Wijk R11: Dominguez beats Aronian, Kamsky, Movsesian, Radjabov win

Results of round eleven

GM Group A

GM Group B

GM Group C

For whom the bell tolls

Round eleven report by Steve Giddins

With the final rest day out of the way, today we enter the concluding phase of the 2009 Wijk aan Zee tournament. Just three rounds remain, in which to resolve all the unanswered questions. Will Aronian be able to win the tournament for the third year in a row? Will Magnus Carlsen be able to build on his first win, and mount a serious challenge to retain the title he won last year? Will the two big surprises of the event, Movsesian and Dominguez, be able to maintain their high placings? Will Steve Giddins ever stop posing rhetorical questions.....? It is rather like that stage in the Olympic 10,000 metres final, when after half an hour or so of jogging round the track, with the runners testing one another with occasional injections of pace, the bell rings for the final lap, and all is decided in a last 400 metres of sprinting. Come to think of it, the analogy is especially apt, since by tradition, each day's round at Wijk aan Zee is started by the arbiter banging on a large gong. For whom will the bell toll at Wijk aan Zee this year?

The player facing the toughest run-in is without doubt Lenier Dominguez of Cuba. Over the first nine rounds, he accumulated +2, unbeaten, for a share of the lead. But without wishing in any way to disparage his performance, it has to be said that he had not played many of the favourites. In round ten he faced the first of what Vladimir Makagonov, the late Azeri master and Kasparov trainer, used to call "the crocodiles", namely Magnus Carlsen. Dominguez lost that game, and in the final three rounds, he has to navigate his way through some thoroughly crocodile-infested  waters, as he faces in turn Aronian, Ivanchuk and Kariakin. The first of those encounters was today's meeting with tournament leader, but the Cuban showed that he remains a major force to reckon with, inflicting the Armenian's first defeat of the tournament.

Cuban surprise: Lenier Dominguez Perez

Dominguez Perez,L (2717) - Aronian,L (2750) [C88]
Corus A Wijk aan Zee NED (11), 30.01.2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0–0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0–0 8.d4 Nxd4 9.Nxd4 exd4 10.e5 Ne8 11.c3 dxc3 12.Nxc3 d6

13.Bd5!? Not strictly new, but new at GM level. Rb8 14.Be3 Be6. 14...c5 was played in the only previous, amateur game I could find with this position. 15.Ba7 Bxd5 16.Bxb8 Bb7 17.Ba7 Qa8. 17...c5 looks critical, but Fritz 11 offers 18.Rc1 Qc7 19.b4 c4 (19...Ba8? 20.exd6 Bxd6 21.Bxc5) and the bishop escapes. 18.exd6 Bxd6 19.Bd4 b4 20.Na4 Bxg2 21.Rxe8 Qxe8. 21...Rxe8 22.Qg4. 22.Kxg2 c5 23.Be3 Qc6+ 24.f3 Re8 25.Bf2 c4. 25...Re6!? 26.Nb6 c3 27.bxc3 bxc3 28.Qd5 Qc7 29.Nc4 Bb4. 29...Bxh2 30.Qd3. 30.Rc1

30...Re2? The final mistake, but 30...Rc8 31.a3 Qxc4 32.Qxc4 Rxc4 33.axb4 is still much better for White. 31.Rxc3 h6 32.Re3 Rxa2 33.Re8+ Kh7 34.Ne3 Rxf2+ 35.Kxf2 Bc3 36.Kg2 1–0.. [Click to replay]

Not to be outdone by his rival for the title of "revelation of the tournament", Movsesian also strengthened his challenge, after van Wely's position collapsed in time-trouble.

Loek van Wely vs Sergei Movsesian in round eleven

Van Wely,L (2625) - Movsesian,S (2751) [A27]
Corus A Wijk aan Zee NED (11), 30.01.2009

1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Nf3 g6 4.g3 Bg7 5.Bg2 d6 6.d3 f5 7.0–0 Nf6 8.Rb1 a5 9.a3 0–0 10.b4 axb4 11.axb4 h6 12.b5 Ne7 13.Bb2 g5 14.Ra1 Rxa1 15.Qxa1 Be6 16.Qa7 b6 17.Rc1 Rf7 18.Nd2 Kh7 19.Qb7 g4 20.Ra1 h5

21.Ra8 Qd7 22.e3 h4 23.Ne2 h3 24.Bf1 Ng6 25.d4 f4 26.exf4 exf4 27.gxf4 d5 28.Qc6 dxc4 29.f5 Bxf5 30.Ng3 Be6 31.Bxc4 Bxc4 32.Nxc4 Nd5 33.Qxd7 Rxd7 34.Nf5 Bf6 35.Kf1 Rf7 36.Ra7 Bg5 37.Nfd6 Rf8 38.Ne4 Bf4 39.Ne5 Nxe5 40.dxe5 Bxh2

41.Ra4 Kg6 42.Rd4 Ne3+ 43.Ke2 Bxe5 44.fxe3 h2 0–1. [Click to replay]

The third member of the chasing group to win today was Taimour Radjabov, who outplayed Wang Yue impressively, in a typical King's Indian structure. White's attempts to establish a grip on e4 were never allowed to come to anything, and Black's active pieces gradually took over the position.

Wang Yue (2739) - Radjabov,T (2761) [E92]
Corus A Wijk aan Zee NED (11), 30.01.2009

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0–0 6.Be2 e5 7.Be3 Ng4 8.Bg5 f6 9.Bh4 g5 10.Bg3 Nh6 11.d5 Nd7 12.0–0 f5 13.exf5 Nxf5 14.Nd2 Nd4 15.Nde4 h6 16.Bg4 b6 17.f3 Nc5 18.Bxc8 Qxc8 19.Bf2 Qd7 20.Ng3 a5 21.Nce2 Nf5 22.Nxf5 Qxf5 23.Ng3 Qg6 24.Bxc5 bxc5 25.Qb1 Qxb1 26.Raxb1

26...e4 27.Nxe4 Bd4+ 28.Kh1 a4 29.h4 gxh4 30.Kh2 Rfb8 31.b3 axb3 32.axb3 Ra2 33.Rfd1 Kf7 34.Rd2 Ra3 35.Kh3 Raxb3 36.Rxb3 Rxb3 37.Kxh4 Kg6 38.Rc2 Rb1 39.Ng3 h5 40.f4 Bf6+

41.Kh3 Rb3 42.Kh2 h4 43.Ne2 Kf5 44.Ra2 Rb4 45.Ra8 Rxc4 46.Re8 Rb4 47.Re6 Rb3 48.g4+ hxg3+ 49.Nxg3+ Kg4 50.Ne2 Rb2 51.Kg2 Be5 52.Kf2 Bxf4 53.Re7 Kf5 54.Rf7+ Ke5 55.Kf3 Bd2 56.Rxc7 Kxd5 57.Ng3 Rb3+ 58.Kg2 Bf4 59.Ne2 Be5 60.Kf2 Ke4 61.Rh7 Rf3+ 62.Ke1 d5 63.Kd2 d4 64.Rh4+ Kd5 0–1. [Click to replay]

Whilst other members of the chasing pack were winning, Sergey Kariakin's chances took a severe knock. With the Slav proving so solid for Black at the moment, I guess it was only a matter of time before somebody tried playing it as White, and that somebody was Gata Kamsky. It proved a shrewd choice, since his young opponent reacted somewhat impulsively, allowed White to grab the c5-pawn, and was soundly clobbered.

Kamsky,G (2725) - Karjakin,Sergey (2706) [D02]
Corus A Wijk aan Zee NED (11), 30.01.2009

1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c3 c5 4.dxc5 g6 5.g3 Bg7 6.Bg2 0–0 7.0–0 Nc6 8.Qb3 Qa5 9.Qa3 Qc7

10.Bg5 Ne4 11.Be3 e5 12.Nbd2 f5 13.Rad1 Nf6 14.b4 Re8 15.Nb3 Ne4 16.b5 Ne7 17.Qc1 b6 18.Ng5 bxc5 19.c4 d4 20.Nxe4 fxe4 21.Bg5 Bb7 22.Bxe7 Rxe7 23.Qc2 Rf8 24.Bxe4 Bc8 25.Kg2 Bh6 26.Rd3 Kg7 27.Rf3 Rd8 28.h3 Be6 29.a4 a5 30.Bc6 Qb6

31.e4 dxe3 32.fxe3 Kg8 33.e4 Rd6 34.Bd5 Bxd5 35.cxd5 Rc7 36.Rc3 Rf6 37.Rxf6 Qxf6 38.Nxc5 Rf7 39.Qe2 Bd2 40.Rf3 Qg5 41.Ne6 1–0. [Click to replay]

Morozevich-Carlsen saw the players follow the former's game with Adams from an earlier round. Despite an attempted improvement, Morozevich obtained nothing against Carlsen's active defence, and the game ended in a draw:

Morozevich,A (2771) - Carlsen,M (2776) [E37]
Corus A Wijk aan Zee NED (11), 30.01.2009
Notes by Sergey Shipov, translation by Steve Giddins

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2. This move was first used at the top level by Alekhine. The idea is to force the exchange on c3, without incurring doubled pawns. The drawback of the move is White's slight deficit in development. The particular interest of this game is that both players have used the line successfully in the past, and have contributed to the theory of the line. So a couple of world experts are meeting! 4...d5. The most straightforward answer. Black tries to open the centre and create complications, as soon as possible. His king is ready to escape to the kingside, whereas the white monarch will have to remain uncastled for some time. 5.a3. White carries out the classical idea. 5...Bxc3+. If 5...Be7?! 6.cxd5 exd5 7.Bg5 we reach an Exchange QGD, with White having the extremely useful extra move a2-a3. 6.Qxc3 Ne4. A no less sharp struggle arises after 6...c5 7.dxc5 d4 and now the world's grandmasters are unable to agree on the best retreat for the queen – c2 or g3. 7.Qc2 c5. The consistent follow-up. 8.dxc5 Nc6. The only way! The number of pawns does not yet play a great role. The important thing is to bring the pieces into play as quickly as possible. Now is an important moment – should White exchange pawns on d5 or not? The further character of the battle will depend on this decision. 9.cxd5. The most aggressive, and also riskiest continuation! White opens the path of the c8 bishop, but strengthens his extra pawn. Heavy simplifications result from 9.e3 Qa5+ 10.Bd2 Nxd2 11.Qxd2 dxc4 12.Qxa5 Nxa5 13.Rc1 b5 14.cxb6 Bb7 and Black has enough initiative for the pawn. The analyses of the leading specialists in the line lead to a draw, on practically an empty board. 9...exd5. Not 9...Qxd5? 10.Be3! 10.e3. As can be seen, White has so far developed only his queen. Black has both knights on good central squares, he is ready to castle, and his bishop will soon come to f5.His development lead threatens to assume alarming proportions. But in modern chess, such general considerations and fierce words do not play a great role. Concrete analysis determines everything. 10...Bf5. 10...Qa5+ is now out of fashion, thanks to the exchange sacrifice seen in Kazimdzhanov-Karpov, Spain 2007: 11.b4! Nxb4 12.axb4 Qxa1 13.Bb5+ Kf8 14.Ne2 and whatever the computer might say, humans know that White's position is much easier to play.; 10...Qf6 was tried in a game Carlsen-Polgar, from Wijk aan Zee 2008, but without success: 11.f3! Qh4+ 12.g3 Nxg3 13.Qf2 Nf5 14.Qxh4 Nxh4 15.b4 a6 16.Kf2 Ne5 17.Bb2 f6 18.Rd1 Be6 19.Ne2 Bf7 20.Rg1 Nc4 21.Bc1 g5 22.Nc3 0–0–0 23.e4! and the white bishops destroyed Black. 11.Bd3 0–0. As on the previous move, 11...Qa5+ is again met by 12.b4 Nxb4 13.axb4 Qxa1 14.Ne2 For example, 14...Bd7 15.f3 Ba4 16.Qb2 Qxb2 17.Bxb2 Nf6 18.Nd4 Bd7 19.b5 Rc8 20.Ba3 a6 21.bxa6 bxa6 22.Kd2 Bb5 23.Bxb5+ axb5 24.c6 Kd8 25.Rc1 and Black could not contain his opponent's initiative. Drozdovskij-Brodsky Poltava 2008. 12.Nf3 Qa5+ 13.Nd2. Necessary. Now after 13.b4 Nxb4 14.axb4 Qxa1 15.Nd4 (which nobody has played), there follows a nice exchange of tactical blows: 15...Ng3! 16.Nb3! Qa6! with, as they say, "a complicated struggle!"13...Nxd2 14.Bxd2 Bxd3 15.Qxd3 Qxc5 16.Rc1. Novelty. Sasha improves on his own play. In an earlier round at Wijk an Zee, the game Morozevich-Adams went 16.Bc3 d4 17.Bxd4 Nxd4 18.Qxd4 Qb5 19.0–0–0 Qf5 20.e4 Qg5+ 21.Kb1 Rad8 22.f4 Rxd4 23.fxg5 Rxe4 24.Rd7 Rg4 25.g3 Rxg5 26.Rxb7 a5 and Black equalized. 16...Qb6 17.0–0. I like Morozevich's idea. There is harmony in his ranks. Taking on b2 is clearly not good, since the white rook gets to b7. 17...Rad8. 17...d4 does not equalize. I would then suggest 18.b4 After exchanges in the centre, White retains some initiative.

18.f4. But what is this? The move looks antipositional, weakening the square e4 and the pawn on e3. But how can Black exploit this? maybe he can't! Meanwhile, the advance of the pawn to f4 has a concrete idea, namely to deprive the black knight on the e5 square, via which it can get to c4 after b2-b4. So maybe my first reaction was too emotional. Probably Sasha did not invent this idea over the board, but found it at home, so it needs to be taken seriously. 18...Rfe8. After 18...d4 19.e4! the f4-pawn would be doubly useful. 19.b4. Correct. The black knight is restricted on all sides. White's play looks a bit odd, but I have already said that general considerations nowadays play less of a role than specifics. We will see what transpires...Magnus is thinking hard. He has made all the obvious moves and now needs to find a plan. One idea for White is Rf3-h3. 19...h6. My previous note explains this move. I also looked at the direct attempt to bring the knight to f5: 19...Ne7 20.Rf3 Qe6 21.f5 (21.Rc7 Qb6 22.Rc1 Qe6) 21...Qe4 22.Qf1 an then the rook will go to f4, the queen to d3, and a complicate struggle ensues, which is hard to judge. ; The prospect of the white bishop coming to c3 makes me think alos about 19...f6 followed by Nc6-e7 and Qb6-e6. 20.h3. Giving up on Rh3 as an idea, but making luft and waiting to see what Black will do. 20...a6. Black also waits. Less belligerent grandmasters might play 20...Ne7 21.Bc3 Nc6! 22.Bd2 Ne7 23.Bc3 Nc6 and shake hands. 21.Rc5. White returns to the strategy of pressure in the centre. Black must be tied down to the d5 pawn, reducing his control over d4, and only then will White seek a target on one flank or other. 21...a5. A logical response. The rook on c5 prevents the natural reply b4-b5, so the b4 pawn becomes a target for Black. 22.Rfc1. The centre of the battle shifts to the queenside. Winning a pawn by 22.Rb5 Qa6 23.bxa5 allows the counterblow 23...d4 24.e4 Na7 25.Rb3 (25.a4 Nxb5 26.axb5 Qe6 hardly offers sufficient compensation.) 25...Qxd3 26.Rxd3 Rxe4 27.Rb1 Rd7 and Black has nothing to complain about. 22...axb4 23.axb4 Re4. Carlsen counterattacks decisively. The b4 pawns can not escape the attention it has attracted from the black pieces. Magnus ignores the threat to the d5 pawn, because he sees the counter-threat against e3. 24.Kh2. 24.Rxd5 Rxd5 25.Qxd5 Rxe3! (25...Rxb4 is also not bad, eg. 26.Kh2 (26.Bxb4?? Qxe3+) 26...Rb1 27.Rc4 Qb3 again forcing exchanges.) 26.Rc5 (26.Bxe3?? Qxe3+ 27.Kh1 Qxc1+) 26...Re8 27.Bc3 Rd8 28.Qe4 Qc7 29.b5 Qd6 equalizes completely. 24...Rc4! Yet another cunning move by the Norwegian. This time, the target is the bishop on d2, which is being x-rayed by the rook on d8. Unfortunately, barring something remarkable, the next few moves are likely to see a total simplification of the position. The only hope is Morozevich's unquenchable fighting spirit! Less convincing is 24...Nxb4 because White does not have to exchange minor pieces. He can play 25.Qb3 (or 25.Qb1 I am not sure which is better.) with an unpleasant pin. 25.R1xc4. What else can one play, if all other moves favour Black? For example, after 25.R5xc4 dxc4 26.Qe2 Qa6 Black defends the c4 pawn, because of 27.Rxc4? Rxd2! 25...dxc4 26.Qe2 Nxb4 27.Rxc4. Sasha avoids exchanges. And not without reason. After 27.Bxb4 Qxb4 28.Rxc4 (28.Qxc4 Qxc4 29.Rxc4 b5!) 28...Qe7 the outside passed b-pawn gives Black grounds to play for a win. 27...Nd3. However, now the knight will be very strong. With its support, the passed pawn can reach b4 or b2. For the moment, this is still something of a dream, but grandmasters make a living by dreaming of the distant future... 28.Rd4. Realising the danger, Sasha hurries to restore the game to drawish channels. The clock times are now 0.19 - 0.49. 28...Rxd4. Trying to transfer the knight to e6 can also bring problems to Black, as White activates his pieces by 28...Nc5 29.Bc3 whilst he can eliminate the e6 outpost at any moment by f4-f5. 29.exd4 Qxd4. A white-square blockade by 29...Qb5 fails because of the bad position of the knight: 30.Qe4! and it cannot be brought to d5. 30.Qe8+ Kh7 31.Qxf7 Qe4

A last attempt to impose some control. Pushing the b-pawn results in its loss: 31...b5? 32.Qf5+. 32.f5. This counterattack saves White. 32...Qe5+. Now 32...b5 is met by 33.Bc3 and winning the bishop leads to perpetual: 33...Qf4+ 34.Kh1 Qc1+ 35.Kh2 Qxc3 36.Qg6+ Kg8 37.Qe8+ etc.; whilst the variation 32...Nf4 33.Bxf4 Qxf4+ 34.Kg1 Qc1+ 35.Kh2 Qc6 gets nowhere because of the blow 36.f6! Qxf6 37.Qxb7. 33.Kh1. The only remaining question is who will give the perpetual check. 33...Nf2+ 34.Kg1 Ne4. 34...Nxh3+ 35.gxh3 Qd4+ 36.Kf1 Qxd2 37.Qg6+ Kg8 38.Qe8+ ends in the same perpetual. 35.Bf4. The same idea - deflecting the queen from covering e8. But it was not yet time for the flashy 35.Bxh6? because of 35...Qd4+ 36.Kh1 Qd1+ 37.Kh2 Qd6+. 35...Qd4+ 36.Kh2 Nf6 37.Bxh6 Qe5+ 38.Kh1 Qe1+ 39.Kh2 Ng4+ 40.hxg4 Qh4+ 41.Kg1 Qe1+ draw. [Click to replay]

Adams-Ivanchuk saw a Panov Caro-Kann simplify to a mutual IQP structure, where a draw was always far the most likely result. The agreement came on move 37, in a symmetrical R+B ending. Smeets and Stellwagen saw early simplification to a rooks and opposite-coloured bishop ending, in which White held a srong initiative, despite his broken pawns. However, he failed to capitalise, and the game was drawn on move 35.

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Schedule and results of Grandmaster Group A

Schedule and results of Grandmaster Group B

Schedule and results of Grandmaster Group C

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