The top tournament of the year sponsored by the English steel company Corus, is now under way in the Dutch resort of Wijk aan Zee. Among the competitors are the four best players in the world–Vladimir Kramnik, Veselin Topalov, Viswanathan Anand and Levon Aronian–and three of the brightest rising stars–Timur Rad jabov, Sergei Karjakin and Magnus Carlsen. The winner of the event will almost certainly be from among these seven. After round ten in the thirteen round event Veselin Topalov was out in front Here we see him take down Alexei Shirov with a masterful innova tion deep in a line of the Gruenfeld

TO PALOV VS. SHIROV (white) (black) Gruenfeld Defense

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Bc4 c5 8. Ne2 Nc6 9. Be3 0-0 10.0-0 Bg4 11.f3 Na5 12. Bd3 cxd4 13. cxd4 Be6 14.d5!? Bxa1 15. Qxa1 f6 This sharp variation with an exchange sacrifice has excited the imaginations of chess players for more than half a century. In the early 1950s, white was often successful in this continuation. By the end of the century, black found good defenses in the main lines leading white to stop venturing it. But over the last two years, new ideas connected with white’s 16th move have given the variation new life. 16. Qd4! Bf7 This continuation, which maintains pressure on d5 and prevents an immediate e4-e5, was more popular than 16…Bd7 until now. But after this game the evaluation of these two alternative retreats will be altered. In the recent game Mikhalevski -Sutovsky 2006 after 17.e5 fxe5 18. Qxe5 Qb8 19. Qxe7 Re8 20. Qc5 b6 21. Qc1 Qe5 black at least managed to defend successfully and reach a draw. 17. Bh6 Re8 18. Bb5 e5 19. Qf2 Re7 20.f4! This continuation has returned the line 16. Qd4 to the category of attractively playable. In an old game Gligorich-Portish 1974 after 20. Be3 Rc8! 21. Bxa7 Nc4 22. Bc5 Rec7 23. Bb4 Be8! Black obtained a good position. 20… exf4 This has been considered to be the best defense. In Van Wely-Sutovsky 2005 black tried 20…Rc8?! but after 21. fxe5 Rxe5 22. Ng3 Nc4 23. Qxf6 Qxf6 24. Rxf6 a6 25. Ba4 b5 26. Bd1! received a bad position and lost. 21. Qxf4 Qb6+ 22. Kh1 Bxd5!? An attempt to solve cardinal problems. Black would lose after 22…f5 23. exf5 Qxb5 24. fxg6 Qxd5 25. Qf6; and, in case of 22…g5 23. Qf3 Bg6 24. Bd3 Rc8 25.h4 white would have a strong initiative. 23. exd5 Qxb5 24. Qxf6 Qe8

(See Diagram)

25. Qd4! A very important novelty prepared by Topalov for this game. Unpromising was 25. Bd2 Qf8! 26. Qa1 Rxe2 27. Rxf8+ Rxf8 28. Bxa5 Rxa2! and white has to fight for a draw.; In Naier-Krasenkov 2005 white played 25. Nf4?! Rf7 26. Qc3 Qd8 27. Rc1 b5 with good chances for black. Now black faces serious trouble. 25… Rd8 White’s attack is strong after 25…Rf7 26. Rxf7 Qxf7 27. Bd2! Nc4 28. Bc3 Kf8 29. Nf4; and in case of 25…Qb5 26. Ng3 b6 27.a4 Qd7 28. Ne4 attack is unstoppable. 26.h3! Rf7 27. Rxf7 Qxf7 28. Qc3! b6 29. Ng3 Nb7?! Black admits the white knight to e4, after which the position of his king becomes untenable. Black should have chosen 29…Re8!? 30. Qd4 g5! 31. Bxg5 (also unclear is 31. Nf5 Nc4.) 31…Qg7 32. Qg4 h6 33. Nf5 Qa1+ 34. Bc1+ Kh7 35. Kh2 Re1 with a complex struggle. 30. Ne4 Qe7 31. Nf6+ Kf7 32. Nxh7 Kg8 33. Nf6+ Kf7 34. Ng4! Kg8 35. Qd2 A very strong alternative was 35. Bc1! Qg7 36. Nf6+ Kf8 37. Bg5 with a winning position for white. 35… Re8 36. Qf4 Qd6 37. Qf2! Qc5 38. Qg3 White could force a winning endgame by playing 38. Nf6+ Kf7 39. Qf1 Re5 40. Nd7+ Rf5 41. Qxf5+ gxf5 42. Nxc5 Nxc5 43. Bf4 but Topalov prefer to deliver a knockout blow. 38… Qd4 39. Kh2 Nd8 40. Qd6 Ne6 41. Be3 1-0