Drama in group C

In the last two weeks, we’ve paid attention to groups B and C of Corus as well, and so we should bring you some concluding words about these groups too. Where many predicted that group A and B would only be decided in the last round, it seemed for a long time that group C already had a winner. Ian Nepomniachtchi had a phenomenal start with 7,5 out of 8. After a few draws in the last rounds he had a score of 10 out of 12. Indeed his margin of 1,5 on the Polish grandmaster Krasenkow was reduced to only a half point, but the 8 victories, 4 draws and his unbeaten record, should have given him enough confidence for a draw at least in the last round, playing with White against Nadezhda Kosintseva. Things went differently.

Maybe he was nervous, maybe it was Nadezhda’s pretty smile which made him lose his concentration. Fact is that he gave away an almost certain championship in the last round! He didn’t stand a chance in his own game but to make matters worse, Krasenkow beat Peng with Black and in doing so he won the tournament with the smallest possible difference.

In group B it was Pavel Eljanov who had the best credentials for winning the group. A victory over Tatiana Kosintseva would lead him to the title. It would have been something, if this Kosintseva too had spoiled someone’s party, but luckily for the man from the Ukraine that didn’t happen. With a victory over Nadezhda’s younger sister, he won the group with 9 out of 13.

The Dutch chess players in both groups performed well in general. Probably Harmen Jonkman had wished for a better result, but the way he defeated Swedish grandmaster Emanuel Berg in the last round, might have made him feel good after all.