Candidates round 12  - Anand, V. (2770) - Andreikin, D. (2709), B19, 1/2, IGM Yannick Gozzoli

[Event "FIDE Candidates Tournament"] [Site "Khanty-Mansiysk"] [Date "2014.03.27"] [Round "12"] [White "Anand, Viswanathan"] [Black "Andreikin, Dmitry"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "B19"] [WhiteElo "2770"] [BlackElo "2709"] [Annotator "Yannick Gozzoli"] [PlyCount "81"] [EventDate "2014.??.??"] [EventCountry "RUS"] [SourceDate "2011.10.15"] [TimeControl "40/7200:20/3600:900+30"] {A question was hanging over this game: is Vishy going to play for a win, or is he going to make a draw in order to controle the end of the tournament? Andreïkin plays a solid tournament and rarely takes the games under his control and in view of his "passive" repertoire it will certainly be the case again today, but it's really hard to defeat him.} 1. e4 c6 {Finally a Caro-Kann in this tournament! I must say that I thought we were going to see this opening more frequently during this tournament, because many players used it recently and it's theoretically viable. Andreïkin wisely avoids the Sicilian Defence which remains a tricky choice against the Indian, but this choice is also tricky because Anand faced this opening during the World Championships against Carlsen, so it's clear he has an idea in mind.} 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. h4 h6 7. Nf3 e6 (7... Nd7 {the main option, avoiding Ne5}) 8. Ne5 Bh7 9. Bd3 Bxd3 10. Qxd3 Nd7 11. f4 Bb4+ $5 {An interesting move, very fashionable. Black forces the c pawn to move, and that will compromise the white structure on the queenside and weaken the future long-castle} 12. c3 Be7 13. Bd2 Ngf6 (13... Bxh4 $6 {is very dangerous because after} 14. O-O-O {Black will soon be under pressure[%csl Re8][%cal Gg3h5]} Bxg3 (14... Be7 15. Nh5 {[%csl Rg7]} Kf8 (15... g6 $2 16. Nxg6 $1 $18) 16. Qg3 $1 Rh7 (16... g6 17. Nxg6+ fxg6 18. Qxg6 {[%csl Rf8][%cal Gg6g7]} Bf6 19. Rde1 { with a strong attack.}) 17. f5 $1 exf5 18. Ng6+ fxg6 19. Qxg6 $18 {[%csl Rg7, Rh7]}) 15. Qxg3 {[%csl Rg7]} Kf8 (15... Qf6 16. Nc4 {[%csl Rd6][%cal Gc4d6]}) 16. c4 {with a strong initiative for the pawn. White has to continue with Qf3 followed by g2-g4 and the opening of the kingside by means of f5 and/or g5. [%cal Gd2c3,Gc3b4]}) 14. O-O-O O-O {Both players are following the Anand-Carlsen game of Chennai. But Vishy improves his play.} 15. Qf3 {An important move. White prepares c6-c5 and supports the push d4-d5 while freeing the e-file for a rook and supporting f4-f5} (15. Ne4 {was the choice of Anand for mounths ago, but il allows a massive simplification of the position after} Nxe4 16. Qxe4 Nxe5 17. fxe5 Qd5 18. Qxd5 cxd5 $11 19. h5 b5 20. Rh3 a5 21. Rf1 Rac8 22. Rg3 Kh7 23. Rgf3 Kg8 24. Rg3 Kh7 25. Rgf3 Kg8 {1/2-1/2 (25) Anand,V (2775)-Carlsen,M (2870) Chennai IND 2013}) 15... Qc7 {All this this is still known} 16. c4 $1 {[%cal Gd2c3,Gd4d5]} a5 {prepares the exchange of the dark-squares bishop that can become very dangeroux in c3 and prepares the weakening of the castle by a4-a3[%cal Ga5a4,Ge7b4]} (16... c5 $6 {is a known fault} 17. d5 $1 Rae8 (17... Nxe5 $2 18. fxe5 Qxe5 19. Bf4 $18 {[%csl Re5]}) ( 17... exd5 18. Nf5 $1 {[%csl Ge5,Re7,Gf5,Rg7][%cal Gf5e7,Gf5g7,Gf3g3]} Bd8 19. Qg3 Nh5 20. Nxh6+ Kh7 21. Qd3+ $1 f5 (21... Kxh6 22. Ng4#) 22. Nhf7 {[%csl Rf5] } Nxe5 23. Nxe5 dxc4 24. Qf3 Nf6 25. Bc3 {followed by the push of the h and g pawns for White}) 18. Rhe1 exd5 19. cxd5 {[%csl Gd5][%cal Gd5d6]} Bd6 20. Bc3 Nxe5 21. fxe5 Rxe5 (21... Bxe5 22. Bxe5 Rxe5 23. d6 $1 $18 {[%csl Rc7,Re5]}) 22. Bxe5 Bxe5 23. Nf5 Rd8 24. d6 Bxd6 25. Rxd6 {1-0 (24) Movsesian,S (2666) -Iordachescu,V (2594) New Delhi/Teheran 2000[%csl Rd6][%cal Gd8d6,Gf3g3,Rg3g7, Rg3d6]}) 17. Kb1 {prevents the exchange of the bishops and freeing the c1-square.[%cal Gd2c1]} Rad8 18. Bc1 {White keeps his prophylactic play and will soon get down to business on the kingside.} a4 $146 {the novelty.} (18... Rfe8 19. Ne2 {[%cal Gg2g4]} c5 (19... h5 $5 {is weakening but restricts the advance of the white pawns} 20. Ng3 g6 21. Rhe1 $6 {Probably the critical position of the line which needs an amelioration by White} c5 $6 (21... a4 $142 {[%cal Gc7a5,Ga4a3]}) 22. Nxd7 $6 (22. d5 $1 exd5 23. Nxf7 $1 Kxf7 24. f5 $1 $40 {with a strong attack}) 22... Rxd7 23. d5 exd5 24. cxd5 Red8 $13 25. Rxe7 $2 Rxe7 26. f5 Qb6 $6 (26... Re5) 27. Bg5 Kg7 28. Qc3 Qd6 29. Rf1 Rf8 30. a3 b5 31. Rf3 b4 32. Bxf6+ Qxf6 33. Nxh5+ {1-0 (33) Christensen,S (2278)-Lauber,A (2464) Rogaska Slatina SLO 2011}) 20. g4 cxd4 21. g5 Nxe5 22. fxe5 Nh7 23. gxh6 Qxe5 24. hxg7 f5 25. Ng3 Qc7 26. Qe2 Bc5 27. Nh5 e5 28. Ng3 Qf7 29. Qf1 f4 30. Ne4 Qf5 31. Qd3 Be7 32. Rdg1 Rd6 33. c5 Re6 34. h5 Bg5 35. Ka1 Bh6 36. Qf3 Ng5 37. Nxg5 Bxg5 38. Qd5 Bh6 39. Rg6 Qf7 40. Qe4 Rc8 41. Rhg1 Rxc5 42. Bd2 Rec6 43. a3 Rc8 44. Rxh6 {1-0 (43) Topalov,V (2707) -Dreev,A (2676) New Delhi/ Teheran 2000}) 19. Rhe1 {White has finished his mobilisation of his forces and he will now be able to start concretes actions.} a3 20. b3 Bb4 21. Re3 c5 $2 { Bad timing!} (21... Rfe8 {to prepare the opening of the center would have been preferable} 22. Ne2 {[%cal Gg2g4]} h5 $1 23. Ng3 g6 24. Red3 c5 25. f5 $1 $13 { with a complicate play!}) 22. d5 exd5 23. cxd5 {[%csl Gd5]} (23. Nf5 $5 dxc4 24. Nxc4 {[%csl Gd6][%cal Ge3e7,Gf3g3]} (24. Qg3 {is also critic, the computer gives a superb 0.00 but here is an exemple of the line to reach this evaluation } Nh5 25. Nxh6+ Kh7 26. Qg5 Nxe5 27. Rxd8 Qxd8 28. Qxh5 gxh6 29. fxe5 Bd2 30. Bxd2 Qxd2 31. Qf5+ Kh8 32. Qf6+ Kh7 33. Qf5+ Kh8 $11 {personally, I wouldn't have opted for this line! There are obviously plenty of alternatives much more complex!}) 24... Kh7 25. Re7 Rde8 26. Rxe8 Rxe8 27. Qg3 g6 28. Nfd6 Re7 29. h5 $36 {with strong compensations for the pawn, but the position remains complicated} Qc6 30. hxg6+ fxg6 31. f5 g5 32. Qh2) 23... Nb6 24. Red3 {White position is perfectly organized but his King is absolutly not safe and it allows Black to generate some counter-play} Qc8 $2 {Too passive} (24... Nfxd5 $1 25. Rxd5 Nxd5 26. Rxd5 Rxd5 27. Qxd5 Rd8 {White has a material advantage but his king is in the drafts} 28. Qf3 f6 29. Nc4 Qd7 {we see here that it's hard for White to find an active plan} 30. Nxa3 Bxa3 31. Bxa3 c4 $1 32. Ne4 { Black has several playable options here[%cal Ge4d6]} (32. bxc4 $4 Qd3+ 33. Qxd3 (33. Kc1 Qd2+ 34. Kb1 Rd3 $19) 33... Rxd3 $19 {[%csl Ra3,Rg3][%cal Gd3a3,Gd3g3] }) 32... Qf5 {the option that keeps Queens on the board[%cal Gd8e8]} (32... Qd1+ 33. Qxd1 Rxd1+ 34. Kc2 Rd4 35. Nd6 cxb3+ 36. Kxb3 Rd3+ 37. Ka4 Rd2 $11) 33. g4 Qa5 34. Nd6 $1 {White certainly has to force the draw.} (34. Bc1 Rd3 35. Qe2 cxb3 36. a3 Qd5 $13) (34. bxc4 Qe1+ 35. Kb2 Rd4 $13) 34... Qxa3 35. Qd5+ Kh7 36. Qe4+ Kg8 37. Qe6+ $11) 25. d6 $1 $18 {the passed pawn is amazing, and it bothers the coordinations of black pieces[%csl Gd6]} Rfe8 26. Nh5 $1 {Anand eliminates the last defender of the castle[%csl Rg8][%cal Gd3g3]} Re6 27. Nxf6+ (27. d7 $1 {was winning by force!} Nbxd7 (27... Qc7 28. f5 $1 Rxe5 (28... Qxe5 29. Re3 $18) 29. Nxf6+ gxf6 30. Bxh6 $18 {with a short mate.}) (27... Nfxd7 28. Qg4 g6 29. Nxf7 $3 {[%csl Re6]} Kxf7 30. f5 $1 Rc6 31. fxg6+ Kg8 (31... Rxg6 32. Rf1+ $18) 32. Qf4 Rxg6 33. Rg3 {and the mate is close! Have a look at the strength of the passed pawn that litterally split the board into to part.}) 28. Nxf6+ Rxf6 29. Nxd7 $18) 27... Rxf6 28. d7 {[%csl Gd7]} Qc7 29. Qg4 {White's position is totally winning . The king-attack will be terrible with already the "garantee" of the passed pawn on the seventh rank!} c4 {Dmitry is looking for counterplay and opens files on the opposite king} 30. Rg3 g6 31. h5 $1 {I guess the psychological situation of the Indian at that moment, who knows that a win would almost assure him the place of Challenger at the World Championships! The degree of tension and excitement must be extremly high, and despite having a desesperate position, Andreïkin will take his chance to "test" the nerves of his opponent by creating a maximum of play on his king} cxb3 32. Rxb3 Na4 33. hxg6 fxg6 34. Rxb4 Nc3+ 35. Kc2 b5 {the best try} 36. Kb3 (36. Rc4 $1 bxc4 37. Kxc3 Qa5+ 38. Kxc4 $18 {easily wins. Black has lots of checks but White pieces are protecting each others and the king is gonna hide on the kingside} Rb6 39. Kd3 {[%cal Gd3e2,Ge2f1,Gf1g1,Gg1h2]}) 36... Na4 37. Qf3 $6 {White position is still winning but Anand shows some nervous signs despite having some time on the clock} (37. Bd2 Nc5+ 38. Kxa3 {also seems to win easily}) 37... Nc5+ 38. Kc2 Na4+ (38... Na6+ 39. Kb1 Nxb4 40. Qb3+ $18 { [%csl Rb4]}) 39. Kb3 Nc5+ 40. Kc2 Na4+ 41. Kb3 {and to general surprise both players will sign a draw here! The rest day comes just at the right time for the Indian who will probably think about the end of this game during the whole night. Let's hope for him that he will not regret this occasion missed, because he stands head and shoulders above his rivals in this Candidates Tournament. It's easy for us put an assessment with different engines, at rest, but we shouldn't forget that players are playing since about twenty days, with a huge pression and differents results that could have inflected on their mental strength.} (41. Rc4 $1 {wins} bxc4 42. Bxa3 $18 {[%cal Ga3e7]} Kh7 43. Be7 Qb8 44. Qa3 Qa8 45. Kc1 Qe4 46. Qf3 $18) 1/2-1/2