Anand should avoid early end game phase

Anand should avoid early end game phase: Harikrishna
By Venkatachari Jagannathan | IANS – CHENNAI
Published: 17th November 2013 02:19 PM
Last Updated: 17th November 2013 02:19 PM

Defending world chess champion Vishwanathan Anand has to avoid going into end-game phase voluntarily. He should continue with the middle-game despite some unexpected moves of the Norwegian challenger Magnus Carlsen. That is only way for Anand to bounce back into the title match, said India’s second highest rated chess player.

“I would suggest Anand to psychologically prepare himself to play any kind of new moves over the board and do not enter the end-game phase voluntarily. As I see it, Magnus does not mind making small inaccuracy and take game into unknown territory,” Grandmaster P. Harikrishna told IANS.

He said Anand should avoid going into end-game until and unless it is advantageous for him.

“He also should avoid going into positions where two results are possible – that is, Magnus win or draw,” Harikrishna said.

Harikrishna has played four classical and two blindfold games against Carlsen. In the classical version, both the players won a game each and the remaining two were drawn.

In the blindfold games, Carlsen won one game and drew the other, Harikrishna said.

Commenting on the last six games and the strategies adopted by both the players, Harikrishna said: “Anand seems to be trying to catch Magnus in opening phase of the game. But Magnus is trying to not fall into Anand’s opening preparation and get some playable middle-game and then into end-game.”

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