World Chess Championship 2014 - Game two

[Sean Evans]

So what did you think?

WITHOUT ANNOTATION

[Event "WCh 2014"]
[Site "Sochi RUS"]
[Date "2014.11.09"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Carlsen, M."]
[Black "Anand, V."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C65"]
[WhiteElo "2863"]
[BlackElo "2792"]
[PlyCount "69"]
[EventDate "2014.11.08"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. O-O d6 6. Re1 O-O 7. Bxc6 bxc6 8. h3 Re8 9. Nbd2 Nd7 10. Nc4 Bb6 11. a4 a5 12. Nxb6 cxb6 13. d4 Qc7 14. Ra3 Nf8 15. dxe5 dxe5 16. Nh4 Rd8 17. Qh5 f6 18. Nf5 Be6 19. Rg3 Ng6 20. h4 Bxf5 21. exf5 Nf4 22. Bxf4 exf4 23. Rc3 c5 24. Re6 Rab8 25. Rc4 Qd7 26. Kh2 Rf8 27. Rce4 Rb7 28. Qe2 b5 29. b3 bxa4 30. bxa4 Rb4 31. Re7 Qd6 32. Qf3 Rxe4 33. Qxe4 f3+ 34. g3 h5 35. Qb7 1-0

WITH ANNOTATION

[Event "WCh 2014"]
[Site "Sochi RUS"]
[Date "2014.11.09"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Carlsen, M."]
[Black "Anand, V."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C65"]
[WhiteElo "2863"]
[BlackElo "2792"]
[PlyCount "69"]
[EventDate "2014.11.08"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 {The Berlin! Betting money that it would
be seen this match would have had sure dividends; pretty much everyone
expected this opening to be seen at some point in the match. Carlsen chooses
not to go into the Berlin endgame and instead chooses one of the "quieter" d3
systems.} Bc5 {This is the "point" of Black's play. Usually he has to commit
to playing the bishop to e7 and only then does White go d3, a variation that
is becoming increasingly popular in the Spanish. In this particular move order,
the bishop has no reason to fear going to c5.} 5. O-O d6 6. Re1 {White has
tried basically everything under the sun, but this peculiar move-order has yet
to be employed. Normally they start with the move c3 or Nbd2.} O-O 7. Bxc6 bxc6
{White cannot claim a real advantage. His pawn structure superiority is
compensated by Black's solid position and pair of bishops. However it is a
completely playable position; if anything Carlsen is making sure that the game
is simply "playable" for both sides without trying to milk an advantage from
the opening.} 8. h3 Re8 9. Nbd2 Nd7 10. Nc4 Bb6 11. a4 a5 12. Nxb6 cxb6 13. d4
Qc7 {In many cases the presence of opposite colored bishops means that any
endgame will be drawn. This is still the case here, but White has a few
resources to put some pressure. He does hold more space at the moment.} 14. Ra3
$5 {A creative rook lift. The queenside rook is trying to make its way to the
kingside or even the center to put some quick pressure on that flank.} (14. Nh4
{was a serious suggestion, but after} Nf8 {Black seems to be too solid.}) 14...
Nf8 (14... exd4 15. Nxd4 Nc5 16. Bf4 $14) 15. dxe5 dxe5 16. Nh4 Rd8 $6 {Had
Anand seen what happened to him in the game, he might have refused to play
this move altogether. There is no reason to force White's queen to the attack
as the d-file holds no value.} (16... f6 {setting up defenses as quickly as
possible.} 17. Rg3 Ne6 18. Nf5 g6 19. Qh5 Ng7 $1 {Exchanging the powerful
knight. White's attack is not nearly as strong without it.} 20. Nxg7 (20. Nh6+
Kh8 21. Qd1 Ba6 $1 {Just leave sthe knight stranded on h6.}) 20... Qxg7 21. Qh4
Ba6 $11) 17. Qh5 f6 18. Nf5 Be6 $2 {I believe this relatively careless move is
the beginning of Black's problems. Vishy underestimates how quickly he has to
repeal White's pieces.} (18... Qf7 {also looked like a possible way of
repealing some of White's threats.} 19. Qg4 Bxf5 20. exf5 Rd4 21. Qf3 Qd5 $11)
19. Rg3 Ng6 (19... Rd7 $1 {Was still more resilient.} 20. Bh6 g6 21. Qh4 Qd8 $1
{This is st ill slightly unpleasant, but I don't see any immediate threats for
White.}) 20. h4 {Lots of pressure is piling up on the kingside! It is not
obvious anymore how Black can repeal White's attack.} (20. Bh6 $5 {This
interesting move leads to a long, forced variation.} Rd7 (20... gxh6 21. Rxg6+
hxg6 22. Qxg6+ Kf8 23. Qxf6+ Qf7 (23... Bf7 24. f4 $1 {And White's attack will
crash through.} (24. Qh8+ Bg8 25. Re3 $18 {is also good enough.})) 24. Qxh6+
Ke8 25. Qh8+ Kd7 26. Rd1+ Kc7 27. Qxe5+ Kb7 28. Nd6+ Rxd6 29. Rxd6 {And White
comes out wi th a material advantage, though Black should be able to hold by
creating his own threats.} Re8 $1 $14) 21. h4 {-20.h4.}) 20... Bxf5 (20... Rd7
21. Bh6 $1 Bxf5 (21... gxh6 {allows White to recuperate the piece with
devastating consequences.} 22. Qxh6 Qd8 23. h5 {and the advantage is clearly
in White's court.}) 22. exf5 Nf8 23. Re4 $5 {And White's pressure is nothing
to scoff at. It is quickly mounting and hard to repeal.}) 21. exf5 Nf4 22. Bxf4
exf4 23. Rc3 $1 c5 24. Re6 $1 {It is clear that W hite has tremendous pressure.
The control over th e-file, the pressure on b6, the anchored rook on e6, and
also importantly the complete lack of counterplay. Black is not lost yet but
it is very unpleasant.} Rab8 25. Rc4 Qd7 26. Kh2 {Of course White has no
interest in allowing Qd1+ with a queen trade.} Rf8 {Passive, but what else to
do? There is a lack of a clear plan for Black.} (26... Qd1 $2 27. Re8+ $18) 27.
Rce4 Rb7 28. Qe2 b5 $5 {A nice opportunity to get rid of the pawn on b6 and
open the b-file, but Black's c and a pawns now become targets.} 29. b3 (29. Re7
$1 Qd6 (29... Qc6 30. Rxb7 Qxb7 31. axb5 {is hopeless.}) 30. f3 Rxe7 31. Rxe7
bxa4 32. Qe4 {Qb7 is a big threat.} Qb8 33. Qxa4 {it is hard to believe Black
can survive with absolutely no activity.}) 29... bxa4 30. bxa4 Rb4 31. Re7 Qd6
32. Qf3 $1 {The queen wants to start looking for ways of getting into the
seventh rank.} Rxe4 33. Qxe4 f3+ 34. g3 h5 $4 {A horrible blunder in a very
difficult position.} (34... Qd2 {The only good way of preventing the queen
from coming to b7 is by attacking f2, but this gives up the f3 pawn.} 35. Qxf3
Qxc2 36. Kg2 {and Black's is close to lost, but not there yet.}) 35. Qb7 {As
once World Championship contender Nigel Short pointed out on twitter:
"Blunders don't happen in a vacuum. 34...h5?? came after enormous sustained
pressure.". Carlsen created something out of seemingly nothing and earned a
great victory.} 1-0

[Dirt]

So what did you think?

Stockfish seems to think there is only a draw after 34..Qd2. Magnus probably made a mistake earlier, though.

[supersharp77]

Of all the openings available to be played in the world of chess these "top" GM's insist on discussing the 'Berlin Defense'............lol!

[Uri Blass]

So what did you think?

Stockfish seems to think there is only a draw after 34..Qd2. Magnus probably made a mistake earlier, though.

does stockfish see 0.00 score or is it based on anlaysis that you did not find a win for white after 34...Qd2?

[Dirt]

does stockfish see 0.00 score or is it based on anlaysis that you did not find a win for white after 34...Qd2?

The latter.

[S.Taylor]

Game 3

The old man managed to get one in before the end! Probably the last one ever. Now Carlsen will get mad and not let him enjoy it for long!

(joking!)