf7+

A nice combination to finish the game

24...Kxf7 25.Qf3+ Kg8 26.Rxh8+ Kxh8 27.Rh1+ Kg8 28.Qh5 Rf8 29.Bf6 1-0

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave beat Ian Nepomniachtchi from a heavy piece middlegame where Ian Nepomniachtchi's 21...f5? accepting Vachier's pawn sacrifice was risky at best and possibly even the losing error.

Vachier-Lagrave,Maxime - Nepomniachtchi,Ian [D94]
73rd Tata Steel GMA Wijk aan Zee NED (12), 29.01.2011
Michiel Abeln

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.e3 0-0 6.cxd5 Nxd5 7.Bc4 Nb6 8.Bb3 c5 9.0-0 cxd4

[9...Na6 10.Qe2 e6 11.Ne4 Bd7 12.Rd1 cxd4 13.exd4 Nd5 14.Ne5 Be8 15.Qf3 Nac7 16.Qh3 f6 17.Nd3 Bc6 18.Bd2 Kh8 19.Nec5 Re8 20.Re1 Qd6 21.Ne4 Qf8 22.a4 Rad8 23.Rac1 Ne7 24.Bc3 Bd5 25.Bb4 Bxb3 26.Rxc7 Rxd4 27.Bc5 Rxe4 28.Rxe4 f5 29.Nf4 fxe4 30.Nxg6+ Nxg6 31.Bxf8 Rxf8 32.Qxb3 Nf4 33.Rxg7 1-0 Tregubov,P (2625)-Neverov,V (2542)/Rijeka CRO 2010/The Week in Chess 801]

10.exd4 Nc6 11.d5 Na5 12.Re1 Bg4 13.h3 Bxf3 14.Qxf3 Re8 15.Be3

[15.Rd1 Nxb3 16.axb3 Nc8 17.h4 Nd6 18.h5 Qb6 19.h6 Bh8 20.Ne4 Nxe4 21.Qxe4 Qxb3 22.Bf4 Rad8 23.Bc7 Rd7 24.Be5 Qb6 25.Bxh8 Kxh8 26.Qe5+ f6 27.Qe6 Red8 28.d6 Rxd6 29.Qf7 Rxd1+ 30.Rxd1 Rxd1+ 31.Kh2 Qc7+ 32.g3 Rh1+ 33.Kxh1 Qc1+ 34.Kg2 Qxh6 35.Qe8+ Kg7 36.Qxe7+ Kg8 37.Qxb7 Qf8 38.Qxa7 Qb4 39.Qa3 Qb7+ 40.Kg1 h5 41.b4 Kg7 42.Qa5 h4 43.gxh4 Qd7 44.b5 Qg4+ Mamedyarov,S (2752)-Kamsky,G (2726)/Baku 2008/CBM 124/1/2-1/2]

15...Bxc3 16.bxc3

All prepared by the white player, but he had missed the following secquence with Nd2

16...Nxb3 17.Bxb6 Nd2 18.Qd3 Qxb6 19.Qxd2

this position is probably about equal, but now Neponiachtchi continued to play fast, but unfortunately also rather stange

19...Qc5N

[19...Qd6 20.Qd4 Rac8 21.a4 Rc5 22.c4; 19...Rac8 20.Rab1 Qc7 21.c4 Qxc4 22.Rxb7 Rc7 23.Rb4 Qc3 24.Qxc3 Rxc3 25.d6 e6 26.Rb7 Rd3 27.Rd7 Rb8 28.Rc1 Rb2 29.g4 Rdd2 30.Rxa7 Rxf2 31.d7 1/2-1/2 Aleksandrov,A (2624)-Melkumyan,H (2528)/Dubai 2009/CBM 130 Extra]

20.Re4 Rad8 21.c4

Vachier-Lagrave had no doubts about the pawn sacrifice that is now coming

21...f5

Yasser Seirawan hated this move and preferred 21...e5

22.Re5 Qxc4 23.Rc1 Qa6 24.Rce1

and the white player did not see what black could do against the plan of h4-h5 and a strong attack

24...Qd6 25.h4 Rd7

black's moves do not make a very threatening impression

26.h5 gxh5 27.Rxf5 e5 28.Qg5+ Rg7 29.Qxh5 Rge7 30.Qf3 Rg7 31.Rf6 Qd8 32.d6 e4 33.Qf5 Rd7 34.Re3 Rxd6 35.Rg3+ Kh8

and now

36.Rg7! 1-0

A tired looking Jan Smeets was ground down by an almost as careworn Alexander Grischuk. An unusual Ruy Lopez should have led to an easy draw for Smeets but he gradually gave ground and traded into a pretty miserable double rook ending which he eventually lost.

22.... Re2 23. b3 Rae8 24. Rac1 R8e7 25. Rc3 Ra2 26. b4 Kf8 27. Rfc1 Ree2 28. Rf3 Rec2 29. Rxc2 Rxc2 30. Re3 b6 31. Kg2 a5 32. bxa5 bxa5 33. Rb3 Rc4 34. Kf3 Rxd4 35. Rc3 Rxd5 36. Rxc7 Rd3+ 37. Ke2 Rxa3 38. Rd7 a4 39. Rxd6 Rb3 40. Ra6 a3 41. Kf1 Ke7 42. Kg2 Kd7 43. Rf6 a2 44. Rxf7+ Kc6 45. Ra7 Rb2 46. h4 Kc5 47. g4 Kb4 0-1

Alexei Shirov is another player having a miserable event. In this position in spite of being a pawn up against Ruslan Ponomariov he had his work cut out holding the endgame. He is good at this kind of thing and he found the way to hold the position.

40...a4 41. Bc2 Nd2 42. Bxa4 Nc4 43. b3 Na3 44. b4 a6 45. Kf3 Nb1 46. Bc2 Nc3 47. Bd3 Na2 48. Bxa6 Nxb4 49. Bc8+ Ke7 50. Bxf5 Na6 51. Ke3 Nc7 52. Bc8 Kd8 53. Bb7 Ke7 54. Bc6 Kf8 55. Kd3 Ke7 56. Kc3 Kd8 57. h5 Ke7 58. Kc2 Ne6 59. Kd3 Nc7 60. Kc3 Kf8 61. Kd2 Ke7 62. Ke3 Kf8 63. Bb7 Kf7 64. Bc8 Ke7 65. Kf4 Nb5 66. Kf5 Nxd4+ 67. Kg6 Nc6 68. Kxh6 Kf7 69. e6+ Kf6 70. Ba6 Nd4 71. e7 1/2-1/2

Final Round Pairings Group A

Nakamura with his half point lead over Anand will still have a tense day in the final round. Nakamura has black against Wang Hao who lost in round 12 to Carlsen and who afterwards said that he "couldn’t focus on the game. I just felt too tired", non-too encouraging for those behind Nakamura hoping for the favour of a decisive result from the Chinese player. Viswanathan Anand will be playing Ian Nepomniachtchi who has 1/4 since round 9 although the one win was against Carlsen. Even with black Anand may fancy his chances as the Russian Champion hasn't played well in the last two rounds including massive over-aggression against Nakamura.

Magnus Carlsen plays Alexander Grischuk with black. Levon Aronian has white against Jan Smeets but their hopes are surely theoretical as Nakamura would have to lose and Anand not win for them to tie for first.

Round 13. Sun 30th Jan 2011
Giri, Anish	*	Ponomariov, Ruslan
Shirov, Alexei	*	L'Ami, Erwin
Aronian, Levon	*	Smeets, Jan
Grischuk, Alexander	*	Carlsen, Magnus
Wang, Hao	*	Nakamura, Hikaru
Kramnik, Vladimir	*	Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime
Nepomniachtchi, Ian	*	Anand, Viswanathan

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.	Nakamura, Hikaru	g	USA	2751	*	½	0	½	½	1	½	½	1	.	1	1	1	1	8½	2897
2.	Anand, Viswanathan	g	IND	2810	½	*	½	½	½	½	½	1	.	1	½	½	1	1	8	2859
3.	Carlsen, Magnus	g	NOR	2814	1	½	*	½	1	½	0	½	0	1	1	.	1	½	7½	2825
4.	Aronian, Levon	g	ARM	2805	½	½	½	*	½	½	½	½	1	½	½	1	.	1	7½	2835
5.	Kramnik, Vladimir	g	RUS	2784	½	½	0	½	*	.	1	½	½	½	1	½	½	1	7	2795
6.	Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime	g	FRA	2715	0	½	½	½	.	*	½	½	1	½	½	½	1	1	7	2795
7.	Giri, Anish	g	NED	2686	½	½	1	½	0	½	*	.	0	1	½	½	½	½	6	2744
8.	Ponomariov, Ruslan	g	UKR	2744	½	0	½	½	½	½	.	*	½	0	½	1	1	½	6	2744
9.	Nepomniachtchi, Ian	g	RUS	2733	0	.	1	0	½	0	1	½	*	1	½	½	0	½	5½	2705
10.	Wang, Hao	g	CHN	2731	.	0	0	½	½	½	0	1	0	*	1	1	½	½	5½	2710
11.	L'Ami, Erwin	g	NED	2628	0	½	0	½	0	½	½	½	½	0	*	½	½	.	4	2625
12.	Grischuk, Alexander	g	RUS	2773	0	½	.	0	½	½	½	0	½	0	½	*	1	0	4	2605
13.	Smeets, Jan	g	NED	2662	0	0	0	.	½	0	½	0	1	½	½	0	*	1	4	2615
14.	Shirov, Alexei	g	ESP	2722	0	0	½	0	0	0	½	½	½	½	.	1	0	*	3½	2592

Round 12 (January 29, 2011)
Nakamura, Hikaru	- Kramnik, Vladimir	½-½	20	C67	Ruy Lopez Berlin
Anand, Viswanathan	- Giri, Anish	½-½	50	D43	Anti-Meran Gambit
Carlsen, Magnus	- Wang, Hao	1-0	29	B12	Caro Kann Advanced
Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime	- Nepomniachtchi, Ian	1-0	36	D94	Gruenfeld Closed
Ponomariov, Ruslan	- Shirov, Alexei	½-½	71	D16	Slav Lasker/Smyslov
L'Ami, Erwin	- Aronian, Levon	½-½	46	A56	Old Indian Defence
Smeets, Jan	- Grischuk, Alexander	0-1	47	C70	Ruy Lopez

The B-tournament is set for an exciting finish with the two leaders David Navara (white) and Luke McShane meeting in the final round with a place in the A-Group at stake. David Navara was one of the first to finish when his opponent Friso Nijboer miscalculated in a sharp position. Luke McShane had to part with a piece against Wesley So for some but probably insufficient compensation. It was all rather difficult and eventually McShane recovered the piece. No doubt in serious time trouble So blundered on move 40 and immediately had to resign.

27. Bxf8

27. g3 Qf6 28. Bxf8 Nxf8 29. Rf1 Qe5 30. Nxd6 Qxd6 31. Qxb2 holds.

27... Nxf8 28. g3 Qxc4 29. Nxd6 Bd4+ 0-1

and So resigned without waiting for 41. Rg5+ Kf8 42. Qd8+ Qe8 43. Rg8+ winning the queen.

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.	McShane, Luke J	g	ENG	2664	*	.	0	0	1	½	1	1	½	1	1	½	1	½	8	2779
2.	Navara, David	g	CZE	2708	.	*	0	½	0	½	1	1	½	1	1	½	1	1	8	2779
3.	Efimenko, Zahar	g	UKR	2701	1	1	*	½	½	.	0	½	½	½	½	1	1	½	7½	2749
4.	Le, Quang Liem	g	VIE	2664	1	½	½	*	½	1	½	0	1	0	.	1	0	1	7	2716
5.	So, Wesley	g	PHI	2673	0	1	½	½	*	½	½	.	1	0	1	½	1	½	7	2709
6.	Sargissian, Gabriel	g	ARM	2667	½	½	.	0	½	*	½	1	½	½	1	½	½	1	7	2711
7.	Tkachiev, Vladislav	g	FRA	2636	0	0	1	½	½	½	*	½	½	.	1	1	1	½	7	2718
8.	Wojtaszek, Radoslaw	g	POL	2726	0	0	½	1	.	0	½	*	1	1	0	½	½	1	6	2652
9.	Fressinet, Laurent	g	FRA	2707	½	½	½	0	0	½	½	0	*	1	1	.	0	½	5	2598
10.	Li, Chao b	g	CHN	2649	0	0	½	1	1	½	.	0	0	*	½	1	0	½	5	2604
11.	Ganguly, Surya Shekhar	g	IND	2651	0	0	½	.	0	0	0	1	0	½	*	1	1	1	5	2602
12.	Hammer, Jon Ludvig	g	NOR	2647	½	½	0	0	½	½	0	½	.	0	0	*	1	½	4	2530
13.	Spoelman, Wouter	g	NED	2547	0	0	0	1	0	½	0	½	1	1	0	0	*	.	4	2549
14.	Nijboer, Friso	g	NED	2584	½	0	½	0	½	0	½	0	½	½	0	½	.	*	3½	2516

Round 12 (January 29, 2011)
McShane, Luke J	- So, Wesley	1-0	40	B12	Caro Kann Advanced
Le, Quang Liem	- Efimenko, Zahar	½-½	68	A29	English Four Knights
Sargissian, Gabriel	- Hammer, Jon Ludvig	½-½	38	D19	Slav Defence
Tkachiev, Vladislav	- Spoelman, Wouter	1-0	46	D11	Slav Defence
Wojtaszek, Radoslaw	- Ganguly, Surya Shekhar	0-1	33	A20	English Opening
Fressinet, Laurent	- Li, Chao b	1-0	57	C42	Petroff's Defence
Nijboer, Friso	- Navara, David	0-1	29	B90	Sicilian Najdorf Variation

Daniele Vocaturo looked certain to win the C-Group at various stages but another loss means that he has to avoid losing with white against Illya Nyzhnyk to take first as the youngster moved within half a point with a round to play.

After having the worse of the early exchanges Daniele Vocaturo missed a chance to draw with: 34... Nxd4+ 35. cxd4 Qc6 36. Qa2 Kg7 with a likely draw. Instead he lost with:

34... Kg7? 35. Bxg6 Nxd4+ 36. cxd4 Rxe5+ 37. dxe5 Qxe5+ 38. Kf2 Kxg6 39. Rd1 Be7 40. Qxd5 Qe3+ 41. Kf1 c3 42. Re1 Qa7 43. Qg8+ 1-0

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	0	0	1	1	½	1	1	1	1	1	8½	2658
2.	Nyzhnyk, Illya	g	UKR	2530	.	*	0	½	0	1	½	1	1	1	½	1	½	1	8	2625
3.	Ivanisevic, Ivan	g	SRB	2630	1	1	*	½	½	0	.	½	1	½	½	½	1	½	7½	2585
4.	Lahno, Kateryna	g	UKR	2518	0	½	½	*	½	1	½	½	1	1	0	1	.	½	7	2569
5.	Swiercz, Dariusz	g	POL	2540	1	1	½	½	*	0	0	.	0	1	0	1	1	1	7	2550
6.	Tania, Sachdev	m	IND	2391	1	0	1	0	1	*	0	0	½	.	1	½	1	½	6½	2551
7.	Bluvshtein, Mark	g	CAN	2590	0	½	.	½	1	1	*	0	0	1	½	0	1	1	6½	2519
8.	Kazhgaleyev, Murtas	g	KAZ	2637	0	0	½	½	.	1	1	*	0	0	1	½	1	1	6½	2522
9.	Bok, Benjamin	m	NED	2453	½	0	0	0	1	½	1	1	*	½	½	1	0	.	6	2517
10.	Siebrecht, Sebastian	g	GER	2439	0	0	½	0	0	.	0	1	½	*	1	½	0	1	4½	2435
11.	Van Der Werf, Mark	m	NED	2439	0	½	½	1	1	0	½	0	½	0	*	.	0	0	4	2389
12.	Pruijssers, Roeland	m	NED	2484	0	0	½	0	0	½	1	½	0	½	.	*	½	½	4	2389
13.	De Jong, Jan-Willem	m	NED	2437	0	½	0	.	0	0	0	0	1	1	1	½	*	0	4	2387
14.	Van Kampen, Robin	m	NED	2443	0	0	½	½	0	½	0	0	.	0	1	½	1	*	4	2392

Round 12 (January 29, 2011)
Nyzhnyk, Illya	- Van Kampen, Robin	1-0	58	D43	Anti-Meran Gambit
Ivanisevic, Ivan	- De Jong, Jan-Willem	1-0	67	D97	Gruenfeld Russian
Lahno, Kateryna	- Kazhgaleyev, Murtas	½-½	35	E97	King's Indian Classical
Swiercz, Dariusz	- Vocaturo, Daniele	1-0	43	C80	Ruy Lopez Open
Bok, Benjamin	- Pruijssers, Roeland	1-0	35	C78	Ruy Lopez Moeller Defence
Siebrecht, Sebastian	- Bluvshtein, Mark	0-1	34	A61	Benoni
Van Der Werf, Mark	- Tania, Sachdev	0-1	43	A07	Barcza System

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