Anand vs. Gelfand WCC 2012 started

[Dr.Wael Deeb]

Boooooooorrrring

[Sven]

BG may have missed a win in this game. He could have played 13. Nxd5! instead and even if he could not win from here it at least would have been a very interesting battle to watch.
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 a6 6. Qc2 c5 7. cxd5 exd5 8. Be2 Be6 9. O-O Nc6 10. Rd1 cxd4 11. Nxd4 Nxd4 12. Rxd4 Bc5
[...]
13. Nxd5 Bxd4 14. Nc7+ Kf8 15. exd4 Rc8 16. Qc5+ Kg8 17. Nxe6 fxe6 18. Qb4 Qd7 19. Bg5 h6 20. Bh4 a5 21. Qd2 Qd5 22. Bd1 Rc4 23. Qe3 Qf5 24. Bb3 Nd5 25. Qd2 Rc6 26. Bg3 Nb6 27. Rc1 Rxc1+ 28. Qxc1 Nd5 29. h3 Kf7 30. Qc5 b6 31. Qc6 Rd8 32. Be5 Kg8 33. f3 Qf7 34. Bxd5 exd5 35. Qxb6 Rc8 36. Qxa5 Rc1+ 37. Kh2 Rc2 38. f4 Rxb2 39. a4 Qb7 40. Qd8+ Kh7 41. Qf8 Ra2 42. f5 Rf2 43. a5 Qd7 44. a6 Rxf5 45. Qa3 Rf7 46. Bd6 Qc6 47. Bc5 Rd7 48. a7 Rd8 49. Qd3+ Kg8 50. Qb1 Re8 51. Qb8 Kf7 52. Qf4+ Kg8 53. Qg3 g5 54. Qd3 Kh8 55. Qc3 Qc7+ 56. Kg1 Qc6 57. Qb3 Kg8 58. Qb8 Kf7 59. Kh2 Kf6 60. Bf8 Kg6 61. Be7 Rc8 62. Bd6 Kg7 63. Be5+ Kf7 64. Bc7 Re8 65. Bd8 Re2 66. Bxg5 Ra2 67. Bh4 Ra6 68. Bg3 Ra1 69. Bd6 Ke6 70. Bc7 Ra6 71. Qg8+ Kd7 72. Qd8+ Ke6 73. Be5 Kf7 74. Qb8 1-0

In your example game above, 41...Ra2 is probably a blunder while 41...Rxg2+ might have resulted in a draw. Another move that was probably bad in your line may have been 59...Kf6.

Nevertheless you are right, 13.Nxd5 would have been very interesting.

Sven

[Jack Lad]

Indeed there are probably many errors in the line I gave; 59...e6 probably draws for black. 19...Kf7 is possibly better for black too - may in fact be winning. BG obviously is not willing to take such risks by playing moves like Nxd5 instead preferring safer moves which lead to an easy draw.

[PK]

One of my Polish friends said the following:

The chances that spectators will finally see some blood are raising.
One player will eventually fall asleep and take his eye out with a bishop.

[Dr.Wael Deeb]

One of my Polish friends said the following:

The chances that spectators will finally see some blood are raising.
One player will eventually fall asleep and take his eye out with a bishop.

[Jack Lad]

[d] r1bqkb1r/3n1ppp/pPp1pn2/3p4/3P4/2N1PN2/PPQ2PPP/R1B1KB1R b KQkq - 0 8

This can be a tricky opening to play - maybe it will get interesting today!

[Houdini]

[Event "World Chess Championship"]
[Site "Moscow"]
[Date "2012.05.20"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Anand, Viswanathan"]
[Result "*"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 a6 6. c5 Nbd7
7. Qc2 b6 8. cxb6 Nxb6 9. Bd2 c5 10. Rc1 cxd4 11. exd4 Bd6
12. Bg5 O-O 13. Bd3 h6 14. Bh4 Bb7 *

[d]r2q1rk1/1b3pp1/pn1bpn1p/3p4/3P3B/2NB1N2/PPQ2PPP/2R1K2R w K -

[Jack Lad]

[d] r2q1rk1/1b3pp1/pn1bpn1p/3p4/3P3B/2NB1N2/PPQ2PPP/2R2RK1 b - - 3 15
Position is now equal and probably drawn.

[Houdini]

[Event "World Chess Championship"]
[Site "Moscow"]
[Date "2012.05.20"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Anand, Viswanathan"]
[Result "*"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 a6 6. c5 Nbd7
7. Qc2 b6 8. cxb6 Nxb6 9. Bd2 c5 10. Rc1 cxd4 11. exd4 Bd6
12. Bg5 O-O 13. Bd3 h6 14. Bh4 Bb7 15. O-O Qb8 16. Bg3 *

[d]rq3rk1/1b3pp1/pn1bpn1p/3p4/3P4/2NB1NB1/PPQ2PPP/2R2RK1 b - -

Why did Gelfand not play 16.Bxf6? Zero risk policy?

[Houdini]

[Event "World Chess Championship"]
[Site "Moscow"]
[Date "2012.05.20"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Anand, Viswanathan"]
[Result "*"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 a6 6. c5 Nbd7
7. Qc2 b6 8. cxb6 Nxb6 9. Bd2 c5 10. Rc1 cxd4 11. exd4 Bd6
12. Bg5 O-O 13. Bd3 h6 14. Bh4 Bb7 15. O-O Qb8 16. Bg3 Rc8
17. Qe2 Bxg3 18. hxg3 Qd6 19. Rc2 Nbd7 20. Rfc1 *

[d]r1r3k1/1b1n1pp1/p2qpn1p/3p4/3P4/2NB1NP1/PPR1QPP1/2R3K1 b - -
White has a small edge.
P.S. Excellent commentary by Peter Leko on the live stream.