Carlsen, Magnus (NO) vs Anand, Viswanathan (IN) ½-½ World Chess Championship (Carlsen-Anand) 2014 round 04 Commentary by GM Alexander Delchev The match came to its first critical point for Carlsen after he lost yesterdays game and the result was levelled again. How he will play after defeat, I think this is a difficult moment for him as he is losing rather seldom. 1. e4 For the second time in the match Magnus chooses this move. For me it is a signal that he is in attacking mood today 1... c5 Anand avoids repeating the Spanish Berlin - probably he came to the conclusion that this type of play with slight positional pressure for white and no concrete variations is more to the taste of the Champion. So he is challenging him in Sicilian. As I remember, he chose it only once in the 10-th game of the previous match 2. Nf3 e6 Anand was experimenting with this Kan move order in Corsican Rapid tournament, so 2..e6 should not be a big surprise for Carlsen (2... d6 3. Bb5+ Nd7 4. d4 cxd4 5. Qxd4 a6 6. Bxd7+ Bxd7 7. c4 Carlsen,M - Anand,V Chennai IND 2013) 3. g3 This is what one should expect from Carlsen - avoiding main lines keeping a slight pressure, as there is no immediately equalizing line for black although it is considered as a harmless attempt for white. The idea is to complete kingside development and only then to chose the central advance and the pawn structure - it can be Hedgehog type ( after c4 and d4 ) or a closed type with c3 and d4 when black meets it with d7-d5 position with isolated central pawn after 3... Nc6 (My opinion is that blacks best equalization attempt is 3... d5 4. exd5 exd5 5. d4 Nf6 6. Bg2 Be7 7. O-O O-O was tried a couple of times in the match Adams -Krivorychko 2013 Fide Cup, as I remember all white got was only a slight advantage.) 4. Bg2 d5 5. exd5 exd5 6. O-O Nf6 7. d4 IQP position appeared, more typical for Tarrash variation of French defence. This type of position was for a long time considered as a better one for white until in the 90s black players found the way to equality. Anyway, I think it is more pleasant to play white here as there is no risk of losing. Fianchetoed bishop g2 has a great future as he is pointed against the isolani, but from the other side black bishop on c8 enjoys great activity as well on the h3-c8 diagonal 7... Be7 8. Be3 this is exactly the way Adams was handling this position. This is a great move as it forces black to take on d4, when white knight comes to the blockading square d4 and g2 bishop will be opened 8... cxd4 9. Nxd4 Bg4 Immediately going for concrete play - typical for Anand who made his conclusions after the second game that he should play more aggressively and should not allow Carlsen to send him to sleep (9... O-O 10. h3 (if 10. Nc3 the same active bishop move helped Caruana to equalize 10... Bg4 11. Qd3 a6 12. Rfe1 Qd7 13. Nxc6 bxc6 14. Na4 Qf5 Jones,G -Caruana,F /Reykjavik 2012/ when game was about equal) 10... Re8 11. Nc3 Bb4 12. Nce2 Bd6 13. c3 Bd7 14. Nf4 and I prefer white here Adams,M-Kryvoruchko,Y /WorldCup 2013/) 10. Qd3 Qd7 11. Nd2 (11. Nc3 is more active - it was told that the best strategy against the isolani is to keep pressuring it instead of blocking with Nd2-b3 11... O-O 12. Rfe1 Rfe8 13. a3 Rac8 and I see no way for white to improve his position or to exchange couple of minor pieces without alternating the pawn structure) 11... O-O 12. N2f3 taking e5 square from black knight but closing the diagonal for the bishop. As long as there are many pieces on the board, black has no worries with his d5 pawn as piece activity should compensate for it 12... Rfe8 13. Rfe1 (Good attempt for simplification was 13. Nxc6 bxc6 14. Ne5 Qb7 15. Nxg4 Nxg4 16. Bd4 Bf6 white could exchange the bishop but now d5 pawn is not weak anymore anyway, after for example 17. b3 white should keep better chances) 13... Bd6 black is more than fine now, as he controls e4 square and has enough counterplay on the open e file 14. c3 h6 15. Qf1 Bh5 16. h3 Bg6 heading the bishop to e4 17. Rad1 Rad8 18. Nxc6 there is no other way to progress (18. Nb5 Bb8 19. c4 leads nowhere after 19... Nb4) 18... bxc6 19. c4 fighting again to get a better structure after cd 19... Be4 (19... Qb7 20. Bd4 Ne4 seems to me as giving more chances for active counterplay) 20. Bd4 Nh7 21. cxd5 (21. c5 Bb8 22. Qa6 Bxf3 23. Bxf3 Ng5 with black counterplay on the kingside) 21... Bxd5 Strange decision, I would prefer (21... cxd5 as I see no problem in 22. Qa6 Re6 23. Qxa7 Qxa7 24. Bxa7 Ra8) 22. Rxe8+ White is slightly better due to black weak pawns a7 and d5, but I think Anand has enough activity in return for it, Still the result of the opening is in whites favour 22... Rxe8 23. Qd3 Carlsen got the type of position he likes. White kingside is solid enough and he may turn his attention to black weaknesses. Now his plans are easy to understand - queen goes to c3 with unpleasant threats Ne5 or Bg7. All white needs is to exchange black centralised bishops getting access to the weak pawns. 23... Nf8 Anand improves his knight (23... Bc7 24. Qc3 f6 is not interesting for black as instead of making more weaknesses, he should be trying to find concrete objects for his counteplay) (neither 23... Ng5 24. Nxg5 hxg5 25. Bxd5 cxd5 26. Bc3) (nor 23... Be7 24. Ne5 Qe6 25. Bxd5 cxd5 26. Kg2 Ng5 27. g4 Bd6 28. Nf3 Ne4 29. Bxa7 is what black wants to achieve) 24. Nh4 Concrete play from Carlsen. His strategy is easier to define, but maybe it was a good idea to keep more flexibility with (24. Bc3 seems unpleasant as 24... Ne6 (24... Ng6 25. Qd4) 25. Nd4 leads to simplifications in whites favour) (24. Qc3 Anand will meet with 24... Ne6) 24... Be5 25. Bxd5 Qxd5 26. Bxe5 Qxe5 27. b3 Ne6 now white king is a good object for counterplay, so it is quite natural that Carlsen will be looking for queen exchange 28. Nf3 (28. Qf5 Qb2 29. Nf3 Qxa2 30. Rd7 Rf8) 28... Qf6 (of course not 28... Qb2 29. Qa6) 29. Kg2 Rd8 30. Qe2 Rd5 black should exchange rooks but keep queens on the board as in the endgame white will have advantage due to his distant passed pawn 31. Rxd5 cxd5 32. Ne5 (32. Qe5 was more to the point as the endgame is obviously in whites favour 32... Qd8 33. Nd4 Qd7 34. b4 Nxd4 35. Qxd4 a6 and the endgame should be an easy draw) 32... Qf5 33. Nd3 Nd4 34. g4 Qd7 (34... Nxe2 Anand dont take the risk to exchange queens 35. gxf5 although after 35... Nc3 36. a4 Kf8 37. Kf3 Ke7 38. Ke3 Kd6 39. Kd4 Ne4 40. Ne5 (40. b4 Ng5) 40... Ng5 41. h4 f6 it is again draw) 35. Qe5 Ne6 36. Kg3 Qb5 forcing the knight exchange (the alternative was 36... d4 37. f3 Qc6 38. h4 Qc3) 37. Nf4 Nxf4 38. Kxf4 Carlsen got the opportunity to centralise his king, I dont think that white has chances to win this endgame, except in case of help from the opponent (38. Qxf4 Qc5) 38... Qb4+ Anand prefers a concrete plan for making a draw instead of letting Carlsen move around for the next 20 moves (38... g5+ pushing back the king was a good option as there is a nice hidden trick 39. Ke3 (if 39. Kf5 Qd7+ 40. Kf6 d4 black is sudently winning) 39... Qc5+ 40. Kf3 Qa3) 39. Kf3 d4 passed pawn is moving forward. It came in the range of the white king and maybe easily lost attacked by both white king and queen (39... Qb5 still keeps the white king at distance and in the same time defends e8 square) 40. Qe8+ (40. Ke4 Qe1+ 41. Kxd4 Qxf2+ 42. Qe3 Qxa2) 40... Kh7 41. Qxf7 Qd2 this move practically puts an end to the game as white cannot stop the pawn 42. Qf5+ Kh8 draw is the only possible result here. Good play by both sides, Carlsen got a slight but enduring advantage, but acted too directly with his hasty 24. Nh4 instead of the more flexible 24. Bd4 43. h4 Qxa2 44. Qe6 Qd2 45. Qe8+ Kh7 46. Qe4+ Kh8 47. Qe8+ Kh7 1/2-1/2
Posted on: Thu, 13 Nov 2014 22:02:27 +0000
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