Corus off to a flying start

The first great tournament of 2004 is well under way in the chess hotbed of Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands, where Russian Vladimir Kramnik and India’s Viswanathan Anand headline the 14-grandmaster Group A section of the annual Corus Chess Tournament.

The tournament began with a sensation, as nearly unbeatable Kramnik fell to a rook sacrifice from Armenian GM Vladimir Akopian in just 32 moves. Akopian came back to earth in the very next round, losing to Anand in a sharp contest in which the Indian grabbed a pawn and defended brilliantly.

Through Wednesday’s Round 4, Kramnik (who bounced back with two quick wins) and Anand are among five players tied for the lead at 21/2-11/2. Play continues through Jan. 25.

In his post-mortem on the Akopian game (recapped on the Week in Chess Web site at www.chess.co.uk/twic/twic.html), Anand admits that 16. Qxb4!? Bc6 17. Nc3 Rfb8 exposes White to some nasty Black pressure but puts faith in his fabulous calculating abilities to see him through.

But Akopian manages to equalize with the heady 20. f4 Ng6! (A surprise — White banked on 20…Bb5 21. Qe1! [and not 21. Nxb5?! axb5 22. fxe5 dxe5 23. Bxe5, as Black gets good play on 23…Qxa2+ 24. Kc1 Qa1+ 25. Kd2 Rd8+ 26. Ke1 Bb4+ 27. c3 Rxd1+ 28. Qxd1 Qxb2!] Nf3 22. Qf2 Nxd4 23. Qxd4, when the coming 24. Rh3 holds the queen-side) 21. Qf3 (f5? only draws on 21…e5! 22. fxg6 exd4 23. Nd5 Bxd5 24. exd5 Rxb2+! 25. Kxb2 Rb8+ 26. Kc1 Qa3+) e5!.

Now 22. fxe5 invites 22…dxe5 23. Bf2 Rxb2+! again, and this time, Black wins on 24. Kxb2 Qa3+ 25. Ka1 Bxe4! 26. Qh3 Bxh1.

White refuses Black’s offer of a draw after move 23, but Anand remains under heavy pressure and only clearly breaks on top after an Akopian misstep: 36. g6 fxg6 37. hxg6 h6? (Anand thinks it is White who must scramble for the draw on 37…Bd8! 38. Rf2 Bf6 39. Rxf6 axb3! 40. Qxb3 Reb8 41. Bb5) 38. Bh3 Bd8 39. Be6+ Rxe6 40. dxe6 Bf6 41. c3 axb3 (see diagram) 42. Qc4!, defending a2 while setting up a nasty discovered check.

It’s over on 42…Qa5 (both 42…bxa2+ 42. Rxa2 Qxa2+ 43. Qxa2 Rxa2 45. Kxa2 Kf8 46. Rxd6 and 42…Rb8 43. e7+ Kh8 44. Rb2 bxa2+ 45. Qxa2 spell defeat for Black) 43. e7+ Kh8 44. Re1 Be5 (White calculated that 44…Bxe7 45. Rxe7 Qf5+ 46. Qe4 bxa2+ [Qf1+ 47. Kb2 Rxa2+ 48. Kxb3 and the checks run out] 47. Ka1 Qf1+ 48. Qe1 also holds on for the win) 45. Qc6!.

The White queen attacks the rook and eyes the e-pawn’s queening square. Akopian packed it in.

The Corus premier event is just one of three invitational tournaments under way simultaneously in Wijk aan Zee. New York’s Hikaru Nakamura, America’s youngest grandmaster, is getting his first real taste of elite European competition, playing in the B event in Corus just after competing in a Category 15 invitation in Pamplona, Spain.

Nakamura survived his first hazing, going 3-4 and finishing in a respectable tie for fifth at Pamplona. But he had a rough start in Holland, losing a tough fight to veteran Dutch GM John Van der Wiel in Round 2. In yet another pawn-grabbing Sicilian, Nakamura, as Black, makes a bold bid for victory, but his older opponent proves tougher in the clinch.

Kings are on shaky ground, though, after 19. Qxe4 0-0 20. Nc2 Qe6, and Nakamura plays for the attack with a daring piece sacrifice on 21. Ne2 Qxa2 22. g3 b4!?, when Black probably can force a draw with the retreat 22…Ng6 23. Nd5 Rfd8 24. Nxf6+ Kg7 25. Nh5+ Kh8 26. Qf3 Qe6 27. Qxf6+ Qxf6 28. Nxf6 Kg7, with equality.

Black gets real compensation on 23. gxf4 bxc3 24. Qb1 (hustling back to defend; 24. bxc3 Rab8 25. Rhg1+ Kh8 26. Nc2 Qb2+ 27. Kd2 exf4 28. Qf5 Rfd8+ 29. Ke2 Qxc3 30. Rxd8+ Rxd8 31. Ne1 Re8+ 32. Kd1 Rd8+ is a perpetual check) cxb2+ 25. Kd2 (and not 25. Qxb2? Rfc8+ 26. Nc2 Qa4! 27. Rhg1+ Kh8 23. Rd3 Rab8 29. Rc3 Qxf4+ 30. Ne3 Rxc3+ 31. Qxc3 Qxf2 and Black is on top) Rad8+ 26. Ke2.

Black, though, sells his trump card too cheaply on 26…Qxb1 27. Rxb1 exf4 28. Rhg1+ Kh8 28. Nd1 Rd4?, when 29…Rfe8+! 30. Kf3 Rd3+ 31. Kxf4 Red8 32. Ne3 (Nxb2?? R8d4+33. Kf5 Rf3 mate) R8d4+ 33. Kf3 Rb3 would have preserved the dangerous Black queen-side pawn duo.

Black’s back-rank vulnerability comes back to haunt him on 30. Nxb2 f3+ 31. Kxf3 Rb8 (with the idea of pinning and winning the knight) 32. Rbe1! (escaping the pin as 32…Rxb2 allows 33. Re8 mate) Rb3+ 33. Re3 Rxe3+ 34. fxe3 Rd2 35. Nc4 Rxh2.

Black has obtained three pawns for his lost piece, but the White king, knight and rook mesh beautifully in weaving a mating net, while Black can never get his extra pawns in motion. After 50. e4 Rb1 51. Rc3, the threat is 52. Rh3 mate, and 51…Rb3 52. Rc1 only delays the inevitable. Nakamura resigned.

Corus Chess Tournament (Group A), Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands, January 2004

AnandAkopian

1. e4c524. Be1Qc5

2. Nf3d625. Bg3a5

3. d4cxd426. Bxf4exf4

4. Nxd4Nf627. Nd5Bd8

5. Nc3a628. Qxf4a4

6. Be3Nc629. Rh2Bxd5

7. f3e630. exd5Ba5

8. g4Be731. Qd4Qa3

9. Qd20-032. h5Bb6

10. 0-0-0Nxd433. Qc3Ba5

11. Bxd4b534. Qd4Bb6

12. g5Nd735. Qd3Re8

13. h4Qc736. g6fxg6

14. Kb1b437. hxg6h6

15. Na4Bb738. Bh3Bd8

16. Qxb4Bc639. Be6+Rxe6

17. Nc3Rfb840. dxe6Bf6

18. Qc4Ne541. c3axb3

19. Qe2Qa542. Qc4Qa5

20. f4Ng643. e7+Kh8

21. Qf3e544. Re1Be5

22. Bf2Qb445. Qc6Black

23. b3Nxf4resigns

Corus Chess Tournament (Group B), Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands, January 2004

Van der WielNakamura

1. e4c527. Rxb1exf4

2. Nf3Nc628. Rhg1+Kh8

3. d4cxd429. Nd1Rd4

4. Nxd4Nf630. Nxb2f3+

5. Nc3e531. Kxf3Rb8

6. Ndb5d632. Rbe1Rb3+

7. Bg5a633. Re3Rxe3+

8. Na3b534. fxe3Rd2

9. Nd5Be735. Nc4Rxh2

10. Bxf6Bxf636. Nd6h5

11. c3Ne737. Ne8Kh7

12. Nxf6+gxf638. Rg7+Kh6

13. Bd3d539. Rxf7Ra2

14. Qe2Bb740. Rxf6+Kg5

15. 0-0-0Qb641. Rc6Ra1

16. exd5Nxd542. Nd6Rf1+

17. Be4Nf443. Kg2Ra1

18. Qf3Bxe444. Ne4+Kg4

19. Qxe40-045. Rc5Ra2+

20. Nc2Qe646. Nf2+Kh4

21. Ne3Qxa247. Kf3Ra1

22. g3b448. Kf4a5

23. gxf4bxc349. Rc2a4

24. Qb1cxb2+50. e4Rb1

25. Kd2Rad8+51. Rc3Black

26. Ke2Qxb1resigns

David R. Sands can be reached at 202/636-3178 or by e-mail at dsands@washingtontimes.com.