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Levon Aronian crashes to shock defeat by David Navara at Wijk aan Zee
Leonard Barden
guardian.co.uk,
Friday 27 January 2012 22.55 GMT
3238: H Nakamura v D Navara, Tata Steel Wijk 2012. White (to play)
gave up a knight for this position, but 1 Qxd8 fails to Qxf7. So how
did White win? Photograph: Graphic
When the world No1 Magnus Carlsen beat the No2 Levon Aronian in an
early round at Wijk aan Zee last week, it seemed that the 21-year-old
Norwegian would continue his smooth advance towards Garry Kasparov's
all-time peak rating.
Aronian, 29, had a different script. The Armenian caught up Carlsen,
who was bogged down by draws, then took the lead in Tuesday's ninth
round, where the favourite crashed with the white pieces to Sergey
Karjakin.
It was a huge psychological blow and the next day Carlsen, whose
trademark is to operate with small edges in long games, halved out in
a mere 21 moves while Aronian won again to go 1.5 points up on Carlsen
with only three rounds left.
But there was another twist in Friday's 11th round, when Aronian was
crushingly defeated by the Czech tail-ender David Navara. The final
two rounds (12.30pm GMT start) take place this weekend.
Record internet audiences of over 10,000 daily have been watching the
play free and live on the Tata Wijk site, aided by new web technology
which enables online spectators to view continuous computer
assessments of all 21 Wijk games. I recommend it highly, whether or
not you have watched online chess before. It is enjoyable, free and
can improve your own play.
Play also continues this weekend, with free and live internet viewing,
at Tradewise Gibraltar (2pm GMT start), now the best open tournament
in the world. Entrants from 60 countries include the Russian champion,
Peter Svidler, England's top pair, Michael Adams and Nigel Short, and
the all-time No1 woman, Judit Polgar.
Adams's first round win featured a crushing attack on the black king,
highlighted by 18 g4! planning c4 19 Qh2 and ending with a smart rook
sacrifice.
M Adams v N Zhukova
1 e4 d6 2 d4 Nf6 3 Nc3 g6 4 Be3 a6 5 h3 Bg7 6 f4 O-O 7 Nf3 b5 8 e5
Nfd7 9 Bd3 Nb6 10 Qe2 N8d7 11 O-O-O e6 12 h4 Bb7 13 h5 b4 14 Ne4 Bxe4
15 Bxe4 d5 16 Bd3 c5 17 hxg6 hxg6 18 g4 Re8 19 Qh2 cxd4 20 Bxd4 Qc7 21
f5 exf5 22 gxf5 Nxe5 23 Nxe5 Rxe5 24 fxg6 f6 25 Rdf1 Nd7 26 Bf5 Nf8 27
Bxe5 Qxe5 28 Qh3 a5 29 Re1 Qd6 30 Rhf1 a4 31 Be6+ Nxe6 32 Qh7+ Kf8 33
Rxf6+ 1-0
Polgar won more clinically. Her early queen's side action provoked the
error 14 Qd1? (Qc4) and she was three pawns up when her opponent
conceded defeat.
A López v J Polgar
1 g3 Nf6 2 Bg2 d5 3 Nf3 c6 4 O-O Bg4 5 c4 Nbd7 6 cxd5 cxd5 7 Nc3 e6 8
d3 Rc8 9 h3 Bh5 10 e4 dxe4 11 dxe4 Bb4 12 Qb3 Qa5 13 e5 Nc5 14 Qd1?
Bxc3 15 bxc3 Nfe4 16 Qd4 Nxc3 17 Qh4 Ne2+ 18 Kh2 Bxf3 19 Bxf3 Nxc1 20
Raxc1 O-O 21 Rfd1 Qxa2 22 Qe7 Qxf2+ 23 Bg2 Rfe8 0-1
3238 1 Qf1! with the double threat 2 Rf6 or 2 Qh3+ Qh5 3 Rh7+. Black
tried 1...Qh5 2 Rxb7 c4 3 Qf6+ Qg6 4 Qxd8, then resigned.
Leonard Barden
guardian.co.uk,
Friday 27 January 2012 22.55 GMT
3238: H Nakamura v D Navara, Tata Steel Wijk 2012. White (to play)
gave up a knight for this position, but 1 Qxd8 fails to Qxf7. So how
did White win? Photograph: Graphic
When the world No1 Magnus Carlsen beat the No2 Levon Aronian in an
early round at Wijk aan Zee last week, it seemed that the 21-year-old
Norwegian would continue his smooth advance towards Garry Kasparov's
all-time peak rating.
Aronian, 29, had a different script. The Armenian caught up Carlsen,
who was bogged down by draws, then took the lead in Tuesday's ninth
round, where the favourite crashed with the white pieces to Sergey
Karjakin.
It was a huge psychological blow and the next day Carlsen, whose
trademark is to operate with small edges in long games, halved out in
a mere 21 moves while Aronian won again to go 1.5 points up on Carlsen
with only three rounds left.
But there was another twist in Friday's 11th round, when Aronian was
crushingly defeated by the Czech tail-ender David Navara. The final
two rounds (12.30pm GMT start) take place this weekend.
Record internet audiences of over 10,000 daily have been watching the
play free and live on the Tata Wijk site, aided by new web technology
which enables online spectators to view continuous computer
assessments of all 21 Wijk games. I recommend it highly, whether or
not you have watched online chess before. It is enjoyable, free and
can improve your own play.
Play also continues this weekend, with free and live internet viewing,
at Tradewise Gibraltar (2pm GMT start), now the best open tournament
in the world. Entrants from 60 countries include the Russian champion,
Peter Svidler, England's top pair, Michael Adams and Nigel Short, and
the all-time No1 woman, Judit Polgar.
Adams's first round win featured a crushing attack on the black king,
highlighted by 18 g4! planning c4 19 Qh2 and ending with a smart rook
sacrifice.
M Adams v N Zhukova
1 e4 d6 2 d4 Nf6 3 Nc3 g6 4 Be3 a6 5 h3 Bg7 6 f4 O-O 7 Nf3 b5 8 e5
Nfd7 9 Bd3 Nb6 10 Qe2 N8d7 11 O-O-O e6 12 h4 Bb7 13 h5 b4 14 Ne4 Bxe4
15 Bxe4 d5 16 Bd3 c5 17 hxg6 hxg6 18 g4 Re8 19 Qh2 cxd4 20 Bxd4 Qc7 21
f5 exf5 22 gxf5 Nxe5 23 Nxe5 Rxe5 24 fxg6 f6 25 Rdf1 Nd7 26 Bf5 Nf8 27
Bxe5 Qxe5 28 Qh3 a5 29 Re1 Qd6 30 Rhf1 a4 31 Be6+ Nxe6 32 Qh7+ Kf8 33
Rxf6+ 1-0
Polgar won more clinically. Her early queen's side action provoked the
error 14 Qd1? (Qc4) and she was three pawns up when her opponent
conceded defeat.
A López v J Polgar
1 g3 Nf6 2 Bg2 d5 3 Nf3 c6 4 O-O Bg4 5 c4 Nbd7 6 cxd5 cxd5 7 Nc3 e6 8
d3 Rc8 9 h3 Bh5 10 e4 dxe4 11 dxe4 Bb4 12 Qb3 Qa5 13 e5 Nc5 14 Qd1?
Bxc3 15 bxc3 Nfe4 16 Qd4 Nxc3 17 Qh4 Ne2+ 18 Kh2 Bxf3 19 Bxf3 Nxc1 20
Raxc1 O-O 21 Rfd1 Qxa2 22 Qe7 Qxf2+ 23 Bg2 Rfe8 0-1
3238 1 Qf1! with the double threat 2 Rf6 or 2 Qh3+ Qh5 3 Rh7+. Black
tried 1...Qh5 2 Rxb7 c4 3 Qf6+ Qg6 4 Qxd8, then resigned.