Grandmaster Alexey Shirov has had a terrific start in the Corus super tournament in Wijk aan Zee, Holland. After five rounds Shirov has only wins, and is one and a half point clear of the field. Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura and Vassily Ivanchuk are in shared second with 3,5 points.

 
Top players: Carlsen (left) and Kramnik (photo: Raymond Boger)

A large part of the world elite is taking part in the classic event in the Dutch coastal village of Wijk aan Zee. Former world champion and current world no 2 Veselin Topalov is not taking part this time, but even so the tournament is loaded with stars. The new world number one, Magnus Carlsen, is the rating favourite, ahead of world champion Vishy Anand and former world champion Vladimir Kramnik.

Great chess: Alexey Shirov (photo: Commons/Karpidis) 

Neither of these are in the lead after five rounds, however. It is Alexey Shirov (now Spain, formerly Latvia) who has scored a stunning five wins in the first five rounds. Shirov has not played Carlsen, Anand or Kramnik, but still his result is remarkable. Last year Shirov was ranked as number five in the world, after winning the M-Tel Masters in Sofia.

Currently Shirov is only number 20 in the world rankings, after some poor performances in the second half of 2009. He was not among the favourites in Wijk aan Zee, but Corus 2010 could become one of his greatest successes of his careeer.

Alexey Shirov is one the greatest attacking players of all time. In his round 4 game against Dutch GM Jan Smeets, he demonstrated his willingness to sacrifice  material to get at his opponents’ king.

Shirov vs Smeets
Corus Wijk aan Zee 2010, round 4
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Nc6 7.0–0 Be7 8.c4 Nb4 9.Be2 0–0 10.Nc3 Bf5 11.a3 Nxc3 12.bxc3 Nc6 13.Re1 Re8 14.cxd5 Qxd5 15.Bf4 Rac8 16.h3 h6 17.Nd2 Na5 18.Nf1 Qb3 19.Qd2 Nc4 20.Bxc4 Qxc4 21.Ne3 Qb5 22.c4 Qd7 23.c5 Bg6 24.Rac1 c6 25.Nc4 f6

So far nothing much has been going on in this game, but now Shirov comes up with a stunning sacrifice. 26.Bxh6!? Not entirely correct, but it does the trick. Smeets is unable to find the right way forward in the ensuing complications. 26...gxh6 27.Qxh6 Bh7 28.Re3 Bf8 29.Rg3+ Kh8 30.Qxf6+ Bg7 31.Qg5 Bxd4 32.Rd1 Up to this point, Smeets has defended well, and he could now play 32...Re2 with some advantage to black. 32...Rf8?! 33.Kh2 Rcd8?? A blunder, which decides the game. 34.Ne5 Qc7

35.Rxd4! Rxd4 36.Ng6+ Kg7 37.Nxf8+ Black resigned, as White picks up the rook on d4 after 37...Kxf8 38.Qf6+. 1–0