1.e4
e5
2.Nf3
Nc6
3.Bb5
a6
4.Ba4
Nf6
5.0-0
Be7
6.Re1
b5
7.Bb3
d6
8.c3
0-0
9.h3
The starting position of the Closed Spanish.
9...Nb8
Swinging the knight via b8 to d7 to protect the pawn on e5 is an idea of a talented Hungarian master Gyula Breyer. It dates back to 1920. At the end of the 19th century in similar positions, the first world champion William Steinitz and his rival, Mikhail Chigorin, also protected the pawn on e5 with a knight, but they did it rather clumsily using the knight from f6.
10.d4
Nbd7
11.Nbd2
Bb7
We can see the elegance and flexibility of Breyer's setup: the knight on d7 protects the center, the bishop on b7 attacks it. The c-pawn is not hindered and can advance any moment. In addition, black may also strike in the center with d6-d5.
12.Bc2
Re8
13.a4
[White is at a crossroads. Swinging the knight to the kingside 13.Nf1
Bf8
14.Ng3
was the usual popular plan, but after 14... 14...g6
white needed to open a second front and played 15.a4
c5
(Blacks later realized that keeping the center flexible with 15...Bg7
16.Bd3
c6
is not a bad idea.) 16.d5
and with the center closed, white could use his space advantage to prepare a combined attack on both wings. The first game between Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky in 1992 comes immediately to mind.]
13...Bf8
14.Bd3
c6
15.b4
Rc8!?
A new, good waiting move. Carlsen previously played 15...Nb6 against Anand, clarifying the matters on the queenside immediately. [15...Nb6
16.axb5
(16.a5
Nbd7
17.Bb2
g6
18.c4
exd4
19.Bxd4
(19.cxb5
cxb5
20.Bxd4
Ne5
21.Bc2
Nh5
22.Qb1
Nf4
23.Ra3
Rc8
24.Rc3
Rxc3
25.Bxc3
Bg7
26.Qa1
Qc7
27.Re3
Nxf3+
0-1 Ornstein,A (2405)-Reshevsky,S (2460)/Reykjavik 1984) 19...Ne5
20.Bb6
Qd7
21.Qc2
Nxd3
22.Qxd3
c5
23.Rab1
Bc6
24.bxc5
dxc5
25.Qc2
Qb7
26.cxb5
axb5
27.Bxc5
Nxe4
28.Bxf8
Nxd2
29.Qxd2
Rxf8
30.Nh4
Qd7
31.Qc3
Rfd8
32.Re3
Rac8
33.Qa3
Qd6
34.Nf3
Qd5
35.Rbe1
Rb8
36.Re5
Qd7
37.Re7
Qf5
38.Ne5
b4
39.Qb2
Bd5
40.Ng4
Qg5
41.Nf6+
1-0 Sutovsky,E (2665)-Filippov,A (2609)/Khanty Mansiysk 2010.) 16...axb5
(16...cxb5
17.d5!
Rc8
18.Ra3
Nh5
19.Nf1
g6
20.N1h2
Bg7
21.Bg5
Qd7
22.Be3
Nc4
23.Bxc4
Rxc4
24.Nd2
Rc7
25.Nhf1
Nf4
26.Bb6
Rcc8
27.Ne3
f5
28.f3
Rf8
29.Kh2
Rf7
30.c4
bxc4
31.Nexc4
fxe4
32.fxe4
Rcf8
33.Be3
Bh6
34.Rf1
Bg7
35.Qa4
Qe7
36.b5
axb5
37.Qxb5
Bc8
38.Qb6
Qg5
39.Rf2
Qh4
40.Bxf4
Rxf4
41.Rxf4
Qxf4+
42.Kg1
Bh6
43.Rf3
Qg5
44.Qc6
Rxf3
45.Nxf3
Qc1+
46.Kf2
Bd7
47.Qxd7
Qxc4
48.Qe6+
Kg7
49.Qe7+
Kg8
50.Qe6+
Kg7
1/2-1/2 Anand,V (2800)-Carlsen,M (2826)/Bilbao 2010.) 17.Rxa8
Qxa8
(17...Bxa8
18.Nb3
Bb7
19.dxe5
dxe5
20.Be3
Bc8
21.Qc2
Qc7
22.Na5
Bd7
23.Rc1
h6
24.Nd2
Na4
25.Ndb3
Rb8
26.Ra1
c5
27.bxc5
Nxc5
28.Nxc5
1/2-1/2 Anand,V (2800)-Carlsen,M (2826)/Kristiansund 2010.) 18.Nb3
Nc4
19.dxe5
Nxe5
20.Nxe5
Rxe5
21.f3
Re8
22.Be3
Bc8
23.Bf2
Be6
24.Nd4
Bd7
25.Qd2
Qb8
26.Bf1
h6
27.Ra1
Qb7
28.Ra5
d5
29.exd5
Nxd5
30.Nb3
Be6
31.Nc5
Bxc5
32.Bxc5
Rd8
33.Ra1
Qb8
34.Rd1
Qg3
35.Bf2
Qe5
36.c4
bxc4
37.Bxc4
Rd7
38.Bxd5
Rxd5
39.Qe1
Qxe1+
40.Rxe1
Rd2
41.Bc5
Kh7
42.Rf1
Bc4
43.Rf2
Rxf2
44.Kxf2
1/2-1/2 Anand,V (2800)-Carlsen,M (2826)/Nanjing 2010. ]
16.axb5
cxb5
17.Bb2
White is ready to close the center with 18.d5 and black has to react.
17...d5!
And just like that black equalizes. After the pawns disappear from the center, black's pieces will be well placed.
18.exd5
[After 18.dxe5
dxe4!
19.Nxe4
Nxe5
20.Nxe5
Rxe5
21.Nxf6+
Qxf6
black has a slight edge.]
18...exd4
19.Rxe8
[After 19.Nxd4
Nxd5
the black pieces have a larger playground.]
19...Qxe8
20.c4
By advancing the c-pawn Anand can eliminate all pawns on the queenside. Everybody expected a quick draw.
20...bxc4
21.Nxc4?!
[Anand gambles and sacrifices a pawn. After 21.Bxc4
Nb6
22.Bxa6
Bxa6
23.Rxa6
Nbxd5
24.Nxd4
Bxb4
there is not much to play for.]
21...Nxd5
22.Nxd4
Nxb4
23.Nf5
(Anand moves his knight to an aggressive position, hoping for some attacking chances. But the legendary grandmaster David Bronstein claimed that the bishop on f8 can defend well against the knight on f5. Let's see...)
23...Nxd3
24.Qxd3
Be4?
"A huge oversight," said Carlsen, but fork is a fork and it could be a choice of many club players since Anand's little combination is not obvious. [Still, Magnus should have played 24...Qe6!
25.Ncd6
Rc5
26.Nxb7
Rxf5
with advantage.]
25.Qd4
Bxf5?!
[Sacrificing the queen after 25...Qe6!?
26.Ncd6
Rb8
27.Re1
Bxf5
28.Rxe6
Bxe6
give black good chances to hold.]
26.Nd6
Forking the whole army of black pieces, Anand gets a strong pressure.
26...Qd8
[26...Bxd6??
27.Qxg7#
; After 26...Qe6
27.Nxc8
Nc5
28.Ba3
Qxc8
(28...Nb3
29.Qd8
Qxc8
30.Rd1
h5
31.Bxf8+-
) 29.Rc1
Be7
30.Bxc5
white should win.]
27.Nxf5
f6?
Black can't recover after this mistake. Instead, Magnus had two possiblities to stay in the game: [27...Qf6
28.Qxf6
Nxf6
29.Bxf6
gxf6
30.Rxa6
is unpleasnt for black, but the material is reduced and there is hope, for example 30...Rc5
31.g4
(31.Rxf6
Bg7=
) 31...h5
32.Rxf6
hxg4
33.hxg4
Rc4
34.f3
Rc2
; The computers want to fight back with 27...Rc6
28.Nxg7
Qb6!
forcing the exchange of queens.]
28.Rd1
Rc2
[Carlsen defends aggressively. He probably didn't like that after 28...Rc7
29.Qd5+
Kh8
30.Qf7
his pieces would be pinned down.]
29.Nh6+!
It didn't take Anand long to claim a big advantage.
29...gxh6
[29...Kh8
30.Nf7+
wins.] Magnus should have made it more difficult for white with
30.Qg4+
Bg7?!
[Magnus should have made it more difficult for white with 30...Kh8
31.Rxd7
Qxd7
32.Bxf6+
Qg7
33.Bxg7+
Bxg7
although after 34.Qe6
Bf8
35.Qf5
Rc1+
36.Kh2
Bg7
37.Qe6
Ba1
(37...Bf8
38.Qe5+
Kg8
39.Qg3+
Kh8
40.Qb8
Kg8
41.Qb3+
Kh8
42.Qb2+
wins the rook.) 38.Qe8+
Kg7
39.Qe7+
Kg8
40.f4
white has winning chances.]
31.Qe6+
Kh8
32.Rxd7
Qf8
33.Ba3?
[A ghost of the famous game Botvinnik-Capablanca, AVRO 1938, where similar deflecting sacrifice was decisive. But here Anand floats away from a direct win: 33.Rf7!
Qc8
(33...Qb8
34.Re7
Rc8
35.Rxg7
Qxb2
36.Qf7
Qa1+
37.Kh2
Qe5+
38.f4
Qxf4+
39.Rg3
Qxg3+
40.Kxg3
Rg8+
41.Kh4
Rxg2
42.Qf8+
Rg8
43.Qxf6+
Rg7
44.Qe5!
a5
(44...Kg8
45.Qe8#
) 45.Kh5
a4
46.Kxh6
a3
47.Qxg7#
) 34.Qe7
Rc1+
35.Kh2
Qb8+
36.g3
Rc2
37.Bd4
Qg8
38.Qxf6!
Bxf6
39.Bxf6+
Qg7
40.Rf8#
]
33...Qg8
[33...Qxa3
is not entirely clear, for example 34.Rd8+
Qf8
(34...Bf8
35.Qxf6+
Kg8
36.Qe6+
Kh8
37.Qf7
Rxf2
38.Kxf2
wins) 35.Rxf8+
Bxf8
36.Qxf6+
Kg8
black can try to fight.]
34.Qxa6
Black will have a hard time to protect the last two ranks and the f-pawn.
34...Qe8
35.Qa7!
Qg8
[Black is forced to play passively. After 35...Qe1+
36.Kh2
Qe5+
37.g3
Qe8
38.Rxg7
wins.]
36.Be7?!
[Anand could have cut off the black rook with 36.Bc5!
and only after 36...Re2
37.Be7
threaten to win with 38.Rd8.]
36...Rc8
37.Qa6
Qe8
38.Ra7
Kg8
39.Qe6+
[But not 39.Bxf6?
Bxf6
40.Qxf6
Rc1+
41.Kh2
Qb8+
and black (!) wins.]
39...Kh8
40.Qa6
Kg8
41.Qe6+
The time control is over and Anand can assess the position. Black's pawns on the kingside are shattered, but can white mount a successful siege of the pawn f6 and win it? The problem is that black can't do anything. Carlsen has to wait for Anand to demonstrate how to set up the pieces the best way.
41...Kh8
42.Kh2
Rc6
[After 42...Ra8
43.Rc7
white keeps the pressure on.]
43.Qb3
Rc8
44.Bd6
Qg6
45.Qb7
Rd8
46.Bg3
Rg8
47.h4
Qf5
48.Qc7
Qd5
49.Ra5
Qe4
50.Qd7
Qc4
51.Qf5
Qc8
52.Qf3
Qd7
53.Bf4
Qf7
54.g3
Re8
55.Be3
Rg8
56.Ra6
Re8
57.Ra7
Re7
58.Qa8+
Qf8
59.Ra6
Re8
60.Qc6
Rc8
61.Qf3
Qf7
62.Ra7
Qe6
63.Qb7
Qg8
64.Bf4
Rd8
65.Qa6
Re8
66.Rc7
Ra8
67.Qc6
Re8
68.Be3
Rb8
69.Bd4
Anand found the ideal position. White combines the attack on the pawn on f6 with the threats on the 8th rank.
69...Qf8
[69...Rf8
70.Re7
Rf7
71.Re6
f5
(71...Rf8
72.Rxf6!
Rxf6
73.Qxf6
wins.) 72.Qc3
f4
73.Bxg7+
Rxg7
74.Qe5
wins.]
70.Qc3
Re8
71.Rc6
Picking up the pawns.
71...Qf7
[71...f5
72.Rc7
wins.]
72.Bxf6
Rf8
[Black also loses after 72...Kg8
73.Bxg7
Qxg7
74.Qd2
h5
75.Rc5+-
]
73.Bxg7+
Qxg7
74.Qe3
Qb2
75.Kg2
Qb7
76.Qxh6
Qf7
[76...Rc8
77.Qf6+
Kg8
78.Qe6+
wins.]
77.Rc2
1-0