[Event "73rd Tata Steel GMA"]
[Site "Wijk aan Zee NED"]
[Date "2011.01.29"]
[Round "12"]
[White "Carlsen, M."]
[Black "Wang Hao"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B12"]
[WhiteElo "2814"]
[BlackElo "2731"]
[Annotator "Elshan Moradiabadi"]
[PlyCount "57"]
[EventDate "2011.01.14"]

1. e4 {A classical outcome. The unpredictable aspect of this game was that it
was conducted by Lasker, Capablanca, Tarrasch and Euwe!} c6 {Caro-Kann. A rare
guest at top level!} 2. d4 d5 3. e5 {The continuation which has put the system
under question, however, one should not forget that it is still playable.} Bf5
4. Be3 {#The solidest continuation, which is in full accordance to Carlsen's
style.} e6 5. Nd2 Nd7 6. Ngf3 Bg6 {May not be the most accurate. Despite the
"closed" nature of the line, the move order does matter!} 7. Be2 Ne7 8. Nh4 c5
9. c3 Nc6 10. Nxg6 hxg6 11. Nf3 Rc8 {A classic position. Black wants to prove
that White's two bishops are ineffective, however White's center is not under
any pressure and he can consolidate his attack on the kingside.} 12. O-O a6 13.
g3 Be7 14. h4 b5 15. a4 $1 {Stylish and classic. If the word 'classic' seems
overused, consider that Carlsen's play is a textbook example of the teachings
of the masters of the past. White's bishop pair is flexing its muscles and he
is "allowed" to play on both wings.} Qb6 16. axb5 axb5 17. Kg2 c4 $6 {This
move has two problems: Black no longer pressures White center, and in the
meantime, the majority of his pieces are cut off from the kingside.} 18. Ng5
Qd8 19. Bg4 {#Carlsen is dying to sac something on e6, and Wang is just as
anxious to avoid it.} Bxg5 20. Bxg5 Qc7 21. Rh1 Nb6 22. h5 gxh5 23. Bxh5 Na4 {#
} 24. Bxf7+ $1 {Black's kingside is indefensible.} Kxf7 25. Qf3+ Kg8 26. Rxh8+
Kxh8 27. Rh1+ Kg8 28. Qh5 Rf8 29. Bf6 {#A deserved diagram for a modern
classical classic!} 1-0

[Event "73rd Tata Steel GMA"]
[Site "Wijk aan Zee NED"]
[Date "2011.01.29"]
[Round "12"]
[White "Nakamura, Hi"]
[Black "Kramnik, V."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C67"]
[WhiteElo "2751"]
[BlackElo "2784"]
[Annotator "Elshan Moradiabadi"]
[PlyCount "39"]
[EventDate "2011.01.14"]

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. c3 Rxe1 12. Qxe1 Nf5 13. Bd3 d5 14. Bf4
c6 15. Nd2 Nh4 16. Qe2 Bf5 17. Bxf5 Nxf5 18. Nf3 Qe7 19. Re1 Qxe2 20. Rxe2 {
#What can one say? One the one hand, one might be disappointed by Nakamura's
decision: he has killed the story for a day. In the meantime he also gave
Anand the chance to take advantage of his White against Giri. Just as in
Curacao in 1962, when the leader, Petrosian, didn't feel in the 'mood' to see
how Keres-Fischer would turn out. It will be our duty to check Nakamura's
blood pressure during the Anand-Giri encounter.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "73rd Tata Steel GMA"]
[Site "Wijk aan Zee NED"]
[Date "2011.01.29"]
[Round "12"]
[White "Anand, V."]
[Black "Giri, A."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "D43"]
[WhiteElo "2810"]
[BlackElo "2686"]
[Annotator "Elshan Moradiabadi"]
[PlyCount "99"]
[EventDate "2011.01.14"]

{This game had the power to decisively affect the final crosstable and
standings, and a single move could have catastrophic consequences.} 1. d4 d5 2.
c4 c6 {Giri does play the Slav quite often.} 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Bg5 {
#Anand shows all his eagerness and enormous will to catch up with Nakamura.} h6
{Another Moscow?} 6. Bxf6 {No. Vishy seeks a slight yet solid advantage in
this game.} Qxf6 7. e3 g6 8. Bd3 Bg7 9. O-O O-O 10. Rc1 dxc4 (10... Nd7 11.
cxd5 exd5 12. b4 a6 13. Qb3 {leads to the oft examined "Carlsbad" system, in
which Black is fine thanks to his pair of bishops.} Nb6 14. a4 Be6 15. Ne5 Qe7
16. f4 Nd7 17. a5 Nxe5 18. fxe5 f6 19. exf6 Rxf6 20. Na4 Bf7 21. Bc2 Re8 22.
Rxf6 Bxf6 23. Kf2 Bg5 24. Re1 Qf6+ 25. Kg1 Bxe3+ 26. Rxe3 Qxd4 27. Kf2 Qd2+ 28.
Kf3 Rf8 29. Kg3 d4 30. Re6 Qg5+ 31. Kh3 Qh5+ 32. Kg3 Qg5+ 33. Kh3 h5 {0-1
Kacheishvili,G (2587)-Van Wely,L (2653)/Wheeling 2010/CBM 136 Extra}) 11. Bxc4
Nd7 12. e4 (12. Re1 {with the idea of facing} Rd8 13. e4 e5 14. d5 Nb6 15. Bb3
Bg4 {with} 16. Re3) 12... c5 $146 {This new move is quite logical. Later a big
discussion will take place on the issue, and could be the subject of a survey
in the next CBM. (Hint, hint)} 13. d5 Nb6 14. b3 exd5 15. Nxd5 Qd8 16. h3 Nxc4
17. bxc4 Re8 18. Re1 Bd7 19. Qd2 Rc8 20. Qf4 {#} b5 {Perfectly timed. By
creating play on the queenside, Giri wisely reduces White's piece
concentration in the center and kingside.} 21. e5 g5 {Sharp and in accordance
with the "silicon" mind. Despite the weaknesses the pawn advance causes, its
benefits overtly overweigh its minor advance.} 22. Qg3 bxc4 23. Red1 Rc6 {
Anish Giri plays cool and stays cool against the world champion. Contrary to
the image one might get from White's full force concentration, Black is in no
danger.} 24. Ne3 Qc7 25. Nxc4 Be6 26. h4 g4 27. Nfd2 Rd8 {Again, absolutely
accurate. A reduction in material would favor Black, due to his bishop pair
and only "temporarily" blockaded c-pawn.} 28. Re1 $6 {Being half a point
behind the leader and only one round to go, Anand tries to keep the tension in
order to fight for win, a try that turns out to be a desperate one.} (28. Qe3
Rd4 29. Qe2 Qd8 30. g3 Qd5 {and Black is slightly better.}) 28... Rd4 29. Qe3
Qd8 30. g3 Qd5 31. Na5 Rc8 32. Ndc4 Rb8 33. Qe2 Bf8 {#I dare say that Black
has a clear advantage at this point.} 34. Ne3 Qe4 35. Nb3 $1 {The best chance
for Vishy. He "sacs" a pawn in order to get rid of Black's dominant bishops,
or at least one of them.} Bxb3 36. axb3 Rxb3 37. Qa2 Qb7 38. Qc2 Rb2 39. Qf5
Qe4 40. Qxe4 Rxe4 41. Ra1 {Black is not "fully" a pawn up, however in just a
few moves and with the help of a few inaccuracies from Anand's side, it could
become decisive.} c4 42. Rxa7 Bc5 43. Ra8+ Kh7 44. Rf1 c3 45. Rc8 Bd4 46. Rc7
Rxe5 47. Rxf7+ Kg6 48. Rd7 Bxe3 49. fxe3 Rd2 $2 {Giri makes Caissa's day and
saves her champion.} (49... Rb6 $1 {would really have put the question to
Anand, whether this could be defended or not.} 50. e4 (50. Kg2 Rxe3 51. Rf2 Rc6
52. Rd5 Rf3 (52... c2 53. h5+ Kh7 54. Rd7+ {is draw}) 53. Rc2 Kf6 {would have
sealed his fate.}) 50... Rc5 $1 51. Rdd1 c2 52. Rc1 Rc3 (52... Rd6 53. e5 Rd3
54. Kh1 Rd2 55. Rce1 Rc7 56. e6 Re7 57. Kg1 Rd3 58. Kg2 Rc3 59. h5+ Kg7 60. Ra1
Rc5 61. Rae1 Re8 62. e7 Rcc8 63. Kh2 {is a draw as neither side can improve.})
53. Kg2 Rf6 54. Rfe1 Rff3 55. e5 Rxg3+ 56. Kh2 Rh3+ 57. Kg2 Kf7 58. Re2 {
should have saving sorties for White.}) 50. Rc7 $1 {One cannot blame Giri for
not being able to convert his advantage against the world champion.  As proved
by the few lines above, the ending was not a piece of cake but rather food for
Dr. Mueller's next article. In the end one should thank Anand for his
persistance in order to keep our hopes alive for one more exciting day at Wijk
aan Zee!} 1/2-1/2

