1/20/2017 – It isn’t every day that so many astonishing things happen in a single round, but such was the case in round five. The news came on several fronts, notably Eljanov losing to Aronian, and thus relinquishing his top position. Carlsen wasn’t the one to snatch it after a draw by Nepomniachtchi, but rather Wesley So, who defeated Harikrishna. Bottom seed Adhiban smashed Karjakin in a French Defense. Today’s report includes a Masters thesis by Alex Lenderman on the French Defense.
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The elite Tata Steel tournaments in Wijk aan Zee are underway and take place from January 13-29, with two main tournaments, the Masters with both Magnus Carlsen and Sergey Karjakin as headliners, as well as Wesley So, Levon Aronian, Anish Giri, Baskaran Adhiban, Radoslaw Wojtaszek, Ian Nepomniachtchi, Richard Rapport, Dmitri Andreikin, Wei Yi, Pavel Eljanov, and Loek van Wely. All rounds in Wijk aan Zee begin at 1.30pm, except for the last round on 29 January 2017, which begins at 12.00pm. Both rounds on the Chess On Tour days start at 2.00pm.
All photos by Alina L'Ami for the official site
Rest Day
On the night before the rest day, there was the traditional simul, held once again by Jorden Van Foreest, though his opponents had some GM help as can be seen with Erwin L'Ami and Anish Giri at the rear.
Jorden enjoyed the help of his little brother Pieter Van Foreest
It might be awfully cold there now, but Wijk aan Zee is not lacking on gorgeous sunsets
The official rest day would hardly be complete without Ye Olde Football Game. Loek Van Wely and the other players got the full shebang with young wannabes accompanying them on to the pitch.
Still, what a place to play: a full-fledged professional stadium!
And the game is afoot, with a showdown between Jorden Van Foreest and Magnus Carlsen
Chaos ensues
A small video of the some of the Grandmasters playing a friendly game of football at the Telstar stadium in IJmuiden. They were accompanied by some of Telstar's finest.
Indoors children were treated to a number of activities including...
... a simul
Round five
Masters tournament
Round 5 - Thursday, January 19
Eljanov, P.
0-1
Aronian, L.
Karjakin, S.
0-1
Adhiban, B.
So, W.
1-0
Harikrishna, P.
Wojtaszek, R.
1-0
Van Wely, L.
Andreikin, D.
½-½
Rapport, R.
Wei, Y.
½-½
Giri, A.
Nepomniachtchi, I.
½-½
Carlsen, M.
Video impressions of round five
Quick recap of round five by Daniel King
The opening wasn't exactly typical fare for Magnus as he gave a pawn for piece activity. He used his development to keep White at bay, and drew against Nepomniachtchi.
Levon Aronian not only scored his first win, but did so at the expense of leader, and man-in-form Pavel Eljanov
Levon Aronian speaks to Anna Rudolf about his win over former leader Pavel Eljanov
This round was held in Rotterdam, as part of the Chess on Tour initiative. Note that only the Masters group toured, while the Challengers remained in Wij aan Zee.
Wesley So played a very fine game against Pentala Harikirshna, and took the sole lead. Will he repeat his fantastic 2016 now in 2017?
It was a tough blow for the very likable Pentala Harikrishna, but he was avenged in a way by his compatriot...
... Baskaran Adhiban who brought in the cavalry and smashed...
... Sergey Karjakin with Black using the French Defense!
Our guest analyst Aleksandr Lenderman, a specialist in the French Defense sent in notes so detailed they could constitute a book on the line. Well worth the time invested though you can also just play through the powerful game by the Indian.
Aleksandr Lenderman analyzes Sergey Karjakin vs Baskaran Adhiban
If this game, and the extensive notes by Lenderman inspired you to take up the French, then do not miss the great DVD by GM Nicholas Pert, himself a lifelong practitioner, who crammed seven hours of material into it, highlighting the choice of 'fighting lines'.
The French Defence for the Tournament Player
by Nicholas Pert
Languages: English ISBN: 978-3-86681-392-2 Delivery: Download, Post Level: Tournament player, Professional €29.90 or €25.13 without VAT (for Customers outside the EU) $28.39 (without VAT)
This French Defence DVD is a complete attacking opening repertoire for Black after 1.e4 e6. GM Nick Pert has played the French Defence his whole life and provides all his latest and most up-to-date analysis crammed into a single DVD. Nick has spent thousands of hours studying the best French lines, and he explains the pick of the bunch – all for the cost of a DVD. It almost seems like daylight robbery! In addition to the usual video explanations of the French there are some interactive clips where the viewer is tested on a range of theoretical questions and tactics arising from French Defence games.
• Video running time: seven hours • With interactive training including video feedback • Exclusive database with 100 essential games • Including CB 12 Reader
No less inspired, GM Daniel King also named it his Game of the Day, and brings in his own analysis. Enjoy!
Game of the day: Karjakin v Adhiban
A delighted Adhiban shares his impressions after his victory
Anish Giri had another promising game, though not quite as crushing as in round four, but was unable to convert it. It must be said Wei Yi's play had been incredibly sharp.
The games are being broadcast live on the official web site and on the chess server Playchess.com. If you are not a member you can download a free Playchess client there and get immediate access. You can also use ChessBase 14 or any of our Fritz compatible chess programs.
Albert SilverBorn in the US, he grew up in Paris, France, where he completed his Baccalaureat, and after college moved to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He had a peak rating of 2240 FIDE, and was a key designer of Chess Assistant 6. In 2010 he joined the ChessBase family as an editor and writer at ChessBase News. He is also a passionate photographer with work appearing in numerous publications, and the content creator of the YouTube channel, Chess & Tech.
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