Topalov-Kramnik 1-0, no handshake

It's actually pretty ridiculous that it's the news of the moment, but we know you want to hear about it, so here it is: there was no handshake between Topalov and Kramnik (and neither of them protested about it). Two videos added.


Update 15:23h

[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"350","attributes":{"class":"media-image","typeof":"foaf:Image","height":"355","width":"425","style":""}}]]

Update 14:56h

We briefly talked to GM Sipke Ernst & GM Jan Gustafsson online, and this is their opinion about the current positions:

- Leko has a nice, pressing position against Carlsen; -Van Wely's position is a little bit passive. Probably something went wrong. - Radjabov has a totally understandable position. -The position in Topalov-Kramnik is about equal. The piece sacrifice seems to have practical chances. It has been analysed but never taken seriously. The idea is known from some games by IM Manuel Bosboom. Perhaps with a well-timed Rfd1, White can claim a small advantage.

Mr Karpov has just arrived in Wijk aan Zee. Here he watches the games, shown on tv screens in the press room, together with Hans B?ɬ?hm (l.) and Ulf Andersson.

Update 15:41h

Short has played a quick draw, with Black against Movsesian. He's a frequent visitor of the press room and he thinks Black's position in this Anti-Moscow line is always looking a bit shaky. "But I don't really understand these positions," he added. :-)

A moment later, Short found the nice and probably winning queen sac 27. cxd5!? Rxf7 28. Rxc6+ Kb8 29. Nxf7 Rc8 30. dxe6 Nb6 31. e7 Re8 32. a5 Nd5 33. Nd6. Now that he does understand! (And it's played now! What a game!)

Update 16:10h Meanwhile, both Polgar-Radjabov and Gelfand-Anand have ended in a draw. Polgar is the first top player who against the Schliemann/J?ɬ§nisch is trying it with the most important move 4.Nc3. She couldn't prove an advantage, though. Gelfand played the novelty 11.Te1, compared to Kramnik-Carlsen, Tal Memorial 2007. Anand didn't have any trouble reaching a dead equal position.

Update 16:10h Meanwhile, both Polgar-Radjabov and Gelfand-Anand have ended in a draw. Polgar is the first top player who against the Schliemann/J?ɬ§nisch is trying it with the most important move 4.Nc3. She couldn't prove an advantage, though. Gelfand played the novelty 11.Te1, compared to Kramnik-Carlsen, Tal Memorial 2007. Anand didn't have any trouble reaching a dead equal position.

Update 19:27h All games in A have finished and we can safely say it was the best round so far. Topalov beats Kramnik, in a deeply prepared hodgepodge of moves that started with a knight sac on f7. It was all found by Cheparinov, who was given all credits by Topalov, during the press conference which we'll publish later tonight.

Adams has finally put an end to his series of draws, by beating Van Wely. Since he doesn't play 6.Bc4 against the Najdorf that often, it might well have been a little Fischer tribute, the former world champion who once stated that he would have a good chance for a draw against God with this move. Adams played a for him typical, positional game in which Black went down almost without a chance.

Not many people paid attention to Ivanchuk-Mamedyarov today, but it was quite an interesting draw, and the tactical phase was of a very high level. The leader, Carlsen, went down today. With Black against Leko he tried his Breyer, with Kamsky's new idea 15...a5!?. Shirov & Svidler did 16.a4 in Khanty-Mansyisk, but Leko had prepared 16.Bd2. Soon afterwards, Carlsen went for a forced series of moves which he might have misjudged, because after it the white a-pawn quickly decided the game. An interview with Leko:

[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"351","attributes":{"class":"media-image","typeof":"foaf:Image","height":"355","width":"425","style":""}}]]

Aronian is the third dog walking away with the bone today. After his draw against Eljanov, nobody has seen him anymore, but this result was enough to catch Carlsen: the two now lead with 5.5 out of 9.

Update January 23, 11:55h

Movsesian, participating in Wijk aan Zee for the first time, but possible playing in sweaters for the last time. He has good chances to promote to A, where suits are more common (except for Ivanchuk, who hasn't changed his sweater thus far...)

In C, Caruana seems to be going for the tournament victory after all. An impressive win over Van der Wiel made his intentions clear once more, and he's now a half point clear with 7 out of 9. Braun missed his GM-norm after scoring zero points in the last three rounds, but he still has a slight chance when he gets himself together and starts collecting poinst again.

The Honorary Group saw two more draws. Timman-Portisch was one of the most boring Berlin Draws we've ever seen, but Ljubojevic-Korchnoi was actually a great game with piece sacrifices, counter-attacks and, unfortunately, a sudden liquidation to a drawn rook ending.

Grandmastergroup A M. Adams - L. van Wely 1-0 L. Aronian - P. Eljanov ?Ǭ?-?Ǭ? V. Ivanchuk - S. Mamedyarov ?Ǭ?-?Ǭ? J. Polgar - T. Radjabov ?Ǭ?-?Ǭ? V. Topalov - V. Kramnik 1-0 B. Gelfand - V. Anand ?Ǭ?-?Ǭ? P. Leko - M. Carlsen 1-0

Grandmastergroup B S. Movsesian - N. Short ?Ǭ?-?Ǭ? J. Smeets - W. Spoelman Nepomniachtchi - Stellwagen 1-0 E. L'Ami - Y. Hou H. Koneru - P. Harikrishna ?Ǭ?-?Ǭ? G. Sargissian - E. Bacrot ?Ǭ?-?Ǭ? I. Cheparinov - M. Krasenkow 1-0

Grandmastergroup C Z. Peng - I. Krush ?Ǭ?-?Ǭ? M. van der Werf - P. Negi ?Ǭ?-?Ǭ? D. Ruijgrok - F. Nijboer 1-0 D. Reinderman - A. Ushenina 1-0 E. Grivas - S. Li 0-1 F. Caruana - J. van der Wiel 1-0 P. Carlsson - A. Braun 1-0

Schedule/results Honorary Four:

Round 1 - Saturday the 19th L. Ljubojevic - J. Timman 0-1 V. Kortchnoi - L. Portisch 1-0	Round 2 - Sunday the 20th V. Kortchnoi - J. Timman ?Ǭ?-?Ǭ? L. Portisch - L. Ljubojevic ?Ǭ?-?Ǭ?	Round 3 - Tuesday the 22nd J. Timman - L. Portisch ?Ǭ?-?Ǭ? L. Ljubojevic - V. Kortchnoi ?Ǭ?-?Ǭ?
Round 4 - Wednesday the 23rd J. Timman - L. Ljubojevic L. Portisch - V. Kortchnoi	Round 5 - Friday the 25th L. Portisch - J. Timman V. Kortchnoi - L. Ljubojevic	Round 6 - Saturday the 26th J. Timman - V. Kortchnoi L. Ljubojevic - L. Portisch

Complete schedule + results »


New photos by forest:




External links:

• Tournament website
• Macauley's videos
• Live web commentary (Chessdom)
• Web commentary Chesspro (Russian)
• Photos by the official tournament photographer Fred Lucas
• Photos by Frits Agterdenbos (ChessVista)
• PGN A group, B group & C group