Game of the Week: Goudriaan, Timmann

The Tata Steel tournament is one the celebrated events on the calendar, but I always enjoy watching the B Group, too. It always has an interesting mix of not quite A-level players, young rising stars, and still competitive veterans. In that last category we find 62-year-old Jan Timman turning back the clock with a fine score of 8 ½-4 ½, a 2686 performance. Timman finished a point and a half behind first place finisher Ivan Saric (whose performance was quite noteworthy, too), but could have made it more interesting if he hadn’t faltered late in games down the stretch. Anyone who has ever read Timman’s deep analysis in books or magazines knows that he welcomes complications. In his victory over young IM Etienne Goudriaan, Timman deflected the kitchen sink and other pieces thrown at him with accurate calculation.