Tata Steel Rd.7: Nak is back on top! (Free live GM commentary on Sunday!)

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 seven

The playing hall at Wijk aan Zee shared by both amateurs and world champions

At the midway point, Hikarua Nakamura is king, leading with an astounding 5.5/7 and 2942 performance, and once again in sole lead after Anand drew quickly with Carlsen. That said, his toughest trial is still ahead as he has yet to face Anand, Carlsen, and Kramnik no less.

On Sunday he will face Carlsen, the first of the Herculean tasks, and the live commentary on Playchess by GM Daniel King will be free for all, so don't miss it!

His game against Smeets was easily the most exciting of the round through and through. Both repeated the opening from Giri-Smeets which had led to mind-boggling complications, and it was clear Nakamura had come better prepared as he gained not only an edge but a huge advantage on the clock, to the point where he was up 40 minutes by move 24. This soon began to rebalance as he was forced to find his own moves with everyone trying to guess how it would unfold. Remarkably, Smeets managed to survive into the endgame, but at the cost of a pawn and an arduous defensive task. Nakamura's technique was once more up-to-task and he brought home the bacon.

Nakamura,Hi (2751) - Smeets,J (2662) [D44]
73rd Tata Steel GMA Wijk aan Zee NED (7), 22.01.2011 [Elshan Moradiabadi]

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.Bg5 dxc4

The Botvinnik system. This has become Smeets's pet line these days. A bold choice against an "in form" Nak! 6.e4 b5 7.e5 h6 8.Bh4 g5 9.Nxg5 hxg5 10.Bxg5 Nbd7 11.g3. The most accurate. 11.exf6 ef6 would give Black an extra option after 11...Bb7 12.g3 c5 13.d5 Nxf6 which is good enough for Black. That said, it is not a part of Smeets' fighting resume, since he avoided this continuation against Giri in round two and went for the main line instead. 11...Bb7. 11...Rg8 used to be a long story of its own, however, this messy line is now considered "unacceptable" for Black these days. 12.Bg2 Qb6 13.exf6 c5 14.d5 0-0-0 15.0-0 b4 16.Na4 Qb5 17.a3 exd5 18.axb4 cxb4 19.Bf4 Bh6

Both players are following the "footsteps" of Giri-Smeets which ended in a wild draw! 20.Qd2! Simple, new and of course: strong! Giri went for the less efficient 20.Bd6 20...Bxf4 21.Qxf4 Bc6 22.Qd4 Kb8 23.Rfe1 Rhe8

In this position, very typical of the Botvinnik System, White is winning. However, It is Nakamura who goes astray first! 24.Re7. The simple 24.Qf4+! would have sealed Smeets' fate earlier, since 24...Kc8 25.Re7 Qa5 would no longer work as in the game due to 26.Qd6! 24...Qa5. This move could have turned the tables, and though Nak has missed a chance, he stays cool and converts his advantage by consolidating his position. 25.Rxf7 Bxa4 26.Bxd5 Qc5 27.Qf4+ Ne5 28.Be4 Rd7 29.Rg7 Bb5 30.Rxd7 Bxd7 31.Bg6 Rf8 32.Re1 Qd6 33.Qxe5 Rxf6 34.Qxd6+ Rxd6

After many several inaccuracies, the sky is blue all of a sudden. It is easy to conclude "the rest is a matter of technique", nevertheless, that is for us with engines at hand, not for the players who have to compete with all the pressures including the clocks counting down!

35.Bf7! Prophylactic and precise! 35...Rd2 36.Bxc4 Rxb2 37.h4 Bg4 38.Kg2 a5 39.Re5 Rc2 40.Rb5+ Kc7 41.Bd5 Rd2 42.Bf7 Bd7 43.Rxa5 Bc6+ 44.Kf1 Bf3 45.Ra1 Kd6 46.Bb3. 46.Re1 cuts the king off from kingside and supports the h-pawn march to promotion. 46...Rd3 47.Rb1 Kc5 48.Ke1 Kb5 49.Bd1 Bxd1 50.Rxd1 Rc3

"All rook endings are drawn", once said Dr.Tarrasch. Well....I suppose he did not mean this one! 51.h5 b3 52.Kd2 Rc8 53.Rc1 Rf8 54.f4 Kb4 55.Rh1 Ka3 56.Ke3 b2 57.g4 Rc8 58.Rb1 Ka2 59.Rxb2+ Kxb2 60.h6 Kc3 61.g5 A fine game by Nakamura who with this win tops the leaderboard alone once more. 1-0. [Click to replay]

Kramnik and Aronian have also been sneaking up from behind, and are now tied for third after beating Giri and Grischuk respectively. Kramnik played a quieter opening, avoiding the sharpest continuations, in order to use his greater experience and positional knowledge to his advanatge. The choice was a success and he went inot an endgame in which he gave Giri the maximum amount of problems, from which Anish was unable to extricate himself.

Kramnik put on a show of technique showing why he is at the top of the pecking order

Kramnik,V (2784) - Giri,A (2686) [D85]
73rd Tata Steel GMA Wijk aan Zee NED (7), 22.01.2011 [Elshan Moradiabadi]

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Qa4+

An odd choice by Kramnik. 7...Qd7. 7...Nd7 is another fine choice. 8.Qb3 0-0 9.Be3 c5. This is *not* a novelty by the way. Just almost (one game found). 9...b6 is the main line according to statistics, though Giri's choice is not bad at all. 10.d5 e6?! seems dubious. 10...Qc7 11.Nf3 Nd7 12.Bd3 b5 seems to offer good counterplay, though Kramnik would no doubt have some improvement earlier in the line. 11.Bc4 exd5 12.Bxd5 Qc7 13.Ne2 Nd7 14.Bf4 Ne5

With his perfectly placed bishop on d5 White is clearly better. 15.0-0 c4 16.Qb4 Re8 17.Bg3 Rb8. To be honest, I do not think Giri blundered this pawn. On the contrary, it presents a good practical choice since it is really difficult to develop Black's pieces. 18.Qxc4 Qxc4 19.Bxc4 Bd7

20.Rfd1 Stylish! However, I'd still feel safer with that bishop on d5! 20...Nxc4 21.Bxb8 Ba4 22.Bxa7 Bxd1 23.Rxd1 Rxe4 In a sense, Giri has actually tricked Kramnik somehow. White's chances are vastly reduced now, however, as the saying in chess goes: "A pawn is a pawn!" 24.Rd8+ Bf8 25.Bc5 Rxe2 26.g4 Rxa2 27.g5?

Kramnik tries to weave a mating net. Unfortunately, the advance of the g-pawn now gives Giri a golden chance which... 27...Ne5? he lets slip away! Instead 27...Nd2! 28.Bxf8 f5! 29.gxf6 Kf7 30.Bh6 Nf3+ 31.Kg2 Nh4+ 32.Kh3 Nf5 33.Bg5 Rxf2 34.Rd7+ Kg8 35.c4 Rf3+ 36.Kg2 Rc3! would have given Black excellent drawing chances due to the lack of sufficient material, however, in practice it is still a long way before shaking hands. 28.Bxf8 f6 29.Be7+ Kf7 30.Bxf6 White is a pawn up now, and this time Kramnik does not any leave Giri a single chance. 30...Ra5 31.Kg2 Ng4 32.Rd7+ Ke6 33.Re7+ Kf5

34.Bd4! Excellent technique! White's bishop will outplay Black's knight. Kramnik has no interest in knowing whether Dr. Tarrasch is right this time after 34.Rxh7 Nxf6 35.gxf6 Kxf6 36.Rxb7 Rc5 Referring to his adage "All rook endings are drawn". 34...Kxg5 35.Rxh7 Ne5 36.Rxb7 Nc4 37.Rc7 Nd6 38.Be3+ Kf5 39.Kf3 Ra4 40.Bd4 Ke6 41.Rg7 Kf5 42.Ra7 Rxa7 43.Bxa7 Nc4 44.Bb8 Nb2 45.Bg3 Nc4 46.h3 g5 47.Ke2 Ke4 48.f3+ Kd5 49.Bc7 Ke6 50.Kd3 Kd5 51.f4 gxf4 52.Bxf4 Nb2+ 53.Kc2 Nc4 54.h4 Ke4 55.Bc1 Ne5 56.h5 Nd7 57.h6 Nf6 58.c4 Nh7 59.Kb3 A great game by Kramnik, whose odd opening choice worked out quite well. Giri fought well but his bold try was insufficient against Kramnik's technique! 1-0. [Click to replay]

Not all the draws were boring either, though the quick draw between Carlsen and Anand was certainly a disappointment to fans hoping to see a clash of the titans.

Not the most exciting battle of the tournament

Shirov, who has admittedly been having a terrible time at Wijk, played a fascinating battle agasint Wang Hao that ended in very hard to judge endgame with the Chinese GM trying his best to make his extra piece outweigh Shirov's pawns.

Wang Hao (2731) - Shirov,A (2722) [D11]
73rd Tata Steel GMA Wijk aan Zee NED (7), 22.01.2011 [Elshan Moradiabadi]

The most exciting draw of the day! 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.b3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 Ne4 7.0-0 f5

A stonewall! A very rare guest at the top level. I personally remember a fine exciting game between Karpov-Spassky from their Candidates Semifinal match (My Great Predecessors, volume 4...Right Mr.Short?!) 8.Ba3 Bxa3 9.Nxa3 0-0 10.b4 a5 11.Nc2 axb4 12.Nxb4 g5 13.Nd2 Qe7 14.a3 Ndf6 15.f3 c5!

16.dxc5?! Inaccurate and too optimistic in my opinion. Nc2 should be better objectively. 16...Qxc5 Very original, as one might expect from Shirov. Whether he is in form or not, he is fire on the board. Here his fire does not shoot him back, and Black has the initiative! 17.fxe4 dxe4 18.Be2 Qxe3+ 19.Kh1 Rd8 20.Ra2 Rxa3 21.Rxa3 Qxa3 22.Qb3 Qxb3 23.Nxb3

23...e3?? Terrible! Black loses a pawn for nothing! Instead he could have gone for 23...f4 24.c5 Kg7 25.Kg1 e3 which is not that easy for White. 24.Nc2 Ne4 Shirov might have forgotten about the pin on the f-file 25.Nxe3 Nc3 26.Re1 Nxe2 27.Rxe2

It is easy to say "White is a piece up". However, due to the amount of material left on the board it is not "that easy" to convert this position into a full point. 27...Rd3 28.Nc5 Ra3 29.Kg1 Kf7 30.Kf2 b6 31.Nc2 Rc3 32.Na4 Rxc4 33.Nxb6 Rf4+ 34.Kg1 Ba6 35.Re1 Bd3 36.Rc1 Ke7 37.Ne3 Rd4 38.Rc7+ Kd6 39.Rd7+ Kc5 40.Na4+! Wang Hao has done his best so far.Though, it may not be enough to win this game 40...Rxa4 41.Rxd3

This diagram deserves a full analysis in CBM! 41...Ra1+ 42.Kf2 Ra2+ 43.Kf3 h5

It is not at all clear how White can improve his position. 44.h3 g4+ 45.Kf4 Ra4+ 46.Kg5 f4 47.Nd1 e5 48.Rd2. 48.hxg4 hxg4 49.Kxg4 f3+! is the point! 48...f3 49.gxf3 gxh3 50.Nb2 Ra3 51.Nd3+ Kd4 52.Ne1+ Ke3 53.Rh2 Rc3 54.Nc2+ Kd3. 54...Rxc2 is also a draw! 55.Ne1+ Ke3 56.f4 exf4 57.Rxh3+ Kd4 58.Nf3+ Ke4 59.Nd2+ Kd4 60.Rh4 Ke3 61.Nf1+ Ke2 62.Rxf4 Rf3!

Shirov does not leave room for any "Norwegian Miracle"! 1/2-1/2. [Click to replay]

The "B" and "C" groups continue their unbelievably low draw-rate with only one draw each to six decisive games. The "B" group had a major shakeup with McShane going down to a mating attack from Le Quang who is just recovering from a disastrous start. Luke was rejoined not only by Efimenko who drew, but Wesley So who has won his last three games, against Ganguly, Fressinet and Navara no less, and is actually the top Elo performer at the moment with 2837.

17-year-old Wesley So has snuck up from behind to join the leaders in the "B" group

The "C" group saw no changes in the top rungs, with all Nyzhnyk, Vocaturo, and Lahno all winning their games. Nyzhnyk was the quickest to dispatch his opponent after several mistakes let him finish of Siebrecht's king with a mating attack in the center.

Oleksandr Sulypa, Vladimir Baklan and Ilya Nyzhnyk

Vocaturo also overcame his opponent with strong played and a mating attack, showing great resilience recovering from what had to have been a somewhat traumatic loss yesterday.

Lahno had a harder time of it, entering an opposite-colored bishop endgame against Bok, but showed far superior technique in its handling and eventually converted the position to her favor.

Kateryna Lahno, who has had a fantastic tournament so far, shares a moment with
the friendly GM Murats Kazhgaleyev.

Current standings after seven rounds

Grandmaster "A" tournament

Grandmaster "B" tournament

Grandmaster "C" tournament

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 10-minute sample of the Daily Roundup by GM Daniel King on the fourth round action.

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!