The Corus Chess Tournament

Wijk aan Zee, 9th-25th January 2004



Irina Sudakova WIM Irina Sudakova annotates the games of the 5th round:




Hello, dear friends! Today it's me WIM Irina Sudakova who will annotate the games of the super-tournament. Since yesterday 5 games have finished by result (as many as in the first 3 rounds), today I think more than half of the games will be drawn. But I hope, participants will please us by interesting games. In the 5th round the central games(as usually though) are the games of the World Champions: Svidler - Anand and Shirov - Kramnik.

Leko - Adams 1/2
After 11...Bе6.
Berlin variation is played, contenders did not show anything new yet, probably everything is just beginning right now. But taking into account the style of play of Peter and Michael, it seems to me that noone of them will be able to outwit each other.
After 64.Kg3
At one moment Adams's position was quite suspicious. By way of 27.b4! Leko won a pawn and seemed Black hardly keeps the position. But then White let out his chances and now the game should be drawn.

Svidler - Anand 1/2
After 20...0-0
An open variation of Rui Lopez - the testing of "homework" of both contenders. Boleslavsky with Korchnoi played 14.Nf1 in 1966, 14.Nb3 met in the game of unknown for me players only (Borsos - Karsa, 1991). 16.Be3 - a novelty of Peter (according to my base). In this position 21.c6 looks very strong - and it's not clear what to do for Black, if 21...Bc5 then 22.Bс5 with sufficient advantage at White.
After 29...Rd8
Anand took back one of lost pawns and now there is the ending, which very difficult to defence. I think Peter will outplay contender gradually.
After 71...Qe5
It's interesting why Petr didn't take h4-pawn 52.Qh6+? Seems after that the win could be obtained without big difficulties. And why not 51.b3 with idea a4? Now the fight continue but White's plan it's not clear.
After the exchange b-pawn on f-pawn and several checks the opponents agreed on a draw.

Shirov - Kramnik 1/2
After 10...f6
Spectators always wait for the "fire on the board" from Aleksei, that's why his opening choice(Sicilian with 3.Bb5) is rather dissappointed. Vladimir is trying to fortify his position to the maximum and then to catch an initiative.
11.e5 fe 12.Be5 (impossible to play Ne5 due to Qd4) Bh3! - Black has an extra pawn, I do not know if it was a sacrifice or blunder, but in any case the initiaive of White looks evidently not enough.
Shirov traded all the minor pieces, took the semi-open file "e", attacked the e7-pawn. Kramnik did not find the ways to improve his position and was contented with perpetual check.

Bologan - Timman 0-1
After 9...c5.
French defence with 2.d3 - probably Viorel is going to strike up a prolonged struggle, giving to contender the chance to mistake, since it happens very often with Jan lately...
After 16...d4.
White transfered his Queen from a4 to g4, attack of White looks dangerous, Timman is trying to open position at the center.
After 33.Rd8
However, as it turned out the arguments of Black were heavier - White had to open position at the center, since it was impossible to suffer the d3-pawn. But Black transfered his Bishop to g6 and then the attack of White has stopped, but the dangerous black passed pawn remained. With the help of 30.c5 and 31.Raa4! White could annihiliate this pawn, but for that he had to lose one more pawn. In appeared ending White keeps some chances for a draw.
Timman outplayed contender gradually, 60.Bg4 Ke2 (zugzwang) 61.Bd7 Bh5 with idea g4-g3, White resigned.

Zhong - Bareev 1/2
After 11.Kf1
Here is another version of the variation 2.d3 in French defence. Evgeny has prefered the plan with 4... e5 and more definite position.
After 21...Bd7.
White did not get any opening advantage and Black is improving his position gradually - he has traded his dark-squared Bishop, gained the room on the Q-side, turned out white Knight from e4 - Bareev is attacking on all the board.
After 30.Qe3
Black transfered his forces to K-side, won the pawn and keeps on attacking. There even was not need to sacrifice anything for that. :)
It is strange, but Bareev lost all his advantage. To my mind, it was better 33...Qe2, trading the Queens, but the ending was not so clear though.
The draw.

van Wely - Topalov 1/2
After 15...0-0-0.
Rather interesting ending soon after opening - Black has a poor pawn structure, but his pieces are more active. In my opinion, White will solve the problem of development soon and then Black will have the problems.
After 26.Ra4.
White sacrificed the pawn to neutrilize the initiative of Black, most likely the game will be drawn.
And it is. :)

Akopian - Sokolov 1-0
After 15...Rе8
The typical "Spanish" position on the board - all the struggle is ahead.
After 26.Nh4
There is still complicated position, but in my opinion White has some advantage due to the pair of strong Bishops and more active position, besides black Queen cannot find good position.
Akopian has realized his advantage in an excellent style . 30...Ng3 has lead to the forced losing, but doubtfully if there was something that could influence on the result of the game. Behind the curtain left such a variation 33...Nf6 34.Qh7 Nh7 35.Ng6, mate.
Bravo Vladimir!