1.e4
c5
2.Nc3
Carlsen does not intend to play the pure Closed Sicilian. The knight move allows him to switch to the Grand Prix Attack, an annoying way to counter the Najdorf Sicilian.
2...d6
[After the usual 2...Nc6
white can play 3.Nf3
preparing to open the game with d2-d4, throwing the Najdorf players off the track.]
3.f4
Nc6
[In the blindfold game Carlsen-Anand, the Indian grandmaster was prepared and left his knight home for a few moves: 3...g6
4.Nf3
Bg7
5.Bb5+
Bd7
6.Bc4
The last two moves allow white to control the breaks in the center with the d-pawn. 6...Nc6
7.0-0
Na5
8.d3
Nxc4!
9.dxc4
Bxc3!
10.bxc3
Bc6
and black solved all problems. As a matter of fact, Anand thought that white is positionally busted. Here is the rest of the game: 11.e5
Qc7
12.Qd3
f5
13.Ng5
h6
14.Qh3
dxe5
15.Be3
e4
16.Ne6
Qc8
17.Nxc5
Nf6
18.Bd4
Kf7
19.Rae1
a5
20.Re2
b5
21.Nb3
bxc4
22.Nd2
Bd5
23.Rfe1
Qd8
24.Qh4
e6
25.Rb1
Qe7?
(25...Nh5!
26.Qf2
Re8
with black's advantage.) 26.Nxc4
Nd7
27.Qxe7+
Kxe7
28.Ne3
Rhb8
29.Rxb8
Rxb8
30.c4
Bc6
31.Rd2
e5
32.Bxe5
Nxe5
33.fxe5
f4
34.Nd5+
Bxd5
35.Rxd5
Rb1+
36.Kf2
Rb2
(36...e3+!
37.Ke2
Rg1
wins easily for black.) 37.Rd4
Rxc2+
38.Kf1
f3
39.gxf3
exf3
40.Rd6
g5
41.Rxh6
Rxa2
42.h3
a4
43.Rf6?
(After 43.c5!?
a3
44.Ra6
Ra1+
45.Kf2
a2
46.c6
Rh1
47.c7
Kd7
48.Ra7
threatening 49.e6+, black has to take a draw, since 48...a1Q?
49.e6+
Kc8
50.Rxa1
Rxa1
51.e7
wins for white.) 43...Ra1+
44.Kf2
a3
45.Ra6
a2
, followed by 46...Rh1 47.Rxa2 Rh2+ wins. 0-1 Carlsen,M (2815)-Anand,V (2817)/Monaco MNC 2011]
4.Nf3
g6
5.Bb5
[The more central bishop development 5.Bc4
is twice as popular, but Carlsen's choice should not be underestimated.]
5...Bd7
6.0-0
a6
7.Bxc6
Bxc6
8.d3
Bg7
9.Qe1
Qd7
10.a4!?
Threatening to fix the black queenside with 11.a5. It comes from the creative mind of GM Ljubomir Ljubojevic who played it 20 years ago with mixed results against Garry Kasparov and Lajos Portisch.
10...f5?
An outright positional blunder, weakening the square e6 and inviting the white cavalry to charge. [10...b6
stops white's intention. It was chosen overwhelmingly by other players, including Kasparov.]
11.Nd5!
The knight leaps forward at the right time, disrupting black's development and causing havoc.
11...fxe4
[11...Bxd5
12.exd5
Nf6
13.c4
0-0
14.Ng5 [White is slightly better]
]
12.dxe4
[12.Nb6?
Qd8
13.Nxa8
exf3
and black wins.]
12...Rb8
[Black could have saved time with 12...Bxd5
13.exd5
Nf6
(13...Qf5
14.c4
Qd3
15.Qe6
Qxc4
is dangerous, for example 16.Re1
Rd8
17.Ng5
Qd4+
18.Kh1
Qf6
19.Qe2
Rd7
20.Ne6
Nh6
21.g4
and white has too many threats.) 14.c4
0-0
]
13.Ng5!
Threatening to invade black's position with 14.Ne6, since 14...Qxe6? allows 15.Nc7+ winning the queen. [Deep Fritz 12, a computer engine, prefers 13.Nb6
Qd8
(13...Qg4
14.Ra3
Nf6
15.Ng5
looks dangerous for black.)) 14.a5
for example 14...Nf6
15.Ng5
Bd7
16.e5
and white wins.]
13...Bxd5
14.exd5
Qf5
15.Ne6
[Carlsen jumps in, indirectly protecting the d-pawn (15...Qxd5? 16.Nc7+ wins). He could have covered the light squares with 15.Qd1
Nf6
16.Ne6
Kf7
17.c4
]
15...Bf6
[Topalov discards the daring 15...Bd4+
for example 16.Be3
(16.Kh1
Qxc2
) 16...Bxb2
17.Rb1
Bf6
18.Qd2
with white's edge.]
16.Qe2
Threatening to win with 17.g4.
16...h5
[After 16...Nh6
comes 17.h3
]
17.Ra3!
Carlsen turns the forgotten piece into a monster, going after the black queen.
17...Nh6
18.Rg3
Threatening 19.Rg5. [18.Rd3
is not bad either.]
18...Kd7
19.Rg5!?
[Carlsen executes his threat, perhaps noticing that 19.c4
gives the black queen a surprising escaping square on b1. Joking aside, white could have cemented his advantage with 19.Rd3. ]
19...Bxg5
20.fxg5
Qxd5
[20...Qg4
21.Qd2
Nf5
22.Rf4
wins.]
21.Nf4
Qd4+
22.Be3
Qe4
[22...Qxa4
23.gxh6
Rxh6
24.Nd5
wins]
23.gxh6
Rxh6?
[23...Rbf8!
would make it more difficult for Carlsen, for example: 24.Qf3!
the best choice (24.Re1!?
Rxf4
(24...Rxh6
25.Ne6+-
) 25.Bxf4
Qxf4
26.Qxe7+
Kc6
27.h7
looks seemingly great for white, but black can still fight either after 27... 27...g5
(or after 27...Qd4+
28.Kh1
g5
29.Rf1
Qxa4
30.h3
Qxc2
31.Rf7
b6
32.Qd7+
Kd5
33.Rf6
Kc4
34.Qxd6+-
) 28.Rf1
(28.Qg7
Rf8
) 28...Qxa4
29.Qg7
Qd4+
30.Qxd4
cxd4
31.Rf7
a5
32.Kf2
b5
; 24.Qd2?!
g5
25.Nd3
Rxf1+
26.Kxf1
Qf5+
27.Kg1
c4
28.Ne1
Rxh6 [White is slightly better]
) 24...Qxf3
25.gxf3
Rfg8
26.Nd5
g5
27.h4
gxh4+
28.Kh2
and white still keeps winning chances because of his strong h- pawn.]
24.Nd5
Rhh8
25.Qd2
Rhf8
26.Re1!
Threatening to win with the discovered attack 27.Bxc5.
26...Rf5
Black had no defense. [26...Qf5
27.Bxc5+-
; 26...Kc6
27.c4!
Qxc4
28.Nxe7+
Kc7
29.Rd1
Rbd8
30.Bg5
Rd7
31.Nd5+
Kc6
32.Nf6
wins.]
27.Nb6+
Kc6
28.Bxc5
Rbf8
29.Bd4!
[Avoiding 29.Rxe4??
Rf1#
Carlsen threatens a deadly check 30.Qc3+.] 1-0