Carlsen Wins Corus 2010

Submitted by SonofPearl on Sun, 01/31/2010 at 11:11am.

After a thrilling final round, the world's #1 ranked player Magnus Carlsen (pictured) won the 72nd Corus tournament in Wijk Aan Zee.

Going into the final round, Carlsen could only be caught by Kramnik, Shirov and Anand. Kramnik made no impression on Karjakin and soon agreed a draw. Anand had some chances against Van Wely, but also offered a draw after 39 moves.

Shirov came the closest to achieving a win, using up a lot of time in the early stages of his game against Dominguez trying to build a kingside attack.

However, Shirov's cogitations left him perilously short of time, and he eventually agreed a draw with just a few seconds remaining on his clock. Although the tournament features a 30 second increment, playing accurately with just this allowance is not easy even for GMs!

That left Carlsen only needing a draw against Caruana to win the tournament, but after an early oversight it was a tense struggle for the Norwegian to hang on in a tricky knight ending. But hang on he did, to win the Corus 2010 title, a berth at the Bilbao Grand Slam Final later this year, and a cheque for 10,000 euros.

The most extraordinary game of the final round saw Nigel Short choose a rare sacrificial line against Smeet's choice of the Petroff Defence. Both players used huge amounts of time on the early moves, and by move nine Smeet's king was on the g5 square! However, with clocks running low, both players backed away from a rapid-fire finish to share the spoils with a repetition.

The only decisive game of the last round came from Hikaru Nakamura who ground out an endgame win against Sergei Tiviakov in the last game to finish in any of the groups.

In the 'B' Group 15 year old Anish Giri (pictured left) wrapped up the tournament with a comfortable draw against Negi to earn an invite to the 'A' Group in 2010.

In the 'C' Group Li Chao (pictured right) had already assured himself of first place, but he won again to finish on an amazing 10/13.

The results from the final round:

Group A
Carlsen, Magnus	½-½	Caruana, Fabiano
Kramnik, Vladimir	½-½	Karjakin, Sergey
Shirov, Alexei	½-½	Dominguez Perez, Leinier
Nakamura, Hikaru	1-0	Tiviakov, Sergei
Ivanchuk, Vassily	½-½	Leko, Peter
Short, Nigel D	½-½	Smeets, Jan
Van Wely, Loek	½-½	Anand, Viswanathan
Group B
Naiditsch, Arkadij	1-0	L'Ami, Erwin
So, Wesley	½-½	Muzychuk, Anna
Harikrishna, P	½-½	Nyback, Tomi
Negi, Parimarjan	½-½	Giri, Anish
Nisipeanu, Liviu-Dieter	½-½	Sutovsky, Emil
Reinderman, Dimitri	½-½	Ni Hua
Akobian, Varuzhan	1-0	Howell, David W L
Group C
Li Chao	1-0	Peng Zhaoqin
Gupta, Abhijeet	1-0	Robson, Ray
Van Kampen, Robin	1-0	Kuipers, Stefan
Vocaturo, Daniele	1-0	Soumya, Swaminathan
Grandelius, Nils	0-1	Swinkels, Robin
Lie, Kjetil A	0-1	Muzychuk, Mariya
Plukkel, Sjoerd	½-½	Bok, Benjamin

The final standings:

	Group A
1	Carlsen, Magnus	NOR	2810	*	0	½	½	½	1	1	½	1	½	½	1	½	1	8½
2	Kramnik, Vladimir	RUS	2788	1	*	½	0	1	½	½	½	½	½	½	1	½	1	8
3	Shirov, Alexei	ESP	2723	½	½	*	0	0	½	½	1	½	1	½	1	1	1	8
4	Anand, Viswanathan	IND	2790	½	1	1	*	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	7½
5	Nakamura, Hikaru	USA	2708	½	0	1	½	*	0	½	½	½	½	1	1	1	½	7½
6	Karjakin, Sergey	UKR	2720	0	½	½	½	1	*	½	½	½	½	1	½	½	½	7
7	Ivanchuk, Vassily	UKR	2749	0	½	½	½	½	½	*	½	½	½	½	1	½	1	7
8	Leko, Peter	HUN	2739	½	½	0	½	½	½	½	*	½	1	½	0	½	1	6½
9	Dominguez, Leinier	CUB	2712	0	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	*	½	½	½	1	½	6½
10	Caruana, Fabiano	ITA	2675	½	½	0	½	½	½	½	0	½	*	½	½	1	0	5½
11	Short, Nigel D	ENG	2696	½	½	½	½	0	0	½	½	½	½	*	0	½	½	5
12	Van Wely, Loek	NED	2641	0	0	0	½	0	½	0	1	½	½	1	*	1	0	5
13	Tiviakov, Sergei	NED	2662	½	½	0	½	0	½	½	½	0	0	½	0	*	1	4½
14	Smeets, Jan	NED	2657	0	0	0	½	½	½	0	0	½	1	½	1	0	*	4½
	Group B
1	Giri, Anish	NED	2588	*	½	½	½	1	1	½	1	1	0	1	½	1	½	9
2	Naiditsch, Arkadij	GER	2687	½	*	½	1	½	0	½	½	½	1	1	½	1	1	8½
3	Ni Hua	CHN	2657	½	½	*	½	½	½	½	0	1	1	½	½	1	1	8
4	L'Ami, Erwin	NED	2615	½	0	½	*	½	½	1	1	½	½	½	½	½	1	7½
5	So, Wesley	PHI	2656	0	½	½	½	*	½	½	½	½	½	1	1	1	½	7½
6	Harikrishna, P	IND	2672	0	1	½	½	½	*	½	½	½	1	½	0	½	½	6½
7	Negi, Parimarjan	IND	2621	½	½	½	0	½	½	*	½	½	½	½	1	0	1	6½
8	Howell, David W L	ENG	2606	0	½	1	0	½	½	½	*	0	½	½	1	1	0	6
9	Sutovsky, Emil	ISR	2657	0	½	0	½	½	½	½	1	*	½	½	1	0	½	6
10	Muzychuk, Anna	SLO	2523	1	0	0	½	½	0	½	½	½	*	½	½	½	½	5½
11	Nisipeanu, Liviu-Dieter	ROU	2681	0	0	½	½	0	½	½	½	½	½	*	½	1	½	5½
12	Reinderman, Dimitri	NED	2573	½	½	½	½	0	1	0	0	0	½	½	*	0	1	5
13	Nyback, Tomi	FIN	2643	0	0	0	½	0	½	1	0	1	½	0	1	*	½	5
14	Akobian, Varuzhan	USA	2628	½	0	0	0	½	½	0	1	½	½	½	0	½	*	4½
	Group C
1	Li Chao	CHN	2604	*	½	½	½	1	1	1	0	½	1	1	1	1	1	10
2	Gupta, Abhijeet	IND	2577	½	*	0	1	1	½	½	1	1	½	0	½	1	1	8.5
3	Van Kampen, Robin	NED	2456	½	1	*	0	1	1	½	0	1	0	½	½	1	1	8
4	Vocaturo, Daniele	ITA	2495	½	0	1	*	1	½	0	1	0	1	0	1	1	1	8
5	Robson, Ray	USA	2570	0	0	0	0	*	1	1	½	1	½	1	1	½	1	7.5
6	Swinkels, Robin	NED	2495	0	½	0	½	0	*	1	1	½	1	½	½	1	1	7.5
7	Bok, Benjamin	NED	2322	0	½	½	1	0	0	*	1	1	½	0	1	½	1	7
8	Grandelius, Nils	SWE	2515	1	0	1	0	½	0	0	*	0	1	1	½	1	0	6
9	Kuipers, Stefan	NED	2340	½	0	0	1	0	½	0	1	*	1	½	0	1	½	6
10	Muzychuk, Mariya	UKR	2447	0	½	1	0	½	0	½	0	0	*	1	½	1	1	6
11	Lie, Kjetil A	NOR	2547	0	1	½	1	0	½	1	0	½	0	*	0	½	½	5.5
12	Peng Zhaoqin	NED	2402	0	½	½	0	0	½	0	½	1	½	1	*	0	½	5
13	Plukkel, Sjoerd	NED	2279	0	0	0	0	½	0	½	0	0	0	½	1	*	½	3
14	Soumya, Swaminathan	IND	2323	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	½	0	½	½	½	*	3

Selected games from the last round below. All games are available at the official site.

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| 8093 reads | 57 comments |

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Comments:

by jontsef - 2 years ago
United States

Member Since: Jan 2009
Member Points: 169

oh and the American Yasser Seirawan in 1980!

by jontsef - 2 years ago
United States

Member Since: Jan 2009
Member Points: 169

radjabov tied for first in 2007, before his 20th bday

by kevingong - 2 years ago
California United States

Member Since: Nov 2009
Member Points: 154

At least 2 now. Karjakin was 19 when he won it last year. Also, Carlsen (then 17) came in 2nd to Aronian on tiebreaks in 2008.

by bunnybeez - 2 years ago
manila Philippines

Member Since: Aug 2009
Member Points: 9

so of the philippines will make history someday

by staggerlee - 2 years ago
United States

Member Since: Mar 2008
Member Points: 891

So when's the next big tournament we'll see all these guys at ?

by qixel - 2 years ago
California United States

Member Since: May 2009
Member Points: 2197

Thanks for the reports.

by PawnInTheGame - 2 years ago
Warsaw Poland

Member Since: May 2008
Member Points: 376

Carlsen won only 10.000 euros? A goat could eat that for a lunch*. That's nothing... but chess on a high level is really hard to understand so I'm not surprised there are so few spectators.

* http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_2466154.html?menu=

by Chessheromaniac - 2 years ago
Horten Norway

Member Since: Nov 2009
Member Points: 61

A STRANGE WORLD:

Carlsen wins Corus

Carlsen wins London

Kramnik wins Tal

Carlsen wins Blitz WC

Carlsen wins Nanjing

So: Who will play for the world champion title?

Answer: Topalov and Anand

It must be strange for the winner. He knows that he is not the best in the world. It is like playing Wimbledon without Federer and Nadal in the contest...

by chessoholicalien - 2 years ago
Missouri United States

Member Since: Dec 2008
Member Points: 1156

Overhyped: Nakamura, So

Solid: Kramnik, Anand

Slightly fortunate: Carlsen (but still played brilliantly)

Well under par: Short

Lots of draws (yawn)

Still, great contest! :)

by MichielTummers - 2 years ago
Sittard Netherlands

Member Since: Jan 2008
Member Points: 118

anish giri won ! that was my prediction also :D

by EdgeOfDefeat - 2 years ago
Indiana United States

Member Since: May 2009
Member Points: 10

Yea poor shirov. But nonetheless I'm happy carlsen won. Rooting for him from the start.

by Izorshtrich - 2 years ago
New York City United States

Member Since: Oct 2008
Member Points: 48

Carlsen deserves this, I agree, but to say that "he rocks" is an exaggeration, he barely made it. I mean he's only ahead of two other guys by half a point!

by PuffMyRice - 2 years ago
Haugesund Norway

Member Since: Dec 2009
Member Points: 4

This was an exciting tournament, which I followed carefully from the beginning to the end. Cheered for Carlsen ofc. But there were a lot of competition and he almost missed the draw/win he needed!

But still; Congratulations to Carlsen!

by Archaic71 - 2 years ago
Texas United States

Member Since: Nov 2008
Member Points: 853

Great job Nakamura, I knew he would have a good tourney. Wow, Nigel Short - not a single win.

Even though Anand and Topalov are still the championship candidates, it is becoming more and more obvious that they are just keeping the chairs warm for the next generation, particularly for Garry's newest pupil Carlson.

by bigfundu - 2 years ago
Chennai India

Member Since: Oct 2008
Member Points: 454

Shirov's was a damn good game and certainly the Short-Smeets game was a crazy one :)

by kunduk - 2 years ago
kolkata India

Member Since: Feb 2009
Member Points: 964

congrats..!!!

by cclynes - 2 years ago
Crook Town England

Member Since: Jun 2008
Member Points: 520

What a crazy game between short and smeets

by Helipacter - 2 years ago
Asturias Spain

Member Since: Oct 2008
Member Points: 239

Shirov was down to 3 seconds on his clock, would you have the guts to move a piece to earn yourself 30 seconds in that position? b4 was winning, but he would have needed more than 3 seconds to see it, as it wasn't the only move on the board. Hats off to Lernier though, he offered a draw in a losing position when he knew his opponent was in time trouble...

Congrats to Carlsen...

by drumdaddy - 2 years ago
International

Member Since: Apr 2009
Member Points: 834

Amazing tournament with great battles in all three groups. Shirov desperately wanted a final win but squandered his time in a pitched battle. Kramnik left early for a dinner date but looked very strong for the whole tournament. The fact that nobody could beat Anand is not good news for Topalov. Kudos to Corus Chess for providing live coverage through which we could follow the action on each board. Also, thanks to chess.com/tv for the in-depth live analysis. This tournament was great fun.

by fatharry - 2 years ago
CapeTown South Africa

Member Since: Nov 2009
Member Points: 745

31. b4 is surely a clear win for Shirov. I think an average 1600 rated player would be able to force the win with a 30 seconds per move increment. I'm very surprised Shirov missed it.

Well done to Carlsen. He seems to have taken a psychological step ahead of the old guard (Krammers, Vishy etc). I don't think they'll catch him now in the world rankings. It's up to the youngsters (Nakamura and Giri esp) to keep Magnus on his toes over the next few years.

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