Tata Steel Rd.1: Anand, Nakamura and Smeets win

This event is taking place from January 14th to 30th, 2011 in the traditional De Moriaan Center in Wijk aan Zee. There are three Grandmaster Groups, with 14 players each and each competitor playing against every other. The rate of play is 100 minutes for 40 moves, then 50 minutes for 20 moves and finally 15 minutes for the rest of the game, with a 30 seconds/move increment starting with the first move of the game. Games begin at 13:30h local time (CET), except for the last round on January 30th, which begins at 12:00h. There are three rest days, on January 19th, 24th, and 27th.

Results of round one

The playing hall with the myriad opens underway

The first round of the first super-GM tournament of 2011 was no disappointment, but with not one but three excellent events to follow, how could it be otherwise? Understandably, the eyes were on the top three rated players, Carlsen (back to his number one spot), Anand, the World Champion, and Aronian, the latest to climb to the top of Mount Elo with 2805. Carlsen and Aronian were paired in the very first round, and despite the relatively short game span, and draw in 28 moves, was a lively affair that seemed to teeter on the edge of disaster but held in the end. Carlsen wrote in his blog at sponsor Arctic Securities:

Something went wrong in my preparation for the game and the 30 minutes extra on the clock wasn’t much of a consolation for my poor prospects in the sharp middle game. A pawn down, my kingside was as vulnerable as his and after exchanging queens black was slightly better. Aronian went for a line leading to a forced draw as he seemed to have missed hxg6! and the game ended with perpetual checks after just 2 hours.

Ponomariov played an unusual novelty in his game against Anand, which turned out to cost him two tempi in the end. Somehow he was never able to get anything constructive going and the World Champion built a huge position that he tendered with care until Ruslan was left playing idle moves with his queen, waiting for the hammer blow.

Ponomariov about to face off with Anand

Ponomariov,R (2744) - Anand,V (2810) [B92]
73rd Tata Steel GMA Wijk aan Zee NED (1), 15.01.2011

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be2 e5 7.Nb3 Be7 8.0-0 0-0 9.Be3 Be6 10.Nd5 Nbd7 11.Qd3 Bxd5 12.exd5 Nc5 13.Qd2 Nfe4 14.Qb4 a5 15.Qb5 Qc7 16.Qc4N

Though this novelty doesn't cause any major swings in the evaluation, it is not clear what White was trying to accomplish. The queen isn't about to jump to the kingside, and it now places itself on the c-file in the line of fire of a Rc8, which was coming anyhow. 16.Rfd1 b6 17.Qc4 f5 18.Bd3 Qd8 19.Nxc5 Nxc5 20.a3 Rc8 21.Qb5 e4 22.Bf1 Bf6 23.Rab1 Be5 24.b4 axb4 25.Rxb4 Nd7 26.Rc4 Rxc4 27.Qxc4 Qe8 28.Re1 Nf6 29.h3 Nd7 30.Qc7 f4 31.Bc1 e3 32.Bb5 exf2+ 33.Kxf2 f3 0-1 Svidler,P (2713)-Polgar,J (2677)/Dos Hermanas 1999/CBM 071 16...Rac8 17.Rfd1. 17.f3 was to be considered if only to prevent Black from playing f5 as in the game, which gave him a very good game. 17...Nf6 17...f5! 18.c3 Qd8 19.Qb5. Now it is clear that Ponomariov has squandered valuable tempi and Anand's prospects are starting to look mighty nice. 19...b6 20.Nd2 Nxd2 21.Bxd2 Bf6 22.Rab1 e4 23.b4 Nd7 24.Rb3 Be5 25.a3

The first inclination would be to complain this move is associated with a plan that seems too slow, but having no really constructive replacements to offer instead.... let's just agree White is in trouble. 25...Rf7 The purpose is simply to protect the knight, and free the queen up. 26.c4 axb4 27.axb4 Ra8 28.Bc3 Bxc3 29.Rxc3

29...Ra2! It is somewhat ironic that it is Anand's rook that takes advantage of the Ukrainian's play to open lines on the queenside. 30.Re3 g6 31.Bf1 Qf6 32.Rde1

32...Kg7. The unforgivable engines point out that the World Champion could have shortened resistance with 32...f4! 33.R3e2 (33.Rxe4 f3 34.g3 Qb2) 33...Rxe2 34.Rxe2 f3! 35.Ra2 e3! 36.fxe3 Qc3 and White will not avoid heavy losses. 33.R3e2 Ra3 34.Qc6 h5 35.Re3 Ra7 36.h3 h4 37.Rb3 Ra2 38.Rbe3 g5. 38...Rxf2! 39.Kxf2 Qd4! threatening f4 obviously, and if 40.Ke2 to try and get out of the pin. Black finishes with 40...f4 41.Rb3 f3+ with mate to follow. 39.R3e2 Ra7 40.Qc8. The truth is: what can Ruslan do? It is a bit like those Old West films where the victim is tied to the railway tracks and can only wait for the locomotive to end it all. 40...Ne5 41.Rc2. This already loses the queen, but the result was only a question of 'when' not 'if'. 41...Rf8 42.Qe6 Qd8 43.c5 bxc5 44.bxc5 Rf6 45.Qxe5. No resignation? Well, it isn't the first time Ponomariov does this, but it would seem to be more a case of self-torture than frustrating the opponent. Anand is hardly the type to get his feathers ruffled by this. 45...dxe5 46.d6 g4 47.hxg4 fxg4 48.g3 hxg3 49.fxg3 Qa5 50.Rec1 Qa3 51.Rc3 Qb2 52.R1c2 Qb4 0-1. [Click to replay]

The game between Smeets and Shirov was pretty much over before it started. Smeets had no issues entering the pet line of the ex-Latvian, and they rattled of 22 moves of theory in no time, following Shirov's game against Ivanchuk from last year's Wijk. He then played his novelty, prepared by his second GM Jan Gustafsson, one that the engines favored, and thus should at the very least have been anticipated. Alexei seemed to not have looked at it and blundered only two moves later, and resigning in four played moves.

Anish Giri in the tournament of his life, and the youngest participant by far

The two Dutch players l'Ami and Giri, playing the strongest event of their lives, duked it out nervously, and several inaccuracies eventually balanced out into a just draw. A 'just' draw though is precisely what didn't happen in the game between French prodigy Vachier-Lagrave and Wang Hao. Maxime built up a huge position against the Chinese GM, and really had a choice of winning moves,... except the one he played.

Vachier-Lagrave and Wang Hao in the post-mortem overlooked by Yasser Seirawan

Hao had carefully prepared an absolutely diabolical trap that saved the half-point in spectacular fashion. Not to be missed!

Vachier Lagrave,M (2715) - Wang Hao (2731) [D19]
73rd Tata Steel GMA Wijk aan Zee NED (1), 15.01.2011

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4 Bf5 6.e3 e6 7.Bxc4 Bb4 8.0-0 Nbd7 9.Qe2 0-0 10.e4 Bg6 11.Bd3 Bh5 12.e5 Nd5 13.Nxd5 cxd5 14.Qe3 Be7 15.Bd2 Nb8 16.a5 a6 17.Rfc1 Nc6 18.Ne1 Qd7 19.Bc2 Qd8 20.Qh3 Bg6 21.Bxg6 hxg6 22.Qg4 Rc8 23.Nf3 Qd7 24.Bg5 Bb4 25.Qh4 Ne7 26.g4 Rxc1+ 27.Rxc1 Rc8 28.Kg2 Nc6 29.Rd1 Bxa5 30.Rd3 Nb4 31.Rb3 Qb5 32.Be7

The idea seems clear and clean: Ng5 for the win, however it fails to an amazing resource that really has to be seen to be believed. 32.Bf6! was winning. 32...Nd3!! 33.Rxb5. The point is that if Maxime takes the rook with 33.Rxd3 then Hao can not only protect his h7 square with 33...g5!! but will even take the upperhand. 34.Nxg5 Qxd3 33...Nf4+ trying to avoid the perpetual only allows *Black* to dream of a win. 34.Kg3. 34.Kh1 Rc1+ 35.Ng1 Ne2 36.h3 (36.Rc5 Rxg1#) 36...axb5 37.Kh2 Rxg1 38.Qg5 Rb1 39.Qe3 Rxb2 40.Qa3 Bc3 34...Ne2+ 35.Kh3 Nf4+ 36.Kg3 Ne2+ 37.Kg2 Nf4+ 1/2-1/2. [Click to replay]

The newly crowned Russian Champion, 20-year-old Nepomniachtchi played an interesting game against the 14th World Champion, Vladimir Kramnik, and though he got himself into what seemed a very dangerous position, managed to extricate himself and a draw was concluded. American GM Nakamura, finally enjoying invitations to top tournaments, was able to get revenge against Grischuk for his failure to win at the Tal Memorial, late last year, and after a botched opening by the Russian, found himself with everything he could desire: development, activity, and a massive space advantage that threatened to just carpet bomb his opponent.

Nakamura,Hi (2751) - Grischuk,A (2773) [D38]
73rd Tata Steel GMA Wijk aan Zee NED (1), 15.01.2011

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Nf3 d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5 Nbd7 7.e3 c5 8.dxc5 Qa5 9.Rc1 Bxc3+ 10.bxc3 0-0 11.Nd4 Grischuk had to be a little surprised by this move, as it was first played by Potkin against Tomashevsky at the recently finished Russian Superfinal, and had ended happily for Black. That said, it also gave Potkin excellent play for his pieces, exactly the type of position that suits Nakamura's style. 11...Qxc5. 11...Qxa2 12.Be2 Qa3 13.Nb5 Qxc5 14.Bf4 Ne8 15.0-0 Nb6 16.Qd4 Qxd4 17.cxd4 Bd7 18.Rb1 Bxb5 19.Rxb5 and though good for White.... 0-1 on move 40. Potkin,V (2646)-Tomashevsky,E (2699)/Moscow 2010/CB50_2010 12.Bd3 Ne4 13.Bf4 Nb6 14.Qc2 h6 15.f3 Nf6 16.g4 Re8

17.Kf2! The position is very unpleasant for the Russian, and he is having trouble formulating a plan to free himself, that doesn't include watching Nakamura simply shove all his kingside pawns into his face. 17...Nc4 18.h4

18...Bxg4?! One would love nothing better than to claim this was some sort of brilliant shot that gave him excellent counterplay, but.... it was more a desperation move than anything. 19.Bxc4 dxc4 20.fxg4 Nxg4+ 21.Kf3 Ne5+ 22.Bxe5 Rxe5 23.Kf2 Rae8 24.Rh3 b5 25.Rg1 Re4 26.Qd1 b4 27.Qf3 Rxe3

It obviously doesn't help that Nakamura is as sharp as a razor. 28.Rxg7+! Kxg7 29.Qg4+ Kf8 30.Rxe3 Rxe3 31.Kxe3 bxc3 32.Ke2 Qe5+ 33.Kd1 Qh2 34.Ne2 Qd6+ 35.Qd4 Qxd4+ 36.Nxd4 Game over. 36...Kg7 37.Nc6 a6 38.Nb8 a5 39.a4 Kf6 40.Nc6 Ke6 41.Nxa5 Kd5 42.Kc2. Grischuk resigned since 42...Kd4 (42...f5 43.Kxc3 f4 44.Nxc4) 43.Nc6+ Kc5 44.Ne5 f5 45.Kxc3 1-0. [Click to replay]

In the "C" Tournament, there was another noteworthy result, that of 14-year-old GM Ilya Nyzhnyk from Ukraine (they breed these prodigies by the dozen it would seem) who had outplayed his opponent, the top-rated GM Murtas Kazhgaleyev, (2637), setting a strong promise for the rest of the event.

Watching the games

It goes without saying that the options to watch the games live are wide and varied. You can watch them at no cost on Playchess, enjoying the software's new options to display multiple boards at the same time, and if you are a Premium member, live grandmaster commentary will be provided on Playchess for every round by GM Daniel King, author of the best-selling Power Play series, and GM Lubomir Ftacnik.

A sample of the first round commentary by GM Daniel King, commenting and analyzing the moves of the game
as well as suggestions by the spectators in the chat. The variations and arrows can be saved for later replay by
all who are watching.

If you miss the live games, you can always watch the commentary after the fact, or get an abridged tale via the Daily Roundup show also hosted on Playchess. Again, if you miss the show, it remains available on the server at your disposal.

Schedule of Grandmaster Group A

Schedule of Grandmaster Group B

Schedule of Grandmaster Group C

Links Official tournament site "A" tournament games in PGN "B" tournament games in PGN "C" tournament games in PGN 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 the free PGN reader ChessBase Light, which gives you immediate access. You can also use the program to read, replay and analyse PGN games. New and enhanced: CB Light 2009!