CHESS

Bobby Fischer, who died on Jan. 17 last year, was the greatest chess player ever, according to Vishy Anand, the current world champion. The Indian superstar believes Fischer made the biggest impact on the game. Anand also acknowledged that Garry Kasparov's 20-year reign was remarkable.

The Corus Line

After defeating Russia's Vladimir Kramnik in the world championship match in Bonn, Germany, last October, Anand took a well-deserved rest. He decided not to play the elite Corus tournament that is underway in the Dutch coastal town of Wijk aan Zee and can be followed on the Internet at http://www.coruschess.com. Kramnik and the world's top-rated player, Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria, also stayed home.

Still, the Corus tournament is one of the year's most important events and it began with a bang. The heads started rolling in the first round on Saturday, when the top-rated Vassily Ivanchuk of Ukraine lost on time to Dutchman Jan Smeets and another favorite, Alexander Morozevich of Russia, was smashed by the Ukrainian teenager Sergei Karjakin in the Taimanov Sicilian in 26 moves.

Karjakin-Morozevich

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 Qc7 6.Be3 a6 7.Qd2 Nf6 8.0-0-0 Be7 9.f3 (The English Attack can be played even against the Taimanov Sicilian.) 9...0-0 10.g4 b5 (Advancing on the queenside without moving the d-pawn became fashionable only last year. After 10...d6 11.g5 black can play 11...Nd7, retreating to a more flexible square.) 11.g5 Ne8 12.h4 Ne5 13.Kb1 Bb7 14.h5 Rc8 15.Qg2 (Morozevich was familiar with 15.g6 since he had that position against Leinier Dominguez last year in Sarajevo. Karjakin prefers a slower build-up.) 15...b4 16.Na4 f5?! (Leaving the d-pawn on the original square protects the pawn on e6. It allows Morozevich to strike white's center with the f-pawn, but it also opens the g-file for white.) 17.gxf6 Nxf6 18.Bd3 Rf7 19.b3 Rcf8 20.Rdg1 Ne8 21.Rh3 Bf6 22.Nb2 Nc6? (A losing move. Black should have tried 22...Nd6.) 23.Nxc6 Qxc6 (23...Bxc6 is not much better, for example 24.Nc4! d5 25.exd5 exd5 26.h6! g6 27.Bxg6 dxc4 28.Bxh7+ Kh8 29.Bd3! cxd3 30.Qg7+!! Rxg7 31.hxg7+ Kg8 32.Rh8+ winning; or 24...Bc3 25.e5! Bxf3 26.Bxh7+! Kxh7 27.Qg6+ Kg8 28.h6, threatening 29.Qh7+!! Kxh7 30.hxg7+ Kg8 31.Rh8 mate.)24.Nc4! (Preparing the devastating 25.e5.) 24...d5?! (Opening up the diagonal b1-h7 for white's light bishop, but black is in dire straits anyway. For example after 24...Kh8 25.e5! Bd8 26.Qg6!! hxg6? 27.hxg6+ Kg8 28.Rgh1 white mates soon; and after 24...d6 25.e5! dxe5 26.h6!, threatening 27.Bxh7+, white wins.) 25.exd5 exd5 26.h6! (A pretty finishing touch. After 26...dxc4 27.Bxh7+! Kh8 [On 27...Kxh7 28.hxg7+ wins.] 28.hxg7+ Rxg7 29.Be4+ Kg8 30.Bxc6 wins; or 26...g6 27.Bxg6! hxg6 28.Qxg6+ Kh8 29.Qg7+!! Rxg7 30.hxg7+ Kg8 31.Rh8+ wins; or 26...Bc8 27.Bxh7+! Kh8 28.hxg7+ Rxg7 29.Rh5!! Rxg2 30.Be4+ Kg7 31.Rxg2+ Kf7 32.Bxd5+ wins.) Black resigned.

Solution to today's study by L. Prokes (White: Kd5,Rd7,Ng7; Black: Kh8,Rg8,P:g4,h7): 1.Nh5!! Rg5+ (After 1...Rf8 or 1...Rg6 2.Ke5, threatening 3.Nf6, white wins.) 2.Ke6 Rxh5 3.Kf6 h6 4.Kg6 Rg5+ 5.Kxh6 Rg8 6.Rh7 mate.