# Corus Chess Tournament 2008

The Corus Chess Tournament 2008 was the 70th edition of the Corus Chess Tournament.
It took place in the De Moriaan Community Centre in Wijk aan Zee in January 2008. 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 (India, 2801, 1), Vasyl Ivanchuk (Ukraine, 2787, 2), Vladimir Kramnik (Russia, 2785, 3), Veselin Topalov (Bulgaria, 2769, 4), Peter Leko (Hungary, 2755, 5=), Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Azerbaijan, 2752, 7), Teimour Radjabov (Azerbaijan, 2742, 8) and Levon Aronian (Armenia, 2741, 9). The remaining players were Boris Gelfand (Israel, 2736, 11), Michael Adams (England, 2729, 13), Magnus Carlsen (Norway, 2714, 16=), Judit Polgár (Hungary, 2708, 20), Pavel Eljanov (Ukraine, 2691, 26) and Loek van Wely (Netherlands, 2679, 31). The average rating of 2742 made it a Category 20 tournament. The only top ten players not participating were Alexander Morozevich (Russia, 2755, 5=) and Alexei Shirov (Spain, 2739, 10).
The tournament was won by Levon Aronian and Magnus Carlsen (both scoring 8 out of 13).
Grandmaster group B was won by Sergei Movsesian of Slovakia with 9½ points, and group C by Italy's Fabiano Caruana 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 Ljubojević with 4 points out of 6, ahead of Jan Timman, Viktor Korchnoi and Lajos Portisch.
The tournament was also notable for the "handshake incident", in which Nigel Short was awarded a win by forfeit after his opponent, Ivan Cheparinov, refused to shake his hand.
    70th Corus Chess Tournament, grandmaster group A, 12–27 January 2008, Wijk aan Zee, Cat. XX (2742) PlayerRating1234567891011121314TotalSBTPR 1 Levon Aronian (Armenia)2739½½1½½½01½½½11850.002830 2 Magnus Carlsen (Norway)2733½0½0½½1½1111½848.502830 3 Viswanathan Anand (India)2799½1Does not appear0½½½½11½½½½7½48.002795 4 Teimour Radjabov (Azerbaijan)27350½1Does not appear½½½½½½½1½17½46.502800 5 Peter Leko (Hungary)2753½1½½Does not appear½½½0½1½½½746.002770 6 Vasyl Ivanchuk (Ukraine)2751½½½½½Does not appear½½½½½1½½744.502771 7 Michael Adams (England)2726½½½½½½Does not appear½½0½½1½6½41.752744 8 Vladimir Kramnik (Russia)279910½½½½½Does not appear0½½1½½6½41.752738 9 Veselin Topalov (Bulgaria)27800½0½1½½1Does not appear½½001639.002710 10 Judit Polgár (Hungary)2707½00½½½1½½Does not appear½0½1638.002716 11 Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Azerbaijan)2760½0½½0½½½½½Does not appear½1½637.502712 12 Pavel Eljanov (Ukraine)2692½0½0½0½011½Does not appear½0532.002659 13 Loek van Wely (Netherlands)268100½½½½0½1½0½Does not appear½531.752660 14 Boris Gelfand (Israel)27370½½0½½½½00½1½Does not appear531.752656
    70th Corus Chess Tournament, grandmaster group B, 12–27 January 2008, Wijk aan Zee, Cat. XV (2618) PlayerRating1234567891011121314TotalSBTPR 1 GM Sergei Movsesian (Slovakia)2677Does not appear½½½½½1111½½119½2789 2 GM Nigel Short (England)2645½Does not appear½½½1110½½11½8½52.502726 3 GM Étienne Bacrot (France)2700½½Does not appear½½½½11½½½118½51.752722 4 GM Pentala Harikrishna (India)2664½½½Does not appear½1½01½½½½17½2672 5 GM Ian Nepomniachtchi (Russia)2600½½½½Does not appear0½0½1½1½172648 6 GM Ivan Cheparinov (Bulgaria)2713½0½01Does not appear00½1½½116½2611 7 GM Erwin l'Ami (Netherlands)258100½½½1Does not appear½1½1½00638.002592 8 GM Jan Smeets (Netherlands)2573000111½Does not appear0½1½½0637.502593 9 WGM Hou Yifan (China)25270100½½01Does not appear½½1½½636.502596 10 GM Daniël Stellwagen (Netherlands)26250½½½00½½½Does not appear½½11635.502589 11 GM Humpy Koneru (India)2612½½½½½½00½½Does not appear½105½2562 12 GM Gabriel Sargissian (Armenia)2676½0½½0½½½0½½Does not appear01531.752527 13 GM Michał Krasenkow (Poland)2636000½½01½½001Does not appear1528.252530 14 IM Wouter Spoelman (Netherlands)24240½000011½0100Does not appear42492
    70th Corus Chess Tournament, grandmaster group C, 12–27 January 2008, Wijk aan Zee, Cat. X (2494) PlayerRating1234567891011121314TotalSBTPR 1 GM Fabiano Caruana (Italy)2598Does not appear½11011110½111102696 2 GM Dimitri Reinderman (Netherlands)2533½Does not appear½1½½½0½1½½11848.002577 3 GM Parimarjan Negi (India)25260½Does not appear01010½11111844.252578 4 GM Pontus Carlsson (Sweden)2501001Does not appear01½1½½½½117½2550 5 WGM Irina Krush (United States)24731½01Does not appear110½00½½1745.252524 6 IM Arik Braun (Germany)25360½100Does not appear½11½011½742.002519 7 GM John van der Wiel (Netherlands)24900½0½0½Does not appear1½11½1½741.252523 8 GM Friso Nijboer (Netherlands)25780110100Does not appear01½½11740.752516 9 IM Mark van der Werf (Netherlands)23890½½½½0½1Does not appear11½0½6½2502 10 GM Li Shilong (China)2502100½1½000Does not appear1½1½638.002464 11 GM Efstratios Grivas (Greece)2509½½0½110½00Does not appear101636.752463 12 GM Peng Zhaoqin (Netherlands)24610½0½½0½½½½0Does not appear014½26.502386 13 WGM Anna Ushenina (Ukraine)24840000½0001011Does not appear14½22.502384 14 Dennis Ruijgrok (Netherlands)232900000½½0½½000Does not appear22210
    70th Corus Chess, honorary group, 12–27 January 2008, Wijk aan Zee, Cat. XIII (2560) PlayerRating1234TotalSBTPR 1 Ljubomir Ljubojević (Serbia)2565Does not appear0 1½ 1½ 142683 2 Jan Timman (Netherlands)25591 0Does not appear½ 1½ 039.502560 3 Viktor Korchnoi (Switzerland)2545½ 0½ 0Does not appear1 137.502565 4 Lajos Portisch (Hungary)2570½ 0½ 10 0Does not appear22431