Monday, January 31, 2011

Nakamura Nearly Home In Tata Steel

Submitted by SonofPearl on Chess.com
A draw against Vladimir Kramnik was enough to ensure that Hikaru Nakamura will lead by half a point going into the final round of the Tata Steel tournament.
Kramnik, having lost to Carlsen in the previous round was in no mood for fireworks and Nakamura was happy to edge closer to overall victory with a draw.
Vishy Anand meant business against 16 year-old Anish Giri, but the young GM held his own in a complicated battle, and turned the tables on the champion to have winning chances of his own.  In the end, it was the world champion who was lucky to escape with a draw.
With Lev Aronian also only managing a draw, it was left to that man Carlsen to provide another great win by beating Wang Hao with a sparkling attack.  But is it too little, too late for Carlsen who lies a full point behind leader Nakamura.
Elsewhere, Vachier-Lagrave beat Nepomniachtchi, and the only other winner in the A Group was Alexander Grischuk who finally nabbed his first win of the event against fellow struggler Jan Smeets.
Discretion was the better part of valour for Nakamura against Kramnik
Naka_Kramnik_Rd12.jpg

Nakamura,Hi (2751) vs. Kramnik,V (2784)
73rd Tata Steel GMA | Wijk aan Zee NED | Round 12| 29 Jan 2011 | ECO: C67 | 1/2-1/2

The world champion overcooks it against a possible future champion, but escapes with a draw
Anand_Giri_Rd12.jpg

Anand,V (2810) vs. Giri,A (2686)
73rd Tata Steel GMA | Wijk aan Zee NED | Round 12| 29 Jan 2011 | ECO: D43 | 1/2-1/2

Carlsen is still fighting to the last, winning with another attacking game today
Carlsen_Hao_Rd12.jpg

Carlsen,M (2814) vs. Wang Hao (2731)
73rd Tata Steel GMA | Wijk aan Zee NED | Round 12| 29 Jan 2011 | ECO: B12 | 1-0

Vachier Lagrave,M (2715) vs. Nepomniachtchi,I (2733)
73rd Tata Steel GMA | Wijk aan Zee NED | Round 12| 29 Jan 2011 | ECO: D94 | 1-0

Smeets,J (2662) vs. Grischuk,A (2773)
73rd Tata Steel GMA | Wijk aan Zee NED | Round 12| 29 Jan 2011 | ECO: C70 | 0-1

L'Ami,E (2628) vs. Aronian,L (2805)
73rd Tata Steel GMA | Wijk aan Zee NED | Round 12| 29 Jan 2011 | ECO: A56 | 1/2-1/2


In Group B, Luke McShane won a crucial game against Wesley So to share the joint lead with David Navara who overcame backmarker Nijboer.  Quang Liem and Efimenko drew their game with each other to fall half a point behind going into the final round.
McShane and Navara are paired against each other in the final round...will it be a quick draw to ensure a share of first place, or a real fight?  We shall see!
McShane ensures he is the joint leader going into the final round, beating So
So_McShane_Rd12.jpg

McShane, Luke J (2664) vs. So, Wesley (2673)
73rd Tata Steel GMB | Wijk aan Zee NED | Round 12| 29 Jan 2011 | ECO: B12 | 1-0

Nijboer, Friso (2584) vs. Navara, David (2708)
73rd Tata Steel GMB | Wijk aan Zee NED | Round 12| 29 Jan 2011 | ECO: B90 | 0-1

Le, Quang Liem (2664) vs. Efimenko, Zahar (2701)
73rd Tata Steel GMB | Wijk aan Zee NED | Round 12| 29 Jan 2011 | ECO: A29 | 1/2-1/2

In Group C, Daniele Vocaturo looked to sailing away with it, but he slipped up in the penultimate round against Swiercz, allowing the diminutive young Ukrainian Illya Nyzhnyk to narrow his lead to just half a point by beating Van Kampen.
By another happy coincidence of the pairings, Nyzhnyk plays Vocaturo in the final round, but he will have to win with the black pieces if he is to snatch overall victory away from his Italian opponent.
14-year old Nyzhnyk could still win Group C (all pics from the official Facebook site)
Van_Kampen_Nyzhnyk_rd12.jpg

Nyzhnyk, Illya (2530) vs. Van Kampen, Robin (2443)
73rd Tata Steel GMC | Wijk aan Zee NED | Round 12| 29 Jan 2011 | ECO: D43 | 1-0

Swiercz, Dariusz (2540) vs. Vocaturo, Daniele (2570)
73rd Tata Steel GMC | Wijk aan Zee NED | Round 12| 29 Jan 2011 | ECO: C80 | 1-0

Van Der Werf, Mark (2439) vs. Tania, Sachdev (2391)
73rd Tata Steel GMC | Wijk aan Zee NED | Round 12| 29 Jan 2011 | ECO: A07 | 0-1

The pairings for the last round are:
Group A
Nepomniachtchi Anand
Kramnik Vachier-Lagrave
Hao Nakamura
Grischuk Carlsen
Aronian Smeets
Shirov L'Ami
Giri Ponomariov
Group B
Hammer Fressinet
Efimenko Sargassian
Ganguly Quang Liem
So Wojtaszek
Navara McShane
Spoelman Nijboer
Chao Tkachiev
Group C
van Kampen Bok
Vocaturo Nyzhnyk
Kazhgaleyev Swiercz
de Jong Lahno
Bluvshtein Ivanisevic
Sachdev Siebrecht
Pruijssers van der Werf

The full results and standings going into the final round:
Group A

Nakamura, Hikaru ½-½ Kramnik, Vladimir
Anand, Viswanathan ½-½ Giri, Anish
Carlsen, Magnus 1-0 Wang, Hao
Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime 1-0 Nepomniachtchi, Ian
Ponomariov, Ruslan ½-½ Shirov, Alexei
L'Ami, Erwin ½-½ Aronian, Levon
Smeets, Jan 0-1 Grischuk, Alexander
Group B

McShane, Luke J 1-0 So, Wesley
Le, Quang Liem ½-½ Efimenko, Zahar
Sargissian, Gabriel ½-½ Hammer, Jon Ludvig
Tkachiev, Vladislav 1-0 Spoelman, Wouter
Wojtaszek, Radoslaw 0-1 Ganguly, Surya Shekhar
Fressinet, Laurent 1-0 Li, Chao
Nijboer, Friso 0-1 Navara, David
Group C

Nyzhnyk, Illya 1-0 Van Kampen, Robin
Ivanisevic, Ivan 1-0 De Jong, Jan-Willem
Lahno, Kateryna ½-½ Kazhgaleyev, Murtas
Swiercz, Dariusz 1-0 Vocaturo, Daniele
Bok, Benjamin 1-0 Pruijssers, Roeland
Siebrecht, Sebastian 0-1 Bluvshtein, Mark
Van Der Werf, Mark 0-1 Tania, Sachdev

Group A
















Nakamura, Hikaru USA 2751 * ½ 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 . 1 1 1 1 8½
Anand, Viswanathan IND 2810 ½ * ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 . 1 ½ ½ 1 1 8
Carlsen, Magnus NOR 2814 1 ½ * ½ 1 ½ 0 ½ 0 1 1 . 1 ½ 7½
Aronian, Levon ARM 2805 ½ ½ ½ * ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 . 1 7½
Kramnik, Vladimir RUS 2784 ½ ½ 0 ½ * . 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 7
Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime FRA 2715 0 ½ ½ ½ . * ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 1 7
Giri, Anish NED 2686 ½ ½ 1 ½ 0 ½ * . 0 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ 6
Ponomariov, Ruslan UKR 2744 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ . * ½ 0 ½ 1 1 ½ 6
Nepomniachtchi, Ian RUS 2733 0 . 1 0 ½ 0 1 ½ * 1 ½ ½ 0 ½ 5½
Wang, Hao CHN 2731 . 0 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 1 0 * 1 1 ½ ½ 5½
L'Ami, Erwin NED 2628 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 * ½ ½ . 4
Grischuk, Alexander RUS 2773 0 ½ . 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ * 1 0 4
Smeets, Jan NED 2662 0 0 0 . ½ 0 ½ 0 1 ½ ½ 0 * 1 4
Shirov, Alexei ESP 2722 0 0 ½ 0 0 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ . 1 0 * 3½
Group B
















McShane, Luke J ENG 2664 * . 0 0 1 ½ 1 1 ½ 1 1 ½ 1 ½ 8
Navara, David CZE 2708 . * 0 ½ 0 ½ 1 1 ½ 1 1 ½ 1 1 8
Efimenko, Zahar UKR 2701 1 1 * ½ ½ . 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 7½
Le, Quang Liem VIE 2664 1 ½ ½ * ½ 1 ½ 0 1 0 . 1 0 1 7
So, Wesley PHI 2673 0 1 ½ ½ * ½ ½ . 1 0 1 ½ 1 ½ 7
Sargissian, Gabriel ARM 2667 ½ ½ . 0 ½ * ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 7
Tkachiev, Vladislav FRA 2636 0 0 1 ½ ½ ½ * ½ ½ . 1 1 1 ½ 7
Wojtaszek, Radoslaw POL 2726 0 0 ½ 1 . 0 ½ * 1 1 0 ½ ½ 1 6
Fressinet, Laurent FRA 2707 ½ ½ ½ 0 0 ½ ½ 0 * 1 1 . 0 ½ 5
Li, Chao CHN 2649 0 0 ½ 1 1 ½ . 0 0 * ½ 1 0 ½ 5
Ganguly, Surya Shekhar IND 2651 0 0 ½ . 0 0 0 1 0 ½ * 1 1 1 5
Hammer, Jon Ludvig NOR 2647 ½ ½ 0 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ . 0 0 * 1 ½ 4
Spoelman, Wouter NED 2547 0 0 0 1 0 ½ 0 ½ 1 1 0 0 * . 4
Nijboer, Friso NED 2584 ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ . * 3½
Group C
















Vocaturo, Daniele ITA 2570 * . 0 1 0 0 1 1 ½ 1 1 1 1 1 8½
Nyzhnyk, Illya UKR 2530 . * 0 ½ 0 1 ½ 1 1 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 8
Ivanisevic, Ivan SRB 2630 1 1 * ½ ½ 0 . ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 7½
Lahno, Kateryna UKR 2518 0 ½ ½ * ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 1 0 1 . ½ 7
Swiercz, Dariusz POL 2540 1 1 ½ ½ * 0 0 . 0 1 0 1 1 1 7
Tania, Sachdev IND 2391 1 0 1 0 1 * 0 0 ½ . 1 ½ 1 ½ 6½
Bluvshtein, Mark CAN 2590 0 ½ . ½ 1 1 * 0 0 1 ½ 0 1 1 6½
Kazhgaleyev, Murtas KAZ 2637 0 0 ½ ½ . 1 1 * 0 0 1 ½ 1 1 6½
Bok, Benjamin NED 2453 ½ 0 0 0 1 ½ 1 1 * ½ ½ 1 0 . 6
Siebrecht, Sebastian GER 2439 0 0 ½ 0 0 . 0 1 ½ * 1 ½ 0 1 4½
Van Der Werf, Mark NED 2439 0 ½ ½ 1 1 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 * . 0 0 4
Pruijssers, Roeland NED 2484 0 0 ½ 0 0 ½ 1 ½ 0 ½ . * ½ ½ 4
De Jong, Jan-Willem NED 2437 0 ½ 0 . 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 ½ * 0 4
Van Kampen, Robin NED 2443 0 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 0 . 0 1 ½ 1 * 4
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