OLVIDA MEMORIAL SIMUL

LA TIMES: SERGEY KARJAKIN

The Corus tournament ended dramatically Sunday in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands. In the tightest finish in memory, six players began the last round tied for the lead. Only Sergey Karjakin of Ukraine managed to win and achieve a score of 8-5. Levon Aronian (Armenia), Sergey Movsesian (Slovakia) and Teimour Radjabov (Azerbaijan) tied for second at 7 1/2 -5 1/2 , while unlucky losers Magnus Carlsen (Norway) and Leinier Dominguez (Cuba) fell to 7-6.

Former U.S. champion Gata Kamsky finished seventh at 6 1/2 -6 1/2 , a fair performance. Co-favorites Vassily Ivanchuk (Ukraine) and Alexander Morozevich (Russia), ranked third and fifth in the world, tied for last place at 5 1/2 -7 1/2 .

This is Karjakin's first victory in an elite tournament but hardly a shock. He had shown great potential even before he became a grandmaster at age 12 years, 7 months, the youngest ever. Now he's 19 and a full-time chess professional.

Prodigies starred in the accompanying tournaments too. Fabiano Caruana, 16, of Italy defeated the leader, Nigel Short of England, in the last round to take first prize in the all-grandmaster Corus B tournament. Caruana won the C tournament in 2008.

Wesley So, 15, of the Philippines dominated the C tournament with an excellent score of 9 1/2 -3 1/2 . He earned the GM title last year, but he is no longer the world's youngest. Anish Giri of Russia tied for second place at 8 1/2 -4 1/2 and fulfilled the requirements for the GM title at age 14 years, 7 months.

CHESSDOM: WESLEY SO WINS CORUS C

Wesley So wins convincingly Corus C scoring 9,5/13. He managed to outplay most of his opponents showing mature play and good technique and deserved to win the first place. Final standings.

Next year Wesley So will join the Corus 2010 B group. His next tournament is the Aeroflot 2009 in Russia.

GM Wesley So achieved the GM title at the age of 14 years, 1 month and 28 days. This puts him as the 7th youngest person to achieve the Grandmaster title in the history of chess. Before becoming a Grandmaster, So had become the youngest Filipino International Master at the age of 12 years and 10 months.

In 2006, he became the youngest member of the national men's team to participate at the 37th Chess Olympiad in Turin, Italy at the age of 12. In December of the same year, he also became the youngest National Open Chess Champion. In May 2007, he went on to become the youngest National Junior Open Chess Champion. Wesley won the gold medal on board one at the 2007 World Under 16 Team Championship with a score of 9½/10.

CORUS: NIJBOER vs SO

[Event "Corus (Group C)"]
[Site "Wijk aan Zee NED"][Date "2009.01.17"][Round "1"]
[White "Friso Nijboer"]
[Black "Wesley So"]
[ECO "B48"]
[WhiteElo "2560"]
[BlackElo "2627"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Qc7 6. Be3 a6
7. Qd2 Nf6 8. O-O-O Bb4 9. f3 Ne5 10. Nb3 b5 11. Qd4 Nc6
12. Qb6 Qe5 13. Bd2 Rb8 14. Qf2 O-O 15. f4 Qc7 16. Bd3 d6
17. Qh4 Bxc3 18. Bxc3 e5 19. Rhf1 b4 20. Bd2 a5 21. Kb1 a4
22. Nc1 Bg4 23. Rde1 Rfc8 24. Rf2 Bd7 25. f5 Nd4 26. Bh6 Ne8
27. Bxg7 Nxg7 28. f6 b3 29. axb3 axb3 30. Qg3 Nde6 31. cxb3
Qa5 32. Rc2 Rxc2 33. Kxc2 Rc8+ 34. Kb1 Bb5 35. Rd1 Bxd3+
36. Rxd3 Qb4 37. fxg7 Qxe4 38. Qe3 Qg6 39. Qg3 Qe4 40. Qf3 Qg6
41. Qg3 Qf5 42. Qh3 Qxh3 43. Rxh3 Nd4 44. b4 Rb8 45. Nb3 Ne6
46. Na5 Rxb4 47. Nc6 Rb6 48. Ne7+ Kxg7 49. Nf5+ Kg6 50. Ne7+
Kg7 51. Nf5+ Kf6 52. g4 e4 53. Rxh7 Nc5 54. Kc2 Na4 55. b4
Rxb4 56. Nxd6 Ke5 57. Nxf7+ Kd4 58. g5 Rb2+ 59. Kc1 Rg2
60. Rh8 Nc5 61. Rd8+ Kc3 62. Kd1 Nd3 63. Rc8+ Kd4 64. Nd6 Rg1+
65. Kc2 Rc1+ 66. Kb3 Rxc8 67. Nxc8 e3 0-1

CORUS: SO vs BOSBOOM

[Event "Corus (Group C)"]
[Site "Wijk aan Zee NED"][Date "2009.01.30"][Round "11"]
[White "W So"]
[Black "M Bosboom"]
[ECO "B01"]
[WhiteElo "2627"]
[BlackElo "2418"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd6 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 a6 6. g3 Bg4 7. Bg2 e6 8.
O-O c6 9. Bf4 Qd8 10. h3 Bxf3 11. Qxf3 Be7 12. Ne2 O-O 13. Qb3 Ra7 14. c4
b5 15. Rfc1 Bd6 16. Be5 bxc4 17. Rxc4 Nd5 18. Nc3 Bxe5 19. dxe5 Qg5 20. Re1
Nd7 21. Rxc6 Nxe5 22. Bxd5 exd5 23. Qxd5 Re7 24. Re3 h6 25. Rxa6 Qf5 26.
Kg2 Qc8 27. Ra4 Rd8 28. Qb5 Rd2 29. Rxe5 Rxb2 30. Rc5 Rxf2+ 31. Kxf2 Qxh3
32. Ra8+ Kh7 33. Rh5 1-0

CORUS: SO vs HOLZKE

[Event "Corus (Group C)"][Date "2009.01.25"][Round "8"]
[White "Wesley So"]
[Black "Frank Holzke"]
[ECO "C78"]

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Bc5 6.Nxe5 Nxe5
7.d4 Nxe4 8.Re1 Be7 9.dxe5 Nc5 10.Nc3 O-O 11.Bf4 Nxa4 12.Nxa4
d5 13.exd6 Bxd6 14.Bxd6 cxd6 15.Qd4 b5 16.Nb6 Rb8 17.Nd5 Re8
18.Rxe8+ Qxe8 19.Ne3 Qd8 20.Rd1 Rb7 21.Rd3 Rd7 22.h4 Qf8 23.h5
h6 24.c4 Rc7 25.Qb6 bxc4 26.Rxd6 Qe7 27.Rc6 Rxc6 28.Qxc6 Be6
29.Qxa6 Qb4 30.Qa8+ Kh7 31.Qe4+ Kg8 32.Qc2 Qe1+ 33.Kh2 Qa5
34.Nxc4 Qc7+ 35.Kg1 Qxc4 36.Qxc4 Bxc4 37.b3 Bd5 38.f3 Kf8
39.Kf2 Ke7 40.Ke3 Kd6 41.g4 f5 42.Kf4 Ke6 0-1

CORUS: SO vs HOYOS

[Event "Corus (Group C)"]
[Site "Wijk aan Zee NED"][Date "2009.01.23"][Round "6"]
[White "Wesley So"]
[Black "Manuel Leon Hoyos"]
[ECO "B90"]
[WhiteElo "2627"]
[BlackElo "2542"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Nc3 a6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Nf6 6. h3 g6
7. g4 Bg7 8. Bg2 O-O 9. Be3 Nc6 10. O-O Nd7 11. a4 Nde5 12. b3
Bd7 13. Nde2 f5 14. exf5 gxf5 15. g5 Ng6 16. f4 h6 17. gxh6
Bxh6 18. Kh2 Kh7 19. Qd2 Rg8 20. Rad1 Qe8 21. Nd5 Rd8 22. b4
Rb8 23. c4 Qf7 24. b5 axb5 25. axb5 Nd8 26. Nb6 Be6 27. Nd4
Nh4 28. Bh1 Qh5 29. Qf2 Bf7 30. Nf3 Rg4 31. Ng5+ Bxg5 32. fxg5
Re4 33. Nd7 Ra8 34. Rxd6 Rxe3 35. Rh6+ Qxh6 36. gxh6 f4
37. Qxh4 Ra2+ 38. Rf2 1-0

CORUS: ITURRIZAGA vs SO

[Event "Corus (Group C)"]
[Site "Wijk aan Zee NED"][Date "2009.01.22"][Round "5"]
[White "E Iturrizaga"]
[Black "Wesley So"]
[ECO "E15"]
[WhiteElo "2528"]
[BlackElo "2627"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. c4 b6 4. g3 Ba6 5. Qc2 c5 6. d5 exd5
7. cxd5 Bb7 8. Bg2 Nxd5 9. O-O Be7 10. Rd1 Qc8 11. a3 Nf6
12. Bg5 h6 13. Bxf6 Bxf6 14. Nc3 O-O 15. Nd5 Bxd5 16. Rxd5 Nc6
17. Rad1 Rd8 18. Nd2 Ne7 19. Rd6 Rb8 20. Rxf6 gxf6 21. Ne4 d5
22. Nxf6+ Kg7 23. Nxd5 Qe6 24. Qc3+ f6 25. e4 Qe5 26. Qxe5
fxe5 27. Re1 Nxd5 28. exd5 Kf6 29. Kf1 b5 30. Re3 b4 31. a4 c4
32. Ke2 c3 33. b3 c2 34. Kd2 Rbc8 35. Kc1 Rc5 36. Be4 Rdc8
37. Re2 Rc3 38. Rxc2 Ke7 39. Kd2 Rxc2+ 40. Bxc2 Rc3 41. h4 Kd6
42. g4 Rh3 43. Be4 Rxh4 44. f3 Rh1 45. Kc2 Kc5 46. Kd2 Rh2+
47. Kc1 Kd4 48. d6 Kc3 0-1

CORUS: PERSSON vs SO

[Event "Corus (Group C)"]
[Site "Wijk aan Zee NED"][Date "2009.01.31"][Round "12"]
[White "Hillarp Persson,T"]
[Black "W So"]
[ECO "D11"]
[WhiteElo "2586"]
[BlackElo "2627"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 a6 5. Bd3 Bg4 6. Qb3 Bxf3 7. gxf3 Qc7 8.
Nc3 e6 9. a4 Nbd7 10. cxd5 cxd5 11. a5 Nb8 12. Bd2 Nc6 13. Ke2 Bd6 14. Na4
O-O 15. Qb6 Qe7 16. Nc5 Rab8 17. f4 Bc7 18. Qb3 Bxf4 19. Qc3 e5 20. Nb3
Rfc8 21. dxe5 Bxe5 22. Qc5 Nd4+ 23. Qxd4 Bxd4 24. Nxd4 Ne4 25. Rag1 g6 26.
Bxe4 dxe4 27. h4 Rc4 28. Bc3 Rxc3 29. bxc3 Qc7 30. Kf1 Qxa5 31. h5 Qa1+ 32.
Kg2 Qxc3 33. hxg6 fxg6 34. Rh4 Re8 35. Rb1 b5 36. Rhh1 Qc5 37. Rbc1 Qg5+
38. Kf1 Rf8 39. Rh2 Qxe3 0-1

CORUS : PRUIJSSERS vs SO

[Event "Corus (Group C)"]
[Site "Wijk aan Zee NED"][Date "2009.01.28"][Round "10"]
[White "R Pruijssers"]
[Black "W So"]
[ECO "B48"]
[WhiteElo "2444"]
[BlackElo "2627"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Qc7 5. Nc3 e6 6. Be3 a6 7. Qd2 Nf6
8. O-O-O Bb4 9. f3 Ne5 10. Nb3 b5 11. Qd4 Be7 12. Qb6 Qxb6 13. Bxb6 d6 14.
a3 O-O 15. Na5 Bd7 16. f4 Nc6 17. Be2 Rfc8 18. Bf3 Rab8 19. Nxc6 Bxc6 20.
Ba5 Nd7 21. Bb4 Nc5 22. Rd2 Kf8 23. Rf1 Nb7 24. e5 dxe5 25. fxe5 Bxf3 26.
Rxf3 Bxb4 27. axb4 Rc4 28. Rd7 Nd8 29. Rd6 Rxb4 30. Rfd3 Ke8 31. Rxa6 Rg4
32. Rad6 Rxg2 33. Nxb5 Rc8 34. Rd2 Rg1+ 35. Rd1 Rxd1+ 36. Rxd1 Ke7 37. Nd6
Rc7 38. b3 f5 39. Nc4 Rc5 40. Rg1 g6 41. h4 Nf7 42. Re1 h6 43. Kd2 g5 44.
hxg5 hxg5 45. Kc3 g4 46. Re2 Rd5 47. b4 g3 0-1

CHESSBASE: CORUS 2009

Sergey Karjakin wins Wijk aan Zee

A very dramatic final round saw the Ukrainian star Sergey Karjakin defeat Leinier Dominguez with black to go into the lead. Magnus Carlsen had chances against Wang Yue, but threw away the game. With that Karjakin had the sole victory in his pocket. In Group B it was Fabiano Caruana and in Group C Wesley So who took first place.

Dominguez Perez,L (2717) - Karjakin,Sergey (2706) [B90]Corus A Wijk aan Zee NED (13), 01.02.2009Commentary by Sergey Shipov, translation by Steve Giddins

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 Ng4. A raid, designed to prevent White's planned set-up with f2-f3, Qd1–d2, 0–0–0, etc. 7.Bc1. A change of plan? The main line is 7.Bg5. 7...Nf6. Black has nothing better. Let's hope the players are not just going to repeat moves. 8.Be3 Ng4 9.Bg5. Yes! 9...h6 10.Bh4 g5 11.Bg3 Bg7. With active, tempo-gaining play, Black has solved the problem of his kingside development, and created a counterattack in the centre. But in so doing, he has seriously weakened his kingside. 12.h3. On 12.Be2 there is the reply 12...h5 with the idea of 13.h3 h4! 12...Nf6 13.Qe2. This is what is often called an ultramodern scheme of development. Only in our day, one might think, can one even consider shutting in the bishop on f1 in such a fashion, for the sake of long castling. Yet the truth is that the young Karpov played the same way in the early 1970s, and if you go further back, you can even find other pioneers. 13...Nc6. A serious challenge. 14.Nxc6. Forced, in view of 14.0–0–0? Nxd4 15.Rxd4 Nh5. 14...bxc6 15.e5. White takes up the challenge. 15...dxe5 16.Bxe5. So White has the better structure, with two pawn islands against Black's three. 16...0–0. But Black also cause to be proud. He has managed to evacuate his king from the centre, whilst White has not yet done so.

17.g4. The bishop seeks a new diagonal. In the game Ponomariev-Polgar, Benidorm 2002, the line 17.h4 g4 was tested. There followed 18.g3 Qb6 19.0–0–0 Be6 20.Bg2 Rfd8 21.Rhe1 h5 22.b3 (22.f3!) 22...Rac8 23.Na4 Rxd1+ 24.Rxd1 Qb5 25.Bf1? Bc4! and Black obtained the advantage. 17...a5. A logical response. Black's light-squared bishop has also found itself a good diagonal. 18.h4. Naked aggression! Dominguez sacrifices a pawn to open lines on the kingside. Now we see that the point os the move g2-g4 was to fix the enemy pawn on g5, as an object of attack. I suspect that the line 18.Bg2 Ba6 19.Qe3 Qd7 20.Qd4 Qxd4 21.Bxd4 struck Lenier as not amounting to much. And indeed, after 21...Rfd8! White ahs no advantage. After 22.0–0–0 there is even the interesting tactical blow 22...Nxg4! 23.Bxg7 Nxf2. 18...Bxg4. The most principled reply. After 18...Ba6 there is 19.Qf3. 19.f3 Bf5 20.hxg5 hxg5. The first reult is clear – the h-file is open. For Tal, this would have enough to give mate. The young Cuban GM does not yet command quite such authority... But he has his future before him. 21.Qe3. Seeking to combine attack and development. Another interesting try was 21.Qg2 Nh7 22.Bxg7 Kxg7 23.Bd3 Bxd3 24.0–0–0! with a fierce initiative. 21...a4. The most accurate reply, but it needs a microscope to discern its finer points. The a5 square is freed for the queen, and the advance a4-a3 may later undermine the knight on c3. In the meantime, though, it is White's move, and he has excellent attacking prospects. In my analysis, capturing on c2 led to a line where the black king was mated on move 35! Here it is: 21...Bxc2 22.Qxg5 Bg6 23.Rd1 Qc8 24.Bh3 Qb7 25.Be6! fxe6 26.Qxg6 Qxb2 27.f4!! (Premature is 27.Rd2? Qa1+!) 27...Rf7 28.Rd2 Qc1+ 29.Nd1 Kf8 30.Rdh2 Ng8 31.Rh8 Rd8 32.Rxg8+ Kxg8 33.Qh7+ Kf8 34.Qh8+ Bxh8 35.Rxh8#; In any event, Black could not defend the g5 pawn: 21...Nh7? 22.Bxg7 Kxg7 23.Qe5+ Kg6 24.Rxh7! 22.Qxg5 Bg6. It seems clear that Sergey has not even considered taking on c2. 23.Bd3. Advancing the f-pawn does not work: 23.f4 e6 24.Bd3 Nd7! 25.Bxg6 (There is an improvement in 25.Qxd8! Raxd8 26.Bd6 Rfe8 27.0–0–0 and White is still a bit better.) 25...Qxg5 26.Bh7+ Kh8 and White has no more than perpetual check. 23...a3! An excellent move. Now the idea of a3-a4 is clear. 23...Bxd3? is just bad after 24.0–0–0 with an overwhelming attack.; Trying to follow the game plan by another move-order is also inferior: 23...Qa5 24.0–0–0 a3 25.Bc4! axb2+ 26.Kb1 ensuring his king a quiet life, and creating serious threats against the enemy monarch. 24.b4. 24.0–0–0 axb2+ 25.Kb1 looks very strong. I have not found anything better than 25...Qa5 26.Bc4 as given above. Let us continue the line: 26...e6 How else to defend the bishop on g6? 27.f4 Nd5 (27...Nh7 28.Rxh7!) 28.Nxd5 cxd5 29.Bxg7 dxc4 30.Qxa5 Rxa5 31.Bc3 and wins.; After 24.b3 Qa5 25.Bxg6 fxg6 26.f4 Nd7! Black saves himself by exchanges. 24...Qb6. On the edge of the precipice, Black defends himself with only moves.

25.Rh4. Maybe played too fast. What has he seen against 25...Nh7! - ? I analysed it to a forced draw, which can hardly be regarded as a success for White... I believe a better move was 25.Ke2! eg. 25...Qxb4 26.Rab1 Qc5 27.f4 Rad8 28.Bxf6 Qxg5 29.Bxg5 and the threat of f4-f5 forces Black to part with the exchange: 29...Rxd3 30.cxd3 Bxc3 but White should still win. 25...Nh7! Correct. Kariakin immediately exploits a temporary lack of harmony in the white camp. 26.Rxh7. What else? 26.Qf4 Bxe5 27.Qxe5 Qg1+ 28.Bf1 Rad8 makes no sense – what does White have to attack? 26...Kxh7. Perpetual check results from 26...Bxe5 27.Qxe5 Qg1+ 28.Kd2 Qg2+ 29.Ne2 Kxh7 30.Rg1 Qxf3 31.Qh2+ Kg7 32.Nd4 Qf6 33.Nf5+ Kg8 34.Nh6+ Kg7 35.Nf5+ (White can of course, not return the knight to f5, but after 35.Nxf7 Kxf7 36.Rf1 Bxd3 37.Rxf6+ Kxf6 38.cxd3 chances are still only equal.) 27.0–0–0. 27.Kd2 Bxe5 28.Rh1+ Kg7 29.Bxg6 Bxc3+ 30.Kxc3 fxg6 31.Qe5+ Rf6 32.Qxe7+ Rf7 33.Qe5+ is again perpetual check. 27...Qxb4. Sergey continues to find the most accurate moves, without spending much time. 28.Rh1+ Kg8 29.Bxg7? I suspect the Cuban GM may have missed, after 29.Bxg6 fxg6 30.Qxg6 Rf6 31.Bxf6? the reply (So he must instead play 31.Qh7+ Kf8 32.Ne4 but even here Black has 32...Rd8 33.f4 (33.Nxf6? Qd2+ 34.Kb1 Qd1+; 33.Bxf6 exf6!) 33...Bh6 34.Qh8+ Kf7 35.Ng5+ Bxg5 36.Qh5+ Rg6 37.fxg5 Qd2+ 38.Kb1 Qxg5 winning) 31...Qf4+! winning for Black: 32.Kb1 (32.Kd1 Qxf3+ 33.Kd2 Rd8+–+) 32...Rb8+ 33.Ka1 Qxf6. 29...Kxg7 30.Qh6+ Kf6 31.Ne4+ Ke6. The black king easily escapes the enemy fire. 32.Rd1. On 32.Qh3+ f5 there follows 33.Qg3 Rg8 34.Ng5+ Kd7 35.Qe5 Qb2+! exchanging queens. 32...Qb2+ 33.Kd2 Kd7 34.Qf4. Also hopeless is 34.Nc5+ Ke8 35.Bxg6 Qb4+ 36.Kc1 Qxc5. 34...Rfd8 35.Ke2 Ke8 36.Rh1 Ra5 37.Qc7 Rad5 38.Ke3 Kf8 39.c3 Rxd3+ 40.Kf4 f6 41.Rh8+ Kf7
and mate to follow (e.g. 42.Rxd8 Qh2+ 43.Kg4 Bf5+ 44.Kxf5 Qh3+ 45.Kf4 Qxf3# or 42.Qxd8 Qc1+ 43.Nd2 e5+ 44.Kg3 Qg1+ 45.Kh3 Bf5+ 46.Kh4 Qh2#. 0–1

CORUS

[replayer:16584]