World Championship G8 – Anand strikes back, wins in 17 moves!

by ChessBase
5/21/2012 – What a game, what a fascinating turn of events! World Champion Vishy Anand shockingly lost the seventh game and let Challenger Boris Gelfand take the lead. Today he struck back with a resounding 17-move win that took commentators Peter Leko and Ian Nepomniachtchi and more importantly Gelfand completely by surprise. Express report with tons of GM commentary and videos.
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The World Chess Championship 2012 is being staged in the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, between the current World Champion Viswanathan Anand of India and the winner of the Candidates tournament Boris Gelfand of Israel. The match is over twelve games and lasts from May 11 to 30. The prize fund is US $2.55 million, the winner getting $1.53 million (60%), the loser $1.02 million (40%).

Round eight – Anand strikes back, wins in 17 moves!

The reigning World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand bounced back into the World Chess Championship in style with a short, sweet and stunning victory over Challenger Boris Gelfand in the eighth game. Yesterday night in the seventh game, Anand had ended on the losing side but the ‘Chennai Tiger’ as he is known roared back with a 17 move victory.

Anand was in full flow today and showed his natural aggressive side. It was a fantastic effort by him as one seldom comes across a decisive miniature less than 20 moves in World Championship games. What is more important is the way Anand shrugged off yesterday’s defeat and would definitely be enjoying a psychological edge and to a certain extent some peaceful sleep and rest on the free day.

The theoretical discussion in the Grunfeld did continue, which incidentally has been Gelfand’s pet defence so far in this event. Gelfand deviated rather early on the third move from their third game in this match. Gaining confidence after yesterday’s victory he tried to provoke Anand on the kingside, but the Indian did not take the bait. An invitation to swap bishops on the eighth move by Gelfand was rather surprising. Anand unhesitatingly accepted. Another sharp move by Gelfand on the tenth move and Anand was equal to the challenge.

By the twelfth move Anand appeared distinctly better, and a wrong queen move on the 14th had Anand smelling victory! Gelfand’s queen ventured into Anand’s territory and it was probably too late for the Challenger to realize that there was no way out for her, prompting an immediate resignation.

The Score once again stands equal 4-4 in the 12 Game Match. Tuesday is the rest day and the ninth game will be played on Wednesday with Gelfand wielding white.

Game eight analysis by GM Alejandro Ramirez

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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.f3 This has been a popular way of trying to avoid the Grunfeld. Shirov used it successfully in the late 90s against Kramnik and it gave Anand great chances in the third game of this match. c5 4.d5 The position now goes into the Benoni waters, a defense that is not very popular for Black right now - but white has committed to playing f3. d6 5.e4 Bg7 6.Ne2 0-0 7.Nec3 This knight dance is seen sometimes in this variation to bolster the center and to develop the knight - notice it isn't very useful on e2. Nh5 7...e6 had been played once before, but I'm sure Gelfand was out of preparation by now. 8.Bg5 Bf6 very logical - White's dark squares are weak, so Gelfand exchanges the bishops to emphasize the weaknesses. 9.Bxf6 exf6 Opening the file and allowing f5. 10.Qd2 The start of a develish trap. Looking back at the game, you just wonder when Vishy saw the upcoming sequence. f5 11.exf5 Bxf5 12.g4 Re8+ 13.Kd1 Bxb1 14.Rxb1 Qf6?? I understand that not too many people saw Vishy's idea. However, you always have to be careful playing such a brilliant tactician. 14...Nf6 15.Kc2 Nbd7 16.Be2 Must favor White a little. His space advantage is considerable and his king is quite safe. Maybe Na6-c7 is better than Nbd7. 15.gxh5 When a world champion hangs an exchange and a pawn, you should know you are lost. Qxf3+ 16.Kc2 Qxh1 17.Qf2‼ Surprise! The queen is trapped in the corner. The threat is simply Bd3 and there is no adequate defense. Black resigned instead of continuing in a hopeless situation. 17.Qf2 Na6 18.Bd3 Nb4+ 19.Kd2 Nxd3 20.Kxd3 Doesn't help Black one bit. 17.Qf2 Nc6 18.dxc6 Qxc6 19.Bg2 Qd7 20.Nd5 is beyond hopeless when you play someone of Anand's caliber. Or even a little less. 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Anand,V2791Gelfand,B27271–02012E60ICC 120 0 u8

Game eight analysis by GM Romain Edouard

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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.f3 c5!? Gelfand deviates from 3...d5, as he played in game two. It is very interesting to play ...c5 right now, since in a normal Saemish System in the Kings Indian, White would be on time to play Nge2 (against ...c5) in order to delay the d5-push. See the line below. 3...Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nc3 0-0 6.Be3 c5 7.Nge2!? is one of the main lines in the Saemish. 4.d5 d6 5.e4 Bg7 6.Ne2 0-0 7.Nec3!? An absolutely normal move. In that kind of positions, White usually has problems developing his two knights healthily. Usually, the b-knight is already on c3, and the other one goes to g3 in order to free the bishop on f1. Then Black goes ...h5, ...h4 very fast and in general White is not in time to castle in order to play Nh1-Nf2 (which is a "dream" square for the knight). The move played by Anand solves all those problems, and is clearly the good reaction against the 3...c5 line. Nh5 One of the moves suggested by the engine. Though a bit weird, since Gelfand played very fast, I cannot decently critize that move, though I would like to. I guess one of the ideas would be to go ...e5, and suddenly the knight would be very well placed on h5 (if ...e5 without ...Nh5, I guess White could go g4!, while with the knight on h5, Black wants to counter g4 by ... Nf4!). The move played by Anand seems like the most natural. 7...e6 would be more natural. 8.Bg5!? Bf6 The engine suggests 8...h6 but White would just go 9.Be3 after White Houdini proposes g5 9...e5?! 10.Qd2 is already different: White will go Na3, 0-0-0 and Black will lose time due to the h6-pawn which is misplaced. If Black needs ...Kh7 later, it will be very difficult to play ...f5, since White is going to put a bishop on d3. 10.Nd2 Nd7 but White just goes 11.Qc2 followed by 0-0-0, and on the long run I simply don't believe Black's position can be good. 9.Bxf6 exf6 Definitely the logical move after going ...Bf6: but according to the engine, Black's position is worse already. 10.Qd2 10.g4!? seems quite strong: Ng7 10...Nf4? 11.Qd2 Qb6 12.Na3 g5 13.h4± 11.Qd2 Nd7 11...f5?! 12.gxf5 gxf5? 13.Qh6!± 12.Qh6 Qb6 13.b3 followed by Be2, and either h4-h5, or simply 0-0 with a positionnal advantage. 10...f5 11.exf5 Bxf5 12.g4 Re8+ The natural 12...Bxb1 13.Rxb1 Ng7 is not enough to equalize after 14.h4! h5 14...Nd7 15.h5 15.Kd1! (typical maneuver) Nd7 16.Kc2 a6 17.Be2 b5 18.Rbg1 and I believe White's attack is quicker. 13.Kd1 Bxb1 14.Rxb1 Qf6?? A terrible blunder, though the position is already worse. After 14...Nf6 15.Kc2 White will have a fast attack on the kingside, while Black is very slow in finding counterplay (after ...Na6 White will either go a3, or remove the rook from b1 to leave b1 free for the white king!). 15.gxh5! Qxf3+ 16.Kc2 Qxh1 17.Qf2! It seems Gelfand just missed that move! As against Topalov, Anand managed to equalize the score right after losing for the first time! Very impressive. However, it seems quite clear Gelfand somehow couldn't handle the pressure of becoming a "favourite" in the match. Let's not forget Anand played several World Championship matches, while Gelfand is playing one for the first time, and had an absolutely amazing course to reach it. 17.Qf2 Nc6 18.dxc6 Qxc6 19.Bd3+- 1–0
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Anand,V2791Gelfand,B27271–02012E60World Chess Championship Match8

Game eight analysis by Malcolm Pein

IM Malcolm Pein comments on the games on TWIC and live during each game via Twitter #telegraphchess.

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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.f3 c5 3...d5 Game 3 where Boris nearly lost. Now we have a Benoni 4.d5 d6 5.e4 Bg7 6.Ne2 0-0 7.Nec3
An eccentric looking development which has appeared recently. It has its points. After Black plays e7-e6 and exd5 White plays c4xd5 and the knight on b1 goes via d2 or a3 to the ideal square c4. Otherwise Na3 clamps down on b7-b5 7...Nh5 A move to make the opponent fall off his chair. The first time I saw this sort of move was in 1985 when John Nunn brilliant outplayed Alexander Belyavsky. However that was after White had played h3?! preparing to kick a Ne5 with f2-f4. It probably inspired to me to play a random Nh5 against Glenn Flear at Brussels and then against Max Dlugy at London Peace 1986 in different variations of the King's Indian Saemisch. The general point is White is developing very slowly so Black might seek counterplay very fast. Also my idea at the time was that after g4 Nf6 White has some difficulties with his king as 0-0-0 was not practicalI. I guess that applies here because White is far away from 0-0-0 However Vishy comes up with an imaginative solution. 7...e6 Sadler-Tkachiev 1995 8.Bg5 8.g4 Nf6 Where is white to put his king? he is certainly four or five moves from castling queenside 8...Bf6!? Boris had evidently decided Vishy was potentially vulnerable 8...h6 9.Be3 e6 10.Qd2 exd5 11.Nxd5 Nc6 12.Nbc3 8...f6!? 9.Be3 f5 10.exf5 Bxf5 11.g4?! Bxb1 12.Rxb1 Nf4 With counterplay for Black 9.Bxf6 exf6 10.Qd2 Now a subsequent g2-g4 would force Black to take with the g6 pawn after f5 so I guess he should play it now and he does f5 11.exf5 Bxf5 11...Qh4+ 12.Kd1 Bxf5 13.g4 Bxb1 14.Rxb1 Ng7 15.Kc2 f5 Is very hard to evaluate the computer's 0.00 is irrelevant to a real game, it's sharp and unclear 12.g4 Re8+ 13.Kd1 Bxb1 14.Rxb1 Qf6?? Losing by force. Boris had only considered 17.Qf4 below which had been Vishy's first thought before he saw Qf2 14...Nf6 15.Kc2 Na6 16.a3 Nc7 17.h4 Feels comfortable for White but he has to watch out for a quick b5 14...Nf6 15.Kc2 Nbd7 16.Be2 And given that Black cannot establish a knight on e5 as f4 comes White should be somewhat better as he can play h4-h5 15.gxh5 15.Kc2 Nf4 16.Ne4 Rxe4 17.fxe4 Nd7 Was considered by the commentators 18.Rg1 g5 19.h4 h6 15...Qxf3+ 16.Kc2 Qxh1 17.Qf2 The queen will be trapped after Bd3 17.Qf4 Qg1! 17.Qf2 Nc6 Computer Is the only way to carry on 18.dxc6 Qxc6 19.Bg2 Qd7 20.Nd5 Kf8 20...Qa4+ 21.b3 Qxa2+ 22.Rb2 Qa5 23.Nf6+ Kf8 24.Bxb7 21.Nf6 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Anand,V2799Gelfand,B27391–02012E60WCh 20128

What it looked like in Playchess, with Let's Check on

Analysis by GM Daniel King

Analysis by IM Andrew Martin

Video report

GM Robert Fontaine and his video producer Gérard Demuydt are in Moscow produced video reports and interviews after each round for the French chess magazine Europe Echecs. In this musically enhanced round eight report we see the moment Gelfand realises that 17.Qf2 traps his queen. Interesting to hear Anand and Peter Leko talk about it in the press conference.

Video by Vijay Kumar

We would strongly advocate replaying the HD video stream that is provided by the organisers (below) and fast forward to the position after White's 14th move – that's around 16:41:00 into the stream, and especially from 16:48:00 onwards. Very entertaining – do not miss it!

Video stream of the round (from the official World Championship site)

Once again the Russian organisers are providing unprecedented coverage,
with a HD video stream of the action and commentary by visiting grandmasters.

Scoreboard

 Players
Rtng
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Tot.
Perf.
+/–
 Vishy Anand
2791
½
½
½
½
½
½
0
1
        
4.0
2727
–7
 Boris Gelfand  
2727
½
½
½
½
½
½
1
0
        
4.0
2791
+7

Remaining schedule

Days of play, with live commentators on Playchess.com. Note that the games start at 15:00h local time = 13:00 CEST, 07 a.m. New York or here in your location.

Tues May 22 Rest day  
Wed May 23 Game 9 Daniel King
Thur May 24 Game 10 Yannick Pelletier
Fri May 25 Rest day  
Sat May 26 Game 11 Daniel King
 
Sun May 27 Rest day  
Mon May 28 Game 12 Sam Collins
Tues May 29 Rest day  
Wed May 30 Tiebreaks  
Thurs May 31 Closing  

Links

The games are being broadcast live on the official web site and on the chess server Playchess.com. If you are not a member you can download a free Playchess client there and get immediate access. You can also use ChessBase 11 or any of our Fritz compatible chess programs.

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