The Corus Chess Tournament

Wijk aan Zee, 9th-25th January 2004



Evgeny Alekseev GM Evgeny Alekseev annotates the games of the 7th round:




Shirov - Timman 1-0
Bologan - Sokolov 1-0
Svidler - Topalov 1-0
Zhong - Anand 0-1
van Wely - Leko 1/2
Akopian - Adams 1/2
Bareev - Kramnik 1/2

Hello, dear chess lovers! After slightly sluggish first 3 rounds now it's going on a very interesting and excited fight with a great effectiveness. The central meetings in the 7th round there are the games Bareev - Kramnik, Svidler - Topalov and Akopian - Adams.
Bareev - Kramnik 1/2
In this game the fight practically didn't come in. Bareev was disappointed at his defeat in the previous round and has chosen a calm variation in Nimzo defence, expecting to get a slightly better position without any risk. White has got a slightly better endgame. Certainly Kramnik was satisfied with a draw since in this tournament he stakes on white color and this still justified. Bareev was able to play this endgame but he didn't want to do it.

Akopian - Adams
In Catalon opening White failed to get any advantage since his Knight too long moved to c4-square. The position is absolutely equal and probably draw is inavitable.

Bologan - Sokolov
After 2 defeats in a row Bologan has got to a complicated position. He certainly will try to win today theremore that he lost a game to Sokolov on the tournament in Iseland in a winning position.
After 17th move White has a certain advantage but the position is a complicated one. White should strive to attack Black's King by way of h4,g4,g5, meanwhile Black to break White's center or to exchange as many pieces as possible.
Viorel skilfully has used the space advantage. Leading 23.d5, he managed to win a pawn for the cost of opposition of the Rook and Queen. After that d-pawn passed to a Queen directly. After the exchange of d-pawn on a-pawn White managed to put it on a6 and the result of the game don't beyond any doubt. White should win.
It happened so as we ought to expect. Black was forced to give away a piece for a pawn. A first Bologan's win in this tournament.

Svidler - Topalov
Partners played a popular Najdorf variation in Sicilian defence. After 14.Qf2 came in a long forced line where White either miscalculated or had an error in his hope preparation. In any case he remained without a pawn and has not a sufficient initiative for it.
24...Kf7 was a rush mistake since after that White energically began to creat a strong attack on the Black's King. Instead of this move after 24...d5 25.Rb3 Qc5 Topalov would have a better position. The position was unclear but unhappy acts of the Black's Queen decided the result of the game in White's favour. Svidler so pressed the Black's pieces that it was painful to look on them. In view of an inavitable mate Black resigned. An excellent Svidler's victory. Keep a good work!


Shirov - Timman
In French defence Black has chosen a passive but firm variation on a long struggle. White has a slight but stable advantage. To gain a noticeable advantage White should try to lead d5 in a profitable interpretation.
As I predicted White has led d5 sacrificing a pawn but opening Black's King. For the sake of exchange a little more pieces and weak the pressure Black gave away a panw but didn't get a facilitation. White constantly pressed and although it seemed that Black has not bad chances on a draw Shirov nevertheless wins in the endgame.

Zhong - Anand
With 3.d3 White decided to play on a long struggle without a special theory. Later Zhong has got a space advantage and White's attack looks dangerous but one should not forget about Anand's skill in defence. In the game with Akopian he showed this.
Providing g4 and f5 White wanted to lead an attack on the Black's King but didn't take into account that he ran on the queenside and as a result White opened his own King and payed for this. White didn't stand well but he was not obliged to lose by an exchange. Instead of the break on kingside White should transfer his Knight from c2 on e4 and prepare a3 and b4. In this case White would have a slight advantage.

van Wely - Leko 1/2

In this game has been played Queen Indian defence. After a well-known Knight's maneuver Na6,Nc5,Ne4 and its exchange on c3 Black led d5 and equalized the position. All this has been met many times and certainly either White and Black has known about this.