Anand – Gelfand
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.Nc3 Nxc3 6.dxc3 Be7 7.Be3 Nd7 = / += White has more mobility and space but the draw back is the double pawn.
8.Qd2 Ne5 9.O-O-O O-O 10.h4 (This is certainly not the most popular move. I do not recall Anand ever playing this move before. Anand played 10.Kb1 and defeated Kramnik 2005 at the Amber event. This 10.h4 is certainly to try to surprise Gelfand. This shows me that Anand is well prepared for this World Championship. Anand is also an expert in the Petroff)
10…Re8 11.h5 (Kb1 would have transferred it to another popular line.)
11…Bf6 12.Nh2 (This is to prepare g4 at the right moment.)
12…h6 13.Be2 Be6 14.f4 (For the human eyes, it seems that White has a good advantage. However, according to the machine, Black is more than fine. I personally like White as well, in spite of what the machine says.)
14…Nc4 15.Bxc4 Bxc4 16.b3 (Anand thought for a bit before making this move. This is one of those positions where Black has to be alert on the Kingside.)
16…Bb5 (Now, should White play Ng4 or g4? That’s a tough decision to make.)
17.Rhg1 (A surprising choice. Anand once again spent a lot of time on this move. I would have probably played g4 right away.)
17…Re4 (This is why I wanted to play g4 right away. I did not want Black to have extra time.)
18.Ng4 (I expect Black to play 18…Qe7. Again, the machine likes Black but I think White has more play and I prefer White more.)
18…Qe7 19.Rde1 Re8 20.Bf2 (After the exchange of pieces, I expect this game to head to a draw even though Black would be slightly better because of the Bishop pair and White’s double pawns.)
20…Qd8 (Black is playing safe. This looks like the game will head to a draw. Black is fine.)
21.Rxe4 Rxe4 22.Re1? (Now Black has Rxf4 winning a pawn. White cannot capture the Rook because of Bg4. However, after Nxf6, Black is up a pawn with opposite color Bishops. White most like will draw anyway. But he has to work for it.)
22…Rxe1 (Gelfand decided not to take it. I am very curious to know why not. Taking the pawn would have been the best continuation.) 1/2
Susan are you surprised that anand has played this opening? What about his h4 move?
Live Commentary: Pettrof’s Defense. Oh well, next game?
susan anand is upto something special. Looks like he know what boris like to play and he is willing to try something new. This will be intresting.
Seems Anand has played 10.h4 before in the Petroff:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2007/07/04/result070704.xml
david anand has decided to take chances early and ready to fight early and try to go for akill.
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The 10.h4 game on Chessgames:
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1464718
OOOOOOOOh , Boris.
I am rooting hard for yhe.
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is 5.Nc3 book? i always thought in the petroff you play 5.d3 or d4. maybe anand has some new ideas in mind.
Susan, what do you think about Gelfand’s h6? Is it a good move? Doesn’t it give white future themes (like a sacrifice) on h6 ??
looks like the tiger of madras has come back. good to see.
wolverine tiger is back with his full force to finish his oppnonets in a style. I bet anand will shock this world by coming firsta nd winning more then 50 % of games and rest of themw ith draws.
Rhg1 is the logical continuation. g4 is too premature. But doesnt appear black is worse.
Lékó?
Rybka has black +.54 after 22 … Rxf4 (16 ply depth)
Rybka likes things more and more for black after the favourite moves following Rxf4. A possible missed win?
Actually David, Rybka says -0.70 🙂
I believe that Gelfand didn’t take the pawn on f4 because he perhaps preffered an instant draw rather than
taking the risk of making a mistake in the future battle, even though he would have a slightly better position.
The interesting thing here is Anand’s mistake by playing Re1…
Maybe Boris didn’t believe that Vishy made a mistake, but prepared a trap for him, and he wasn’t able to find it, so he went for the draw.
I’m very curious about what they both will tell at the press conference.
“I believe that Gelfand didn’t take the pawn on f4 because he perhaps preffered an instant draw rather than
taking the risk of making a mistake in the future battle”
Your first suggestion (quoted above) is nonsense in my eyes, anonymous 5:26.
After Rxe1 black had not this “instant draw” because Gelfand offered the draw after that move and it was not clear at all if Anand would agree.
Rxf4 gives black a position in which he almost can’t lose – so no GM of Gelfand’s level would be frightened here to play on even if the other player was an Anand.
The thing about the trap might be right but I think he probably simply thought to less and RxR was the “obvious” way to contiiue and he just didn’t thought of Rxf4 – probably Anand also didn’t do that and was lucky here.
They are GMs but they are not without mistakes.
Greetings
Jochen
Susan , nice commentary there . Lovely ! Btw , about Gelfand not taking the pawn on f4 , I would say it is fom his practical experience playing Vishy . The end game would have been slightly inferior but with Anand it is going to be double the effor and real hard to win as he has shown in recent times…like the Chess 960 rapid game against Aronian .
Gelfand took an easy decisio to get himself rested well . A draw as black against Vishy is a nice result .
Greetings
Nishant
RahulDravid at FICS