Corus chess tournament - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Tata Steel Chess Tournament formerly called the Corus chess tournament takes place every year, usually in January, in a small town called Wijk aan Zee

Wijk aan Zee

Wijk aan Zee is a small town on the coast of the North Sea in the municipality of Beverwijk in the province of North Holland of the Netherlands. The prestigious Tata Steel chess tournament formerly Corus chess tournament and before that called Hoogovens tournament takes place there every year.Due...

, part of the larger Beverwijk

Beverwijk

Beverwijk is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. The town is located about northwest of Amsterdam in the Randstad metropolitan area, north of the North Sea Canal very close to the North Sea coast...

in the province of North Holland

North Holland

North Holland |West Frisian]]: Noard-Holland) is a province situated on the North Sea in the northwest part of the Netherlands. The provincial capital is Haarlem and its largest city is Amsterdam.-Geography:...

in the Netherlands. It was called the Hoogovens tournament until 1999 after which the Dutch steel

Steel

Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...

and aluminium

Aluminium

Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....

producer Koninklijke Hoogovens

Koninklijke Hoogovens

Koninklijke Hoogovens was a Dutch steel producer founded in 1918. In 1999, the company merged with British Steel to create Corus Group steel company. In 2007, Corus Group was purchased by India-based Tata Steel.- History :On April 19, 1917, H.J.E...

merged with British Steel

British Steel

British Steel was a major British steel producer. It originated as a nationalised industry, the British Steel Corporation , formed in 1967. This was converted to a public limited company, British Steel PLC, and privatised in 1988. It was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index...

to form the Corus Group

Corus Group

Tata Steel Europe is a multinational steel-making company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the second-largest steel-maker in Europe and is a subsidiary of Tata Steel of India, one of the ten largest steel producers in the world.Corus Group was formed through the merger of Koninklijke...

on 6 October 1999 ("Hoogoven" is Dutch for "blast furnace", literally "high oven"). From 1938 to 1967, the tournament took place in Beverwijk

Beverwijk

. Since the purchase of Corus by Tata Steel

Tata Steel

Tata Steel is a multinational steel company headquartered in Jamshedpur, India and part of Tata Group. It is the world's seventh-largest steel company, with an annual crude steel capacity of 31 million tonnes, and the largest private-sector steel company in India measured by domestic production...

, the tournament is now called the Tata Steel Chess Tournament. The series has continued to be numbered sequentially from its beginnings and hence, the 2011 event was referred to as the 73rd Tata Steel Chess Tournament on the official website.

While it is true that very strong chess

Chess

Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...

players compete in the prestigious tournament, regular club players are welcome to play as well. The top 'A' section pits 14 of the world's best against each other in a round-robin tournament

Round-robin tournament

A round-robin tournament is a competition "in which each contestant meets all other contestants in turn".-Terminology:...

. Since 1938, there has been a long list of famous winners, including: Max Euwe

Max Euwe

Machgielis Euwe was a Dutch chess Grandmaster, mathematician, and author. He was the fifth player to become World Chess Champion . Euwe also served as President of FIDE, the World Chess Federation, from 1970 to 1978.- Early years :Euwe was born in Watergraafsmeer, near Amsterdam...

, Bent Larsen

Bent Larsen

Jørgen Bent Larsen was a Danish chess Grandmaster and author. Larsen was known for his imaginative and unorthodox style of play and he was the first western player to pose a serious challenge to the Soviet Union's dominance of chess...

, Tigran Petrosian

Tigran Petrosian

Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian was a Soviet-Armenian grandmaster, and World Chess Champion from 1963 to 1969. He was nicknamed "Iron Tigran" due to his playing style because of his almost impenetrable defence, which emphasised safety above all else...

, Paul Keres

Paul Keres

Paul Keres , was an Estonian chess grandmaster, and a renowned chess writer. He was among the world's top players from the mid-1930s to the mid-1960s....

, Efim Geller

Efim Geller

Efim Petrovich Geller was a Soviet chess player and world-class grandmaster at his peak. He won the Soviet Championship twice and was a Candidate for the World Championship on six occasions...

, Lajos Portisch

Lajos Portisch

Lajos Portisch is a Hungarian chess Grandmaster, whose positional style earned him the nickname, the "Hungarian Botvinnik"...

, Boris Spassky

Boris Spassky

Boris Vasilievich Spassky is a Soviet-French chess grandmaster. He was the tenth World Chess Champion, holding the title from late 1969 to 1972...

, Mikhail Botvinnik

Mikhail Botvinnik

Mikhail Moiseyevich Botvinnik, Ph.D. was a Soviet and Russian International Grandmaster and three-time World Chess Champion. Working as an electrical engineer and computer scientist at the same time, he was one of the very few famous chess players who achieved distinction in another career while...

, Mikhail Tal

Mikhail Tal

Mikhail Tal was a Soviet–Latvian chess player, a Grandmaster, and the eighth World Chess Champion.Widely regarded as a creative genius, and the best attacking player of all time, he played a daring, combinatorial style. His play was known above all for improvisation and unpredictability....

, Viktor Korchnoi

Viktor Korchnoi

Viktor Lvovich Korchnoi ; pronounced in the original Russian as "karch NOY"; Ви́ктор Льво́вич Корчно́й, born March 23, 1931 is a professional chess player, author and currently the oldest active grandmaster on the tournament circuit...

, Jan Timman

Jan Timman

Jan Timman is a Dutch chess Grandmaster who was one of the world's leading players from the late 1970s to the early 1990s. At the peak of his career he was considered to be the best non-Soviet player and was known as "The Best of the West"...

, Anatoly Karpov

Anatoly Karpov

Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov is a Russian chess grandmaster and former World Champion. He was the official world champion from 1975 to 1985 when he was defeated by Garry Kasparov. He played three matches against Kasparov for the title from 1986 to 1990, before becoming FIDE World Champion once...

, Vladimir Kramnik

Vladimir Kramnik

Vladimir Borisovich Kramnik is a Russian chess grandmaster. He was the Classical World Chess Champion from 2000 to 2006, and the undisputed World Chess Champion from 2006 to 2007...

, Garry Kasparov

Garry Kasparov

Garry Kimovich Kasparov is a Russian chess grandmaster, a former World Chess Champion, writer, political activist, and one of the greatest chess players of all time....

, Viswanathan Anand

Viswanathan Anand

V. Anand or Anand Viswanathan, usually referred as Viswanathan Anand, is an Indian chess Grandmaster, the current World Chess Champion, and currently second highest rated player in the world....

, Veselin Topalov

Veselin Topalov

Veselin Aleksandrov Topalov is a Bulgarian chess grandmaster. He currently has the sixth highest rating in the world, and was the challenger facing world champion Viswanathan Anand in the World Chess Championship 2010, losing the match 6½–5½....

, Levon Aronian

Levon Aronian

Levon Grigor Aronian is an Armenian chess Grandmaster and the reigning World Blitz Chess Champion. On the September 2011 FIDE list, he has an Elo rating of 2807, making him number three in the world and Armenia's number one...

, Sergey Karjakin

Sergey Karjakin

Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin is a Russian chess grandmaster. He was a chess prodigy and holds the record for both the youngest International Master, eleven years and eleven months, and grandmaster in history, at the age of twelve years and seven months...

, Magnus Carlsen

Magnus Carlsen

Sven Magnus Øen Carlsen is a Norwegian chess Grandmaster and chess prodigy who is currently the number-one ranked player in the world. In January 2010 he became the seventh player ranked number one in the world on the official FIDE rating list...

, and Hikaru Nakamura

Hikaru Nakamura

Hikaru Nakamura is an American chess Grandmaster . He has been ranked among the top six players in the world by FIDE....

. In fact, of the "Classical" world chess champions

World Chess Championship

The World Chess Championship is played to determine the World Champion in the board game chess. Men and women of any age are eligible to contest this title....

since World War II, only the names of Vasily Smyslov

Vasily Smyslov

Vasily Vasilyevich Smyslov was a Soviet and Russian chess grandmaster, and was World Chess Champion from 1957 to 1958. He was a Candidate for the World Chess Championship on eight occasions . Smyslov was twice equal first at the Soviet Championship , and his total of 17 Chess Olympiad medals won...

and Bobby Fischer

Bobby Fischer

Robert James "Bobby" Fischer was an American chess Grandmaster and the 11th World Chess Champion. He is widely considered one of the greatest chess players of all time. Fischer was also a best-selling chess author...

are missing. In 2001, nine of the top ten players in the world participated.

Viswanathan Anand

Viswanathan Anand

V. Anand or Anand Viswanathan, usually referred as Viswanathan Anand, is an Indian chess Grandmaster, the current World Chess Champion, and currently second highest rated player in the world....

is the only player to have won five titles of the Hoogovens/Corus chess tournament in its long history, though three of these were shared wins. Anand also holds the record of most consecutive games played at this tournament without a loss (70 — from 1998–2004). Max Euwe, Lajos Portisch and Viktor Korchnoi won Corus four times each.

Hoogovens Beverwijk

The early tournaments were very small, starting with groups of four in 1938, and entry restricted to Dutch players.
The first five tournaments continued this way, with the contest held annually early in January.
In 1943 and 1944 the tournament field was doubled in size to eight players.
No tournament was held in 1945 due to World War II.
The first international tournament was held in 1946. The main tournament field was expanded to ten, with invitations to Alberic O'Kelly de Galway

Albéric O'Kelly de Galway

Albéric O'Kelly de Galway was a Belgian chess Grandmaster , and an International Correspondence Chess Grandmaster , most famous for being the third ICCF World Champion in correspondence chess between 1959 and 1962. He was also a chess writer...

(Belgium) and Gösta Stoltz

Gösta Stoltz

-Biography:Stoltz played a few matches with strong chess masters. In 1926, he lost to Mikhail Botvinnik at a team match Stockholm – Leningrad in Stockholm. In 1927, he drew with Allan Nilsson in Göteborg . In 1930, he won against Isaac Kashdan in Stockholm. In 1930, he lost to Rudolf Spielmann ...

(Sweden) along with a Dutch contingent of eight.

The tournament field remained at ten until 1953 when it was increased to twelve, and an international women's tournament was also held. In 1954 the tournament field was returned to ten players, but the strength of the competitions increased. The field was greatly enlarged to 18 in 1963, and although it reduced to 16 in 1964, the event had become the strongest international chess tournament in the world .

As the tournament grew in stature, the ancillary women's tournament became a regular feature, as did a 'Masters' event and 'Masters Reserves' events. There also began a tradition to operate a year on year invitation policy that resembled the system used in football 'league tables'; the winner of a lesser category event would receive an invitation to the next higher event the following year.

The 1946 tournament was one of the first European international chess tournaments after World War II.
Food shortages were still a problem in Europe, so the post-tournament banquet featured pea soup

Pea soup

Pea soup or split pea soup is soup made, typically, from dried peas. It is, with variations, a part of the cuisine of many cultures. It is greyish-green or yellow in color depending on the regional variety of peas used; all are cultivars of Pisum sativum.Pea soup has been eaten since antiquity; it...

, inexpensive fare of the common people. In subsequent years pea soup has been served as the first course of the concluding banquet, a tradition continued when the tournament was moved from Beverwijk to Wijk aan Zee .

Winners of the top group:

1938 - Philip Bakker
1939 - Nicolaas Cortlever
Nicolaas Cortlever
Nicolaas Cortlever was a Dutch chess master.He tied for 7-8th at Rotterdam 1936 ; took 2nd at Amsterdam 1938 ; won at the 2nd Hoogovens Beverwijk 1939 ; tied for 4-6th at Amsterdam I and 3rd-4th at Amsterdam II in 1939.During World War II, he tied for 2nd-3rd at...
1940 - Max Euwe
Max Euwe
Machgielis Euwe was a Dutch chess Grandmaster, mathematician, and author. He was the fifth player to become World Chess Champion . Euwe also served as President of FIDE, the World Chess Federation, from 1970 to 1978.- Early years :Euwe was born in Watergraafsmeer, near Amsterdam...
1941 - Arthur Wijnans
Arthur Wijnans
Arthur J. Wijnans was a Dutch chess player and study composer.He took 3rd in Dutch Chess Championship in 1939, took 4th at Beverwijk 1940 , won at Beverwijk 1941 , and shared 2nd, after Arnold van den Hoek, at Beverwijk 1943...
1942 - Max Euwe
Max Euwe
Machgielis Euwe was a Dutch chess Grandmaster, mathematician, and author. He was the fifth player to become World Chess Champion . Euwe also served as President of FIDE, the World Chess Federation, from 1970 to 1978.- Early years :Euwe was born in Watergraafsmeer, near Amsterdam...
1943 - Arnold van den Hoek
Arnold van den Hoek
Arnold Johannes van den Hoek was a Dutch chess master....
1944 - Theo van Scheltinga
Theo van Scheltinga
Tjeerd Daniel van Scheltinga was a Dutch chess player. FIDE awarded him the International Master title in 1950 ....
1945 - no tournament
1946 - Alberic O'Kelly de Galway
Albéric O'Kelly de Galway
Albéric O'Kelly de Galway was a Belgian chess Grandmaster , and an International Correspondence Chess Grandmaster , most famous for being the third ICCF World Champion in correspondence chess between 1959 and 1962. He was also a chess writer...
1947 - Theo van Scheltinga
Theo van Scheltinga
Tjeerd Daniel van Scheltinga was a Dutch chess player. FIDE awarded him the International Master title in 1950 ....
1948 - Lodewijk Prins
Lodewijk Prins
Lodewijk Prins was a Dutch chess player and referee of chess competitions.Prins was awarded the International Master title in 1950, and was made an International Arbiter in 1960. In 1982 FIDE made him an honorary Grandmaster.Prins represented the Netherlands twelve times in all Chess Olympiads...
1949 - Savielly Tartakower
Savielly Tartakower
Ksawery Tartakower was a leading Polish and French chess Grandmaster. He was also a leading chess journalist of the 1920s and 30s...
1950 - Jan Hein Donner
Jan Hein Donner
Johannes Hendrikus Donner was a Dutch chess grandmaster and writer. Donner was born in The Hague and won the Dutch Championship in 1954, 1957, and 1958. FIDE, the World Chess Federation, awarded him the GM title in 1959. He played 11 times for the Netherlands in the Chess Olympiads...
1951 - Herman Pilnik
Herman Pilnik
Herman Pilnik was an Argentine chess Grandmaster.-Career:...
1952 - Max Euwe
Max Euwe
Machgielis Euwe was a Dutch chess Grandmaster, mathematician, and author. He was the fifth player to become World Chess Champion . Euwe also served as President of FIDE, the World Chess Federation, from 1970 to 1978.- Early years :Euwe was born in Watergraafsmeer, near Amsterdam...
1953 - Nicolas Rossolimo
Nicolas Rossolimo
Nicolas Rossolimo was an American-French-Russian-Greek chess Grandmaster. He was many times champion of Paris, France, and after relocating to the United States won the 1955 U.S. Open Championship...
1954 - Hans Bouwmeester and Vasja Pirc
Vasja Pirc
Vasja Pirc was a leading Slovenian chess player. His name is most familiar to contemporary players as the originator of the hypermodern Pirc Defense...
1955 - Bora Milic
1956 - Gideon Stahlberg
Gideon Ståhlberg
Anders Gideon Tom Ståhlberg was a Swedish chess grandmaster.He won the Swedish Chess Championship of 1927, became Nordic champion in 1929, and held it until 1939....
1957 - Aleksandar Matanović
Aleksandar Matanovic
Aleksandar Matanović is a Serbian chess Grandmaster. He was born in Belgrade.Awarded the GM title in 1955, he was junior champion of Yugoslavia in 1948 and Yugoslav national champion in 1962 , 1969 and 1978...
1958 - Max Euwe
Max Euwe
Machgielis Euwe was a Dutch chess Grandmaster, mathematician, and author. He was the fifth player to become World Chess Champion . Euwe also served as President of FIDE, the World Chess Federation, from 1970 to 1978.- Early years :Euwe was born in Watergraafsmeer, near Amsterdam...

and Jan Hein Donner
Jan Hein Donner
Johannes Hendrikus Donner was a Dutch chess grandmaster and writer. Donner was born in The Hague and won the Dutch Championship in 1954, 1957, and 1958. FIDE, the World Chess Federation, awarded him the GM title in 1959. He played 11 times for the Netherlands in the Chess Olympiads...
1959 - Friðrik Ólafsson
Friðrik Ólafsson
Friðrik Ólafsson is an Icelandic chess Grandmaster and former president of FIDE.Friðrik was born in Reykjavík, Iceland. A first-time winner of the Icelandic Championship in 1952 and of the Scandinavian Championship a year later, he rapidly became recognised as the strongest Icelandic player of his...
1960 - Bent Larsen
Bent Larsen
Jørgen Bent Larsen was a Danish chess Grandmaster and author. Larsen was known for his imaginative and unorthodox style of play and he was the first western player to pose a serious challenge to the Soviet Union's dominance of chess...

and Tigran Petrosian
Tigran Petrosian
Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian was a Soviet-Armenian grandmaster, and World Chess Champion from 1963 to 1969. He was nicknamed "Iron Tigran" due to his playing style because of his almost impenetrable defence, which emphasised safety above all else...
1961 - Bent Larsen
Bent Larsen
Jørgen Bent Larsen was a Danish chess Grandmaster and author. Larsen was known for his imaginative and unorthodox style of play and he was the first western player to pose a serious challenge to the Soviet Union's dominance of chess...

and Borislav Ivkov
Borislav Ivkov
Borislav Ivkov is a Serbian chess Grandmaster. He was the first ever World Junior Champion in 1951. He won the Yugoslav Championship in 1958 , 1963 and 1972. He was a World championship candidate in 1965, and played in four more Interzonal tournaments, in 1967, 1970, 1973, and 1979...
1962 - Petar Trifunović
Petar Trifunovic
Dr. Petar Trifunović was an International Grandmaster and Serbian Champion of chess...
1963 - Jan Hein Donner
Jan Hein Donner
Johannes Hendrikus Donner was a Dutch chess grandmaster and writer. Donner was born in The Hague and won the Dutch Championship in 1954, 1957, and 1958. FIDE, the World Chess Federation, awarded him the GM title in 1959. He played 11 times for the Netherlands in the Chess Olympiads...
1964 - Paul Keres
Paul Keres
Paul Keres , was an Estonian chess grandmaster, and a renowned chess writer. He was among the world's top players from the mid-1930s to the mid-1960s....

and Iivo Nei
Iivo Nei
Iivo Nei is an Estonian chess master.In 1947, at the beginning of his career, Nei took 3rd in Leningrad at the sixth USSR championships. The event was won by Viktor Korchnoi. In 1948, he tied for first with Korchnoi in Tallinn...
1965 - Lajos Portisch
Lajos Portisch
Lajos Portisch is a Hungarian chess Grandmaster, whose positional style earned him the nickname, the "Hungarian Botvinnik"...

and Efim Geller
Efim Geller
Efim Petrovich Geller was a Soviet chess player and world-class grandmaster at his peak. He won the Soviet Championship twice and was a Candidate for the World Championship on six occasions...
1966 - Lev Polugaevsky
Lev Polugaevsky
Lev Abramovich Polugaevsky was an International Grandmaster of chess and frequent contender for the world chess championship, although he never achieved that title...
1967 - Boris Spassky
Boris Spassky
Boris Vasilievich Spassky is a Soviet-French chess grandmaster. He was the tenth World Chess Champion, holding the title from late 1969 to 1972...

Hoogovens Wijk aan Zee

The tournament was moved to the Dutch seaside town Wijk aan Zee

Wijk aan Zee

in 1968.
In this period, the tournament was popularly called both 'Hoogovens' and 'Wijk aan Zee'.
Winners of the Grandmaster

International Grandmaster

The title Grandmaster is awarded to strong chess players by the world chess organization FIDE. Apart from World Champion, Grandmaster is the highest title a chess player can attain....

A group since 1968 have been:

1968 - Viktor Korchnoi
Viktor Korchnoi
Viktor Lvovich Korchnoi ; pronounced in the original Russian as "karch NOY"; Ви́ктор Льво́вич Корчно́й, born March 23, 1931 is a professional chess player, author and currently the oldest active grandmaster on the tournament circuit...
1969 - Mikhail Botvinnik
Mikhail Botvinnik
Mikhail Moiseyevich Botvinnik, Ph.D. was a Soviet and Russian International Grandmaster and three-time World Chess Champion. Working as an electrical engineer and computer scientist at the same time, he was one of the very few famous chess players who achieved distinction in another career while...

and Efim Geller
Efim Geller
Efim Petrovich Geller was a Soviet chess player and world-class grandmaster at his peak. He won the Soviet Championship twice and was a Candidate for the World Championship on six occasions...
1970 - Mark Taimanov
Mark Taimanov
Mark Evgenievich Taimanov is a leading Soviet and Russian chess player and concert pianist.-Chess:He was awarded the International Grandmaster title in 1952 and played in the Candidates Tournament in Zurich in 1953, where he tied for eighth place. From 1946 to 1956, he was among the world's top...
1971 - Viktor Korchnoi
Viktor Korchnoi
Viktor Lvovich Korchnoi ; pronounced in the original Russian as "karch NOY"; Ви́ктор Льво́вич Корчно́й, born March 23, 1931 is a professional chess player, author and currently the oldest active grandmaster on the tournament circuit...
1972 - Lajos Portisch
Lajos Portisch
Lajos Portisch is a Hungarian chess Grandmaster, whose positional style earned him the nickname, the "Hungarian Botvinnik"...
1973 - Mikhail Tal
Mikhail Tal
Mikhail Tal was a Soviet–Latvian chess player, a Grandmaster, and the eighth World Chess Champion.Widely regarded as a creative genius, and the best attacking player of all time, he played a daring, combinatorial style. His play was known above all for improvisation and unpredictability....
1974 - Walter Browne
1975 - Lajos Portisch
Lajos Portisch
Lajos Portisch is a Hungarian chess Grandmaster, whose positional style earned him the nickname, the "Hungarian Botvinnik"...
1976 - Ljubomir Ljubojevic
Ljubomir Ljubojevic
Ljubomir Ljubojević is a Grandmaster of chess. He was born on November 2, 1950, in Titovo Užice, Yugoslavia . Ljubojević was awarded the International Master title in 1970 and the GM title in 1971. He was Yugoslav champion in 1977 and 1982. He won the 1974 Canadian Open Chess Championship...

and Friðrik Ólafsson
Friðrik Ólafsson
Friðrik Ólafsson is an Icelandic chess Grandmaster and former president of FIDE.Friðrik was born in Reykjavík, Iceland. A first-time winner of the Icelandic Championship in 1952 and of the Scandinavian Championship a year later, he rapidly became recognised as the strongest Icelandic player of his...
1977 - Genna Sosonko and Efim Geller
Efim Geller
Efim Petrovich Geller was a Soviet chess player and world-class grandmaster at his peak. He won the Soviet Championship twice and was a Candidate for the World Championship on six occasions...
1978 - Lajos Portisch
Lajos Portisch
Lajos Portisch is a Hungarian chess Grandmaster, whose positional style earned him the nickname, the "Hungarian Botvinnik"...
1979 - Lev Polugaevsky
Lev Polugaevsky
Lev Abramovich Polugaevsky was an International Grandmaster of chess and frequent contender for the world chess championship, although he never achieved that title...
1980 - Walter Browne and Yasser Seirawan
1981 - Genna Sosonko and Jan Timman
Jan Timman
Jan Timman is a Dutch chess Grandmaster who was one of the world's leading players from the late 1970s to the early 1990s. At the peak of his career he was considered to be the best non-Soviet player and was known as "The Best of the West"...
1982 - John Nunn
John Nunn
John Denis Martin Nunn is one of England's strongest chess players and once belonged to the world's top ten. He is also a three times world champion in chess problem solving, a chess writer and publisher, and a mathematician....

and Yuri Balashov
Yuri Balashov
-Chess career:He was awarded the grandmaster title in 1973. Balashov was Moscow Champion in 1970 and 2nd to Anatoly Karpov in the 1976 USSR Chess Championship. In 1977 he won Lithuanian Chess Championship. He finished 1st= at Lone Pine 1977 and 1st= at Wijk aan Zee 1982.Balashov represented the...
1983 - Ulf Andersson
Ulf Andersson
Ulf Andersson is a leading Swedish chess player. FIDE awarded him the International Master title in 1970 and the Grandmaster title in 1972 .-Career:...
1984 - Alexander Beliavsky
Alexander Beliavsky
-External links:...

and Viktor Korchnoi
Viktor Korchnoi
Viktor Lvovich Korchnoi ; pronounced in the original Russian as "karch NOY"; Ви́ктор Льво́вич Корчно́й, born March 23, 1931 is a professional chess player, author and currently the oldest active grandmaster on the tournament circuit...
1985 - Jan Timman
Jan Timman
Jan Timman is a Dutch chess Grandmaster who was one of the world's leading players from the late 1970s to the early 1990s. At the peak of his career he was considered to be the best non-Soviet player and was known as "The Best of the West"...
1986 - Nigel Short
Nigel Short
Nigel David Short MBE is an English chess grandmaster earning the title at the age of 19. Short is often regarded as the strongest English player of the 20th century as he was ranked third in the world, from January 1988 – July 1989 and in 1993, he challenged Garry Kasparov for the World Chess...
1987 - Nigel Short
Nigel Short
Nigel David Short MBE is an English chess grandmaster earning the title at the age of 19. Short is often regarded as the strongest English player of the 20th century as he was ranked third in the world, from January 1988 – July 1989 and in 1993, he challenged Garry Kasparov for the World Chess...

and Viktor Korchnoi
Viktor Korchnoi
Viktor Lvovich Korchnoi ; pronounced in the original Russian as "karch NOY"; Ви́ктор Льво́вич Корчно́й, born March 23, 1931 is a professional chess player, author and currently the oldest active grandmaster on the tournament circuit...
1988 - Anatoly Karpov
Anatoly Karpov
Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov is a Russian chess grandmaster and former World Champion. He was the official world champion from 1975 to 1985 when he was defeated by Garry Kasparov. He played three matches against Kasparov for the title from 1986 to 1990, before becoming FIDE World Champion once...
1989 - Viswanathan Anand
Viswanathan Anand
V. Anand or Anand Viswanathan, usually referred as Viswanathan Anand, is an Indian chess Grandmaster, the current World Chess Champion, and currently second highest rated player in the world....

, Predrag Nikolić
Predrag Nikolic
Predrag Nikolić is a Bosnian chess grandmaster.He first competed for the Yugoslav Championship in 1979, taking a share of second place. The following year and again in 1984, he went one step further and became the Yugoslav national champion...

, Zoltán Ribli
Zoltan Ribli
Zoltán Ribli is a Hungarian chess grandmaster and International Arbiter . He was twice a World Championship Candidate and three times Hungarian Champion.-A career in chess:...

and Gyula Sax
Gyula Sax
Gyula Sax is a Hungarian chess player and International Arbiter , born in Budapest.He was awarded the IM title in 1972 and the GM title in 1974. He was the Hungarian Chess Champion in 1976 and 1977 . In 1971-72, he was the European Junior Champion, and he placed first at Rovinj-Zagreb 1975,...
1990 - John Nunn
John Nunn
John Denis Martin Nunn is one of England's strongest chess players and once belonged to the world's top ten. He is also a three times world champion in chess problem solving, a chess writer and publisher, and a mathematician....
1991 - John Nunn
John Nunn
John Denis Martin Nunn is one of England's strongest chess players and once belonged to the world's top ten. He is also a three times world champion in chess problem solving, a chess writer and publisher, and a mathematician....
1992 - Boris Gelfand
Boris Gelfand
Boris Abramovich Gelfand is a Belarus-born Israeli chess Grandmaster. He won the 2011 Candidates Tournament and will challenge Viswanathan Anand for the World Chess Championship 2012.-Biography:...

and Valery Salov
Valery Salov
Valery Salov is a Russian chess grandmaster.Salov was awarded the International Master title in 1984 and the Grandmaster title in 1986. He was the World under-17 Champion in 1980 and European Junior Champion in 1983-84...
1993 - Anatoly Karpov
Anatoly Karpov
Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov is a Russian chess grandmaster and former World Champion. He was the official world champion from 1975 to 1985 when he was defeated by Garry Kasparov. He played three matches against Kasparov for the title from 1986 to 1990, before becoming FIDE World Champion once...
1994 - Predrag Nikolić
Predrag Nikolic
Predrag Nikolić is a Bosnian chess grandmaster.He first competed for the Yugoslav Championship in 1979, taking a share of second place. The following year and again in 1984, he went one step further and became the Yugoslav national champion...
1995 - Alexey Dreev
Alexey Dreev
Alexey Dreev is a chess grandmaster from Russia. His career peak Elo rating was 2705, attained in October 2003 and again in April 2005.He qualified for the Candidates Tournament in 1991, but lost his Quarter Final match to Viswanathan Anand in Madras .Then in the FIDE World Championship...
1996 - Vassily Ivanchuk
1997 - Valery Salov
Valery Salov
Valery Salov is a Russian chess grandmaster.Salov was awarded the International Master title in 1984 and the Grandmaster title in 1986. He was the World under-17 Champion in 1980 and European Junior Champion in 1983-84...
1998 - Vladimir Kramnik
Vladimir Kramnik
Vladimir Borisovich Kramnik is a Russian chess grandmaster. He was the Classical World Chess Champion from 2000 to 2006, and the undisputed World Chess Champion from 2006 to 2007...

and Viswanathan Anand
Viswanathan Anand
V. Anand or Anand Viswanathan, usually referred as Viswanathan Anand, is an Indian chess Grandmaster, the current World Chess Champion, and currently second highest rated player in the world....
1999 - Garry Kasparov
Garry Kasparov
Garry Kimovich Kasparov is a Russian chess grandmaster, a former World Chess Champion, writer, political activist, and one of the greatest chess players of all time....

Corus tournament

From 2000, the popular name for the tournament was more or less equally shared between 'Wijk aan Zee' and 'Corus'.

2000 - Garry Kasparov
Garry Kasparov
Garry Kimovich Kasparov is a Russian chess grandmaster, a former World Chess Champion, writer, political activist, and one of the greatest chess players of all time....
2001 - Garry Kasparov
Garry Kasparov
Garry Kimovich Kasparov is a Russian chess grandmaster, a former World Chess Champion, writer, political activist, and one of the greatest chess players of all time....
2002 - Evgeny Bareev
Evgeny Bareev
Evgeny Bareev is a Russian chess Grandmaster and chess coach. In October 2003, he was in fourth place in the world rankings, with an Elo rating of 2739....
2003 - Viswanathan Anand
Viswanathan Anand
V. Anand or Anand Viswanathan, usually referred as Viswanathan Anand, is an Indian chess Grandmaster, the current World Chess Champion, and currently second highest rated player in the world....
2004 - Viswanathan Anand
Viswanathan Anand
V. Anand or Anand Viswanathan, usually referred as Viswanathan Anand, is an Indian chess Grandmaster, the current World Chess Champion, and currently second highest rated player in the world....
2005 - Péter Lékó
Péter Lékó
On the way to winning the prestigious Corus chess tournament in 2005, Lékó defeated Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand with the black pieces. The moves were:...
2006 - Veselin Topalov
Veselin Topalov
Veselin Aleksandrov Topalov is a Bulgarian chess grandmaster. He currently has the sixth highest rating in the world, and was the challenger facing world champion Viswanathan Anand in the World Chess Championship 2010, losing the match 6½–5½....

and Viswanathan Anand
Viswanathan Anand
V. Anand or Anand Viswanathan, usually referred as Viswanathan Anand, is an Indian chess Grandmaster, the current World Chess Champion, and currently second highest rated player in the world....
2007 - Levon Aronian
Levon Aronian
Levon Grigor Aronian is an Armenian chess Grandmaster and the reigning World Blitz Chess Champion. On the September 2011 FIDE list, he has an Elo rating of 2807, making him number three in the world and Armenia's number one...

, Teimour Radjabov
Teimour Radjabov
Radjabov's knight sacrifice, 21. ... Ngxe5, was praised by several strong players for its bravery, including English grandmaster Nigel Short. Said Short of the move, "Radjabov plays very imaginatively... he just won't give up, he is extremely tenacious and will always find a way to muddy the...

and Veselin Topalov
Veselin Topalov
Veselin Aleksandrov Topalov is a Bulgarian chess grandmaster. He currently has the sixth highest rating in the world, and was the challenger facing world champion Viswanathan Anand in the World Chess Championship 2010, losing the match 6½–5½....
2008 - Levon Aronian
Levon Aronian
Levon Grigor Aronian is an Armenian chess Grandmaster and the reigning World Blitz Chess Champion. On the September 2011 FIDE list, he has an Elo rating of 2807, making him number three in the world and Armenia's number one...

and Magnus Carlsen
Magnus Carlsen
Sven Magnus Øen Carlsen is a Norwegian chess Grandmaster and chess prodigy who is currently the number-one ranked player in the world. In January 2010 he became the seventh player ranked number one in the world on the official FIDE rating list...
2009 - Sergey Karjakin
Sergey Karjakin
Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin is a Russian chess grandmaster. He was a chess prodigy and holds the record for both the youngest International Master, eleven years and eleven months, and grandmaster in history, at the age of twelve years and seven months...
2010 - Magnus Carlsen
Magnus Carlsen
Sven Magnus Øen Carlsen is a Norwegian chess Grandmaster and chess prodigy who is currently the number-one ranked player in the world. In January 2010 he became the seventh player ranked number one in the world on the official FIDE rating list...

Tata Steel tournament

From 2011, the popular name for the tournament was changed from 'Corus' to 'Tata Steel'.

2011 - Hikaru Nakamura
Hikaru Nakamura
Hikaru Nakamura is an American chess Grandmaster . He has been ranked among the top six players in the world by FIDE....

1999

Crosstable from TWIC 223:

Wijk aan Zee (Netherlands), i 1999 cat. XVIII (2678)
	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	Total
1	g 2812	*	=	=	0	1	1	=	=	1	1	1	1	1	1	10	2878
2	g 2781	=	*	=	=	1	=	1	=	=	1	1	1	=	1	9½	2844
3	g 2751	=	=	*	=	=	1	1	=	=	=	=	=	1	=	8	2758
4	g 2624	1	=	=	*	=	0	=	0	=	=	=	1	1	=	7	2710
5	g 2619	0	0	=	=	*	=	1	1	=	1	=	=	=	=	7	2711
6	g 2726	0	=	0	1	=	*	=	=	=	=	=	=	1	1	7	2702
7	g 2670	=	0	0	=	0	=	*	1	=	0	1	1	1	1	7	2707
8	g 2714	=	=	=	1	0	=	0	*	=	=	=	=	=	1	6½	2674
9	g 2713	0	=	=	=	=	=	=	=	*	=	1	=	=	=	6½	2674
10	g 2700	0	0	=	=	0	=	1	=	=	*	=	1	0	1	6	2646
11	g 2606	0	0	=	=	=	=	0	=	0	=	*	1	=	=	5	2596
12	g 2632	0	0	=	0	=	=	0	=	=	0	0	*	1	1	4½	2571
13	g 2597	0	=	0	0	=	0	0	=	=	1	=	0	*	=	4	2542
14	g 2541	0	0	=	=	=	0	0	0	=	0	=	0	=	*	3	2477

2007

In 2007, the finals positions were:http://www.chesscenter.com/twic/twic638.html

Wijk aan Zee (Netherlands), 13-28 i 2007 cat. XIX (2718)
	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	Total
1	g 2744	*	=	1	=	=	=	=	1	1	=	1	=	=	=	8½	2825
2	g 2783	=	*	=	=	1	0	=	=	1	=	=	1	1	1	8½	2822
3	g 2729	0	=	*	=	=	=	1	=	=	1	1	1	=	1	8½	2827
4	g 2766	=	=	=	*	1	=	=	=	=	=	=	1	=	1	8	2801
5	g 2779	=	0	=	0	*	1	=	1	=	1	=	1	=	=	7½	2770
6	g 2728	=	1	=	=	0	*	=	0	=	1	1	0	1	=	7	2746
7	g 2719	=	=	0	=	=	=	*	0	1	=	=	1	1	0	6½	2717
8	g 2678	0	=	=	=	0	1	1	*	0	=	=	=	=	1	6½	2721
9	g 2723	0	0	=	=	=	=	0	1	*	=	=	=	1	=	6	2688
10	g 2647	=	=	0	=	0	0	=	=	=	*	=	=	=	=	5	2636
11	g 2667	0	=	0	=	=	0	=	=	=	=	*	=	=	=	5	2634
12	g 2683	=	0	0	0	0	1	0	=	=	=	=	*	=	1	5	2633
13	g 2690	=	0	=	=	=	0	0	=	0	=	=	=	*	=	4½	2610
14	g 2715	=	0	0	0	=	=	1	0	=	=	=	0	=	*	4½	2608

2008

The 2008 Corus Chess Tournament took place in the De Moriaan Community Centre in Wijk aan Zee. The format of each of the three Grandmaster groups remained a 14 player single round robin. The participants in group A included eight of the world's top ten players (country, October 2007 rating and rank in brackets): Viswanathan Anand

Viswanathan Anand

V. Anand or Anand Viswanathan, usually referred as Viswanathan Anand, is an Indian chess Grandmaster, the current World Chess Champion, and currently second highest rated player in the world....

(India, 2801, 1), Vassily Ivanchuk (Ukraine, 2787, 2), Vladimir Kramnik

Vladimir Kramnik

Vladimir Borisovich Kramnik is a Russian chess grandmaster. He was the Classical World Chess Champion from 2000 to 2006, and the undisputed World Chess Champion from 2006 to 2007...

(Russia, 2785, 3), Veselin Topalov

Veselin Topalov

(Bulgaria, 2769, 4), Peter Leko

Péter Lékó

On the way to winning the prestigious Corus chess tournament in 2005, Lékó defeated Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand with the black pieces. The moves were:...

(Hungary, 2755, 5=), Shakhriyar Mamedyarov

Shakhriyar Mamedyarov

Shakhriyar Hamid oglu Mammadyarov , also known for his Shah nickname, is a chess Grandmaster. On the September 2010 FIDE rating list he was ranked number nine in the world with an Elo rating of 2756....

(Azerbaijan, 2752, 7), Teimour Radjabov

Teimour Radjabov

Radjabov's knight sacrifice, 21. ... Ngxe5, was praised by several strong players for its bravery, including English grandmaster Nigel Short. Said Short of the move, "Radjabov plays very imaginatively... he just won't give up, he is extremely tenacious and will always find a way to muddy the...

(Azerbaijan, 2742, 8) and Levon Aronian

Levon Aronian

(Armenia, 2741, 9). The remaining players are Boris Gelfand

Boris Gelfand

Boris Abramovich Gelfand is a Belarus-born Israeli chess Grandmaster. He won the 2011 Candidates Tournament and will challenge Viswanathan Anand for the World Chess Championship 2012.-Biography:...

(Israel, 2736, 11), Michael Adams (England, 2729, 13), Magnus Carlsen

Magnus Carlsen

(Norway, 2714, 16=), Judit Polgár

Judit Polgár

Judit Polgár is a Hungarian chess grandmaster. She is by far the strongest female chess player in history. In 1991, Polgár achieved the title of Grandmaster at the age of 15 years and 4 months, the youngest person ever to do so at that time.Polgár was ranked No...

(Hungary, 2708, 20), Pavel Eljanov

Pavel Eljanov

Pavel Eljanov is a Ukrainian chess grandmaster.In 1999, he was a member of the Ukrainian national youth team, which won the U-16 Chess Olympiad in Artek, Ukraine.Eljanov won the Corus B 2007 in Wijk aan Zee, Holland with a score of 9/13...

(Ukraine, 2691, 26) and Loek van Wely

Loek van Wely

Loek van Wely is a chess Grandmaster from the Netherlands. He won the Dutch Chess Championship six times straight from 2000 through 2005. He was rated among the world's top ten in 2001. In 2002, in Maastricht, Netherlands, van Wely took on the computer program Rebel in a four-game match. The...

(Netherlands, 2679, 31). The average rating

Elo rating system

The Elo rating system is a method for calculating the relative skill levels of players in two-player games such as chess. It is named after its creator Arpad Elo, a Hungarian-born American physics professor....

of 2742 made it a Category 20 tournament. The only top ten players not participating were Alexander Morozevich

Alexander Morozevich

Alexander Morozevich is a Russian chess Grandmaster. In the November 2011 FIDE list, he had an Elo rating of 2762, making him the 9th-highest rated player in the world, although he has previously ranked as high as second, in the July 2008 list....

(Russia, 2755, 5=) and Alexei Shirov

Alexei Shirov

Alexei Dmitrievich Shirov is a Soviet-born Latvian chess grandmaster. He has consistently ranked among the world's top players since the early 1990s, and reached a ranking as high as number four in 1998...

(Spain, 2739, 10).

The tournament was won by Levon Aronian

Levon Aronian

and Magnus Carlsen

Magnus Carlsen

(both scoring 8 out of 13).

Grandmaster group B was won by Sergei Movsesian

Sergei Movsesian

Sergei Movsesian is an Armenian chess Grandmaster who used to play for Slovakia, but as of late 2010, Movsesian announced that he plays for his home country of Armenia...

of Slovakia with 9½ points, and group C by Italy's Fabiano Caruana

Fabiano Caruana

Fabiano Luigi Caruana is Grandmaster and chess prodigy with dual citizenship of Italy and the United States.On 15 July 2007 Caruana became a Grandmaster at the age of 14 years, 11 months, 20 days – the youngest Grandmaster in the history of both Italy and the United States.In the November 2011...

with 10, two points ahead of his nearest rival. The Honorary group, a new category consisting of four former A group champions playing a double round robin, was won by Ljubomir Ljubojevic

Ljubomir Ljubojevic

Ljubomir Ljubojević is a Grandmaster of chess. He was born on November 2, 1950, in Titovo Užice, Yugoslavia . Ljubojević was awarded the International Master title in 1970 and the GM title in 1971. He was Yugoslav champion in 1977 and 1982. He won the 1974 Canadian Open Chess Championship...

with 4 points out of 6, ahead of Jan Timman

Jan Timman

, Viktor Korchnoi

Viktor Korchnoi

and Lajos Portisch

Lajos Portisch

Lajos Portisch is a Hungarian chess Grandmaster, whose positional style earned him the nickname, the "Hungarian Botvinnik"...

Corus A Wijk aan Zee (NED), 12-27 i 2008 cat. XX (2742)
	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	Tot	Perf
1	2739	*	½	½	1	½	½	½	0	1	½	½	½	1	1	8	2829
2	2733	½	*	0	½	0	½	½	1	½	1	1	1	1	½	8	2830
3	2799	½	1	*	0	½	½	½	½	1	1	½	½	½	½	7½	2794
4	2735	0	½	1	*	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	1	½	1	7½	2799
5	2753	½	1	½	½	*	½	½	½	0	½	1	½	½	½	7	2770
6	2751	½	½	½	½	½	*	½	½	½	½	½	1	½	½	7	2770
7	2726	½	½	½	½	½	½	*	½	½	0	½	½	1	½	6½	2743
8	2799	1	0	½	½	½	½	½	*	0	½	½	1	½	½	6½	2737
9	2780	0	½	0	½	1	½	½	1	*	½	½	0	0	1	6	2710
10	2707	½	0	0	½	½	½	1	½	½	*	½	0	½	1	6	2716
11	2760	½	0	½	½	0	½	½	½	½	½	*	½	1	½	6	2711
12	2692	½	0	½	0	½	0	½	0	1	1	½	*	½	0	5	2659
13	2681	0	0	½	½	½	½	0	½	1	½	0	½	*	½	5	2660
14	2737	0	½	½	0	½	½	½	½	0	0	½	1	½	*	5	2655

2009

71st Corus Chess Tournament
	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	Tot
1	2706	*	½	1	½	½	1	0	½	½	½	0	1	1	1	8
2	2761	½	*	½	½	½	½	1	1	0	½	1	½	½	½	7½
2	2751	0	½	*	0	½	½	½	½	1	½	1	1	1	½	7½
2	2750	½	½	1	*	½	0	1	½	½	½	½	½	1	½	7½
5	2776	½	½	½	½	*	1	½	0	½	1	½	½	½	½	7
5	2717	0	½	½	1	0	*	½	½	½	½	½	1	½	1	7
7	2725	1	0	½	0	½	½	*	½	½	½	½	1	½	½	6½
8	2739	½	0	½	½	1	½	½	*	½	½	0	1	0	½	6
8	2625	½	1	0	½	½	½	½	½	*	½	½	0	½	½	6
8	2601	½	½	½	½	0	½	½	½	½	*	1	0	½	½	6
11	2779	1	0	0	½	½	½	½	1	½	0	*	0	½	½	5½
11	2771	0	½	0	½	½	0	0	0	1	1	1	*	½	½	5½
11	2712	0	½	0	0	½	½	½	1	½	½	½	½	*	½	5½
11	2612	0	½	½	½	½	0	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	*	5½

2010

72nd Corus Chess Tournament
	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	Tot
1	2810	*	0	½	½	½	1	1	½	1	½	½	1	½	1	8½
2	2788	1	*	½	0	1	½	½	½	½	½	½	1	½	1	8
2	2723	½	½	*	0	0	½	½	1	½	1	½	1	1	1	8
4	2790	½	1	1	*	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	7½
4	2708	½	0	1	½	*	½	0	½	½	½	1	1	1	½	7½
6	2749	0	½	½	½	½	*	½	½	½	½	½	1	½	1	7
6	2720	0	½	½	½	1	½	*	½	½	½	1	½	½	½	7
8	2739	½	½	0	½	½	½	½	*	½	1	½	0	½	1	6½
8	2712	0	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	*	½	½	1	½	½	6½
10	2675	½	½	0	½	½	½	½	0	½	*	½	½	1	0	5½
11	2696	½	½	½	½	0	½	0	½	½	½	*	0	½	½	5
11	2641	0	0	0	½	0	0	½	1	½	½	1	*	1	0	5
13	2662	½	½	0	½	0	½	½	½	0	0	½	0	*	1	4½
13	2657	0	0	0	½	½	0	½	0	½	1	½	1	0	*	4½

2011

73rd Wijk aan Zee Tournament
	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	Tot
1	2751	*	½	0	½	½	1	½	½	1	½	1	1	1	1	9
2	2814	½	*	½	½	½	½	1	½	½	1	½	1	½	1	8½
3	2814	1	½	*	½	1	½	½	0	0	1	½	1	1	½	8
4	2805	½	½	½	*	½	½	½	½	1	½	1	½	½	1	8
5	2784	½	½	0	½	*	½	½	1	½	½	½	½	1	1	7½
6	2715	0	½	½	½	½	*	½	½	1	½	½	1	½	1	7½
7	2744	½	0	½	½	½	½	*	½	½	0	1	1	½	½	6½
8	2686	½	½	1	½	0	½	½	*	0	1	½	½	½	½	6½
9	2733	0	½	1	0	½	0	½	1	*	1	½	0	½	½	6
10	2731	½	0	0	½	½	½	1	0	0	*	1	½	1	½	6
11	2773	0	½	½	0	½	½	0	½	½	0	*	1	½	0	4½
12	2662	0	0	0	½	½	0	0	½	1	½	0	*	½	1	4½
13	2628	0	½	0	½	0	½	½	½	½	0	½	½	*	½	4½
14	2722	0	0	½	0	0	0	½	½	½	½	1	0	½	*	4

External links

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