Match Carlsen-Anand 2014 Partie 10 : 1/2-1/2

  [Event "FWCM 2014"]  [Site "Sochi"]  [Date "2014.11.21"]  [Round "10.1"]  [WhiteID "5000017"]  [White "Viswanathan Anand"]  [BlackID "1503014"]  [Black "Magnus Carlsen"]  [Result "1/2-1/2"]  [BlackElo "2863"]  [WhiteElo "2792"]  [ECO "D97"]   [Annotator "Sagar Shah"]   {Game number 10: This was definitely the game when Anand was going to press   the most. After all this is the last White game that he has before the last   game. No one wants to postpone it to such an extent. Magnus came well prepared   and this time he was the one who surprised Anand.} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 $5 {True   to his varying style, Magnus moves his g-pawn after 3 games with 2...e6. One   will recollect that he tried the same opening in game one too where Anand was   better prepared but the game ended in a draw.} 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 {This time it   is Anand who surprises Magnu. Instead of cxd5 Nxd5 Bd2 which was played in   game 1, he goes for 4.Nf3.} Bg7 5. Qb3 $5 {The Russian system. It is an   excellent aggressive system for White. We will get into details of this setup   as the moves are made.} dxc4 6. Qxc4 O-O 7. e4 {Ok! So what do we have here?   White has a beautiful center. His knights are well developed on their natural   squares. But in return he is lagging behind in developement and his queen is   quite exposed on c4. Thus, in return for the extremely strong center control,   White will have to play accurately against Black's active pieces.} Na6 {The   Prins variation was a favourite of Garry Kasparov. When someone asked Magnus   in the press conference whether Garry had helped him prepare this   opening, he said," We had worked on this opening back in 2009-10". The knight   on a6 prepares the move c5 to break the White center.} 8. Be2 c5 {There we   have it. Typical Grunfeld like play. Black must break White's center.} 9. d5 (   9. dxc5 Be6 {followed by Rc8 would give Black excellent play.}) 9... e6 10. O-O   exd5 11. exd5 Re8 (11... Bf5 {is the most popular move but it leads to   something similar to the game.} 12. Be3 Re8 13. Rad1 Ne4 14. Nxe4 Bxe4 {And we   reach the game position without Black having inserted the move h6.}) 12. Bg5 {   The idea of this move is to provoke h6 so that later on it becomes a weakness.   This was also played by Anand's second Wojtaszek against Ponomariov. Maybe   that is the reason why Magnus was so well prepared in this game.} (12. Be3 {is   the normal move but Anand figures out that provoking h6 is to his advantage.}   Ng4 {is not dangerous because of} 13. Bf4 $14) 12... h6 13. Be3 Bf5 14. Rad1   Ne4 $146 {This was the first new move in the game but the idea is well known   from direct Be3 lines. So it's not really a big novelty.} (14... Qb6 15. b3   Rad8 {was played in Wojtaszek-Ponomariov 2012, 0-1}) 15. Nxe4 Bxe4 $5 {It was   stronger to take with the rook on e4 but here Ramesh and Susan Polgar made an   interesting observation: Carlsen is known to sometimes make a slightly   inferior move to throw his opponents out of their preparation. more often than   not it works very well.} (15... Rxe4 16. Qc1 Nb4 $5 (16... Qb6 17. Bd3 Bxb2 18.   Qd2 $16 (18. Qc2 $6 Rxe3 $44)) 17. d6 $14 {with the initiative for White.} (17.   Qxc5 $2 b6 $1 18. Qc1 (18. Qb5 Bd7 $19) 18... Rc8 19. Qd2 Rc2 20. Qe1 Bxb2 $17)   ) 16. Qc1 (16. d6 {Was considered by many experts to be the best move in the   position and one that would have put a lot of pressure on Magnus. The threat   is now d7.} Qd7 (16... Bxb2 $2 17. d7 Re6 18. Bxh6 $16) 17. Qc1 Kh7 18. b3 $14   (18. Bxa6 $6 bxa6 19. Qxc5 Bxb2 $11)) 16... Qf6 {At this point many experts   pointed out that the d-pawn is crucial for White's success. If he loses   that pawn, he would no longer be able to win.} 17. Bxh6 (17. d6 $5 Qxb2 18.   Qxb2 Bxb2 19. d7 Red8 20. Bxh6 $14) 17... Qxb2 18. Qxb2 Bxb2 19. Ng5 $1 {An   extremely strong move by Anand which was underestimated by Magnus. After this   the Norwegian had to be extremely careful. The idea is that the bishop cannot   really go to f5 because there will be a lot of pressure on f7 point as will be   revealed in the variations below.} (19. d6 {was an equally good option.} Nb4   20. d7 Red8 21. Bg5 f6 22. Bc4+ Kg7 23. Be3 $14) 19... Bd4 (19... Bxd5 $2 20.   Bxa6 $18) (19... Bxg2 {This move was broadcasted incorrectly in the live   transmission. For a moment Vishy's fans must have leapt up in joy as this is a   huge mistake. But within few seconds the error was corrected and Bd4 appeared.}   20. Bxa6 Bxf1 21. Bxf1 $16) (19... Nb4 20. Nxe4 Rxe4 21. Bf3 Re7 22. d6 Rd7 23.   Bg4 f5 24. Be2 $14 {was another defensive option for Black.}) (19... Bf5 $6 {   saving the bishop is dangerous because White can now launch a strong attack on   the f7 point.} 20. Bb5 Red8 21. d6 Bd4 22. Bc4 Rxd6 23. Nxf7 Rd7 24. Ne5+ Kh7   25. Nxd7 Kxh6 {The knight on d7 is trapped.} 26. Rxd4 cxd4 27. Ne5 $14) 20.   Nxe4 Rxe4 21. Bf3 Re7 {Here was an important moment for Anand to decide   whether he would like to advance his d-pawn further or restrain the enemy   knight from coming into the game via b4 with a3.} 22. d6 (22. a3 Rd7 23. Rb1   $14) 22... Rd7 23. Bf4 Nb4 24. Rd2 $6 {According to everyone this was where   Anand lost a huge chunk of his advantage. In the press conference Magnus said   that he felt comfortable after he was given the control of the e-file. Hence,   instead of the passive Rd2, Anand should have gone for the active Rfe1 not   caring about the a2 pawn.} (24. Rfe1 $1 Nxa2 25. Re7 Rxe7 (25... Rad8 26. Bd5   $1 Nc3 27. Bxf7+ Kg7 28. Rde1 Bf6 29. Rxd7 Rxd7 $16) 26. dxe7 Re8 27. Re1 Nb4   28. Bxb7 $14 {with a pawn on e7 and two strong bishops white has good chances   to convert this position.}) 24... Re8 {Now Black is quite comfortable. These   are the little inaccuracies that Magnus latches onto with great ease. This is   the reason why it is so difficult to beat him.} (24... Rad8 25. Rb1 Nc6 26. h4   Ne5 27. Bxb7 Rb8 28. Be4 Rxb1+ 29. Bxb1 Rxd6 $11 {was a line that I thought   was quite likely. It also gave Black excellent drawing chances.}) 25. Rc1 {The   purpose of this move was really unclear. It would have surely been better to   play Rb1. But Anand was already under quite some time trouble and once you   have less time against an opponent as resourceful as Magnus, it can really be   difficult to convert your advantage.} (25. Bg4 $5 {was an interesting idea to   provoke f5} f5 26. Bf3 {Maybe White has some chances here too but with   accurate defense Black should hold.}) (25. Rb1 Nc6 26. g3 Ne5 27. Bxe5 Bxe5 28.   Rxb7 Red8 $11) 25... Re6 (25... Nc6 26. Bxc6 (26. h4 Ne5) 26... bxc6 27. h4)   26. h4 {Solving the back rank issues.} Be5 $1 {After this last accurate   defensive move, Magnus's position was quite defensible. There weren't any more   dangers for him. Seeing that the position holds nothing special for him, Anand   rushed to make a draw.} (26... Nc6 27. Bd5 (27. Bxc6 bxc6 28. g3) 27... Rexd6   28. Bxd6 Rxd6 29. Bf3 Na5) 27. Bxe5 Rxe5 28. Bxb7 {Many didn't like the fact   that Anand didn't try harder in this position. Well what exactly could he do?}   (28. a3 Nc6 29. Bxc6 bxc6 30. g3 Re6 31. Rxc5 Rdxd6 32. Rxd6 Rxd6) 28... Rxb7   29. d7 Nc6 30. d8=Q+ (30. f4 {This was Radjabov's suggestion but not sure   whether it does anything useful after} Rf5 $11) 30... Nxd8 31. Rxd8+ Kg7 32.   Rd2 {The position is completely equal and the players agreed to a draw.  A   fascinating duel took place in round 10 but it was not enough to get through   the defenses of the World Champion. Magnus is definitely playing wonderfully   well in the middlegame and the endgame. Hence Anand has to win the opening   battle. With the black pieces in the 11th game it seems very difficult to beat   Magnus. If a draw does take place in game 11, we shall witness a fascinating   12th game. But one cannot discount the possibility of Magnus winning the 11th   game and defending his title!} 1/2-1/2