Corus, Wijk aan Zee 2008. Round 10 22nd January 2008. Comments by Mark Crowther.

Magnus Carlsen leads by a half a point going into the final rest day but only after a huge slice of luck against Loek van Wely who turned a win to a loss in three moves. In second is Levon Aronian and then there are Adams, Anand, Radjabov, Ivanchuk and Kramnik a futher half point behind.

Loek Van Wely against Magnus Carlsen in Round 10 Photo © Mark Crowther

Magnus Carlsen extended his lead but only after playing very badly in the opening against Loek van Wely. He played the Benko Gambit and bashed his moves out pretty quickly but by move 20 he was flat busted and at that point he started to think. Van Wely was on the verge of reaching first time control when he lost the advantage and then his move 41 lost him the game.

Van Wely,L (2681) - Carlsen,M (2733) [A58]
Corus A Wijk aan Zee NED (10), 23.01.2008

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6 5.bxa6 g6 6.Nc3 Bxa6 7.Nf3 d6 8.g3 Bg7 9.Bg2 Nbd7 10.Rb1 Qa5 11.Bd2 Nb6 12.b3 Qa3 [12...Bb7 13.0-0 0-0 14.a4 Rad8 15.Qc2 Qa8 16.e4 Ng4 17.h3 Ne5 18.Nxe5 Bxe5 19.Nb5 Rc8 20.Bc3 c4 21.a5 cxb3 22.Qxb3 Nc4 23.Nxd6 exd6 24.Bxe5 dxe5 25.Qxb7 Nd2 26.Qxa8 Rxa8 27.Ra1 Nxf1 28.Bxf1 f5 29.a6 Rf6 30.f4 fxe4 31.fxe5 Rf5 32.Bb5 Rxe5 33.Bc6 Ra7 34.Kf2 e3+ 35.Ke2 Kf7 36.Bb7 Re7 1/2-1/2 Gladyszev,O (2443)-Kostin,A (2385)/Sochi RUS 2004/The Week in Chess 496] 13.0-0 0-0 14.Ne1 Bb7 15.Nc2 Qa6 16.e4 Ne8?! Perhaps the start of a dubious plan. 17.a4 Nc7 18.Re1 Rae8? This has to come back in a couple of moves. Carlsen was playing very quickly here, he soon slowed down. 19.b4 Nd7 20.Nb5 Rc8 21.Bh3 Black is completely busted. 21...f5 22.Bg5 Ne5 23.bxc5 [23.Bxe7 was an alternative.] 23...Qxa4 24.Nxc7 Rxc7 25.c6 Bc8 26.exf5 Rxf5 27.f4 Nc4 28.Rb4 Qa7+ 29.Kg2 [29.Kh1] 29...Qc5 30.Rb8 Nb2 31.Qf3 Qxc2+ 32.Re2 Qb1 33.Bxf5 [33.Bxe7 Bd4 34.Bxf5 Qxf5 35.Bxd6] 33...Qxf5 34.g4 Qf7 35.Bxe7 h5 36.Bxd6 hxg4 37.Qe4 Kh7 38.Bxc7?! [38.Rexb2 looks a simple way to win allowing white to stay in touch with the d-pawn.] 38...Bf5

39.Qe3 [39.Qe7; 39.Rh8+!! simplifying to a won ending would have been the easiest. 39...Kxh8 40.Qe8+] 39...Qxd5+ 40.Kg3 Nc4 Black is probably already equal. 41.Qf2? Now white is losing. In spite of having more time after the first time control is passed Van Wely blunders. 41...Qd3+ 42.Kg2 Be4+ 43.Rxe4 Qxe4+ 44.Kf1 Qd3+ 45.Qe2 Nd2+ 46.Ke1 Nf3+ 47.Kf1 Nxh2+ 48.Ke1 Bc3+ 49.Kf2 g3+ Van Wely must be feeling horrible. 0-1

Pavel Eljanov against Ivanchuk in Round 10 Photo © Mark Crowther

Vassily Ivanchuk gradually outplayed Pavel Eljanov on the black side of a Closed Catalan. Ivanchuk's technique allowed him to convert an extra pawn quite smoothly. This moves Ivanchuk to +1 and into a big tie for 3rd.

Eljanov,P (2692) - Ivanchuk,V (2751) [E00]
Corus A Wijk aan Zee NED (10), 23.01.2008

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 Bb4+ 4.Bd2 Be7 5.Bg2 d5 6.Nf3 c6 7.0-0 Nbd7 8.Nc3 0-0 9.Bf4 Nh5 10.Bc1 Nhf6 11.Bf4 [11.b3 b6 12.Nd2 Ba6 13.e4 Rc8 14.Bb2 dxe4 15.Ncxe4 Qc7 16.Re1 c5 17.d5 exd5 18.Nc3 Rfe8 19.Nxd5 Nxd5 20.Bxd5 1/2-1/2 Roiz,M (2560)-Lputian,S (2634)/Calvia ESP 2004/The Week in Chess 520] 11...Nh5 12.Bc1 Nhf6 13.Nd2 b5 14.cxb5 cxb5 15.Nxb5 Qb6 16.Qa4 Bb7 17.Nc3 Bc6 18.Qc2 Qxd4 19.Nb3 Qb6 20.Be3 Qa6 21.Nd4 Bb7 22.Bg5 Rfc8 23.Rfc1 e5 24.Nf5 Bf8 25.Qd3 Qe6 26.Nh4 h6 27.Bxf6 Nxf6 28.Qd1 Rab8 29.e3 d4 Ivanchuk has a nice advantage. 30.exd4 Bxg2 31.Nxg2 Rxb2 32.dxe5 Qxe5 33.Qe1 Bd6 34.Nd5 Rxc1 35.Nxf6+ Qxf6 36.Rxc1 Rxa2 37.Nf4 Qf5 38.Qe3 a5 39.Qd4 Bf8 40.Qd8 Qe4 41.Nd5 Re2 42.Rf1 Qa4 43.Nc3 Re8 44.Qc7 Qa3 45.Rd1 Bb4 46.Qd7 Kf8 47.Nd5 Qf3 48.Nxb4 axb4 49.Rb1 b3 50.Qb5 Re2

Ivanchuk converts nicely. 51.Qb8+ Ke7 52.Qc7+ Kf6 53.Qb6+ Kf5 54.h3 f6 55.Qd4 b2 56.Kf1 Rc2 0-1

Vladimir Kramnik against Boris Gelfand in Round 10 Photo © Mark Crowther

Vladimir Kramnik pressed for a long time against Boris Gelfand but his advantage looked more imaginary than real.

Kramnik,V (2799) - Gelfand,B (2737) [E15]
Corus A Wijk aan Zee NED (10), 23.01.2008

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Ba6 5.b3 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 Be7 7.Bg2 c6 8.0-0 d5 9.Qc2 Nbd7 10.Rd1 0-0 11.a4 c5 12.Na3 Bb7 13.Qb2 Rc8 14.Rac1 Ne4 15.Be1 Bf6 16.b4 Ba8 17.e3 cxd4 18.exd4 dxc4 19.Ne5 [19.Nxc4 Ng5 20.Nxg5 Bxg5 21.f4 Bf6 22.Bxa8 Rxa8 23.Ne5 Rc8 24.Nc6 Qe8 25.b5 Nb8 26.Nxa7 Rxc1 27.Qxc1 Qd7 28.Nc6 Rc8 29.Bf2 Nxc6 30.bxc6 Rxc6 31.Qb1 Qd5 32.Qb5 Qf3 33.Qd3 Qd5 34.Qb5 Qxb5 35.axb5 Rd6 36.Rc1 Rd5 37.Rb1 Bxd4 38.Bxd4 Rxd4 39.Rc1 g5 40.fxg5 Rd5 41.h4 Rxb5 42.Rc8+ Kg7 43.Kg2 h5 44.gxh6+ Kxh6 45.g4 Rb3 46.Rc7 Kg7 47.h5 Kf6 48.Rc8 Kg5 49.Rg8+ Kh6 50.Rh8+ Kg7 51.Rb8 f6 52.Rb7+ Kh6 53.Rf7 Kg5 54.Rg7+ Kf4 55.h6 Rb2+ 56.Kh3 Rb3+ 57.Kh2 Rb2+ 58.Kh3 Rb3+ 59.Kh2 1/2-1/2 Kramnik,V (2807)-Polgar,J (2681)/Moscow RUS 2002/The Week in Chess 410] 19...Bg5 20.f4 Be7 21.Naxc4 f5 22.Ne3 Rxc1 23.Qxc1 Ndf6 24.Nc6 Qc7 25.b5 Nd5 26.Nxd5 exd5 27.Nxe7+ Qxe7 28.Qb2 Rc8 29.Rc1 Rc4 30.Bf1 Nd6 31.Qa3 Qe4 32.Bf2 Rxc1 33.Qxc1 Nc4 34.Qd1 Bb7 35.Bd3 Qe6 36.Qh5 Nd6 37.Qe2 Qxe2 38.Bxe2 Kf7 39.Be1 Bc8 40.Kf2 Nc4 41.Bb4 g6 42.Ke1 a6 43.bxa6 Bxa6 44.Bc3 Bb7 45.Kf2 Bc6 46.Bd1 Nd6 47.Ke3 Ke6 48.Bb3

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Teimour Radjabov against Veselin Topalov in Round 10 Photo © Mark Crowther

Teimour Radjabov's Scotch seemed to have Veselin Topalov in real trouble but he then had time troubles of his own and at first time control the position was already level

Radjabov,T (2735) - Topalov,V (2780) [C45]
Corus A Wijk aan Zee NED (10), 23.01.2008

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Bc5 5.Nxc6 Qf6 6.Qf3 bxc6 7.Nd2 Qxf3 8.gxf3 d5 9.Rg1 g6N [9...Ne7 10.Nb3 Bd6 11.Rxg7 (11.c4 dxe4 12.fxe4 f5 13.c5 Be5 14.f4 Bf6 15.e5 Bh4+ 16.Kd1 Be6 17.Rxg7 0-0-0+ 18.Kc2 Ng6 19.Ba6+ Kb8 20.Be3 Be7 21.Nd4 Bd5 22.Rd1 Bxc5 23.Nxc6+ Bxc6 24.Rxd8+ Rxd8 25.Bxc5 Be4+ 26.Kb3 Nxf4 27.Rxh7 Nd3 28.Be7 f4 29.Rh5 Re8 30.Kc3 Bf3 31.Rg5 Nf2 32.Rf5 Ng4 33.Rxf4 Nxh2 34.Bf6 Bd5 35.Kd4 c6 36.Kc5 Nf3 37.Rb4+ Kc7 38.Rb7+ Kc8 39.Re7+ Kd8 40.Rxa7+ 1-0 Jones,G (2526)-Michalczak,T (2324)/Porto San Giorgio 2007) 11...Ng6 12.Bh6 Bxh2 13.0-0-0 Bd6 14.Bg5 h5 15.c4 dxe4 16.fxe4 1/2-1/2 Radjabov,T (2746)-Motylev,A (2648)/Biel 2007] 10.Nb3 Bd6 11.h4 dxe4 12.fxe4 Nf6 13.f3 0-0 14.Be3 a5 15.0-0-0 Re8 16.Bg5 Nh5 17.a4 Kg7 18.Bd2 Bf4 19.Bd3 f6 20.Nd4 c5 21.Nf5+ Kf8 22.Bb5 Bxf5 23.Bxe8 Bxe4 24.Bb5 Bf5 25.Rge1

White is the exchange up but things are still not so simple. 25...Bg3 26.Bh6+ Ng7 27.Rh1 Be6 28.Bd7 Ke7 29.Bc6 Rg8 30.Be3 Bd6 31.Rhe1 Rb8 32.Bd2 Be5 33.Bc3 Rb6 34.Bxe5 Rxc6 35.Bc3 Nf5 36.h5 gxh5 37.Bxa5 h4 38.b3 h3 39.Rd2 Nh4 40.Rf1 h5 White had to hurry to make time control and he really doesn't have anything anymore. 41.c4 Ng2 42.Re2 1/2-1/2

Michael Adams against Levon Aronian in Round 10 Photo © Mark Crowther

Michael Adams walked right into his opponents preparation as white for the 3rd time in a rown and had to settle for a quick draw against Levon Aronian.

Adams,Mi - Aronian,L [C88]
Corus Wijk aan Zee (10), 23.01.2008

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.Qf3 Be6 14.Nd5 Rc8 15.Bf4 dxe5 16.Nxe7+ [16.Bxe5 Bd6 17.Rad1 Bxe5 18.Rxe5 Bxd5 19.Rexd5 Nd6 20.Qf4 Qe7 21.Re5 Qf6 22.Qxf6 gxf6 23.Rc5 Rfd8 24.Rdc1 Re8 25.g3 Re2 26.Rxc7 Rxc7 27.Rxc7 Rxb2 28.Rc6 Ne4 29.Rxa6 Nc5 30.Ra8+ Kg7 31.Bd5 Rd2 32.Bc6 b4 33.Ra7 Kf8 1/2-1/2 Henrichs,T (2483)-Gustafsson,J (2584)/Koenigshofen GER 2007/The Week in Chess 638] 16...Qxe7 17.Bxe5 Nd6 18.Bxe6 fxe6 19.Qc6 Qe8 20.Rac1 Nc4 21.Qe4 Qf7

Aronian might be a tiny bit better but he's happy with a draw as black. 1/2-1/2

Viswanathan Anand against Peter Lékó in Round 10 Photo © Mark Crowther

Peter Leko had looked at his novelty 9...b4 but not in detail. He thought such analysis wasn't necessary. This obvious move seemed to equalise very easily and the game was drawn in 19 moves.

Anand,V - Leko,P [C84]
Corus Wijk aan Zee (10), 23.01.2008

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.d3 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.a4 Bd7 9.Bd2 b4N A novelty that Peter Leko hadn't looked at in detail, he just thought it a good move. [9...0-0 10.axb5 axb5 11.Nc3 Rb8 12.h3 Qc8 13.Bg5 Nb4 14.Qe2 h6 15.Bd2 Be6 16.d4 Bxb3 17.cxb3 Qe8 18.Rac1 Bd8 19.d5 Na6 20.Be3 Rb7 21.Ra1 Nb4 22.Rfc1 c5 23.dxc6 Nxc6 24.Ra6 Na5 25.Nd2 b4 26.Na4 Rc7 27.Rd1 Rc6 28.Qd3 Rxa6 29.Qxa6 Qc6 30.Qxc6 Nxc6 31.Nc4 Nxe4 32.Nxd6 Nxd6 33.Rxd6 Na5 34.Rd5 Nxb3 35.Rxe5 Bc7 36.Rb5 Rd8 37.Kf1 Bd6 38.Rd5 Be7 39.Rxd8+ Bxd8 40.Ke2 Be7 41.Kd3 Na1 42.Nb6 f5 43.Nd5 Bd6 44.Bd2 b3 45.Bb4 Be5 46.Bc3 Bd6 47.Ne3 g6 48.Nc4 Bc5 49.f3 g5 50.Nd2 Bf2 51.g4 fxg4 52.fxg4 h5 53.Ne4 hxg4 54.Nxf2 gxh3 55.Nxh3 g4 56.Nf4 Kf7 57.Ke3 Nc2+ 58.Ke4 Ke7 59.Nd5+ Kd6 60.Ne3 1-0 Kosintseva,N (2475)-Shen Yang (2439)/Nizhniy Novgorod RUS 2007/The Week in Chess 668] 10.c3 Anand reacted correctly. 10...0-0 11.h3 Rb8 12.Bc4 Qc8 13.Re1 Be6 14.Bxe6 Qxe6 15.d4 exd4 16.Nxd4 Nxd4 17.cxd4 d5 18.exd5! White has equalised and black even has to be slightly careful. 18...Qd7 19.Bg5

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Shakhriyar Mamedyarov against Judit Polgar in Round 10 Photo © Mark Crowther

Shakhriyar Mamedyarov and Judit Polgar played to a sterile position in a French Defence in only 28 moves. Judit Polgar played the French for the first time in memory and an unusual variation at that. She equalised pretty quickly.

Mamedyarov,S - Polgar,Ju [C10]
Corus Wijk aan Zee (10), 23.01.2008

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nd7 5.g3 b6 6.Bg2 Rb8 7.Ne2 Bb7 8.0-0 Ngf6 9.N2c3 Be7 [9...Nxe4 10.Nxe4 Be7 11.Qg4 g6 12.Qe2 0-0 13.Rd1 Qc8 14.c4 Re8 15.Bf4 Nf6 16.Ng5 Bxg2 17.Kxg2 Qb7+ 18.Qf3 Nh5 19.Be3 Qxf3+ 20.Nxf3 c6 21.a4 Nf6 22.Ne5 Rec8 23.Rd3 Ne4 24.Bf4 Rb7 25.Re1 Nd6 26.d5 cxd5 27.cxd5 exd5 28.Rxd5 f6 29.Nf3 Nf5 30.Red1 Rc2 31.R1d2 Rxd2 32.Rxd2 Kf7 33.Rc2 Rd7 34.g4 Ng7 35.Rc8 Ne6 36.Be3 Bc5 37.Bd2 Nd4 38.Be3 Nb3 39.Bf4 a5 40.Rc6 Nd4 41.Rc8 Nxf3 42.Kxf3 Rd3+ 43.Be3 Rb3 44.Rc7+ Ke6 45.Rxh7 g5 46.h4 gxh4 47.Rxh4 Bxe3 48.fxe3 Rxb2 49.Rh8 Rb4 50.Rb8 Kd5 51.Rf8 Rxa4 52.Rxf6 b5 53.g5 Ra1 54.Ra6 a4 55.g6 Rg1 1/2-1/2 Solozhenkin,E (2565)-Zakharevich,I (2485)/Elista 1996] 10.Re1 0-0 11.Bf4 b5 12.Nxf6+ Nxf6 13.Bxb7 Rxb7 14.Qf3 Rb6 15.Rad1 b4 16.Ne4 Nxe4 17.Qxe4 c6 18.c4 bxc3 19.bxc3 Qd7 20.c4 Rd8 21.d5 cxd5 22.cxd5 Qb7 23.d6 Qxe4 24.Rxe4 Bf8 25.Rc4 f6 26.Be3 Rbxd6 27.Rxd6 Bxd6 28.Ra4 There is nothing left of interest in the position.

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