IVANCHUK, VISWANATHAN (2779) vs ANAND, VISWANATHAN (2791) ½-½ [D19] XXVI SuperGM Ciudad de LINARES (ESP) (5) 24.02.2009, QGD: Slav 4.Qe2 [D19], Chess-Theory

ANALYSED GAME N^o 132
Updated: February 2009

Ivanchuk, Vassily (2779) -
Anand, Viswanathan (2791) [D19]
XXVI SuperGM Linares
ESP (5), 24.02.2009

(Annotation: "Chess-Theory")

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Anand was an amazing game - All
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ChessBase - News - Ivanchuk-
Anand was an amazing game - All
photos by Nadja Woisin in Linares

X0 QGD, Slav, Dutch variation, main Line, 9.Qe2 [D19]

1.d4 X1 d5 X2 2.c4 X3 c6 X4 3.Nf3 X5 Nf6 X6 4.Nc3 X7 dxc4 X8 5.a4 X9 Bf5 X10 6.e3 X11 e6 X12 7.Bxc4 X13 Bb4 X14 8.0-0 X15 0-0 X16 9.Qe2 X17

Ivanchuk and Anand pursue, still for some moves, with the main line:

9...Nbd7 X18 10.e4 X19 Bg6 X20 11.Bd3 X21 Bh5 X22 12.e5 X23 Nd5 X24 13.Nxd5 X25 cxd5 X26 14.Qe3 X27 Re8 X28

This move is played with the idea: ...f5 and the possible opening of the e-file. Nevertheless the main debat of this game is about the control of the open c-file.

[ The most usual Black reply is here: 14...Be7 X29 A relatively recent illustration is given by the game: 15.Ng5 X30 Bxg5 X31 16.Qxg5 X32 Bg6 X33 17.Be2 X34 Nb8 X35 18.Qxd8 X36 Rxd8 X37 19.Bd2 X38 Nc6 X39 the game finishing by an opposite colored Bishops endgame without winner (Topalov, Veselin (2769) - Bu Xiangzhi (2692) 1/2-1/2 [D19] World Cup blindfold 16.10 2007).; The alternative move, played occasionally since 1972: 14...h6 X40 seems now going out of fashion!]

15.Ne1 X41

[ The aggressive line: 15.Ng5!? X42 Bg6 X43 16.f4 X44 Bxd3 X45 17.Qxd3 X46 f5 X47 18.Qb5 X48 Qe7 X49 19.Qxb7 X50 leads apparently to a draw (Gulko, Boris F (2559) - Vigorito, David (2405) (24 m.) 1/2-1/2 [D19] USA-ch Tulsa 13.05.2008).]

15...Bg6 X51 16.Bxg6 X52 hxg6 X53 17.Nd3 X54 Qb6 X55

[ In the line: 17...Be7 X56 18.Bd2 X57 Rc8 X58 19.Rfc1 X59 Nb8 X60 +/= Black takes the control of the c-file first, but White successes in contesting this one and finally the draw is ineluctable (Banusz, Tamar (2389) - Erdos, Viktor (2454) (26 m.) [D19] Budapest FS10 GM 02.10.2004).]

18.Nxb4 X61 Qxb4 X62 19.b3 X63 Rac8 X64 20.Ba3 X65 Qc3 X66 21.Rac1 X67 Qxe3 X68 22.fxe3 X69 f6 X70 23.Bd6 X71 a5?!N X72

The Anand' s novelty... Vishy plays all this line with Black and not leading White as in Bonn 2008!

[ Indeed, one finds a good example of the battle for the control of the open c-file in the game: 23...g5 X73 24.h3 X74 Kf7 X75 25.Kf2 X76 Kg6 X77 26.Ke2 X78 fxe5 X79 27.dxe5 X80 b6 X81 28.b4 X82 Rc4 X83 29.Rxc4 X84 dxc4 X85 30.Rc1 X86 Rc8 X87 31.g4 X88 a5 X89 32.b5 X90 c3 X91 33.Rc2 X92 Kf7 X93 34.Kd3 X94 Nc5+ X95 35.Bxc5 X96 Rxc5 X97 36.Rxc3 X98 Rxc3+ X99 37.Kxc3 X100 1/2-1/2 where both Kings are unable to penetrate in the opponent' s camp (Anand, Vishy (2783) - Kramnik, Vladimir (2772) [D19] Bonn 2008).]

24.Bc7! X101

This strong reply is practically a refutation of the last Black move!

24...fxe5 X102

[ White obtains also a clear advantage after: 24...b6 X103 25.Rc3 X104 Rf8 X105 26.Rfc1 X106 fxe5 X107 27.dxe5 X108 Kh7 X109 28.Bd6 X110 Rxc3 X111 29.Rxc3 X112 Rf7 X113 +/-]

25.dxe5 X114 b6 X115 26.Rc3 X116 Rf8 X117 27.Rfc1 X118

White wins brilliantly the battle for the control of the c-file and dominates the game.

27...Rf5 X119 28.g4! X120 Rf7 X121 29.Bd6 X122 Nc5 X123

[ Is also playable: 29...Rxc3 X124 30.Rxc3 X125 Nc5 X126 31.Bxc5 X127 bxc5 X128 32.Rxc5 X129 Rf3 X130 +/-]

30.Bxc5 X131 bxc5 X132 31.Rxc5 X133 Rcf8 X134 32.Rxa5 X135 Rf3 X136

This Rook ending is, without any doubt, winning for White.

33.Ra7 X137 g5 X138 34.Re1 X139 d4 X140 35.exd4 X141 Rxb3 X142 36.Rf1 X143 Rd3! X144

Black tries to find, in this perilous context, an appropriate defense.

37.Rxf8+ X145 Kxf8 X146 38.a5 X147 Rxd4 X148 + -

"The official website of
The U.S. Chess Trust -
Grandmaster Vishy Anand"
image Copyright: U.S. Chess Trust
The official website of
The U.S. Chess Trust -
Grandmaster Vishy Anand

White must win this game; nevertheless in an ideal position the White Rook should be behind the pawn and not in front.

39.h3! X149

The only way to win.

39...Kg8 X150

[ 39...Rd2 X151 , preventing the White King from leaving the first rank, seems more accurate.]

40.a6 X152 Ra4 X153 41.Kf2 X154 Ra5 X155

[ 41...Ra3!? X156 may be better, but Anand has the idea to take the e5-pawn.]

42.Kf3 X157 Rxe5 X158 43.Re7 X159 Kh7 X160 44.Re8 X161 Ra5 X162 45.Rxe6 X163 Ra3+ X164 46.Ke4! X165 Rxh3 X166 47.Kd5? X167

Apparently correct, but the critical c3-square is uncontrolled and the Black Rook can place on it.

[ This complex endgame is a genuine Chess problem 47.Kd4! X168 is the winning move, as you can see after: 47...Rg3 X169 48.Kc4 X170 Rxg4+ X171 49.Kb5 X172 Rf4 X173 What else? 50.a7! X174 and White wins easily!]

47...Rc3! X175

The only way to contest!

48.Rb6?! X176

[ I am not a chess ending specialist but it seems that White is able to win after: 48.Rc6 X177 Rg3! X178 49.Kc5 X179 Rxg4 X180 50.a7 X181 Ra4 X182 51.Kb6 X183 g6 X184 52.Rc5 X185 ( 52.Rc4?! X186 Rxc4 X187 53.a8Q X188 Rf4 X189 and the game is presumably a draw. ) 52...Rxa7 X190 53.Kxa7 X191 Kh6 X192 54.Kb6 X193 Kh5 X194 55.Kb5 X195 Kh4 X196 56.Kc4 X197 g4 X198 57.Kd4 X199 g3 X200 58.Ke3 X201 g2 X202 59.Kf2 X203 g1Q+ X204 60.Kxg1 X205 g5 X206 ]

48...g6 X207 49.Kd6?! X208

With the idea: Rc6 - Kc7. But it is preferable to play first the Rook.

[ After 49.Rc6 X209 Ra3 X210 50.Kc5 X211 Ra4 X212 51.Kb5 X213 White wins probably.]

49...Kh6 X214 50.Rb8?! X215

[ The winning move: 50.Rc6! X216 is always playable.]

50...Ra3 X217 51.Ra8 X218

[ Or as well: 51.Rh8+ X219 Kg7 X220 52.Ra8 X221 ]

51...Kg7 X222 52.Kc5 X223 Ra1 X224 53.Kb6 X225 Rb1+ X226 54.Ka7 X227 Rb4! X228

It is necessary to take the g4-pawn!

55.Rb8 X229 Rxg4 X230 56.Rb5 X231 Ra4 X232 57.Rxg5 X233 Rb4 X234

From now it seems difficult for White to win, but it is too complicated to investigate all possible play lines!

58.Rc5 X235

[ The game is draw after: 58.Re5 X236 Kf6 X237 59.Re8 X238 g5 X239 60.Rb8 X240 Ra4 X241 61.Kb7 X242 g4 X243 62.a7 X244 Kg5 X245 63.a8Q X246 Rxa8 X247 64.Rxa8 X248 g3 X249 65.Ra2 X250 Kf4 X251 66.Kc6 X252 Kf3= X253 ]

58...Kh6 X254 59.Rc6 X255 Kh5 X256 60.Rb6 X257 Rf4 X258 61.Rb5+ X259 g5 X260 62.Kb6 X261 Rf6+ X262 63.Ka5 X263 Rf7! X264 64.Kb6 X265

[ Is not better: 64.Rb8 X266 g4 X267 65.Rg8 X268 Kh4= X269 ]

64...Rf6+ X270 65.Ka5=

Black plays his Rook in f7 and the game is a draw. An extraordinary prestation from both Super Grand Masters!!

1/2-1/2

"Mtel Masters - Grandmaster
Vassily Ivanchuk Biography"
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Mtel Masters - Grandmaster
Vassily Ivanchuk Biography

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