(1) Ivanchuk,V (2779) - Anand,V (2791) [D19]
XXVI SuperGM Linares ESP (5), 24.02.2009



1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4 Bf5 6.e3 e6 7.Bxc4 Bb4 8.0-0 0-0 9.Qe2 Nbd7 10.e4 Bg6 11.Bd3 Bh5 12.e5 Nd5 13.Nxd5 cxd5 14.Qe3 Re8 15.Ne1 Bg6 16.Bxg6 hxg6 17.Nd3 Qb6 18.Nxb4 Qxb4 19.b3 Rac8 20.Ba3 Qc3 21.Rac1 Qxe3 22.fxe3 f6 23.Bd6 a5?!








The key of the position is the c-file. How can White take control of it? [23...g5 24.h3 Kf7 25.Kf2 Kg6 26.Ke2 fxe5 27.dxe5 b6 28.b4 Rc4 29.Rxc4 dxc4 30.Rc1 Rc8 31.g4 a5 32.b5 c3 33.Rc2 Kf7 34.Kd3 Nc5+ 35.Bxc5 Rxc5 36.Rxc3 Rxc3+ 37.Kxc3 1/2-1/2 Anand,V (2783)-Kramnik,V (2772)/Bonn 2008]

24.Bc7! A superb move. Now White will quietly double on the c-file and then remove the bishop from c7, thus forcing Black to give up the c-file. Perhaps Ivanchuk had a similar idea in mind in case of Kramnik's 23...g5, but Anand's 23...a5 only made 24.Bc7 even more powerful.

24...fxe5 25.dxe5 b6 26.Rc3 Rf8 27.Rfc1! Black is already in serious troubles.

27...Rf5 28.g4 Rf7 29.Bd6 Nc5 30.Bxc5 bxc5 31.Rxc5 Rcf8 32.Rxa5 Rf3 33.Ra7 g5 34.Re1 d4 35.exd4 Rxb3 36.Rf1 Rd3 37.Rxf8+ Kxf8 38.a5 Rxd4 39.h3 Kg8 40.a6 Ra4 41.Kf2 Ra5 42.Kf3 Rxe5 43.Re7 Kh7 44.Re8 Ra5 45.Rxe6 Ra3+ 46.Ke4 Rxh3










47.Kd5? The endgame is of course too complicated for a quick assessment, but my feeling is that this natural move escapes the win. [After 47.Kd4 Rg3 48.Kc5 Rxg4 White has 49.Re5! and he wins. This is why the rook is best placed on the e-file. Few variations: 49...Ra4 (49...Kh6 50.a7 Ra4 51.Kb6 Threatening 52.Ra5 51...Rxa7 52.Kxa7 Kh5 53.Kb6 Kg4 54.Kc5 Kf4 55.Kd4 g4 56.Re7 g3 57.Rf7+ Kg4 58.Ke3 g5 59.Rf8 Kh3 60.Kf3 g4+ 61.Ke2 Kg2 62.Rh8 Kg1 63.Rh4 g2 64.Rxg4 Kh2 65.Kf2 ) 50.Kb5 Ra1 51.Rxg5 Kh6 52.Rc5 g5 53.Kb6 Kh5 (Even simpler is 53...g4 54.a7 Rxa7 55.Kxa7 ) 54.Ra5 Rb1+ 55.Kc7 Rc1+ 56.Kd7 Rd1+ 57.Ke7 Re1+ 58.Kf7 Rf1+ 59.Kg7 Rd1 60.a7 Rd8 61.a8Q Rxa8 62.Rxa8 g4 63.Kf6 g3 64.Kf5 winning.]

47...Rc3! A superb idea from Anand, who figured out that white rook would be worse placed on c6 than on e6. Well, who said that winning against a World Champ is an easy thing? [Both 47...Ra3 48.Kc5 g6 49.Kb6 Kh6 50.a7 ; and 47...Rg3 48.Kc6 Rxg4 49.a7 Ra4 50.Kb7 lose for Black]

48.Rb6 [Let's see why 48.Rc6 does not win: 48...Rg3 49.Kc5 (49.a7 Ra3 50.Rc7 Kh6 51.Kc6 g6








and now Black escapes thanks to the idea Rxa7 stalemate! The only move to prevent that is 52.Kd7 but then just 52...Ra1 and Black waits until white king leaves the seventh rank, after which he takes on a7 with stalemate.) 49...Rxg4 With the rook on e6 White would have played here 50.Re5, remember? See 47.Kd4. 50.a7 (50.Kb5 Rf4 51.a7 Rf8 52.Ra6 Ra8 53.Kc6 g4 54.Kb7 Rf8 55.a8Q Rxa8 56.Rxa8 Kg6 57.Kc6 Kf5 58.Kd5 g3= ) 50...Ra4 51.Kb6 g4 52.Rc4 (or 52.Kb7 g3 53.a8Q Rxa8 54.Kxa8 g5 55.Kb7 g2 56.Rc1 Kg6 57.Kc6 Kf5 58.Rg1 Kf4 59.Rxg2 g4= ) 52...Rxc4 53.a8Q Rf4 here Black places the rook on f6, gives up the g4-pawn and achieves a theoretical draw.; 48.Kd4 achieves nothing due to 48...Rc1 ]

48...g6 49.Kd6 [49.a7 Ra3 50.Rb7+ Kh6 followed by 51...Rxa7 is a stalemate again!]

49...Kh6 50.Rb8 Other attempts don't win either.

50...Ra3 51.Ra8 Kg7 52.Kc5 Ra1 53.Kb6 Rb1+ 54.Ka7 Rb4 55.Rb8 Rxg4 56.Rb5 Ra4 57.Rxg5 Rb4 58.Rc5 Kh6 59.Rc6 Kh5 60.Rb6 Rf4 61.Rb5+ g5 62.Kb6 Rf6+ 63.Ka5 Rf7 64.Kb6 Rf6+ 65.Ka5 A very tough game for both opponents. 1/2-1/2