Carlsen draws first blood in game 2 in Sochi

Chennai, Nov 9: World chess champion “Magnificant” Magnus Carlsen Sunday outplayed Viswanathan Anand in 35 moves in the second game in the world title match held in Russia.

The 23-year-old world champion from Norway tore down Anand’s Berlin defence by swinging the game to first to queen side and from there to the king’s side.

Contributing to Carlsen’s comfort was Anand making a blunder in the end with h5 allowing Carlsen to take his queen to b7. Along with his rook on e7, Anand decided to call it quits.

Playing white, Carlsen opened with th Ruy Lopez line with e4 to which Anand replied with e5.

On the seventh move, the champion went in for an early trading of his white bishop for black’s queen side knight and in the process disturbed Anand’s pawn structure.

Usually white will not go in for trading of pieces at this stage in the Ruy Lopez-Berlin variation.

Carlsen played his moves fast with a view of developing his pieces fast – the fundamental lesson for all chess players.

On move 11, Carlsen played a4 so as to create a weak queen rook pawn for Anand. Undeterred Anand played a5 which in turn opened up the files for his two bishops.

Simplifying the position in the next move, Carlsen went in for trading pieces – his knight for Anand’s black bishop – and to shift the play to centre of the board.

He brought his queen side rook into play moving it a3 to be ready for an attack. At this position, all his pieces were ready for action with the field clear for forward movement and ready for a long grind.

Continuing his march of pieces to the king’s side, Carlsen moved his queen to h5, knight to f5 and the rook to g3 squares to mount an attack on Anand’s king.

Though there was no major threat for Anand’s king, the piece mobilisation was sort of a psychological attack at the Indian.

In order simplify the position, Anand traded his white bishop for Carlsen’s knight and the champion in turn took Anand’s knight for his black bishop.

At the end of 22nd move, both the players had their two rooks, queen and seven pawns.

However, Carlsen had an active position as against Anand who was facing a slow death.

Tweeted world number seven Anish Giri: “Somehow the attack paid off. A serious risk free pressure for Magnus now. So far he is clearing dictating the terms.”

Though Anand tried couple of tactics, it did not dent Carlsen’s solid play.

“I tried to put him under pressure. He could have defended well,” Carlsen said post match.

On Anand’s blunder in the end, Carlsen said he had to double check whether his queen move is actually a winning one.

“It is pity I threw it away,” Anand said.

“Vishy self destructed today. I think he created a big hole for himself and it is nearly impossible to get out of,” Susan Polgar, a four-time women’s World chess champion, told IANS.

With this victory, Carlsen leads Anand with 1.5 – 0.5 points.