0 Carlsen -- Anand, Game 9

When I awoke at 4:10 am, the ninth game of the World Championship had been underway a few minutes. I grabbed my iPad from the side of the bed and checked on the game. Seeing that it was another Berlin Defense, I put the iPad down and went back to sleep.

No, I do not consider the Berlin boring. Rather, I expected another long game and could use the sleep. Sleep avoided me. At 5:00 am, I checked on the game again. It appeared that Magnus Carlsen could force a draw against challenger Viswanathan Anand. With a one point lead in the match, Carlsen retains his crown if he can manage a draw in every remaining game.

Carlsen's reputation is to play on until "every resource is exhausted," as Peter Svidler so ably put it during the commentary on an earlier game in this match. Perhaps a short draw, however, would be a way to increase psychological pressure on Anand. The challenger is under growing pressure to find a way to win. He has one win against Carlsen in the past few years. That win was last week.

I played a couple of blitz games on Chess.com while still in my warm bed. After a stunning game in which my opponent resigned a rook ahead, I returned to the World Championship game. It was over.


Carlsen,Magnus (2863) -- Anand,Viswanathan (2792) [C67]
WCC Sochi (9), 20.11.2014

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0–0 Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.h3

The oldest game in the Chessbase database with 9.h3 is Gaprindashvili,N -- Vreeken,C from a preliminary round of the Women's World Championship in 1978. It is a hot move now, having been played by such players as Aronian, Caruana, Karjakin, and Grischuk. Carlsen also played it in game 7 of this match.

9...Ke8 10.Nc3 h5 11.Ne2 

Carlsen played 11.Bf4 in game 7. 11.Ne2 is relatively uncommon, but is something that Anand should be prepared for.

After Carlsen's 11.Ne2

Reference Game:

Carlsen,Magnus (2772) - Jakovenko,Dmitrij (2760) [C67]
Dortmund SuperGM Dortmund (1), 02.07.2009

11...Be7 12.Bg5 Be6 13.Nf4 Bd5 14.Bxe7 Kxe7 15.Ng5 Nd4 16.Rad1 Ne6 17.Ngxe6 Bxe6 18.h4 a5 19.a3 a4 20.Rfe1 g6 21.f3 Ra5 22.c3 Rb5 23.Re2 Ra8 24.Rd4 Raa5 25.Kf2 Rxe5 26.Rxe5 Rxe5 27.Rxa4 Rb5 28.b4 c5 29.Ra7 cxb4 30.cxb4 Kd7 31.Ne2 Rb6 32.Ke3 Bc4 33.Nd4 Kd6 34.Ra5 Ra6 35.Rxa6+ bxa6 36.g4 hxg4 37.fxg4 Ke5 38.Nc6+ Kf6 39.Kf4 Ke6 40.h5 gxh5 41.gxh5 Bd3 42.Ke3 Bf1 43.h6 Kf6 44.Ne5 Bb5 45.Kd4 Ba4 46.h7 Kg7 47.Nxf7 Kxh7 48.Ng5+ Kg6 49.Ne6 1–0

11...b6

There are ten prior instances of  this move in the reference database that I use. Four of these games were decisive, with two wins for each side.

12.Rd1 Ba6 13.Nf4

After Carlsen's 13.Nf4

13...Bb7N

Reference Game:

Dominguez Perez,Leinier (2726) -- Ponomariov,Ruslan (2741) [C67]
ESP-chT CECLUB Honor Leon (5.2), 09.11.2012

13... Rd8 14.Bd2 Nd4 15.Nxd4 Rxd4 16.a4 Bc8 17.a5 a6 18.Be3 Rxd1+ 19.Rxd1 b5 20.Nd3 Be7 21.Bc5 Bd8 22.Nb4 Rh6 23.f4 f5 24.c3 Bh4 25.Rd3 Rg6 26.Kh2 Bb7 27.Nc2 Bc8 28.g3 Bd8 29.h4 Be6 30.Nb4 Bc8 31.Rd2 Bb7 32.Rd1 Bc8 33.Rh1 Bb7 34.Kg2 Be7 35.Nd3 Bd8 36.Kf2 Rh6 37.Re1 Bc8 38.Nb4 Kf7 39.Rd1 Ke8 40.Re1 Kf7 41.Re3 Rg6 42.Ke2 Rh6 43.Kd2 Rg6 44.b3 Rh6 45.c4 Rg6 46.Kc3 Rh6 47.Nc2 Re6 48.Nd4 Re8 49.Rd3 bxc4 50.bxc4 Bd7 51.Re3 Be7 52.Bxe7 Kxe7 53.e6 Bc8 54.Kb4 Kf6 55.Kc5 Bb7 56.Nxc6 g6 57.e7 Ba8 58.Re5 Bb7 59.Nd8 Bg2 60.Nc6 Kf7 61.Nb4 Rxe7 62.Rxe7+ Kxe7 63.Nxa6 Kd8 64.Nb4 Ba8 65.Nc6+ Kc8 66.a6 1–0

14.e6 Bd6 15.exf7+ Kxf7 16.Ng5+ Kf6 17.Ne4+ Kf7 18.Ng5+ Kf6 19.Ne4+ Kf7 20.Ng5+ ½–½

Spanish Opening games in this match have averaged 71 moves. Perhaps Anand's novelty refutes Carlsen's preparation, so Carlsen opted to bail. Perhaps a short draw was all he wanted from the beginning.

The Berlin Defense was revived in popularity after many years of neglect when Vladimir Kramnik adopted it in his World Championship Match against Garry Kasparov. Kasparov could not win with the White pieces. Since then, many games have demonstrated that either side can fight for advantage as there are several imbalances in the position.

Detail: Carlsen -- Anand, Game 9

0 Carlsen -- Anand, Game 7

A Record of Sorts

Half-way through the World Championship in Sochi, Russia, Magnus Carlsen leads Viswanathan Anand 3.5-2.5. Carlsen has his second consecutive White today. Anand opted for the Berlin Defense against Carlsen's Spanish (Ruy Lopez).

Carlsen,Magnus (2863) -- Anand,Viswanathan (2792) [C67]
WCC Sochi (7), 17.11.2014

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0–0 Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.h3

This move seems to be growing in popularity among top players. 9.Nc3 is the main line.

After Carlsen's 9.h3

9...Ke8 10.Nc3 h5 11.Bf4 Be7 12.Rad1 Be6 13.Ng5 Rh6 14.g3 Bxg5 15.Bxg5

We have bishops of opposite color.

After Carlsen's 15.Bxg5

15...Rg6 16.h4 f6 17.exf6 gxf6 18.Bf4 Nxh4

Anand wins a pawn

19.f3 Rd8 20.Kf2

Reference Game:

Anand,Viswanathan (2817) -- Nakamura,Hikaru (2753) [C67]
Grand Slam Final 4th Sao Paulo/Bilbao (7), 07.10.2011

20.Rxd8+ Kxd8 21.Kf2 Nf5 22.Rh1 Ng7 23.Bd2 Bf5 24.Nd1 Bxc2 25.Ne3 Bd3 26.Ng2 Ne6 27.Rxh5 Rg7 28.Bc3 Ke7 29.Rh6 Rf7 30.g4 Bb1 31.a3 f5 32.g5 Nxg5 33.Nf4 Ke8 34.Rg6 Nh7 35.Rg8+ Rf8 36.Rg7 Rf7 ½–½

20...Rxd1 21.Nxd1 Nf5 22.Rh1

Carlsen gets to use the h-file

22...Bxa2 23.Rxh5 Be6 24.g4 Nd6 25.Rh7

After Carlsen's 25.Rh7

25...Nf7N

Reference Game:

Giri,A (2768) -- Radjabov,T (2726) [C67]
Tashkent 2014

25...f5 26.g5 Nf7 27.Rh5 Rg8 28.Kg3 Rh8 29.Rxh8+ Nxh8 30.Bxc7 Ng6 31.Nc3 Kd7 32.Bb8 a5 33.Na4 Kc8 34.Bf4 b5 35.Nc5 Ba2 36.c3 a4 37.Bd6 Bd5 38.f4 Kd8 39.Kf2 Nh4 40.Ke3 Ke8 41.Nd3 Be4 42.Nf2 Bd5 43.Ba3 Kf7 44.Kd4 Ke6 45.Nd3 Ng6 46.Nc5+ Kf7 47.Na6 Nxf4 48.Ke5 Nd3+ 49.Kxf5 c5 50.g6+ Kg8 51.Nxc5 Nxc5 52.Bxc5 ½–½


26.Ne3 Kd8 27.Nf5 c5 28.Ng3

After Carlsen's 28.Ng3

28...Ne5

Anand spend thirty minutes on this move.

I was considering  28...Ng5 29.Rh8+ (29.Rxc7 was my line Nh3+ 30.Ke3 Nxf4 31.Rxb7) 29...Rg8 30.Rh6 (30.Rxg8+ Bxg8)

29.Rh8+ Rg8 30.Bxe5 fxe5

30...Rxh8?? 31.Bxf6++-

31.Rh5 Bxg4

I guessed this move, reasoning that liquidating White's kingside pawns was Anand's only chance to fight for a draw.

32.fxg4 Rxg4 33.Rxe5 b6 34.Ne4 Rh4 35.Ke2 Rh6 36.b3 Kd7 37.Kd2 Kc6 38.Nc3 a6 39.Re4 Rh2+ 40.Kc1 Rh1+ 41.Kb2

After Carlsen's 41.Kb2

41...Rh6 42.Nd1 Rh6 43.Ne3 Rh6 44.Re7 Rh2 45.Re6+ Kb7

After Anand's 45...Kb7

I had mentioned during earlier games that I was observing without reference to computer evaluations, as were the commentators. However, I noticed after that claim that the left side of the game board on the official website contains a vertical bar indicating the computer's evaluation.

Once I observed it, it became harder to ignore. At least it offers no numerical evaluation and no lines. While Carlsen was contemplating this position, Svidler made the point that a computer evaluation of +1.85 in such an endgame position means only that White is ahead materially.

If the evaluation suddenly jumps higher, then there is a concrete win.

There is no question that White has an advantage in this position, but finding a concrete win is not so easy. It may be that it is not possible.

46.Kc3 Rh4

Black's rook restrains White's king from the side. There is a passive quality to Black's defense, but it is White that has the complex problem to solve.

47.Kb2 Rh2 48.Nd5 Rd2 49.Nf6 Rf2 50.Kc3 Rf4 51.Ne4 Rh4 52.Nf2 Rh2 53.Rf6 Rh7 54.Nd3 Rh3 55.Kd2 Rh2+ 56.Rf2 Rh4

After Anand's 56...Rh4

57.c4 Rh3 58.Kc2 Rh7 59.Nb2 Rh5 60.Re2 Rg5 61.Nd1 b5

Swapping all the pawns should certainly be a draw.

After Anand's 61...b5

Carlsen has a lot more time remaining than Anand. At move 60, they reached the last time control. The players now get thirty seconds per move.

62.Nc3 c6 63.Ne4 Rh5 64.Nf6 Rg5

After Anand's 64...Rg5

Anish Giri tweeted that it should be a draw now, and probably always was. He referred to Anand as "king of the fortresses".

Peter Svidler pointed out one of several stalemate possibilities in the position: 65.Kb2 Kb6 66.Nd7+ Ka5 67.Ka3 b4+ 68.Kb2 Rg2

65.Re7+ Kb6

Carlsen spent a lot of time on his move. Anand moved instantly.

Jan Gustaffson  tweeted that he doesn't see why everyone thinks it is an easy draw, as he would lose it. The moves in his tweet were the next ones played on the board.

66.Nd7+ Ka5 67.Re4

Here, Svidler suggested that Black needs to start checking.

67...b4? does not work to provoke stalemate because of 68.Ne5.

Svidler now prefers 67...Rh5, but 67...Rg2+ seems to hold.

Anand is thinking.

67...Rg2+

The checks begin. In one of the lines that might result from this decision, Anand will give up some pawns but can draw. It's one thing to work out such lines on a board without the pressure, it's quite another to do so from Anand's chair.

Anand's rook is proving quite active. Even his king and pawns have found something to do. If White wants to lose, he could find a way.

68.Kc1 Rg1+ 69.Kd2

After Carlsen's 69.Kd2

69...Rg2+ 70.Ke1

Where does Black's rook belong? With correct play, the game should be a draw. Defense is not trivial. Anand must find the correct approach.

70...bxc4 71.Rxc4 Rg3 72.Nxc5 Kb5 73.Rc2

After Carlsen's 73.Rc2

73...a5 74.Kf2 Rh3 75.Rc1 Kb4 76.Ke2 Rc3 77.Nd3+ Kxb3 78.Ra1

After Carlsen's 78.Ra1

Carlsen should have no expectations of winning this position, but there may be some benefit from torturing Anand a bit longer.

78...Kc4 79.Nf2

Svidler and Sopiko Guramishvili are feeling trapped as commentators. They are certain that the game is a draw, but Carlsen is keeping everyone at work as long as possible.

79...Kb5 80.Rb1+ Kc4 81.Ne4 Ra3 82.Nd2+ Kd5 83.Rh1 a4 84.Rh5+ Kd4

84...Kd6?? 85.Nc4+

85.Rh4+ Kc5 86.Kd1 Kb5

86...Rg3 87.Ne4+

87.Kc2 Rg3 88.Ne4 Rg2+ 89.Kd3 a3 90.Nc3+ Kb6 91.Ra4 a2 92.Nxa2 Rg3+ 93.Kc2 Rg2+ 94.Kb3 Rg3+ 95.Nc3 Rh3 96.Rb4+ Kc7 97.Rg4 Rh7 98.Kc4 Rf7 99.Rg5 Kb6 100.Na4+ Kc7 101.Kc5 Kd7 102.Kb6 Rf1 103.Nc5+ Ke7 104.Kxc6 

After Carlsen's 104.Kxc6

104...Rd1 105.Rg6 Kf7 106.Rh6 Rg1 107.Kd5 Rg5+ 108.Kd4 Rg6 109.Rh1 Rg2 110.Ne4 Ra2 111.Rf1+ Ke7 112.Nc3 Rh2 113.Nd5+ Kd6 114.Rf6+ Kd7 115.Nf4 Rh1 116.Rg6 Rd1+ 117.Nd3 Ke7 118.Ra6 Kd7 119.Ke4 Ke7 120.Rc6 Kd7 121.Rc1 Rxc1 122.Nxc1 1/2-1/2

They did not get the record of the longest World Championship game ever played, which remains the 124 move draw Korchnoi -- Karpov 1978.

"This now makes no sense to me whatsoever." Peter Svidler

To play so long and not go for the record. Why? It might be pointed out that Viktor Korchnoi and Anatoly Karpov played their marathon with adjournments, so today's game was the longest WCC game played at a single sitting.

Carlsen leads 4-3. Anand has three more Whites in the remaining five games.

Detail: Carlsen -- Anand, Game 7

0 Carlsen -- Anand, Game 2

After a hard-fought draw yesterday, the colors switch for today's World Championship game. Magnus Carlsen, the champion, has White. The challenger and former champion, Viswanathan Anand, has Black.

The official website's biography of the players offers that Carlsen's favorite move is 1.d4 and Anand's is 1.e4. Anand began with 1.d4 yesterday and today Carlsen opened with 1.e4. Of course, both players are versatile with plenty of experience in the full range of popular an even obscure openings.

The match, scheduled for twelve games, is taking place at the site of the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

Today's game is a Ruy Lopez, or Spanish Opening as it is also known. Already at move four, Carlsen opted for the second most popular move, which Anand had played against him earlier this year.

Carlsen,Magnus (2863) - Anand,Viswanathan (2792) [C65]
WCC Sochi (2), 09.11.2014

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.0–0

Anand played 5.Bxc6 in Zurich. That game was agreed drawn on move 40.

5...d6

In Moscow 2011, Anand played 5...Nd4 here and went on to beat Carlsen in a long game.

6.Re1

Although Re1 is a standard move in the Spanish, it is rare in this position.

6...0–0

With Anand's move, the game transposes into a somewhat larger reference set.

7.Bxc6

This move is essentially the novelty, although games in the ChessBase database include it due to presence of games among novices.

7...bxc6

After Anand's 7...bxc6

8.h3 Re8 9.Nbd2 Nd7 10.Nc4 Bb6

I would be inclined to maintain the bishop pair, perhaps playing a6 and tucking the bishop away on a7.

11.a4 a5 12.Nxb6 cxb6 13.d4 Qc7

Peter Svidler suggested much later in the game that Anand's suffering may have started here with Black underestimating White's potential.

14.Ra3 Nf8

This square offers secure protection of h7 when White has not exchanged the Spanish bishop for Black's horse.

After Anand's 14...Nf8

15.dxe5 dxe5 16.Nh4 Rd8 17.Qh5 f6 18.Nf5 Be6

18...Qf7 was idscussed in the press conference as an improvement.

19.Rg3 Ng6 20.h4

After Carlsen's 20.h4

20...Bxf5

Anand opts to exchange the remaining minor pieces.

21.exf5 Nf4 22.Bxf4 exf4 23.Rc3 c5 24.Re6

"Black will suffer for the rest of the game." Peter Svidler

24...Rab8 25.Rc4

After Carlsen's 25.Rc4

25...Qd7 26.Kh2 Rf8 27.Rce4 Rb7 28.Qe2 b5 29.b3 bxa4

The analysts, Svidler and Sopiko Guramishvili, considered some dangerous alternatives after 29...c4.

30.bxa4

After Carlsen's 30.bxa4

30...Rb4 31.Re7 Qd6 32.Qf3 Rxe4 33.Qxe4 f3+ 34.g3 h5 35.Qb7 1-0

Carlsen scored an important victory. It was, "a clean win," according to Svidler.

Detail: Carlsen -- Anand, Game 2

0 Exposed King

The first game of the second and longer match between Geza Maroczy and Rezső Charousek was an instructive win by Maroczy. Charousek delayed castling, and then was forced to make a capture with his king. Proceeding to castle by hand, he found his monarch under attack.

The critical position occurred after Charousek's 20...Nd8.

White to move

Detail: Exposed King

0 Redeployment

Going through the games of Rezső Charousek (1873-1900), I found this uncommon position that emerged from the Barnes variation of the Spanish Opening (3...g6).* Charousek had Black against Geza Maroczy and played a move that would be played again in Teichmann -- Pillsbury at Hastings later the same year (1895). Nearly a century later (1991), Vasily Smyslov would play the same move in this position. All three of these games were fairly quick wins by Black.

The games began: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 g6 4.d4 exd4 5.Nxd4 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Nc3 O-O 8.f3

Black to move

In the three games mentioned above and at least twenty others, Black played 8...Ne7.

Samuel Tinsley annotated the Teichmann -- Pillsbury game, and here noted:

Preventing an inopportune exchange by White, who might possibly have taken the Piece earlier without much harm. Black is also now ready to assail the weak central position by d5 etc.
According to Chessgames.com

Smyslov commented "with the idea of d7-d5" (Chess Informant 53/318).

Maroczy -- Charousek continued 9.Qd2, which has been White's most frequent response. Teichmann played 9.O-O and Dueckstein, Smyslov's opponent, played 9.Nde2.

Charousek quickly seized the initiative.

9...d5 10.e5 Nd7 11.Bxd7 Bxd7 12.Bh6

Black to move

12...Bxh6

In Kuzin -- Romanov, Tula 2006, Black opted to sacrifice the exchange with 12...Bxe5 and lost in the endgame. Black also had the initiative through much of that game, but White defended successfully.

13.Qxh6 c5 14.Nde2 Nf5 15.Qd2 d4 16.Nd1 Qh4+

White to move

17.g3 Qe7 18.f4 Bc6 19.O-O Qe6 20.Kf2

After castling, the White king feels unsafe. White has made a series of small inaccuracies in a position that seemed to worsen rapidly through the late stages of the opening into the middle game.

20...f6 21.exf6 Rae8

White to move

22.Ng1 Ne3 23.Re1 Ng4+ 0-1

Charousek's games are characterized by deep tactical complications. Here, however, he seems to play more simply with small threats that lead to inaccurate responses and a rapid collapse. This game was the first in a short match between Charousek and Maroczy in April 1895, which Charousek won. Later in the year, they played a longer match that Maroczy won decisively.

*I have faced the Barnes variation once over the board, and it struck me at the time as an unusual approach. In contrast to the games above, I played 4.c3. Both 4.d4 and 4.c3 are presented as main lines in the Encyclopedia of Chess Openings. That game transposed into another obscure variation of the Spanish and left established theory with my opponent's ninth move. I was pleased with my play in that game because I was playing on general principles beginning at move four, and because I went on to win a nice endgame (see "Pawn Wars" February 2012).

Detail: Redeployment