Corus Round 12: Tough day for top seeds

by ChessBase
1/24/2004 – No need to peek into Anand's ear to look for gears and wires, he's human. He suffered his first loss of the event, to Topalov. Leko drew and Adams won, so they are both a half-point behind Anand. Sokolov beat Kramnik. Anand has white in the final round; his pursuers have black. (Bareev (right) actually drew, but we liked the picture!) Full report and analysis

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Corus Wijk aan Zee 2004 – Round 12

66th Wijk aan Zee Tournament – Jan. 10-25
Category 19 (avg. Elo 2702)

Round 12 (Saturday, January 24, 2004)
Adams, Michael
1-0
 Timman, Jan
Topalov, Veselin
1-0
 Anand, Viswanathan
Sokolov, Ivan
1-0
 Kramnik, Vladimir
Leko, Peter
½-½
 Bareev, Evgeny
Akopian, Vladimir
½-½
 Zhang Zhong
Van Wely, Loek
½-½
 Shirov, Alexei
Bologan, Viktor
1-0
 Svidler, Peter

It was the day of the upset in Wijk aan Zee. The world's #2, 3, and 4 players all lost! Ivan Sokolov picked up his first win of the event by beating none other than Vladimir Kramnik in very fine fashion. Back in 1999 the Bosnian-Dutchman beat Garry Kasparov in Wijk, halting the 13th world champion's seven-game win streak.This win wasn't so dramatic since Kramnik had already lost twice. Now he's dropped to an even score.


Kramnik had coffee, Sokolov opened up a can of whupass.

Next to fall was Peter Svidler, who was convincingly wiped out by Bologan, who has scored 3.5/4 to move to a plus score. Finally Vishy Anand's first loss was inflicted by Veselin Topalov in excellent style. This was Anand's first loss in Wijk aan Zee since Judit Polgar beat him in the first round in 1998!! That's 76 Wijk supertournament games without a loss.


Unlucky number 77 is underway.

Adams ground down a fading Timman to move back into a tie for second with Leko, who drew with Bareev. They are both now just a half-poing behind Anand. The pairings for the final round make that half point look more like three-quarters. Anand has white against Sokolov while Leko and Adams have black against Kramnik and Svidler, respectively. Both of these duets have produced many sensational games in the past, but the final round is, sadly, rarely a major battleground these days. Of course we'd love to be wrong!

Adams-Timman after 39...a5

Adams uncorks a move that is exactly the sort of thing you don't want to see on the last move of time control.

40.Rc6!+- Qf7 [The rook is immune. 40...Qxc6 41.Nxc6+] 41.Na6+ Bxa6 42.Rxa6 Qb7 43.Rxa5 [43.Rad6] 43...Qb6 44.b4 Qc6 [44...Ra7 45.Rxa7 Kxa7 46.Rd5+-]

45.Kb2 [45.Qd1 Kc8 46.Rd6+-] 45...Rc7+/- 46.Rc2 e4 [46...Rb7!?+/-] 47.Qf1+- Re5 48.a4! [48.a4 Kb7 (48...Rb7 49.Rd2) 49.axb5+-] 1-0

Topalov-Anand after 34...Bf7

35.Qb1! Nice re-direction to the kingside. Topalov was down below ten minutes at this point while Anand had over 30. Knowing he was in some trouble Anand continued to play quickly to put pressure on his opponent. It didn't pay off.

[35.c4 Be6 36.b7 Qb8+/-] 35...Qc3 [35...Be6 36.b7 (36.Rg3 Bxh4 37.Rg2 Qc6) 36...Qc3 37.Bd3 Rb8 38.Rg3 Bxh4? 39.Rg6] 36.Bd3 Rb8 37.Qg1 Bc4 [>=37...Bh5!?+/=]

38.Qg6+/- Bxh6 can't be stopped. 38...Bxd3 [38...Bf8 39.Rg3 Bxd3 40.cxd3 Qe1 41.Bxh6 Qf2+ 42.Kh3 Qf1+ 43.Kg4 Qf2 (43...gxh6?? 44.Kh5) 44.Kh5 Rb7] 39.Rg3 [39.cxd3?! Qc2+ 40.Kh1 Qd1+ 41.Qg1 Qxd3=] 39...Bf6 [39...Bf8 40.cxd3 Qe1 41.Bxh6 Qf2+ 42.Kh3 Qf1+ 43.Kg4+-]

40.cxd3 Rxb6?! The only way to prevent Bxh6, but the cure is worse than the disease. [40...Qe1 41.Bxh6! Qf2+ 42.Kh3 Qf1+ 43.Kg4 Qf2+-] 41.Bxb6 Qb2+ 42.Rg2 Qxb6 43.Rc2 Bd8 44.h5 [44.h5 Qe3 45.Qe8+ Kh7 46.Qxd8 Qxf3 47.Qh4 Qxd3 48.Rg2+-] 1-0

Standings after round twelve

All the games in PGN (no notes) GM group A • GM group B • GM group C

Schedule – (Rest days 12, 16, 21)
Round 1 (Saturday, January 11, 2004)
Topalov, Veselin
½-½
 Adams, Michael
Sokolov, Ivan
½-½
 Timman, Jan
Leko, Peter
½-½
 Anand, Viswanathan
Akopian, Vladimir
1-0
 Kramnik, Vladimir
Van Wely, Loek
½-½
 Bareev, Evgeny
Bologan, Viktor
½-½
 Zhang Zhong
Svidler, Peter
½-½
 Shirov, Alexei
Round 2 (Sunday, January 11, 2004)
Adams, Michael
½-½
 Shirov, Alexei
Zhang Zhong
½-½
Svidler, Peter
Bareev, Evgeny
½-½
 Bologan, Viktor
Kramnik, Vladimir
1-0
 Van Wely, Loek
Anand, Viswanathan
1-0
 Akopian, Vladimir
Timman, Jan
0-1
Leko, Peter
Topalov, Veselin
½-½
 Sokolov, Ivan
Round 3 (Tuesday, January 13, 2004)
Sokolov, Ivan
½-½
 Adams, Michael
Leko, Peter
½-½
 Topalov, Veselin
Akopian, Vladimir
½-½
 Timman, Jan
Van Wely, Loek
½-½
 Anand, Viswanathan
Bologan, Viktor
½-½
 Kramnik, Vladimir
Svidler, Peter
1-0
 Bareev, Evgeny
Shirov, Alexei
½-½
 Zhang Zhong
Round 4 (Wednesday, January 14, 2004)
Adams, Michael
1-0
 Zhang Zhong
Bareev, Evgeny
1-0
 Shirov, Alexei
Kramnik, Vladimir
1-0
 Svidler, Peter
Anand, Viswanathan
½-½
 Bologan, Viktor
Timman, Jan
0-1
 Van Wely, Loek
Topalov, Veselin
1-0
 Akopian, Vladimir
Sokolov, Ivan
½-½
 Leko, Peter
Round 5 (Thursday, January 15, 2004)
Leko, Peter
½-½
 Adams, Michael
Akopian, Vladimir
1-0
 Sokolov, Ivan
Van Wely, Loek
½-½
 Topalov, Veselin
Bologan, Viktor
0-1
 Timman, Jan
Svidler, Peter
½-½
 Anand, Viswanathan
Shirov, Alexei
½-½
 Kramnik, Vladimir
Zhang Zhong
½-½
 Bareev, Evgeny
Round 6 (Saturday, January 17, 2004)
Adams, Michael
1-0
 Bareev, Evgeny
Kramnik, Vladimir
1-0
 Zhang Zhong
Anand, Viswanathan
1-0
 Shirov, Alexei
Timman, Jan
½-½
 Svidler, Peter
Topalov, Veselin
1-0
 Bologan, Viktor
Sokolov, Ivan
½-½
 Van Wely, Loek
Leko, Peter
½-½
 Akopian, Vladimir
Round 7 (Sunday, January 18, 2004)
Akopian, Vladimir
½-½
 Adams, Michael
Van Wely, Loek
½-½
 Leko, Peter
Bologan, Viktor
1-0
 Sokolov, Ivan
Svidler, Peter
1-0
 Topalov, Veselin
Shirov, Alexei
1-0
 Timman, Jan
Zhang Zhong
0-1
 Anand, Viswanathan
Bareev, Evgeny
½-½
 Kramnik, Vladimir
Round 8 (Monday, January 19, 2004)
Adams, Michael
1-0
 Kramnik, Vladimir
Anand, Viswanathan
1-0
 Bareev, Evgeny
Timman, Jan
0-1
 Zhang Zhong
Topalov, Veselin
½-½
 Shirov, Alexei
Sokolov, Ivan
½-½
 Svidler, Peter
Leko, Peter
1-0
 Bologan, Viktor
Akopian, Vladimir
½-½
 Van Wely, Loek
Round 9 (Tuesday, January 20, 2004)
Van Wely, Loek
1-0
 Adams, Michael
Bologan, Viktor
1-0
 Akopian, Vladimir
Svidler, Peter
½-½
 Leko, Peter
Shirov, Alexei
1-0
 Sokolov, Ivan
Zhang Zhong
½-½
 Topalov, Veselin
Bareev, Evgeny
0-1
 Timman, Jan
Kramnik, Vladimir
½-½
 Anand, Viswanathan
Round 10 (Thursday, January 22, 2004)
Adams, Michael
½-½
 Anand, Viswanathan
Timman, Jan
½-½
Kramnik, Vladimir
Topalov, Veselin
0-1
Bareev, Evgeny
Sokolov, Ivan
½-½
Zhang Zhong
Leko, Peter
½-½
Shirov, Alexei
Akopian, Vladimir
1-0
Svidler, Peter
Van Wely, Loek
0-1
Bologan, Viktor
Round 11 (Friday, January 23, 2004)
Bologan, Viktor
½-½
 Adams, Michael
Svidler, Peter
½-½
Van Wely, Loek
Shirov, Alexei
½-½
Akopian, Vladimir
Zhang Zhong
0-1
Leko, Peter
Bareev, Evgeny
1-0
Sokolov, Ivan
Kramnik, Vladimir
½-½
Topalov, Veselin
Anand, Viswanathan
1-0
Timman, Jan
Round 12 (Saturday, January 24, 2004)
Adams, Michael
1-0
 Timman, Jan
Topalov, Veselin
1-0
 Anand, Viswanathan
Sokolov, Ivan
1-0
 Kramnik, Vladimir
Leko, Peter
½-½
 Bareev, Evgeny
Akopian, Vladimir
½-½
 Zhang Zhong
Van Wely, Loek
½-½
 Shirov, Alexei
Bologan, Viktor
1-0
 Svidler, Peter
Games – Report
Round 13 (Sunday, January 25, 2004)
Svidler, Peter
   Adams, Michael
Shirov, Alexei
   Bologan, Viktor
Zhang Zhong
   Van Wely, Loek
Bareev, Evgeny
   Akopian, Vladimir
Kramnik, Vladimir
   Leko, Peter
Anand, Viswanathan
   Sokolov, Ivan
Timman, Jan
   Topalov, Veselin
Games – Report
 
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