World Chess Championship 2008 (Game 6)

(6) Anand,Viswanathan - Kramnik,Vladimir [E34]

World Chess Championship 2008 Bonn (6), 21.10.2008

[Repa,Jason]

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 The "classical" variation. A change from game 2 of the match in which Anand played 4.f3!? 4...d5 Anand is normally on the Black side of this position. It's the first time he has faced this move as White. While playing as Black, he has an excellent record in this line, with several nice wins, many draws, and only a single loss, which was against Ivanchuk last year in Monte Carlo [4...0-0 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3 b6 (6...Ne4 7.Qc2 f5 8.Nh3 d6 9.f3 Nf6 10.e3 e5 11.Be2 c5 12.d5 Qe8 13.0-0 Kh8 14.Nf2 Na6 15.b3 Bd7 16.Bb2 b5 17.f4 e4 18.h3 Rb8 19.Kh2 Qg6 20.Rg1 bxc4 21.bxc4 h5 22.Bc3 Nc7 23.Rab1 Na8 24.a4 Nc7 25.Rxb8 Rxb8 26.Rb1 Rxb1 27.Qxb1 Bxa4 28.Qb8+ Nce8 29.Qxa7 Bd7 30.Kh1 h4 31.Qb8 Kh7 32.Qd8 Ba4 33.Qe7 Bc2 34.Qb7 Bd3 35.Bxd3 exd3 36.Qb1 d2 37.Bxd2 Ne4 38.Be1 Qh5 39.Kh2 Ng3 40.Qd1 Kg6 41.Qxh5+ Kxh5 42.Nd1 Ne4 43.Kg1 N8f6 44.Kf1 g5 45.fxg5 Kxg5 46.Ba5 Nd7 47.Bd8+ Kh5 48.Nb2 Ne5 49.Ke1 Ng3 50.Bf6 Nd7 51.Be7 Ne4 52.Kd1 Ne5 53.Kc2 Ng6 54.Bd8 Ne5 55.Ba5 Kg5 56.Kb3 Kh5 57.Ka4 Kg5 58.Kb5 f4 59.Bd8+ Kf5 60.exf4 Ng6 61.Nd3 Nd2 62.Bc7 Ne4 63.Kc6 Nd2 64.Nb2 Nxf4 65.Bxd6 Nxg2 66.Bxc5 Nf4 67.Be3 Ne4 1-0 Anand,V (2769)-Psakhis,L (2599)/Haifa 2000/CBM 074 ext) 7.Bg5 Bb7 (7...Ba6 8.Nf3 d6 9.e3 Nbd7 10.Bd3 c5 11.b4 cxd4 12.exd4 Rc8 13.Qb3 h6 14.Bh4 e5 15.dxe5 dxe5 16.Be2 e4 17.Nd2 Ne5 18.Rd1 g5 19.Nxe4 Qe7 20.Nxf6+ Qxf6 21.Bg3 Bxc4 22.Bxc4 Nxc4 23.0-0 b5 24.h3 Rcd8 25.Rfe1 Rxd1 26.Qxd1 Rd8 27.Qc2 a6 28.a4 Qb2 29.Qxb2 Nxb2 30.axb5 axb5 31.Re5 Rd1+ 32.Kh2 Nc4 33.Rxb5 Nd2 34.h4 g4 35.Bf4 1/2-1/2 Anand,V (2764)-Izeta Txabarri,F (2470)/Santurtzi 2003/CBM 093 ext) 8.f3 h6 9.Bh4 d5 10.e3 Nbd7 11.cxd5 Nxd5 12.Bxd8 Nxc3 13.Bh4 Nd5 14.Bf2 c5 15.Bb5 Rfd8 16.e4 Ne7 17.Ne2 cxd4 18.Nxd4 a6 19.Be2 Nc5 20.b4 Na4 21.0-0 e5 22.Nb3 Nc3 23.Rfe1 Nxe2+ 24.Rxe2 Rd6 25.Rd2 1/2-1/2 Anand,V (2781)-Karpov,A (2710)/Monte Carlo 1999/CBM 069 ext] 5.cxd5 Anand varies from Ivanchuk's 5.a3. Playing with the Black pieces, Anand has scored victories against Topalov, Nyback, and Gagunashvilli in recent years. [5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3 Ne4 7.Qc2 c5 8.dxc5 Nc6 9.cxd5 exd5 10.Nf3 Bf5 11.b4 d4 12.g4 Bg6 13.Qb2 0-0 14.Bg2 Re8 15.0-0 Nc3 16.Re1 h5 17.g5 Be4 18.Bd2 Ne5 19.Bxc3 Bxf3 20.exf3 dxc3 21.Qxc3 Qxg5 22.f4 Qxf4 23.Re4 1-0 Ivanchuk,V (2750)-Anand,V (2779)/Monte Carlo 2007/CBM 117 ext] 5...Qxd5 6.Nf3 Qf5 7.Qb3 Anand avoids the queen exchange, which is the most common continuation in this line. This is new territory for Kramnik. [7.Qxf5 exf5 8.a3 Bd6 (8...Be7 9.Bg5 Be6 10.e3 c6 11.Bd3 Nbd7 12.0-0 h6 13.Bh4 a5 14.Rac1 0-0 15.Ne2 g5 16.Bg3 Ne4 17.Nc3 Nxc3 18.Rxc3 Nf6 19.Rcc1 Rfd8 20.Rfd1 Rac8 1/2-1/2 Kasparov,G (2812)-Kramnik,V (2751)/Linares 1999/CBM 070) 9.Bg5 Nbd7 10.e3 c6 11.Bd3 h6 12.Bh4 g6 13.Nd2 Be7 14.f3 Nd5 15.Nxd5 Bxh4+ 16.g3 Bxg3+ 17.hxg3 cxd5 18.Rc1 Kd8 19.e4 fxe4 20.fxe4 dxe4 21.Nxe4 f5 22.Nd6 Ke7 23.Nb5 a6 24.Nc7 Rb8 25.Nd5+ Kd6 26.Nf4 g5 27.Ng6 Re8+ 28.Kd2 Nf6 29.Rxh6 Ng4 30.Rh5 Rg8 31.Rxg5 Be6 32.Re1 Nh6 33.Nf4 Bd7 34.Rh5 Ng4 35.Bxf5 Nf6 36.Rh6 Rbf8 37.Bxd7 Kxd7 38.Ng6 Re8 39.Ne5+ Ke6 40.Ng4+ Kf5 41.Nxf6 1-0 Kasparov,G (2815)-Kramnik,V (2780)/Moscow 1998/CBM 067 ext] 7...Nc6 8.Bd2 0-0 9.h3N Anand played this move immediately during the game, so he is obviously well within his preparation. This position does not occur in Mega Database 2008 or Chesslive.de
Ivanchuk - Anand, Monte Carlo, 1996 continued: [9.e3 Rd8 10.Be2 e5 11.Nxe5 Be6 12.g4 Qxe5 13.dxe5 Bxb3 14.exf6 Be6 15.f4 gxf6 16.0-0-0 Kg7 17.Rhg1 Na5 18.b3 Nxb3+ 19.axb3 Bxb3 20.Nb5 Bxd1 21.Rxd1 Bxd2+ 22.Rxd2 Rxd2 23.Kxd2 c6 24.Nd4 a5 25.Kc3 a4 26.Kb2 c5 27.Nf5+ Kf8 28.Ka3 b6 29.Bc4 Ra5 30.Nd6 Ra8 31.h4 h6 32.h5 Ra5 33.e4 Ra8 34.Bd5 Ra7 35.Nf5 b5 36.Nxh6 c4 37.Nf5 b4+ 38.Kxb4 a3 39.Bxc4 a2 40.Bxa2 Rxa2 41.g5 Rf2 42.h6 Kg8 43.Ne7+ Kh7 44.Nd5 fxg5 45.fxg5 Kg6 46.Kc5 Kxg5 47.h7 Rh2 48.Kd6 Rxh7 49.e5 Kf5 50.Ne7+ Ke4 51.Ng8 Rg7 52.Nf6+ Kf5 53.Nd7 Rh7 54.Nf8 Rg7 55.Nd7 Rg1 56.Ke7 Kg6 57.Nf8+ Kg7 58.Nd7 Re1 59.Kd6 Kg6 60.Nf8+ Kf5 61.Ke7 Ra1 62.Kxf7 Ra7+ 63.Ke8 Kxe5 64.Nd7+ Kd6 65.Nf8 Rg7 66.Kd8 Re7 67.Ng6 Re1 68.Nf8 Re2 69.Ng6 Re6 70.Nf8 Re2 71.Ng6 Re1 72.Nf8 Re3 73.Ng6 Ke6 74.Nf8+ Kf7 75.Nd7 Rc3 76.Nb6 1/2-1/2 Ivanchuk,V (2735)-Anand,V (2725)/Monte Carlo 1996/CBM 052 ext] 9...b6 10.g4 The idea of 9.h3. Despite his 2 point lead in the match, Anand is still playing for the win. 10...Qa5[] Essentially forced. [10...Qg6? 11.Bg2 Bb7 12.Ne5 Nxd4 (12...Nxe5 13.Bxb7+-) 13.Qc4 Qc2 14.Bxb7+-] 11.Rc1 Bb7 12.a3 Bxc3 13.Bxc3 Qd5 14.Qxd5 Nxd5 15.Bd2 Despite the exchange of queens, White's bishop pair and expansion on the kingside provide chances for a decisive result. Black is not in any immediate danger, however. 15...Nf6 16.Rg1 [16.g5!?] 16...Rac8 17.Bg2 Ne7 18.Bb4 c5!? Kramnik opts to sacrifice the weak backward c-pawn. GM Illescas suggests: [18...Rfe8 19.Ne5 Bxg2 20.Bxe7 Rxe7 21.Rxg2 c5 22.dxc5 Rxc5 23.Rxc5 bxc5 as a "safer" alternative for Black. But after: 24.Rg3 Rb7 25.g5! The combination of Black's weak queenside pawns and White's well placed knight on e5, gives him reasonable chances at the full point.] 19.dxc5 Rfd8?! [19...bxc5 20.Bxc5 Ne4 21.b4 Nxc5 22.bxc5+/=] 20.Ne5!+/- Bxg2 21.Rxg2 bxc5 22.Rxc5 Ne4 23.Rxc8 Rxc8 24.Nd3 Nd5 25.Bd2 Rc2 26.Bc1 f5 27.Kd1! Now Black must vacate the 2nd rank, and with it any hopes of an initiative to compensate him for the pawn deficit. 27...Rc8 28.f3 Nd6 29.Ke1 a5 30.e3 e5?! This move is applauded by GM Illescas as a "stubborn" defense by Kramnik. But I think, conversely, that it perhaps seals his fate instead. After the more natural looking: [30...a4 clamping down on the b3 square, White has a less obvious route towards making progress. For example; 31.Bd2 Nc4 32.Ke2 Ndb6 33.e4 fxe4 34.fxe4 Nxd2 35.Kxd2 Kf7 With reasonable chances for a draw.] 31.gxf5 e4 32.fxe4 Nxe4 33.Bd2 a4? But now White's plan is too fast. More prudent was: [33...Re8 preventing an immediate: 34.Nf2? Nxd2=] 34.Nf2! challenging the e4 square and preparing to push the center pawn. 34...Nd6 35.Rg4 Nc4 36.e4 Nf6 37.Rg3 Nxb2 Gaining back some material, but the White pawnroller is decisive. 38.e5 Nd5 39.f6 Kf7 40.Ne4! Anand demonstrates fine technique! [The more natural looking: 40.Rxg7+?! Ke6 41.Rxh7 Nc4 is probably still winning, but gives Black better grease opportunities.] 40...Nc4 41.fxg7 Kg8 42.Rd3 Ndb6 43.Bh6 Nxe5 44.Nf6+ Kf7 45.Rc3 Rxc3 [45...Ra8] 46.g8Q+ Kxf6 47.Bg7+ 1-0