[Event "FIDE Candidates Tournament 2014"]
[Site "Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia"]
[Date "2014.03.15"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar"]
[Black "Anand, Viswanathan"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2757"]
[BlackElo "2770"]
{Annotated by NM Craig Clawitter. I've also added my non-computer aided
"guesses" of Anand's moves. This is for my own practice and also to show how
strong Anand's moves were}
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Qc2 dxc4 5. Qxc4 Bg4
6. Nbd2 Nbd7 7. g3 e6 8. Bg2 Be7 9. Ne5 Bh5 10. Nxd7 Nxd7 11. O-O O-O 12. Nb3
a5 13. a4 Bb4 14. e4 e5 {A novelty but a very natural one}
15. Be3 exd4 16. Bxd4 Kh8 (16... Qe7 {My first instinct, but after looking at White's plan:} 17. f4 Rfd8
18. h3 {With g4 and f5 in the futre for White, it's quite annoying for Black's
light squared Bishop. This may be how Anand came up with 16...Kh8})
17. e5 ({For if now (see last note to 16...Qe7)} 17. f4 {Black is ready with} f6 18.
Rac1 Bf7 {Black's light squared Bishop is now very comfortable and ergo his
position is as well})
17... Re8 18. f4 f6! (18... f5 19. Qc2 Nf8 20. Bf3 $1 (
20. Qxf5 $2 Bg6 21. Qg4 Bc2 $1 {hitting b3 (the only supporter of the Bishop
on d4). When trying to guess the moves this was my try for Black.}) 20... Bxf3
21. Rxf3 Qd5 22. Rd3 Ne6 23. Bb6 Qe4 24. Nd2 Qe2 25. Rd7 Red8 $1 26. Bxd8 Rxd8
27. Rxd8+ Nxd8 28. Rf1 Bxd2 29. Rf2 Qe1+ 30. Kg2 Bb4 {Is an example of an
acceptable line for Black, but if 18...f6! doesn't lose then it should be
preferred.})
19. exf6 (19. e6?! Nb6! 20. Bxb6 Qxb6+ 21. Kh1 Qe3! {
The move I missed when thinking that 18...f6! was not possible} 22. f5 Be2 {
Black's Bishops more than compensate for White's protected passed pawn})
19...Nxf6 20. Bf3 Bxf3 21. Rxf3 {White's holey kingside must give Black some advantage} 21...Re4!? (21... c5 22. Bc3 Bxc3 23. Rxc3 b6 24. Rd3 Qe7 {taking control of the e-file must be a good way to play for Black.}) (21... Qd5 {My move when trying to guess the moves. It is not bad but after} 22. Qxd5 Nxd5
23. Kf2 {It is a shame to let the White King to breathe so easily})
22. Re3 Rxe3 23. Bxe3 Qe8! {After I looked at the other Queen moves, I (and I guess
also Anand) realized that this was the correct Queen move. Stopping any Qf7
ideas of White and also introducing Qh5-Ng4-Re8 attacks for Black.} (23... Qe7
{allows} 24. Bc5 {trading off some pieces and easing the defense}) (23... Qd7
24. Bd4 {stopping} Qh3 {due to} 25. Bxf6 gxf6 26. Rd1 {And Black's King is just as open as White's now})
24. Bb6?!{Passively stopping Rd8 from Black, however this was not Black's intention. White is stopping a
"phantom threat"} (24. Bd4! {Introducing Bxf6 threats and doing positive things for White's position instead of passively stopping Black's threats} Rd8 {Black indeed plays Rd8 in this line but White has stopped Black's actual threat of Qh5-Ng4 and Re8. See note to 24. Bb6} 25. Rc1! (25. Bxf6? Qe3+)
25... c5 26. Bxf6 gxf6 (26... Qe3+ 27. Kg2 gxf6 28. Rc2 $1 {A new defender is introduced and White is holding}) 27. Rc2 Rd1+ 28. Kg2 Qc6+29. Kh3 Rd5 30. Qe2 {White is still in danger (with his King on h3) but
Black's King is not safe as it is in the actual game. White may be able to hold this position and in any case he has more positive chances in this line})
24... Qh5 {Here they come!} 25. Bd4 Re8! {See note to move 24. Bb6?!} 26. Rf1?
(26. Bxf6 Re2 $1 27. Bh4 Qf3 {And Black wins is the point of 25...Re8!}) (26. Qd3! Ng4 27. h4 Qd5 28. Rd1 Rd8 {Black is pressing but it's not clear if it is enough to win yet})
26... Ng4 27.Qc2 (27. h4? Ne3 28. Bxe3 Rxe3 {Say bye bye to the g3-pawn}) 27... c5!(
27... Nh6?!{My move when trying to guess moves. The idea is to threaten Re2 and Nf5, however:} 28. Be5! Ng4 29. Qe2 h6 30. Rd1 Qh3 31. Rd3 Nxe5 32. fxe5 Qe6 33. Re3 Rd8 34. Qc2 {White is able to continue the game with this type of valiant defense})
28. Nxc5 {The Bishop is needed to stop Ne3 (fork!) and cannot go to f2 because this would get off the communication between White's Queen and White's h2 pawn:} (28. Bf2 Qxh2# {oops!! Therefore the move played (28. Nxc5) is forced})
28...Rc8! {A deadly pin!}
(28... Bxc5 29. Bxc5 (29. Qxc5 $4 Qxh2#) 29... Nxh2 30.Qxh2 Qxc5+ 31. Qf2 Re3 {Was my intention, it is a nice line for Black, but clearly 28...Rc8! by Anand is much stronger})
29. Rd1 Bxc5 30. Bxc5 h6!{A nice, safe move. There are no more back rank checkmate tricks for instance:} (30... Qxc5+ $4 31. Qxc5 Rxc5 32. Rd8# {After 30...h6! Black's King has a flight square and safely wins a piece})
31.Kh1 0-1 {White resigned here due to: 31...Nf2+ 32. Qxf2 Qxd1+ 33. Kg2 Qd5+ {Another fork and the Black is up a whole rook! Great counterattacking from the Ex-King ofChess: Vishy Anand!}
[Site "Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia"]
[Date "2014.03.15"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar"]
[Black "Anand, Viswanathan"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2757"]
[BlackElo "2770"]
{Annotated by NM Craig Clawitter. I've also added my non-computer aided
"guesses" of Anand's moves. This is for my own practice and also to show how
strong Anand's moves were}
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Qc2 dxc4 5. Qxc4 Bg4
6. Nbd2 Nbd7 7. g3 e6 8. Bg2 Be7 9. Ne5 Bh5 10. Nxd7 Nxd7 11. O-O O-O 12. Nb3
a5 13. a4 Bb4 14. e4 e5 {A novelty but a very natural one}
15. Be3 exd4 16. Bxd4 Kh8 (16... Qe7 {My first instinct, but after looking at White's plan:} 17. f4 Rfd8
18. h3 {With g4 and f5 in the futre for White, it's quite annoying for Black's
light squared Bishop. This may be how Anand came up with 16...Kh8})
17. e5 ({For if now (see last note to 16...Qe7)} 17. f4 {Black is ready with} f6 18.
Rac1 Bf7 {Black's light squared Bishop is now very comfortable and ergo his
position is as well})
17... Re8 18. f4 f6! (18... f5 19. Qc2 Nf8 20. Bf3 $1 (
20. Qxf5 $2 Bg6 21. Qg4 Bc2 $1 {hitting b3 (the only supporter of the Bishop
on d4). When trying to guess the moves this was my try for Black.}) 20... Bxf3
21. Rxf3 Qd5 22. Rd3 Ne6 23. Bb6 Qe4 24. Nd2 Qe2 25. Rd7 Red8 $1 26. Bxd8 Rxd8
27. Rxd8+ Nxd8 28. Rf1 Bxd2 29. Rf2 Qe1+ 30. Kg2 Bb4 {Is an example of an
acceptable line for Black, but if 18...f6! doesn't lose then it should be
preferred.})
19. exf6 (19. e6?! Nb6! 20. Bxb6 Qxb6+ 21. Kh1 Qe3! {
The move I missed when thinking that 18...f6! was not possible} 22. f5 Be2 {
Black's Bishops more than compensate for White's protected passed pawn})
19...Nxf6 20. Bf3 Bxf3 21. Rxf3 {White's holey kingside must give Black some advantage} 21...Re4!? (21... c5 22. Bc3 Bxc3 23. Rxc3 b6 24. Rd3 Qe7 {taking control of the e-file must be a good way to play for Black.}) (21... Qd5 {My move when trying to guess the moves. It is not bad but after} 22. Qxd5 Nxd5
23. Kf2 {It is a shame to let the White King to breathe so easily})
22. Re3 Rxe3 23. Bxe3 Qe8! {After I looked at the other Queen moves, I (and I guess
also Anand) realized that this was the correct Queen move. Stopping any Qf7
ideas of White and also introducing Qh5-Ng4-Re8 attacks for Black.} (23... Qe7
{allows} 24. Bc5 {trading off some pieces and easing the defense}) (23... Qd7
24. Bd4 {stopping} Qh3 {due to} 25. Bxf6 gxf6 26. Rd1 {And Black's King is just as open as White's now})
24. Bb6?!{Passively stopping Rd8 from Black, however this was not Black's intention. White is stopping a
"phantom threat"} (24. Bd4! {Introducing Bxf6 threats and doing positive things for White's position instead of passively stopping Black's threats} Rd8 {Black indeed plays Rd8 in this line but White has stopped Black's actual threat of Qh5-Ng4 and Re8. See note to 24. Bb6} 25. Rc1! (25. Bxf6? Qe3+)
25... c5 26. Bxf6 gxf6 (26... Qe3+ 27. Kg2 gxf6 28. Rc2 $1 {A new defender is introduced and White is holding}) 27. Rc2 Rd1+ 28. Kg2 Qc6+29. Kh3 Rd5 30. Qe2 {White is still in danger (with his King on h3) but
Black's King is not safe as it is in the actual game. White may be able to hold this position and in any case he has more positive chances in this line})
24... Qh5 {Here they come!} 25. Bd4 Re8! {See note to move 24. Bb6?!} 26. Rf1?
(26. Bxf6 Re2 $1 27. Bh4 Qf3 {And Black wins is the point of 25...Re8!}) (26. Qd3! Ng4 27. h4 Qd5 28. Rd1 Rd8 {Black is pressing but it's not clear if it is enough to win yet})
26... Ng4 27.Qc2 (27. h4? Ne3 28. Bxe3 Rxe3 {Say bye bye to the g3-pawn}) 27... c5!(
27... Nh6?!{My move when trying to guess moves. The idea is to threaten Re2 and Nf5, however:} 28. Be5! Ng4 29. Qe2 h6 30. Rd1 Qh3 31. Rd3 Nxe5 32. fxe5 Qe6 33. Re3 Rd8 34. Qc2 {White is able to continue the game with this type of valiant defense})
28. Nxc5 {The Bishop is needed to stop Ne3 (fork!) and cannot go to f2 because this would get off the communication between White's Queen and White's h2 pawn:} (28. Bf2 Qxh2# {oops!! Therefore the move played (28. Nxc5) is forced})
28...Rc8! {A deadly pin!}
(28... Bxc5 29. Bxc5 (29. Qxc5 $4 Qxh2#) 29... Nxh2 30.Qxh2 Qxc5+ 31. Qf2 Re3 {Was my intention, it is a nice line for Black, but clearly 28...Rc8! by Anand is much stronger})
29. Rd1 Bxc5 30. Bxc5 h6!{A nice, safe move. There are no more back rank checkmate tricks for instance:} (30... Qxc5+ $4 31. Qxc5 Rxc5 32. Rd8# {After 30...h6! Black's King has a flight square and safely wins a piece})
31.Kh1 0-1 {White resigned here due to: 31...Nf2+ 32. Qxf2 Qxd1+ 33. Kg2 Qd5+ {Another fork and the Black is up a whole rook! Great counterattacking from the Ex-King ofChess: Vishy Anand!}