Corus 11: Leko favourite to win Wijk

Corus Chess Tournament Wijk aan Zee 14 – 30 January 2005 Official web site – Live coverage – All ChessBase reports

Round eleven

The playing hall with the three groups and the big open

The public following the games of the open and of the top groups

Judit Polgar up close in her game against Vishy Anand

Polgar-Anand was the first game to end. It was an even-tempered Petroff, with Anand later saying that he had decided to play a normal game, and not go for victory at any cost. He said that if he didn't win this tournament it would not be because of defensive play against Judit Polgar, but because of his draw in round ten against Loek van Wely.

Ponomariov vs Short, with a 14-year-old GM kibitzer from Norway

Ponomariov-Short looked very dangerous for Black, but the British GM played well in a variation that he had tested against Garry Kasparov in their World Championship match eleven years ago. Nigel Short said that the game had been very sharp, to which Ponomariov said "Yes, but only for him."

Pono and Nigel analysing after the game

Van Wely-Adams saw White entertaining hopes of victory, especially in the second half of the game. But it was not to be and the game ened in a 43-move draw.

Top Dutch GM Loek van Wely drew against Michael Adams

Sokolov-Topalov was a long drawn out 76 move struggle, with Black missing some good chances and White pressing for a win in the seventh hour.

Here Topalov played 57...Nc5, but 57...Bd1 looks more compelling. The threat is 58.-- Ng3+ 59.Kf2 Rxb3, so 58.Rh3 Rxh3 59.Nxh3 Bxb3 with Bxc4 to follow. The game continues 58.Rh4 Bf5 59.Kf2 Rxb3 (from now on it was Sokolov who was pressing) 60.Rxb3 Nxb3 61.Nf3+ Kf6 62.Ke3 Bd7 63.Rf4+ Kg7 64.Nd4 Nc5 65.Kd2 Kg8 66.Ne6 Nxe6 67.dxe6 Bxe6 68.Rd4 Kf7 69.Rxd6 Bxc4 70.Rxh6 b5 71.axb5 Bxb5 72.Rg6 Be8 73.Rg1 Kf6 74.h6 Bg6 75.Rf1+ Kg5 76.Ra1 ½-½.

Leko vs Bruzon was another Ruy Lopez in which Peter Leko, who has played the Spanish Opening in all six of his white games, came up with an imaginative line. His Cuban opponent was soon in trouble, and in spite of a one-hour think on move 21 could not find an adaquate defence. The game ended a few moves later with yet another win for Leko, who now leads the field with a full point. In the press conference after the game he was, however, defensive about the prospects of his ultimate victory. "I have to remember what happened at the world championship in Brissago," he said ruefully, "I'm not taking anything for granted until the last game is over."

Peter Leko analysing his game in the press room

Kramnik vs Grischuk was the game of the day – perhaps together with the next encounter. Early in the game it looked like an easy win fror White, then Black got good counterplay with an exchange sacrifice, but then Grischuk strayed from the straight and narrow and suddenly Kramnik was pushing hard in a rook ending with two extra pawns. Here's a position

Here, after 45...Ke6-f7 Kramnik played 46.Kd3, while spectators in Playchess.com were analysing 46.Kf5!? Kg7 (46...Kg8 47.g6) 47.g6 Kh6 (47...e4+ 48.Kxe4 Kxg6 #34; or 47...Kg8 48.Kg5 Kg7 49.Ra1+–) 48.Ra1 Kg7 (48...e4+ 49.Kxe4 Kxg6 #33) 49.Kg5 Ra6 (49...e4+ 50.Kf4 Kxg6 51.Kxe4 #39; 49...Kg8 50.Kh6 e4 51.Rb1 Ra8 52.a5 e3 53.a6 e2 54.a7 Re8 55.Re1 Kf8 56.Rxe2+-) 50.a5 Rxg6+ 51.Kf5 Ra6 52.Kxe5 #25]

46...Kg6 47.Kc4 Kxg5 48.Kb4 Ra6 49.a5 e4 50.Kc4? 50.Kc3! Rd6 (50...Kf5 51.Kd4+-; 50...Kg4 51.Kd4+-) 51.Kc4! Zugzwang! 51...Ra6 (51...Kg4 52.a6+-; 51...Re6 52.Kd4+-) 52.Kd4 Kf5 53.Ke3 Rg6 54.Kf2 Ra6 55.Ra4 Ke5 56.Ke3 Kf5 57.g4+ Kxg4 58.Kxe4 #28

50...Rd6 51.a6. 51.Kc5 Rd3! (51...Ra6? 52.Kd4 Kf5 53.Ra2 Rd6+ 54.Ke3+-) 52.Ra4 (52.Ra1 e3 (52...Kg4 53.a6 e3 54.a7 Rd8=) 53.a6 Kg4 (53...Rd8 54.a7 (54.Re1 Rd3=) 54...Kg4 55.Ra3 Kf3 56.Rb3=; 54.a7 Rd8 55.a8Q Rxa8 56.Rxa8 Kxg3=; 52...e3 53.Re4 Kf6 54.g4 Kg5 55.Kc4 Ra3 56.Kb4 Rd3=]

51...e3 52.a7 52.Kb5 Re6 53.a7 e2 54.Ra1 Re8=] 52...e2 53.a8Q e1Q 54.Ra5+ [54.Qg8+ Rg6 55.Qd8+ Rf6 56.Ra5+ Kg4=.

54...Kg4 55.Qg8+ Kf3 56.Qf7+ Kg2 57.Ra2+ Kg1 58.Qa7+ Kf1 59.Qf7+ Kg1 60.Qa7+ Kf1 61.Ra1 Rd1 62.Qf7+ Kg1 63.Qa7+ Kf1 64.Rxd1 Qxd1 65.Qd4 Qa4+ 66.Kd3 Qb3+ 67.Qc3 Qd5+ ½-½ [Analysis by Mathias Feist]

Kramnik and Grischuk analysing after their game

Svidler-Morozevich was the game to follow and the one you should replay. The Moscow GM Morozevich, famous for brilliant but weirdly erratic play, often tends to go for historical openings that nobody has seen in top tournament play for, oh, a hundred years or so. Today he played an incredible line in which most people gave him a 1% chance to survive agaist Svidler. But survive he did, and shocked people in the press room by going for 23...Nc2, which only Fritz believed was playable. The game was drawn in 39 moves. After the game Morozevich revealed to friends that he had got the opneing from a special database he keeps. He calls it "Crapbase" and puts in analysis he gets from obscure sources, often from amateurs. When a tournament is going badly he whips out something from this database to at least keep his opponent guessing for as long as possible.

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Alexandra Kosteniuk, playing better than her nominal rating in the B Group

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