% BOOKTITLE = Fighting Chess: Move By Move
[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "About this publication"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Colin Crouch"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.12.01"]

{What separates the best chess players from the rest? What gives them the edge
over their rivals? Chess legend Vladimir Kramnik believes it's their fighting
skills and the ability to continuously find ways to keep a game alive. Colin
Crouch agrees, and is fascinated that the world's strongest players seem
almost unbeatable, even when games appear sharp and double-edged. In this book
Crouch examines the tremendous fighting qualities of today's top grandmasters.
Analysing key games from 2012, Crouch demonstrates how they give nothing away
to opponents but are always alert to punish any slight errors, and crucially,
how we can apply these lessons to help us in our own games. --- 'Move by Move'
provides an ideal platform to study chess. By continually challenging the
reader to answer probing questions throughout the book, the 'Move by Move'
format greatly encourages the learning and practising of vital skills just as
much as the traditional assimilation of knowledge. Carefully selected
questions and answers are designed to keep you actively involved and allow you
to monitor your progress as you learn. This is an excellent way to improve
your chess skills and knowledge.} 1. -- {Dr Colin Crouch is an International
Master, a tremendously experienced tournament player and a highly regarded
chess writer. His books have received great acclaim for their thoroughness and
originality.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Preface"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Colin Crouch"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.12.01"]

{Many books get written as a result of illness, of being stuck in bed. This is
another of these examples. In the spring of 2012, I found myself with swollen
legs and could barely walk. I could climb upstairs only with hands and feet,
and it seems that my hands were taking too much of the strain, trying to pull
myself up the stairs, or out of the bath, or into bed. So my arms became
damaged as well. --- When I felt myself strong enough to get up and sit in
front of the computer, I wanted to play through some really top-level games of
chess. The timing was fortunate for me. I noticed that there was a friendly
match between Aronian and Kramnik coming up soon, and then the World
Championship between Anand and Gelfand, just a month later. Although I was
starting to walk again a little, I was still in and out of hospital. To play
through world-class games was a lifeline to me to the outside world. --- I
blogged each of the games of the two matches, without any real thought about
publishing in book format. I soon appreciated that, with a little extra effort,
fully revising all my earlier notes and adding further games, this might be of
unusual chess interest - not necessarily because of the strengths and
weaknesses of my own writing, but because I had stumbled on unusually good
timing. --- This became fully clear after these two matches, and then the next
really big tournament, the Tal Memorial. Remember that at the start of the
1960s, Tal beat Botvinnik to become world champion at the age of 23, a then
unprecedented display of chess youth and vigour. Tal's health deteriorated
very early on and, while he remained a strong and dangerous grandmaster
through to the end of his life, he was never the dominant force his admirers
had hoped for.} 1. -- {Given this context, the Tal Memorial of Moscow 2012 was
a strong reflection of what he had himself achieved just over fifty years
earlier. This time, though, there were three grandmasters, all in their early
twenties or teens, aspiring to show that they too could soon become world
champions. After a tense battle, Carlsen (21), Radjabov (25) and Caruana (19)
came out first, second and third, against opposition of vastly over 2700
strength. --- This must surely herald the switch of the generations. Anand
will of course aim to remain World Champion for as long as possible, but
eventually younger players will take over. Could this be Carlsen, with his
admirable ability to avoid defeat? Or Caruana, a few years younger? Or Giri,
who is even younger? Or one of a small number of other players?} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Introduction"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Colin Crouch"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.12.01"]

{This book is based on the idea that every move is important, any mistake by
either player is significant, and any mistake by the opponent should be
pounced upon. The theme in this book is based on what can loosely be described
as "positional chess", on giving nothing away to the opponent, and on being
alert to opportunity given by the opponent. --- I am fascinated that the
strongest players avoid losses to a remarkable extent, even when play appears
sharp and double-edged. How, I wondered, do these top grandmasters keep their
balance? The statistics are awe-inspiring. In six games against Kramnik,
Aronian lost only once. In six games against Aronian, Kramnik lost only once.
In twelve games against Anand, Gelfand lost only once. In twelve games against
Gelfand, Anand lost only once. Four losses out of 36. Few club players,
playing against opponents of their own strength, could achieve such a low
percentage of losses. What is the secret of the top players? --- Personally,
in my own games, I find I have wins and losses, very rarely draws, and even
more rarely do I achieve solidly played draws. I would love to know how to
turn these losses into draws, except I suspect that the answer is relatively
simple. I am usually good enough to find wins against players up to about IM
strength, but quite often, in declining health, I get tired, and cannot think
clearly enough, and so I lose.} 1. -- {I was also startled, when going through
recent games, that players somewhat younger than me (I am in my mid fifties)
can occasionally lose their sharpness, and sometimes make uninspired mistakes.
Just before the World Championship, Anand handled the opening dreadfully
against Tiviakov, in the German Bundesliga, and was straightforwardly ground
down in a Sicilian, where Anand played ...e7-e5, and lost control of the
d5-square and the files and diagonals nearby. Kramnik, too, in his first game
against Aronian, played almost unrecognisably. Could they, on bad days, play
almost as badly as me? --- One bad loss happens, but it is important, if at
all possible, not to start a string of bad losses. It is a question of match
survival. In the two matches being examined, all four players lost a game, but
they did not lose any further games. The problem is, if anything, more the
opposite, an excess of "animal spirits", a belief that if you have won one
game, you can play whatever you like, and you are immune to mistakes. Both
Aronian and Gelfand suffered from this. --- I felt slightly disappointed with
the World Championship match, not because it was "boring", but rather because
there seem to have been several opportunities for both sides to try for an
edge in many lines. Too often, the initiative tended to fizzle out much too
quickly. If your position is clearly level throughout, then you have every
right to offer or accept a fairly quick draw. If, on the other hand, one of
the players had even the slightest of edges, that player should try to make
the opponent suffer. A win plus four draws is better than five draws.} (1. -- {
If the reader feels slightly disconcerted that there is such a switch between
the first person and the third person, the second person - you - can have your
point of view in the analysis. Imagine that I am sitting in my room, with the
computer, trying to make sense of what is going on in a series of difficult
positions, while being aware that the two players involved are vastly stronger
than me. I know, however, that they occasionally make mistakes, as they do
occasionally lose games. I am trying to assess, perhaps with the help of the
computer, what is going on in a string of moves; to decide whether the player
is seeing things more clearly than me, and finds a much better move than I was
thinking of; or whether the player has made a mistake in a critical position,
which I noticed; or whether, if the player and I chose different moves, both
moves might be equally valid. --- Watching live chess games is one of the best
ways of sharpening a player's thinking. There is an immediacy which cannot be
achieved just by going through games which have already been played, recorded
and analysed. For a writer, maybe it is a useful prod for the reader to invite
him, or her, to be asked what the player should be thinking, in a new position,
in a book. Hence plenty of questions and answers. --- After the live game, I
try to analyse further, and I have been blogging it up. All the games in the
Aronian-Kramnik match and the Anand-Gelfand match are written up in my blog,
'shakthinking', usually a day or two after the game. I though about deleting my
comments in these games, before publication, but I decided against it. The
'shakthinking' notes were merely an earlier draft, with, I have to admit, many
typos (it's difficult with only half of one eye working), and if I am able to
find mistakes in my earlier annotations, then of course I can try to correct
these mistakes for a later draft. It might still be useful for some readers to
compare before and after notes.}) (1. -- {Which leaves this to the more
detailed questions of the reader. I am asking you, in effect, the same
questions as I asked myself in playing through the games live. If I felt that
a player has pushed a pawn too early, for example, I want to re-analyse the
position. If I find that the player's move was, after all, correct, that is
fine, and I have learned something. If I find that the player has got it wrong,
and I cannot see any way to disprove the argument I have made, then this is
also knowledge. What I am asking you, the reader, is to go through the same
exercises yourself. --- Many of the exercise are open-ended. Remember that
most of the games in this book end up in draws, and so there is no clear-cut
winning line, or winning plan, that needs to be found. Instead, we are dealing
far more with positional uncertainty. If there are apparently four reasonable
moves in a given position (and the reader can check out these moves on the
computer), which of these is the safe equalizing line? Or on a different set
of four possible moves, one might give a fractional edge; another might be
about equal; another might end up, after some tactics, with a repetition;
while another, apparently equally promising, might end up with a slight
disadvantage. --- These exercises are based mainly on positional chess, on
giving nothing away to the opponent. More specifically, they are based on
fighting positional chess, on recognizing that your opponent will want to give
nothing away, while you yourself do not want to give anything away. There is
no assumption, in fighting positional chess, that everything will end up with
a quick handshake after around a dozen moves; nor even in a quick win after a
blunder by the opponent. No, these games are played out to the end, and well
contested.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "1. Kramnik-Aronian"]
[Black "Zürich 2012"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Colin Crouch"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.12.01"]

1. -- *

[Event "Match, Zürich"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.04.21"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Kramnik, V."]
[Black "Aronian, L."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D43"]
[Annotator "Colin Crouch"]
[PlyCount "82"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.12.01"]

1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 Nf6 3. c4 c6 4. Nc3 e6 {The ultra-solid Semi-Slav Defence,
which players have increasingly relied on for Black, when they want to make
sure they have no realistic chances of losing.} 5. Bg5 {
Keeping to the main line. ---} (5. e3 {is the chief alternative.}) {QUESTION: For those who are addicts to deep theory, or to gambit chess, or who quite
simply want to know what is happening in the Botvinnik Variation. What is
happening at high levels in these with 5...dxc4 - ?} 5... h6 {
Aronian is happy to play in "normal" Queen's Gambit chess.} ({
He could have chosen the sharp gambit line with} 5... dxc4 6. e4 b5 7. e5 h6 8.
Bh4 g5 9. Nxg5 hxg5 10. Bxg5 Nbd7 {- wild stuff, with plenty of opportunities
for Black to play for a win, but recent top-level games suggest that in the
main line White, first, has the option to take an easy perpetual, and second,
that White might well be better in complicated play. The hammered-out main
line would be} 11. exf6 Bb7 12. g3 c5 13. d5 Qb6 14. Bg2 O-O-O 15. O-O b4 16.
Na4 Qa6 17. a3 Bxd5 18. Bxd5 Ne5 19. axb4 Rxd5 20. Qe2 cxb4 21. Nc3 Qd6 {
. As I said, wild stuff - but as so often, sharp and accurate play may end up
in a quick perpetual check.} 22. -- ({. For example,} 22. Rxa7 bxc3 23. Ra8+ ({
or} 23. Rfa1 Qb4 24. Ra8+ Kb7 {, again with a perpetual, M.Vachier Lagrave-Y.Solodovnichenko, French League 2011}) 23... Kd7 24. Ra7+ {, soon drawn by
perpetual, S.Ganguly-A.Shirov, Spanish League 2011. This was of course known
before.}) ({. White could also try for more, with} 22. Nxd5 Qxd5 23. f3 Bc5+
24. Be3 Nd3 25. Bxc5 Qxc5+ 26. Kh1 {. A recent game, A.Grischuk-A.Shirov,
European Team Championship, Porto Carras 2011, continued} Qd4 27. Ra5 Rd8 28.
Rfa1 Rd7 29. h4 {, and it was not all that surprising that both players were
able to promote a passed pawn, ending up with another perpetual check a few
moves later. --- If, in critical lines in the opening, the end result is a
known draw some 25 moves deep, it is often best, to try to keep the game open,
to play something less highly theoretical. Aronian chose 5...h6, and it worked
out well for him.})) 6. Bxf6 ({
White could still continue with gambit play after} 6. Bh4 dxc4 ({
alternatively, Black could continue to decline the gambit with, for example,} 
6... Nbd7) 7. g4 g5 8. Bg3 b5 {, although perhaps slightly less convincingly
so. Certainly, many players as Black have swallowed the pawn.}) 6... Qxf6 7. e3
{The simplest, and therefore perhaps the best, chance to aim for a slight edge.
} (7. e4 dxe4 8. Nxe4 Bb4+ 9. Ke2 Qf4 10. Qd3 O-O 11. g3 Qc7 12. Bg2 {is equal.
}) 7... Nd7 8. Bd3 {White is not too concerned about giving away a tempo with
Bd3, ...d5xc4; Bxc4, as this exchanges off Black's d-pawn for White's less
centralized c-pawn.} ({Many choices - and, indeed, in game five Kramnik tried} 
8. Be2 {.}) 8... dxc4 {Black's position is not so cramped as to need to hold
on to the d5-pawn indefinitely. He will want to open up the centre and create
lines for his bishop pair with ...c6-c5, or more likely, ...e6-e5.} 9. Bxc4 g6
{Aronian turns the game into, in effect, a Grünfeld, the bishop putting
pressure on White's d4-pawn, with the help of a later ...e6-e5 or ...c6-c5.} ({
Instead: --} 9... g5 {is aggressive, but probably not so good, as he is
loosening pawns in front of the king (assuming kingside castling). White would
just castle,} 10. O-O {, and see what Black does next.}) (9... e5 $6 {
would have been tactically inaccurate, in view of} 10. dxe5 Nxe5 11. Nxe5 Qxe5
12. Qb3 {, and suddenly Black has problems with his f7-square. --- Black is
behind in development, and he needs to be careful not to open up his position
too quickly. Therefore, slower ways are required, quiet development, before
then opening up the pawn structure.}) 10. O-O Bg7 {
QUESTION: What do you think should White play next?} 11. Re1 {Ideally, every
move in a game of chess should have its justification, and every quiet move
should prove, a few moves later, to be part of a greater plan. It is not
really that clear why White's rook should be on e1. He already has enough
defensive ballast to cover any pawn advance with e3-e4-e5, so the rook on the
e-file does not seem to be genuinely necessary.} ({The immediate} 11. e4 {
is safe enough, in that his pawn moves to a comfortable square, and he gains
some space in the centre. Then perhaps} e5 {
(to prevent White from playing e4-e5 himself)} 12. d5 O-O {
, when White can transpose into the game with} 13. Re1 {, but surely he can do
something more constructive? Inevitably, we would not be thinking of a big
advantage for White, but keeping a slight edge would be satisfactory.} ({
Possibly} 13. Be2 {(into safety)} Rd8 14. Qb3 $5 {
and he can still try for a slight edge. The obvious} Nc5 {is not as big a gain
of tempo as it looks, since the knight would be on a better defensive post at
b6, covering the d5-square, rather than at c6. Perhaps a slight edge for White
after} 15. Qc2 {.})) 11... O-O {
It has to be played sooner or later, and this seems to be a good time.} 12. e4
{White has played a mixture of Rfe1 and e3-e4. Just one of these would have
been better, it seems.} ({Here} 12. Qc2 {forces Black to show how he can find
complete equality. Black may have the bishop pair, but he is slightly behind
in development.}) 12... e5 {At last, there is a genuine pawn.} 13. d5 {
The only sensible move.} ({After} 13. dxe5 $2 Nxe5 {
Black is already better, with his bishop pair starting to take control.}) 13...
Rd8 (13... Nb6 {
also makes good sense, but Aronian wants to keep his options open.}) 14. Re3 {
QUESTION: What is White's idea with this move? --- When I saw this on the
computer, my instincts were that it surely cannot be good. The rook is soon on
an uncomfortable square and does nothing effective, If Rd3 soon, then ...Nc5,
and the rook must move again. White is not yet worse even then, but if he
makes another couple of slightly inaccurate moves, then quite certainly, as in
the game, he will genuinely be in trouble.} ({
Instead, one might expect White to play} 14. dxc6 bxc6 15. Qc2 {. This would
be an ultra-technical way of handling the position, relying not so much on
White creating active play for his pieces, but rather to mess up Black's
queenside pawns slightly. --- But what about Kramnik's own rook move? It seems
to be the old story of trying to trick the opponent with a "Theoretical
Novelty", using a sharp move which the opponent will not have seen before,
hoping that he will not be able to find a good reply. Most of the attempted
big theoretical novelties in the two 2012 matches end up going badly wrong. It
is better to find good and accurate moves.}) 14... b5 {Aronian looked at the
sharpest reply and decided that the position was safe, and potentially good.}
15. dxc6 {In my blog, written just after the game had finished, and without
time to examine the comments made by others, I noted that this was "another
odd move, showing that Kramnik has perhaps lost his sureness of positional
touch. Would he really have played like this a decade ago?" --- What in fact
happened was that Kramnik had followed a somewhat doubtful new line, thinking
that it was good, and missed the big tactical improvement for Black, which
Aronian found easily enough over the board. See the comments to Black's 16th.}
({He needed to keep his bishop. Having two knights versus two bishops is
likely to put himself under pressure.} 15. Bb3) ({or maybe} 15. Bd3 {
, would still be about equal.}) 15... bxc4 {QUESTION: Which is better? 16 Nd5
or 16 cxd7 - ? --- There is no trick question here, no deeply hidden third
option. I would suggest, however, that the reader spend some time trying to
think about which of these moves is better, before playing through the rest of
the game. Try to answer this with the minimum of hindsight. Imagine what you
would do over the board.} 16. Nd5 {This was the move that Kramnik played.} Qe6
$1 {And this was Aronian's reply.} ({
A recent game, in which Kramnik was following, went} 16... Qd6 $2 17. cxd7 Bxd7
18. Nd2 Bb5 19. Qc2 Rab8 20. Rc3 {with advantage to White, and later a win in
V.Gunina-A.Muzychuk, European Women's Championship, Gaziantep 2012. This may
look impressive and an unusual rook zigzag, but Kramnik trusted Gunina rather
more than he actually should. --- Should we therefore claim that Aronian's win
was the result of a massive new theoretical innovation? Not really. Innovation
or no innovation, the only way that a player can lose a game of chess is by
making a mistake, and it is the fault of the loser, not the winner, who made
the mistake. All Aronian had to do was to find a few good moves. At various
points of the game, he had used an hour less on the clock than his opponent.})
17. cxd7 (17. Nc7 $2 Qxc6 18. Nxa8 Qxa8 {would have been pointless. Black
therefore had no need to cover the c7-square. Black's 16...Qd6? in the earlier
game was a significant loss of time. This was Muzychuk's mistake. And
Kramnik's attempt at a novelty had backfired. By now Kramnik was in danger of
being seriously worse, and spent a lot of time thinking.}) 17... Rxd7 18. Qa4
Bb7 {We see now the basic problem. The advanced knight on d5 is a weakness,
rather than a strength. Kramnik should not have played 16 Nd5. --- It is a
sophisticated example of the beginners' error, moving the knight to the other
side of the board, without being part of a genuine attack, and without having
ensured that the knight is safe, not just on the next move, but also on later
moves. Sometimes what happens is that the knight has to retreat, with loss of
tempi.} 19. Qxc4 {
This allows favourable simplification for Black, now that the d5-square folds.}
({Few players would have had the cold discipline to admit that the earlier
knight move was wrong, and then simply retreat it with here} 19. Nc3 $5 {
. White is still worse, even so. Black could try something like} Rad8 20. Rc1
Kh7 {, keeping open the later kingside attack with ...f7-f5. --- Of the world
championship greats, perhaps Emanuel Lasker over a century ago, and quite
probably Karpov, would have considered such a retreat under pressure, and
maybe also Spassky or Petrosian. It would, of course, be extremely difficult
to second-guess what others might have played in such a position, and given
the history of the previous part of the game - but one thing that is totally
clear is that Kramnik did not play 19.Nc3 himself.}) 19... Bxd5 {The start of
a chopping of pieces and pawns on d5. No general comment is required,
move-by-move, except to note that it is important, even if elementary, to
count up the number of attackers and the number of defenders to ensure who is
winning the battle.} 20. exd5 Qxd5 21. Qxd5 Rxd5 22. Rae1 {Now White is
attacking the pawn on e5, but it is simple enough to bring a defender into
play.} Re8 {Aronian aims for the most direct plan, a pawn roller with ...f7-f5
and ...e5-e4, supported by the rook, and opening up the long diagonal for the
bishop. Even so, the plan is not quite as straightforward as it looks, and
there are more indirect ways of trying to achieve the same goal. ---} (22... f6
$5 {, the quiet way of protecting the pawn, is to be considered. Black then
has the choice, with the rook, of moving to b8, or c8, or d8, as well as e8.
Black's initiative that way is not based solely on the kingside. Also, his
king will be more active on f7, rather than on g8, or even (as in the game) on
h7. Black does not have to worry about the "bad bishop", since the bishop can
re-emerge with ...Bf8. It is a different way of handling the position, and
probably not inferior. --- White is uncomfortable - perhaps not yet losing,
but he would have to play with extreme accuracy and hope that his opponent
does not have the same level of accuracy. The main problem is that Black is
threatening to roll over the centre with ...f7-f5 and ...e5-e4, opening up new
possibilities for the bishop and the two rooks. White's two queenside pawns
are then seriously open to attack.}) {QUESTION: What should White do here?} 23.
g4 $1 {When in trouble, a top grandmaster will generally find excellent
defensive moves. This pawn push looks extravagant at first, but Kramnik is
fully aware the he must not allow the rolling of the pawns. ---} (23. Nh4 {
is the main alternative, if White is not content with passive defence. Then
after} Kh7 24. f4 Rb8 25. fxe5 (25. b3 exf4 26. Re7 g5 {is good for Black})
25... Rxb2 {, White's kingside pawns appear to be more united (g2 and h2) than
in the main line (f2 and h2). What Kramnik has to consider, though, is that if
the f-pawn has not been exchanged off, there is no defence on the second rank,
should the black rooks be doubled on that rank. The f2-pawn is needed, to
protect the g2- and h2-squares.}) {
QUESTION: What is the most accurate way for Black to maintain a slight edge?}
23... Kh7 ({Aronian played this quickly. The computer consensus was that} 23...
f5 24. Nh4 fxg4 25. Nxg6 {would have been better, but this is not fully clear.
The knight looks exposed, but if Black were to try to trap the horse with} Bf6
{, it turns out that his e-pawn is pinned after} 26. Nf4 {. It is still
uncomfortable, but it is not so clear that Black has a definite win. --- If,
for the moment, we forget about the computer and its analysis, the question is,
what is best in purely positional terms? Computers are not always so good in
assessing this. --- It is time to remember the old idea of prophylactic chess,
as discussed almost a century ago (time flies!) by Nimzowitsch. When dressed
up in modern terms, the idea is not that of direct defence, of covering any
immediate attacks by the opponent. Rather, the idea is to prevent the opponent
from making a good move, and to prevent any counterplay by the opponent, so
that the player himself will remain at least comfortably equal, and, if all
goes well, keep a slight advantage.}) ({Black is clearly not scared of White
being able to play for an edge with g4-g5. Therefore, any attempt by Black to
prevent g4-g5 cannot be regarded as defensive. Rather, Black is aiming for a
prophylactic move, to prevent White from equalizing. --- This suggests} 23...
f6 $5 {, just waiting, and preventing his opponent from doing anything more
than waiting himself. Clearly, Black can try ...f6-f5 later in many lines, but
there is no need to hurry. Black has the additional option of re-developing
with ...Bf8 and ...Bc5, as well as the more obvious ...Kf7. --- For instance,
if} 24. Nh4 {, then} Kf7 25. f4 Rb8 $1 ({more ambitious than} 25... Rd4 26. Re4
) 26. fxe5 Rxe5 27. Rxe5 fxe5 28. b3 Rb4 {with a clear plus, due to the passed
pawn, and the bishop being far more active than the opposing knight. Even here,
it would be far too early to claim a decisive advantage, but it would take
highly accurate play for White to defend.}) 24. g5 $1 {This gives White
excellent chances of equalizing. It looks ugly, leaving himself with two
isolated pawns against Black's three united pawns (after the next move from
either side), but it is not so clear, in dynamic terms, that Black can create
a serious kingside advantage, and meanwhile White has the extra pawn on the
queenside as a counterbalance.} hxg5 ({If it were not for the en passant rule,
Black would have a probably winning advantage. As it is,} 24... f5 25. gxf6 {
(e.p.)} Bxf6 26. b4 {is only equal.}) 25. Nxg5+ Kg8 {Kramnik has made good
defence so far, but he still has to play accurately and carefully. ---
QUESTION: Another difficult decision, this time for White. Kramnik played 26
f4, opening up the centre. Is this brilliant? Or awful? In either case, why?}
26. f4 $2 {This is the losing move, and a strange one, in that Kramnik was
being careful a few moves earlier to avoid opening up the second rank with
f2-f4.} ({Instead, White needs to ask Black how to proceed.} 26. b4 {seems the 
most constructive of the quiet moves, maybe even adding an escape route for
the knight via e4 and c5, if required. Also, in comparison with ideas
involving b2-b3, White still has counterplay with Ra3. White is not yet equal,
but neither is he clearly losing.}) 26... Rb8 {An easy way of breaking the pin.
} 27. fxe5 {There is not much else, but now it is difficult to defend either
of his kingside pawns, being an extra file apart.} Rxb2 {With Black's rook on
the seventh, and a possible doubling of rooks on that rank, and renewed
chances of bringing the bishop into play (...Bf8, or ...Bh6, or pressure on
the e5-pawn), White is in trouble, with his king exposed, and all his pawns
being under attack. Kramnik's f2-f4 idea was disastrous.} 28. Nf3 ({
He could have tried} 28. a4 {, intending} Rdd2 29. Nf3 {
and there is no obvious immediate win. White is still in trouble, even so.})
28... Rxa2 {Black is now a pawn up, furthermore an outside passed pawn up.
There is no realistic possibility of White ever winning the a-pawn, or even
trying to sacrifice the knight for it (after full pawn exchanges on the
kingside). All that White can hope for is to open up the centre, and push
Black's king around by checks, hoping that, with two rooks and knight on the
board, something might happen.} 29. e6 {
So he tries it, but Aronian is careful with his tactics.} fxe6 {
Obviously, he cannot allow White's advanced pawn to survive.} 30. Rxe6 {
Some modest counterplay? Perhaps, but Black's bishop covers any potential
mating threats.} Rf5 {Whereas White's knight is exposed to attack.} 31. Nh4 Rf4
32. R6e4 Rf6 33. Rg4 Kf7 {The rest of the game looks fast-moving, with lots of
checks, and Black's king being forced to run. The point is, though, that the
king is genuinely able to run, with the help of the other pieces covering
several dangerous squares. Before long, White's knight is unable to join in
the attack, as Black's king is far too far away. White's king, of course, can
do nothing. --- It looked complicated in the time scramble, but Black was
always in control.} 34. Rc1 {Staying active for as long as he can.} Bh6 {
Black's bishop joins in. Two rooks plus bishop, against an exposed king on the
edge of the board, add to mating threats.} 35. Rc7+ Ke8 (35... Ke6 $2 36. Rc6+
{makes life far more difficult.}) 36. Re4+ {More checks.} (36. Rxg6 $2 Be3+ {
is an instant collapse.}) 36... Kd8 {QUESTION: Is Aronian bringing his king
too far into the open? --- Everything is fine, White runs out of checks, and
Black has a breathing space to coordinate his pieces.} 37. Rh7 {
Attacking the bishop, but it can run to better squares.} Bf8 {Aronian is being
careful not to allow White's knight into play, though there are plenty of
winning choices here.} ({For instance,} 37... Rd6 38. Nf3 {is no doubt good
for a win, but then Black will need to think about the endgame. Easier to win
in a queenless middlegame.}) 38. Rd4+ Kc8 39. Rc4+ Kb8 40. Rd7 {No more checks
to force the king to escape, and indeed the next threat with Rd8+ is lifeless.
Black has time to find the winning punch.} g5 41. Ng6 ({Or} 41. Ng2 Ra1+ {
, winning the knight.}) 41... Bd6 {. It's over. Black is still attacking the
knight, obviously, while ...Bxh2+ mating is an even stronger threat.} (41... --
{This is what I wrote in my day-after blog: --- "Just on the basis of this
game, Kramnik appears to have lost much of his positional grip, as indeed in
Anand's loss a week earlier (Black against Tiviakov in the Bundesliga). In
neither case was the issue one of missing tactics in wild and sharp
combinations, as one might suspect when the brain is not quite as quick as in
the early twenties. It seems more serious than this. Positional play ought, in
theory, still be close to the player's peak until quite a late stage, but
there are clearly lapses being made, even at the highest level. --- "As I
write this, it is now a couple of hours before the second game. Maybe
first-round nerves could be a problem. Can Kramnik fight back? Or, at the very
least, can he avoid losing further ground?"}) (41... -- {Now I am writing at
the end of July, a couple of days after Morozevich (age 35), suddenly had to
drop out, for health reasons, at Biel. At the time of the match against
Aronian, Kramnik was 36, and there were clear weaknesses in his play in the
first round - although, as a top professional, he did not lose any more games.
At the Tal Memorial, however, just a couple of months later, he lost twice in
a row, after grinding out a very long endgame against Tomashevsky, inevitably
under great time pressure (and Tomashevsky should have held the draw). At the
World Championship in May, few would dare to say that Anand (42) or Gelfand
(43) were starting to make more mistakes, even if some people posited the
catch-all argument, unfairly, that play was getting "boring". --- Clearly, age
is a factor. You cannot be as energetic after 35 than beforehand. For myself,
I now have the perfect excuse for never becoming a grandmaster. I did not make
a systematic attempt to become an IM until I was 34. Too late. --- But what
about the younger players? Aronian, at the time of his match against Kramnik
was 29, and the second-highest rated player in the world. He would need to do
something quickly, not least because Carlsen is several years younger, and
there are already other extremely dangerous younger players too.}) 0-1

[Event "Match, Zürich"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.04.22"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Aronian, L."]
[Black "Kramnik, V."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C67"]
[Annotator "Colin Crouch"]
[PlyCount "74"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.12.01"]

{It was something of a relief that, in the end, this game ended up as a steady
draw. First, we would like to think that, when two of the strongest players of
the world play each other, their current level of technique should be close to
flawless. Second, Kramnik was having a bad off-day in game one, and it would
be upsetting if one of the world greats were at the start of a string of
decline. --- No long comments on this game. The point of interest at the time,
when watching the game live on the computer, was to see how much Aronian could
squeeze out of almost nothing. The point of interest afterwards is in seeing
how Kramnik could hold, with relative ease, an uncomfortable early endgame.
Most of us would have found it troublesome. --- It is easy enough for the
reader to skip through such games. "It's only a draw. I want to learn how to
win games." Very few players, even at a high level, are comfortable just
making absolutely sure that they can hold a position, with draw after draw
after draw. If the position is level, they want to try to win, and if they are
not quite level, they feel uncomfortable, and are often not very good in
finding safe ways of holding the balance under slight pressure. --- It is
therefore a good idea for the reader to take note of how Kramnik was able to
hold a slightly uncomfortable semi-endgame with reasonable ease. Aronian was
certainly trying to press for the win but in the end he was unable to break
through. --- Another interesting point is that, after his disastrous
first-round loss, Kramnik did not attempt any extreme counterplay. The last
thing he would have wanted to do would be to lose his first two games. He was
content to hold the position as Black, and wait to see what happens in later
rounds. ---} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Nxe4 5. d4 Nd6 6. Bxc6 dxc6
7. dxe5 Nf5 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8 {Kramnik's famous "Berlin Wall". When he had to play
a long match against Kasparov in 2000, his main concern was to cut out any
possibility of a loss as Black against his formidable opponent. It worked -
two wins with White, and a string of draws, and Kasparov was unexpectedly the
first player since 1921 not to win a game in a world championship match. ---
There are some obvious weaknesses in Black's position. He has, for example,
the doubled c-pawns. However, it is highly unlikely that White can set up an
attack against the c-pawns. The problem is more that White has the extra pawn
on the kingside, so the big danger is that these pawns might become active.
Black has to be fully aware of this problem. Another obvious point is that his
king is stuck in the centre - dangerous, but with care Black can overcome this.
Here, the doubled c-pawns are useful in covering squares on the d-file. ---
The Berlin Defence is a difficult line for White to try to handle. Indeed, it
is difficult for both players to handle, usually involving heavy manoeuvring,
without any clear tactical opportunities.} 9. Nc3 {The main choice here.} (9.
Rd1+ Ke8 {is natural for White, but Black often wants to play ...Ke8 anyway,
and maybe White will have better things to do than move the rook.}) 9... Be6 {
It would be slightly unfair to ask the reader what Black should play next,
since there are several possibilities which Black has tried in top grandmaster
games.} (9... Ke8 {is the most popular}) ({while} 9... h6) ({or} 9... Bd7 {
are also fully playable.}) ({Not} 9... Be7 $6 {
though, as this makes it easy for White to eliminate the bishop pair with} 10.
Bg5 {, when Black's pawn structure suddenly loses its flexibility.}) 10. Rd1+
Ke8 11. Ng5 {QUESTION: What should Black do here? He does not really want to
give away his bishop pair, but there is no obvious good move for the bishop.}
Bc8 $1 {This simple bishop retreat looks the most secure. Black has lost two
tempi, true, but White's knight is not on such a good square, and a return to
f3 will involve the return of the two tempi.} (11... Bc8 12. Nf3 Be6 13. Ng5 {
is a plausible sequence, and of course a quick draw. --- There are lines in
the Berlin where Black could allow the capture on e6, creating an isolated
pawn there - but the pawn is not easily attacked on e6, since White's own pawn
on e5 blocks any attacking lines on the e-file. Probably this is a little too
early to try, as Black has made a slight concession.}) ({Instead,} 11... Bc4 $6
{is just about possible, but not very good, as Black will need a few extra
moves to bring the bishop onto secure squares}) ({while} 11... Bd7 $2 {
is tactically bad, in view of} 12. Nxf7 {.}) 12. h3 {
Hoping to keep his kingside pawn majority mobile.} (12. Ne2 a5 13. a4 b6 14. b3
c5 {is steady and equal, subsequently drawn in V.Topalov-V.Ivanchuk, Wijk aan
Zee 2012. The next few moves were} 15. Bb2 Be7 16. Ne4 Be6 17. Nf4 h5 {
, and some moves later White exchanged on e6 without gaining much. He has
given away tempi with Nc3-e2-f4xe6 and, as a result, Black's defence is solid.}
) 12... Be7 13. Bf4 $5 {New? Unusual? An innovation? Certainly Kramnik thought
for a long time on the next couple of moves. --- QUESTION: What are the main
choices for Black? Is one better than the others?} Nh4 {Yet more manoeuvring
with the minor pieces. Kramnik intends to hit the e5-pawn with ...Ng6.} (13...
h6 {is also good, intending} 14. Nge4 ({or} 14. Nf3 Be6) 14... Be6 {, with equality in either case, and he has regained his tempi with the bishop. --- Since
I have asked my question, I suppose I should give an answer. My own view is to
prefer 13...h6, rather than the extra knight manoeuvring, which a potential
loss of tempo. See the next comment.}) 14. e6 {With open play and hopes of a
microscopic edge. The problem is that the edge is far too small after
reasonable defence by the opponent.} (14. Nge4 Ng6 15. Bh2 {
keeps the tension for longer.}) 14... f6 {
Kramnik decides that he can hold with reasonable care.} (14... fxe6 {
is a more tactical attempt. After} 15. Nge4 e5 16. Bxe5 Bxh3 17. Bg3 Bg4 18. f3
Be6 19. Bxc7 Nf5 {, play is equal.}) 15. Nf7 Rg8 16. Bxc7 Bxe6 17. Nd6+ Bxd6
18. Bxd6 Kf7 {QUESTION: Isn't this a good time to offer a draw? --- Play looks
level and, in his earlier calculations, Kramnik would clearly have assumed
that he had equalized. Indeed, a few moves later, he offered a draw, leaving
Aronian slightly irritated. It is still up to Black to prove that he is fully
equal. --- There are still some weaknesses in Black's queenside pawn structure.
Black has not been able to keep his pawn on c7, and so he can no longer guard
the d6-square. True, White's bishop on d6 does not attack anything, even
though it is well advanced. If, however, he can find a way to bring his knight
on d6, that will be more serious. Meanwhile, Black has to decide what to do
with his other queenside pawns. White will probably want to play Bc5 at some
stage, forcing Black to push either his a-pawn or his b-pawn (with ...b7-b6),
to allow him to move his rook. Extra pawn pushes, to cover existing weaknesses,
can soon end up with other weaknesses. --- I was interested to see how Kramnik
was going to handle the position. There is no reason to believe that White has
any big advantage, but how was Black going to hold the balance?} 19. f3 {
Not so much to allow the king to develop to f2, but rather, as we shall soon
see, to give his bishop a retreat square.} Nf5 20. Bc5 b6 {
The ...b7-b6 push is needed, Kramnik decides.} 21. Bf2 Rgd8 22. a4 {QUESTION: What should Black do next, to defend his position? General ideas and a specific
move here, please.} Ne7 $1 ({Black could just about drift around with perhaps} 
22... h5 {, but it is starting to be risky. The computer suggests that White
has only a slight edge, but if White plays with clear and confident moves, it
could easily end up with Black's position deteriorating. Black, too, needs to
play with confidence. --- Black's plan is not the obvious ...Nd5, to try to
exchange knights and end up with the drawish opposite-coloured bishops. It is
in any case difficult to arrange this. What he is trying to do is defend with ...c6-c5 and ...Nc6. This creates extra weaknesses, particularly on the light
squares, with possibilities for White of trying Nb5 and Nd6. It is
uncomfortable, but it has to be done. Kramnik's defence is the traditional one:
that for each attacker, there needs to be a defender in play. More
specifically, a knight on c6 is an excellent defender, giving counterplay as
well as passive defence. White cannot quite break through, and Black, with
care, holds the draw.}) 23. a5 c5 24. Nb5 Nc6 {Everything is covered, if only
just. Black has defended it extremely economically.} 25. Rxd8 ({
The knight-versus-bishop exchange with} 25. Nc7 {
does not achieve much. Play is level after} Rxd1+ 26. Rxd1 Rc8 27. axb6 axb6
28. Nxe6 Kxe6 29. Re1+ Kf7 {.}) 25... Rxd8 26. axb6 axb6 27. Ra6 ({
White has no time to prepare his pieces, before the attack with the rook. If} 
27. Be3 $6 {then} Nb4 {and Black already has the initiative.}) 27... Rd1+ 28.
Kh2 Rd2 {A lot of pieces and pawns soon drop off on either side. Indeed, the
reader might well be puzzled why the players did not agree a draw a few moves
earlier. At the time, I speculated that perhaps they wanted to avoid having to
play an exhibition rapid game if they had agreed an early draw. One very
serious game in a day is enough. --- I did not know that Kramnik had offered a
draw slightly prematurely. Aronian wanted to play it out to its completion, to
show that he was the one who had the right to offer the draw.} 29. Rxb6 Rxc2
30. Nd6+ Ke7 31. Ne4 Nd4 32. Rb7+ Kf8 33. Rc7 Rxb2 34. Rxc5 Nf5 35. Ng3 Rxf2
36. Nxf5 Bxf5 37. Rxf5 Ra2 {. --- Kramnik, like Anand a week earlier (in the
Bundesliga), was careful to make as certain as at all possible not to lose two
consecutive games.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "Match, Zürich"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.04.24"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Kramnik, V."]
[Black "Aronian, L."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C47"]
[Annotator "Colin Crouch"]
[PlyCount "83"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.12.01"]

{This is the strangest of all the nineteen games covered in the two main
matches. It was strange at the time, and looks dodgy now. There was no need
for Aronian to have sacrificed his queen, for lesser pieces. He was already a
point up against Kramnik, and if he was a strong enough player to hold out for
a few draws, in a six-game match, he would win against one of the most solid
match players in history. Once, Kramnik beat Kasparov in a World Championship
match, with just two wins and a whole string of draws. Aronian had the perfect
opportunity to emulate Kramnik's play a dozen years earlier. --- If you go on
the basis that if you are a point ahead in a match, the classic response is to
play steadily, and remain a point ahead. This was an exhibition match, not
part of the world championship, and both players wanted to play interesting
games, yet did not want to give away their main opening secrets. This
backfired, with first Kramnik, and then Aronian, finding interesting but bad
novelties. --- After this game, points were level. It is hard to gain an
impression as to who has the psychological edge. The easy answer is that,
quite probably, the match will end up level. It is indeed a possibility that
both players will want to settle down and play three solid and unexciting
draws. Against that, it has to be remembered that, if the players finish with
any quick draws, the match conditions will require them to play a rapidplay
finish, after the main game, to please the spectators. It is arguably less
exhausting for the players to play a full-length game. If the games are long
and intense, it is more than likely that there will be an odd number of wins,
rather than an even number, in which case one of the players will win. --- But
perhaps we are going ahead of the story. I am writing just before the fourth
game, and speculating about the finish, when I should be writing up the third
game. ---} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 ({
This is one way of avoiding the Marshall Gambit:} 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O
Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. c3 d5 $5 {, the main line of which is} 9. exd5 Nxd5
10. Nxe5 Nxe5 11. Rxe5 c6 {,} ({although Marshall himself played} 11... Nf6 {
against Capablanca. --- Note the way in which Marshall tried to gain a tempo,
in playing ...d7-d5 in one turn, instead of ...d7-d6, quietly defending his
pawn structure. Sometimes in the mainline Ruy, Black will push the pawn again,
with ...d6-d5, after long preparation. Other times, Black merely tries to
defend the pawn centre on d6 and e5. --- In this game, in the Four Knights,
Aronian is clearly inspired by Marshall's concept, playing a sharp ...d7-d5.
There is nothing wrong with this, so long as he gives nothing away to his
opponent.})) 3... Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. Nxd4 Bc5 {Unusual;} ({
but there are some well-known drawing lines with} 5... Bb4 6. Nxc6 bxc6 7. Bd3
d5 {. It is too early to agree a quick draw and have a rapidplay game.}) 6. Be3
Bb6 7. Qd2 {QUESTION: Kramnik clearly wants to develop his pieces quickly, to
try to keep an initiative, before Black can complete his development. Does 7
Nxc6 look like a good idea? Is it better? Worse? Or different?} ({It is difficult to see how White can achieve much, in terms of an edge, by exchanging
knights with} 7. Nxc6 bxc6 {
. The computer suggests that White might still have a slight plus after} 8. e5
Bxe3 9. exf6 {. Play on for an extra move, though, and after} Bh6 $1 {
Black is comfortably equal. His king might by slightly misplaced (after} 10.
Qe2+ Kf8 {), but this is not a serious problem, as Black's other pieces will
soon be able to find comfortable squares. He is helped in this by making good
use of the bishop pair, versus bishop and knight, where the knight is not on a
particularly good square. Black's pawn structure is slightly unusual, but none
of his pawns is actually weak and, again, if he keeps his pieces active, he
should be fine.}) 7... O-O 8. O-O-O Re8 9. f3 d5 {A highly direct double pawn
push, in the style of Frank Marshall, close to a century ago, and of course
Levon Aronian. Black plays ...d7-d5 in just one go, the possible disadvantage
being that Black has not yet developed his pieces - necessarily so, in that he
has not yet had the chance to move his queenside bishop. When play suddenly
opens up, before all the main pieces have been developed, tactics can quite
often arise. White has not yet fully developed his own pieces either, his
light-squared bishop remains unmoved, and his dark-squared bishop being open
to attack.} ({There are other ideas, such as} 9... d6 {
and ...Bd7, perhaps more in the style of Steinitz, rather than Marshall.}) 10.
exd5 Nxd5 11. Bg5 {QUESTION: Tactics time! Is there a safe way for Black of
remaining at least equal? And what are your impressions about Aronian's queen
sacrifice, with 11...Nxc3 12 Bxd8 Nxd1 - ? Indeed, would you even have
considered this yourself?} Nxc3 $2 {This is one of the several examples in
these two matches in which big innovations turn out to be big mistakes.
Kramnik (game one) and Aronian (here) got caught by aiming to hit the opponent
with tactics, only to find that their own position has crashed. Later, both
Anand and Gelfand got caught themselves. It is not enough for something to be
interesting and innovative. Against strong opposition, it also has to be good
and accurate. Many games in the 2012 matches failed this test. --- Kramnik was
clearly under pressure. This is what happens in gambit chess. The opponent
sacrifices, usually at some stage in the opening, gaining some sharp attacking
ideas, and with the hope that the defender will not be able to find fully
accurate defensive moves. Unfortunately for Aronian, Kramnik is a strong
enough player to calculate vast numbers of lines in great depth, and he found
the best lines, and won. --- Was Aronian in a bad position already? Or did he
have a safe alternative?} ({The most straightforward attempt is} 11... Nf6 12.
Nxc6 Qxd2+ 13. Rxd2 bxc6 14. Bc4 {. Black's pieces are fine, but his fractured
pawn structure will be of concern, through to the endgame. An irritating edge
for White.}) ({Another possibility is to concede the bishop pair with} 11...
Nde7 12. Nxc6 (12. Nb3 {also keeps Black under some pressure: remember that
his pieces are not yet fully developed}) 12... Qxd2+ 13. Bxd2 Nxc6 14. Nd5 Be6
15. Nxb6 axb6 16. a3 Bf5 {
, but it would be difficult for Black to demonstrate full equality.}) (11...
Bxd4 {, this time only a temporary queen sacrifice, is not fully acceptable
either: after} 12. Bxd8 Be3 13. Nxd5 Bxd2+ 14. Rxd2 {
, Black will soon drop a pawn on c7.}) ({The best equalizing opportunity is} 
11... f6 $1 {. Did the reader reach this far? We are only one move after the
last test position, but several other ideas needed to be considered, and
usually to be rejected. --- Attack is met by Black with counter-attack, with
minimal loss of tempo. No unnecessary retreat, but no wild sacrifices either.}
12. -- ({. Now} 12. Bc4 {looks sharp, but after a few tactics, play fizzles
out to a drawn double-rook endgame:} Nxd4 13. Nxd5 Be6 14. Bxf6 gxf6 15. Nxb6
axb6 16. Qxd4 Qxd4 17. Rxd4 Bxc4 18. Rxc4 Rxa2 19. Kd2 Re7 {. Perhaps this is
too far for most of us to calculate in our heads, but the sequence of tactical
play is logical enough, without any big surprises.}) (12. Ndb5 {
looks interesting,} -- ({one of the main points being that after} 12... Ne3 $2
13. Qxd8 Nxd8 14. Bxe3 Bxe3+ 15. Kb1 {, the knights for once out-perform the
bishop pair. Black has not yet found time to develop his queenside pieces.}) ({
. Still, Black seems to equalize comfortably with} 12... Ncb4 $1 {. Black quickly plays ...c7-c6 and White, sooner or later, has to give away a tempo with
the dark-squared bishop. --- The pyrotechnics by Aronian therefore seem
unnecessary, and worse, bad. Aronian would seem to have had the possibility of
equalizing by normal means.}))) 12. Bxd8 Nxd1 {
QUESTION: How should Kramnik handle Aronian's piece sacrifice?} 13. Bxc7 $1 {
Kramnik is attempting to make the absolute maximum out of his position,
perhaps allowing concessions and various tactical opportunities, but also
trying to ensure that he has queen and pawn versus assorted pieces, rather
than playing with just queen versus other pieces. A humble pawn, if working
with other pawns, often tips the balance.} ({White can also try} 13. Bg5 $5
Nxd4 14. Qxd1 {, when Black has rook and bishop for the queen. Possibly White
can claim a slight edge, or possibly Black can say that he is fully equal. It
would be unrealistic, though, to suggest that Black is better. --- That being
so, whether or not Kramnik's 13 Bxc7 can be regarded as a refutation or just a
good move, Aronian's queen sacrifice seems suspect.}) 13... Bxc7 14. Nxc6 Ne3
15. Bb5 {Very sharp. Kramnik would have seen this before his 13th. Of course,
the real tactics arise in the next few moves. Kramnik, despite his lapse in
round one, is still clearly playing confident chess, believing that, as one of
the world's all-time greats, he will have the analytical strength and
resourcefulness to combat any hand-to-hand battles by his opponent. It is a
close call, but it seems that Kramnik has handled it extremely well.} bxc6 {
QUESTION: Tactics corner. Aronian grabs the knight, but allows his rook to
drop. Could he have done better by bringing one of his bishops into play?} ({
The obvious} 15... Bf4 $2 {does nothing for Black after} 16. Ne7+ Kf8 17. g3
Bh6 18. f4 {, since if} Rxe7 {, then} 19. Qd8+ {and mate next move.}) ({
Instead,} 15... Bf5 {is interesting, with a few tactics after} 16. Nd4 Bf4 17.
Bxe8 Nxg2 18. Bxf7+ Kxf7 19. Qxf4 Nxf4 20. Nxf5 {. The trouble is that, with
the help of the bishop desperado sacrifices on c7 and f7, White is a pawn up,
and should eventually win. This is an example of why it is still important to
count the number of pawns, even when the other pieces on both sides are being
hacked around.}) 16. Bxc6 {QUESTION: More tactics to consider, every move. The
computer likes 16...Bf4 here. What is likely to happen next?} Nc4 ({
There is another chance to set up some tactics with} 16... Bf4 {
, but yet again, with best play, White ends up a pawn up in the endgame.} 17.
-- ({. One can reasonably assume that Kramnik, some moves in advance, will
have noted that he can play} 17. Qd4 {, and that, at the very worst, he can
end up with equality with a perpetual check. This would happen after} Nf1+ 18.
Kd1 ({not} 18. Qxf4 $4 Re1#) 18... Ne3+ 19. Kc1 {, etc. This is a useful
back-stop when trying to analyse during a game. Realizing that he is at least
equal, Kramnik does not have to worry that he might be losing. He can play the
sharp line with confidence. --- But can White improve on this?}) ({
. Time to try} 17. Kb1 $1 Rb8 {.} 18. -- ({. Then} 18. Bxe8 Rxb2+ {
leads to complicated equality after} 19. Ka1 ({or} 19. Kc1 {
. Or at least the computer suggests that it is equal.})) ({
. White can, however, play for much more with} 18. Qd4 $1 Be5 19. Qxe3 Rxb2+
20. Kc1 Rb4 {. It would be difficult for most of us to keep track of what is
in going on in such a position, several moves in advance. The basic point,
though, is that with forced simplification White will remain a pawn ahead,
after} 21. Bxe8 Bf4 22. Re1 Bxe3+ 23. Rxe3 {. --- It seems almost unfair that,
yet again, after so many wild tactics on either side, the final result is a
pawn up for White in a joyless endgame for Black. But if a player is better at
the start of a string of tactics, it is logical enough that, with good play by
either side, he should remain better at the end of the tactics.}))) 17. Qd4 {
Other queen moves look good too. The tension has gone, and Kramnik is on the
way to a win.} Be6 18. Bxa8 Bb6 ({
Aronian sets an extremely deep trap, avoiding the more obvious} 18... Rxa8 {.})
19. Qd3 {QUESTION: Just about any safe queen move is good, but which is the
most accurate? Can he force his opponent to resign by around move 30? --- I
leave this as something of a trick question. The position is not as clear as I
thought.} ({The obvious reply, protecting the queen with} 19. Qe4 {, at first seems to keep a decisive material advantage, but if we dig closer, Black's
mighty minor pieces give him enough for a perpetual. After} Be3+ 20. Kd1 Nxb2+
21. Ke2 Bb6 {, there is an unusually convoluted repetition on} 22. Kd2 Nc4+ 23.
Kc1 Be3+ 24. Kd1 Nb2+ 25. Ke2 Bb6 {, and the roundabout continues.}) ({
The last try for White would be} 19. Qe4 Be3+ 20. Kd1 Nxb2+ $1 21. Ke2 ({or} 
21. Ke1) 21... Bb6 22. Kd2 Nc4+ 23. Kc1 Be3+ 24. Kd1 Nb2+ 25. Ke1 {
, but again there is another repetition after} Bd7 26. Qb7 Bb6+ 27. Kd2 Be3+
28. Ke1 Bb6+ {. Plenty of checks and repetitions, but not quite enough for
Black to checkmate. And of course White does not have quite enough for the win.
--- This would be an extraordinarily difficult position to try to analyse over
the board. Quite possibly Kramnik's instinct would have made him decide that
the minor pieces are far too difficult to handle in open play. It seems that
Kramnik played the best move here, ignoring his bishop, and keeping his queen
and rook developed and centralized.}) (19. Qh4 Rxa8 20. Kb1 {is another good
try for the win, with a different defensive approach. Instead of keeping his
queen and rook active, White's approach would be to keep his king and queen as
safe as possible.}) 19... Rxa8 {
QUESTION: The final tactical exercise. What happens if Black tries 19...Rd8 - ?
} ({Maybe Kramnik was hoping for} 19... Rd8 {.} 20. -- ({
Then White has the visually attractive} 20. Bd5 $5 Rxd5 21. Qxc4 Rd1+ 22. Rxd1
Bxc4 23. b3 {and there has been simplification, and the rook and two pawns,
well coordinated, should eventually force a win.}) ({. The commentators at the
time, looking at their computers, noticed that after wild play with} 20. Qe2
Be3+ 21. Kb1 Na3+ 22. Ka1 Bc4 23. Rd1 Rxa8 24. Rd3 {, White is still winning.
Maybe so, but would Kramnik, still slightly out of form, have tried such an
obscure line? Sometimes it is best to keep things simple. --- Anyway, White
has two good replies.})) 20. Re1 Rd8 {QUESTION: Should White try to speed
things up, with 21 Rxe6 - ? Then 21...Rxd3 22 Re8 is mate.} ({
This would indeed speed up the finish, but the wrong player wins. After} 20...
Rd8 21. Rxe6 $4 fxe6 ({rather than} 21... Rxd3 $4 22. Re8#) 22. Qxc4 Be3+ 23.
Kb1 Rd1# {, it is Black who gives checkmate. Beware of back-rank howlers!}) 21.
Qe4 {While writing my blog, I noted that "there is not all that much that
needs to be said. The battle between queen versus bishop and two knights is
potentially interesting, but White has two extra pawns, and once these pawns
start to advance, Black's minor pieces start to be repulsed." I was getting
tired! --- Clearly White was winning, and clearly there was a big time
scramble, with Kramnik in particular having much to think about. Somehow,
Kramnik lost track with his position, and there were still a few fighting
chances for Aronian.} g5 {
At the time this appeared to be slightly desperate, creating pawn weaknesses.}
({I had expected} 21... h6 {. Still, White is winning anyway.}) 22. c3 Bc5 23.
Re2 h6 24. g3 {Perhaps Kramnik is concentrating a little too much on the
square-by-square approach.} (24. b3 {
seems more dynamic, forcing Black to retreat his pieces:} -- (24... Ba3+ 25.
Kc2 Bf5 26. Qxf5 Rd2+ 27. Rxd2 Ne3+ 28. Kd3 Nxf5 29. Ke4 {
, and after the flurry of tactics, White has a simple win in the endgame.}) (
24... Nd6 25. Qc6 Rc8 26. Qa6 {and Black has to disorganize his pieces. No
crashing through, but it is progress.})) 24... a5 25. f4 a4 26. f5 Bd5 27. Qd3
Bb6 28. b3 axb3 29. axb3 Na5 30. Re8+ $1 {Kramnik was never completely out of
control, even during his time scramble. In other words, he is winning! That is
all that really matters. --- Kramnik's exchange sacrifice looks strange at
first, giving away his material advantage. He is about to have queen and two
pawns, versus rook, bishop and knight. However, there are two points greatly
in favour of White: firstly, it is difficult for Black to cover the two
connected passed pawns; and secondly, Black's knight is completely out on the
edge. --- There may be other ways of forcing through a win, and therefore it
would be unfair for the reader to ask what White should have done next. The
simple point, though, is that after his exchange sacrifice, Kramnik was able
to win without difficulties.} Rxe8 31. Qxd5 Rd8 32. Qb5 Rd6 33. Kc2 Kg7 34. b4
Nb7 35. c4 Rf6 36. g4 Nd8 37. c5 Bc7 38. Qd7 Nc6 39. b5 Na7 40. Qxc7 Nxb5 41.
Qe5 Na7 42. Kd3 {. --- Probably both players could have handled this slightly
better during the time shortage, but there is no doubt that Kramnik was better
throughout.} 1-0

[Event "Match, Zürich"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.04.25"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Aronian, L."]
[Black "Kramnik, V."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C67"]
[Annotator "Colin Crouch"]
[PlyCount "49"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.12.01"]

{Not much to think about, one might assume. Play was level and accurate, and
the players agreed a draw at move 25. It happens. One cannot force an opponent
to make a mistake, and if no mistakes by either side are made, the logical
result is a draw. Like it or not, that is chess. --- If anything, what is
surprising is that only half of top level games end up in draws. Between both
players rated over 2700, the approximate draw percentage is around 60%, with a
very small plus score for White. This is based on results (from the beginning
of April 2011 to the end of March 2012) in 301 games, as recorded by Live
Chess Ratings, 2700. So most games at the highest level are indeed draws, but
not as many as some might suspect. Even 2700+ players do not play perfect
chess. --- What probably happened was that Kramnik in game one, and Aronian in
game three, have been jolted by their recognition of fallibility in chess, and
both players felt they needed to settle down. No speculative chess, just solid
chess. A similar dynamic can be seen in the World Championship match, a month
later. --- The tell-tale sign is not so much that they played quiet and
accurate moves. Again, accuracy is not a problem. Rather, it is that sometimes
players are a little too eager to rush to safety, or, as here, they are happy
to agree a relatively quick draw, when there was still interesting play in the
position. --- There is only one question to be asked of the readers in this
game, but it is quite a big question. What might have happened if the game
were to be continued? ---} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Nxe4 5. d4 Nd6
6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. dxe5 Nf5 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8 {Another Berlin Defence and another
draw in the main line. --- It is, however, a myth to suggest that the line is
notoriously drawish, queens off, a bit of sensible manoeuvring, and a draw
agreed. The database I mentioned (2700+ players against other 2700+ players,
early 2011 to 2012) give the score as +5 =5 -2 (from White's point of view)
out of 12 games. The draw proportion is therefore lower than the average
(about 40%, as opposed to about 60%). Players with Black cannot rely on an
easy half-point. They still have to work for it. --- The importance of
Kramnik's ability to halve out every time against Kasparov, in the famed 2000
match, was that Kramnik had exceptionally deep knowledge of the strategies of
this line as Black. Possibly, who knows, Kasparov did not have equally deep
knowledge as White. So Kramnik was better prepared.} 9. h3 {
Varying from the 9 Nc3 of game two.} ({Kramnik has had a recent loss in this
line against Karjakin. Bearing in mind the previous comments, the young
grandmaster managed to do something that Kasparov failed to achieve. Karjakin
was, on this occasion, able to set up a mobile kingside pawn majority, after} 
9. Nc3 Bd7 10. h3 b6 11. a4 a5 12. g4 Ne7 13. Ng5 Be8 14. f4 h6 15. Nf3 {
. Quite how mobile the pawns were is open to question after} g6 {(S.Karjakin-V.Kramnik, Russian Championship, Moscow 2011). But zoom forwards some moves, and
we reach a complicated minor piece endgame...} 16. b3 Kc8 17. Bb2 Bg7 18. Ne4
c5 19. Ng3 Rg8 20. Kh2 Bd7 21. c4 Kb7 22. Rad1 Rad8 23. Rd3 Bc8 24. Rfd1 Rxd3
25. Rxd3 Re8 26. Ne4 Nc6 27. Kg3 Kb8 28. Bc3 Rd8 29. Rxd8 Nxd8 {. --- Rooks
have just been exchanged on d8, and one can easily gain the impression that we
are about to head for a quick draw. However, Karjakin has a sacrificial
breakthrough in his mind, and he plays} 30. e6 $1 Nxe6 ({not} 30... Bxc3 $4 31.
e7 {, queening}) 31. Bxg7 Nxg7 32. Ne5 {. White's knights are dominant; while
one of the main problems for Black in the Berlin Defence is that it can be
extremely difficult to create a passed pawn from the crippled queenside
majority. White's kingside is far more mobile and, indeed, he was able to
create a decisive passed pawn, after} f5 33. Nf6 g5 34. Nc6+ Kb7 35. Nd8+ Kb8
36. Nc6+ {(a harmless repetition, to help reach the time control)} Kb7 37. Nd8+
Kb8 {, and now} 38. fxg5 hxg5 39. Nh7 {, regaining the material at last, and
then creating a passed pawn, and ultimately winning...} c6 40. Nxg5 Kc7 41.
Ndf7 b5 42. Kf4 fxg4 43. hxg4 Ne6+ 44. Nxe6+ Bxe6 45. Ne5 Kd6 46. g5 bxa4 47.
bxa4 Ke7 48. Nxc6+ Kd6 49. Nxa5 Kc7 50. Ke5 Bg8 51. Nb3 Bxc4 52. Nxc5 Kb6 53.
Ne4 Bb3 54. Nc3 Bc2 55. Kf6 Kc5 56. g6 Kb4 57. g7 Bb3 58. Ne4 Bg8 59. Ke7 {
1-0. The reader might also note a win for Black in D.Navara-S.Karjakin, Wijk
aan Zee 2012. --- Clearly Karjakin has excellent understanding of the Berlin.
He is, at the time of writing, one of the five players aged 25 and below in
the top ten world list. Carlsen, Radjabov and Caruana get a full mention, in
the later part of this book, being the three leaders in the recent Tal
Memorial; of the other two Nakamura was not quite at his best in that tournament, whereas Karjakin did not play at all. So it is a good opportunity to pay my
respects to him here.}) ({
In V.Ivanchuk-S.Karjakin, Wijk aan Zee 2012, play went} 9. Nc3 Ke8 10. h3 h5
11. Rd1 Be7 12. Bg5 Be6 13. b3 h4 {(reaching the same position as in the game,
but with 13 Rfd1 rather than 13 Rad1)} 14. Kf1 {
(slightly more attractive for White? - perhaps, but it was still only a draw)}
a5 15. a4 Rh5 16. Bc1 Bb4 17. Ne2 Bd5 18. Ne1 Rd8 19. Bb2 Rh6 20. c4 Be6 21.
Nf3 Be7 22. Rxd8+ {½-½. The computer seems to think that White is slightly
better here. What do you think? I leave this as an unanswered question.}) 9...
Ke8 10. Nc3 h5 11. Bg5 Be6 12. b3 Be7 13. Rad1 ({For} 13. Rfd1 $5 {
see the next (and previous) note.}) 13... h4 {This move is part of Kramnik's
defensive repertoire. The main problem in Black's set-up is not so much any
weakness of the queenside doubled pawns (it would be extremely difficult for
White to attack them), but rather, that Black has fewer pawns on the kingside.
The ...h5-h4 plan is designed to prevent White from setting up a kingside pawn
roller. --- The danger then, from Black's point of view, is that his h-pawn
can be difficult to defend. If, however, he can cover his h-pawn effectively,
without his pieces being excessively tied down to defence, he should be equal.
--- There is another Karjakin game that can be mentioned here, in which White
had the other rook on d1 (see the note with 9 Nc3 Ke8 above).} 14. Rfe1 {
Apparently a minor innovation, but it is unlikely to have any drastic impact,
one way or the other.} Rd8 15. Rxd8+ Kxd8 {With reference to Ivanchuk-Karjakin
in the earlier note, it is clear that in such lines Kramnik prefers to move
his king to the queenside, rather than the kingside, where it is possibly
still slightly exposed.} 16. Ne4 b6 17. Bf4 Kc8 18. Neg5 {This eliminates
Black's bishop pair. It is far too early for White to claim any sort of
advantage.} Bxg5 19. Bxg5 Bd5 {
White's knight on f3 is now pushed away from any attack square.} 20. Nh2 c5 21.
Rd1 {This helps explain why White moved the knight to h2, rather than to d2.
He wants to put pressure on the bishop.} Bc6 22. c3 {To prevent ...Nd4.} a5 23.
Ng4 Bd7 24. f3 a4 25. Kf2 {Draw agreed. --- The end of the game? Or should it
have been only the beginning? This is the sort of position where players of
equal strength would be happy to take an early half-point, but where the
stronger player, whether as White or as Black, would want to try to grind it
out indefinitely. Or perhaps, with two players of equal strength, one of the
players will want to grind it out anyway. The position is equal, but it is not
a clear draw. One of the players might well make a minor inaccuracy, maybe
pushing a pawn carelessly, or maybe moving a piece from a better square to a
worse square. Then the opponent would have legitimate ways of trying to play
for a win. --- The exercise I am setting asks you to make good use of your
computer and its chess engine. --- EXERCISE: Try to play out this position,
with the help of the computer. In most positions, unless we are in the middle
of an exchange or some kind of tactic, there will be something like three to
five choices on each turn. You will not be able to analyse everything, and
neither can I. What I am suggesting is that you carry on trying out apparently
good moves, and keep trying variations until there is a completely drawn
position, or alternatively, where one of the players suddenly has a slight
edge. --- The idea of the exercise is to give the reader a better grasp of
holding the balance in a level position. It is so easy to make a slight
stumble. The hope is that your opponent will slip up before you do. You will
almost certainly find that, even with the help of computer suggestions, it
will be difficult, unexpectedly so, to keep to complete equality throughout.
--- According to my own computer, the main choices here are: a) 25...Re8; b)
25...Rh5; c) 25...axb3 26 axb3, and either 26...Be6, or one of the rook moves
already suggested; d) 25...c4. --- Now it is up to you. (See the continued game for
some suggested answers.)} 1/2-1/2

[Event "game four continued"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Aronian, L."]
[Black "Kramnik, V."]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "C67"]
[Annotator "Colin Crouch"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2k4r/2pb1pp1/1p6/2p1PnB1/p5Np/1PP2P1P/P5P1/3R2K1 w - - 0 25"]
[PlyCount "2"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.12.01"]

{Some suggested answers:} 25. Kf2 -- ({If Black is determined to head for a
drawn position, with as little fuss as possible, the simplest line here is to
offer quick simplification with} 25... axb3 26. axb3 Be6 27. b4 (27. c4 {
allows Black to think about playing his knight to d4}) 27... cxb4 28. cxb4 Re8
{. As White, I would perhaps be slightly worried about allowing Black the
possibility of creating a passed pawn on the queenside, and certainly it would
seem sensible to simply further, with a knight exchange, with} 29. Ne3 Nxe3 30.
Bxe3 Bf5 31. Bg5 Rxe5 32. Rd8+ Kb7 33. Bxh4 {. --- Determined players might
well squeeze it out for a few more moves, but it is difficult to see how, even
if one of the players could create a passed pawn (...c7-c5 for Black), he
would have much chance of creating a strong one. --- In fairness, this might
be the sort of thing that both players would have been thinking about, when
agreeing a draw. After all, Kramnik's original intention with 24...a4 would
have been to create the possibility of quick simplification on the queenside.})
({Suppose, though, Black were to try to tweak it out for more than a slight
edge, albeit while allowing an extra degree of risk. Again, trying out
equalizing moves with the computer, play could continue with} 25... c4 26. b4
Re8 {. This looks good if Black's rook can somehow reach White's side of the
board, but how can it get there? White has everything covered on the d-file.
Try} 27. a3 Bc6 28. Re1 Kd7 {
, all apparently computer-safe moves. But White suddenly has a tactic:} 29. e6+
Rxe6 30. Ne5+ Kc8 ({not} 30... Ke8 $4 31. Nxc6 {and Black's rook is pinned})
31. Nxf7 Rxe1 32. Kxe1 {and Black is definitely under pressure.}) ({Going back,
} 25... Re8 {seems safe enough, waiting to see what he wants to do with his
queenside pawns. Then perhaps} 26. b4 {(again, there are other moves)} cxb4 27.
cxb4 Be6 28. a3 {. --- Such positions, characteristic of the Berlin, can be
positionally disorientating if your instincts are for trying to make progress.
Looking at the pieces, any king move will end up on a slightly worse square.
Shifting the knights on either side, or White's bishop, would release the
pressure on the opponent. Black would also like to keep his rook lined up
against the e5-pawn. So what is left, if there is no constructive pawn move?
White's rook is mobile, but cannot attack anything. Black's bishop is mobile,
but can do nothing more than prod the rook. A possible line might be} Bb3 29.
Rd3 Bc4 30. Rd2 Bb5 {, and then a rook move, and then a bishop move, and so on.
}) ({Finally, and the reason why I feel slightly surprised by the early draw
agreement, Black can prod the bishop with} 25... Rh5 $5 {. If White's bishop
moves, then Black's other pieces can start to move. This is the way in which
Black is starting to explore for a win.} 26. -- ({For instance:} 26. Bf4 {
will leave White a little uncomfortable after} axb3 27. axb3 Be6 {.}) (26. Bd2
{, covering both the c3- and b4-squares, might be a better defensive plan.
Black still seems to keep the initiative after} axb3 27. axb3 Be6 28. b4 cxb4
29. cxb4 Ne7 30. f4 {(Black threatened ...Bxg4, winning the e5-pawn)} Rh8 {
, but it still fizzles out to equality after the unexpected} 31. Be1 $1 {
. White may have what is theoretically the bad bishop, but it still creates
pressure on the h4-pawn, preventing Black from gaining full control with his
rook and knight. If Black is now content with equality, he could worry the
rook with} Bb3 {, and there is little opportunity for White to improve his
pieces. --- Perhaps Aronian has everything covered, but it would have been
interesting to see what would have happened, if Kramnik had declined the draw
offer.})) *

[Event "Match, Zürich"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.04.27"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Kramnik, V."]
[Black "Aronian, L."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "D43"]
[Annotator "Colin Crouch"]
[PlyCount "86"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.12.01"]

{The fifth game ended up in a steady and unexciting draw, but of course there
is nothing wrong with "steady and unexciting" draws. What this means, in
top-level play, is that neither player has made a mistake, surely no bad thing
in a game of chess. Aronian, in game five, was content to give nothing away as
Black. Looking backwards, he would not want to have tried overexcited chess,
as in game three. Looking forwards, his best chance of winning the six-round
match is to put some pressure on his opponent as White. --- There was perhaps
the slightest of suggestions that, at one stage, Aronian could have taken the
initiative with Black. Whether or not this was anything significant, the
chance was missed, and play soon ended up with another draw. ---} 1. Nf3 {
Back to normal resumption. Kramnik, after his game one loss, switched his
openings around in game three, with 1 e4, and won in a Four Knights. It would
be naïve to suppose that Aronian would have tried the queen sacrifice again.
He would undoubtedly have varied at some stage.} d5 2. d4 Nf6 3. c4 c6 4. Nc3
e6 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bxf6 Qxf6 7. e3 Nd7 8. Be2 {Kramnik avoids 8 Bd3 this time.
The virtue of playing the opening quietly, with Be2, rather than the
apparently more aggressive Bd3, is that the d4-square is ultra-safe, with the
queen providing an extra guard on d1 or, perhaps later, one of the rooks
reaching d1.} Qd8 {QUESTION: Why this queen retreat? Is there nothing else?
--- Black's idea is not as strange as it looks. He is happy that he has
induced his opponent to concede the bishop pair, with the veiled threat of the
Botvinnik Variation (see notes to game one). Once he has done that, what can
he do next? The danger is that the queen and the dark-squared bishop are in
the way of each other. If, for example, Black were to play ...Be7, the queen
does not have many squares; while if instead ...Bd6, there is the danger of a
pawn prod with e3-e4-e5. The argument is that Black has made a gain with the
bishop pair, but that he will need at some stage to give up a tempo or so with
the queen.} ({There are, of course, credible alternatives: --} 8... dxc4 9.
Bxc4 g6 {transposes into game one.}) ({
A computer search suggests that, as well as 8...dxc4, Black can try} 8... Bb4)
({or even} 8... Be7 {(though he will then have to take care of the queen).}) ({
Perhaps unexpectedly,} 8... Nb6 $5 {is another possibility, prodding the
c-pawn. This gives away a couple of tempi after} 9. c5 Nd7 {, but it is no
great loss, seeing that White's c-pawn no longer adds pressure to the centre,
whereas Aronian's own move lost a tempo anyway. Black can think, in some
variations, of opening up the centre with ...e6-e5. This line looks fully
playable for Black.}) 9. O-O Be7 10. Qc2 O-O 11. a3 {QUESTION: The computer
suggests that there are more than twenty reasonable moves for White, each of
which gives equality, and very little more. Why did Kramnik choose this
particular one? --- If no move is likely to give any sort of clear advantage,
then in practical terms it is often a good idea to play a quiet waiting move.
This can often imply an insignificant-looking pawn move, slightly improving
the pawn structure, while waiting to see exactly what the opponent is planning
to do. Here, the pawn is just slightly better on a3 than on a2, allowing White
to try b2-b4 in some lines, or maybe merely preventing ...Bb4, or maybe
creating a hole for the bishop, after Black exchanges with ...d5xc4; Bxc4, and
then a retreat to Ba2. Who knows? It is no bad thing to open up possibilities
for later, given the opportunity for a quiet move. The obvious alternatives
are the various rook moves, though it is difficult to predict which rook is
best, and where it should move to. Of the top ten moves suggested by the
computer, two each are given as either of the rooks moving to c1, d1, and e1,
while 11 Rab1 is the seventh. Time perhaps to wait? White would not want to
lose a tempo, if he finds he has not placed the rook the most effectively.} ({
The immediate} 11. e4 dxe4 12. Nxe4 Qc7 {opens up play, but then Black is
equal. It is often better to maintain the tension. So we return to think about
the best rook move.}) (11. Rad1 {
looks in many ways the most natural move, but what then happens after} b6 {- ?}
12. e4 {is still too early for an edge, so what else can he try?} ({
Attention may focus on} 12. cxd5 cxd5 {, but then we have the problem that the
rook is not on the best square. It would be better on c1 instead.})) ({
By a circuitous path,} 11. Rfd1 {may well be regarded as most accurate, and if}
b6 {, White still has several reasonable choices, maybe} 12. Rac1 ({or} 12.
cxd5) ({, or possibly} 12. e4) ({, or} 12. Qb3 {. Clearly this cannot possibly
be calculated trying to analyse move-by-move. What is important is positional
judgment, and being able to anticipate what to do after the opponent's ideas.
What, for example, would White do if Black were to try ...b6 - ?})) 11... b6 {
He has to do something with the "bad bishop", often the biggest positional
problem in the Queen's Gambit.} 12. Rfd1 {Note that if White had played 11
Rfd1 instead, and if Black were still to try 11...b6, then White might find
something more constructive to do than 12 a3.} Bb7 13. Rac1 {Kramnik decides
what to do with his rooks, but perhaps very slightly too late. It needs to be
emphasized of course that he has not done anything seriously wrong, and that
he is not worse, but he has lost some of his opening initiative. --- Aronian
still has to play carefully to try to prove he has complete equality. His next
move is startling.} Qb8 {QUESTION: Why another queen move? He has already
taken on f6, retreated on d8, and now another queen move, which attacks
nothing, and defends not very much. --- The first point to note is that the
strongest grandmasters, while undoubtedly making mistakes on occasion, also
have the uncanny ability to keep the position in balance, avoiding losing,
when under pressure. It looks very much the case that White is better here,
but in a few moves, Aronian escapes with easy equality. How does this happen?
--- In terms of chess thinking, the central point, which makes stronger
players better than weaker players, is the question of defensive tactics. We
all learn about attacking tactics, I attack his king, he tries to defend, I
think about a sacrifice, analyse it, decide that it works, and so play the
sacrifice. Or alternatively, if the sacrifice does not work, then play it
positionally, and aim for the next breakthrough. --- Defensive tactics are
more difficult to grasp, but essentially the idea is that I want to defend the
position quickly and securely, but I need to calculate. My pieces are not at
the best squares at the moment, but my idea is that in a couple of moves, I
will start to be on good squares. So I need to ensure that, in the meantime,
my opponent cannot create an advantage. He plays this, then I defend, then he
plays this, then I defend. Is my position awful? Or is it equal? It requires a
lot of thought. --- The queen is out of the way on b8, and White cannot attack
it. The basic defensive plan is to keep the queen on the queenside, and bring
both rooks to the queenside as well.} ({Black could consider} 13... Rc8 {
, when he is not seriously worse, but then he still has to decide what to do
with the rest of the queenside.}) ({Another option perhaps is} 13... a6 {
, followed by ...b7-b5. --- In the end, what Black is aiming for is complete
equality, not trying to defend a slightly worse position.}) 14. cxd5 {
Now that Black has given away a tempo, it is time for White to end the quiet
manoeuvring. If his pieces are already on good squares, the only way to make
progress is with the pawns.---} (14. e4 dxe4 {is equal, like a safe Caro-Kann,
so instead he exchanges pawns on d5, to see how Black recaptures. White is
hoping for a modest advantage after either recapture.}) {QUESTION: Which way
should Black recapture? --- An easy question to answer for players who use the
Queen's Gambit for Black and various other lines, such as the Queen's Indian -
and also, of course, for players with White who start with 1 d4.} 14... cxd5 {
The pawn structure is now symmetrical, but White is slightly ahead in development. Aronian needed to be fully satisfied that his pieces are active enough to
hold the balance. --- Watching this online, I felt confident that Kramnik
should be able to squeeze out an edge, but it seems that Aronian has defended
with great accuracy.} ({Black has the worse pawn structure after} 14... exd5 {
and will usually need to work hard to try to equalize. The main problem is the
"minority attack" - two queenside pawns attacking three - White setting up the
attack with ideas of b2-b4, quite possibly Qb3, then a2-a4, and at some stage
b4-b5, trying to put Black's c6-pawn in great discomfort. If, in such an
attack, Black were to exchange with ...c6xb5, he ends up with an isolated pawn
on d5, which is very weak. There are ways to counteract such an attack, but
Black has to be careful as to which methods he will need to try to defend. If
in doubt, avoid.}) 15. Qa4 Nf6 {A critical position, and potentially the
difference between a slight advantage for White or mere equality. Has White
got any genuine edge though? Understandably, Kramnik thought for a long time
here.} 16. Ba6 {QUESTION: Was this the best? Does this give White any
advantage? If not, does he have an improvement instead? --- The game move
allows Black to exchange his supposedly bad light-squared bishop. The point is
that if Black managed to play ...a7-a6 and ...b6-b5, he would have a standard
symmetrical Slav position, where it is difficult for White to claim any sort
of edge. Black will eventually try to open up lines with ...b5-b4.} ({
There is also the tactical problem that if White were to try to exchange off
his f3-knight for one of Black's minor pieces, White's queen could get stuck
on the wrong side of the tracks after a later ...a7-a6 and ...b6-b5. For
example, Black is better in lines such as} 16. Ne5 a6 17. Nd7 $2 ({or} 17. Nc6
$2 Bxc6 18. Qxc6 b5) 17... Nxd7 18. Qxd7 Bd6 19. h3 b5 {
, and White is forced to retreat far too quickly.}) ({
Instead, Fritz (an old version) suggests doubling rooks with} 16. Rc2 a6 17.
Rdc1 {, but this seems cosmetic. After} b5 {, Black is equal.}) ({
Houdini suggests} 16. Qb3 {, aiming to prevent Black's plan of ...a7-a6 and ...b6-b5. Certainly this looks better than equality, but only very slightly so
after} Rc8 {. Maybe White can try stonewalling with} 17. Ne5 {followed by
f2-f4, aiming for an edge in the middlegame, rather than in the endgame, but
then he has to think about how to cover the hole on e4. --- Kramnik decided to
keep things simple. It is already starting to look drawish, provided Black
finds a few accurate moves.}) 16... Bxa6 17. Qxa6 Qc8 18. Qxc8 {QUESTION: Should White have retreated, rather than exchange queens? --- It does not make all
that much difference, in that Black is equal either way. If the queen retreats,
Black plays 18...Qb7 with equality. Aronian has demonstrated excellent
defensive play.} Rfxc8 19. Ne5 Bd6 20. Nd3 {QUESTION: Hasn't Black even got a
slight edge now? His bishop covers both sides of the board, while White's
knights do not attack much. --- It is difficult to imagine that this position
is anything other than level. If Black had a knight, rather than a bishop, on
d6, it would be time to agree a draw. With the bishop there, he will have good
chances of exchanging one of the knights - if, for example, White were to try
Ne5. Alternatively, as in the game, the bishop might give an occasional prod
against one of the pawns, but even this does not amount to much. Bishops are
at their best in open play. With closed or half-closed positions, the bishop
is no more effective than the knight.} Ne8 21. Kf1 Kf8 22. Ke2 Ke7 23. h3 Rc4 {
After a few moves of consolidation by both sides, Black's rook advance is so
annoying that White is induced to push a pawn. He is about to weaken his pawn
structure, though not seriously so.} 24. b3 Rcc8 25. a4 {QUESTION: Testing the
computers. Of the two chess engines I was using, one said that that Black was
better, while the other implied that the position was so dead equal they might
just as well offer a draw. Which assessment do you think is more accurate?} Ba3
({"Sometimes the battle of the chess engines can be more interesting than the
game itself, from certain points of view. Both computer engines suggest that} 
25... a6 {might have been slightly better. Houdini gives this as 0.00 dead
equal, while Fritz (and I have to emphasize that this was an old version)
gives this as a slight edge for Black. Houdini suggests the sensible
consolidation in the centre with} 26. Kd2 ({Fritz gives instead} 26. Nb1 Nf6
27. Nd2 {, and perhaps it is understandable why Black is given a slight edge})
26... Nf6 27. f3 {, followed by Ne2. It is difficult to imagine any sort of
breakthrough by Black." --- These were the notes I made at the time. Fritz
seems to overestimate (or perhaps, used to overestimate) the relative strength
of the bishop over knight. Computer assessments are useful and are the start
of any modern analysis, but they cannot be relied in 100%. --- The position is
equal.}) 26. Rc2 Rc7 27. Ra1 Bd6 28. Kd2 a5 29. Rcc1 Rac8 30. f3 ({If White wanted to finish the game with a draw as quickly as possible, the simplest way is
} 30. Nb5 Rxc1 31. Rxc1 Rxc1 32. Nxc1 {. The computer that preferred the
bishop suggested Black could try to carry on with} Bh2 $4 {- a reminder of
Fischer's grotesque blunder in the first game against Spassky in 1972. Black
is, of course, in great trouble after} 33. g3 {and the king moving to the
kingside, remembering also to play h3-h4 if Black tries to push with ...h6-h5.}
) 30... f5 {Just as we are about to reach the long-discarded statutory 30-move
requirement before the draw (which seems to have re-emerged at the recent
Dubai International), something happens, and play opens. --- QUESTION (and
another computer-generated comment): Was 30...h5 even better? Can Black claim
a slight edge? --- I have to admit that I ignored this suggestion in my
initial draft, but, writing this for a book, it is time to draw up some loose
ends.} (30... h5 {is tempting, until one recognizes that} 31. g4 h4 32. e4 dxe4
33. fxe4 {quite possibly favours White. He has three pawn islands, as opposed
to two, which is commonly regarded as a slight weakness; but each of these
pawn pairs is strong and compact and, most importantly, Black's bishop does
nothing effective, while White's two knights work well together, both with
each other and with the pawns. It is a case of complementarity, rather than of
duplication. --- In the game, Aronian made sure that his opponent was not
allowed to set up a pawn centre with d4 and e4.}) 31. g4 {
Opening some space on the kingside...} g6 32. Ne2 Rxc1 33. Nexc1 Nf6 34. Ne2
Nh7 {...while Black tries to attack White's more advanced pawns. The play gets
tense, but it is still close to level.} 35. Ne5 Ng5 36. Nf4 Bb4+ {Suddenly, without an error on either side, both kings are under attack, and each player has
several weak pawns, both for himself and for his opponent, to think about.
However, there are not enough pieces to give checkmate, while the pawns on
either side are so weak that, with general hacking, neither player will find a
clear pawn advantage. Therefore, after a few accurate moves, a draw.} 37. Kd1
Rc3 {QUESTION: We are uncomfortably close to the time control, and play has
become suddenly less than sedate. The choice here is in challenging the rook
on the c-file with 38 Rc1, or setting up a pawn attack on the kingside with 38
h4. Which is better?} 38. Rc1 {Safe.} (38. h4 $2 {is a punt too far.} -- ({
Never mind that Black can head for a draw with} 38... Rxe3 $6 39. Nfxg6+ Ke8
40. Rc1 Re1+ 41. Kc2 Nf7 {, when the tactics soon subside.}) ({
. Worse still, the knight sacrifice} 38... Nxf3 $1 39. Nxf3 Rxe3 40. Nxg6+ Ke8
41. Nd2 fxg4 42. Rc1 Bc3 {puts White under great pressure. Without any pawns
supporting them, the knights themselves are powerless, less effective than
Black's single bishop. Then, of course, there is the passed g-pawn. ---
Gambling during a time scramble is dangerous. The usual rule when short of
time is: don't give anything away. Let your opponent make the mistakes.}))
38... Rxe3 ({Allowing the exchange of rooks with, for example,} 38... Rxc1+ $2
39. Kxc1 fxg4 40. fxg4 {leaves White much better. Apart from questions about
the minor pieces on each side, White is going to win the g6-pawn.}) 39. Rc7+ {
Blink, and White has the control of the c-file, a reversal of earlier events.
Black has enough pieces on good squares to prevent any thoughts of checkmate
with rook and two kings, but he cannot bring the king into complete safety
either. A perpetual soon emerges.} Kd8 40. Rg7 Kc8 41. Rg8+ Kb7 42. Rg7+ Kc8
43. Rg8+ Kb7 {. --- This was in some ways the most difficult game to try to
understand, not despite it being "only a draw", but rather, precisely because
it was a draw and not a win by either of the players. After all, in the days
of the 19th century, it was expected that the natural result of a game of
chess is a win for one of the players. It often takes great skill and
sophistication for both players to end up with a draw when play has been sharp.
--- In the first and third games, it was not too difficult, even in live play,
to sense that one of the players was starting to go wrong, and it was no great
surprise that the player eventually lost. Sometimes, though, the position
became complicated; neither player ever had any clear chances of forcing a win,
but because the position was complicated, there might well have been various
minor errors on either side, perhaps swinging from a slight edge for White,
through to a slight edge for Black, and perhaps eventually ending up with a
difficult draw. --- But can the writer and analyst be certain that he has
identified correctly what is going on? There is always the fear of ascribing a
move as a mistake, when it is in fact a good move; and there is the other fear
of failing to identify a mistake. It is much easier when a player has lost. In
that case, logically, one of the players must have made a mistake at some
stage, and so you give a question mark; at the worst, all that will happen is
that you give the question mark to the wrong move. Whereas with a draw, it is
difficult to decide whether, in a complicated position, there should perhaps
be many "?!"s in the text; or whether one should take the lazy approach, and
decide that the players were both extremely strong grandmasters, and why,
therefore, should we question their moves? --- It took me more than a day to
write up the notes to this game.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "Match, Zürich"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.04.28"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Aronian, L."]
[Black "Kramnik, V."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C65"]
[Annotator "Colin Crouch"]
[PlyCount "85"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.12.01"]

{The play gets more interesting as the match goes on. We would have liked the
match to continue further, to game eight or beyond. The players have warmed up
to the task, but they are also well aware that if their play starts to get
more fanciful, as in games one and three, the opponent will find refutations.
--- Technically, what is most striking about this game is that, although the
play gets strange and complicated, and both players are fighting hard for
tactical blows, it seems the game did not stray far from equality, except for
a brief phase just before the time control. Most players would have got well
beyond their depth, whether as White or as Black, and therefore a loss is
likely. Yet both Kramnik and Aronian kept their balance, not through quiet
"positional" chess, but fighting the position through, move by move. ---} 1. e4
e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 {Aronian has failed to break down Kramnik's
favourite Berlin Defence in the main line, and looks for alternatives. It may
well be that in the years to come, 4 d3 will be seen as the main line. White
accepts that he cannot break through with d2-d4 in one go, but he still has
the advantage of the first move, and Black has to demonstrate that he can
equalize.} Bc5 5. Nbd2 {Heading further away from the main lines. This quite
often happens in grandmaster chess these days. There is not all that much
point if both players play "book" chess, knowing that the opponent is fully
conversant in the main lines and will have analysed them. All that will happen
is a draw. If one of the players is interested in playing for a win, he will
need to try something slightly off-book. This usually means something slightly
quieter, as the "interesting" lines will have been analysed in great depth
many years ago.} ({Here} 5. c3 {is the most popular continuation in this
second-string attempt by White to keep an edge in the Berlin. Then} d6 $6 {
is mistimed due to} 6. d4 {.}) 5... d6 6. c3 O-O 7. O-O {QUESTION: This looks
natural, but hasn't White missed a good opportunity for an edge? A knowledge
of late 19th century chess would have helped.} ({
As Steinitz recognized over a century ago, the manoeuvre with} 7. Nf1 $5 {
, followed by either Ne3 or Ng3, can be highly effective. In such a knight
manoeuvre, if White has already castled he will have to use an extra tempo
with Re1 to vacate the f1-square. --- Also, again remembering some old
Steinitz lines, if White is planning to set up an attack on the kingside, it
might often be a good idea to delay castling kingside, and instead to castle
queenside, so that the king is not getting in the way of the attack. --- When
you have the opportunity, play through some of Steinitz' wins as White against
Chigorin in the 1892 World Championship match. Agreed, Chigorin did not defend
with great accuracy, and one can assume that Kramnik would have handled the
defence far more accurately. In other words, this is not going to be a re-run
of Steinitz-Chigorin.} -- ({. After} 7... Ne7 {
or 7...Bd7, a logical continuation for White might be} 8. Ng3 {
, with no big attack, but challenging his opponent to try to equalize.}) ({
. Shipov, admittedly having to write at speed (this was live commentary), gave
} 7... Ng4 {as a "refutation", although perhaps this was slightly garbled in
the translation from Russian to English. At the very least,} 8. Ne3 {is equal.}
({Moreover, White also has} 8. d4 exd4 9. cxd4 {
. Then the "fried liver" sacrifice with} Nxd4 10. Nxd4 Nxf2 ({if} 10... Qf6 {
, then simply} 11. Be3) 11. Kxf2 Qf6+ 12. Ke3 {does not work, since Black has
already sacrificed two pieces rather than one. As a result,} Bxd4+ 13. Qxd4
Qg5+ {and 14...Qxb5 will still leave White a piece ahead.}))) 7... Ne7 {
Black is probably equal now.} 8. h3 (8. d4 exd4 9. cxd4 Bb6 {
does not give White any advantage.}) 8... Ng6 9. Re1 c6 10. Ba4 Re8 11. d4 Bb6
12. Bc2 h6 {Black's position looks safe enough. A critical point is that the
bishop is on the right side of the d6-pawn. If the bishop were on e7, White
would perhaps still have a slight edge.} 13. a4 {A slightly strange move, one
might think, in that if White is going to play a2-a4 in the Ruy Lopez, it is
generally in the context of prodding the b5-pawn. Still, it gains some space
on the queenside, which might be useful later. White is waiting to see what
Black does next, and only then will he decide what to do with his minor pieces.
} ({Most particularly, what is Black going to do with his bishops? If he tries
} 13. a4 Bc7 {, for example, he releases the pressure on the d4-pawn.}) 13...
Be6 {Kramnik tries the other bishop move, preventing Nc4, but there is still
another knight manoeuvre to reach for better squares.} 14. Nf1 {
Either to e3 or to g3.} exd4 {Neither player will want to open up the pawn
centre, unless necessary, or unless it starts to take the initiative. However,
Kramnik was alert to the possibility that the exchange here could be well
timed.} ({Previously,} 14... Qc7 {
was seen in E.Alekseev-R.Jumabayev, Moscow 2012. Then after} 15. Ng3 Rad8 16.
Be3 {, Black could still keep the centre closed with reasonable equalizing
chances. Instead, he tried} d5 $2 {, allowing} 17. Nxe5 Nxe5 18. Bf4 {
, and White was substantially better. --- Kramnik showed a much clearer
understanding of timing, and it was soon Aronian who was under pressure. If
Black wants to try to open the centre, often the correct choice is to do it
promptly or not at all. A half-way approach, of playing a couple of moves
quietly and then opening the centre, can often be a mistake.}) 15. Nxd4 {
QUESTION: In most such central structures, White would usually recapture with
the pawn, keeping the d4- and e4-pawns working together. Why does he avoid
playing 15 cxd4here?} ({Because} 15. cxd4 $2 d5 $1 {
leaves White's centre under attack. If he tries to win a pawn with} 16. e5 Ne4
17. Bxe4 dxe4 18. Rxe4 {, Black has} Bd5 {and (once the rook has moved) ...Bxf3, regaining the pawn on d4, while still attacking the e5-pawn. Black is
better in all lines.}) 15... Bd7 {A loss of tempo, maybe, but Kramnik is happy
that he has forced White to recapture on d4 with the knight, rather than with
the pawn. Black can now try to create pressure on the e4-pawn.} 16. f4 {
This looks ugly, with the knight being pinned, and both his e- and f-pawns
being under some pressure. The point is that he wants to allow his pawn to
advance to e5, if Black were to try ...d6-d5. This is not really an attacking
plan for White. It is more a case of setting up counterplay, if Black attacks
the centre. White cannot be too wild, as his king can easily be exposed.} ({
The more straightforwardly defensive option is} 16. Ng3 {,} -- ({and if} 16...
d5 {, then} 17. exd5 Rxe1+ 18. Qxe1 Nxd5 {, about equal.}) ({
. Instead, Black could maintain the tension, maybe} 16... Qc7 17. Be3 Rad8 {
, again about equal.})) 16... d5 {Again, there are plenty of choices for Black,
and plenty of ways of keeping tense equality. When the game is close to equal,
there are often several acceptable or good moves. If the position is balanced,
it will remain close to that balance, as long as no mistakes are being made.
Quite often, there is a much narrower range of possibilities when the position
is not equal. Indeed, if a position is worse, the defender may have to play
extremely accurately. Any slight mistake, and the position can easily
deteriorate to a quick loss. From the other side, if a player is better,
sometimes it is easy to maintain that advantage, whereas at other times a
player with a slight edge can easily drift to equality, without the most
precise play. --- So it is extremely difficult to try to annotate an equal
position, with equality kept over several moves. At various stages of the
World Championship a month later, the grandmaster commentary team had to admit
they found it difficult to predict what was going on. If there is genuinely no
clearly best move, all the player can do is to pick one, decide for various
reasons that he is happier with such-and-such a move, and play it. Don't be
daft and spend half an hour thinking about a level position. --- Now for a
piece of statistics. The computer engine I have been using indicates that,
before Black's 16th, there are well over twenty different moves that leave the
position essentially equal or, at most, very slightly better for Black. This
is a large number, especially given that we are in a tense early middlegame,
with no pieces and only one pawn each having been exchanged. The move that
Kramnik played was given as the only chance of gaining a slight edge, but even
then the game seems more likely to remain as tense and equal.} 17. e5 Ne4 18.
Bxe4 {Natural and direct. Even here, there appear to be three possibilities
for White, with (subject to later analysis) approximate equality.} ({
The simplest approach, developing the queen and bringing it active, is} 18. Qh5
{. Black can then offer a queen exchange with} Qh4 19. Qxh4 Nxh4 20. Be3 {
- level, unless the reader can suggest otherwise.}) (18. Nd2 {is another
, apparently giving Black slightly the better of things, but it may well be
that this, after analysis, could end up with clear equality. --- Unfortunately,
I do not know how much time Aronian spent on this position, and what lines he
analysed. So... --- QUESTION: An analysis position. --- You are welcome to use
the computer to help analyse this position. Indeed, given the context of the
earlier argument, this is positively recommended. The challenge is whether you
can find a clear equalizing line after both 18...Qh4 and 18...Bf5.} -- (18...
Qh4 {leads to much chopping in the centre after} 19. Nxe4 dxe4 20. Rxe4 Bf5 {
(making use of the pin on the knight)} 21. Re2 Nxf4 22. Bxf4 Qxf4 23. Bxf5 Qxf5
{. Plenty of moves to calculate, but no sacrifices. The analysis engine I am
using gives Black an edge, presumably in view of the isolated e-pawn. Play on
a few moves, though, and after} 24. a5 {(forcing Black to exchange the bishop)}
Bc5 ({or} 24... Bxd4+ 25. Qxd4) 25. b4 Bxd4+ 26. Qxd4 {, any hope of an edge
has reduced almost to vanishing point. Black might continue with} Red8 27. Qc4
Qd3 28. Qxd3 Rxd3 {, but White can hold this after} 29. e6 fxe6 30. Rxe6 Rxc3
31. Re7 {, even if temporarily a pawn down.}) (18... Bf5 19. Bxe4 Bxe4 20. Nxe4
dxe4 {leaves Black's advanced e-pawn in danger, but there are potentially two
pins on the white knight. So} 21. Kh2 {is possible, most likely equal.} ({
Alternatively, White could play more tactically, with} 21. a5 $5 Bxa5 22. Rxe4
c5 23. Qa4 cxd4 24. Qxa5 {
, which is lively but most likely heading for a draw again.}) (21. Rxe4 $4 {
at once loses to} c5 {. --- Playing through these lines makes one appreciate
that Aronian's 13 a4 was a wise idea, and that the later a4-a5 becomes
unexpectedly useful many moves later. The pawn push was certainly not a waste
of tempo.}))) 18... dxe4 {We have just seen something like this, in the line
with 18 Nd2 Bf5 and then a double-exchange on e4. The difference here is that
White's knight on f1 and Black's bishop on d7 are still on the board. This
could well make a radical difference to the outcome of the next few moves - or
not. Possibly the strategies could be roughly the same.} 19. a5 $5 {In my blog,
I noted that this was "an extremely difficult position to assess. Translation:
I do not know what is going on, and I don't know whether Aronian's move was
brilliant, okay, or not all that good. At the very least, it would take me
several attempts to make an initial assessment at home, and maybe across
several days, and even then I would not feel any degree of certainty about all
this." And much text to follow, I conceded that his position may well have
been fully playable, but I could not understand why he chose it.} ({
So let us try to understand why Aronian might have rejected} 19. Ng3 c5 20.
Ndf5 {. Here White has kept the a-pawn, but has granted his opponent the long
diagonal from a7 to g1. Perhaps in the end Aronian simply wanted to avoid any
checks along that diagonal, such as} c4+ 21. Kh2 Bf2 {, threatening the rook,
with a substantial gain of tempo if White moves it away. Then} 22. Nd6 ({not} 
22. Re2 $4 Bxf5 $1 23. Qxd8 Bxg3+ {, winning a piece}) 22... Bxe1 23. Qxe1 {
is playable for White despite the lost exchange, given his strong and active
d6-pawn and the chance of chopping a few black pawns, but it does not seem to
be advantageous. Most lines seem to end up in equality; e.g.} Re7 24. Qxe4 Qc7
25. Qxc4 Qxc4 26. Nxc4 {. --- Maybe it is as simple as that. Given two
complicated lines, with many variations and sup-variations, he would rather
give away a pawn than the exchange.}) 19... Bxa5 20. Ng3 (20. Rxe4 $6 {
recovers the pawn immediately, but after} c5 {Black will be able to make good
use of his bishop pair, against White's rather exposed king.}) {
QUESTION: Time to ask the readers... What should Black do next?} 20... Bb6 {
A difficult decision, but it seems that Kramnik played the best and most
accurate move.} ({It is tempting to prod the knight first with} 20... c5 21.
Ndf5 (21. Nb3 $2 {favours Black, since White's knights lack coordination})
21... Bxf5 (21... Bc7 22. Qg4 {puts pressure on Black's kingside}) 22. Nxf5 {
, but White ends up better in the queenless late middlegame after} Qxd1 23.
Rxd1 {,} -- ({as} 23... Red8 24. Rxd8+ Rxd8 25. Rxa5 Rd1+ 26. Kf2 Rxc1 {
allows White to coordinate his kingside with} 27. g3 $1 {
, so this is not a safe line for Black.}) ({. Instead,} 23... Bb6 24. Nd6 Re7
25. Nxe4 f6 {is a possibility, though Black will have to work hard for a draw.
--- The essential difference between this variation and the game is that, in
the latter, Kramnik has added ...Bb6, and White has added Kh2. In view of the
fact that the bishop on a5 was under pressure, perhaps purely in positional
terms 20...Bb6 was the best. --- I was wondering whether Kramnik's move was a
mistake, but it seems in fact that he played accurately and well, forcing
Aronian now to find good moves to try to hold the position. This is the
wonderful thing about this game. So often it seems to swerve from advantage to
Aronian, then back to Kramnik, then back to Aronian again - but looking it
more closely, the game was never (apart from a blip in time trouble) anything
other than equal.})) 21. Kh2 c5 22. Ndf5 {The simple question is: what has
Aronian gained for his a-pawn? Possibly not quite enough. Or maybe he was okay.
} Bxf5 {White is obviously better if he can win the e-pawn without trouble, so
Black's exchange is necessary.} 23. Nxf5 Qxd1 24. Rxd1 Rad8 {Black has three
choices here - and remember that Aronian has already sacrificed a pawn, so he
cannot afford to play lazy moves. --- QUESTION: The choices are to complete
development with 25 Be3; to block the d-file and create a strong knight with
25 Nd6; or to try to recover the pawn quickly with 25 Re1. Which seems best?
--- Complicated - not in the sense that there are any great tactics, but
rather that there are some obvious positional strengths and weaknesses for
both sides, while it is far from clear that either player can force a clear
edge. --- Black has an extra pawn, and if he keeps the pawn, he has excellent
chances of winning. He also has control, though not total control, of the
d-file. Another point in Black's favour is that White's bishop has not yet had
a chance to enter the game. --- The first impression might be that Black
should be winning. And yet, if we examine the four minor pieces as a whole,
rather than focusing on White's c1-bishop, it becomes clear that of the four
pieces, only one, White's knight on f5, is a dangerous attacker. He can try to
win a pawn, either with Ng3 and Nxe4, or by forking two pawns with Nd6. If the
e4-pawn goes, the presumed advantage would swing to White. The final picture
would be that White would have an excellent kingside pawn structure, while
Black would have problems covering the a7- and c5-pawns. --- Aronian played:}
25. Be3 {This is a combative move, ignoring Black's initiatives on the d-file,
and quite simply developing his own pieces.} ({White could plug the d-file with
} 25. Nd6 {, but the knight is then pinned. A likely result would be a draw
after, for example,} f6 26. Be3 Re7 27. Nxe4 Rxd1 28. Rxd1 Nxe5 29. Bxc5 Bxc5
30. Nxc5 Nc4 31. b3 {with a dull endgame.}) (25. Re1 Rd3 26. Nd6 Re7 {
also seems to lead to equality, with a possible repetition after} 27. Nc8 Re8
28. Nd6 {. Clearly this is a summary of several different possibilities, but
the overall reading of these lines should end up in equality. --- What happens
with the bishop move? It is difficult to assess. We can only really answer
this a few moves later.}) 25... Rd3 ({
Black can try to ram some pawns through by} 25... c4 26. Bxb6 axb6 27. Kg3 Rd3+
28. Rxd3 {
, but after either pawn capture, White can hold the balance with 29 Nd6.}) 26.
Re1 {QUESTION: What happens next? Or alternatively, what should be happening
next? (I am aware that I have not yet fully answered the previous question.
Maybe it is time to answer both.)} f6 $1 ({Kramnik did not want to give the
e-pawn away without a struggle after, for example,} 26... Red8 27. Nd6 Rd7 28.
Nxe4 {. Instead, his attack on the e5-pawn opens up lines for him. Amazingly,
the position is still about level, although Black probably has the slightly
easier play. --- That being so, it seems that 25 Re1, 25 Nd6 or 25 Be3 are all
good and reasonable moves. Perhaps that is not all that surprising. Chess
writers, myself included, tend to like finding the best move, or even the
winning move, after an opponent has made a serious mistake. But what happens
if there is no serious mistake? It is quite possible that several moves might
be equally valid.}) 27. exf6 (27. Nd6 Rf8 28. Nxe4 fxe5 29. fxe5 Rd5 {
favours Black.}) 27... gxf6 28. Nxh6+ {QUESTION: Which of the four legal king
moves is best? Are they all about equal? Or does one king move give Black an
edge?} Kf8 $6 {
It is difficult to decide which of the three reasonable king moves is best.} (
28... Kg7 $2 29. Nf5+ {is an obvious loss of time. But the move chosen by
Kramnik is doubtful, and Aronian momentarily has the initiative. The main
problem is not so much of disengaging the joust between king and knight, but
rather that the king is now on the same diagonal leading to c5 (i.e. Bxc5
would now be check), so Black's bishop on b6 is unable to free itself.}) (28...
Kh7 29. Ng4 Kg7 {
is perhaps the most natural plan, but not necessarily the best.} 30. Nf2 Rd5
31. g4 {is not quite equal for Black, and he would need to play carefully.}) ({
However, there is no need to try to dislodge the knight. White would want to
move it anyway. Therefore,} 28... Kh8 $1 29. Ra4 {(by analogy to the main line)
} Bc7 30. g3 a5 {, and Black is comfortably equal, as} 31. Bxc5 {is met by}
Nxf4 $1 {, still equal. --- "Comfortably equal" would tend to imply that the
comfortable player will find it easier to avoid making mistakes, as opposed to
the uncomfortable player, who might need to play highly accurate chess, to
avoid making mistakes. This can be of considerable importance as we start to
reach the time control.}) 29. Ra4 {
Mainly aimed at preventing Black from playing ...Ne7 and ...Nd5.} Rd5 {
To make it more difficult for the white knight to return. --- QUESTION: This
seems to be the one golden opportunity for either of the players to create a
serious edge; i.e. after Black's inaccurate king move. What should White do
here?} 30. c4 $6 {The problem with this as a winning attempt is that, with the
pawn on c4, White's rook on a4 no longer puts pressure on Black's pawn on e4.}
({Instead: --} 30. g4 {
, with a general kingside pawn advance, looks tempting, but after} Nh4 $1 {
(aiming for f3)} 31. Kg3 Kg7 32. Kxh4 Kxh6 {, play is close to equal.}) (30. f5
$1 {gives White an advantage, if not yet a decisive one.} -- (30... Ne7 {
simply allows White to take a pawn with} 31. Rxe4) ({; similarly} 30... Ne5 31.
Rxe4 {.}) (30... Nh4 {will get the knight trapped after} 31. c4 Rd7 ({
Black can save the piece with} 31... Bc7+ 32. Kg1 Re7 {
, but then White wins the a-pawn with} 33. Rxa7) 32. Kg3 {.}) (30... Nh8 {
is not as awful as it looks, and there appear to be no immediate win. Nevertheless, Black has undoubtedly retreated, and there are various good lines for
White, starting with} 31. Bf4 {(the rooks attack the e4-pawn)} ({or} 31. g4 {.}
)) ({. Finally, Black can insert} 30... Bc7+ 31. Kg1 {. The problem in that
case is that he has no time to extricate the knight, while also saving the
a7-pawn.} -- ({. If} 31... Bg3 {, then} 32. Rf1 {, and the problem remains.}) (
{. Or if} 31... Ne5 {, although Black is not yet ready to resign, White has a
clear advantage, probably decisive, after capturing on either a7 or e4. --- A
near-miss for Kramnik.}))) 30... Rd3 {Keeping control of the d-file, and
therefore highly natural. It now starts to look promising for Black, but maybe
it is still about equal.} 31. b4 $2 {With breathtaking ability to create wild
and dangerous positions, Aronian makes his final attempt to win the match. ---
Or so it seemed at the time. As the reports emerged, it became clear that
Aronian had completely missed the exchange sacrifice, and had to improvise
wildly to keep the position alive. --- Perhaps that figures. This game has
been so tense that it would not be difficult to anticipate the players running
short of time. That being so, mistakes creep in. Kramnik's 28...Kf8 and
Aronian's 30 c4 were clear misjudgments, which could easily have altered the
result of the game. Aronian's 31 b4 was more serious, as it could easily have
lost by force against best play. Having said that, the winning line for Black
is extremely difficult to envisage, especially in time trouble.} (31. Nf5 {
would have been a safe and steady move.}) 31... Rxe3 $1 32. Rxe3 cxb4 {
Black now has three passed pawns, one of them looking highly dangerous and
well protected. White's pieces, at the moment, are badly coordinated.} 33. Rg3
{The only sensible move. He has to attack the king, before Black can queen a
pawn. --- QUESTION: What next for Black?} e3 $2 {This is the sort of move that
any reasonably strong player would be able to play and calculate extremely
quickly. There is a simple enough variation to see, and if in the end Black
cannot find anything when he is about to queen, and if as a result it will end
up as a draw, then so be it. You cannot win a game out of nothing. --- It
would take a stronger player to wind his way through the best line - except
that there is no player who could dare to suggest that they would do better
than either Kramnik or Aronian. Maybe there will at some stage be a player of
2900+ strength, not helped by rating inflation (after the 2012 Olympiad, there
are now fifty players over 2700). But it would be a difficult ask...} ({Here} 
33... Ne7 $3 {is an exceptionally difficult move to find, not least because
Black's three kingside pawns are apparently thoroughly immobile. The only
thing that favours Black is that his two passed pawns, helped by the bishop,
are highly dangerous, whereas White's two rooks and the knight are not
well-placed for defence. --- Perhaps the most difficult point in terms of
thought processes is that, when trying to attack, it takes a leap of faith (as
Shipov noted) to make a quiet retreat, rather than strong forward move.} 34. --
({. The natural reply is} 34. Rxb4 {, but a second retreat,} Bc7 {, creates the
lethal threat of ...Bxf4, pins and skewers working together. I have to admit
that I signed off in my analysis when I noted} 35. Rg4 {
. Shipov's prod soon showed how Black can still win. He plays} f5 {.} 36. -- (
36. Rh4 {protects the f4-pawn but is otherwise hopelessly out of position. Then
} e3 {does win for Black after, for example} 37. Rb1 ({or} 37. Rxb7 e2 38. Rb1
Ng6) 37... e2 38. Re1 Ng6 {.}) (36. Rxb7 {is more lively, and indeed the
computer temporarily gives White as better. Play the line through though, and
Black is winning after} fxg4 37. Rxc7 e3 {
. The main tactical point is that after} 38. Kg1 ({White could try} 38. Rxa7 e2
39. Ra1 {, but after} Nc6 40. Re1 Nb4 {, Black will win the rook for the
passed pawn; rook and knight versus knight and four passed pawns is not as
exciting as it might sound - White's pawns will gradually drop off}) 38... e2
39. Kf2 e1=Q+ 40. Kxe1 Nd5+ {, Black wins the rook.})) ({
. Going back, White could have tried} 34. Ng4 {, but now it is a quick
positional grind for Black, with the help of the two advanced pawns:} Nf5 35.
Nxf6 Nxg3 36. Kxg3 Re7 37. Nd5 Rg7+ 38. Kh2 e3 {
, and so on. The b-pawn soon makes its presence felt; e.g.} 39. Nxb6 b3 $1 40.
Kg1 b2 41. Rb4 e2 42. Kf2 Rxg2+ $1 43. Ke1 Rg1+ 44. Kxe2 axb6 {and wins. ---
All, of course, computer-inspired analysis. Which leads to the question of how
human players over the board would be able to find such lines. Difficult.}))
34. Rxg6 e2 35. Ra1 {
Just in time. --- QUESTION: Now what is the best move for Black?} Bf2 ({
I hope everyone avoided} 35... e1=Q $4 36. Rg8+ Ke7 37. Rxe1+ {
and the queen disappears. Black needs to bring in the bishop first.}) 36. Rg8+
Ke7 37. Rg7+ Kd6 ({And} 37... Kf8 $4 38. Rf7# {would be just as bad.}) 38. Rxb7
e1=Q 39. Rxe1 Bxe1 40. Nf5+ Kc5 {The last difficult position - and just after
the time control, which in theory means that both players have time to think,
although what quite often happens is that both players continue to rush on
with their earlier analysis without re-checking it. --- QUESTION: White soon
forced a draw with 41 Rb5+. Can he try for more with 41 Rxa7 - ?} 41. Rb5+ {
Given the tension in the position and the dangers of a second pawn promotion,
it is understandable that, by this stage, Aronian will be happy with a draw.} (
{Instead, the computer suggests} 41. Rxa7 {, just grabbing a pawn while
seemingly ignoring the other passed pawn. It is doubtful whether a human
player would even consider it. Only the most ambitious and fearless would do
so. --- Play on a few moves and we soon see why humans are cautious. It is a
question of survival. ---} b3 42. Rb7 Bb4 43. Nd6 {might be good enough as a
winning try for White - if, and only if, the opponent is not strong enough to
find the correct replies. Black plays} Re3 $1 {.} 44. -- ({. Then} 44. Rb5+ $2
Kxd6 45. Rxb4 Kc5 {is badly mistimed as the b-pawn is still defended. White
has to wait for ...b3-b2 first.}) ({
. Therefore White decides to advance his own pawns:} 44. g4 -- ({, when} 44...
b2 $2 45. Rb5+ Kxd6 46. Rxb4 {wins the black pawn on the seventh for nothing})
({, while after} 44... Kxd6 $2 45. Rxb4 Kc5 46. Rb7 {
, with g4-g5 to follow, White is a tempo up in the pawn race.}) ({. Instead,} 
44... Ba3 $1 {puts White under pressure. Then} 45. Nb5 -- (45... Bb4 46. Nd6
Ba3 47. Nb5 Bb4 {would be an unexpected repetition of position}) ({
, but White is in trouble after} 45... Bc1 $1 46. Rc7+ Kb4 47. Rb7 b2 {
(avoiding another repetition)} 48. Nd6+ Ka4 {. Pawn snatches so often do not
work, and Aronian is correct in aiming for a safe draw.})))) 41... Kc6 42. Nd4+
Kc7 43. Rc5+ {. --- This was the most difficult game of the match to analyse,
and therefore the most interesting. Shall we add that this was also the best
game? --- It was not quite perfect chess. There were a couple of identifiable
accuracies, and indeed a complete tactical oversight by Aronian, which gave
Kramnik an extremely difficult winning opportunity - but it was the sort of
difficult position that a player would need to think about for half an hour,
rather than quickly playing a move in the time scramble. --- It was lively
chess, as in the whole match. The next match, between Anand and Gelfand, was
inevitably going to be a much tenser encounter, this being for the World
Championship itself.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "2. Anand-Gelfand"]
[Black "Moscow 2012"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Colin Crouch"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.12.01"]

{Many chess players had greatly looked forward to the friendly match between
Kramnik and Aronian, and were almost disappointed at the thought of a match
between Anand and Gelfand. This was by no means a reflection of the players
being in any sense (+)"weak". It has to be remembered that the quality of
chess has improved vastly in the last fifty years, and also in the last ten
years, or even the last five years. Gelfand in 2012 was a stronger player, if
not necessarily overwhelmingly so, than the combatants Spassky and Petrosian
in the 1960s. --- What is happening is that, although Anand was able to beat
Kramnik and Topalov in official world championship matches, and has therefore
been a fully worthy world champion, younger players have, if anything, reached
an even higher level. Currently Carlsen and Aronian have reached #1 and #2,
and it looks likely that this will remain so, at least until even younger
players, or at least players of the same sort of age as Carlsen, are able to
improve and try to take over the top two slot. It is with this background that
the match between Aronian, the second highest rated player in the world, and
Kramnik, not too long ago a World Champion, was of particular interest. A
match between two players, both in their mid forties, is, unfairly or not, of
lesser interest than a match between two players in their late twenties or mid
thirties.} 1. -- {Having said that, it was an immense achievement by Gelfand
to qualify to play in the World Championships. He had to go through a marathon
knock-out of 128 players, the Chess World Cup, in Khanty-Mansiysk at the end
of 2011. After some strong preliminaries, he had to beat Jakovenko, Karjakin
and Ponomariov, all redoubtable strong grandmasters whose ratings at the time
were, respectively, 2736, 2723 and 2739. (In the July 2012 list, Karjakin is
up to 2784.) --- Tough enough, but these were still only the preliminaries. He
still had to beat Mamedyarov, Kamsky and Grischuk, in May 2011. This was
clearly no soft opposition. Gelfand fully deserved his shot at the title. If
anyone wants to argue that Gelfand was a soft option for the world
championship, well, try it yourself! --- Having said that, Gelfand was
slightly fortunate in his timing. At the start of the World Cup, he was the
highest rated player in the tournament, at 2758, and thus the "favourite", but
only by the smallest of margins. There are currently, in July 2012, ten
players higher rated than this, not including Gelfand, now at 2738. Two of the
top ten players (Anand and Ivanchuk) are around the same sort of age as
Gelfand, one is less than ten years younger (Kramnik), while the rest are
significantly younger, and therefore have time to improve. --- It was
therefore a remarkable achievement for Gelfand to qualify for a World
Championship match, but realistically, unless he were actually to beat Anand,
this was likely to be his last shot at the title.} *

[Event "World Championship, Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.05.11"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Anand, V."]
[Black "Gelfand, B."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "D85"]
[Annotator "Colin Crouch"]
[PlyCount "48"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.12.01"]

{A relatively quick draw, in 24 moves, but this was not quite as solid as it
might appear. Wasn't Gelfand better? One soon gained the impression that
Gelfand was aiming solely at holding the draw, especially with the black
pieces, and not quite believing that he was capable of beating Anand. The
impression strengthened as the match continued. --- Here it is useful to
remember past encounters by the two players, both recent, and going back over
twenty years. Out of 35 full-length games, White has won ten times, but Black
has won only once. Both players have found it extremely difficult to win as
Black, but every so often they have a reasonable number of wins by White.
Anand as White has scored five wins, ten draws and no losses. Gelfand as White
lost once against Anand, but for the remainder has achieved five wins and
fourteen draws. --- The players are therefore about level in playing strength,
just one extra win for Anand over 35 games. Any lopsidedness is in the
White-Black question. What we were later going to see was that Anand was just
going to concentrate on trying to draw every game as Black, aiming for quick
draws if at all possible. He was reasonably confident that, over a large
number of games, he could achieve a plus score with White, and therefore an
excellent chance to keep the World Championship. --- Gelfand, as Black, played
a far more open strategy. He did not concentrate on ultra-symmetrical pawn
structures, but instead played "normal" chess, as in game one, albeit while
still trying to concentrate on solidity. --- There was an odd resemblance
between this game and the first game of the Kramnik-Aronian match. Kramnik as
White wanted to show he could dominate the match, and made full use of a very
recent theoretical novelty, in which he hoped that his opponent could not find
the best moves. This, however, was only tested in one game, and the new line,
under top-level examination, proved not to be good. So, too, in the
Anand-Gelfand match. The main difference was that Aronian kept his nerve and
held out for the win (although Kramnik played several inaccuracies later on),
whereas Gelfand was only looking for the draw. ---} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3
d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. e4 Nxc3 7. bxc3 c5 {All standard so far for the
Grünfeld Defence. Play in the centre usually opens up quickly, sometimes with
gambit attacks, as here. There is major tension on the d4-pawn.} 8. Bb5+ {
Known, if usually regarded as of no great importance. Anand wants to innovate,
but unless his analysis is watertight, some unpleasant surprises can happen.} (
{Instead,} 8. Be3 Qa5 9. Nd2 {has had some good results recently. The idea is}
cxd4 10. Nc4 {,} -- ({and if} 10... Qxc3+ $2 {, then} 11. Bd2 {
and the queen is trapped.}) (10... Qc7 {is safer.}) ({. Just to show that
occasionally it can be Aronian's opponents who sacrifice the queen, a game
continued} 10... dxe3 $6 11. Nxa5 Bxc3+ 12. Ke2 Bxa5 13. Kxe3 O-O {, L.Aronian-E.Sutovsky, World Team Championship, Ningbo 2011. It just didn't work. Aronian
later won.})) 8... Nc6 {No need to worry about the pin.} 9. d5 $6 {He tries it
anyway. --- QUESTION: Why do you think that strong players do not trust this
move?} ({
White is not going to win the knight for nothing. Black will break the pin with
} 9. d5 a6 {, and if} 10. Ba4 {, then} b5 {. To take the knight, White would
have to give away the light-squared bishop, which is a big concession. In open
pawn structures, with the chance of roaming on open diagonals, the bishop pair
is useful, more so than bishop and knight. Players quite simply would not
trust this as White. Black's pawn structure is not sufficiently wrecked to
have any sort of decisive disadvantage. After all, Black's kingside pawns are
strong and secure.}) (9. O-O {is a more common response. --- I noted at the
time that: "It is difficult to imagine that this pawn push by Anand would have
been intended as his main line of attack in this match. (...) Anand is
presumably trying to test his opponent in an unfamiliar line, with tactics
that Gelfand will need to think about." It seems risky, unless his analysis is
solid.}) 9... Qa5 ({The players needed also to consider} 9... a6 10. Ba4 b5 11.
dxc6 bxa4 {, with probable equality, but with a difficult pawn structure for
either side. Maybe Gelfand was suspicious about this, or maybe he quite simply
felt that his own move was better. --- The computer suggests that, after
either move, White is not worse but even has a slight edge. A small edge, plus
a theoretical innovation, sounds good at the start of a match.}) ({
Perhaps we should briefly add that} 9... Bxc3+ $2 10. Bd2 Bxa1 11. Qxa1 {
ends up winning material for White.}) 10. Rb1 a6 11. Bxc6+ bxc6 {
QUESTION: What should White do next? The main choice is 12 dxc6 or 12 0-0.} 12.
O-O $6 {Haven't we all, with a sense of relief, castled quickly when it seems
the right time to do so, in a wild open central position? Often it is correct
and appropriate, but if there is a better move, he should play it. If
necessary, White can castle later.} ({The computer suggests that} 12. dxc6 Qxa2
13. Qb3 Qxb3 14. Rxb3 {is best, and the only equalizing try for White - there
is no chance of an initiative (and where did that supposed edge go to?) - but
even here, one would instinctively prefer Black, with his outside passed pawn
and his bishop pair.}) 12... Qxa2 {And indeed, why not? What is happening here,
as in the first Kramnik-Aronian game, is that the player with White has gone
all-out with a wild idea, hoping to be 1-0 up and home and dry, but has gone
too wild, and without having analysed in depth in advance. --- Black is now a
pawn up, with an outside passed pawn and no obvious way for White to defend
against it. The black king is still in the centre, but there is no obvious way
for White to attack or aim for checkmate either. Black also has a good bishop
pair, while White's bishop and knight look ineffective. Ideally, White would
have liked to have had a light-squared bishop, to hassle the queen, but of
course Anand had exchanged that bishop many moves ago. --- The two main points
of interest for the rest of the game was how Anand was apparently able to hold
the draw with great comfort, and, conversely, the question of whether Gelfand
should or could have tried for more.} 13. Rb2 Qa5 $5 {A highly practical
response, keeping the queen out of trouble. --- Some twitter feed suggested
that Anand might have forgotten his analysis here, and that he could have
tried something more effective. More likely, he soon recognizes that he has
already gone wrong, and that his optimistic d4-d5 push was not as good as he
thought. He now has an uphill struggle.} ({
If Gelfand were to try the much sharper} 13... Qc4 {, trying to win all the
pawns available, Anand would presumably have found interesting ideas in this
line.}) 14. d6 {White is not aiming at a mating attack. All he is doing is try
to defend actively, making it difficult for Black to castle safely. ---} ({
He might have considered} 14. dxc6 {instead, but after} O-O {
Black would be clearly better.}) {QUESTION: Black is a pawn up, with excellent
chances of aiming for more than a draw. Can you find a good line for Black?}
14... Ra7 $6 {The first sign in this match of Gelfand playing far too
defensively. The problem is that, in his numerous earlier games against Anand,
Gelfand achieved a serious minus score as Black, so it is unlikely that he
would feel totally confident in playing open chess. His match strategy must
therefore have been to cut down any unnecessary losses, be happy with a string
of draws, and wait for the chance of an occasional win in the next dozen games.
--- Understandable enough - but in playing so cautiously here, he seems to
have missed a great opportunity of applying serious pressure as Black, as
early as in game one. If your opponent has played inaccurately, you must
punish him, even if he is a 2800+ World Champion.} ({The simple pawn snatch,} 
14... Bxc3 $1 {, seems to give Black a big advantage:} 15. -- (15. Rc2 Be6 {
and Black is happy.}) (15. Bd2 Bxd2 16. Nxd2 Be6 17. dxe7 Qc7 18. Qa4 Kxe7 19.
Qa3 Rhb8 {(there are other good moves) and Black has the initiative, as well
as the extra pawn, in a simplified position. It is difficult to see how Anand
could survive here or on previous moves. Definitely a missed opportunity for
Gelfand. He got too tied up in trying to ensure the draw, perhaps forgetting
that it was possible to try to win.}) ({. Instead, Shipov suggests} 15. dxe7 $1
{, regarding this as, in effect, winning for White.} -- ({Then} 15... Bxb2 $2
16. Bxb2 {gives Black far too many weaknesses on the dark squares}) ({, while} 
15... Kxe7 $2 16. Bg5+ f6 17. e5 $3 {ends up as a win after} fxg5 18. Qd6+ {.})
({. Sergey Shipov must be among the best of instant commentators, without the
luxury of writing notes some months later. Nevertheless, it seems that he is
overpressing when trying to suggest that Anand has been able to keep a good
position. The problem of setting up a pawn exchange on e7 is that Black no
longer covers the f7-square. Therefore,} 15... Qc7 $1 {(not given by Shipov)
seems very good for Black. He does not have to try ...Kxe7; his queen and
bishops can snuggle up with ...Be6 and ...Bf6 (or alternatively} 16. Bg5 f6 {
); and he has covered the weakness on d8 for the time being. He can later
expand his defences and counterplay by finding a way to take the e7-pawn
eventually.}))) 15. Bg5 exd6 {Again aiming for simplicity.} ({
The computer suggests} 15... f6 {
, with a slight edge for Black, but most of the earlier advantage has gone.})
16. Qxd6 Rd7 17. Qxc6 Qc7 {An excellent way of achieving a draw against Anand,
except that here it is a draw lost, rather than a draw gained.} 18. Qxc7 Rxc7 {
When I saw this, after a stroll in the garden, I had fully expected that there
would be a long slow grind, with a serious attempt by Gelfand to win as Black.
I certainly had not expected a draw, just half a dozen moves later. Anand
still needed to find good defensive ideas, but he did what was needed.} 19. Bf4
Rb7 20. Rc2 O-O 21. Bd6 Re8 {QUESTION: What is the best way for White of
handling the defence? Remember that Black has the bishop pair and an outside
passed pawn, so White still needs to be careful.} 22. Nd2 $1 {A good defensive
move. The one way in which the usually less impressive knight can outweigh the
bishop (even as a half of the bishop pair) is that the knight can change the
colour of its effective squares (and also attack squares of the opponent's
colour). The knight is now covering c4 and e4, and if it can reach either of
these squares, there is always the possibility of a knight fork on d6, perhaps
aiming to eliminate the bishop pair. The more I look at this, the more I
appreciate that Anand is just about holding the line - a good result from an
uninspiring position.} (22. Bxc5 $6 {is more natural, but after} Rxe4 23. Bd4
f6 {(to keep the bishop pair), White would need to work extremely hard to hold
the position. Black's outside passed a-pawn, with the help of the bishop pair,
is far more dangerous than the inside passed c-pawn.}) 22... f5 {At the time,
this looked a little like oversimplification of the pawn structure, and one
felt that Black should still be able to create an edge. It seems not.
Certainly Gelfand was unable to find anything significant.} ({
White is able to hold after, for example,} 22... c4 23. e5 Bf5 24. Rcc1 Bd3 25.
Rfe1 Rb6 26. Nf3 {. Note how the knight defends both the pawn on e5, and also
the rook on e1 (so that there is no longer an effective threat of ...Rxd6).}) (
22... Bf8 {is a possibility, but after} 23. Bxf8 Kxf8 24. Ra1 {, the black
a-pawn is under control, and White can consolidate with f2-f3 and Kf2. Any
edge for Black, as suggested by the computer, is purely minimal and is likely
to fade to nothing after a few good moves by White. There are other
possibilities, but nothing special.}) 23. f3 fxe4 24. Nxe4 Bf5 {. The knight
is now on an excellent central square, an ideal defender. True, Black can
exchange it off for his bishop, but once the bishop pair has gone, the outside
passed a-pawn has little support, and cannot realistically aim for power. ---
Therefore, a draw was agreed.} (24... Bf5 25. Ra2 Bxe4 26. fxe4 Bxc3 27. Bxc5 {
is quite simply level.}) 1/2-1/2

[Event "World Championship, Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.05.12"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Gelfand, B."]
[Black "Anand, V."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "D45"]
[Annotator "Colin Crouch"]
[PlyCount "49"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.12.01"]

{Not quite as solid a game as it looks. Gelfand again had the opportunity to
put Anand under pressure, but he allowed unnecessary simplification, both in
the middlegame and in the early part of the endgame. ---} 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3.
Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nc3 a6 {QUESTION: Why the early ...a7-a6 in the Slav? This
seems to happen so many times these days, especially at the top level, but
shouldn't Black be developing instead? --- With over forty players reaching
2700+, there is little margin for error at the highest levels, and players
with Black do not want, if possible, to give White even the slightest edge.
Here Black is concentrating on setting up a pawn barricade, waiting to see
what White is going to do next.} ({After} 5... a6 6. -- ({, if} 6. Bd3 {
, the simplest line is to exchange with} dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 {
, then the bishop retreats, and Black can choose between either} 8. -- Nbd7 {
, transposing to one of the lines of the Meran (5...Nbd7),} ({
or playing more flexibly with} 8... c5 {, a Queen's Gambit Accepted, with the
choice of moving the knight either to c6 or d7.})) ({. As in many lines of the
Semi-Slav, if White is not going to move his bishop, it is not so clear what
he is going to do next. He can enter the Exchange Slav, with} 6. cxd5 cxd5 {
, but ...a7-a6 is useful in many lines. It is by no means a wasted move. ---
The one practical problem for Black is that it is often very difficult to play
for a win against an opponent of slightly lower strength. This does not apply
so much against an opponent of equivalent strength, and it is unlikely that
Anand as Black would be too worried about setting up a quick drawing line
against Gelfand. Against a mere IM, the problem would need some thought.})) 6.
b3 {The most popular choice at top grandmaster level. Whether White is better,
is open to question.} Bb4 {So that White cannot continue the fianchetto.} 7.
Bd2 (7. Bb2 {loses a pawn after} Ne4 8. Qc2 Qa5 9. Rc1 Qxa2 {.}) 7... Nbd7 8.
Bd3 O-O 9. O-O Bd6 {The bishop, having prompted its counterpart to a slightly
uncomfortable square on d2, is content to centralize, with an insignificant
loss of tempo. Black is close to complete equality.} 10. Rc1 ({
In recent years, White has generally preferred} 10. Re1 {. It is not totally
clear what Anand would have played in reply. He could simply have tried} e5 {
as in the game;} ({while there have been a few lines starting with} 10... h6
11. e4 dxc4 12. bxc4 e5 {, and if} 13. d5 Nc5 {, which is perhaps more
interesting than the game, but this would probably have been not what he would
have wanted.})) ({In my blog notes, just after the game, I noted that "} 10.
Qc2 {looks a possibility, if one is thinking only about ...e6-e5 by Black;} --
({for example} 10... e5 11. cxd5 cxd5 12. e4 dxe4 13. Nxe4 Nxe4 14. Bxe4 h6 {
, and White is slightly quicker in developing his pieces.}) ({
. There is, however, a possible change of direction with} 10... b5 $5 {
, and if the c-file is opened up, the queen is not so comfortable on c2." ---
Gelfand tried the queen move in game four.})) 10... e5 ({Indeed,} 10... b5 {
is to be considered here too.}) 11. cxd5 cxd5 12. e4 (12. dxe5 Nxe5 {does not give White much. It would be a different story if his bishop were on b2. As it
is, on d2 the bishop gets in the way of other pieces.}) 12... dxe4 13. Nxe4
Nxe4 14. Bxe4 {QUESTION: Is Black genuinely equal? --- One suspects not. The
pawn structure is close to symmetrical, and would have been even more so
before the exchanges on e5. Clearly neither player has the better pawns. In
terms of pieces, though, White is a long way ahead in development. Black has
not even had the opportunity of moving his bishop on c8. It would require him
to play a couple of extra good moves (a bishop move, then ...Rc8) to eliminate
the backlog in development. White, in the meantime, can think about going on
to the next stage of activating his pieces: a good middlegame. --- It seems
strange that Anand would be interested in playing such a line. Maybe it is a
question of chess psychology. Over the years, he might well have noticed that
Gelfand was slightly uncomfortable in trying for an edge in open and
symmetrical pawn structures, and that he has allowed the opponents to equalize
without creating pressure. One would expect this position to lead to a 50-move
grind, with Black having to work hard to keep the position alive, rather than
a quick 25-move draw.} Nf6 ({If} 14... exd4 {, then} 15. Bg5 {
is irritating; for example,} Nf6 16. Rc4 {, followed by Rxd4, and it is going
to be a struggle for Black to develop all his pieces.}) {QUESTION: The choice
here is between an endgame (with 15 dxe5) or a middlegame (with 15 Bg5). Which
gives White the better chances of an edge? Either is possible. The problem
was that Gelfand decided upon a quiet and modest edge in the endgame - and
then, a few moves later, went for an even quieter and modest edge. He soon
found that the position was only equal.} 15. dxe5 ({Gelfand thought for a long
time here. If he were to be given a second chance, and Anand does not modify
his opening, Gelfand would presumably be more than happy to try} 15. Bg5 $1
exd4 16. Rc4 {- if, and this is always a big if, he could find a clear edge.
(Note that this position could also have arisen via 14...exd4 15 Bg5 above.)}
-- ({The natural continuation is} 16... Be7 17. Rxd4 Qb6 18. Bb1 {, but then Black is at least a tempo down, and White can use this tempo to set up dangerous
threats with Qd3, and a hit on h7, as later occurred in G.Sargissian-E.Hossain,
Istanbul Olympiad 2012.}) ({
. Instead, an earlier encounter continued (via 14...exd4 15 Bg5 etc) with} 
16... h6 17. Rxd4 hxg5 18. Rxd6 Qe7 19. Bb1 Bg4 20. Re1 Bxf3 21. Rxe7 Bxd1 22.
Rxd1 Rfd8 23. Rde1 b5 {, A.Goganov-S.Rublevsky, Taganrog 2011. It looks like
White has a reasonably clear, albeit small, edge - although the game ended up
with a straightforward draw, when White soon allowed a minor piece exchange
(after} 24. h3 g6 25. Be4 {, when the half points were inevitable. --- So
perhaps Anand has not quite found a tight defensive structure, despite earlier
impressions, and Gelfand can play with confidence to aim for a plus score in
this opening (These comments were, of course, made just after the game). No
clear win for either side, naturally, but Black has to work to hold.})) 15...
Nxe4 16. exd6 Qxd6 17. Be3 {Even here, Anand is not yet fully out of trouble,
and presumably Gelfand had decided that this was a good prospect for an edge.}
Bf5 18. Qxd6 Nxd6 19. Nd4 Rfe8 {Anand is not too concerned about allowing his
bishop to be exchanged for a knight. ---} ({
A more significant point is working out what to do with his rooks, and} 19...
Bg6 $1 {allows Black to see what White's pieces do, once the bishop is safe.
Shipov gives} 20. Rc7 Rac8 21. Rfc1 {, and now Black can defend in comfort with
} f6 $1 {, followed by an exchange of rooks and ...Rf7.}) {QUESTION: Should
White squeeze a bishop versus knight edge after 20 Nxf5 Nxf5, or should he
keep his pieces in play and try for gradual improvements?} 20. Nxf5 $6 {
Again, excessive simplification by Gelfand - one gets the feeling that he is
willing to take as many draws as he can against Anand, which is not perhaps
the best way to try to win a match. (Again, comments made just after the game.)
--- Away from the psychology of chess, White's knight is the best minor piece
on the board, as long as it is actively guarded by the bishop. Black's minor
pieces are still slightly insecure, as a result of a slight slowness in
earlier development. There is absolutely no need for White to exchange either
of his pieces. It is up to Black to try to work out how to offer an exchange
himself, without a loss of tempo and perhaps the danger of the loss of a pawn.}
({White can improve with} 20. Rc7 $1 Bg6 21. Rfc1 Rac8 {
(compare this with 19...Bg6! above)} 22. h3 h6 23. Bf4 Rxc7 24. Rxc7 Rd8 25.
Be3 {. One can imagine that Carlsen or a younger Kramnik would have great zeal
in trying to grind such a position out for a win.}) 20... Nxf5 21. Bc5 h5 22.
Rfd1 Rac8 23. Kf1 f6 24. Bb4 Kh7 25. Rc5 {. Draw agreed. A tame finish. ---
QUESTION: Could White still have tried for more? After all, the bishop should
count for something.} ({Anand has secured his defences well. After} 25. Rc5
Rxc5 26. Bxc5 Re6 {, followed by ...b7-b6 and ...Kg6, White will be unable to
find anything to attack.}) (25. -- {First impressions after the first two
games? Anand is clearly not yet playing at his best, and he also had a bad
weekend in the recent Bundesliga. The chances are that he will improve. If so,
this could be slightly worrying from Gelfand's point of view. If he cannot
create trouble when he has had the better positions - in both games - what
will happen if he starts to be under pressure?}) 1/2-1/2

[Event "World Championship, Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.05.14"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Anand, V."]
[Black "Gelfand, B."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "D70"]
[Annotator "Colin Crouch"]
[PlyCount "74"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.12.01"]

{There is no great need to write in detail about the opening, or to spend days
analysing this line of the Grünfeld. It is enough to say that Anand was
familiar with the 3 f3 line, and that it is not too difficult to find a recent
game where Anand experimented with this (see the note to Black's eighth move
below). If I had noticed this, then Gelfand will have noticed it too, much
earlier than me. He had prepared this line, innovating at move 16. --- One
suspects that there were various possible alternatives between moves 8 and 15,
and that quite possibly there could have been some sort of improvement for
White. Again, this is beyond the scope of this book. The point is that Anand
had played what seemed at the time to be the best line for White, and that
Gelfand had found a big improvement for Black. Certainly it was not a winning
improvement, but he forced Anand out of the comfort zone. ---} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4
g6 3. f3 {The start of a new thread of analysis, avoiding the main line
Grünfeld with 3 Nc3 d5 - and for good reason, as it could easily have ended up
in disaster for Anand in game one. --- This move is likely to end up in either
a Grünfeld, albeit without ever reaching any of the main lines, or a King's
Indian Sämisch, although even here, as Anand was able to show later on (see
game eight), we do not necessarily reach the Sämisch either. --- A lot is
relatively unexplored, but sharp - an ideal line for White when trying to plug
away for a plus score in a match.} d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nb6 {
The point is that Black never had the opportunity of exchanging on c3.} 6. Nc3
Bg7 7. Be3 O-O 8. Qd2 {QUESTION: For those who want to catch up on their
opening theory, what does Black usually play here? If you do not already know,
try to think about it.} e5 {This is, of course, preparation by Gelfand.} ({
In a game played several months earlier, White won quickly after} 8... Nc6 9.
O-O-O Qd6 10. Kb1 Rd8 11. Nb5 Qd7 12. d5 -- ({, and} 12... Ne5 13. Qc2 c6 $4
14. Nxa7 {, already with a winning position, V.Anand-S.Mamedyarov, Ajaccio
(rapid) 2011. Not a game to be looked at in depth, except to note that Anand
had experimented with this variation. Naturally, Mamedyarov would not have
played so badly at a normal time limit.}) ({
. A more representative continuation would have been} 12... a6 13. dxc6 Qxd2
14. Rxd2 Rxd2 15. Bxd2 axb5 16. cxb7 Bxb7 17. Bxb5 f5 18. exf5 {, as in N.Vitiugov-A.Giri, Reggio Emilia 2011/12. The computer likes this for White, but
Black has active play for his pawn, and later made a draw. --- There are also
some lines in which White has played an early f3-f4. No deep theory here. Try
it out yourself, if you are interested.} (18. --))) 9. d5 c6 ({Presumably} 9...
f5 {is reasonable enough, but Gelfand continues with his prepared line.}) 10.
h4 cxd5 11. exd5 N8d7 {This looks strange for Black, until one appreciates
that a later ...Nf6 will create great pressure on White's d-pawn. The pawn
structure has become thoroughly asymmetrical, with White trying to keep the
advanced pawn, and also trying to open up the h-file with h4-h5, while Black
will try to do something with his potentially mobile e- and f-pawns...} 12. h5
Nf6 13. hxg6 fxg6 {...or, if the f-pawn gets exchanged, he will try to do
something with his half-open f-file.} 14. O-O-O Bd7 {
It looks like wild attacks against kings on opposite wings.} 15. Kb1 {
Except that Anand is carefully bringing his king into safety, with this move
and the next. He is aiming for a longer-term initiative, making use of the
advanced passed pawn, rather than aiming for quick mate. --- QUESTION: How
would Black handle the position if White were to attack with 15 Bh6 -?} ({
It is not as if Black is going to get choked on the g7-square, so he has some
freedom, and some counterplay, with} 15. Bh6 Bxh6 16. Qxh6 Rc8 {.} 17. -- ({
. If White tries to escape with the king now - a couple of moves too late -
Black is very comfortable after} 17. Kb1 $6 Bf5+ 18. Ka1 Rf7 {, and if} 19. g4
$6 {, then simply} Bxg4 20. fxg4 Nxg4 {
, followed by ...Nf2, gives him the advantage.}) (17. d6 $6 Na4 18. Nge2 Qb6 {
also allows Black to take over the attack.}) ({. Possibly} 17. Bd3 {, when} Ba4
18. Rd2 (18. Bxg6 Qd7 {
allows Black more initiative than the pawn is worth for White}) 18... Rc7 {
appears equal, but if the computer is allowed to run for a few seconds, White
is given an edge after} 19. Kb1 $1 {, followed shortly by Nge2. A different
setting, but again Kb1 is the critical idea.})) 15... Rc8 16. Ka1 {
QUESTION: Now what? Isn't Black just significantly worse?} e4 $1 {This was a prepared variation. The big advantage of a prepared line is that the opponent,
if he has not also seen it, will find it far more difficult to find good moves
with speed. That, at least, is the theory. Innovations can be good, bad or
indifferent, and here Gelfand has to show that his move is at least playable.
--- Black has sacrificed the pawn to open up the long diagonal for the bishop
on g7. Without the pawn sacrifice, the bishop is merely bad. Without the pawn,
Black can attack the squares around White's king. --- Even so, this must be
regarded as a shock move, an attempt to confuse his opponent. The move itself
was probably the best, but can we guarantee that Black's previous moves were
positionally the most accurate? It would seem, for example, that 15 Bh6 would
have given White a slight edge. If the opening were to be repeated in another
game, there would be an opportunity for White to look for an improvement. ---
QUESTION: What should White do next? The computer suggests half a dozen
promising moves, and if even one of these is good, Black could face problems.}
17. Bd4 $5 {A good and safe move, with a slight edge, but by no means a
winning line. It is good enough, and that is all that is important. Anand
challenges the long diagonal. --- Were there any other possibilities? What
about other lines, maybe more ambitious?} (17. fxe4 $2 {
would have been bad, as after} Rxc3 18. Qxc3 Nxe4 {
Black is at least more than equal. After} 19. Qe1 {
, there would be some pleasing knight forks:} Na4 20. Bd4 Nf2 $1 21. -- ({
, intending} 21. Bxf2 $2 Bxb2+ 22. Kb1 Rxf2 23. Qxf2 Nc3+ 24. Kxb2 Nxd1+ {
followed by 25...Nxf2.}) (21. Bc4 {is more solid, but even here there are some
enjoyable tactics (and a player will never become good at the game, if they
cannot take pleasure out of tactics):} Nxh1 22. d6+ Kh8 23. Bxg7+ Kxg7 24. Nf3
Nxb2 25. Kxb2 Qf6+ 26. Qe5 Ng3 {, and the two queens are mutually pinned
against the kings, which gives Black the chance to escape with the knight. Of
course, Anand stayed clear of such lines.} (26... --))) (17. Bh6 {is by now a
defensive move, rather than an attack against the king, but perhaps White
still keeps a slight edge after, for example,} Bxh6 18. Qxh6 Rf7 19. Nge2 (19.
d6 Na4 {is about equal}) 19... Qe8 20. Rd4 e3 21. g3 {.}) (17. Bg5 {
, pinning the knight, also looks good for a slight edge after} exf3 18. gxf3 {
. --- If there are three good bishop moves by White, and if, furthermore,
White could have deviated a couple of moves earlier with a probable slight
advantage, the overall conclusion must be that Gelfand was playing this
variation for shock value, rather than trying to suggest that he has found a
serious way to equalize.}) 17... Na4 {QUESTION: Is this move good? --- In my
day-after blog, I noted that "I suspect that, had this been a player other
than a candidate for the World Championship, I would have regarded this as
something of a wild hack. Black is doing nothing in the centre, and his attack
against the queen is almost non-existent. ---} ({"} 17... exf3 {
would have been quieter, with a slight edge for White after either} 18. Nxf3 ({
or} 18. gxf3 Bf5) 18... Bg4 {." --- A bit harsh? In fairness, I noted the
practical point that, strangely enough, "before long, Gelfand is on top, and
Anand is under pressure." Maybe the psychology is good, but the move itself is
not good.}) {QUESTION: Inevitable question: if Black's last move should be
branded as an error, what is the best reply for White?} 18. Nge2 {
Another difficult choice, one of many for both sides.} ({Here} 18. Nxe4 $5 {
is promising, and if} Bf5 {
, there are presumably several quiet moves that keep a slight edge for White.}
19. -- ({. The computer recommendation,} 19. Qb4 {
, is not quite so clear-cut after} Nxe4 20. fxe4 Qc7 21. Ne2 Qc2 22. Qd2 Bxe4
23. Qxc2 Bxc2 {with equality. Is there anything more?}) ({. Try to think back
to the mid-19th century, and the fascination by Morphy with the great 1834
Labourdonnais-McDonnell matches. Morphy recognized that, in the heat of
tactical battle, his two predecessors sometimes got too interested in tactics,
and often forgot about development. Apply the Morphy idea to the current
position, and we can try} 19. Bd3 $5 Qxd5 20. Ne2 {. Suddenly White's pieces
are fully developed and centralized, attacking on the kingside (where Black's
king is open) and developing on the queenside.} -- ({
. Black's f6-knight is pinned, a serious problem, since if} 20... Nxe4 $2 21.
fxe4 Bxe4 22. Bxe4 Qxe4 23. Bxg7 Kxg7 24. Qh6+ {with a quick win.}) ({
. Alternatively,} 20... Be6 21. b3 Nc5 22. Nxc5 Rxc5 {keeps White in control,
making full use of the long diagonal, and not allowing Black to take advantage.
Anand would clearly have been much better, with best play.} 23. Qb2 (23. --))))
18... Qa5 {Consistent with his sideways plan.} (18... exf3 19. gxf3 Nc5 20. Nf4
{is more natural, but White keeps a slight edge, offering perhaps a bishop
exchange with Bh3.}) 19. Nxe4 {White is happy to simplify. --- QUESTION: Is
there anything wrong with 19 fxe4 - ?} ({I have to admit that I missed the
idea in my blog scan, but both players would have calculated it. After} 19.
fxe4 Nxc3 20. Nxc3 Nxe4 21. Nxe4 Qxd2 22. Nxd2 Bxd4 {, Black is slightly
better, as we approach the endgame with bishops of opposite colour.}) 19...
Qxd2 20. Nxf6+ Rxf6 21. Rxd2 {QUESTION: There has been some simplification
over the last few moves, but what should Black do next?} Rf5 $2 {Too provocative. With complete accuracy now on both sides, it would seem that White should
be able to win, therefore a full question mark, "?", rather than a half
question mark, "?!". Even so, the rest of the game is difficult and
complicated for both sides.} ({Here} 21... Rd6 {blockades the d-pawn and Black
can soon win it back, helped by White's lack of kingside development:} 22. Bxg7
Kxg7 23. -- (23. Rh4 Nb6 24. Rhd4 (24. Nc3 {is only a draw, as after} Rxd5 {
, the knight is pinned}) 24... Bb5 25. g3 Rcd8 {
, and Black finally recovers the pawn with a level endgame.}) ({
. Shipov suggests instead} 23. b3 Nb6 24. Nf4 Rc1+ 25. Kb2 Re1 {. Equal? Unclear? Fractional edge to White? The most important point is that it is not a
clear win for White, which is useful if Black is trying to defend a difficult
position.})) 22. Bxg7 Kxg7 {
QUESTION: "Passed pawns must be pushed". So what should White do here?} 23. d6
$6 {Too hasty. White opens up space, allowing Black's rooks to double on the
c-file, which allows him to create counterplay. Quite probably White should be
winning eventually, but there is extremely difficult play on both sides and,
in time trouble, Anand was eventually unable to find the win.} ({
White should have waited before pushing.} 23. Rh4 $1 {improves; e.g.} Nb6 24.
Rhd4 Bb5 25. b3 {, and it is not so clear what Black can do. He is, after all,
a passed pawn down.}) 23... Rfc5 24. Rd1 {An extremely difficult position to
analyse, whether over the board or at home. The question and answer can be
given in two parts. --- QUESTION: First, is 24...Rc2 satisfactory? If so, then
find the main lines. If not, what else can Black try, to make life more
difficult for his opponent?} a5 {Very puzzling, and I have to admit that, in
my analysis, I got on completely the wrong track, thinking that in one
apparently critical line after 24...Rc2, Black can escape with a draw with a
few tactics. There was, however, a second critical line in which White has a
win.} ({If} 24... Rc2 {, quite clearly the most natural move, does not work,
what else can Black try? Gelfand uses an old technique, that if you cannot do
anything constructive with the pieces, all that remains is to make progress
with your pawns. Here ...a7-a5 is a desirable move to flick in. Therefore 24...
a5, and the pawn push makes its presence felt in later play. --- However, this
would probably have been Gelfand's second choice, if there were problems with
the immediate 24...Rc2. Let's see:} 25. -- (25. Rh4 {
looks promising and is certainly something worth analysing.} -- ({
. Then Black could transpose to the main line in the game with} 25... a5 {
, but he could also try captures on b2.}) (25... Nxb2 $2 26. Rb1 Na4 {
is unsatisfactory, as the tactics do not work after} 27. Rxb7 Rxe2 28. Bxe2
Rc1+ 29. Rb1 Rxb1+ 30. Kxb1 Nc3+ 31. Kc2 Nxe2 32. Re4 {, since if} Bf5 {, then}
33. Kd2 Ng3 (33... Bxe4 $2 34. d7 {promotes}) 34. Re7+ Kf8 35. Rxh7 Ke8 36.
Rxa7 {and White has far too many pawns to give Black any chance of a realistic
defence with bishop and knight versus rook. Sharp tactics, but White is still
keeping the crucial passed pawn.}) ({. Black can improve with} 25... Rxb2 $5
26. Rxa4 Bxa4 27. Kxb2 Bxd1 28. Nc3 {. The critical position. The bishop is
trapped(!), but Black can pick up the passed pawn by} Rc6 29. Nxd1 Rxd6 {
with a probable draw, even if White keeps a slight pull. It is difficult to
see how White can create another effective passed pawn, so long as Black keeps
his structure tight, not advancing to the centre of the board. This, however,
is just one line of thought.})) ({. The more prosaic} 25. b3 {...} -- ({
...gives White a comfortable edge - indeed a decisive edge - after} 25... Nc3
26. Nxc3 R8xc3 27. Bd3 $1 Rxg2 28. Rhe1 {. Suddenly White's undeveloped
kingside pieces jump into activity, the bishop covering the c2-square against
the black rooks doubling in the second rank, while his own rook is able to
eliminate any defences against the passed d-pawn; e.g.} Kf6 29. Re7 Bf5 30.
Rxh7 Bxd3 31. d7 {, queening.}) ({. Still, this is not yet the whole story.
Gelfand must surely have considered the strange but resourceful} 25... Nb2 {
. This can confidently be said, since Gelfand soon made the same move himself.
Play then continues with} 26. Rb1 Nd3 27. Nd4 Rd2 28. Bxd3 Rxd3 {. This is much
as in the game, except there White had added Rh4 and Black ...a7-a5. Which
insertions or omissions would be the more significant? Gelfand presumably
decided that he preferred his opponent's rook to be off the back rank. After
all, in the current position, White has} 29. Rbd1 Rxd1+ 30. Rxd1 {, and if} Kf6
{then} 31. f4 Rd8 32. Rd2 {(to avoid tempo hits with ...Bg4). --- Now how
would you enjoy handling the king and pawn ending? Remember we are already
almost ten moves deep into the analysis, and Gelfand would have had to
consider several other variations, including the ones already given. It was no
wonder that Gelfand looked tense during the match. --- Here it seems that} Bc6
$1 33. Nxc6 bxc6 34. Kb2 Ke6 35. Kc3 Rxd6 36. Rxd6+ Kxd6 37. Kb4 {
holds the balance after} h5 38. Ka5 Kc7 {. Indeed, the only danger is of White
overpressing, bringing the king to a6 and pushing the b-pawn, since if then
b4-b5??, Black suddenly wins by ...c6-c5. --- There are other lines which
could be unearthed, but I would prefer the book to be ready for publication in
2012 rather than 2013. Provisionally, though, it would appear that 24...Rc2!
was more accurate, and certainly at least in practical terms. It is difficult
to find a quick refutation to this move.} (38... --)))) 25. Rh4 {White can't
do anything with the knight or bishop, so it has to be a rook that is needed
to activate his pieces.} Rc2 26. b3 Nb2 {With great astonishment to the
spectators - although Gelfand must have thought about this while considering
his 24th. The problem is not so much that the knight is in the lion's teeth,
but rather that Gelfand has slightly mistimed it. ---} ({
Black could try to burrow down with} 26... Nc5 27. Kb1 Ne6 {
, but would he be happy to do so, a pawn down?}) {QUESTION: Which is better:
to attack the knight with 27 Rb1 and later to force simplification? Or to try
to put the knight into a cage with 27 Rdd4 - ? Other moves may also be
considered.} 27. Rb1 $1 {A good and straightforward move, and indeed the best
move, aiming for favourable simplification and an excellent chance of forcing
a win. Unfortunately, albeit understandably, Anand was getting short of time.}
(27. Rdd4 {is also good, but is more complicated after, for example,} a4 28.
bxa4 Nc4 29. Rhe4 Kf6 30. Rf4+ Kg7 31. Rde4 Bxa4 32. Re7+ Kh6 33. Rc7 {
and now a final swing with} Bb3 34. Rfxc4 Rxc4 35. axb3 R4xc7 36. dxc7 Rxc7 37.
Kb2 {, and this time the pawns are equal in number, so the bishop and knight
should eventually outplay the rook. Perhaps not something to be tried during a
time scramble though. Best to play simpler lines.}) ({
The computer suggests that} 27. Rd5 {might also give an edge, but it is not
clear that this is as effective as 27 Rdd4.}) 27... Nd3 28. Nd4 Rd2 29. Bxd3 {
The bishop does not budge for the first 28 moves, but then gets exchanged for
the far-advanced knight, which has moved six times. This must surely suggest
some gain of tempi by White.} Rxd3 30. Re1 {And now it is White, not Black,
who is seriously attacking the king. The exchange of tempi - looking back at
24...a5 25 Rh4 - has allowed White to provide extra defence on d4, and so
activate his other rook.} Rd2 {QUESTION: Assess the position. Who is better,
and by how much? What is White's best? Do this exercise quickly. Remember,
both the players were short of time. --- I, too, did not have time to assess
the position in "live chess". You concentrate on following the main part of
the game, then there is the time scramble; you do not look at the time
scramble carefully before the annotations of the main part of the game get
started. --- I wrote some total nonsense, noting that "play is starting to
fizzle out to a draw. White is a strong passed pawn ahead, but his weakness is
that he permanently has to be careful about checkmate, on the back rank, or
doubled rooks on the seventh. White has no chance to coordinate his pieces for
any sort of attack." --- Well, perhaps 60% total nonsense, and a few
reasonable comments. --- In fact, Anand has shown excellent composure when
Gelfand's attempted attack was raging. His next move should also have been
winning a move further on;} ({i.e.} 30... Rd2 31. Re7+ Kf6 32. Kb1 {
. Of course he must not allow checkmate with ...Rc1.}) 31. Kb1 $1 Bf5+ 32.
Nxf5+ gxf5 33. Re7+ {It is understandable that, with two pairs of rooks trying
to give checks, and nothing else attacking the king, the easy interpretation
would be this was going to end up in some sort of perpetual. Quite probably
both players would have had similar thoughts in their mind.} Kg6 {
QUESTION: Find the win!} 34. Rc7 $2 {This only ends up as a draw. ---
Opportunity in chess often happens only fleetingly. A couple of hours of
intense concentration and one player has a winning position but is short of
time, having perhaps less than a minute to make a move - concentration lapses,
and suddenly the win has blown into sand. Any serious chess player will know
the feeling.} ({
This time, passed pawns should definitely have been pushed. Here} 34. d7 $1 {
is enough to tip the game in White's favour. It is not so much that the new
queen itself is winning. It is more that the mere threat of promotion forces
Black to allow the disruption of his own forces.} -- ({
. This would be seen most clearly in} 34... Rd8 35. Rhxh7 f4 36. Kc1 Rd6 37. a4
{, and White will have plenty of leisure to brink his king forward, with an
eventual win.}) ({
. What about immediate counterplay by Black? The immediate impression is that} 
34... Rcc2 {forces a perpetual. --- Then White has the tricky} 35. Rc4 $3 {
and there is no perpetual,} -- ({since after} 35... Rb2+ 36. Kc1 {
, the rook covers the checking square on c2 - very easy to miss}) ({, while} 
35... Rxc4 36. bxc4 {is an eventual win for White. He is a pawn up and has
plenty of opportunity to exchange his passed pawn for one of his opponent's
pawns, maybe with a well-timed d8Q and Rxb7. White can advance his king, with
Kc2, Kc3, etc, before setting up the winning exchange.})) ({
. Another attempt for a perpetual is} 34... Rd1+ 35. Kb2 Rd2+ {
, but this time the king runs forward with} 36. Ka3 Rcc2 37. Ka4 {. --- So everything fits, but how many players could be able to analyse this in ten
seconds?})) 34... Re8 {Black is now instantly equal.} ({
The main defensive threat after} 34... Re8 {is} 35. -- Re1+ 36. Rc1 Ree2 {.})
35. Rh1 Ree2 36. d7 Rb2+ 37. Kc1 Rxa2 {. --- Very tough, but to win World
Championships you are expected to overcome extreme difficulties. Anand should
really have won this game, but Gelfand certainly had his winning chances in
game one, and to a lesser extent in game two, so the "luckometer" was
therefore about level. None of the three draws was faultless, when examined
closely and with the help of the computer, but very few players would have
gone unscathed, whether as White or as Black, in the third game. --- We are
still a long way off from the ideal of perfect chess, and perhaps this is no
bad thing. Chess players have something to aspire to.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "World Championship, Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.05.15"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Gelfand, B."]
[Black "Anand, V."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "D45"]
[Annotator "Colin Crouch"]
[PlyCount "68"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.12.01"]

{As in game two, Anand gradually equalized with a symmetrical pawn structure
and made a steady draw (even if one feels that Gelfand might again have placed
his opponent under greater pressure). This sort of thing happens, and indeed
it ought to happen a lot of the time, at anything beyond intermediate level.
Most of the time, though, it doesn't happen. Players quite simply make
mistakes, or try to overpress their position, or start to crumble under
pressure, against accurate and/or inspired play by the opponent. --- It is
easy to skip through "dull and boring" games, but in terms of technique, if
both players have played well, a reader who wants to improve will learn
lessons. Below grandmaster level, there will almost always be mistakes made,
and making mistakes is frustrating. What do grandmasters do to avoid making
mistakes? Or is it that they make mistakes anyway, but their mistakes are
smaller and less significant than those of the rest of us? ---} 1. d4 d5 2. c4
c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 a6 6. b3 Bb4 7. Bd2 Nbd7 8. Bd3 O-O 9. O-O Bd6
10. Qc2 e5 ({
I had suggested, when blogging on game two, that Black could have tried} 10...
b5 {. However, Anand stuck to his main idea. It is not so clear that Black was
fully able to equalize here, but Gelfand seemed to trust his opponent's
judgment.}) 11. cxd5 cxd5 12. e4 exd4 13. Nxd5 Nxd5 14. exd5 Nf6 {QUESTION: Isn't White clearly better? --- Yes! White is not yet winning, but Black has to
work hard to try to equalize. White is ahead in development, if only slightly.
He has brought his bishop from c1 to d2, and his queen from d1 to c2, while
Black's corresponding pieces remain unmoved. Black has no chances of playing
for a win, barring a clear error by White, and therefore such an opening would
be inappropriate if Black is, for example, aiming for a win in a weekender, or
trying to gain a few rating points. --- This is matchplay, however, and in
theory the aim is to give absolutely nothing away with the black pieces, and
try for a slight edge by White. To this end +1 =11 -0 would be a good score, a
World Championship score; whereas +5 =2 -5 would not be so good. --- Anand
wants his six safe draws as Black, and somehow to find a win for White.
Meanwhile, Gelfand as White has to pin his hopes on seizing on microscopic
edges, and - very difficult - taking full advantage of them. --- In games two
and four, Anand drew both times, but not quite convincingly. If Gelfand were
to play with extreme accuracy, he would have had the chance to press hard for
a win in either of these games.} 15. h3 {
To eliminate any possible activity with ...Bg4.} ({The naive} 15. Nxd4 $6 Be5
16. Bc3 Nxd5 {gives Black a slight edge.}) 15... Bd7 16. Rad1 {With the rook
off the long diagonal, Nxd4 is now a threat. Black has no time to try ...Nxd5
himself.} Re8 {Anand concedes that he is losing a pawn - not really what he
would have been hoping for in playing ultra-solid chess. His main hopes are
that he will be able to keep his pieces solid and that, eventually, he will
regain White's own isolated d-pawn. Nevertheless, it will take a lot of time
before Black can take the pawn safely.} ({
QUESTION: Can Black think about regaining the pawn immediately with} 16... Rc8
17. Qb1 h6 18. Nxd4 Nxd5 {- ? ---} {Black is too far behind in development to
allow this to work, even if the opposing pieces and pawns are close to
symmetrical. Sometimes the "advantage of the first move" counts for nothing,
but at other times the extra move can be vicious. Here} 19. Be4 {
gets the attack in first,} -- ({, and if} 19... Be5 20. Bxd5 Bxd4 {
, White has a decisive advantage after either} 21. Bxb7 ({or} 21. Bxh6 {.})) ({
. Black would have try to defend with} 19... Bc6) ({, or} 19... Be6 {, but in each case his pawn structure would be seriously disrupted after White takes it
with the knight.})) 17. Nxd4 Rc8 18. Qb1 h6 {QUESTION: Impressive symmetry,
but what is White going to do next? The likelihood is that White's extra pawn
will drop at some stage, so it is important that Black is forced to make
concessions before recovering it.} 19. Nf5 {White intends to gain the
advantage of the bishop pair before Black can regain the pawn. Plausible, but
it does not give White a workable edge.} ({Instead,} 19. Rfe1 $1 {keeps play
re complicated and seems to be a genuine improvement. Either Black can
exchange the rooks himself, when White has the chance to coordinate his pieces,
or he can allow White to exchange rooks himself, after which Black's own
pieces will be slightly disorganized.} -- ({. If, for example,} 19... Nxd5 20.
Rxe8+ Bxe8 21. Bh7+ Kh8 22. Be4 {, Black is under great pressure on the h1-a8
long diagonal and on the d-file. White's gain of tempo converts to a clear
edge. It is nothing yet decisive, but after} Bc6 23. Nxc6 bxc6 24. Qc2 {
, White has weakened Black's queenside pawns and gained the bishop pair.}) ({
. Alternatively, Black can exchange with} 19... Rxe1+ 20. Bxe1 {
, when White has opened up some space for the rook on the d-file.} -- ({
For instance,} 20... Nxd5 21. Nf5 {, and White is ahead of the game.}) ({
. Instead,} 20... Rc5 {
attempts to reach something close to the line in the game, but then} 21. Bc4 {
is promising. If} b5 22. Bb4 $1 bxc4 23. Bxc5 Bxc5 24. bxc4 {, and White has
rook and two pawns for the two bishops, a slight material edge for White.
Furthermore, the two pawns are strong, connected and passed, while Black's two
bishops do not coordinate well. White has a clear edge here.})) ({
. We must remember, however, that the defender is also allowed to play well.} 
19... Bc5 {seems the toughest defence, one point being that after} 20. Rxe8+
Bxe8 21. Nf5 {, Black can try to equalize with} Qxd5 {. All of a sudden,
tactics emerge from even the quietest and most symmetrical openings. It is
clear that White is not worse, since his position is still better developed.
The only question is whether he can keep the edge.} 22. -- ({. Of course,
there is a third possibility, that he can overpress and end up worse, maybe
through bad tactics. The computer at first recommends} 22. Bxh6 $2 gxh6 23.
Nxh6+ Kf8 24. Bf5 {
, but then notices that Black has far more effective play with} Bxf2+ $1 25.
Kxf2 Qc5+ {. This is not the sort of position White would be aiming for in a
quiet positional game. Indeed, his king is so badly exposed that he is
actually losing.}) ({. Rewind, and} 22. Be3 $1 {is best, with a good
positional edge. This time the tactics would favour White, Black's queen
standing awkwardly on the open d-file. For instance, after} Bc6 23. Nxh6+ gxh6
24. Bh7+ Nxh7 25. Rxd5 Bxd5 26. Qc2 a5 27. a3 Rc6 28. Bxc5 b6 29. Qd1 Rxc5 30.
b4 axb4 31. axb4 Rb5 32. Qg4+ {, followed by Qd7, White is winning material.
--- Players could not be expected to see all this as far back as move 19. What
is needed is for the player to have good tactical instincts, a sense that if
one side has the more mobile pieces in an open position, something is quite
likely to work in his favour after the jousting of attack and defence. It is a
matter of positional play, as well as of tactics. If a player has the more
active pieces, the tactics will often emerge, even if he has not seen
everything in advance. --- And we have not yet found a convincing way for
Black to equalize. A missed opportunity for Gelfand, it seems.} (32. --))))
19... Bxf5 20. Bxf5 Rc5 21. Rfe1 Rxd5 {The pawn has now been safely recovered.
All that White has in his favour, in terms of aiming for an advantage, is the
bishop pair. It is not enough, if there are no opposing weaknesses to attack.}
22. Bc3 {
QUESTION: How should Black equalize, with the greatest speed and comfort?}
Rxe1+ $6 (22... Be5 {is, quite simply, level. He will have neutralized White's
dark-squared bishop, so there is now nothing to attack with.}) 23. Rxe1 Bc5 {
QUESTION: White to play. What should he do now?} 24. Qc2 $2 {Very strange. We
can attribute this to the extreme tension of playing in a match for the World
Championship. --- This quiet move is essentially a non-move;} ({
whereas the simple} 24. Bxf6 $1 gxf6 ({not} 24... Qxf6 $4 25. Re8+ Bf8 26. Bh7+
{and mates}) 25. Qe4 {would give White a clear edge again, since the black
kingside is now wrecked. It is unlikely that Black is as yet losing, but he
would have to defend extremely accurately for perhaps forty more moves to
prove that he is holding, and so will be under great pressure.}) 24... Bd4 25.
Bxd4 Rxd4 {Now we have only a microscopic edge for White, and Anand is soon
able to halve out.} 26. Qc8 g6 27. Bg4 h5 28. Qxd8+ Rxd8 29. Bf3 b6 30. Rc1 Rd6
31. Kf1 a5 32. Ke2 Nd5 33. g3 Ne7 34. Be4 Kg7 ({Even here, the position is not
yet dead. There are still opportunities for White to play on with} 34... Kg7
35. f4 {, and perhaps a later push with g3-g4. Probably in the end it would
not amount to anything more than a draw, but Gelfand could continue to nag his
opponent. --- Note carefully that it was Anand, as Black, who offered the draw,
and Gelfand that accepted. This adds to the impression that, in the games so
far, Gelfand was not confident in playing for wins against Anand, and that he
was playing for safety, making draws as often as he could. Anand would clearly
have sensed the vibes, and was happy to offer an early draw on any reasonable
occasion.}) 1/2-1/2

[Event "World Championship, Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.05.17"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Anand, V."]
[Black "Gelfand, B."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B33"]
[Annotator "Colin Crouch"]
[PlyCount "53"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.12.01"]

{Both players seem to have settled down, no longer wanting to play extravagant
chess (Anand in game one, Gelfand in game three), and attempting to make sure
that they make no unnecessary mistakes. --- After this game, there have been
five draws in a row and, as the match goes on, one can expect that play will
become even more cautious. Eventually, it is likely to be a battle of
attrition, maybe with one of the players getting tired, losing control a
little, and losing a game. Or perhaps it will end up in a rapidplay finish
after twelve draws. --- If we are indeed looking for a match of drawish chess,
who is more likely to be favourite, if the balance were to tip? If anything,
Gelfand, regarded as the underdog, might be regarded as slight favourite. ---
(Written in the day-after blog, with a few typos corrected. Of course, there
were several more draws to follow, but unexpected results also crept in.) ---} 
1. e4 {A change of opening.} c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 {Anand wanted to try out a
main line Open Sicilian. If he is unable to find an edge, then there is still
time to opt for something new.} cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6
8. Na3 b5 9. Nd5 Be7 10. Bxf6 Bxf6 11. c4 b4 12. Nc2 O-O 13. g3 a5 14. Bg2 Bg5
15. O-O Be6 16. Qd3 {All mainstream. The only real comment to be made so far
is that the fianchetto system with g2-g3 and Bg2, in addition to c2-c4 rather
than c2-c3, makes it difficult for Black to aim for sharp kingside pawn play -
in that, if he were to play ...f7-f5, White would have an instant open long
diagonal after e4xf5.} Bxd5 {Gelfand, too, is looking for steady chess and,
with the black pieces, the prospect of a draw. ---} ({
There are reasonable ways to keep the tension, a recent game continuing} 16...
Qb8 17. f4 Bd8 {, J.Borisek-A.Moiseenko, European Team Championship, Porto
Carras 2011. Black eventually won, but the mistakes came much later on.}) {
QUESTION: How should White recapture? I leave this as an open-ended question,
in that all three recaptures have been played in high-level chess. Don't rely
on the databases. Just think about this position yourself, and what you would
play next in a game. --- Each of the three recaptures on d5 would allow White
to claim that he can still play for an edge. There is no obvious answer, but
players of different temperament or, more importantly here, the same player in
a different tournament or match situation, would handle the position differently
. If, for example, a player is absolutely desperate for a win, and a draw is
simply not good enough, he would keep the position asymmetrical, probably with
17 exd5. The second choice perhaps would be 17 Qxd5. If White wants to make
absolutely certain that he has no danger of losing, then a highly symmetrical
position, allowing no obvious weaknesses for either side, is good enough.} 17.
cxd5 {And here, as in the second and fourth games (albeit as Black), Anand
aims for symmetry. ---} ({
I am not sure whether it is better, or worse, than the other recaptures, but} 
17. exd5 {might well create more danger for both sides.}) {
QUESTION: Where should the knight go?} 17... Nb8 $6 ({Here} 17... Ne7 {
looks genuinely equal, whereas Black's attempt to play more sophisticated
chess ends up in unexpectedly creating a weakness. Black's idea is to manoeuvre 
his knight to c5, a good square, and just about impossible if the knight is on
e7. The trouble is that, in a couple of lines, the knight on b8 turns out to
be in the way of the major pieces, and White could have kept a slight edge
with alert play. See the next comment.}) 18. a3 {
QUESTION: Should Black defend with 18...Na6 or exchange with 18...bxa3 - ?} Na6
{Black has the awkward problem of deciding which of two reasonable-looking
lines to choose, in each of which the opponent has a slight pressure. Perhaps
Black's position is not particularly bad, but it takes some care to find a way
to equalize after, arguably, a slightly inaccurate previous move. --- What it
boils down to is whether Black, after the exchange of the queenside pawn, is
going to be safer with the remaining pawn on a5 or on b4. Normally a pawn on
a5 would be safer than on b4, because if Black's b-file is fully open, he can
create counterplay against White's b2-pawn; whereas if Black has a b4-pawn
instead, the problem is that his pawn can then be more easily pressured than
the white one on b2. --- Black does not fully equalize with the line he chose,
and White could later have tried to improve. So the question is whether Black
can equalize with 18...bxa3, or at least has less of a disadvantage. This is
always difficult, when trying to evaluate two positions a few moves later, in
which there are no obvious tactics emerging. It will be a matter of what is
going to happen, not two or three moves along the line, but in later
manoeuvring. And yes, this is more about what is likely to happen during the
endgame, rather than in the middlegame. This is not surprising, since it is
the sort of middlegame which forces players to think about future endgames.} ({
As far as moves are concerned, if Black tries} 18... bxa3 {
, the most threatening recapture is} 19. Qxa3 {, keeping tabs on both the a5-
and d6-pawns, and so preventing Black from redeveloping with ...Na6 or ...Nd7.
If} Qb6 {, then} 20. Bh3 {keeps the knight under partial control. It is
tempting to say that, visually, White has an edge, but perhaps it will fizzle
to equality after accurate play; e.g.} Na6 21. Qxa5 Qxb2 22. Qa4 Nc7 23. Qc6
Rxa1 24. Rxa1 Nb5 25. Ra8 Be7 26. Rc8 g6 {. Black is equal, as the pawn
weakness on d6 is now no more significant than White's pawn weakness on e4.
--- It would take good defensive nerves for Black to try such a line, but it
is an improvement from the one he actually played, in which White could have
kept an edge.}) 19. axb4 Nxb4 20. Nxb4 axb4 21. h4 Bh6 {
QUESTION: What should White play here, if he wants to keep a slight edge?} 22.
Bh3 $6 {A missed opportunity. Anand finds a way to manoeuvre his bishop to c6,
entrenched on the opponent's side of the board, but so what? The bishop is
attacking only thin air, unable to put pressure on any pawn, and Black may
later put counter-pressure on the e4-pawn. Play soon tends to equality.} ({
Instead,} 22. Qc4 $1 {
is uncomfortable for Black, the pawn on b4 being genuinely weak. For instance,}
Rb8 (22... Qb6 23. Qc6 {attacks the pawn that the bishop can no longer defend})
23. Ra7 {, in either case with pressure. Black's bishop ought, in theory, to
be able to give solid cover to the b4-pawn, but it cannot reach the queenside.
--- It is possible that Black would find it prudent, in some lines, to abandon
the pawn, hoping that White cannot find a win with only an isolated extra pawn,
and with bishops of opposite colour. However, Black would still need to work
extremely hard, and there would be reasonable chances for White to have tried
for a win.}) 22... Qb6 23. Bd7 {
QUESTION: Which is the best square for Black's b-pawn? On b4 or on b3?} b3 {
When I blogged, I was critical of this pawn move, as it seems much easier for
White to attack a pawn on b3, rather than on b4.} ({
Black could easily have kept the position safe with, for example,} 23... Ra7 {
. --- I now acknowledge that 23...b3 does not give anything away to White.
Unless Black is careless, any win of the pawn on b3 will soon result in Black
winning the pawn back, once the b-file has been opened. Gelfand was thinking
about the tactics, and what happens if White tries to win the b-pawn. The
alternative view was one of purely positional thinking: that if the pawn is
safe, Black's position cannot be broken down.}) 24. Bc6 (24. Ba4 {will eventually enable White to swallow the b3-pawn, but Black seems safe enough after, for
example,} Rfc8 25. Bxb3 Rab8 26. Ba4 (26. Ra3 Bc1 {is no help for White}) 26...
Qxb2 {.}) 24... Ra2 {
Consistent. Gelfand's aim is to open the b-file for his major pieces.} 25. Rxa2
bxa2 26. Qa3 Rb8 27. Qxa2 {. QUESTION: Draw agreed, but could Anand as White
have tried a little harder? --- It is often difficult for the spectator to
assess whether a draw is legitimate or premature. One reason for this is that
the players are vastly more knowledgeable, and if they agree a draw, this
generally means that they have analysed a few moves deep, seen what is likely
to happen if play continues, and quite simply offered and accepted the draw.
--- Sometimes there can be premature draw agreements, true, but what about
here? Anand could have carried on, but would it have led to much?} ({After} 27.
Qxa2 Qxb2 28. Qxb2 Rxb2 29. Ra1 g6 30. -- ({, and} 30. Ra7 {, White has
pressure on the f7-pawn. It looks difficult until one recognizes that, at long
last, Black has time to get his own bishop active:} Bd2 $1 {
comfortably holds the balance. If White tries the natural} 31. Be8 $6 {
, Black takes the initiative with} Be1 {,} 32. -- ({as} 32. Rxf7 $2 Rb8 33. Re7
Kf8 {even wins a piece.}) ({. But} 32. Bxf7+ Kf8 33. Rd7 Bxf2+ 34. Kg2 Bc5+ 35.
Kh3 Rf2 36. Be6 h5 {ends up in a draw.})) ({
. Another try for White would have been} 30. Ra8+ Kg7 (30... Bf8 {
is slightly passive}) 31. Ra7 {
, as before, but with the king being on g7, rather than on g8. However,} Bd2 {
still holds, since} 32. Be8 Kf8 33. Bxf7 Be1 {just transposes to the earlier
line. --- The draw is therefore justifiable, even if the spectators would have
learned a little more had it been played out.})) 1/2-1/2

[Event "World Championship, Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.05.18"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Gelfand, B."]
[Black "Anand, V."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "D45"]
[Annotator "Colin Crouch"]
[PlyCount "58"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.12.01"]

{You've guessed it, another draw, another endgame, again not reaching the
second time control. What is disappointing for the viewers is not so much the
succession of draws, but rather that neither player at any stage seemed
prepared to grind out for a win. There appear to have been several minor
inaccuracies by both sides in previous rounds, but neither player seemed
prepared to take on the initiative. We would have preferred to see long
endgame struggles, to move 60 and beyond, but the players were happy enough to
level out, just wanting to reach the next round with as little stress as
possible. --- Anything new in game six? ---} 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3
e6 5. Nf3 a6 6. Qc2 {Something new, at least for this match.} ({
It is not so clear that Black is genuinely fully equal after} 6. b3 {, as in games two and four, but Gelfand was unable to achieve more than a draw over the
board. Time to check out new ideas.}) 6... c5 {QUESTION: Why this second move
with the c-pawn? Isn't it simply just a waste of a tempo? --- Such a move must
be made carefully, for a less experienced player. Unless the timing is correct,
it can easily be a bad waste of time. Here White has weakened his d4-pawn
slightly by moving his queen off the d-file, so Black wants to counter-attack
with ...c6-c5 and ...Nc6, as soon as possible. There may also be occasional
hits on the queen with ...Nb4.} ({
Then there is the battle with the pawn centre. If, after} 6... c5 {,} 7. -- ({
, White were now to play} 7. Bd3 {
or 7 Be2, Black instantly regains the tempo by} dxc4 ({
or he can try, more ambitiously,} 7... Nc6 {- White has not gained anything})
8. Bxc4 {with quick equality.}) ({. If White were to exchange with} 7. dxc5 {
instead, Black again regains his tempo with} Bxc5 {
, since he has not spent time on playing ...Be7 or ...Bd6 before the recapture.
}) (7. Bd2 {is too much of a quiet developing move to be dangerous. If we
remember the second and fourth games, Black positively encouraged Bd2 by
playing ...Bb4, even though the black bishop would soon retreat.})) ({
This second push with the c-pawn is the most direct way for Black to equalize.
After} 6... Nbd7 {or 6...Bd6, he would have to work harder.}) 7. cxd5 {
So White makes his other central pawn exchange.} exd5 {QUESTION: Why does
Black allow himself to get stuck with an isolated d-pawn? Surely he would want
to keep his pawn structure fluid, with 7...Nxd5 or 7...cxd4 - ? --- The
question is one of tempo. Black has already used up an extra pawn move, with ...c7-c6 and then ...c6-c5, and while ...a7-a6 is often a good and useful move,
it does not help develop his pieces. At the moment, White has three pieces in
play, Black only one. It would be unwise to open up the centre too quickly,
and therefore he wants to keep a pawn on d5.} (7... Nxd5 8. Nxd5 Qxd5 {
leaves White several possibilities to keep an edge. One idea is} 9. b4 c4 10.
Bxc4 Bxb4+ 11. Bd2 Bxd2+ 12. Qxd2 {
, and Black will take several moves to finish his development. Not} Qxc4 $2 13.
Rc1 {, skewering the queen.}) (7... cxd4 8. Qa4+ Bd7 9. Qxd4 {is also troublesome. --- When playing as Black, it is sometimes necessary to make slight
concessions with the pawn structure, to give breathing space for the pieces.})
8. Be2 {It is too early to initiate the exchange on c5. After all, Black can
do nothing constructive with his c-pawn.} Be6 {
The sort of breathing space that is needed after Black has played ...e6xd5.} (
8... c4 $2 9. e4 {
swallows another tempo, and Black's pawns become weaker, rather than stronger.}
) 9. O-O Nc6 10. Rd1 cxd4 11. Nxd4 Nxd4 12. Rxd4 {QUESTION: Any particular
reason why 12...Bc5 or 12...Bd6 would be preferable to the other?} Bc5 {
Anand would have needed to calculate carefully over the next few moves, and
indeed he was content to sacrifice the d-pawn later on, just to ensure that
all his pieces became active, and more so than his opponent's.---} ({
A completely positional defensive response would be something like} 12... Bd6
13. Bf3 O-O 14. h3 Qd7 {, followed by bringing the rooks into the centre. The
only problem is that if Black decides that, at some stage, he needs to push
the rook away from d4, with ...Bc5, or ...Be5, he would probably have lost a
tempo. The counter-argument might be that the rook will have to move away
anyway for reasons of safety. For instance, if White were eventually to play
Bd2 while it is still on d4, the rook would be short of escape squares; while
if White were to try, probably unwisely, b2-b3, there would be uncomfortable
attacks and pins with ...Be5, and along the c-file. --- My own personal
preference would be 12...Bd6, but I am not suggesting that Anand's move here
was wrong. In most interesting and tense positions, there will be more than
one reasonable choice.}) {QUESTION: And the question I did not ask before.
What are the tactics like after 13 Nxd5 - ?} 13. Rd1 {Gelfand ignores the
invitation. The tactics end up only level, and Gelfand still hopes for a win
by positional methods. --- QUESTION: A queen move now, but which is better, 13.
..Qe7 or 13...Qd6 - ?} ({The sharp line is} 13. Nxd5 Bxd4 14. Nc7+ Kd7 15. Nxa8
(15. Nxe6 fxe6 16. exd4 {
gives White reasonable compensation for the exchange, but no more than that})
15... Ba7 {. The knight is trapped, and there is no clear way of bringing it
back into play. This is dangerous enough to reject the whole line. In fact,
and surprisingly, White can force a repetition with} 16. Qa4+ Kc8 17. Qf4 $1
Kd7 ({or} 17... Bb8 18. Qb4 $1 Bd6 19. Qb6 Kb8 20. Qxd8+ Rxd8 21. Nb6 {
and the knight escapes with equality}) 18. Qa4+ {, a good line, but not what
Gelfand would have wanted. --- Instead, he develops, waiting to see what Anand
does next. There is indeed a choice coming up.}) 13... Qe7 {An extremely
difficult position to try to evaluate. Anand is a vastly experienced
grandmaster, and World Champion, with great tenacity in defence. He decides
that this move, protecting the c5-bishop but abandoning control of the d5-pawn,
is sufficient to hold the game. He loses a pawn, but his pieces are so much
better developed, he would argue that White has no realistic chances of
playing for a win. We will try to assess this point of view later.} ({Here} 
13... Qd6 {
looks slightly uncomfortable, so maybe instincts should prevail. After} 14.
Qa4+ Bd7 15. Qb3 Bc6 16. Bf3 Rd8 17. Bd2 {, White is starting to create the
standard pressure against the isolated d-pawn.}) ({QUESTION: White is about to
win the d-pawn, but where does he want his queen? On c2 or b3? The choice,
after} 13... Qe7 {, is either} 14. Qa4+ ({or, as in the game,} 14. Bf3 O-O)
14... Bd7 15. Qb3 Bc6 16. Bf3 O-O {, in either case followed by captures on d5.
}) 14. Bf3 {Keeping a minimal edge for White.} ({
At first, it might appear that the suggested alternative,} 14. Qa4+ Bd7 15. Qb3
Bc6 16. Bf3 O-O 17. Nxd5 Nxd5 18. Bxd5 {, is a considerable improvement for
White, as Black no longer has the same pressure on c2 (after ...Rac8) as in
the game.}) ({However, Black can improve with} 14. Qa4+ Kf8 $5 {. The king is
slightly awkwardly placed, but not weak, and Black can perhaps get his
kingside moving with ...h7-h5. Meanwhile, much of the pressure on d5 has been
lost.} 15. -- ({After} 15. Bf3 {, White has a slight edge, but probably no
more (see the comments in the game after 14 Bf3 Rd8 15 Qa4+ Kf8).}) ({
. A more ambitious line, perhaps, would be} 15. Bd2 $5 {, completing his
development, and ignoring the isolated d-pawn for the time being. Black's main
problem is how to complete his own development, while avoiding the bishop
being in the way of the rook pair. If} g6 {
, there is an unexpected plan of attack with} 16. Nb1 $5 {
(a computer suggestion)} Ne4 {
(making it more difficult for White to control the long diagonal with Bc3)} 17.
Be1 Kg7 18. Bf3 b5 19. Qc2 b4 {(again keeping White off the long diagonal)} 20.
a3 a5 21. Bxe4 dxe4 22. Qxe4 {, and White has finally won the pawn, even if
his queenside pieces have been temporarily undeveloped.})) 14... O-O {
This was the last chance to abandon the pawn sacrifice.} (14... Rd8 15. Qa4+
Kf8 {, as in the previous note, could now be met by} 16. b3 {, and if} Bb4 {
, then} 17. Nb1 $1 {with an edge. The tactical point is that} Bd7 {
is answered by} 18. Qxb4 $1 Qxb4 19. Ba3 {
, with favourable simplification for White.}) 15. Bxd5 Bxd5 16. Nxd5 Nxd5 17.
Rxd5 Rac8 {
QUESTION: What should White do next? Can he keep the extra pawn successfully?}
18. Bd2 {White has a microscopic edge. This move is only good if White is
unable to keep an edge by trying to hold the pawn. Gelfand could not see
anything for him by passively defending. That being the case, this was a good
attempt to keep a slight edge. Anand had played the defence impressively. Few
would have had the confidence to defend such a position a pawn down. --- The
main problem for White is in bringing the bishop into play, and then the rook.
Gelfand achieves this immediately, at the cost of giving back his extra pawn.}
({Instead,} 18. Qe2 {is natural, but after} Qe4 {
, Black's pieces are strong. For instance,} 19. Qd3 Qxd3 20. Rxd3 Rfd8 21.
Rxd8+ Rxd8 22. Kf1 Rd1+ {and it as clear that White is not winning. He has
still not developed his rook and bishop.}) ({
White wants to keep the e4-square covered, so possibly} 18. Qf5 g6 19. Qf3 Rfd8
20. Rxd8+ Rxd8 21. g3 {
, which is still difficult for Black to play. The best response seems to be}
Bd6 22. b3 Be5 23. Rb1 Qd7 24. Qe4 {and now} Qc6 $1 25. Qxc6 Rd1+ 26. Kg2 bxc6
{, when a familiar positional draw results. --- Naturally, it is easy enough
to generate other lines, but the likelihood is that they will all end up in a
draw, with accurate play.}) 18... Bxe3 19. Bc3 (19. Qd3 {
is a simple draw offer. White still wants to try for more.}) 19... Bb6 20. Qf5
{And indeed it is easy to see why Gelfand wants to carry on. He has chances,
maybe small but not negligible, to play for a win, whereas Black has no chance
of more than a draw. --- QUESTION: What's the best way for Black to steady the
boat?} Qe6 $6 {A slightly strange move, pushing White's queen to a safer
square. Anand seems to be concentrating a little too much on defence, and less
on finding the best squares for the pieces.} ({Here} 20... Rc5 {
is equal. If rooks start to be exchanged, Black's defence becomes much easier.}
21. -- ({Indeed,} 21. Rxc5 Qxc5 {would be a good time to agree a draw}) ({
, while} 21. Qg4 f5 22. Qd4 Rxd5 23. Qxd5+ Qf7 {is also safe for Black. After}
24. Rd1 Qxd5 25. Rxd5 Rd8 {, the bishop ending would be drawn.})) 21. Qf3 f6 {
QUESTION: White has just been handed a slight positional edge. What is the
best way of keeping up the pressure?} 22. h4 {A strange move, a defensive move,
pretending to be the start of an attack. What is important is not a pawn push
to h5 or even h6, but rather trying to put pieces on dominating squares. To
keep any sort of edge, White needs to try to control the centre, not make a
random pawn push on the kingside. The centre is open and he has good pieces
there.} ({Having said that, it is not so obvious that White is going to be
better anyway. Possibly} 22. Re1 Qf7 23. Qf5 {, to try to irritate Black again.
He should not create extra weaknesses for his pawns.}) 22... Qc6 (22... Rfe8 {
looks simple and equal.}) 23. h5 {
Perhaps the problem is the second pawn move, rather than the first.} (23. Rad1
{at least avoids creating a pawn weakness on h5, though play should still end
up equal after} Rcd8 {.}) 23... Rfd8 24. Rxd8+ Rxd8 25. Qxc6 bxc6 {If White still had a pawn on h3, rather than on h5, he might probe for Black's queenside
pawn weaknesses. As it is, White has to be careful to protect his own kingside
pawns.} 26. Re1 Kf7 27. g4 Bd4 28. Rc1 Bxc3 29. Rxc3 Rd4 ({After} 29... Rd4 30.
Rxc6 Rxg4+ 31. Kf1 a5 32. Rc5 a4 33. Rb5 {
, White can cover his pawns. So draw agreed.}) (29... -- {This was the most
interesting of the "quiet draws" so far. Anand's pawn sacrifice in the late
opening seemed to hold, both in play and in analysis, though the position was
tense. --- Readers will notice a pattern in the first six draws. Play was
sharp early on, in games one and three, when both players were happy to take
the occasional calculated risk; but later on, they both wanted to play quiet
and technical chess. --- Of the "quiet draws", several were perhaps not quite
as accurate as they looked. Games two and four should have kept a slight edge
for White (Gelfand), his pieces being slightly but significantly better
developed; whereas in game five, Anand (as White) could have created more
pressure on one of the pawns. Small edges, and not necessarily enough to make
a significant advantage, but even finding just one chance of a genuine
advantage would alter the balance of the match. --- People were starting to
speculate as to what would happen if all twelve games were drawn, and the
match end up in a rapidplay finish, and who was going to be the more
successful in that aspect of chess. Going through the statistics, Anand had a
reasonably significant edge at the faster time limits, but of course one slip
could easily change the balance. And so, in the end, it happened. However,
there were some massive surprises before the players could think about the
rapidplay.}) 1/2-1/2

[Event "World Championship, Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.05.20"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Gelfand, B."]
[Black "Anand, V."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D45"]
[Annotator "Colin Crouch"]
[PlyCount "75"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.12.01"]

{After six draws, Gelfand, the supposed underdog, takes the first win, and
convincingly so. There were no sharp tactics, and no delicate endgame squeeze,
but instead a middlegame positional grind in which Anand, for once, did not
handle his knights effectively, while Gelfand's knights, with the help of
queen and rook dominating the c-file, broke through with great force. --- It
is technically relatively easy to write up a game in which one player won and
the other lost. You need to find the losing move, the move which put the other
player on the slide. Therefore, after six draws, it is almost a relief not
having to try to analyse the many ups and downs of a drawn game, in the full
understanding that most such possible inaccuracies did not make the difference
to the result of the game. There is often quite a large margin of safety in a
drawn game, whereas in a decisive one there is a far more distinct boundary
between being safe and either losing or being on the way down. ---
Organizational point: Yes, Gelfand is playing White two games in a row. This
is easily explained. The routine in the match was
game-game-rest-game-game-rest, and so on. Halfway though the match, the
players flipped, so that now Gelfand has the first White in the next sequence
of two game pairs. ---} 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 a6 6. c5 {
At least it is asymmetrical, perhaps no bad thing psychologically if Anand, as
Black, is fully geared towards highly symmetrical pawn structures, as part of
his defensive plans. Here the asymmetry lies only on the a- b- and c-files.
The rest, from files d to h, is symmetrical.} Nbd7 7. Qc2 b6 {QUESTION: Is
this a good move? --- The computer suggests that the position is equal after
the 7...b6 pawn exchange, and yet it is difficult to be convinced that Black
is fully equal. His pieces are very slightly misplaced, and in the play which
follows, Black is unhappy having the knight on b6, rather than on c6 (after he
has played ...c6-c5). Black remained under pressure throughout the game.} ({
There were, of course, good alternatives for Black, mainly based on the idea
of ...e6-e5 and then setting up a wide broad pawn front, as opposed to the
narrow front on the a- to c-files. For instance,} 7... e5 {is a far more
direct response to White's flank pawn push. Black does not even have to bother
preparing with 7...Qc7, as} 8. dxe5 Ng4 {is lively, but probably about equal.
--- In the context of the match, Anand quite simply did not want to play
anything lively as Black. He just wanted to cut down anything unpredictable.
This, it seems, was his basic error in thinking.}) 8. cxb6 Nxb6 ({After} 8...
Qxb6 9. Na4 {, followed by Bd2, White is probing the black queenside.}) 9. Bd2
c5 10. Rc1 cxd4 11. exd4 {White is ahead in development, and it is still
unclear as to what Black should do with his b6-knight. It is already an
opening success for Gelfand. Note that there is nothing wrong with White's
isolated d-pawn: it helps create knight outposts on c5 or e5.} Bd6 12. Bd3 O-O
13. Bg5 h6 14. Bh4 Bb7 15. O-O Qb8 {Anand, too, knows about any unusual
thought processes by his opponent. His f6-knight is pinned and, if given the
chance by White, most players would feel confident about doubling the f-pawns,
unless there is a definite improvement in playing differently. We have already
seen, in game four, how Gelfand rejected doubling up Anand's f-pawns on move
24, and how Anand was able to equalize comfortably, rather than being slightly
inferior. ---} ({Here Anand could have tried} 15... Nbd7 {, and only later
breaking the pin with a queen move. It is possible that White has nothing
better to do than to play 16 Bg3 anyway, in which case Anand's queen shuffle
would have been unnecessary. --- Instead, Anand allowed his opponent to create
the doubled pawns.}) {
QUESTION: How much would White achieve by doubling the black pawns here?} 16.
Bg3 {The quiet bishop retreat was greeted with some surprise by the
commentators. Gelfand has certainly found a consistent plan: forcing the
exchange of the dark-squared bishops so as to take full advantage of the e5-
and c5-squares for his pieces. This keeps a slight edge for a while, but with
careful play Black can reach close to equality. If Black can defend his sore
squares, it is not so clear what White can do after that. --- Structural pawn
weaknesses, such as broken pawns, can create long-term problems, right up to
the endgame even if the remaining pieces are relatively active. With pieces,
the more active player always has to be aware that if the defender can
gradually activate his forces, and if his pawns are as good as his opponents',
then he should gradually equalize the game. There are plenty of examples in
this book, notably in some of the earlier games by Black by Anand.} ({
This leaves the question of how seriously damaged the pawns are after} 16. Bxf6
gxf6 17. Ne2 {. If you have not tried it out on the computer, then do so. Just
go through a few sample moves, suggested by the computer, and see what happens
a few moves down the line. --- Ready? --- The problem you might well find for
Black is not so much the weakness of the doubled f-pawns, but rather the
isolated pawns, on a6 and h6, on both sides of the board. For example, after}
Rc8 18. Qd2 {, the white queen is excellently placed, with ideas of Qa5, as
well as keeping the h6-pawn under threat. Black may try to simplify with} Rxc1
19. Rxc1 Qf8 20. Ng3 {, but then he has pawn weaknesses on both sides of the
board, and his pieces are equally stretched to cover both sides. If Black were
to try to keep his pieces active with} Rc8 21. Rxc8 Bxc8 22. Qa5 {, the pawns
are in danger of collapsing. --- It is difficult to see any obvious way for
Black to achieve equality. White just seems substantially better. The line
that Gelfand actually played does not seem so impressive, and it would seem
that Anand needed to make further slight errors before he was worse, then
losing.}) 16... Rc8 17. Qe2 Bxg3 18. hxg3 {The main point of Gelfand's plan of
attack would appear to be that, by exchanging the dark-squared bishops, he now
has the opportunity to take control of the e5-square for the knight, and later,
the c5-square for the other knight. The only problem is that, in his attempt
to dominate on the dark squares, his d4-pawn, a dark-squared pawn, is slightly
weak. Black should be able to hold the position.} Qd6 19. Rc2 Nbd7 {The compute
r suggests that there are more than a dozen moves that give Black clear
equality. There are no tactics on view. In other words, this is a positional
battle. --- QUESTION: Is Anand's move bad, in that he is allowing White to
play Na4 - ? Or alternatively, is he okay and just equal anyway? --- At first
glance, Anand's move looks a little too passive to be good. "Passivity"
implies quietly trying to defend a slightly worse position - but if his
position is level, then he has defended successfully, rather than defended
passively. The critical position is not now but a couple of moves further on.
Black was holding the balance, but he made a mistake later.} ({
A more combative approach might be} 19... Nc4 {
(starting to put pressure on White's pawns)} 20. Rb1 Qb4 {. Again, the
computer suggests that there are about a dozen moves which are equal here.
Clearly, no annotator could be expected to go through them all and summarize
conclusions. There is so much more to try to work out in run-of-the-mill
positional battles than in wild tactics. In positional chess, the difficult
point is sieving through many ordinary-looking moves, trying to see if just
one of these might give a slight edge (or equality, or good defensive chances,
or whatever). Whereas with tactics, there are fewer moves which need to be
considered - a check or a capture, say - but each choice of move, whether by
the player or the defender, will have radically different outcomes. --- One
possible drawn outcome would be} 21. Nd1 {(to put pressure on the c4-knight)}
Qb6 {, when there is an immediate repetition with} 22. Nc3 {. Black has also
positioned his pieces in such a way that White cannot profitably win a pawn by
a capture on c4. If White were to take there, then Black can open up the long
diagonal, with ...d5xc4, or possibly first ...Rxd4, after which Black is ready,
among other things, to take on f3 and win the d-pawn. --- And what about the
other dozen drawish moves for Black? I leave this to you to try to see if you
can find something. My own positional instincts are that Black cannot possibly
be better, after reasonable play by both sides. There is no sense in
attempting to win the position by force.}) ({
The quickest draw, at first illogical but in fact reasonable enough, would be} 
19... Ng4 20. Ng5 ({perhaps White could try} 20. Rfc1 {instead, but then} a5 {
, for example, is still about equal}) 20... Nf6 21. Nf3 {, again with a
repetition. The knight on g4 is useful, providing a different way of covering
any thoughts of Ne5.}) 20. Rfc1 ({According to the computer, there are now two
choices for White which keep him fully equal: the text move and} 20. a3 {.})
20... Rab8 ({Whereas here there are three fully reasonable choices for Black
that aim for equality. These are the text move,} 20... Rc7) ({and} 20... Ng4 {
. Other moves, the computer seems to suggest, might give White the very
slightest of edges.}) 21. Na4 {And now half a dozen reasonable moves by White,
with complete equality. The move that Gelfand chose was, in fact, well out of
the top dozen, but once the move gets played, the computer sees outcomes, and
agrees that it is equal. --- QUESTION: What should Black play here? The main
choice, according to the computer, is between 21...Ne4 and 21...Rxc2. ---
Anand tried} ({Actually, we can add to a third reasonable choice for Black:} 
21. Na4 a5 $5 {. If White responds with} 22. Nc3 {
, attempting to exploit the weakness on b5, then perhaps} Qb4 ({or} 22... Qb6 {
and Black is fully in play.})) 21... Ne4 $2 {This seems too quick a jump from
defence (on the queenside) to attack (in the centre), especially as Black is
not really attacking anything. He needs to watch what is happening with
White's queenside pressure.} (21... Rxc2 $1 {is not a surrender of the c-file,
but rather is the start of counterplay along that file. For example:} 22. -- (
22. Rxc2 Bc6 23. Nc5 $2 (23. Nc3 {
is safer, with a possible offer of repetition with} Bb7 24. Na4) 23... Bb5 $1 {
, and now his bishop is no longer "bad", but is able to force an exchange with
the previously good bishop. White will have to watch out for his isolated
d-pawn.}) (22. Qxc2 Rc8 23. Nc5 {looks impressive on the queenside, but
White's centre is going to be badly eroded after} e5 $1 {. On} 24. dxe5 {
, Black can even try for an advantage with} Qb6 $5 {. --- With best play, 21...
Rxc2 would have been equal. So the game was not the totally one-sided win by
Gelfand, as it might at first appear.})) 22. Rxc8+ Bxc8 ({
Black has give up control of the file, as} 22... Rxc8 $2 23. Rxc8+ Bxc8 24.
Bxe4 dxe4 25. Qxe4 {wins a pawn.}) {QUESTION: What should White do next?} 23.
Qc2 $6 {Both players are becoming extremely nervous mid-match, and it shows in
their choice of moves. Gelfand is aiming for total security on the c-file,
neglecting other avenues of attack. It is time to concentrate on the
dark-squared diagonals, rather than the files. ---} (23. a3 $6 Ndf6 24. b4 Bd7
{is too slow, using up too many pawn moves. After} 25. Nc5 Bb5 $1 {
(pinning White's bishop), Black is more than equal.}) (23. Qe3 Qb4 {might perhaps give White a slight edge, but he can also cover the b4-square with his
queen...}) (23. Qe1 $1 {is the best way to create pressure. White keeps an
edge, with ideas perhaps of Qa5.} -- ({After} 23... Ndf6 24. Ne5 {
, White has more pressure on the dark squares}) ({, or} 23... Bb7 $1 24. b4 Bc6
25. Nc5 Bb5 {
, and this time the d3-bishop is no longer pinned so White can play} 26. Nxe4
dxe4 27. Bxe4 {. --- Whatever happens, Black is under pressure. He lost his
positional balance on move 21.})) {QUESTION: What should Black do next?} 23...
g5 $2 {Certainly not this. Again, this an extremely nervous response,
attacking with a pawn, hoping he can achieve something, while ignoring the
main threats along the c-file.} ({
Black does not even have all his pieces in play, so} 23... Bb7 {
has priority and just about holds the balance.} 24. -- ({
The immediate defensive tactic is that} 24. Qc7 $4 {runs into} Rc8 {
, and White loses material.}) ({. Instead,} 24. Nc5 Rc8 25. b4 {
is still tense, but one possibility for Black is} Qb6 26. a3 Ndf6 {
, when he is starting to show some good defensive coordination.})) 24. Qc7 {
Of course. Now White is significantly better.} Qxc7 25. Rxc7 {Positionally
winning. Just take a look on the rook on the seventh, and Black's bad bishop,
which in the end gets lost. It took a dozen or so moves to mop up, Gelfand
finding ways to manoeuvre his knights to excellent outpost squares.} f6 {
This may well be regarded as another weak move, but in reality the position
cannot be held anyway.} 26. Bxe4 dxe4 27. Nd2 f5 28. Nc4 Nf6 29. Nc5 Nd5 30.
Ra7 Nb4 31. Ne5 Nc2 32. Nc6 {There is probably not much that needs to be said
about the last few moves. Just note the way in which Gelfand takes over
squares, move by move, with his opponent unable to muster any real opposition.}
Rxb2 33. Rc7 Rb1+ 34. Kh2 e3 35. Rxc8+ Kh7 36. Rc7+ Kh8 37. Ne5 e2 38. Nxe6 {
. --- This was not quite as smooth as it looked, but Gelfand's win was
thoroughly deserved. He had slightly the better of the play in many of the
earlier drawn games, but he was held back by Anand's accuracy in slightly
inferior positions - and also, one suspects, through Gelfand's own lack of
confidence in trying to grind out fractionally superior positions. --- This
time, Anand's defences failed. In all the seven games up to now, Anand was
better in only one. --- Anand needed to up his game, even when he was still
drawing. Sooner or later, Gelfand would be able to take advantage of the
various minor errors. Remember, Anand lost, not because he made a single
mistake, but rather because he went wrong twice. The first time, Gelfand threw
away his advantage by concentrating only on the c-file, rather than taking
note of the whole queenside. --- After this first win, I felt at the time that
we were seeing a new World Champion, in the name of Boris Gelfand, and that he
would be expected to halve out to five more draws. I noted that "realistically,
it is unlikely that Anand will be able to bounce back. Even so, it takes only
one piece of inspired play, and, it must not be forgotten, a mistake by the
opponent to allow things to level. At the time of writing, it is just under an
hour before the next game will start. Has Anand composed himself to play for a
win?"} 1-0

[Event "World Championship, Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.05.21"]
[Round "8"]
[White "Anand, V."]
[Black "Gelfand, B."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E60"]
[Annotator "Colin Crouch"]
[PlyCount "33"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.12.01"]

{Chess never ceases to surprise. Just as Boris Gelfand was, it seemed, about
to become World Champion, he managed to self-destruct in only 17 moves. It was
not a case of great brilliance on Anand's part. He merely did what needed to
be done. --- The win itself was relatively easy. The difficult part was the
chess-thinking early on, the way in which Anand, presumably with the help of
seconds before the match, was able to find ways to induce his opponent to make
mistakes. --- Anand's opening was certainly very well thought out, and it
would have been difficult for Gelfand to handle Black's position, even in
normal circumstances. The likelihood was that he was so focused on
concentrating on five more solid games, draw-draw-draw-draw-draw, that he
found it difficult to handle a sharp position as Black, in full knowledge that
his opponent would have prepared the opening thoroughly. He did not want to
bear the tension of being Black in a long and difficult game, where he was
unable to equalize quickly, and so he improvised, disastrously. --- There were
some apparent similarities to the earlier match between Kramnik and Aronian -
to the extent that Kramnik lost a game badly, but two games later, Aronian's
play fell apart, in what was basically an unsound queen sacrifice. Look
closely, though, and Aronian and Gelfand collapsed in opposite directions. The
match between Aronian and Kramnik was a friendly match, without the extreme
tension of a World Championship, and Aronian was prepared to show to his
opponent, and to the world, that he could play chess stylishly, a win followed
by another brilliant win. His hopes crashed. Kramnik did not have to do
anything particularly remarkable out of the opening, but defend coolly and
accurately after Aronian's queen sacrifice. --- In contrast, it was Anand's
original and strong handling of the opening which plunged Gelfand into a
tail-spin. Gelfand was not really aiming for creative ideas of his own. He was
merely improvising, and without a script it did not work for him. ---} 1. d4
Nf6 2. c4 g6 {Would it have been a good or a bad idea for Gelfand to revert to
the Slav and Semi-Slav set-ups? He played such lines a year ago, but suffered
a couple of reverses against Carlsen, which Anand would have been aware of,
and studied.} 3. f3 ({From the first question below...} 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5.
f3 {, and in particular the line} O-O 6. Nge2 c5 7. d5 {.}) 3... c5 {I suspect 
that this was only the third line of defence in Gelfand's opening preparation;}
({behind the Semi-Grünfeld:} 3... d5) ({and the King's Indian:} 3... Bg7) ({or
} 3... d6 {
. Risky, given that he only needed three more draws as Black to win the title.}
) 4. d5 d6 5. e4 Bg7 6. Ne2 O-O {QUESTION: Can you find a new way for White to
make life difficult for Black? Compare and contrast with the Sämisch King's
Indian (see the note with 3 Nc3 above).} 7. Nec3 $1 {A full exclamation mark,
since it was this move which ultimately won the game. White's main problem
after an early f2-f3, in analogous lines of the Sämisch or the Benoni, is
working out what to do with his knight on g1, for which there is no easy route
to a good square. Sometimes in the Benoni, White is able to develop with Nh3
and Nf2, once Black has already played ...Nbd7. If, however, White has already
moved the knight to e2, and the other knight is on c3, he has to spend time
manoeuvring behind the lines with, for example, Be3, followed by Nc1, and
perhaps Nd3, to enable the minor pieces to begin working together. --- Anand
shows a simpler and more effective way to develop his knights, playing Nge2
and then Nec3, after which the other knight can decide where to go, probably
to d2, perhaps occasionally to a3. It all seems marvellously effective. ---
There are many lines against the Benoni in which White develops his knights
with Nc3, Nf3 and Nfd2. Anand shows a way in which he achieve do this, and
with the addition of an early f2-f3 pawn push, to secure his pawns on the
light squares. --- QUESTION: What should Black do next? --- The simple answer
is, "I don't know" - and of course this is a perfectly reasonable answer, for
the writer as well as for the reader. --- Picture, though, how difficult the
position for Gelfand would be at the board, after only seven moves. The
natural continuations here would perhaps be 7...e6 or 7...Na6, but he must
surely have sensed that Black is reaching a slightly inferior position in one
of the main lines. He would have been happier to go through all this while
preparing at home, rather than having to sort it all out over the board. In
addition, he would have found it difficult, having been geared up to play
ultra-solid chess, to find a sharp innovation. --- Should he accept a slight
disadvantage? Or should he improvise? He improvised - unsuccessfully. ---
Should he have avoided any lines involving King's Indian or Benoni set-ups?
Perhaps that needs to be left as an open question.} Nh5 $6 {It just cannot be
good, but perhaps it is not quite as bad as it looks. "Knights on the edges
get stuck in the hedges" and all that. --- QUESTION: What should White do
next? A kingside pawn rush, or develop his pieces? --- This position is
already extremely tense, with both players by now being out of the book.} ({
My own personal reaction in such a position would be to charge the pawns
forward, gaining tempi after} 7... Nh5 8. g4 Nf6 9. h4 h5 10. Rg1 {, with wild
and complicated play to follow. White still has the likelihood of a slight
edge. If anything starts to go wrong, however, Black would presumably find
ways to create dangerous counterplay. One technical problem for White is that,
because of his earlier knight manoeuvring, he cannot create a quick attack on
Black's kingside pawns with Nf4 or Ng3. In the end, this is probably how both
Gelfand and Anand would have assessed the position. There is not much point in
trying to gain a couple of tempi with a pawn rush when, a few moves later, he
will probably have to use up a couple of tempi with the knight to cover his
own weaknesses in front of the king. --- Anand is in a difficult match
position in that, despite being a point down, he cannot go all-out for an
attack, since a second loss would have ended his chances of remaining World
Champion. He therefore plays it cautiously, aiming for quiet development. Who
knows - if his opponent makes one slightly strange move to break the
positional balance, he might well play another strange move, this time
overpressing.}) 8. Bg5 (8. Be3 {is also good, when} f5 {
transposes to 8 Bg5 f6 9 Be3 f5 below.}) {QUESTION: What should Black do next?}
8... Bf6 $2 {Sometimes a top grandmaster can, through over-sophistication,
look like a lower division club player. It is not so clear that Black has done
anything seriously wrong so far, but this move tips the balance too far.} ({
Instead,} 8... f6 {is a natural way of starting counterplay.} 9. -- ({
For example,} 9. Be3 f5 10. exf5 Bxf5 11. g4 Bxb1 12. Qxb1 Nf4 13. Qe4 Be5 {
is about equal.}) (9. Bh4 {makes it slightly more difficult for Black to
achieve ...f7-f5 (there is pressure on the e7-pawn), but} Nd7 {
looks complicated and, again, about equal.})) 9. Bxf6 ({
Gelfand was tacitly making a draw offer with} 9. Bh6 Bg7 10. Bg5 {
. Anand would never had accepted it.}) 9... exf6 {This is part of Gelfand's
"cunning plan". He wants to exchange his front f-pawn for one of the white
pawns, while keeping the second f-pawn in place. Unfortunately, he is
seriously behind in development. For example, Black would need at least four
extra moves to bring the rook from a8 to e8, and even then it is not clear
where the bishop, and even more so the knight on b8, will find good squares.
White, too, has only one knight developed, but his other pieces are more
balanced, and can get into play quickly as required. --- White is better - but
it is hard to imagine that the game is already more than half way through.} 10.
Qd2 {Covering the c1-h6 diagonal is a good consistent plan. He also makes an
escape square (d1) for the king, in case Black plays a later ...Qh4+. Anand
was thinking quite a few moves ahead.} (10. g4 Ng7 11. h4 Nd7 {is no doubt
also playable, with an edge for White, but Anand wants to keep his pieces,
rather than his pawns, moving.}) 10... f5 11. exf5 {Gelfand now had a long
think, recognizing that queen, rook and knight are not enough to attack the
enemy king, if White has active defensive pieces. Black's other pieces are
well out of play.} ({After} 11. exf5 {,} -- ({, the most obvious line is} 11...
Qh4+ 12. Kd1 Ng3 13. Qf2 Nxf5 14. Qxh4 Nxh4 {. Pawns are level, neither king
is under threat, and both sets of pieces are equally developed, in terms of
getting off the back rank. There is, however, a horse kick at the end with} 15.
Nb5 {, winning a valuable central pawn.}) ({. Instead,} 11... Re8+ 12. Kd1 Bxf5
13. g4 {transposes into the main line, which we shall consider later. It is
just about playable, in the sense that it is not immediately losing, but still
unattractive.}) ({. Probably the best attempt to hold the position together is
} 11... Qe7+ 12. Kd1 Bxf5 {. Then White could try to avoid simplification with}
13. Na3 $5 ({or he could continue the thematic line with} 13. g4 Bxb1 14. Rxb1
Ng7 {.}))) 11... Bxf5 12. g4 Re8+ 13. Kd1 Bxb1 14. Rxb1 {QUESTION: Does Black
have to retreat his knight with highly uncomfortable play, or he can consider
attacking with 14...Qf6 - ? What happens next? Clear analysis is required.} Qf6
$2 {He loses in three moves! --- Black could, of course, retreat his knight,
but then his position, though not losing immediately, is very uncomfortable.
It seems that on a bad day, overexcited by his previous success, Gelfand quite
simply missed that Anand's 17th move was going to trap his queen.} 15. gxh5 $1
(15. Kc2 Nf4 16. Ne4 {leaves White better, but it is not so clear-cut. Black
can, for instance, offer the exchange with} Rxe4 {.}) 15... Qxf3+ 16. Kc2 Qxh1
17. Qf2 $1 {. The queen has been well and truly tagged.} ({Gelfand presumably
decided that it was hardly worth bothering trying to play on, with} 17. Qf2 Nc6
18. dxc6 ({but not} 18. Bh3 $4 Nd4+ {and the queen escapes to f3}) 18... Qxc6 {
, as White can carry on with the presumed winning attack with} 19. Bg2 Qd7 20.
Nd5 Qa4+ 21. b3 Qxa2+ 22. Rb2 Qa1 {. The queen is however on a different
corner, and this time it can be fully reactivated, if given the time, with ...Qe1. White must still be winning, but it would still need care. Perhaps the
most convincing line would be} 23. Nf6+ Kg7 24. h6+ Kxh6 25. Bd5 $1 {, aiming for a big check with the queen on f7 if Black's king is forced to retreat. The
most direct reply would be} Qe1 {, but then} 26. Ng8+ Kh5 27. Bf3+ Kg5 28. Qg2+
Kf4 29. Rb1 {. White's checks have given himself the opportunity to bring the
rook into play, and in view of mating threats with Rf1, he would be winning. 
So yes, Gelfand could have played on, but it was well within Anand's ability
to find the winning lines. It would presumably have been too much to endure by
Gelfand, with both the queen being stuck in the corners, and the king being
hunted in the open. He resigned quickly.}) 1-0

[Event "World Championship, Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.05.23"]
[Round "9"]
[White "Gelfand, B."]
[Black "Anand, V."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "E54"]
[Annotator "Colin Crouch"]
[PlyCount "98"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.12.01"]

{After six draws, the two wins - one for either side - might be expected to
liven things up. Both players would be fully aware that they are each fallible.
They have each lost a game, so they would be concerned not to lose another one.
Equally, their opponent would each have dented armour, so it is possible for
either to play for a win. Add to this the fact that there were now only four
more games of long-play for one of them to find a win somewhere, and play
started to get more interesting. Sooner or later, one of the players will want
to avoid halving out every game, and the onus would seem to be on Gelfand to
try to gain a result, before the rapidplay finishes. At long-play, the two
combatants are very evenly matched, but with quick time limits Anand has
achieved a big plus score. --- It was not to be expected that Gelfand's play
would collapse after his disastrous loss. If anything, I felt at the start of
the day's game that Gelfand was still the favourite, if only slightly. He
seemed, overall, to have marginally the better of the six draws. --- Of course,
with only four games left, any result, even a draw, will affect the odds each
time. And in any critical game, individual moves can affect the whole result
of the match. Anand was greatly under pressure in game nine, eventually
scraping a draw. All credit to him for seeing, well in advance, that this
endgame was tenable. Gelfand tried hard to set up the endgame, with reasonable
chances of success, but he could not find a way to grind down Anand's defences.
An excellent defensive result by Anand, it seems. --- Perhaps the most
critical position of the whole match was when Gelfand had to consider what to
play at move 19. The problem was whether to go for a tactical solution,
winning a queen against various other pieces, or whether he should have played
it positionally. Winning the queen looked good at the time, but Gelfand would
have had a clear edge with the positional solution. This does not necessarily
mean that Anand was in any sense losing. It is more a case that he would have
to defend rigorously against everything Gelfand could throw against him. In
the game itself, Anand needed only one basic defensive idea - a fortress
position - and he defended it excellently and drew. Would he have defended it
so confidently against other options, with no simplification of the position?
--- Then, when we go back to an earlier stage, wasn't Anand playing slightly
too extravagantly, giving away two bishops for two knights? Couldn't he have
equalized instead, or at least reached a manageable inferiority? --- This was
the most interesting game so far - not because it was in any sense perfect
chess, but rather because it was a tense and interesting battle, with several
critical turning points to discuss. It was also the first serious endgame
battle. ---} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 {Sooner or later, it was inevitable that Anand
would drop the Semi-Slav with ...a7-a6. It seemed okay to try it out in games
two and four, with comfortable draws in the end, but even in these Gelfand was
slightly better in the opening. The longer the match continued, the more
likely it was that, were Anand to continue to play ultra-symmetrically,
Gelfand would find some sort of weakness. So it proved in game seven. --- The
problem was not so much the opening itself, but rather the mentality for Black
that "my position is ultra-solid and symmetrical, therefore I cannot be worse".
Tempo does matter.} 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Bd3 d5 6. Nf3 c5 7. O-O dxc4 8.
Bxc4 cxd4 9. exd4 b6 10. Bg5 Bb7 11. Qe2 {Nothing new. This was a favourite of
Karpov's as Black. White has more space in the centre, but still has the
isolated d-pawn.} Nbd7 ({A recent top grandmaster game went} 11... Bxc3 12.
bxc3 Nbd7 13. Bd3 Qc7 14. c4 h6 15. Bd2 Ng4 16. Be4 Bxe4 17. Qxe4 Ngf6 18. Qe2
Qc6 19. a4 Rac8 20. Rfc1 Qe4 21. Be3 {with a slight edge to White, later a
draw, in H.Nakamura-A.Giri. Dortmund 2011. We will discuss this below, after
various transpositional possibilities.}) 12. Rac1 Rc8 13. Bd3 {
QUESTION: How should Black handle the position?} Bxc3 {If you are prepared to
play the Nimzo as Black, you need to be ready to give up the bishop pair, as
here.} ({The pin on the h4-d8 diagonal for Black is uncomfortable, but if he
were to try to defend with} 13... Be7 {, he would be a tempo down when
compared with the Queen's Gambit Declined, where Black breaks the pin in one
go.}) ({Black could insert} 13... h6 14. Bh4 {, but then if} Bxc3 15. bxc3 Qc7
{, White has a better square for the bishop with Bg3. It is better to allow it
to stay on g5. It is difficult to find any other genuinely constructive moves
here. A more positive point of view is that, by exchanging off White's knight
on c3, Black has less serious opposition on the long diagonal, and so his
bishop remains strong. It would, for example, now be more difficult for White
to aim for d4-d5.}) 14. bxc3 Qc7 {And now there is a genuinely constructive
reason why Black wants to force the white pawn to the c-file. The queen is
safe here, and can keep some pressure on White's central pawns.} 15. c4 {
QUESTION: What should Black do next?} Bxf3 $6 {A strange move - and indeed
Anand admitted this as so at his press conference. Allowing two knights
against two bishops usually gives an advantage to the player with the bishops,
all other things being equal. The only genuine disadvantages is where are
blocked pawn structures (not here), or if the player with the knights is ahead
in development (not here), or if the player with the knights has the
opportunity of exchanging one of the bishops, leading to single bishop versus
knight. To justify the bishop exchange, Anand needs to make a serious prod to
the d4-pawn by ...e6-e5, with ideas, once the pawn structure has been
clarified, of playing ...Nc5. Anand only half-achieves this at best, and
Gelfand remains with the advantage.} ({
So what improvements could have been made? ---} 15... Rfe8 $5 {seems a far
more natural way of achieving the same idea of an early ...e6-e5, perhaps
after an exchange on f3.} 16. -- ({. If} 16. Bxf6 {
, Black exchanges the bishop with} Bxf3 $1 ({rather than} 16... Nxf6 17. Ne5)
17. Qxf3 Nxf6 {and is comfortable. One bishop versus one knight tends to be
less threatening than two bishops versus two knights.}) ({. There are other
possibilities, of course, with tactics following logical play on both sides
after} 16. Rfd1 e5 $5 ({he could also try} 16... h6) 17. Bxf6 exd4 18. Bxh7+
Kh8 {. The tactics soon fade to approximate equality after} 19. Be7 Nf6 20. Re1
Bxf3 21. Qxf3 Rxe7 22. Rxe7 Qxe7 23. Bd3 Re8 {.})) ({
Also, since we have referred to the Nakamura-Giri game,} 15... h6 16. Bd2 (16.
Bh4 Qf4 {favours Black slightly}) 16... Ng4 17. Be4 Bxe4 18. Qxe4 Ngf6 {
gives White only a modest edge. Note that Nakamura-Giri omitted Rac1 and ...Rac8. Would these extra rook moves make any difference? This is something the
readers can explore. --- So 15...Rfe8!? looks the best, giving away as little
as possible to the opponent, provided he can make his way through the initial
tactical battle.}) 16. Qxf3 Rfe8 {
As we've just noted, this should probably have been played a move earlier;} ({
and} 16... e5 $2 17. d5 {does not work. If given the chance, the two bishops
will dominate the knights after Bf5.}) 17. Rfd1 h6 (17... e5 $6 18. Bf5 {
again gives White the more active position.}) 18. Bh4 {QUESTION: Black is
worse and, in order to survive, he has to admit this. What is the best way to
try to hold the balance?} Qd6 $1 {A brave decision. All he can do is to place
one of his pieces on a good active square, and hope that White has no tactical
refutation. 19 c5 is dangerous, but if Anand has calculated that he is only
slightly worse after the tactics, then he must try this. ---} ({Passive play
will end up with a grinding disadvantage, and should be avoided. The
likelihood is that his opponent will eventually find a win. White is happy
after, for example,} 18... Rcd8 19. Bg3 Qc8) ({or again} 18... e5 19. Bf5 {.})
({Trying to simplify with} 18... Qc6 19. Qxc6 Rxc6 {does not work either.
White has the bishop pair against the two knights, and also has the more
active pawns. Add this up, and} 20. c5 {is strong:} bxc5 {is met by} 21. Bxf6 {
, and White is almost certainly winning the endgame after} gxf6 22. Bb5 Rc7 23.
dxc5 {.}) ({It is easy to generate some implausible alternatives - the
computer suggests that} 18... Kh8 {might be one of these. All one can say is
that if 18...Kh8 is the best move, White is clearly better. Whereas if Black
can find a sensible idea, with chances of setting up some counterplay
(pressure on d4, say), he should try it. --- Time now for Gelfand to make a
difficult decision.}) {QUESTION: White has the quick pawn break 19 c5 bxc5 20
dxc5, with the threat of Bh7+. The question is whether this is the best line.
If it can be shown that Black can hold afterwards, could White find something
better here?} 19. c5 $6 {Tempting, but it forces play far too much for such a
minimal advantage. Given the opportunity, White should squeeze hard with the
bishop pair, and get the opponent to make concessions before any sort of
tactics or simplification.} ({
My first impression, in my day-after blog, was that} 19. Bc2 $5 {looked good,
setting up the cross-eyed bishops with Ba4. However, Black can play} Qb4 $1 {
, when he is still in the game,} 20. -- ({as after} 20. a3 {
, he could sacrifice his queen with} Qxc4 $1 21. Bh7+ Nxh7 22. Rxc4 Rxc4 23.
Qb7 Ndf6 {. Whether or not White exchanges on f6, Black is still going to
defend actively with ...Nd5, and although White has a slight material plus
(queen versus rook and knight), it is difficult to see how he can ever create
a passed pawn. Defensive queen sacrifices are very much in the air in this
type of position.}) (20. Bg3 {can also be met, with reasonable safety, by} Qxc4
{.})) ({Time, perhaps, to take a different viewpoint. White has his bishop
pair. He should aim to keep his pawns well defended, when he would have
chances of a clear edge if Black cannot do anything immediately active.
Therefore,} 19. Be2 $1 {
- quiet and unglamorous, but Black is going to find it hard to equalize. If} e5
{, for example, only then} 20. c5 {, with a large advantage to White.}) 19...
bxc5 20. dxc5 Rxc5 {Better to sacrifice the queen for assorted pieces, than to
allow his opponent a big passed pawn.} 21. Bh7+ Kxh7 22. Rxd6 Rxc1+ 23. Rd1
Rec8 24. h3 {The general view at the time was that White must surely have
close to a winning advantage. After some further simplification (a rook
exchange), it is difficult to see how to defend the a7-pawn, and then how to
stop White from pushing his own a-pawn. No doubt Gelfand would have been
confident about his prospects here, but Anand is a superb defender in
difficult positions. He starts his defensive manoeuvres by a direct attack on
the queen, gaining a tempo with the knight - but isn't he merely weakening his
pieces and pawns?} Ne5 25. Qe2 {QUESTION: What should Black do next?} Ng6 $1 {
Smart defence under pressure. Anand is not too worried about having his pawns
doubled, so long as his king remains close by. It is much more important that,
if one of the knights is exchanged, the other knight is safe. His main
defensive plan is that if he can move his other knight to d5, the rook can
return to the second rank and, with the knight being on such a good square, he
will not be zugzwanged. The rook can alternate between c7 and e7. --- Anand
made a difficult endgame defence look relatively simple. Remember, Gelfand
probably felt that he had excellent winning chances, otherwise he would not
have entered the tactical simplification at move 19.} (25... Nd5 {might seem
re active, but there are too many pieces getting in the way of each other, and
with not enough safe outposts, supported by pawns. For instance, after} 26. Kh2
Rxd1 27. Qxd1 {, it is not clear how Black can keep everything covered. ---
Even so, Black might still have chances to hold with} Nc4 $5 {, and if} 28. Qa4
a5 {. Or maybe not. With so many of Black's pieces and pawns being required
for mutual protection, there is always the possibility of a mixture of
zugzwang and White gradually improving his pieces.}) 26. Bxf6 {
The only sensible move.} ({After} 26. Bg3 $2 R8c2 27. Qf1 Rxd1 28. Qxd1 Rxa2 {
, Black is ahead.}) 26... gxf6 27. Rxc1 Rxc1+ 28. Kh2 Rc7 {A natural defensive
square for the rook, but Anand later finds it difficult to complete his plans
of ...Ne7-d5 and ...f7-f5. He is fractionally short of making everything safe,
which of course makes the endgame all the more fascinating.} ({
Alternatively, if} 28... f5 29. Qb2 Rc7 {, then} 30. Qb8 {
makes things awkward, since} Re7 ({or} 30... Rd7 31. Qc8 Re7 {blocks the
's desired path to d5. With accurate play by White, it can be difficult for
Black to coordinate his pieces.})) 29. Qb2 {A good square for the queen,
eyeing the f6-pawn, while also covering the b-file and helping White to push
the a-pawn without any significant interruption.} Kg7 30. a4 {QUESTION: A
thought experiment. Imagine that for the rest of the game, both players play
the very best moves. Is White going to win? Or is Black going to draw? --- No
hedging bets allowed, like saying that "White is slightly better". For this
experiment, you have to decide whether White ought to be winning, or whether
the final result, a draw, would have been a correct answer. --- It seems
finely balanced. When playing through the game live on the computer, I, like
many others, believed that White should win. I was mightily impressed that
Anand was able to hold out for a draw. Six weeks later, going through the game
again, I started to believe that perhaps, with extremely accurate pawn pushes
on the queenside, White could yet break through. but after trying to analyse
several such pawn pushes, I have been unable to find a convincing win, so
maybe the position was only a draw. --- It's difficult. If you think Black has
no problems and that it is only a draw, then either you have the very clear
instincts of Anand, or maybe you just do not see what the problem is. There
are, of course, intermediate points of view. --- Sorry to give such an
indeterminate answer. The point of the question is to ask the readers to think
about what Anand and Gelfand would have been thinking about themselves.} Ne7 {
Bringing the knight to d5 as planned.} 31. a5 Nd5 32. a6 Kh7 {
QUESTION: How should White handle the next part of the game?} 33. Qd4 $6 {
In some ways, this is the easiest part of the game, but in other ways it is
the most difficult. The point is that the players were getting close to the
time control, so neither player can be expected to have to think long and hard
about the next few moves. Better just to reach move 40. Therefore, if you have
a stable position, it can be simple enough to play some nondescript moves
quickly. This is well understood. --- There is no obvious reason why the queen
should be better on d4 than on b2, and certainly no obvious justification to
use up a tempo with this move. White could instead have done something else.} (
{There is a natural reluctance to make a critical pawn move just before the
time control, since pawns cannot retreat, and squares nearby get weakened.
Here, though, it turns out to be important for Black that he is able to play ...f6-f5, and therefore, it might be quite a useful idea for White to prevent
that advance, by playing} 33. g4 $5 {himself. --- A flick through the blogs
and websites suggest that most commentators ignored this point. Sergei Shipov,
among the most informative of the instant commentators, noted that 33 g4 was
"the harshest" test of Anand's defensive plan. Others merely mentioned that
Anand seemed to look more relaxed after playing ...f6-f5. --- White's basic
plan, possibly after a few intermediate moves with the king and queen, would
be to force something through with f2-f4-f5, Black now being unable to play ...f6-f5 himself. It looks good, and even if White cannot find a quick pawn push,
Black still has to be careful about attacks on the h6-pawn with Qd2, and, in
some lines, Kg3-h4-h5. --- This leaves Black playing natural quiet moves,
while White has the chance to coordinate his queen, his pawns, and, not to be
forgotten, the king. Play might continue} Kg6 34. Qb8 Kg7 35. Kg3 Rc3+ {
(Black can only wait)} 36. f3 Rc7 37. f4 {. Since Black has to protect the
a7-pawn on a7, and the rook needs to be guarded by the knight, he has no real
mobility, so White has time to centralize his king with, for example,} Rc3+ 38.
Kf2 Rc2+ 39. Ke1 Rc7 40. Kd2 {, etc, and then perhaps finding the right time
to advance with f4-f5. --- It is progress, and genuine progress, but it has
yet to be proven that White can force a win against the very best play by
Black. A challenge for the reader?}) 33... f5 {Anand has finally achieved his
defensive set-up, although naturally he still has to play accurately.} 34. f4 {
This leaves the pawn structure slightly rigid.} ({
Gelfand, still close to the time control, might well have felt that} 34. g4 {
makes it too easy for Black to exchange off his front doubled pawn, and
decided it was not going to be his best option.}) ({Possibly} 34. f3 $5 {
, a waiting move, deferring his options until after the time control. He still
has the choice between playing g2-g4 and f3-f4. He can also move his king
around, just to see what gives. Pressure, but no obvious winning attempt.})
34... Rd7 35. Kg3 ({He still has no desire to exchange pawns with} 35. g4 {.})
35... Kg6 36. Qh8 {Progress? Or a positional trap? Black was ready to play ...Nf6 anyway, followed by ...Ne4. So he is close to holding the draw.} Nf6 37.
Qb8 {And now the queen runs to the queenside.} h5 {
To create an extra escape square for the king (on h6).} 38. Kh4 Kh6 39. Qb2 Kg6
40. Qc3 Ne4 {QUESTION: The time control has just been reached. But isn't White
just about to win the pawn on h5?} 41. Qc8 ({
Gelfand avoids a nasty little trap:} 41. Qf3 $6 Rd2 $1 {
, when all of a sudden Black's pieces are aggressive, rather than defensive:}
42. -- ({. After} 42. Qxh5+ $2 Kg7 {, White has "won" one battle, in that he
has gained the pawn, but his king and queen are absurdly placed, and he will
have to lose material. Black will play ...Rd8 and ...Rh8(+).}) ({
. The self-burial by} 42. g3 $2 Rh2 43. Qxh5+ Kg7 44. g4 Rf2 {is even stranger.
}) ({. If zugzwang does not save the game, then there is a close relative,
stalemate, which will give the draw:} 42. Qb3 Rxg2 (42... Rf2 $2 43. Qb8 {
leaves White better}) 43. Qxe6+ fxe6 {½-½.}) (42. Qe3 $6 Rf2 {
is worse. --- How many of these lines did you visualize?})) 41... Nf6 42. Qb8
Re7 {The entertainment has gone, and we are now looking at a draw.} 43. g4 hxg4
44. hxg4 fxg4 45. Qe5 {Gelfand's last attempt to enliven the position, but now
Anand shows a new fortress.} Ng8 46. Qg5+ Kh7 47. Qxg4 f6 48. Qg2 Kh8 49. Qe4
Kg7 {. Not a faultless draw, but Anand defended well in an awkward endgame.}
1/2-1/2

[Event "World Championship, Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.05.24"]
[Round "10"]
[White "Anand, V."]
[Black "Gelfand, B."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B30"]
[Annotator "Colin Crouch"]
[PlyCount "49"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.12.01"]

{Even though this ended up in another draw, not reaching the time limit, one
gains the impression of a sense of urgency, of forcing the opponent (for both
sides) to have to think about every move. ---} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 {
Evidently, Anand has decided that Gelfand was sufficiently well booked up not
to try another Open Sicilian.} e6 ({Or} 3... d6 {.}) ({Or, the most common,} 
3... g6 {. It's a matter of choice.}) (3... a6 $6 {, on the other hand, would
be a sign of inexperience. As we soon see in the game, White is more than
happy to exchange bishop for knight and double the black pawns. The forward
c-pawn is then a weakness, rather than a strength, and gets in the way of the
dark-squared bishop.}) 4. Bxc6 {And indeed this is the standard response for
White here nowadays, not bothering to wait for Black to play ...a7-a6. If
White were to delay this exchange, Black has the chance to play ...Nge7,
avoiding the pawn doubling, after which it is not so clear what White is going
to do with his bishop on b5.} bxc6 5. b3 {Playable, but hardly mainstream. As
the game soon shows, Gelfand had anticipated the possibility of this opening
by Anand. --- It is rather like a Nimzo-Indian with colours reversed. The
difference is that if Black were to play ...d7-d5, White would in effect be a
couple of tempi up, in that he already has the advantage of the first move,
and in that, when compared with White's e2-e4 in one move, Black has to play ...e7-e6 and ...e6-e5 to put pressure on the e-file. --- Therefore Black does
not usually play ...d7-d5, so perhaps it is really a "Nimzo-English" with
colours reversed.} e5 $6 {With a sense of paradox;} ({one would assume that} 
5... d6 6. Bb2 e5 {
is a simpler way of proceeding. There are, of course, other choices for Black.}
) ({At the Tal Memorial, later in the month, the players were naturally
interested in the openings of the World Championship, and Radjabov faced this
system three times as Black. Each time, he played the older, more established
set-up with} 5... d6 {, and White tried} 6. e5 {. He beat McShane, and drew
with Caruana and Grischuk. --- Innovations are not necessarily improvements.
They are often slightly offbeat ideas, just to try something new, to get the
opponent thinking. The problem with Gelfand's move is that he clearly loses a
tempo. Then again, is this so much of a problem, if he has prevented White
from playing e4-e5 - ?}) 6. Nxe5 {He takes the bait, justifiably so.} Qe7 {
QUESTION: What next for White?} 7. Bb2 $5 ({
Anand later changed his mind about this position and tried something else:} 7.
d4 d6 8. Nxc6 Qxe4+ 9. Qe2 Qxe2+ 10. Kxe2 Bb7 11. Na5 Bxg2 12. Rg1 Bh3 13. Nc3
{, Anand-Gelfand, World Championship, second tie-break game 2012. Perhaps
White was still slightly better anyway. The queens have been exchanged, and
White is ahead in development. Both players have slightly broken pawn
structures (for White, pawns on f2 and h2; for Black, pawns on a7 and c5), but
Black's c-pawn is further advanced and therefore more open to attack, and also
cuts down the mobility of his dark-squared bishop. Black's bishop pair was
therefore unable to threaten White. Anand later won, after 77 moves of a
rapidplay, though the traffic was not totally one-sided.}) ({
The computer also gives} 7. Nd3 Qxe4+ 8. Qe2 Qxe2+ 9. Kxe2 {with, it is
suggested, a slight edge to White. Possibly so. It is not clear how Black can
fully equalize. White's bishop on b2 is going to be more effective than either
of Black's bishops. --- Since White has three reasonable choices for a slight
edge, Black's innovation seems to be ultimately unconvincing.}) 7... d6 8. Nc4
({Not} 8. Nxc6 Qc7 {
and the knight is trapped. White can win a third pawn in return with} 9. Nxa7 {
, but this hardly seems good.}) 8... d5 (8... Qxe4+ 9. Ne3 {leaves White well
ahead in development. He can castle quickly, and put pressure on the e-file.})
9. Ne3 d4 10. Nc4 Qxe4+ 11. Qe2 Qxe2+ 12. Kxe2 {My own assessment, at home,
was that White was doing very well, with a standard Nimzo blockade against the
doubled pawns, and also keeping ahead in development. Unlike the previous game,
the bishop pair does nothing. I was surprised on seeing a few tweets that
Black was supposed to be doing well. Was I looking at another game?} Be6 {
QUESTION: What should White play here?} 13. d3 $6 {A pawn move is not in
itself a developing move, and any unnecessary pawn push creates weaknesses.} ({
White can develop far more efficiently with} 13. Nba3 $1 {, followed perhaps
by Rhe1, Kf1 and, if given the chance, Ne5, allowing the other knight to move
to the centre with Nac4. White has a clear edge. --- It is also possible that
he can develop with the other rook instead, with Rae1, and Kd1. The important
point is to develop quickly, rather quicker than his opponent can do, and then
concentrate on manoeuvring against Black's pawns. It is going to be difficult
for Black to get all his minor pieces working well together.}) 13... Nf6 14.
Nbd2 {The problem now is that each of White's pieces is blocking the others.
Play is only level.} O-O-O 15. Rhe1 Be7 16. Kf1 Rhe8 17. Ba3 {
Not really the greatest of diagonals, but what else is there to be done?} Nd5 {
A reminder for White that he no longer has any protection for the c3-square.}
18. Ne4 Nb4 {Indeed, just for the moment, it is White, not Black, who faces
difficulties on the queenside. Anand will be fully aware of this, and he
quickly neutralizes the difficulties.} 19. Re2 Bxc4 {Gelfand wants to remove
the strong c4-outpost for his less than impressive bishop.} 20. bxc4 f5 21.
Bxb4 {QUESTION: But should White have exchanged Black's knight just here?} ({
Black's knight is no longer threatening, now that he cannot move it to d5.
Unless White allows Black to take one of the pawns, the only way back to
active play would be via a6. For instance,} 21. Ng3 g6 22. Bc1 Kd7 $5 {
(to make good use of the b-file for the rook)} 23. a3 Na6 {is tense, but equal.
Both lines look reasonable, but Anand's move cuts down any complicated lines.
It seems he was already thinking about a draw.}) 21... cxb4 22. Nd2 {Amazingly,
it is White who now has the doubled c-pawns, and this makes it difficult to
take advantage of Black's slightly ragged pawn structure.} Bd6 ({
The computer suggests} 22... Bf6 {
as with a slight edge for Black, though it is difficult to believe this.} 23.
a3 bxa3 24. Rxa3 {looks fine for White, whereas Black's bishop is not on a
good post to nurture his queenside dark squares.}) 23. Rxe8 Rxe8 24. Nb3 c5 25.
a3 {. QUESTION: A draw was agreed here. Could one of the players have
continued to try for an edge?} ({The draw agreement seems slightly premature.
Black definitely has a slight edge after} 25. a3 bxa3 26. Rxa3 Kb7 {, in view of his outside passed pawn. White cannot, despite initial appearances, force a
perpetual or set up a simple rook exchange; while Black, for as long as he can
keep the a-pawn safe and slightly threatening, can force his opponent to have
to defend accurately. White has an extra pawn elsewhere on the board, in
compensation for Black's passed pawn, but clearly the backward doubled c-pawn
is in no sense dangerous.} 27. -- (27. Ra5 -- (27... Rc8 $6 28. Rb5+ {
looks like a stock equalizing plan for White, and no doubt both players would
have noted this.}) ({. But the computer notes that} 27... a6 $3 {
is good for Black. The point is that after} 28. Nxc5+ Kb6 29. Nb3 Bb4 30. Ra1 {
(remember, Black is threatening mate on e1)} Bc3 {, now that Black has opened
up lines for his diagonal, his a-pawn is rather dangerous. For instance,} 31.
Rd1 a5 32. Nc1 a4 33. Na2 ({not} 33. Ne2 $4 Rxe2 {, and Black promotes on a1})
33... Ba5 {is unpleasant for White.})) ({. He could instead retreat with} 27.
Ra1 a6 {(still a useful move)} 28. Rb1 Kc7 {and then, for example,} 29. Ra1 Ra8
30. Ke2 Kb6 31. Rb1 Kc6 32. Na5+ Kd7 {, but now Black has untangled his pieces,
and White will have to work out how to defend against the a-pawn for the next
thirty moves.})) (25. -- {As in some of the earlier games, Gelfand should
really have tried for more in this ending. Perhaps he did not quite believe
that he could beat Anand in technical endgames. --- Anyway, another draw, and
we are getting ever closer to the maelstrom of rapidplay and blitz to decide
the World Championship.}) 1/2-1/2

[Event "World Championship, Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.05.26"]
[Round "11"]
[White "Gelfand, B."]
[Black "Anand, V."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "E54"]
[Annotator "Colin Crouch"]
[PlyCount "48"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.12.01"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 {Again avoiding the Slav.} 4. e3 O-O 5. Bd3 d5 6.
Nf3 c5 7. O-O dxc4 8. Bxc4 Bd7 {Not new, but almost forgotten. Gelfand thought
for more than half an hour in response to Anand's modest developing move,
apparently introduced by Bronstein. The main development plan is ...Bc6
followed by ...Nbd7. --- QUESTION: Can you find a clear edge for White? Or is
Black's opening fully playable?} 9. a3 {This was the one chance for Gelfand to
take the initiative. If Anand's move was genuinely doubtful, and if there were
a few ways to gain an edge, then Gelfand would have found one of them. If the
position after Anand's move was genuinely equal, then it would have been
hardly surprising that Gelfand could not find anything. ---} (9. a3 {
, as played in the game, is the computer's main suggestion for a slight edge.})
(9. Qb3 {is the computer's second selection, but then} Nc6 {forces White to
scurry away to avoid ...Na5. White cannot realistically be better here.}) (9.
Ne5 {is potentially interesting, but it needs to be remembered that the
"threat" of gaining the bishop pair is not of great significance. White uses
up three moves with the knight to capture on d7, while Black has made only one
move with the bishop. The tempo count suggests that Black should be equal
after either} Nc6 ({or} 9... cxd4 {
. --- It seems that Gelfand is still on the right tracks.})) {QUESTION: Three
reasonable choices here, the third being 9...cxd4. Which is best? Or which has
the most surprise value in a level position? Or are they all about equal? Find
a move, and hope that it is not a mistake.} 9... Ba5 {Apparently, this was a
surprise to many of the top grandmasters commentating in Moscow. Later moves
were not predicted by the grandmasters either. This does not necessarily mean
that the moves were particularly odd or unusual. It just reflects the point
that if a position is close to equal, then quite often there are several ways
to retain near-equality in several different lines. We can be grateful for
that. If there was only one reasonable move in any position, chess would have
been played out to its death by the time of Capablanca. --- The basic point
about Anand's bishop retreat is that he has decided - in advance of course -
only to exchange his bishop for knight if White has already captured with
d4xc5. Anand would prefer, if possible, not to allow his opponent to have a
solid pawn structure of c3/d4/e3, etc. It is much less solid if the pawns are
on c3, c5, e3, etc.} ({Instead: --} 9... Bxc3 10. bxc3 {is a minor concession,
though the main play has yet to come. One problem in this line is that, once
the b-pawn has switched files to c3, White can add some pressure with Rb1.
Black no longer has the simple equalizing option (as in two rounds earlier) of
exchanging the c5-pawn on d4, followed by ...b7-b6 and ...Bb7, so his position
is potentially slightly uncomfortable. Anand was looking for more direct ways
to equalize.}) (9... cxd4 10. exd4 {is a standard IQP (isolated queen's pawn)
variation, in which it is not so clear that he really wants the bishop on d7.
Again, he would have been happier with ...b7-b6, ...Bb7, ...Nbd7, etc. Black
still has to prove that he can equalize. --- Possibly Anand's move is indeed
the best among equals.}) 10. Qe2 (10. dxc5 Bxc3 11. bxc3 Qa5 {is level.}) 10...
Bc6 11. Rd1 {QUESTION: Black to play. What next?} Bxc3 $5 {A puzzling move,
indeed the most puzzling move of a short but difficult game. Black has already
retreated with ...Ba5, declining to capture on c3, but now, a couple of moves
later, he plays ...Bxc3 with loss of tempo. Neither player has altered the
pawn structure in the meantime, whereas White has played a couple of
developing moves which, one would think, would mean that Black does not have
the luxury of giving away a tempo. --- So why did Anand try this? Or, more
specifically, why now? The point here is that while White has made a couple of
developing moves, Black has done the same. He has manoeuvred his bishop to c6,
and is ready to play ...Nbd7. Once he is ready to achieve this, it is a good
idea to eliminate White's c3-knight, to avoid, for example, a d4-d5 prod by a
white pawn. Also, as we shall see later, Black can offer a favourable bishop
exchange with ...Bd5, once the knight on c3 has gone. --- It works, in that
Anand soon equalized. There is the question, though, of whether Gelfand could
have reacted more alertly, with the possibility of a slight edge. --- Anand's
play is arguably the most difficult to appreciate, at World Championship level,
since the days of Petrosian in the 1960s. It is not so difficult to appreciate
the games of Fischer or Kasparov, even if admirers know that they would be
unable to play as well. Karpov, too, gives nothing away, and takes whatever is
given. If the opponent makes a slight error, he will lose. Playing through the
games in this match, Anand's most obvious similarities are with Petrosian and
the deep and intricate manoeuvring, which looks puzzling, but in which
everything works out well in the end. We have already seen, several times in
this match, how Anand has given away bishop for knight, when most players
would prefer the bishop. This was a Petrosian speciality as well. --- The
difference between Petrosian and Anand, and why Anand became a much stronger
player, was that, behind his defensive technique, Anand was far more willing
to attack when given the chance - and, above all, he was able to analyse his
openings in great depth at home with, of course, the help of the computer,
whereas Petrosian tended to be lazy in this aspect of the game. Occasionally,
Anand, like Petrosian, can go spectacularly wrong in misjudging the pace of
play in a position. But not here.} ({
Returning to the game, there is still the puzzle as to why Anand did not try} 
11... Nbd7 $5 {.} 12. -- ({. After all,} 12. dxc5 Bxc3 13. bxc3 {could have arisen in the main line, supposing White had played d4xc5 a couple of moves later.
}) ({. Alternatively,} 12. d5 {is natural, when} exd5 ({not} 12... Bxc3 $4 13.
dxc6 {, winning a piece}) 13. Nxd5 Nb6 {leads to sharp play, although after
any tactics, Black remains equal. --- Well, at least that is what I said
several weeks ago. On checking through various references, I notice that
Shipov gives this variation as really strong for White after} 14. Nxb6 ({
Shipov describes as "weak" the continuation of R.Knaak-A.Yusupov, Hamburg 1991:
} 14. Nf4 Qc7 15. Ba2 Rae8 16. Bd2 Bxd2 17. Rxd2 Ne4 18. Rc2 Qe7 {
, which is equal}) 14... Qxb6 15. b4 cxb4 16. Ne5 {"and so on". However, it is
hard to see why White's position could be regarded as in any sense
advantageous. Black has his extra pawn, and potentially two outside passed
pawns; he is better developed, and his king is safe enough. All that can be
said for White is that he has a pair of bishops after, say,} Qc7 17. Nxc6 Qxc6
{. The best I can reasonably suggest is that White should be able to equalize
with} 18. Bd2 {. So I stick to my earlier assessment, while noting that White
has a possible improvement at move 12 (see below). --- Instant commentaries
are often extremely useful, especially because the commentator, like Shipov,
is not merely churning forth the output of computer chess engines. The trouble
is that, as in chess over the board, mistakes and misjudgments slip in.}) ({
. We return to a previous comment of mine, in which I suggest that White has a
different way to try to show an edge. One suspects that Anand would have been
more worried about} 12. Ne5 $5 {. If Black takes the knight, then after} Nxe5 {
(there are various alternatives, probably each with a slight edge to White)}
13. dxe5 Nd7 14. Bb5 {, White is starting to create pressure on the d-file.}))
12. bxc3 Nbd7 {
QUESTION: What is White's last chance to squeeze out a slight edge?} 13. Bd3 {
This makes it much easier for Black to exchange bishops, a few moves later,
with ...Be4, neutralizing the bishop pair. After the move played, everything
soon ends up in equality.} ({Instead,} 13. Bb2 Qc7 14. Ba2) ({or perhaps} 13.
Ba2 {first, was the last chance before the rapidplay for Gelfand to try for a
plus score with the white pieces. After that, it is Anand who has the
advantage of White in game twelve. Black still has to prove he can equalize.})
13... Qa5 14. c4 (14. Bb2 cxd4 15. cxd4 Be4 {is equal.}) 14... cxd4 15. exd4
Qh5 16. Bf4 {An unexpectedly provocative move;} ({
inviting Anand to break open White's pawn structure with} 16. Bf4 Bxf3 17. gxf3
{. --- QUESTION: Should Anand have tried this? --- Probably not. Anand was
happy to halve out with his next move, safely. --- Yes, he could give his
opponent doubled and isolated f-pawns, but White then has two bishops versus
two knights, and while it is easy enough to see ways in which White can
improve his position, it is difficult to see anything constructive for Black.
--- Besides, Anand had just encountered a gruelling defence with two knights
versus two bishops, as Black in game nine. He would not want to go through all
that again. Quite possibly Gelfand would have reasoned that Anand was unlikely
to speculate, at this stage of the match.}) 16... Rac8 17. Ne5 {
He cannot keep the knight on f3 indefinitely.} Qxe2 18. Bxe2 Nxe5 19. Bxe5 Rfd8
{QUESTION: Does White still have chances of playing for a slight edge with his
bishop pair? --- The problem is that White's queenside pawns have been
weakened, making it extremely difficult for him to open the position in his
favour. Meanwhile Black can try to manoeuvre his pieces to attack the hanging
pawns. White turned out to be happy with a draw.} 20. a4 Ne4 21. Rd3 f6 22. Bf4
Be8 {Indeed, momentarily it looks as if Black is already better, but Gelfand
has his defences sorted out, and there was soon a handshake.} 23. Rb3 Rxd4 24.
Be3 Rd7 {. Draw agreed, perhaps slightly prematurely from the point of view of
the spectators, as there is still play on the board - but if both players play
accurately, the result would eventually be a draw.} ({White of course plays} 
24... Rd7 25. Bxa7 {, when a possible continuation might be} Bg6 26. Be3 Nd6
27. c5 Nf5 28. Bf3 Nxe3 29. fxe3 Rxc5 30. Bxb7 Ra5 {
, and the draw comes even closer.}) 1/2-1/2

[Event "World Championship, Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.05.28"]
[Round "12"]
[White "Anand, V."]
[Black "Gelfand, B."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B30"]
[Annotator "Colin Crouch"]
[PlyCount "43"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.12.01"]

{Was this going to be a tame draw in the final round, a time to relax before
the stress of the rapidplay? There seems little sense in going all out for a
win, taking risks, on the last day of the slow-play. Better to wait for the
opponent to make mistakes in a quicker time limit. --- It turned out that the
game was indeed a draw, and in 22 moves, but there was no lack of creative
spirit. There was enough interest in the first 21 moves to fascinate anyone.
--- After much of the tentative chess of the first half of the match, and the
serious mistakes in games seven and eight, both players seemed to settle down
to play exceptionally high-level, creative chess. One senses that, had the
match had been played over 16 games, or even the traditional 24 games, there
would have been far more outstanding chess to follow. ---} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Bb5 e6 4. Bxc6 bxc6 5. d3 {QUESTION: What do you think about this move?
Remember that Anand had played 5 b3 a couple of rounds earlier. --- The d2-d3
push seems rather tame here, especially given that Anand soon played b2-b3 and
Bb2 anyway.} ({The suspicion is that he simply did not want to allow Gelfand
the same variation as in game ten (} 5. b3 e5 6. Nxe5 Qe7 {, etc), even though
White could still have kept, it seems, a slight edge at move 13. And what were
the seconds there to do? Three days before the next game was surely enough
time to examine the opening and test it out, with a few grandmasters and a
computer. The move I suggested in the notes (13 Nba3) seems logical enough,
avoiding the extra pawn move (d2-d3), while still completing his development.
The computer suggests that it is good. --- Quite possibly Anand, having been
unable to demonstrate an edge over the board, wanted to disregard the whole
line with 5 b3 for this game. If he can find something promising with 5 d3,
then play it! Objectively, though, it is unlikely that 5 d3 is quite as
accurate as 5 b3, and in the second rapidplay game, Anand returned to 5 b3,
making a different attempt at an improvement.}) (5. O-O {is also to be
considered, a straightforward developing move, waiting to see whether Black
aims for ...d7-d6 or, less likely, ...d7-d5.}) 5... Ne7 6. b3 {Again, if this
is still Anand's plan, there was no great reason to insert 5 d3. Was this a
sign that, these days, Anand has tended to play overcautiously, as some
commentators have suggested?} d6 ({Thus, no} 6... d5 {.}) {
QUESTION: What should White play next?} 7. e5 {Really, there is not much
choice to be made here. If Black is allowed to play ...e6-e5, he would have a
solid and compact pawn centre, and a useful bishop pair, for when it starts to
open up. --- Play starts to become intricate and complicated.} Ng6 {
QUESTION: Should Black have taken the pawn immediately? ---} ({
There is no obvious reason why the pawn cannot be snatched with} 7... dxe5 {.}
8. -- ({. White could not try} 8. Nxe5 $2 {, as after} Qd4 9. Nc4 Qxa1 10. Bb2
Qxa2 11. Nc3 Qa6 12. Nd6+ Kd7 13. Nxf7 Rg8 {
, he has started to run out of ideas for his rook sacrifice.}) ({
. This leaves something like} 8. Bb2 f6 9. Nbd2 {, making it a positional
gambit. It is not absolutely certain that White has complete compensation for
his pawn, but it is not clear either that Black is definitely better. Indeed,
White has his own positional pluses. Probably the position is equal, or close
to equal, though it can be difficult to assess what is going on when there is
a material imbalance. --- The danger is, for Black, that he might feel obliged
to show that he can do something positive with his extra pawn. He has three
main weaknesses in this rather strange position. Obviously the c-pawns are
doubled and isolated, and the squares in front of the pawns create good
outposts for White. The other two weaknesses are the two bishops. The one on
f8 has no real destination, blocked by the doubled pawns on c5 and on e5. The
c8-bishop is equally obstructed, by the other doubled pawns on e6 and c6.
Black needs to think about how to bring his bishops into play. --- It is
possible that this might have been a slightly better way of playing this for
Black, in view of later comments. Such assessments can at best be tentative in
such a difficult position. The move Gelfand played was not bad either.} (9. --)
)) {QUESTION: White to play. What next?} 8. h4 $6 {By now Gelfand and Anand
will have been well-tuned into each other's thought processes, if not so much
in the first eight games, then certainly in the later rounds. One senses that,
on the last move, Gelfand had instinctively decided that Anand would want to
continue the pawn sacrifice for as long as possible, and try to squeeze some
sort of initiative out of it. --- Anand's push of the h-pawn was slightly
strange, the only realistic explanation being to try to force Black into
taking the gambit. The advanced h-pawn did not add to the ideas and strategies
used later on. The possibility of a further h4-h6-h6, for example, was
unlikely ever to be played. ---} ({There is a much simpler way of handling the
position for White, avoiding having to gambit a pawn, and almost certainly
giving him a slight edge. All he has to do is to play} 8. exd6 {.} -- ({
. If then} 8... Bxd6 9. Nbd2 {, White's two knights, plus the bishop, are far
better coordinated than the opposing minor pieces.}) ({. Black can try} 8...
Qf6 {, gaining a tempo by the attack on the rook.} 9. -- ({. Then} 9. c3 Bxd6 {
is about equal}) ({, but} 9. d7+ $1 Bxd7 10. c3 {gives White a slight edge,
and often this is all that is really needed out of the opening. Black's bishop
on d7 is on a bad square, and this makes all the difference between a slight
advantage for White and mere equality. It will take time for Black to put
pressure on d3 with the rook, and to attack that square with the bishop, as ...Bc8 and ...Ba6 would cost two tempi.} -- (10... Nf4 11. Bxf4 Qxf4 12. Qd2 Bd6
13. Qxf4 Bxf4 14. Nbd2 {gives the sort of position where two knights can
occasionally outplay the two bishops. White will soon be able to play Nc4, a
good square which cannot be attacked by pawns, or perhaps Ne4. The two knights
can work together.}) ({. If instead} 10... Qf5 {, the simplest option would be}
11. Qe2 {, followed by offering the exchange of queens with Qe4. Again,
Black's queenside pawns are damaged, and he does not even have an extra pawn
to compensate.}) ({
. Black can also try opening up for the light-squared bishop with} 10... e5 {
, but after} 11. Nbd2 {, it is not so clear that any of the bishop moves are
that effective. Meanwhile, the other bishop is caged in again by the pawns on
c5 and e5. White keeps a slight edge.} (11. --))))) {QUESTION: Black could
again take on e5, and this is playable. But is there a quick and simple way to
simplify the position, to ensure that Black cannot lose?} 8... Nxe5 {The most obvious reply, but there are still, as the computer suggests, several different
possibilities of keeping the position equal, while lively and interesting. ---
Assume, though, that Black does not want to keep the tension alive. He is not
interested in provoking his opponent into overpressing. All he wants is to
take the half-point away as quickly and as conveniently as possible. A draw
with Black against strong opposition is usually a good result.} ({
The simplest way would appear to be} 8... c4 $5 {
, a return pawn offer, which immediately mobilizes his dark-squared bishop.} 9.
-- ({. If} 9. bxc4 {then} Nxe5 {and Black is comfortable, since} 10. Nxe5 $6 {
is answered by} Qa5+ 11. c3 ({not} 11. Bd2 $4 Qxe5+ {, winning the rook}) 11...
Qxe5+ {with the advantage.}) ({. Black also has at least equality after} 9.
dxc4 Nxe5 {.}) ({. If instead} 9. exd6 cxd3 10. Qxd3 Qxd6 {, Black has some
slight difficulties with his queenside pawn structure, but there is adequate
compensation with his more active minor pieces, and his bishop pair. --- It is
difficult to imagine that White could be enthusiastic about trying to win in
such positions. (Again, what has he achieved with his h2-h4 push?) Job done
for Black.})) 9. Nxe5 dxe5 10. Nd2 {QUESTION: Effectively the same question as
before. What is the best way to handle the position here, to try to eliminate
any danger of a loss? --- Warning: This was perhaps the most difficult move so
far in the whole of the match, and Gelfand thought for an hour in making his
decision. It is a baffling position, and if a player of Gelfand's strength
cannot find a good position quickly, then few others could have done better.
Indeed, one would suspect, 99% of chess players would not have considered the
move that Gelfand played, and of the 1%, most players would have rejected it
quite quickly.} c4 $5 {An astonishing move, which got the audience buzzing.
Black gives away the extra pawn, just to activate his dark-squared bishop, and
then, before long, gives away a second pawn too. --- Gelfand's move is not
perhaps all that great a surprise if we take into account the possibility of ...c5-c4 two moves earlier. Quite possibly he had thought about that, but
decided it was unnecessary. A little further on, there is an extra degree of
urgency. Black has to decide quickly how to get his bishops into active play.
Two moves ago, this would have been a straightforward equalizing idea, whereas
now it makes the whole game noteworthy.} ({
The problem is that quieter lines, such as} 10... Bd6 11. Bb2 f6 12. Qh5+ g6
13. Qf3 Bb7 14. Qg4) ({or} 10... Qd5 11. Ne4 Be7 ({now if} 11... c4 {,} 12.
bxc4 {gives White a slight edge}) 12. Qg4 g6 13. Qg3 {, still make life
uncomfortable for Black, and therefore there is still a danger of a loss in
the longer run.}) ({Suppose, on the other hand, that Black tries to keep the
extra pawn, being prepared to combat any tactics - for instance, if it was
essential for him to play for a win, rather than to secure a draw - there is
still a possible choice. He could try} 10... Qd5 11. Ne4 f5 $5 12. Qh5+ g6 13.
Nf6+ Kf7 14. Nxd5 gxh5 15. Ne3 {. Black now has three sets of doubled pawns!
It is unlikely that White will be able to regain a pawn quickly, but Black
will have to work hard to keep them all together. Maybe} Ba6 16. Bb2 Bg7 17.
O-O-O Rhg8 18. g3 {, tense but perhaps level. Not quite enough, if the first
objective is to make sure he cannot be worse, in the heat of the match battle.}
) 11. Nxc4 Ba6 {QUESTION: Could Black have protected the front e-pawn with 11..
.f6 - ? He can be content with having opened up lines for his dark-squared
bishop, and material is level.} ({This would not be advisable.} 11... f6 12.
Qh5+ g6 13. Qf3 {leaves too many pawn weaknesses, especially on c6 and f6.})
12. Qf3 ({Of course not} 12. Nxe5 $4 Qa5+ {.}) 12... Qd5 {
The next stage of Gelfand's defensive idea.} 13. Qxd5 {QUESTION: This queen
exchange is obvious, natural, and wins a pawn. Anand played it very quickly.
But were there any other interesting moves he could have tried?} ({
Shipov suggested that} 13. Qg3 $1 {was the last attempt by Anand to try for a
win. Pawns are level, but Gelfand still has structural problems, which are not
yet fully resolved. Black also has trouble with his dark squares, and it is
difficult to bring his dark-squared bishop into play.} -- ({
. The computer suggests} 13... f6 14. O-O {as level, but White can be happy
with this. Black's sacrifice of the c5-pawn gives a bit more freedom to his
pieces, but White's game still looks better.} (14. --)) ({
. Another option is for Black to exchange his front e-pawn with} 13... e4 {
, but this opens up the long diagonal, and after} 14. O-O exd3 15. cxd3 Rd8 16.
Rd1 {, followed soon by Bb2, Black still has to work out how to develop his
kingside. --- This would have been the last serious attempt by Anand to try to
win the slow-play match, before the tensions and dubious excitements of the
rapidplay.})) 13... cxd5 14. Nxe5 f6 {Gelfand has sacrificed his second pawn,
ensuring that the five remaining pawns are healthy and secure, with prospects
of activity, revitalized by his free-ranging bishops.} 15. Nf3 e5 16. O-O Kf7 {
QUESTION: Superb though Gelfand's defensive plans might be, it is always best
in chess to remain a little sceptical. Is Black really totally level here?} 17.
c4 {This simplifies the structure a little too soon if White is aiming to gain
anything out of the extra pawn. It was not long before the players agreed a
draw. Quite possibly, with it being the final game of the main match, both
players would have been extremely tense, and each would have felt a sense of
relief at not losing. Six all would be a highly respectable score for either
player, equal first in the slow-play; whereas 5½-6½ would have been a real
downer for the loser. They then had to start thinking about the rapidplay.} ({
Objectively, Anand is still slightly better here. The important point is not
to allow his pawn structure to be weakened, if at all possible.} 17. Bb2 {
would at least have forced Black to show how to defend a slightly worse
position:} -- (17... e4 18. Nd4 exd3 19. cxd3 Bxd3 20. Rfd1 {, and while Black
now has level material, he will still be under pressure with his isolated
d-pawn. It is impossible for two bishops to focus on the same square, whereas
bishop and knight can sometimes work well together.} (20. --)) (17... d4 {
allows White to open up a good square for the knight with} 18. Nd2 {
, and Nc4 before too long.}) (17... Bb4 {, to block out the knight from
reaching d2, would perhaps be one good method of defence, and then after} 18.
c3 {, a quick retreat with} Bd6 {. White's pawn structure will again have been
slightly weakened, and this gives the opportunity for Black to defend. --- The
draw is not wholly trivial for Black, although Gelfand would surely have found
a good way of holding the game. The chances for White to try for an edge with
17 Bb2 seem less than those after 13 Qg3 earlier.})) 17... Be7 18. Be3 Bb7 19.
cxd5 ({If} 19. Rfc1 {, all Black needs to do to defend is to centralize his
pieces, and not worry about pushing his pawns - therefore} Rhd8 {.}) 19... Bxd5
20. Rfc1 a5 {
In order to try and break down the outside 2-1 queenside white pawns.} 21. Bc5
Rhd8 22. Bxe7 {. QUESTION: Many commentators suggested that the agreed draw
seemed a little premature. What do you think? --- The draw offer by White was
perfectly reasonable. White has the extra pawn, but Black has the more active
pieces, and White's pawns have various weaknesses, so it is difficult to see
how he could set up a viable passed pawn.} ({After} 22. Bxe7 Kxe7 23. Rc7+ {
, both 23...Rd7 and 23...Kf8 seem acceptable. The simpler line would be} Rd7
24. Rxd7+ Kxd7 25. Nd2 a4 {, when there is not much to be done for White.
Indeed, if he tries too hard, he has to be careful not to fall for any traps.
For example,} 26. Nc4 Kc6 27. b4 Kb5 28. a3 Bxc4 29. dxc4+ Kxc4 30. Rd1 e4 31.
Re1 f5 32. f3 f4 $5 {. It is now White who has to play for the draw:} 33. fxe4
$1 ({not} 33. Rxe4+ $2 Kb3 {and White is in trouble}) 33... Kb3 34. b5 Kxa3 35.
Rb1 {with a repetition after} Ka2 36. Rb4 Ka3 37. Rb1 {. --- But who needs all
this extra excitement at this stage of the match? Easier just to take the safe
and quick draw.}) (22. -- {In my blog, I suggested this was "the best chess of
the match so far". Now I am not so sure. Technically, Gelfand should have
played ...c5-c4 a couple of moves earlier, for example, while Anand had
possible improvements at several points in the game. It was undoubtedly
difficult and interesting, though, with much chess paradox squeezed into
twenty moves.}) 1/2-1/2

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "The Sequel: Tie-Break Games"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Colin Crouch"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.12.01"]

{Anand won the rapidplay playoff, retaining the World Championship. He scored
one win and three draws, out of the four extra games. I have played through
the games, but I do not intend to annotate them fully. There was, of course,
much entertainment, as is bound to happen with two world-class players, each
aiming for a win. Equally, the players cannot be expected to play completely
accurate chess, when the clock is so dominant. So there are mistakes, so what?
} 1. -- {It is sad that we have resorted to rapid games to decide the World
Championship. What happens in the end is that strength and stamina will decide,
rather than chess understanding. The game that Gelfand lost was from a drawn
endgame, with only one pawn on the board and an equal number of pieces.
Gelfand did not have any second time control and, having to play ten seconds a
move indefinitely, he slipped in an error or two. Not really a good way for a
world championship to finish. --- For completeness, we give fragments of each
of the games.} *

[Event "World Championship (tie-break), Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.05.30"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Gelfand, B."]
[Black "Anand, V."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "D46"]
[Annotator "Colin Crouch"]
[PlyCount "64"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.12.01"]

{This looked impressive when played through quickly. Sharp and open tactics
ending up, after sacrifices on either side, in a drawn rook and pawn endgame.
Sometimes, though, the draw may be the result of mistakes by both sides, and
all the more so in a rapidplay game. ---} 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6
5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Qc2 Bd6 7. Bd3 O-O 8. O-O e5 {Anand believes in his plan.} (8...
dxc4 9. Bxc4 b5 {is a more common reaction.}) 9. cxd5 cxd5 10. e4 exd4 11. Nxd5
Nxd5 12. exd5 h6 13. b3 Ne5 14. Nxe5 Bxe5 15. Re1 Re8 16. Bb2 Bd7 17. Qd2 Qf6
18. g3 Rac8 19. a4 $6 {A strange move, which merely, and unnecessarily, ends
up weakening his pawn structure.} ({The simplest way for White to try for an
edge might well be the ultra-symmetrical} 19. Be4 {
, arguing that his bishop on b2 is superior to Black's bishop on d7.}) 19...
Qf3 {Straight away, Anand pounces on Gelfand's weaknesses at b3 and f3. Black
is now better.} 20. Be4 Qxb3 21. Reb1 {Exactly the sort of position where
Anand would have benefited from having twenty minutes to think.} Bxg3 $6 {
This looks good, and the crowds enjoyed it, but the game soon ended up in a
draw.} ({Instead, the computer suggests} 21... Rc4 $1 {, quietly consolidating,
and it is difficult to see how White can improve his pieces. If} 22. Bxd4 $4 {
, then of course} Rxd4 {. --- It is easier to think through tactics quickly
than to try to assess a position.}) 22. Ra3 Qb6 23. Bxd4 Bxh2+ {
Of course Anand had seen this in advance.} 24. Kxh2 Qd6+ 25. Rg3 Rxe4 26. Bxg7
Kh7 27. Rxb7 Rg8 {And we can assume that both players will have seen their way
through the tactics.} 28. Qxh6+ {The only problem, from Anand's point of view,
is that Gelfand was able to find the drawing line. It is extremely difficult
for a player who has calculated a variation, over the board, very close to its
end, and seeing that it is not winning, then to change tack at the beginning
and start again (i.e. 21...Rc4 instead of 21...Bxg3). It is close to
impossible to do this in a rapidplay.} Qxh6+ 29. Bxh6 Rxg3 30. Kxg3 Bc8 31. Rc7
Kxh6 32. Rxc8 Rxa4 {
. --- A sharp draw, although there were undoubtedly mistakes.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "World Championship (tie-break), Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.05.30"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Anand, V."]
[Black "Gelfand, B."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B30"]
[Annotator "Colin Crouch"]
[PlyCount "153"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.12.01"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 e6 4. Bxc6 bxc6 5. b3 e5 6. Nxe5 Qe7 7. d4 ({
Deviating from game ten, in which Anand played} 7. Bb2 $5 {.}) 7... d6 8. Nxc6
Qxe4+ 9. Qe2 Qxe2+ 10. Kxe2 Bb7 11. Na5 Bxg2 12. Rg1 Bh3 13. dxc5 dxc5 14. Nc3
O-O-O 15. Bf4 Bd6 16. Bxd6 Rxd6 17. Rg5 ({
Here it seems that Anand could have achieved a clear advantage with} 17. Rxg7 {
, leaving Black with four isolated pawns. --- The game move was also possible,
but leaves White only a slight edge. Maybe Anand was distracted by the thought
of attacking the black king, but, if so, he was unable to demonstrate checkmate.
--- Nevertheless, Gelfand was getting short of time - a move every ten seconds
indefinitely - and although he reached what presumably have been a
straightforward draw, with rook and bishop versus rook, knight and pawn, he
managed to lose the game. It is much easier in defending, when you have plenty
of time on the clock, than when you have to play almost instantly, while still
trying to calculate whether you have allowed a potentially good move by the
opponent, and see what your own move would be in reply. Just going through the
mechanics takes up time.}) 17... Nf6 18. Rxc5+ Kb8 19. Nc4 Re8+ 20. Ne3 Ng4 21.
Ncd5 Nxe3 22. Nxe3 Bg4+ 23. f3 Bc8 24. Re1 Rh6 25. Rh1 Rhe6 26. Rc3 f5 27. Kd2
f4 28. Nd5 g5 29. Rd3 Re2+ 30. Kc1 Rf2 31. h4 Ree2 32. Rc3 Bb7 33. Rd1 gxh4 34.
Nxf4 Re8 35. Rh1 Rc8 36. Rxc8+ Bxc8 37. Rxh4 Bf5 38. Rh5 Bxc2 39. Rb5+ Ka8 40.
Nd5 a6 41. Ra5 Kb7 42. Nb4 Bg6 43. Nxa6 Rxf3 44. Nc5+ Kb6 45. b4 Rf4 46. a3 Rg4
47. Kd2 h5 48. Nd7+ Kb7 49. Ne5 Rg2+ 50. Kc3 Be8 51. Nd3 h4 52. Re5 Bg6 53. Nf4
Rg3+ 54. Kd4 Bc2 55. Rh5 Rxa3 56. Rxh4 Rg3 57. Nd5 Rg5 58. b5 Bf5 59. Rh6 Bg4
60. Rf6 Rf5 61. Rb6+ Ka7 62. Rg6 Bf3 63. Rg7+ Kb8 64. Nc3 Bb7 65. Kc4 Bf3 66.
Kb4 Bd5 67. Na4 Rf7 68. Rg5 Bf3 69. Nc5 Kc7 70. Rg6 Kd8 71. Ka5 {. It is easy
to see that White has made progress, but it is not so clear that he should
have any winning chances. Even so, Gelfand somehow lost, after allowing Anand
to exchange minor pieces into a winning rook ending. So, a game down over the
match. --- The question for the reader is to try to find a reliable way of
holding the position, whether after move 64 (you are aiming for a rock-solid
blockade), or after move 71. Use the computer to help you analyse.} Rf5 72.
Ne6+ Kc8 73. Nd4 Rf8 74. Nxf3 Rxf3 75. Kb6 Rb3 76. Rg8+ Kd7 77. Rb8 1-0

[Event "World Championship (tie-break), Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.05.30"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Gelfand, B."]
[Black "Anand, V."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "D12"]
[Annotator "Colin Crouch"]
[PlyCount "125"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.12.01"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 Bf5 5. Nc3 e6 6. Nh4 Bg6 7. Nxg6 hxg6 8. Bd3
Nbd7 9. O-O Bd6 10. h3 O-O 11. Qc2 Qe7 12. Rd1 Rac8 13. c5 Bb8 14. f4 Ne8 15.
b4 g5 16. Rb1 f5 17. b5 gxf4 18. exf4 Nef6 19. bxc6 bxc6 20. Ba6 Rc7 21. Be3
Ne4 22. Rb2 g5 23. Rdb1 {Anand is in massive trouble here. All he can do, in
practical terms, is force Gelfand to have to calculate not just one line, but
several different lines. With any luck, the opponent will miss something. 
Anand opened play up with...} gxf4 $5 24. Bxf4 e5 {Two good captures on the
e-file, but which is the better? In fact it doesn't really matter, but it is
time spent on the clock for Gelfand to analyse.} 25. Bxe5 (25. Nxe4 {also wins:
} fxe4 ({or} 25... exf4 26. Nd6 {and Black is squashed on the queenside}) 26.
Bxe5 Nxe5 27. dxe5 {and the bishop on b8 is lost.}) 25... Nxe5 ({
Somewhere in all the hacking of pieces on both sides, Gelfand missed} 25...
Nxe5 26. Nxe4 {. Then} fxe4 27. dxe5 {is the same as before, and again Black's
bishop drops; while if he moves the knight away, White has 27 Nd6.}) 26. Rxb8
$2 {...which is strange, as the bishop is dead wood. Taking the live knight
would have been far more sensible, but of course mistakes occur in rapidplay.
Anand was now able to play...} Ng6 {...when he had survived for the time being.
--- Then many, many more moves were made, just seconds per move, far quicker
than one would expect to ask grandmasters to play. After many mistakes,
Gelfand emerged with a winning rook endgame, two pawns up, and sacrificed one
to promote the other. --- So, the final chance for Gelfand to win, and he blew
it...} 27. Nxe4 fxe4 28. Qf2 Qg7 29. Kh2 Rcf7 30. Qg3 Nf4 31. R8b3 Qxg3+ 32.
Rxg3+ Kh7 33. Rd1 Ne6 34. Be2 Rf2 35. Bg4 Nf4 36. Rb1 Rf7 37. Rb8 Rxa2 38. Rc8
e3 39. Rxe3 Rxg2+ 40. Kh1 Rd2 41. Rxc6 Ne6 42. Rf3 Rxf3 43. Bxf3 Nxd4 44. Rc7+
Kh6 45. Bxd5 Rc2 46. Be4 Rc3 47. Kh2 Kg5 48. Rd7 Nf3+ 49. Bxf3 Rxf3 50. Rxa7
Rc3 51. Rc7 Kf5 52. c6 Ke6 53. h4 Kd6 54. Rc8 Ra3 55. Kg2 Re3 56. Kh2 Ra3 57.
Kg2 Re3 58. h5 Re5 59. h6 Rh5 60. Rh8 Kxc6 {
Gelfand gave away a totally unnecessary tempo with} 61. Rh7 $2 (61. h7 $2 Kb7 {
is also a well-known draw. All White can do is move the king, and all that
Black needs to do is to keep the rook safe on the h-file, or, if necessary,
check on the g-file should the white king reach g6 or beyond.}) 61... Kd6 62.
Kg3 Ke6 63. Kg4 {, when he had to admit that he was no longer winning, and so
offered the draw. --- So can you find the win at move 61? Remember, Gelfand
could still have levelled the whole match.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "World Championship (tie-break), Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.05.30"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Anand, V."]
[Black "Gelfand, B."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B51"]
[Annotator "Colin Crouch"]
[PlyCount "111"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.12.01"]

{The final game ended up in a level rook and opposite-coloured bishop ending -
no big mistakes, just a steady draw, and Anand retains his title.} 1. e4 c5 2.
Nf3 d6 3. Bb5+ Nd7 4. d4 Ngf6 5. e5 Qa5+ 6. Nc3 Ne4 7. Bd2 Nxc3 8. Bxd7+ Bxd7
9. Bxc3 Qa6 10. exd6 exd6 11. Qe2+ Qxe2+ 12. Kxe2 f6 13. b3 Bb5+ 14. Kd2 Bc6
15. Rad1 Kf7 16. Kc1 Be7 17. d5 Bd7 18. Bb2 b5 19. Nd2 a5 20. Rhe1 Rhe8 21. Re3
f5 22. Rde1 g5 23. c4 b4 24. g3 Bf8 25. Rxe8 Bxe8 26. Nf3 Kg6 27. Re6+ Kh5 28.
h3 Bf7 29. Rf6 Bg6 30. Re6 Re8 31. Bf6 g4 32. hxg4+ Kxg4 33. Nh2+ Kh3 34. Nf3
f4 35. gxf4 Kg4 36. Ng5 Ra8 37. Re3 Kf5 38. Bb2 a4 39. Ne6 Bh6 40. Rh3 Bxf4+
41. Nxf4 Kxf4 42. Bf6 Ra7 43. Re3 Be4 44. Bh4 axb3 45. Bg3+ Kf5 46. axb3 Ra1+
47. Kd2 Ra2+ 48. Ke1 Ra6 49. f3 Bb1 50. Kd2 h5 51. Kc1 h4 52. Bxh4 Kf4 53. Bg5+
Kxg5 54. Kxb1 Kf4 55. Re6 Kxf3 56. Kb2 {. --- There is a temptation to analyse
this game, as an illustration that it is still just about possible for the top
grandmasters to conduct a good rapidplay game, since most of us are not
capable of playing with such accuracy in rapid finishes. On the whole, though,
it seems better to concentrate on the Tal Memorial. --- The many blunders in
the other tie-break games are, of course, painful to watch, and it is much
more interesting to analyse slow play. All the same, it is a valuable exercise
to see how the strongest players can make ghastly mistakes when they are
forced to play quickly. It is an exercise in chess psychology. Are the
mistakes they make at speed of the same type as lower-level players with more
time on the clock?} (56. -- {Afterthought: -- A couple of days after these
notes were written, the British Championship had just been completed - except
there was the little matter of sorting out first place, with Gawain Jones and
Stephen Gordon tied on 9/11. Gawain won the play-off - but only after managing,
in one of the games. to lose the queen for not enough pieces, and then Stephen,
when running very short of time, made mistakes and lost. --- The point is not
so much that one player beat the other. Chess is, after all, a competitive
game. Rather, the quality of play has undoubtedly deteriorated through having
to negotiate very fast time limits. It would surely be preferable, for the
author and for the general chess public, to see chess being played at the
highest possible level.}) 1/2-1/2

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "3. Tal Memorial"]
[Black "Moscow 2012"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Colin Crouch"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.12.01"]

{Seventh Tal Memorial, Moscow 2012, final scores: Carlsen 5½/9; Caruana,
Radjabov 5; Morozevich, Aronian, Kramnik, Grischuk 4½; Nakamura, McShane 4;
Tomashevsky 3½.} 1. -- {Sometimes, for no obvious reason, a tournament can
fizzle out to dullness. This was certainly not the case with the Tal Memorial.
The draws were well fought, with no formal 20-minute handshakes. No player was
out of their depth, and no player was able to run away from the opposition.
Play was so tight towards the end that it was unclear who would actually win
the event.} *

[Event "Tal Memorial, Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.06.18"]
[Round "9"]
[White "Aronian, L."]
[Black "Caruana, F."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D70"]
[Annotator "Colin Crouch"]
[PlyCount "107"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.12.01"]

{Caruana, the youngest player, was leading with 5/8, but lost badly against
Aronian in the final round. The critical position was at move 19. ---} 1. d4
Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. f3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nb6 6. Nc3 Bg7 7. Be3 O-O 8. Qd2 Nc6
9. O-O-O Qd6 10. Kb1 Rd8 11. Nb5 Qd7 12. d5 a6 13. Nc3 Qe8 14. Qe1 Ne5 15. Be2
e6 16. Bxb6 cxb6 17. f4 Nd7 18. dxe6 Qxe6 19. Nf3 ({
Here Caruana could have snatched a couple of pawns with} 19. Nf3 Bxc3 20. Qxc3
Qxe4+ 21. Bd3 Qxf4 {, but then he has exchanged off his fianchetto bishop, and
his king looks open to attack. Nevertheless, it looks well worth trying, and
seems much better than the tame line in the game.}) 19... Qe8 20. Qh4 Bf6 21.
Ng5 {with pressure for White. --- Try to analyse the position after 19 Nf3
yourself, and remember the tension of the tournament situation. Would you have
taken the two pawns? Would it all have been safe? Would it have been safe
against a renowned attacking player such as Aronian? Could Caruana have won
the tournament? Or was he still under pressure?} Nf8 22. Bc4 Kg7 23. Qg3 Bxg5
24. fxg5 Be6 25. Nd5 Bxd5 26. Bxd5 Rd7 27. h4 Rc8 28. a3 Qd8 29. Qf2 Ne6 30.
Ka2 Qe7 31. Rhf1 b5 32. Rd3 Rcc7 33. Kb1 a5 34. g4 a4 35. Rf3 Qd6 36. Rf6 Qc5
37. Qg3 b4 38. axb4 Qc2+ 39. Ka1 a3 40. bxa3 Rxd5 41. exd5 Nd4 42. Rxf7+ Rxf7
43. Qe5+ Kf8 44. Qb8+ Kg7 45. Rxf7+ Kxf7 46. Qxb7+ Ke8 47. Qb8+ Kd7 48. Qa7+
Kd6 49. Qxd4 Qc1+ 50. Ka2 Qc2+ 51. Qb2 Qc4+ 52. Ka1 Qxg4 53. Qf2 Kxd5 54. Qc5+
(54. -- {Carlsen never dominated this tournament, but his convincing win
against McShane in the final round was enough to come sole first, with two
wins and seven draws. Conversely, McShane, had he beaten Carlsen, could have
ended up equal first, instead of second from bottom. However, he was able to
win against Aronian, Kramnik and Morozevich, which is still extremely
impressive. --- The other three games in the final round were all drawn. I
leave it to the reader to decide whether Kramnik could or should have achieved
more against Morozevich, or whether Grischuk could have done so against
Tomashevsky. The chess engine suggests so, but often this is merely the
starting point of analysis, rather than the conclusion.}) 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "The latest strongest GMs"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Colin Crouch"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.12.01"]

{Sometimes the headline stories are more thought-provoking than the actual
games, at least at one level of thinking. And sometimes the picture is as
interesting as the chess itself, again at one level of analysis. --- A
photograph of the prize-giving shows images of Radjabov, Carlsen and Caruana,
all of undergraduate age, dressed in suits. One recognizes that, at this
extremely prestigious event, the three youngest players are on top - and that
these, perhaps with a few others of the strongest young grandmasters (Karjakin
was not playing, and Giri will have his chance in the future) will soon start
to dominate the chess world. It is fully appropriate that the tournament was
the Tal Memorial, in recognition that Tal himself had an immense impact at the
start of the 1960s, when he beat Botvinnik to become world champion at the age
of 23. Now it seems that there are at least three other players who could have
a similar impact, compared with just one - Tal - or perhaps Fischer a few
years later. --- Chess is on the move, and this Tal Memorial in 2012 suggests
that we are at the beginning of the most exciting period of chess since the
original impact of Kasparov in the early 1980s, and his development and
consolidation thereafter. For the first time since Kasparov's retirement, we
have the sense that not just one player, Magnus Carlsen, but a select few
others too will in time be as strong as Kasparov. --- This must surely be well
worth celebrating. In the third part of this book, I wanted to go through some
of the strengths, and possible slight weaknesses, of these three young
super-super-grandmasters, with a win and a loss by each of them. Of course,
Carlsen did not lose a game at all, so instead we include a tense draw by him.
} 1. -- {There is an element of double-counting, in that Carlsen had a win
against Radjabov, and therefore Radjabov had a loss against Carlsen - so an
extra game has been included, a win by Nakamura, who is of a similar sort of
strength. This win was against Morozevich, who had himself looked, in the
early stages, to be threatening to run away with the tournament - until his
loss to Nakamura prefaced two more, against Tomashevsky and McShane. ---
Naturally, we should not get carried away with the idea that the younger
players were necessarily the greatest geniuses. What was happening during the
Tal Memorial was that Kramnik, the oldest player in the event, and Morozevich,
not necessarily in the most robust of health, got tired, and made various
mistakes. Youth in chess is of enormous significance. Young players do not get
tired so easily - though of course, without excellent chess understanding,
even the most athletic of chess players will not reach the top. --- Where does
this leave Aronian, the world's second highest rated chess player? He is seven
years younger than Kramnik, but is significantly older than the three leading
players in Moscow. A clue can be taken from the cross-table: Aronian lost
twice at the Tal Memorial, and also lost a game against Kramnik at Zurich.
Three losses in fifteen games, an average of one defeat in five of his games.
This compares with Carlsen's recent record of an average of one defeat in over
twenty games. It is difficult, therefore, to see how Aronian will ever be able
to beat Carlsen in a world championship match, unless he can cut down sharply
on his losses.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Carlsen's recent record"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Colin Crouch"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.12.01"]

{Magnus Carlsen has a remarkable ability to avoid defeat, which has allowed
him to become the top-ranking player in world chess, ahead of Aronian, and
further ahead of all other players, including Anand, the world champion.
Carlsen must be regarded as the favourite in the next cycle of the world
championship. In matches, avoiding defeats is more important than in
tournaments. Carlsen has the ability to win just one game in a match, and
presumably more than that, while not losing any. --- Carlsen just does not
lose games. He is therefore able to increase his rating, despite having
already reached 2800, by the apparently simple (but not really so simple)
method of playing solidly and avoiding trouble, while still finding wins
against the top players. --- As an indication, look at his tournament results
over the past year and a half, after he had already reached 2815.} 1. -- {
Then: --- Medias (June 2011): Carlsen (2815) +3 =7; wins against Nakamura,
Nisipeanu and Ivanchuk. --- Biel (July 2011): Carlsen (2821) +5 =4 -1; wins
against Pelletier (twice), Shirov (twice) and Caruana (once); two draws
against Morozevich; and, most impressively, a win and a draw by Vachier
Lagrave. --- Sao Paulo/Bilbao (September/October 2011): Carlsen (2823) +3 =6
-1; wins against Ivanchuk (twice); win and a loss against Vallejo Pons. ---
Moscow (November 2011): Carlsen (2826) +2 =7; wins against Gelfand and
Nakamura. --- London (December 2011): Carlsen (2826) +3 =5, wins against
Howell, Nakamura and Adams. --- Wijk aan Zee (January 2012): Carlsen (2835) +4
=8 -1, wins against Gashimov, Aronian, Gelfand and Topalov; loss to Karjakin.
--- Moscow (June 2012; our featured tournament): Carlsen (2835) +2 =7; wins
against Radjabov and McShane. --- Biel (July/August 2012): Carlsen (2837) +4
=6; wins against Wang Hao (twice) and Bologan (twice). --- And, most recently,
Sao Paulo/Bilbao (September/October 2012): Carlsen (2843) +4 =5 -1; wins
against Vallejo Pons (twice) and Anand; win and a loss against Caruana. ---
Only four losses against ninety grandmaster opponents, all at world-class
strength or very close to it. There was a time when Capablanca was regarded as
almost unbeatable, having lost only 35 games in his career, at about 6%. This
seems tiny in comparison. Many of Capablanca's opponents were relatively weak,
whereas Carlsen's opponents were all strong modern grandmasters, only rarely
dropping below 2600, and mostly at 2700+ level. To lose only one in ten games
would be quite an achievement, as in the matches by Aronian and Kramnik, or
Anand and Gelfand. But to lose on average only once in over twenty games, that
is mind-blowing accuracy. In terms of world championship chess, who would be
able to find a single win, plus a string of draws, in a ten-game match against
anyone else?} (1. -- {Predictions often have the ability of going vastly
astray, but one can feel reasonably confident that Carlsen will beat Anand in
the next world championship. It would be unwise to think too many years ahead.
After all, even younger players, rapidly advancing through the 2700s, will
themselves have the valuable opportunity of learning from Carlsen, and trying
to improve on him. Caruana and Giri are the obvious possibilities. They both
have the talent to become world champions, but can they play with extreme and
consistent accuracy, move by move, week by week, month by month? And there
will be even younger players advancing through the ranks. It will be
interesting to see how it all works out. --- But now it is time to focus on
the early summer (in the northern hemisphere) of 2012. Specifically, the Tal
Memorial of June 2012, a ten-player all-play-all with no back-runners, every
player having the confidence and the chess ability to exploit any tiny mistake
by the opponent. Only Carlsen in this event managed to remain unbeaten. No
player scored less than 3½/9. There were no "weakies" here. --- Carlsen's
chess was not quite as self-assured as it might appear. He was a little rusty
through not having played in the previous five months, and some of his opening
play was too leisurely - impressive if the opponent responds too quietly, but
downright dangerous if the opponent takes the initiative and sacrifices.}) *

[Event "Tal Memorial, Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.06.08"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Carlsen, Ma"]
[Black "Kramnik, V."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "E36"]
[Annotator "Colin Crouch"]
[PlyCount "46"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.12.01"]

{In the following game Carlsen got his king stuck in the centre. Many felt
that he was soon in extreme danger. Others, including myself, thought that,
while he was extremely close to the edge, Carlsen just about kept things safe
with gritty defensive play. There is often, in really sharp positions, only
the smallest of difference between a tense draw and catastrophe. ---} 1. d4 Nf6
2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 O-O 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. Qxc3 d5 {All this seems very
solid for Black, with not many wins for White at the higher levels. White has
the bishop pair, but he is in danger of running behind in development, after
having spent time on Qc2, a2-a3, Qxc3, and almost certainly another queen move
later.} 7. e3 ({Varying from the more popular} 7. Nf3 {, followed perhaps by}
dxc4 8. Qxc4 b6 9. Bg5 Ba6 10. Qa4 c5 11. dxc5 bxc5 {. The computer suggests
this is slightly better for White, but it usually ends up in a draw - as, for
example, in M.Carlsen-V.Kramnik, Dortmund 2009. Carlsen and Kramnik are, of
course, fully entitled to have their own points of view.}) (7. Bg5 {
is also played.}) 7... b6 8. cxd5 exd5 {
QUESTION: What is the most accurate move for White?} 9. Bd3 $6 {As mentioned
above, Carlsen was rusty. His move allows Black to equalize with comfort.
White would do better to delay developing his bishop until it becomes clear
what Black is going to do with his own bishop.} (9. Nf3 Bf5 {
also looks comfortable for Black.}) ({Instead,} 9. Qc2 $5 {
places the queen on a more flexible diagonal, so that if} Ba6 ({or if} 9... Qe7
{, then maybe} 10. b4 {again}) 10. Bxa6 Nxa6 11. b4 {, he can set up the
standard queenside minority attack. Black still has to show that he can
equalize.}) 9... Ba6 10. Bxa6 Nxa6 11. Qd3 Qc8 12. Ne2 c5 {Black is ahead in
development, in the sense that he has already castled and all his minor pieces
are off the back rank. He now has to be careful not to slow down. If, for
example, he becomes too concerned about the isolation of his knight on a6, and
starts to think about quiet manoeuvring such as ...c7-c6 and ...Nc7, he will
lose the impetus in his position. Like it or not, he has to be prepared to
play ...c7-c5, continuing to open up lines for his pieces, even if it allows
his pawns to be weakened. --- QUESTION: What should White do in reply?} 13. b3
{Black is going to be very comfortable if he is given the chance of playing ...c5-c4. Therefore Carlsen prevents that move.} ({
The main alternative would be to exchange pawns with} 13. dxc5 {, which may be
the more accurate move - although it is unlikely, given White's slowness in
development, that he can claim any edge. Then} bxc5 {looks tense, but equal,} (
{while} 13... Nxc5 14. Qd1 {is similar the main line (after 15 Qd1 in the game)
. The difference here is that White's b-pawn is still on b2. Life is much
easier with the pawn on this square. If, for example,} Qa6 {
, White can simply play} 15. O-O {, as there is no threat of ...Nxb3.})) 13...
cxd4 {QUESTION: Could, or should, he have created a passed pawn, with 13...c4
- ? --- Any real weakness in White's play is through the slowness of his
development, not his pawn structure, which is strong. Black needs to
concentrate on generating as much activity for his pieces as possible. ---} ({
The passed pawn after} 13... c4 14. bxc4 {
is not particularly strong, either with the queen exchange} Qxc4 ({or without,
} 14... dxc4) 15. Qxc4 dxc4 {. Remember that White, too, will have a passed
pawn, and a fully centralized and protected one.}) {
QUESTION: Which way should White recapture?} 14. Qxd4 {He would like to create
pressure on the d-file and, ideally, on the long a1-h8 diagonal.} ({The naive} 
14. Nxd4 $6 {would obstruct both lines, giving Black the advantage after} Nc5 {
, especially since} 15. Qe2 {runs into} Nxb3 $1 16. Nxb3 Qc3+ {, winning a
pawn. --- The queen recapture keeps play far more open for White. The knight
would not have been on a good square anyway. Better to leave it on e2 and
reserve options.}) ({The computer suggests} 14. exd4 {as offering White a
slight edge, but it is difficult to see why this should be so. It seems equal
after} Re8 15. O-O Nc7 {. If anything, with the symmetrical pawn structure,
but with a pawn blockage on d4, Black's knights are more flexible than White's
bishop and knight. The line is playable, but certainly not inspiring for White.
}) 14... Nc5 15. Qd1 Qa6 {Suddenly one senses a buzz on the internet. Isn't
Black doing extremely well? Isn't he just winning? There were plenty who
suggested that he was. Even when the game ended as a draw, many still
suggested that somehow Kramnik had missed a win. It is of course not quite so
simple. --- QUESTION: So what should Carlsen do next?} 16. Nf4 $2 {Over-sharp.
By covering the d3-square Carlsen aims to give away nothing to his opponent.
If Black attacks, then by all means White will fight back. If Black does
nothing (which is unlikely) White will start to attack himself with b3-b4,
aiming to capitalize on his superior pawn structure once his pieces are in
safety. ---} ({After having gone through the Anand-Gelfand match, one feels
that Gelfand in particular would quickly have given away a pawn, so that the
rest of White's position remains absolutely secure, with not even the
slightest chance of attack by the opponent. This would occur after} 16. O-O $1
Nxb3 17. Qxb3 Qxe2 18. Bb2 Qc4 19. Qd1 {, when Black's extra pawn is isolated
and needs protection, while White's dark-squared bishop has easily the better
minor piece.}) {QUESTION: What are the drawing lines after each of 16...g5, 16.
..d4, and 16...Ne6 - ? Or is it possible that one of these may end up with an
advantage? Sometimes when play is wild and tactical, if one of the players in
a sharp position goes wrong, he can go decisively wrong, without any obvious
later error.} 16... d4 $1 {
Kramnik's instincts are to go for the win, and rightly so.} ({
The simplest solution, though certainly not a winning try, is} 16... Ne6 17.
Ne2 (17. Nxe6 fxe6) ({, or} 17. Qd3 Qxd3 18. Nxd3 d4 {
offer White nothing either}) 17... Nc5 {
(he does not want to allow White to escape with easy castling)} 18. Nf4 Ne6 {
with a draw by repetition.}) ({A more complicated drawing line follows after} 
16... g5 17. Bb2 $1 gxf4 ({or} 17... Nfe4 18. h4 $1 {, since} gxf4 $4 {
now loses to} 19. Qg4+ {and mates}) 18. Bxf6 Nd3+ 19. Kf1 ({not} 19. Kd2 $4
Nxf2 {with decisive threats, including ...Ne4+ and ...Nxf6}) 19... Nc1+ 20. Ke1
({and not} 20. Kg1 $4 Ne2+ 21. Kf1 Nc3+ {, winning the queen}) 20... Nd3+ 21.
Kf1 {. Many would regard this as unthematic, as it is Black who is scraping
for the draw, rather than forcing White to chase the half-point. All the same,
it is still a draw. --- Instead, Kramnik went all-out for attack - the correct
decision - but he missed something on the next move.}) 17. b4 {
THE TAL MEMORIAL 2012 QUIZ QUESTION: Find the win for Black - possibly.} dxe3
$6 {Tal would have enjoyed this. Both Kramnik and Carlsen missed the tactic,
but one can feel reasonably sure that Tal would have seen the idea instantly.
--- If one piece is under attack, then do not despair, try sacrificing the
other! The point is that the opponent can only take one piece at a time. For
instance, if the opponent takes the attacker's first piece (here, the knight
on c5), the second piece might achieve its objective with gain of tempo. Or if
the second piece is taken, a defender might be deflected so that it can no
longer cover a critical square.} ({This would happen after} 17... Nd5 $1 {
. --- Of course, even Tal's magic cannot force a win from a level position,
and to win a game would be possible only if the opponent makes at least one
mistake. Also, controversially, Tal was not all that concerned even as to
whether his magic might leave himself in a worse position; all that he was
concerned with was to induce the opponent to make the occasional, and fatal,
mistake. --- The knight sacrifice here is sound, so Black will not end up in a
worse position, whereas even the tiniest mistake by White will end up with a
speedy loss; but it seems, after much analysis, and quite a few prods by my
editor, that White can just about hold the draw. The game ended up with a draw
anyway, but Carlsen was not forced to have to find the very best moves. It is
a shame that Kramnik, a great World Champion, did not play like Tal here,
another great World Champion. What a great finish it would have been!} 18. -- ({
. Analysing the moves themselves,} 18. bxc5 $2 {
is the less complicated line but is not good. After} Nxf4 {, Black barges
through with his other knight. White has to capture - there is nothing else -
but after} 19. exf4 Rfe8+ 20. Kd2 bxc5 {, it is not difficult to see that his
king is in trouble, with his pieces undeveloped. If} 21. Bb2 {, then} Rab8 22.
Rb1 ({or} 22. Kc1 Re2) 22... Qc4 23. Qf3 ({the threat was} 23. -- Rxb2+ 24.
Rxb2 Qc3#) 23... Qa2 24. Kc1 c4 {wins easily.}) ({. The other capture,} 18.
Nxd5 {, followed by} Nd3+ 19. Kd2 {, is critical. --- No player could hope to
analyse in depth all the main lines over the board; even at home, with the
help of several evenings and the use of the computer, this is very difficult.
My own instincts were to try 19...Rad8 first, putting immense pressure on the
d-file, but quite possibly this is not quite enough, the likely result after
accurate play being a draw. There are several endgames which need to be
considered, mainly with asymmetrical piece play. 19...Rfd8 is an attempted
refinement, less natural, but it frees the f8-square for the king should White
try Ne7+. Finally, on a different strand of thought, Black can consider 19...
dxe3+ 20 fxe3 Nxb4, which we can regard as unclear, for the moment. --- Flesh
and blood humans cannot process all lines simultaneously, and my first choice
was to see whether Black can claim a clear edge after 19...Rad8. Maybe we can
look to see whether it is possible to find a big advantage with the exchange
on e3, but then, after this quick scan, it is back to what seems to be the
critical line.} -- ({. Trying} 19... Rad8 {first... This is very sharp - but
with White being underdeveloped and his king out in the open, and Black having
open lines against the king, it would hardly be surprising if White were in
trouble. There seems to be just one way to try to hold the position: 20 e4!. 
Before examining 20 e4 more closely, there are other moves which need to be
considered:} 20. -- (20. Qb3 Nxf2 21. Ne7+ Kh8 22. b5 Qb7 23. Nc6 Nxh1 24. exd4
{. This is given as the first choice in the computer analysis. White's king is
somewhat safer and his pieces are going to good squares (after Bb2);
unfortunately he is now down in material. To get his pieces working, he has to
let the rook drop. Black is close to winning.}) (20. Ne7+ Kh8 {is the next
line up. White has saved his knight with tempo, but what is he going to do
next? Black is about to set up a decisive attack against the king.} 21. -- ({
For example,} 21. Qf3 dxe3+ 22. Kc3 ({if} 22. Kxe3 {, then, among others,} Nxc1
) 22... Rc8+ 23. Nxc8 Rxc8+ 24. Kd4 Qc4+ 25. Kxe3 Re8+ 26. Kd2 Rd8 27. Ke3 Ne1
28. Rxe1 Rd3+ 29. Ke2 Rd4+ 30. Ke3 Qd3# {is a good old-fashioned king hunt.}) (
{White has to play} 21. e4 $1 Nxf2 22. Qe2 ({instead,} 22. Qf1 Nxe4+ {
is hardly worth analysing in greater depth; Black is obviously winning -
White's pieces are undeveloped or completely out of place, while Black has two
extra pawns for the piece and everything helps set up an attack}) 22... Qxe2+
23. Kxe2 Nxh1 24. Bd2 {, which transposes to critical 20 e4 variation below.}))
(20. Nf6+ gxf6 21. Qg4+ Kh8 {is good, if it works. If it does not work, he has
merely returned the piece for nothing. Unfortunately for White, it does not
work. Black is threatening a killer check with ...d4xe3, so} 22. e4 Ne5 23. Qh3
{(White must cover d3)} Qc4 24. f4 {, but then the pawn crashes through with}
d3 25. fxe5 Qc2+ 26. Ke3 d2 {and Black wins.}) ({
. We are starting to reach the minor variations. Briefly:} 20. Qf3 dxe3+ 21.
fxe3 Ne5 22. Qe4 Qb5 {recovers the knight, with a clear positional win.}) (20.
Qe2 dxe3+ {and White's position collapses.}) (20. Qf1 dxe3+ 21. Nxe3 Nxb4+ 22.
Ke1 (22. Kc3 Rd3+ {soon wins for Black}) 22... Nd3+ 23. Kd1 Nxf2+ 24. Ke1 Nd3+
25. Kd2 {, and after the knight has eaten a couple of pawns, Black quite
simply adds another rook to the attack with} Rfe8 {.}) ({
. Now for the main line:} 20. e4 $1 Nxf2 {QUESTION: Where should the white
queen go? --- Very difficult - a quiz within a quiz. The basic choice is
between 21 Qf3 and 21 Qe2. As a practical player, whether with Black or with
White, I would want to concentrate my attention on the sharp tactical lines
with 21 Qf3, not least because White is attempting to refute Black's play, and
an attempted refutation forces the players to think much harder than an
attempt to hold the game. It is, of course, quite possible that the quieter
option is more effective than the aggressive one. My editor suggests that the
quieter attempt is in fact better.} 21. -- ({
I give the analysis unchanged on the line with} 21. Qf3 {
, except that this move no longer gets an exclamation mark. After} Nxh1 22. Bb2
{White, by sacrificing the rook, has given himself time to get his pieces
developed and active, and his king seems safer. He is currently material down,
but Black's knight is in danger of dropping, after which White will be
material ahead. The computer gives this as equal, but dig a little further and
Black can set up a second run of the attack with} f5 $1 23. Ne7+ Kh8 24. Rxh1
fxe4 25. Qxe4 {. It is clear that White's king is no longer so safe, and he
has problems getting the bishop and knight working together.} -- ({
Here the obvious} 25... Rf2+ $6 26. Ke1 Rxb2 {ends up in a quick draw after}
27. Ng6+ hxg6 28. Qh4+ Kg8 29. Qxd8+ {.}) ({
But Black has an impressive queen zigzag with} 25... Qc4 $1 {
(now White's bishop is out of play)} 26. Qh4 Qf7 $1 27. Re1 ({after} 27. Bxd4
Qa2+ {White's king is far too exposed}) 27... Qf2+ 28. Qxf2 Rxf2+ 29. Re2 Rxe2+
30. Kxe2 Re8 {and White loses a piece before he can properly reach the endgame.
})) ({So is Black genuinely winning? Let's have another try: ---} 21. Qe2 {
forces a queen exchange much earlier, with} Qxe2+ 22. Kxe2 Nxh1 23. Ne7+ Kh8
24. Bd2 Rde8 25. Nf5 Rxe4+ 26. Kf3 Re5 {.} 27. -- ({
I spent much time analysing this position at home, concentrating on} 27. Nxd4
Rd5 {, and now either 28 Be3 or 28 Bc3, trying to see what happens if Black
wins the two minor pieces for the rook while White wins the h1-knight or,
alternatively, if after} 28. Bc3 {he inserts} Rc8 {.}) ({
This is an interesting exercise, but White can improve with} 27. g4 $1 {
. The computer, or at least the one I am using, seems to think that Black has
a straightforward clear advantage, but in fact it is far from clear-cut.} -- ({
If} 27... h5 {, White simply blocks with} 28. h3 {, and any exchange of pawns
on g4 favours White since the h-file has been opened.}) ({. If Black tries an
early ...g7-g6 instead, the dark-squared long diagonal could become seriously
weakened; for instance,} 27... g6 28. Nxd4 Rd5 29. Rxh1 Rxd4 $4 {loses to} 30.
Bc3 {. Quieter moves seem to give no inroads to White's defences.}))))) ({
. So time to consider something else, and} 19... Rfd8 $5 {. This is not
something a player would think of spontaneously, since it seems far more
natural to bring the rooks to the d- and e-files. We have already seen,
however, that if the other rook moves from a8 to d8, White keeps the
possibility of Ne7+, after which Black has to move the king to h8. Black is
trying to gain a tempo by playing 19...Rfd8.} 20. -- ({
. It is easy enough to demonstrate that} 20. Nc7 $2 {is senseless after} dxe3+
21. Kxe3 Qc4 {, when Black is winning. So the knight fork is nothing to be
scared of, even if it would be more "natural", in one's head, to eliminate
such danger. --- The problem here is not the elementary tactic, but rather
that the kingside has been weakened by moving this rook to the centre. In all
but one replies, 19...Rfd8 is at least as good as, or even better than, moving
the a8-rook. It is not worth repeating all the above analysis we have just
done with 19...Rad8.}) ({. The best reply for White is} 20. e4 Nxf2 21. Qf3 $1
{(much more dangerous for Black this time)} Nxh1 22. Bb2 {
. Black no longer has the saving move} f5 {
, as his rook on f8 has already gone.} ({He could perhaps try} 22... Qc4 {
, but after} 23. Rc1 Qa2 24. Rc2 Qb1 25. Bxd4 {, Black's pieces are comically
decentralized, and he has no protection from the white queen on the kingside,
with} f6 {merely inviting} 26. Rc7 {. Maybe Black would want to try
sacrificing the exchange on d5, but it is unlikely that his position will hold.
--- Therefore 19...Rfd8? does not work - White has an almost certain win. 19...
Rad8!? gives Black at least a draw, but it seems likely that, if White plays
with great accuracy, Black does not have more than that. So, equal, so far.})))
({. The analysis is not yet complete though. There is a third option:} 19...
dxe3+ $5 20. fxe3 Nxb4 $1 {. This is a computer suggestion, and it almost
instantly was advocated on the Internet. My own instinct was that it looked
slightly speculative, and I felt that I wanted to bring a rook into play as
quickly as possible, so I did not try to analyse this in depth. It would, I am
sure, be a good practical try. After all, even a Tal would not be able to
analyse it in complete depth over the board, and with a time limit.
Nevertheless, with the luxury of home analysis, there is the obligation to tie
up the loose ends, and this is a big loose end. Could it be that Kramnik had
missed a win against Carlsen? Or is it, after all, only a draw? There is also
another time limit question to be considered. Neither I, nor my publisher,
would want the analysis to drag on through 2013, so on occasion "probably"
might be a legitimate answer.} 21. -- ({. In response,} 21. axb4 Qxa1 {
, sacrificing the exchange, is reasonable, but White is still under considerable
pressure. His king is still exposed, and his kingside pawn structure is
damaged, so that Black has good outlets with the queen, for example ...Qe5 and
...Qe4, or on the seventh rank via ...Qa2. Black can also create difficulties
on the d-file, and he now has the option of setting up a passed pawn with ...a7-a5. This is something that might be considered for White, but only in
desperation.}) ({. A better defensive try would be to give up the queen with} 
21. Nxb4 Rfd8+ 22. Kc3 Rac8+ 23. Kb2 Rxd1 24. Rxd1 {. White is slightly ahead
in material (R+B+N vs. Q+P), but his pieces are badly coordinated, and Black
can start to prod away with his queenside pawns by ...a7-a5. The only
realistic chance for White to defend is to try to set up a passive barricade
with the pieces and avoid losing any kingside pawns. Black now tries} Qe2+ 25.
Rd2 Qb5 {.} 26. -- ({On} 26. Rd5 {, he could offer a repetition with} Qe2+ $6 {
, but he should not be happy with this.} ({Instead,} 26... Qf1 {
aims to gain a free move after} 27. Rd2 {.} ({White could try} 27. Bd2 {
, sacrificing the g-pawn to develop his pieces, but after} Qxg2 {
Black is much better.}))) ({A more interesting attempt is} 26. Ka2 $1 a5 27.
Nc2 Qc4+ 28. Kb1 {. At last, White's king has found his way into the castle.
What is unusual is that it is White's rooks and minor pieces which guard the
castle, rather than the pawns. We can complete the defensive line with} Qb3+
29. Bb2 b5 30. Ra2 {. Now it is up to you, reader, to find a win or a clear
advantage for Black. White's pieces are stuck - the only possible try, at the
moment, is to wiggle his rook between a1 and a2, and perhaps a pawn push with
h2-h3, but these pawn pushes cannot last indefinitely. My positional sense is
that Black is clearly better, and that if he can find a good way to advance
his own pawns, he should be winning. Still, I could be wrong. One point to be
noted is that if Black pushes his pawns too hastily, with ...f7-f5 and ...g7-g5, White can try to spring back with Nd4 (aiming for Nf5), and if ...Qxe3
then Re2. --- QUESTION: Can you find a winning plan for Black? (open ended
question) --- This whole game is extremely complicated. It is pure tactical
chess, except that after all the tactics, the players need to think about the
positional stuff, once things have simplified. After 19...Rad8, for example,
the players will need to think about possible rook and pawn endings, or rook
versus minor piece endings, perhaps with an extra rook on each side; or
possibly, after 19...dxe3+ 20 exd3 Nxb4, some complicated zugzwanging attempts
in the late middlegame. --- "Tactical chess" does not always mean someone
making a sacrifice with a forced checkmate to follow a few moves later. All
that is mostly textbook stuff - even if, in a game not long afterwards, both
Carlsen and Aronian (who should have won) missed such a combination, involving
a rook and queen sacrifice and leading to checkmate. --- Tactical chess, at a
more sophisticated level, is a battle between two players, with neither player
ever being sure of what is going on, but having to calculate move by move -
and keep finding the best moves, often the most imaginative moves, while
trying to avoid serious tactical or positional blunders. --- The "Tal magic",
as commemorated in the Tal Memorial, may or may not force the win in the end,
but Kramnik could have pressed hard, and it would have been extremely
interesting to see how Carlsen, the strongest and most solid player of his
time, would have handled this. --- Tal himself was not all that concerned
whether all his games were analytically sound. He wanted, given the
opportunity, to play scarily wild chess, to see how his opponent would react.
Often it was just a bonus if his position, when he initiated the tactics, was
positionally and/or analytically better. He just wanted to outplay his
opponents. --- In most aspects of chess at the highest level, play has
improved considerably since Tal's day It is not so clear, though, that there
has been much of an improvement in totally wild tactical chess. In this
particular game, both Kramnik and Carlsen appear to have fallen short of what
Tal at his best was available to achieve. It is also far from clear whether
the top modern players could have reached the strength of Kasparov either,
when play got wild.}))))) 18. bxc5 {Back to the game itself, and a
comparatively disappointing quick draw by repetition.} Qa5+ 19. Kf1 {QUESTION: 
Could Carlsen have tried for an edge himself with 19 Ke2 - ? The computer
suggests that White is winning, but how much do you believe in computer
assessments? Have a long hard think. --- Remember, too, that this is only
analysis. For Carlsen and Kramnik, this was "real life" and neither player
would want to jeopardize their game. Carlsen had good instincts here in aiming
for a clear draw.} (19. Ke2 Rad8 20. Qb3 {
(to offer a queen exchange with Qb4) would have been far more speculative.} --
({. Then any good tactician would immediately consider} 20... Rd2+ 21. Kxe3 {
, when White's king is fully exposed to the attacks of queen, two rooks and a
knight. The trouble is that, given the chance, White can reach relative safety
with 22 Kf3.} -- ({. For instance,} 21... Re8+ 22. Kf3 Qxc5 $1 23. Bxd2 Qc6+
24. Nd5 $1 {(the only move)} Nxd5 25. Kg3 ({or} 25. Rae1 Nc3+ {etc}) 25... Qg6+
26. Kh3 Qh5+ {is only a draw.}) ({
. To go for checkmate, Black would need to sacrifice further with} 21... Qxc5+
22. Kxd2 {, but then Black, a rook and a bishop down, finds that he is running
out of attacking chances. Neither} Ne4+ ({nor} 22... Qxf2+ 23. Kd1 Rd8+ 24. Nd3
) 23. Kd3 Nxf2+ 24. Ke2 Nxh1 25. Be3 {
will save the game. A nice try, but it has to be rejected.})) ({. Black needs
to attack positionally, rather than by direct tactics. He needs to recognize,
in his analysis, that he has good compensation for his bishop, with more
active pieces, a vulnerable white king, and of course a pawn count in his
favour. In such positions, the defender, with the extra piece, will often find
it difficult to retain equality, and even more difficult to find an advantage.
--- So, quite simply,} 20... exf2 $1 {and see what White does next. A quick
scan through the computer might suggest a possible draw after} 21. Be3 bxc5 22.
Rhd1 -- ({, and} 22... Rxd1 23. Rxd1 Re8 24. h3 {(to prevent ...Ng4)} g5 25.
Nd5 Nxd5 26. Qxd5 Rxe3+ 27. Kxf2 Re8 28. Qxg5+ {with a perpetual}) ({
, but Black can improve on this with} 22... Rfe8 $1 23. Rxd8 ({or} 23. h3 c4 $1
24. Qxc4 Qe5) 23... Qxd8 $1 24. Rd1 Qe7 25. h3 g5 {and wins. --- There are, of
course, many possible subvariations which might be considered, but none that
appear to be a clear improvement for White. In which case taking a draw for
White by Carlsen seems a fair enough result. He did not, it seems, have an
advantage after 19 Ke2, but would quite possibly have lost.}))) 19... Rad8 {
QUESTION: Where should the queen go?} 20. Qc2 $1 {After a lot of thought.} (20.
Qf3 $4 Qc3 {would be disastrous}) ({while} 20. Qe2 $6 {
, covering any threats on the a6-f1 diagonal, is risky after} exf2 {, as Black
is setting up threats on the e-file instead. The best that could be said for
White is that if he plays extremely well, he might have chances to hold the
position, which is hardly enticing. For example,} 21. Kxf2 Rfe8 22. Qc2 g5 $1 (
{far more accurate than} 22... Ne4+ $6 23. Kf3) 23. Nh3 g4 ({or} 23... Rd5 {
and Black is attacking.})) 20... Qb5+ {There is nothing better.} 21. Ke1 ({
It has to be the king move.} 21. Qe2 $4 Rd1#) ({or} 21. Ne2 $4 Qc4 22. Qxc4
Rd1# {, would have been catastrophic.}) 21... Qa5+ 22. Kf1 Qb5+ 23. Ke1 {
Again the only move.} (23. Kg1 $4 Qxc5 {wins for Black.}) 23... Qa5+ {
. A remarkable game, and it might have been even more remarkable if Kramnik
had found 17...Nd5!.} (23... -- {As an indication of the overall evenness of
the leading grandmasters in this tournament, had Kramnik beaten Carlsen in the
first round, and all other games remained the same, there would have been a
tie for first between Carlsen, Caruana, Radjabov and Kramnik. Or perhaps if
Radjabov had not lost concentration against Carlsen, or if Caruana had made
more steadily against Morozevich, or if Morozevich had avoided three losses in
a row... --- There are so many ifs and buts in chess. Few players can ever
fully achieve the ideal of never having a losing position, and never giving
away a clear advantage. Not even, it seems, Carlsen. Or at least, not yet.})
1/2-1/2

[Event "Tal Memorial, Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.06.08"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Radjabov, T."]
[Black "Tomashevsky, E."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C45"]
[Annotator "Colin Crouch"]
[PlyCount "61"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.12.01"]

{A second game from round one, and a strange and memorable finish. Tomashevsky
gets highly centralized with his pieces - his queen and two knights - but they
unexpectedly become over-centralized, ending up zugzwanging themselves. The
two knights look good, but if they stand a knight's move apart, they are
potentially vulnerable, each having to defend the other. In this game, the
forward knight was both under pressure and pinned against the queen, which was
also tied to its defence, rendering all three centralized pieces immobile.
Remarkable stuff, but surely Tomashevsky could have seen all this much
earlier? --- In truth, this was not one of Radjabov's greatest wins
technically, since he allowed Black to equalize far too easily in the opening,
and so had to rely on a big misjudgment by his opponent late on. However, when
Tomashevsky went wrong, Radjabov pounced for a win with remarkable speed. ---} 
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 {The Scotch Opening, which has had a
revival recently. The point is not so much that White is genuinely much better.
It is more a case that the main lines of the Ruy Lopez do not appear these
days to give all that much either.} Bc5 5. Nb3 Bb6 6. Nc3 d6 7. Qe2 {QUESTION: 
Why this particular move? You are not being asked whether this is better, or
otherwise, than a few alternatives. The question is rather, what White is
aiming for, and what chance he has of trying for an opening edge. --- Over the
last few moves, White's pieces have been increasingly directed to queenside
play, and the natural continuation of the plan, arguably, is to get all his
queenside pieces developed, and then to castle long. The problem is what to do
with his dark-squared bishop.} ({The natural square is e3, but} 7. Be3 $2 Bxe3
8. fxe3 {leaves White's pawns unnecessarily doubled and isolated. Therefore
White needs to find a good safe square for his queen, to cover the e3-square,
and the logical solution is on e2. The other bishop is blocked, but that can
be sorted out later. The queenside has priority.}) ({It has to be admitted
that Radjabov has not achieved much from his opening, and that other lines
should be considered.} 7. Bb5 {
, in Ruy style, is possible, but again it does not seem to achieve much after}
Qh4 {.}) ({Alternatively,} 7. Nd5 {is certainly playable, gaining the bishop
pair after Nxb6, but remember that White has invested a lot of moves with his
knight, just to take the bishop. Play is probably about equal.}) 7... Nge7 8.
Be3 O-O 9. O-O-O f5 {Positionally, the simplest way to equalize. He removes
the central white pawn with a swipe on the edges, Black's pieces are as mobile
as White's, and neither side has any significant pawn weaknesses.} 10. exf5
Bxf5 (10... Nxf5 {seems slightly more direct. Equal.}) {
QUESTION: Any chance of a microscopic edge?} 11. h3 {This looks reasonable,
with the idea of g2-g4 and Bg2. After Tomashevsky's reply, Radjabov thinks
again, and decides not to continue with this plan.} ({Instead,} 11. g3 {
, followed by Bg2, might still give chances of an edge. Or on second thoughts,
probably not. Black is equal, and whatever White tries, he is not going to
achieve anything, if Black continues to play accurately.}) 11... Bd7 {
Prophylactic chess. White has used up a move trying to make g2-g4 more
effective, so Black can use one up in return, and preferably a more constructive
move, to make White's h2-h3 ineffective.} (11... Ng6 {is possible, when his
position is still playable, but it only makes total sense if White has played,
or is fully committed to, g2-g4.}) 12. Qd2 ({Radjabov decides that} 12. g4 Ng6
{is not quite satisfactory, as White would have weakened his dark squares, on
f4 and e5.}) 12... Bxe3 {
Tomashevsky is happy enough to gain an almost insignificant tempo.} ({Possibly
} 12... Be6 {, now that White no longer has the queen on the e-file, might
have been very slightly better. Or possibly not. It is almost inevitable that
there will be much shuffling of pieces, when there is no clear weakness on
either side, and both sets of pieces are in play, but are not dominant. Either
there will be a steady draw at some stage, or one of the players will slightly
loosen their grip, allowing the opponent an edge.}) 13. Qxe3 Kh8 14. Bd3 Qe8
15. f4 {QUESTION: What do you think of this move? --- White has to be careful
here, in that he is slightly weakening his pawn structure. His f4-pawn could
end up under attack, and it no longer protects the e3-square, which could be
significant if Black were to play ...Nf5 and put pressure on the e-file.
Having said that, if he takes reasonable precautions, his position will be
playable, and he has gained some squares in the centre while preventing Black
from playing ...Ne5. Also, he might get his other kingside pawns moving.} ({
If White wanted to play something boringly equal, he could try} 15. Rhe1 Qf7
16. f3 Rae8 17. Be4 Be6 18. Kb1 {, and it is difficult for either side to make
progress. Radjabov wants to try something, and one cannot dispute the fact
that he was successful in winning the game, though Black's mistakes came later.
}) 15... Qf7 16. Rhf1 Rae8 17. Qd2 Nb4 {
Indeed, Black is starting to look slightly better.} 18. Be4 {QUESTION: To play
for an edge? Or to keep steady equality? And which move should Black try?} Bc6
{This simplifies and still keeps the position steady.} ({
He might have played for a slight edge, without simplification, by} 18... Nec6
$5 {(threatening ...Na2+),} 19. -- ({and if} 19. Kb1 {, then} Be6 {
with comfort.}) ({. White could throw in} 19. Bxc6 Nxc6 {, but then Black's
pieces are again clearly the more coordinated. In hindsight, White's 15 f4
seems premature.})) 19. Rde1 Bxe4 20. Nxe4 Qc4 21. a3 Nbc6 22. Qc3 {
QUESTION: What next for Black?} Qd5 $6 {It is hard to believe that Black was
soon going to be in zugzwang in an open position. Tomashevsky quite simply
lost his sense of danger. However, there is always a potential risk if the
queen is stuck in the centre without a clear means of escape.} ({
The simplest equalizing option would be to exchange queens with} 22... Qxc3 23.
Nxc3 {.}) ({If he wants to keep queens on the board, with the aim of
maintaining the initiative, that is fine, as long as he keeps the queen safe,
and with good escape routes. For instance,} 22... Qb5 {
is comfortable for Black.}) 23. Nbd2 {
The position seems much too quiet to set up a trap!} Nf5 24. g4 Nfd4 {
Black seems to be thinking that he is taking the initiative.} 25. Qd3 {
QUESTION: What now?} b5 $6 {Closer to zugzwang. Black's knight on d4 is pinned,
while the other knight and the queen are finding it difficult to escape. After
this, Black's battle is for survival. It is no longer realistic for him to try
to for anything more.} ({
Where is the queen going to go, first of all? An initial try might be} 25...
Qa2 $5 {, but then} 26. Ng5 {is troublesome. Black can try} Qg8 {, but it is
not all that clear why Black should want to lure the knight to g5. White's
knight is, after all, still on a good attacking square.}) ({
The next train of thought is to try} 25... Qg8 $1 {at once. This is far from
obvious, but it works. The queen is away from attack, and the king is also
safe from the attacks on h7. Meanwhile, the rooks and knights can gradually
get coordinated. Black is not yet fully safe, but he has made progress.}) 26.
Kb1 {A step closer to zugzwang. The king blocks any escape square at a2. Also,
do not forget, the knight on d4 is pinned, making c2-c3 is a winning threat,
as Black no longer has ...Nb3+.} b4 {
He has prevented c2-c3, but there are still a few other problems.} 27. a4 h6 $2
({Even here, Black can still play} 27... Qg8 {. In comparison with the line a
couple of moves earlier, he has weakened his queenside with ...b7-b5-b4, but
this is not necessarily fatal.}) 28. Nb3 {QUESTION: Black is by now already on
the slide, but he has one last chance. Can he find a tactic which avoids
immediate collapse?} Re7 $2 (28... Re6 {offers more resistance,} 29. -- ({
since if then} 29. Ned2 {, Black can hit back with} Rxf4 {.}) ({. However,} 29.
Re3 Rfe8 30. Rfe1 a5 31. h4 {is a straightforward positional win. Black's
queen cannot move, and neither can his knights. His rooks are stuck between
three squares on the e-file, and his king and pawns can do nothing active. All
White has to do to win is to roll the kingside pawns carefully.})) 29. Ned2
Rxe1+ 30. Rxe1 {Zugzwang - where the zugzwanged pieces have, at first sight,
taken over all the main central squares. Perhaps someone would object that
this is not really a true zugzwang, as Black can still wriggle around with his
king and rook, and White's win will be through a direct attack with his pieces
and kingside pawns. Black does not therefore have to give away material, and
White still has to find a definite win (though that should not be too
difficult). --- Maybe so, but what would be the correct technical term? The
basic point is that, for a while, Black's queen and two knights have been
immobile, as a result of the partial zugzwang of three important pieces.} g5
31. f5 {. White will win with Re4, when Black's knight will drop.} 1-0

[Event "Tal Memorial, Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.06.08"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Morozevich, A."]
[Black "Caruana, F."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C81"]
[Annotator "Colin Crouch"]
[PlyCount "111"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.12.01"]

{Alexander Morozevich is commonly regarded as one of the most talented of the
very top grandmasters, and yet he has never been consistently able to maintain
a rating over 2800. Somehow he manages to fall just short. For instance, he
was leading, a point clear, after five rounds of the Tal Memorial, but then
his play deteriorated dramatically and he only managed a single draw in the
remaining four games. Not long afterwards, his health suffered a collapse,
hopefully minor, at the Biel tournament, and he had to retire early on,
allowing another grandmaster (Bologan) to take part in the remaining rounds.
Chess is, among other things, a sport, and his physical strength seems not be
at the required level for him to reach the very top. --- Caruana was, at the
time of this game, still a teenager, albeit an exceptionally talented one. In
his game against Morozevich, he went badly wrong in the opening. A couple of
years of further experience would no doubt have papered up many of his gaps,
when encountering very old openings. Here Morozevich surprised his opponent.
Caruana was still able to play imaginatively, with a pawn sacrifice on the
a-file, just to keep his position alive, and allow his pieces to take part in
the game. He managed to reach the time control with reasonable chances, but
then missed a sacrificial pawn break which could easily have held the draw.
---} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Nxe4 6. d4 b5 7. Bb3 d5 8.
dxe5 Be6 9. Qe2 {
Morozevich plays an old-fashioned line and soon reaps the dividends.} Be7 10.
Rd1 {QUESTION: What should Black play here? Don't bother about trying to look
up the theory. It is more a case of using one's positional common sense.} Na5
$6 {This is the wrong knight to remove the bishop, and Black now has little
chance to try to equalize.} (10... Nc5 {, again followed by ...Nxb3, is much
safer. Then once the exchange has been made, the remaining knight is on c6,
rather than on e4. On the latter square the knight is vulnerable, and can
easily be pushed away with gain of tempo. The knight on c6 would at least be
safe.}) (10... O-O {is also possible, but then White has} 11. c4 bxc4 12. Bxc4
{, with the superior pawn structure. --- As mentioned above, Caruana was still
a teenager at the time of the tournament, and inevitably there will be
occasional gaps in his knowledge and understanding, which older players will
be able to take advantage of. As he progresses through his twenties, he should
become an even stronger player.}) 11. c3 Nxb3 12. axb3 O-O 13. Nd4 {Problems are starting to emerge for Black. If he had a knight on c6, rather than on e4,
he could quickly have exchanged on d4; whereas with the knight on e4, he now
has to deal with attacks by f2-f3.} Qe8 ({
Here, for example, he would quickly get his knight trapped after} 13... c5 14.
Nc6 Qc7 15. Nxe7+ Qxe7 16. f3 Ng5 17. h4 {.}) 14. f3 Nc5 15. b4 Nb7 {Not really
the square that Caruana would have wanted for the knight, but he was soon able
to fight back. --- QUESTION: What is the best way for White to handle the
position?} 16. Be3 $6 {One senses that, over the next few moves, neither
player seemed totally confident in handling the manoeuvring battle. ---
Morozevich was clearly itching to get his minor pieces away from their
starting squares, but in doing this so quickly, he is not bringing them to
better squares. He starts off with a long manoeuvring plan - Be3, Na3, Nac2,
f3-f4, Bf2, and Ne3 - and while all this looks extremely steady and solid, it
is quite slow and gives Black chances to equalize. The critical point is that
e3 is not really such a good square for the bishop. So if he cannot move the
bishop to a good post in one go, perhaps he should delay moving it just yet.} (
{Instead,} 16. Qe1 {(or possibly 16 Qf2) , looks more effective. The idea is
Qg3, when the bishop can move either to h6 or to Bg5. The exchange of
dark-squared bishops would tend to favour White, leaving him with two good
knights versus knight and a rather ineffective bishop. Meanwhile, there is no
hurry to develop the b1-knight so quickly. A few moves later, he can perhaps
move it to d2. A likely steady edge for White.}) 16... Bd7 17. Na3 {I approved
of this at the time, but again it all seems so slow. White is still
structurally slightly better, but only slightly so.} c6 18. Nac2 a5 {Black is now close to equal. The key point is that if White is forced to exchange pawns
with b4xa5, Black can make use of the knight, pawn, or maybe the bishop on the
c5-square. Caruana has by now recovered his disadvantage.} 19. f4 Qc8 ({
The simplest way of achieving equality is} 19... axb4 {. Caruana prefers to
maintain the tension, and this first queen move is fully acceptable - but his
later queen moves, just to keep it going, seem far too indulgent.}) 20. h3 Re8
21. Bf2 Bf8 22. Qf3 Ra6 23. Ne3 {QUESTION: The computer suggests 23...a4 as
equal. Is there anything wrong with that?} Qa8 {The problem is that White has
so much power in the centre, Black cannot afford to take any pressure off the
pawns. He needs somehow to make his presence felt against the b4-pawn, so that
White is forced to exchange, and then, just possibly, he can create
counterplay with ...Nc5 and ...Ne4.} ({If he were to try} 23... a4 $6 {
, it would be easy enough to find many small steps to advantage for White, and
much more difficult for Black to improve his position. A line might continue}
24. Bg3 Be7 25. Rf1 Bd8 26. f5 Bg5 27. Ndc2 {
, followed by Rae1, and Black is slowly being ground down.}) ({Caruana has
either to find something more imaginative, or perhaps something simpler. For
instance,} 23... Qc7 {looks equal.}) 24. Ndc2 {QUESTION: What should Black
play here? --- This is very much an open question. Quite often, if the play is
level and there are no immediate tactics on either side, what is important is
to give nothing away to the opponent. Eventually, either one player will make
a concession, or perhaps the position will remain deadlocked indefinitely,
until perhaps the players start to get bored and agree a draw.} ({After} 24.
Ndc2 {, the tension between White's pawn on b4 and Black's pawn on a5 is still
critical.} -- (24... axb4 $2 {would be a big mistake, in view of} 25. Rxa6 Qxa6
26. Ra1 Qb6 27. Nxd5 {.}) ({. However, Black can try} 24... a4 {this time, now
that the white knight is not on d4. White would have conceded a couple of
tempi if he were to return with} 25. Nd4 {, and Black could consider} Nd8 {
to bring his own knight back into play. It is only equal now.} (25... --)) ({
. Of quieter moves, it is probably better for Black to keep his bishops on
their own squares. Any advance will risk leaving the bishop on a more exposed
square. Perhaps the simplest, if he is happy to take a quick draw is} 24... Qc8
{, inviting his opponent to offer a repetition with} 25. Nd4 Qa8 {.})) 24...
Qd8 $2 {Instead, Caruana tries to squeeze a tiny tempo, preferring the queen
on d8, rather than c8. This appears to be an oversight. Black needs to keep
the queen covering the rook on a6, whether from a8 or c8.} 25. bxa5 {
White finds a good time to break the tension on the b4- and a5-pawns. ---} ({
After all, Black cannot play} 25. bxa5 Nxa5 $2 {because of} 26. b4 {
and the knight is pinned.}) {QUESTION: What next for Black?} 25... Nc5 $5 {
Caruana immediately recognizes that he has made a mistake, and settles for
gambit play, rather than fear losing in a "the rest is a matter of technique"
grind.} ({The obvious} 25... Rxa5 26. b4 Rxa1 27. Rxa1 {is uncomfortable. What,
for example, is he going to do with the knight on b7? The implied answer would
be something like} Qc7 28. Nd4 Nd8 {
. Other players as Black might prefer to try handling the defence here.}) 26.
b4 Ne4 {Whereas now Black has genuine counterplay. True, White is a passed
pawn up - an outside protected passed pawn, often extremely useful in the late
middlegame or endgame - but it does not make much of an immediate impact in
the earlier part of the middlegame, if the defender has genuinely active
pieces. Indeed, the attacker has suddenly become the defender. --- QUESTION:
What should White play next?} 27. Rd3 $6 {
White is still better, but the rook move is ungainly.} (27. Nf1 {is much more
convincing, covering the c3-pawn, while opening up lines for both the queen (a
more economical way of protecting the pawn since, unlike the rook, the queen
can quickly move again) or the bishop. If} f6 {, for example, then} 28. Bd4 {
and White should be able to keep a very clear edge.}) 27... f6 {QUESTION: What
should White do next? It would appear that Morozevich missed a tactic when
calculating his next move. For advanced players, what is the problem in one of
the lines with 28 exf6 or 28 Bh4 - ?} 28. Bh4 $6 (28. exf6 Nxf6 29. Ng4 {
is simple enough, and keeps the advantage without unnecessary tactics.}) 28...
g5 $1 29. fxg5 ({Quite possibly Morozevich only now started to appreciate that
} 29. Nxd5 cxd5 30. Rxd5 gxh4 31. Qxe4 Qa8 $1 {is, at best, only equal. There
are many sacrifices, pins and pin avoidance which need to be considered, and
even an excellent tactician will occasionally allow something to slip through
the net.}) 29... fxg5 30. Bg3 ({Similarly,} 30. Nxd5 cxd5 31. Rxd5 {
might look dangerous, but it is White who is in danger after} gxh4 32. Qxe4 Qa8
{.}) 30... Bg7 {And so Caruana has taken over the initiative, although he is
still a pawn down. There will be a tense battle before the next time control.}
31. Bh2 Rf8 {It is no longer the case that Black has made a speculative pawn
sacrifice under pressure. Now it can be stated that he has genuine
compensation for the pawn. Caruana has kept the game alive, but he still needs
to play accurately.} 32. Qe2 {QUESTION: What should Black play next?} Rf2 $6 {
Even as late as after move 30, it is a good idea to complete your development,
rather than trying to start an attack against the king with insufficient
pieces. Black's rook did not stay long on f2.} ({Here} 32... Qe7 33. Rf1 Raa8 {
allows Black to recover the pawn on e5. White is still slightly better, but
Black is not losing. A defender cannot always achieve everything.}) 33. Qe1 g4
34. Rd4 Rf8 {Whoops!} ({White was threatening Rxe4, and} 34... g3 {
is met simply by} 35. Bxg3 {. --- The players were clearly in time pressure
over the next few moves, so it is to be expected that minor errors might have
occurred, but nothing disastrous. Caruana concentrated on keeping his bishop
pair, rather than trying to win back the e5-pawn. No detailed comments, until
we reach the last move before the time control.}) 35. Rad1 Qe8 36. Nxg4 Bf5 37.
Nce3 Bg6 38. Nf1 h5 39. Nge3 Ra7 {QUESTION: One left minute on the clock,
before the extra time is allotted next move. What would you play here?} 40. Ng3
$6 {White has a sudden urge to simplify, but unnecessarily gives away the
exchange. --- It is difficult to formulate a good plan quickly from several
possibilities, and I have to admit that, going through the lines suggested by
the computer, I used up far more than the allowed minute. Black still has the
dangerous possibility of ...Raf7, so White needs to be careful.} ({A different
method of simplification, again with an exchange sacrifice, would be} 40. c4 $5
bxc4 41. Nxc4 dxc4 42. Rxe4 Bxe4 43. Qxe4 {, and with two extra pawns for the
exchange, the superior pawn structure, and a strong centralized queen, White
is better. Whether that advantage is enough to win against best play is
uncertain. In practical terms, though, White has given himself a comfortable
working edge.}) 40... Bxe5 {It is unlikely that Morozevich would have missed
this, which means that the exchange sacrifice would have been intentional. The
problem is that, unlike the 40 c4 variation, he has not broken up Black's
queenside pawn structure.} 41. Nxe4 Bxd4 42. cxd4 Qxe4 43. Be5 {QUESTION: After
a flurry of tactics, it is time to take one's breath. Who is better? Or is it
equal? And what is the most sensible continuation for Black?} Kh7 $6 {
This is just about playable, as long as he handles the next few moves with
complete accuracy, and does not try for a win. He has wasted a tempo, though,
since the king is no better on h7 than on g8.} ({Instead,} 43... Raf7 {
is far more natural and should give at least a draw. Whether there is anything
more than that is open to question.} 44. -- ({. White can try} 44. Rc1 {
, as in the game,} -- ({, when} 44... Kh7 {just transposes. If that is Black's
best, it does not really matter which move order he plays it in.}) (44... Rf2 {
is more direct, but not necessarily better. White has} 45. a6 {
, which is a dangerous distraction. For instance,} Rb2 46. a7 Ra8 47. Qc3 Rxa7
48. Qxb2 Qxe3+ 49. Kh2 {leaves queen, rook and opposite-coloured bishop on
each side, but Black is going to be uncomfortable, with an open king and an
inferior pawn structure.}) ({. However, there is still a good move for Black,
and respect if you saw it! He can play} 44... c5 $3 {- a superb pawn break.}
45. -- ({. Then} 45. Rxc5 $2 {loses immediately to} Rf1+ 46. Qxf1 Qxe3+) ({
, while after} 45. bxc5 b4 {White is also in trouble as, totally unexpectedly,
Black now has the more dangerous queenside passed pawn.}) ({
. If White can keep his balance, he should be able to find} 45. Qg3 $1 {
with a likely draw. The most direct line would be} cxd4 46. Nxd5 Rf2 47. Ne7+ (
47. Rc6 Rxg2+ $1 48. Qxg2 Qe1+ {leads to perpetual check}) 47... Kh7 48. Nxg6
Qxg6 49. Qxg6+ Kxg6 50. Bxd4 {and a draw is on the way.}))) ({. In chess,
straightforward attacking play can end up in very difficult tactics, but there
is often more than one good possibility in a critical position. On move 44,
positional play would also have held the game. --- Try} 44. Qg3 {
. Then there is an entertaining snakes-and-ladders draw by repetition after}
Kh7 ({not} 44... Rf3 $2 45. gxf3 Rxf3 {because of} 46. Qg5 $1 Qxe3+ 47. Qxe3
Rxe3 48. Ra1 {and White wins}) 45. Qg5 Rf2 46. Qe7+ R8f7 47. Qd8 Rf8 ({
while if Black tries for more with} 47... Kh6 $5 {, then} 48. Re1 Rf1+ 49. Rxf1
Qxe3+ 50. Kh2 Rxf1 51. Qh8+ Kg5 52. Qd8+ Kh6 {is another draw}) 48. Qe7+ {
etc. --- A draw seems to be a fair result.})) 44. Rc1 {QUESTION: An essential
point of technique: How does the defender halve out when he is slightly worse
but wants to avoid losing? In other words, what should Black do here?} Raf7 $2
{This is the second attempt by Caruana to start an attack with ...Rf2 (see
move 32), and again it fails.} ({He could have tried an even older idea (from
move 22 and beyond) - blockading the white a-pawn with} 44... Ra6 {. He cannot
then win, but he should be safe from losing. --- It is, of course, frustrating
not to be trying for a win when the exchange up, but the passed a-pawn, plus
the weakness of Black's various queenside pawns suggest that he should be
cautious. As the further play shows, White can defend against anything Black
attempts on the kingside.}) 45. Kh2 Rf2 {Caruana's plan, but it is not a good
one. His attack on the kingside does not work, and he has no defence on the
queenside.} ({The computer suggests the passive} 45... Rc8 {
, but now White is better after} 46. Qg3 {, with the possible idea of Qg5.
Tempi matter, and Black should have set up his queenside defences a move
earlier.}) 46. Rxc6 {Simple enough. Of the three rooks on the board, it is the
sole white rook which is the most dangerous.} R8f3 47. Rc7+ Bf7 48. Kh1 {
With a clear defensive win.} ({The direct} 48. a6 {
is also decisive. Black is overcommitted.}) 48... Rf1+ {
Nothing else is any better.} (48... Qxe3 49. Rxf7+ Kg6 50. Qxe3 {wins a piece})
({while after} 48... Rxh3+ 49. Kg1 {
, both black rooks are en prise and one will fall.}) 49. Qxf1 Rxf1+ 50. Nxf1 {
Black will be unable to attack with only his queen. Sooner or later, White's
pieces will work together and the a-pawn will finish the game off.} Kg6 51.
Rc6+ Kh7 52. Ng3 Qb1+ 53. Kh2 h4 54. Ne2 Qxb4 55. Rc7 Kg8 56. a6 {. --- Few people would want to claim that this game was in any sense perfect, as there were
identifiable mistakes on both sides, but it was quite imaginative and
entertaining. As for Caruana, he was still a teenager at the time of the Tal
Memorial, albeit with a rating of 2770. So we can say with confidence that, if
he can eliminate a few weaknesses in his game, he should comfortably reach
2800 before too long, and stay at that level for many years.} 1-0

[Event "Tal Memorial, Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.06.13"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Radjabov, T."]
[Black "Carlsen, Ma"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C45"]
[Annotator "Colin Crouch"]
[PlyCount "118"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.12.01"]

{Radjabov has developed into an extremely solid player, if not with quite the
same aura of invincibility as Carlsen. He has lost seven games over the same
recent period (including three times to Ivanchuk), rather than just four at
the highest level. It is enough to note that Radjabov only lost once at the
Tal Memorial, and that against Carlsen, while Carlsen went unbeaten. In this
extremely tough event, every other player lost at least twice. --- If Radjabov
can consolidate his defensive play just a little more, it would be a tense and
difficult match if both Radjabov and Carlsen were ever to play for the world
championship. Just one win by either player could easily be enough, with the
loser quite possibly given no possibility to recover. --- So what happened in
their game at the Tal Memorial? In previous recent encounters, both players
had ended up with steady draws, but somehow this time Carlsen was able to find
a very small edge as Black, and squeezed, and continued to squeeze, until
Radjabov finally lost his guard and the game. Had Radjabov drawn, it would
probably have been he, not Carlsen, who would have won the tournament. ---
Carlsen has gained the reputation of being the best positional grinder in
history, exceeding even the exploits of Kramnik in his younger years. Radjabov,
on this evidence, is not quite at the same level, but the gap is small. ---} 1.
e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 {Looking at Radjabov's two games in this book, the
impression might easily be that he opens with 1 e4 all the time, and then, if
the opponent replies 1...e5, the Scotch, which he had also played against
Tomashevsky in round one. Not so. He plays 1 d4 and 1 e4 with equal regularity,
and nowadays very often 1 Nf3 as well. It is noticeable that he does not make
quite as much of an impact as Carlsen with the white pieces, with fewer wins
and very many draws. This is perhaps something he will need to think about if
he aims for the very top.} exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Nxc6 ({
Radjabov had clearly decided that} 5. Nb3 {, with which he won against
Tomashevsky, was not that impressive after all, and so he tries a different
line.}) 5... Qf6 ({If this were a beginners' book, I would add a diagram here
and ask what would happen if, after} 5... Qf6 {
, White were to try to keep the knight with} 6. Na5 {.}) 6. Qf3 {QUESTION: The
more interesting questions start here, a move later. First, what happens if
Black plays 6...Qxf3 7 gxf3 dxc6, going tit-for-tat with the doubled pawns?
Second, if Black does not exchange on f3, which is the best of the three
recaptures on c6?} bxc6 {According to the computer I am using (and of course
there are more recent models), Carlsen's move was, if anything, slightly the
weakest of the four captures. Top grandmasters think otherwise. Usually it is
best to be guided by the grandmasters, who are likely to have far better
assessments than computers of long-term positional consequences of minor
differences in pawn structure. --- Carlsen has recaptured with the pawn
towards the centre, with excellent defensive coverage of the central squares.
White has the pawn on e4, but there is not much hope of him trying to dominate
in the centre. It is far too early to say that Black can possibly be better,
but at least he is solid, and he can hope to improve on that if his opponent
gives anything away.} (6... dxc6 {is a familiar pawn structure from the Berlin
Defence to the Ruy Lopez, popularized by Kramnik and others. The small but
significant difference is that in that, in the Scotch, White captures on c6
with the knight, rather than the bishop. Therefore, he gets to keep his
light-squared bishop. White can try} 7. Qg3 {, followed by Bd3 and quick
castling, with the reasonable chance of a slight edge.}) (6... Qxc6 {could be interesting, avoiding doubled pawns altogether. However, this leaves the queen
in a slightly strange position, and moving it again will be with loss of tempo.
Black still has to prove that he is fully equal after} 7. Nc3 {.}) ({
Finally, there is} 6... Qxf3 7. gxf3 dxc6 {(with queens off the board, he can
be happier with the centre open). The problem here is that White can cause
trouble on the g-file after} 8. Rg1 {, with a slight but clear edge. ---
Carlsen's choice, 6...bxc6, seems the safest.}) 7. Qg3 (7. Nd2 {
has also been tried. It is nothing spectacular.}) 7... d6 8. Nc3 Qg6 {
Clearly Carlsen considers that he is happy enough with his pawn structure,
especially if the queens are off the board - he remains slightly nervous with
them still on the board.} 9. Bd3 ({Or} 9. Bd2 Qxg3 10. hxg3 Ne7 11. f3 Ng6 {
, about equal, and agreed drawn after 116 moves in Wang Hao-E.Tomashevsky,
Russian Team Championship 2012. Be warned. In such a line, players will try to
grind each other down for many, many moves.}) 9... Nf6 10. Na4 {Radjabov gains
the bishop pair and has claims for a slight edge, but he would need to play
extremely accurately to try and prove it.} Bd4 11. c3 Bb6 {
QUESTION: How best to try to keep a slight edge?} 12. O-O $6 {Too routine -
only castle if you cannot find anything else to do. Carlsen was able to
equalize immediately by exchanging queens, followed by ...Ng4. The problem is
not so much that the doubled pawns are themselves weak, but rather that the
pawn on g3 is obstructing an retreat square for the bishop (after Bf4) and
that, in addition, White cannot push away a knight on g4 with h2-h3. Such
things can make a difference between a small edge and mere equality.} ({
Given this,} 12. Qxg6 $5 hxg6 13. Bf4 {would have been a more appropriate way
to complete his development, and then perhaps} Nd7 14. Bc2 Ne5 15. b3 {
, still with a slight edge.}) (12. Bf4 $5 {is also promising, again with a
slight edge. --- White has various chances to throw in an exchange on b6,
gaining the bishop pair. There is no hurry. The bishop will not run away. It
is usually preferable not to simplify when you are slightly better. Keep the
tension going instead.}) 12... Qxg3 13. hxg3 Ng4 14. Bf4 f6 {Just solidly
equal, and an excellent chance for Carlsen to demonstrate his outstanding
grinding skills. The problem which makes it very difficult for Radjabov to
improve his position is that his kingside pawn structure is immobile. If he
still had a pawn on h2, rather than on g3, he could keep his pawns moving with
h2-h3, retreat the bishop from f4, and then arrange things so that he can
eventually play f2-f4. --- Instead, all that White can do is tack around,
hoping his position is not going to deteriorate.} 15. Rad1 h5 16. Be2 Be6 17.
Nxb6 axb6 18. a3 Ke7 19. f3 Ne5 {Black is already slightly better, and White
will need to defend carefully. Black's bishop and knight work well together
and slightly outperform White's bishop pair. If, for example, White gets
frustrated with the knight remaining on e5 and decides to take it off, Black
would remain with the slightly better bishop. --- The pawn structures also
need to be considered. Black has a queenside pawn majority which is mobile.
White's kingside pawn majority is static. The only pawn move on that side of
the board is an f3-f4 push (after the bishop has moved out of the way), but
this would create a weakness on g4. --- White cannot hope for an advantage.
Black is able to try.} 20. Kf2 b5 21. Bxe5 fxe5 22. Ke3 h4 {QUESTION: Should
Black really allow his opponent to eliminate his doubled g-pawns? --- It is a
question of priorities. White is now ready to push his pawns forward with
f3-f4 and possibly f4-f5, so Black decides to press against the g3-pawn
immediately. Matters have changed in the last few moves in that White has
exchanged the black knight, so there is no longer the possibility of parking
the knight on g4. --- Black has to be content with opening up the h-file for
his rook.} 23. gxh4 Rxh4 24. Rh1 Rah8 25. Rxh4 Rxh4 {Now there is a long
stretch of manoeuvring by Black, taking play until at least the first time
control. He wants to keep his rook on the open h-file for as long as possible.
White has a 3-2 pawn majority on the kingside, but if he cannot find a way to
make progress on that side of the board, Black will start to take the
initiative on the queenside. One problem for White is that, if Black's rook
can stay on the h-file, the desirable g2-g3 would simply allow Black to keep
control on the seventh rank with ...Rh2. --- Nevertheless, one would expect
that the result should be a draw. In the game, Carlsen was able to bring his
king to the queenside, to give extra protection for his pawns to advance. Even
so, it is unclear whether he can break through on that side of the board.} 26.
Rc1 Rh2 27. Kf2 Rh8 {QUESTION: Find a good way for White to consolidate for a
safe draw. Black's edge is still not nearly enough to win, and perhaps with a
few sturdy defensive moves White will be close to equality.} 28. Ke3 ({
White could certainly consider} 28. Kg1 {, followed by g2-g3 and Kg2, when he
has prevented any incursions on the h-file. The end result should be a steady
draw. Should we criticize Radjabov for not heading for safety, in view of the
fact that eventually he lost the game? This must be very much an open question.
Radjabov's mistake came later, when he was only under mild pressure. It is
possible that he was thinking about whether Carlsen himself might be under
slight pressure. After all, there were a few small pawn weaknesses in Black's
position.}) ({Radjabov might have been considering} 28. c4 $5 Bxc4 29. Bxc4
bxc4 30. Rxc4 {, when it is Black who needs to think about how to secure the
draw, since White now has an outside passed a-pawn, and Black's pawn structure
seems less effective than before. Radjabov was already geared up to play c3-c4,
with his Rc1. Was he still aiming to squeeze out a slight edge? --- Perhaps
this is the key to what was happening. It seems that Radjabov did not want to
agree a draw just yet, but he needed to be careful not to overpress. It is
easy to create a narrative which suggests that Carlsen was playing absolutely
superbly, and that he was able to create an advantage, and later a win, out of
thin air. In a competitive game of chess, there is always another story about
what was going on. Radjabov, too, hoped for a slight edge, and wanted to keep
his opponent under slight pressure. Somewhere along the line, he misplayed it.}
) 28... g5 {To prevent f3-f4.} 29. Bd3 $6 {One senses that Radjabov was
starting to drift slightly. There are ten moves or so before the time control
at move 40, and the natural reaction in such a position is just to keep things
alive by shuffling the pieces around, and only then try to think about
creating a slight edge. The danger here is that if one player keeps shifting
pieces aimlessly, while the opponent is able to find something constructive to
do, the player with the greater sense of purpose will gradually take over the
initiative.} (29. c4 {still leaves White at least equal.}) 29... Kd7 {
Now Black is making some progress, in the sense that his king covers the
c6-pawn, and so White cannot gain a tempo with c3-c4 and a double exchange,
since the pawn is no longer threatened.} 30. Ra1 ({
Even so, the difference is tiny, and} 30. c4 {is still equal.}) 30... Bb3 31.
Rc1 Kc8 {It seems that Radjabov is not going to bother playing c3-c4 after all,
in which case Carlsen still has a glimmer of hope in bringing his king over to
the queenside, specifically to b6, enabling him to play ...c6-c5, after which
a new phase of the endgame will commence.} 32. Kf2 {Radjabov seems to believe
that the simplest way of holding the position is to move backwards and
forwards, and of course sideways, with his pieces.} ({
There is still time to play} 32. c4 {. Not much has changed structurally in
the last few moves. Pawns and bishops get exchanged, and the kings are
slightly differently placed, but with no major improvements on either side.
All that Radjabov needs to do is play c3-c4 before it is too late.}) 32... Kb7
33. Kg3 Be6 34. Ra1 $6 {The procrastination has gone on too long, and for the
first time it is possible to claim that Carlsen has a clear edge, and that he
is not just waiting for his opponent to make mistakes.} ({Even now,} 34. c4 {
looks fine, when one could argue that Radjabov's manoeuvre with Ke3-f2-g3
would have been the correct approach, keeping an eye on the g5-pawn.If} Kb6 {
, then} 35. b4 {
blocks off the a5- and c5-squares, and the position remains level.}) 34... Kb6
35. Rc1 c5 36. Ra1 $2 {Even here, when Black is finally starting to make
progress with his pawns, White continues his rook shuffle.} (36. c4 {
, optional for a long time, is now essential. If} b4 {, then} 37. Ra1 {defends.
}) 36... c4 {Even if this is not yet winning, Radjabov will need to rethink
his play - not easy when he is only four moves from the time control.} 37. Bc2
Kc5 38. Re1 c6 39. Bb1 {QUESTION: What is Black's plan here? --- First, it is
important to recognize that Carlsen is indeed searching for a genuine plan, in
contrast to Radjabov's evident belief that once a position is solid, that
position will remain solid whatever happens (within reason). The position is
still blocked at the moment, but Black can, with a few extra moves, unblock it
in the centre.} Kb6 $1 {Having manoeuvring his king to the queenside to help
advance the doubled c-pawns, Carlsen then sets up a return journey, to e7 and
then to f6, so that he can advance the pawn to d5.} 40. Bc2 Kc7 {
The time control.} 41. Kf2 Kd7 {QUESTION: What next?} 42. a4 $2 {Badly mistimed
, and in effect the losing move. Radjabov wakes to the thought, just after the
time control, that he will need to make a pawn push at some stage, before
Carlsen can get his central pawns going, but he should have waited a move.} ({
Instead,} 42. Kg3 $1 {still holds the balance.} -- ({. For instance,} 42... g4
43. f4 {and White is comfortable.}) ({. Or if} 42... Ke7 {, continuing his
march towards the kingside, then the c6-pawn is no longer protected and} 43. a4
$1 {would have been well timed. After} bxa4 44. Bxa4 Rb8 (44... c5 45. Ra1 Ra8
46. Ra3 {offers Black nothing}) 45. Bxc6 Rxb2 46. Rh1 {
, White, for the first time, takes control of the h-file with his rook, and}
Rc2 47. Rh7+ Kf6 48. Rh6+ Kf7 49. Bd5 Bxd5 50. exd5 {leads to equality. ---
The inserted king moves, Kg3 and ...Ke7, make an enormous difference to the
final outcome. On e7, the black king no longer protects the pawn on c6; while
with the white king on g3, there is no longer a check after ...Rxb2. King
positioning is important in the endgame. --- Carlsen has shown greater
positional stamina in this game. He has noted many minor inaccuracies by his
opponent, mostly in the delaying of c3-c4, and decided it was very much
worthwhile to continue playing in the hope of a more significant inaccuracy,
on which he will be able to pounce. Many players would have taken, or offered,
a draw some twenty moves earlier, but when Carlsen is given even the slightest
chance of playing for an edge, and possibly later a win, he will take it.}))
42... bxa4 43. Ra1 (43. Bxa4 Rb8 44. Rb1 Kc7 {
, followed by ...d6-d5, leaves Black with a clear advantage.}) 43... Rb8 44.
Ra2 d5 45. exd5 ({He could perhaps try} 45. Bxa4 {
immediately, but Black is still considerably better after} d4 {. If White, at
some stage, tries to cover the advanced d-pawn with his king, Black can switch
the attack to the h-file with his rook.}) 45... cxd5 46. Bxa4+ Kd6 {A transformation! Black's pawns are now extremely mobile, and he has excellent squares
for his pieces; whereas White's pieces are scattered and do nothing active,
the only role for the rook being to protect the b2-pawn.} 47. Bc2 ({On} 47. Ke3
{, Black has} Bf5 {, threatening ...Bb1.}) 47... d4 48. Be4 Rb6 49. Ke2 g4 50.
fxg4 Bxg4+ 51. Kd2 {QUESTION: Black has made the first part of the
breakthrough, but what is he going to do next?} Be6 {White's bishop is the
only piece, other than the king, to cover Black's passed d-pawn and potential
passed e-pawn. It is therefore a good idea to try and exchange the bishops
with ...Bd5. White can resist, but it will still probably end up with the same
rook and pawn ending as in the game.} ({Not yet} 51... d3 $2 {
, as the passed pawns get quickly blockaded. After} 52. Ke3 Ke6 {
, White can free his queenside pawns with} 53. b4 {
- though Black would still have an edge, his position being so strong.}) 52.
Kc2 Bd5 53. Bxd5 d3+ 54. Kd2 Kxd5 {Even now, one might easily gain the
impression that, with rook and three versus rook and three, the game might
easily be drawn, with White's king blockading the passed pawns. The key here
is that Black can attack the opposing king, with the rook on the g-file and
good support from his own king and all the pawns. Once the white king is
pushed off the blockading squares e3 and d2, the rest is easy.} 55. Ke3 Rg6 56.
Ra5+ (56. Kf3 e4+ 57. Kf4 ({or} 57. Ke3 Rg3+ 58. Kf2 e3+ $1 59. Kxg3 d2 {etc})
57... Rf6+ 58. Ke3 Rf1 {soon wins for Black.}) 56... Ke6 57. Ke4 Rg4+ 58. Kf3
Rf4+ 59. Ke3 Rf1 {
. White cannot do anything against the threat of ...Re1+, followed by ...Re2.}
0-1

[Event "Tal Memorial, Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.06.14"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Morozevich, A."]
[Black "Nakamura, H."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D20"]
[Annotator "Colin Crouch"]
[PlyCount "94"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.12.01"]

{What went right for Morozevich in this tournament and what went wrong? He
started off superbly with wins against Caruana, Grischuk and Aronian, and
draws against Carlsen and Radjabov. Then, suddenly, he had three consecutive
losses against Nakamura, Tomashevsky and McShane - and, finally, another draw
against Kramnik, who was also having a rough time. Morozevich's depth of
imagination requires great respect, but there is also a reputation that his
play can fade quite sharply, through tiredness, or perhaps severe self-doubt,
once he starts to lose games. --- It was a bad summer for Morozevich, with
three losses in a row in Moscow, and then being too exhausted to carry on
playing at Biel. Sadly, it is unlikely that he will ever become world champion.
His play is often original and extremely good, but sometimes his play can be
"original" in the bad sense. This next game was the first of his three losses.
Meanwhile, Nakamura was having a quiet tournament, unable to keep up with his
contemporaries, Carlsen, Caruana and Radjabov. If Nakamura is able to achieve
a couple of really good tournaments, he will quickly edge up towards 2800 as
well. --- It is easy to be slightly frivolous about their game below, noting
that, between move six (when he had to retreat his bishop) and move
thirty-four (when he had shot his bolt and was already losing), White did not
make a single retreat - an unusual record. Lovers of chess trivia will no
doubt be interested in searching out even longer sequences without any
retreats. Quite probably this has already been done. --- Behind the trivia,
there is the implication that Morozevich is a player who concentrates on
attack, attack, and more attack, and that he is an extremely dangerous when
attacking. Before this game, he had just beaten Aronian, and he was also close
to beating Carlsen, appropriately with two rooks on the seventh, but he could
not clinch the win. --- Morozevich has never consistently reached 2800 -
although, had he managed three draws instead of three losses in rounds six to
eight, he would have been up to 2795. Was he starting to get tired at this
tournament? Or were his opponents able to find systematic weaknesses? ---} 1.
d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e4 Nf6 4. e5 Nd5 5. Bxc4 Nb6 6. Bd3 {A necessary retreat.
The position is now tense, but about level. White has more space in the centre,
but his d- and e-pawns are loose. Black has less space, but he is able to
manoeuvre effectively within that space.} Nc6 7. Ne2 Bg4 8. f3 Be6 9. Nbc3 Qd7
{Nakamura runs a tight ship.} ({In an earlier game, A.Morozevich-Ar.Timofeev,
Russian Championship, Moscow 2011, Black tried a more open defence with} 9...
Bc4 10. Bxc4 Nxc4 {, when Morozevich choked up Black's kingside with} 11. e6
fxe6 12. O-O {
. For trivia followers, the next retreat by White was at move 24, after} Nb6
13. Ne4 g6 14. Nc5 Qd6 15. Nxb7 Qd5 16. Be3 Bg7 17. Nf4 Qf5 18. Rc1 Nxd4 19.
Bxd4 Bxd4+ 20. Qxd4 e5 21. Qb4 Qxf4 22. Qb5+ c6 23. Qxc6+ Kf7 {, and now} 24.
Nc5 {. White was already close to winning, but the knight cannot be expected
to move forward from b7.}) 10. Ne4 Bd5 11. Nc5 Qc8 12. a3 e6 13. Qc2 {
All roughly equal so far.} Bxc5 {QUESTION: How should White recapture?} 14.
dxc5 $6 {This leaves both the e5- and c5-pawns unnecessarily exposed.} (14.
Qxc5 {is still about equal.}) 14... Nd7 15. f4 {QUESTION: How can Black take
over the initiative? Look for a tactical attempt to exploit the weak c5-pawn.
The second, more difficult, question is whether Black has a genuine advantage.}
Bxg2 {This is certainly playable and should have been equal, but Morozevich
later treated it as a gambit and ended up losing.} ({The computer suggests that
} 15... Qd8 $5 {is a considerable improvement, with a clear advantage for
Black, the main line being} 16. O-O Bb3 {(a sudden tactical resource)} 17. Qc3
({best; after} 17. Qxb3 $2 Nxc5 {and 18...Qxd3, Black wins a pawn safely})
17... Nxc5 18. Bb5 {. Although Black is again a pawn up, he has too many
pieces under pressure to be completely happy (and yes, this is a human
response, not a computer response). The position is extremely complicated,
Black's minor pieces are hanging, so why should he try to calculate much
further? --- Play on a move or so and we reach} Qd5 19. Nd4 Ba4 $1 20. Bxc6+ ({
or} 20. Be3 Bxb5 21. Nxb5 Na6) 20... bxc6 {, when Black seems to keep an edge
- but how many chess players would be confident to calculate all this in
advance? --- Nakamura seems to have missed a very difficult line, though
Morozevich's game was not easy anyway.}) 16. Rg1 Bf3 {
QUESTION: What next for White?} 17. Be3 $2 {Unnecessarily allowing Black an
extra tempo, which should have won the game for him relatively comfortably.} ({
White should have preferred} 17. Rxg7 {, and if} Qd8 18. -- ({, then maybe} 18.
Ng1 $5 Bh5 19. Rxh7 (19. Bxh7 Nd4 {
is possible for White, but he will need to be careful with the queen}) 19...
Rxh7 20. Bxh7 Nd4 21. Qc3 {
(again, he needs to handle the queen safely with the king being exposed)} Qh4+
22. Qg3 Qxg3+ 23. hxg3 {. The position is tense, but about equal.}) ({
. White could instead try to complete his development (finally!) with} 18. Be3
{, but after} Qh4+ 19. Ng3 Qh6 20. Rg5 O-O-O {, Black, with his own pieces now
developed, looks to have slightly the more flexible position. --- In a
complicated early middlegame, where various pieces have not yet been brought
into play, it is often a difficult judgment as to what priority should be
given between development, or taking a pawn, or bringing the already developed
pieces into more active play. Here, taking the pawn should have been preferred.
It is not just the number of pawns that needs to be considered; it is also
that White, by taking on g7, would have damaged Black's kingside structure.}))
17... g6 {Whereas now, White must struggle.} 18. O-O-O Ne7 19. Be4 Bxe4 20.
Qxe4 b6 ({Or perhaps} 20... Nd5 {.}) 21. Nc3 {
Preventing the opposing knight from reaching d5.} O-O {QUESTION: It's starting
to look desperate for White. He is a pawn down, and Black is nearly ready to
play ...Nf5, after which there is no hope of an attack against the king. What
can White do next?} 22. c6 $1 Nb8 23. f5 $1 {Magnificent gambit play. White is
already a pawn down, but he is ready to sacrifice two more, not so much to
provide clear compensation, just to open up lines to attack the king. Win or
lose, Morozevich showed resourcefulness. Without these pawn sacrifices, he
would quickly have gone under. --- Despite the end result, affected by time
trouble, Morozevich had given himself good chances to hold the game.} Nxf5 24.
Bg5 {And the bishop is now in full play. If it reaches f6, Black will have to
be worried about mating attacks on g7, or along the h-pawn.} Qe8 {Black needs
to bring his queenside pieces into play. --- QUESTION: What now? There is an
obvious move, but how far can you calculate it?} 25. Qf4 $2 {
Amazingly, Morozevich did not try it.} ({Here} 25. Rd8 {
forces Black to give up the queen,} -- ({, since} 25... Qxc6 $4 26. Rxb8 $1
Qxe4 27. Rxf8+ {, followed by Nxe4, wins a piece.}) ({
. Therefore he has to play} 25... Qxd8 26. Bxd8 Rxd8 {. Black is slightly
ahead in material (having rook, knight and two pawns for the queen), but his
pieces are undeveloped. We play on with} 27. Nb5 {(this has to be done quickly)
} a6 28. Nxc7 Ra7 29. Na8 $1 {
(the various computers suggest this move) and, after} Nxc6 {
, White makes his first retreat since move six by} 30. Nxb6 {
, with a likely draw after} Rc7 31. Kb1 {. This would have been a far tidier
finish. --- In the game itself, it is perhaps kindest not to try to analyse
every move in depth, as both players were clearly short of time. The main
creative part of the game has been and gone. Now all White can do is try to
find decent moves to reach the fortieth.} (31. --))) 25... f6 ({
It is understandable that Nakamura did not want to risk} 25... Qxc6 {
in time trouble. White might, for example, try} 26. Kb1 {followed by Ne4; or
there might be other possibilities. We'll leave it at that. Any slight mishap
could easily end up with a quick defeat, not something he would have liked.})
26. Bxf6 Qxc6 {
Black has jettisoned his f-pawn in order to create more space for his pieces.}
27. Kb1 Nd7 28. Ne4 Nc5 29. Nxc5 bxc5 30. h4 {QUESTION: Quick assessment, as
Black is in time trouble. What would you do if you had to make a move in a
minute?} Rf7 $6 {
A loss of tempo. This rook move is unnecessary for his defence.} ({
The computer suggests} 30... c4 {, though after} 31. Rc1 {
, it is difficult to believe that Black has any significant edge.}) ({
The correct continuation, it seems, is} 30... Rab8 {, and if} 31. h5 {
, only then} c4 {, and Black is still genuinely better. For example, after} 32.
hxg6 h6 33. g7 Rfc8 34. Rc1 c3 35. Rc2 Rb3 {, he will double up on the b-file.
Black continues his attack until the very last moment, playing a defensive
move only when absolutely necessary. The general ratio is something like three
attacking moves to one defensive move, when there are attacks against kings on
opposite flanks. This is only an approximation, of course, but it is a
reminder that it is best not to be over-defensive in an advantageous but sharp
position. --- Maybe a quick-thinking reader would be able to envisage this in
a minute. For the rest of us, the important point is that Black, by pressing
through with his attack immediately, has gained crucial time.}) 31. h5 Rd7 32.
hxg6 h6 33. Rxd7 Qxd7 34. Qf3 {After all the strange vicissitudes, the game is
now level again. Unfortunately, in time trouble it did not remain equal.} Rb8
35. Rd1 Qe8 36. Rd2 c4 37. Ka2 a5 {
QUESTION: What should White play here? Again, make your decision quickly.} 38.
Qd1 $4 {According to Morozevich, just about any reasonable move would have
been fine, other than the one actually played. He missed his opponent's pawn
hack.} c3 $1 39. bxc3 Ne3 {Suddenly, all his pieces are after the white king.
In contrast, White's advanced g-pawn merely blocks any attack against the
black king.} 40. Qe2 Nd5 41. Qd3 ({If} 41. Qc4 {, Black has an instant win with
} Qa4 42. Qxa4 Nxc3+ 43. Ka1 Rb1# {.}) 41... a4 {
Followed, if allowed, by ...Rb3.} 42. Rb2 Rxb2+ 43. Kxb2 Qb8+ 44. Kc1 Qb3 {
White's bishop is useless.} 45. Qa6 Qxc3+ 46. Kd1 Ne3+ 47. Ke2 Qc4+ {
. --- A strange game.} 0-1

[Event "Tal Memorial, Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.06.17"]
[Round "8"]
[White "Caruana, F."]
[Black "Kramnik, V."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C45"]
[Annotator "Colin Crouch"]
[PlyCount "79"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.12.01"]

{In truth, this was hardly a great game by Kramnik. Once a player, even a
great player, has started to hit the mid thirties, tiredness will occasionally
set in, and more frequent mistakes will occur. Kramnik had, in the previous
two rounds, played two very long and tiring games, the latter being a loss
(see below). Resilience can start to decrease, even if only slowly, and there
will be dangers of further losses. --- Of course, only a really strong player
would be able to exploit such minor weaknesses, and Caruana is indeed such a
strong player. He had, at the time of this game, slightly more than a decade
before needing to worry about similar signs of decline. His current problem,
as exemplified in his game against Morozevich, is that he can still make
mistakes through inexperience. His peak will come some time, perhaps, in his
late twenties. --- Meanwhile, returning to the current game, remember that
Caruana beat Kramnik - a truly impressive result.} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4
exd4 4. Nxd4 {Yet another Scotch. In this book, we have already seen Scotch -
and Scotch Four Knights - games by Kramnik (successfully) and Radjabov (both
successfully and unsuccessfully). Now Caruana beats Kramnik. Could this be the
start of a new fashion? Or is it all a one-off? --- Probably this was just a
brief flurry - and it is incidental that these games have been picked up for
detailed analysis in this selection. In fact, most of the 1 e4 e5 clashes at
the Tal Memorial were in the Ruy Lopez (which was seen eight times). It is
difficult to imagine that there will be another sudden surge of interest in
the Scotch as a result of these few games.} Nf6 5. Nxc6 bxc6 6. e5 Qe7 7. Qe2
Nd5 8. c4 Ba6 (8... Nb6 {is the other main line.}) 9. Nd2 g6 {QUESTION: One
for students of chess psychology. Would you be happy with a quick draw by
repetition here? Would it make a difference if you felt that your opponent
would try and avoid it? Finally, what is the move we are being asked to think
about?} 10. Nf3 ({The line in question is} 10. Nf3 Qb4+ 11. Nd2 Qe7 {. Caruana 
would, I presume, have been happy with a quick draw as Black against a recent
World Champion. Naturally, I am unable to get inside the head of a leading
grandmaster, or his opponent, but there seems to be a reasonable narrative in
the next few moves - in that Caruana makes an implicit offer of a draw, and
Kramnik decides he has to try something else, which turns out to have been
either not so good, or at least a more difficult route to equality. This seems
to make the most sense of the way Kramnik managed to find himself a pawn down
while still in the opening. --- Or it could just have been a bluff by Caruana.
Maybe he was dangling the prospect of an early draw by repetition, intending
to play a new move next time round, rather than repeat the position again. If
nothing else, it would be a good opportunity to see what Kramnik is thinking,
and then decide what to do later.}) ({There are other lines, notably} 10. b3
Bg7 11. Bb2 {, with either equality or a minimal edge for White.}) 10... Bg7 ({
As we have just seen,} 10... Qb4+ 11. Nd2 ({of course this is not a forced
line for either side, but the various alternatives - for example,} 11. Kd1 Qa4+
12. Qc2 {- should still end up equal}) 11... Qe7 12. Nf3 {
would repeat the position.}) 11. Bg5 f6 (11... Qb4+ 12. Qd2 {
would now give White a slight edge.}) 12. exf6 Qxe2+ 13. Bxe2 Nxf6 14. O-O-O {
QUESTION: What next for Black? --- This, surprisingly, is the critical
position in the whole game. Given that Kramnik soon lost a pawn, there was
clearly something wrong with his handling of the opening.} O-O-O {Black's two
main problems are, first, what to do with his king, and second what to do with
a couple of small pawn weaknesses (a7 and d7). Kramnik castled quickly on the
queenside, but left his a7-pawn dangerously weak. Possibly he underestimated
this.} ({Instead: --} 14... O-O $2 {would lose the other pawn after} 15. Bxf6 {
, followed by Rxd7. There is no reasonable compensation to be seen.}) (14...
Rb8 {merely delays the problem. To counter the possible threats to b2, the
most efficient solution seems to be} 15. Be3 {
, followed by Bd4. If Black were to try} Ng4 16. Bd4 Bxd4 17. Rxd4 Nxf2 $4 {
, the knight soon gets captured after} 18. Rf1 {.}) (14... Ne4 {
looks effective (maybe Kramnik had intended this?), but after} 15. Rhe1 $1 Nxg5
16. Nxg5 {, Black's king is uncomfortably open. If} O-O 17. Rxd7 Rxf2 $6 {
, White has a hidden tactic in} 18. Rxg7+ Kxg7 19. Ne6+ {, followed by a fork
with 20 Nxc7. Despite initial impressions, this is not quite winning, since
Black has} Kg8 {(avoiding a later check on the f-file)} 20. Nxc7 Rxe2 21. Rxe2
Bxc4 22. Rc2 Rc8 23. Rxc4 Rxc7 {. How should one judge this rook and pawn
endgame? Black's pawn structure is slightly damaged, with isolated a- and
c-pawns. This of itself, and with all other things being equal, guarantees
White a slight edge with accurate play. White has at least a draw, though it
is far too early to say that he has serious winning chances. On the other hand,
it is uncomfortable for Black and, given the chance, he would prefer to find
complete equality instead.}) ({There is one fully sound move:} 14... d6 $1 {
. Black's pawn structure has now been straightened up and, if necessary, he
can cut out any threats to the a7-pawn with ...c6-c5. More significantly, he
can castle safely on the kingside. Play is equal -if} 15. Nd4 {, then simply}
O-O {, and if} 16. Nxc6 $2 {, then} Ne4 {with advantage to Black.}) 15. Be3 {
Now White has a solid positional edge.} Rde8 {QUESTION: Any improvements? In
particular, could he have tried to defend the pawn with 15...Kb8 - ?} ({
The a7-pawn is not directly attacked after the move played, but each time
Black leaves it undefended, he remains under pressure. A quiet defensive plan
with} 15... Kb8 16. Rhe1 Bb7 {is certainly possible, but there is no clear and
simple equality. The problem is that, while Black would like to play both ...d7-d6 and ...c6-c5, how is he going to achieve this? If he plays ...c6-c5
first, his pawn will be taken. If he plays ...d7-d6 first, White will start an
attack with Nd4. It is already difficult for him.}) 16. Bd3 d6 {QUESTION: Kramnik has achieved his first objective, managing to play ...d7-d6 safely while
keeping the knight away from the centre. What is Caruana going to do next?} 17.
c5 ({Now} 17. Nd4 {achieves nothing for White after} c5 {, and if} 18. Nc6 {
, then simply} Kb7 {.}) (17. Bxa7 $6 c5 {
is just about playable if White continues with} 18. b4 {
, but few would consider this as an attempt for an advantage.}) ({
White could try something quiet such as} 17. h3 {(to prevent ...Ng4)} c5 {
, but his edge is going to be very slight. --- Better to open up the queenside,
so that all of Black's pawns are weakened. Or at least, that is how the
argument goes.}) 17... Bxd3 18. Rxd3 {QUESTION: How should Black continue the
defence? --- Perhaps Black's position is not as bad as it looks, but he still
has to defend imaginatively and find the correct reply.} Nd5 $6 {Kramnik gives
away his worst pawn in order to find good squares for his pieces. All the same,
a pawn is a pawn, and nowhere did Kramnik find a way to recover it. White's
passed a-pawn remained to the end.} ({Instead,} 18... d5 19. Nd4 Kb7 20. f3 {
is just about playable for Black, though it looks uncomfortable. Once any
immediate tactics have been resolved (e.g. after} Rxe3 21. Rxe3 Bh6 {), Black still has to work out what to do with the a-pawn, and the two doubled c-pawns.
There will be no quick win for White, but he will he able to grind for a long
time.}) ({The best reply seems to be} 18... dxc5 $1 19. Bxc5 Re2 {. It goes against the grain to allow tripled isolated pawns, and an extra isolated pawn
nearby, but for the first time Black has good squares for his pieces and is in
no great trouble.} 20. -- ({. For example,} 20. Bxa7 c5 $1 21. Bxc5 (21. Rb3
Nd7) ({, or} 21. Rhd1 Rxf2 22. Ne5 Rf4 $1 23. Rb3 Rb4) 21... Ne4 22. b4 Rxa2 {
is equal.}) ({. In this line} 20. Re1 $1 {seems more testing, with Black's
queenside pawns being troublesome to defend. There is no obvious win for White,
but equally there is no obvious way for Black to find a clear draw. Perhaps
something like} Bh6+ 21. Kb1 Rhe8 {, and it would have been interesting to see
what would happen next. This must still be better than being a pawn down.}))
19. cxd6 cxd6 20. Bxa7 {
QUESTION: Black to play. What next? How can he set up a new line of barricades?
} Kc7 $6 {It seems Kramnik is not quite as good as he used to be in defending
difficult endgames. This showed, for example, in his first match game against
Aronian - though of course everything is relative and he is still an immensely
strong player, battling to stay at 2800 level. --- Black certainly needed to
work extremely hard on this position, whereas Kramnik merely played passively,
attacking White's passed pawn, and not doing all that much else.} ({Instead,} 
20... Re2 {leads to a quick hacking of material with} 21. Bd4 Bxd4 22. Nxd4
Rxf2 23. Nxc6 Nf4 24. Rxd6 Kc7 25. Rhd1 Rxg2 {, but after} 26. h4 {it is difficult to get back the extra pawn quickly. If he can only achieve this slowly -
the direct} Rh2 27. Na7 Rxh4 28. Rd7+ {sees Black's king suddenly in trouble:}
Kb8 ({or} 28... Kb6 29. R1d6+) 29. Nc6+ Kc8 30. Ra7 {
- White will have two dangerous, outside, connected passed pawns.}) ({
Black's best plan might be to complete his development with} 20... Rhf8 {
, making sure that all his pieces are centralized and on good squares, without
worrying about attacking a pawn on the edge. One of the points is that he is
creating pressure on the f-file, which makes it difficult for White to improve
his minor pieces.} 21. -- ({For example,} 21. Re1 Rxe1+ 22. Nxe1 Kb7 23. Be3
Nxe3 24. fxe3 Rf2 {and Black is reasonably safe.}) ({. Perhaps} 21. Be3 Re4 {
, when play continues, and White is only slightly better.})) 21. Be3 Ra8 22. a3
Ra4 {It is not so clear that his rook is any better on a4 than on e8, and of
course he has spent two tempi getting it there.} 23. Re1 Rf8 {
To provoke the knight move, and therefore not a waste of time.} (23... Nxe3 24.
fxe3 Re8 {
still sets up a tough defence, but White should probably win eventually.}) 24.
Ng5 Re8 25. Bb6+ Kd7 26. Rxe8 Kxe8 27. Be3 {The old story: the more pieces get
exchanged, the more an extra pawn increases in value. The bishop is on the
same square as six moves ago, but White is happier now a pair of rooks has
gone.} Kd7 ({Again,} 27... Nxe3 28. Rxe3+ {is to be considered. At the moment,
the knight looks stronger than the bishop, but if the bishop is given the
opportunity to move to a safe square, the balance will change.}) 28. Rb3 Kc8
29. Bd2 {The bishop is now safe. The general idea for White is to find better
squares for his other pieces and to cut down the opponent's options. Still,
progress is not going to be quick.} h5 30. Nf7 Kc7 31. Rg3 {White has prodded
the kingside pawns successfully and forced Black to retreat one of his pieces.}
Ne7 32. b4 {
Now that his pieces are safe, it is time to start pushing the pawns.} Kd7 33.
Rd3 d5 34. Kc2 {And the king is on hand to offer support, push away the
opposing pieces, and eventually enable his own pawns to advance. This is
classic technique in the endgame.} Nf5 35. Bc3 d4 (35... Rxa3 36. Bxg7 Rxd3 37.
Kxd3 Nxg7 38. Ne5+ {, followed by Nxg6, gives White enough kingside pawns to
ensure that he will win the knight endgame.}) 36. Kb3 Ra8 37. Ng5 Kd6 38. f3
Kd5 39. Ne4 Ne3 $4 {A time-trouble blunder.} ({After} 39... Bf8 40. Bd2 c5 41.
Nxc5 Bxc5 42. bxc5 Kxc5 {, it would still require a lot of hard work for White
to force victory. The next stage might be} 43. Bb4+ Kd5 44. a4 {, advancing
the pawn. In itself this is not enough to win; White will have to find some
way to make use of the extra pawn on the kingside, with g2-g4 at some stage.})
40. Rxe3 ({After} 40. Rxe3 dxe3 41. Bxg7 {White has two pieces and a pawn for
the rook, and the e-pawn will soon drop off too, so Black resigned. --- For a
teenager, indeed for anyone, to beat Kramnik is quite an achievement.}) 1-0

[Event "Tal Memorial, Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.06.16"]
[Round "7"]
[White "McShane, L."]
[Black "Kramnik, V."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C67"]
[Annotator "Colin Crouch"]
[PlyCount "187"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.12.01"]

{As for the long games by Kramnik: it took him 36 moves to win Tomashevsky's
a-pawn, to reach an endgame with rook, knight and four kingside pawns, versus
rook, knight and three kingside pawns. This was going to be a long struggle,
and Tomashevsky lasted out until move 83. Then against McShane, just after the
time control, the players reached an intense queen and rook ending with three
pawns on each side, two of them passed. ---} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4.
O-O Nxe4 5. Re1 Nd6 6. Nxe5 Be7 7. Bf1 Nxe5 8. Rxe5 O-O 9. d4 Bf6 10. Re1 Re8
11. Bf4 Rxe1 12. Qxe1 Ne8 13. Nc3 Bxd4 14. Nd5 d6 15. Bg5 Bf6 16. Nxf6+ Nxf6
17. Bxf6 gxf6 18. Qe4 f5 19. Qe3 Be6 20. Qg3+ Kf8 21. Qc3 Ke7 22. Re1 Kd7 23.
Bc4 Qh8 24. Bxe6+ fxe6 25. Qb3 Re8 26. Qxb7 Rb8 27. Qxa7 Qxb2 28. Qa4+ Qb5 29.
Qh4 Qa5 30. Qxh7+ Kc6 31. Rc1 Qxa2 32. Qh5 Qb2 33. Qd1 Kd7 34. g3 e5 35. c4 Ke7
36. Qe1 Rb3 37. c5 d5 38. Rd1 c6 39. Qa5 Kd7 40. Qa4 Rb5 41. Qh4 Rxc5 42. Qh7+
Kd6 43. Qg6+ Kc7 44. Qxf5 {. --- Kramnik was probably better in the earlier
stages. After all, it is easy enough to imagine how dangerous his central
passed pawns could have become, if given the opportunity. However, it is now
White who has the initiative. His outside passed h-pawn, almost of minor
significance during the middlegame, is now an enormous threat. All White has
to do is advance his h-pawn safely and it is difficult for Black to defend
that part of the board. Kramnik tried} e4 $4 {here, after which McShane's
outside passed pawn proved decisive, and Kramnik resigned on move 94.} ({
The task for the students, making full use of their analysis engines, is to
find a better attempt to defend the position after} 44... Rc1 45. Rxc1 Qxc1+ 46.
Kg2 {. It is not easy, even though the computer engine gives the position as
stone-cold drawn in three different lines. Good luck if you can find something
secure.}) 45. h4 Rc3 46. Qe5+ Kb7 47. h5 Rb3 48. Qe7+ Kb6 49. Qd8+ Kb7 50. Qd7+
Kb6 51. Qd8+ Kb7 52. Qe7+ Kb6 53. Qe8 Kb7 54. h6 Rf3 55. Qe7+ Ka6 56. Qc5 Kb7
57. Qe7+ Ka6 58. Qc5 Kb7 59. Rc1 Rf6 60. h7 Rh6 61. Kg2 Qb3 62. Qe7+ Kb6 63.
Qd8+ Kb7 64. Qd7+ Kb6 65. Rxc6+ Rxc6 66. Qd8+ Ka7 67. Qd7+ Kb6 68. Qd8+ Ka7 69.
h8=Q Qf3+ 70. Kh3 Rh6+ 71. Qxh6 Qh1+ 72. Kg4 Qxh6 73. Qxd5 Qf6 74. Qf5 Qd4 75.
Qf4 Kb7 76. Kf5 Qd5+ 77. Qe5 Qf7+ 78. Qf6 Qd5+ 79. Kf4 Qd2+ 80. Kxe4 Qe2+ 81.
Kd5 Qa2+ 82. Kd6 Qa3+ 83. Ke6 Qa2+ 84. Ke7 Qe2+ 85. Kf7 Qh5+ 86. Kg7 Qg4+ 87.
Qg6 Qd4+ 88. Qf6 Qg4+ 89. Kh6 Qe2 90. Kg5 Kc7 91. f4 Qf3 92. Qe5+ Kd7 93. f5
Qf1 94. f6 {. --- Given a free hand, I feel sure that I would have given this
game in detail in this book. My intention, however, was to look only at
Carlsen, Caruana and Radjabov. Only one game not featuring one of the three
target players has been annotated, that being Nakamura-Morozevich in round six.
This leaves twenty more games, including twelve with a decisive result, for
readers to investigate on their own.} 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Final Notes"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Colin Crouch"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.12.01"]

{There are, of course, no final notes in chess. It is all part of a long
historical process, which carries on from the past and through the future.
Older players will gradually see their strengths decreasing, and younger
players will improve, sometimes very quickly. Since 2005, it has to be
acknowledged that there has been no improvement at the very top, in that the
number one spot has been vacant since Kasparov retired, with no player as yet
being of the same strength. There has been a vast increase of new 2700+
grandmasters, who are all intensely strong, but not quite as strong as
Kasparov. --- What we have seen in the last few years, however, is that some
of these players are starting to go beyond Anand and Kramnik, and have genuine
aspirations to reach the level of Kasparov, or even beyond. For instance,
Carlsen, at 21, is just a couple of good wins from reaching Kasparov's peak
rating (2851 in July 1999, aged 36).} 1. -- {There are statistical questions
as to whether the FIDE rating system has an inflationary tendency, and whether
ratings in 2012 are fully equivalent to ratings in 1999. Carlsen, on his own
website <www.magnuscarlsenchess.com>, suggested that Kasparov's rating of 2851
was actually equivalent to a 2886 rating in November 2010. Furthermore,
according to Carlsen's recalculations, Kasparov's rating of 2675 in July 1982,
at the age of 19, would have been 2811 in modern terms. There are many ifs and
buts about all this, and no doubt different statisticians would have different
points of view, but Carlsen's argument makes sense. He certainly does not
claim that, in his early twenties, he is already the best chess player ever.
He knows he still needs to prove himself. --- Carlsen also notes that he
reached 2800 in November 2009, at the age of 18 years and 11 months, slightly
faster than Kasparov. There is just one other player who is currently
achieving a similar speed of improvement. That is Anish Giri, aged 18 years
and 3 months at the time of writing, with a rating of 2730, and an increase on
average of two rating points per game. Even Caruana's development looks very
slightly slower.} (1. -- {Time to have a closer look at the most recent
ratings, up to the beginning of the 2012 Olympiad. --- According to the
international ratings (updated daily at <www.2700chess.com>) just before the
Istanbul Olympiad, there are currently eight players rated over 2770. These
can be divided into three age groups (actual ages given in brackets): -- 25
and under: Carlsen (21) 2843, Radjabov (25) 2785, Nakamura (24) 2783, Karjakin
(22) 2778, Caruana (20) 2770; -- 26 to 30: Aronian (29) 2816; -- 31 and over:
Kramnik (37) 2797, Anand (42) 2780. -- Then three more players, aged 25 or
under, with ratings of 2730 or more (so within reasonable striking distance of
2750): Wang Hao (23) 2742, Giri (18) 2730, Tomashevsky (25) 2730. --- There
are other young players who might be capable of reaching this higher level,
but at the moment we have eight players (of age 25 or below) who can be
regarded as excellent candidates for the world championship (remember that
Carlsen is not World Champion yet). This is a definite generation gap. Only
Aronian, at 29, straddles between the younger age group and the old guard of
Kramnik and Anand.}) (1. -- {It has been a splendid opportunity to be able to
write about the major shift of the chess generations in mid-2012. Before long,
Carlsen will almost certainly become the strongest ever player in chess, ahead
of Kasparov. There will be others, too, who will overtake Kasparov - and there
are at least two obvious possibilities in the above list. This does not mean
that these players will become more of a "genius" than Kasparov, nor even that
Kasparov is necessarily a greater genius than Fischer. Every generation has
the opportunity to learn from its predecessors, and every player can also
learn from their contemporaries. Even more important perhaps, when considering
the massive step-change in playing strength in this short period of time, is
the increased sophistication of computer technology. --- Chess is becoming
even more interesting than a few years ago.}) *

