Today’s game is yet another one from the recently concluded Norway Chess event won in exciting fashion by Fabiano Caruana. It features the former world champion challenger Russian (via Ukraine) Sergey Karjakin and former world champion the venerable Indian Vishy Anand.
The 47-year-old Anand is always the talk of any event he plays in. It seems everyone is just waiting for a terrible result or two to force him into retirement; so far he has been very happy to disappoint them. He finished fourth in Norway. As for Karjakin, he is still searching for the form that nearly made him world champion. Here in Norway, he finished next to last, not what this standard bearer of Russian chess is looking for.
As for the game, it was played in the last round when Anand still had a shot at the top. So he was not interested in a draw, and, one suspects, given Karjakin’s lowly standing on the wall chart, he decided to go for broke and broke he found, overlooking a clever tactic that brought the game to an early conclusion in favor of Anand.
2018 6th Norway Chess, Stavanger, NOR
Sergey Karjakin (2782) - Viswanathan Anand (2760)
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 Be7 5.Bf4 The Classical variation of the Queens Gambit Decline or so they say 0–0 6.e3 c5 7.dxc5 Bxc5 8.Qc2 Nc6 9.a3 Qa5 10.0–0–0 Ne4 11.Nb5 a6 12.Nc7 e5 13.Rxd5 exf4 A new move. We have been following the game Kasparov v. Vaganian, 1992, where Vaganian played 13…f5 and lost quickly after: 14.Rxe5! Nxe5 15.Bxe5 Ra7 16.Nd5 b6 17.Bd3 Bd7 18.b4 Qxa3+ 19.Bb2 Qa4 20.bxc5 bxc5 21.Ne5 Qxc2+ 22.Bxc2 Be6 23.Nf4; 1–0 14.Qxe4 Qxc7 15.Rxc5 fxe3 16.Bd3 g6 17.fxe3 17.Qxe3 Is better structurally but White’s rook gets somewhat misplaced after 17...b6 18.Rh5 (18.Rd5 Be6)18...gxh5 (18...Bg4 19.Rh4 Bxf3 20.gxf3 Ne5 21.Kb1 Nxd3 22.Qxd3 Rad8 23.Rd4 Rxd4 24.Qxd4 Rd8=)19.Qg5+ Kh8 20.Qh6 Bf5 21.Bxf5 f6 with some attacking chances for White. 17...Be6 18.Qh4 Rae8 Though White is up a pawn, his e-pawn is weak and Black has very good pieces. One can say we have “dynamic equality’’ here. 19.Be4 Qb6 With an eye on the weak e3–pawn. 20.Qh6 This kingside attack seems to me to be a bit of a mirage but the engines all think it’s the best. 20...f5 21.Ng5 Rf7 22.Bd5 If22.Nxf7 Qxc5 23.Ng5 Re7 24.Nxe6 Qxc4+ 25.Bc2 Qxe6 And Black having gotten his pawn back, stands better. 22...Bxd5 23.Rxd5 Qxe3+ No more extra pawn for White 24.Kb1 Rfe7 Though the engines “say’’ its equal, on the psychological front, White is in a lot of trouble as his attack has evaporated and he has to change his mindset completely to reflect this new realty, but here, he doesn’t make that change. 25.Rhd1 Qe2 26.h4?? Still attacking but this is a seriousmistake that I am sure is based on a terrible oversite. Necessary was a dash to a perpetual check and a draw with Rd6 and then Rxg6+. Now, it’s all over for White as Black will be a pawn up in vastly superior endgame. 26...Ne5!! Anand just doesn’t mist such tactical opportunities. This has thevery clever idea of trapping White’s queen with Ng4. I am sure that Black thought this was not possible due to 27.Rd8 but missed 27…Qxd1+ 28.RxQ and now 28…Ng4 getting back his queen with interest. 27.Nf3 Forced 27.Rd8 Qxd1+ 28.Rxd1 Ng4 27...Qe4+ 28.Ka2 28.Ka1 Ng4 29.Qc1 Ne3 28...Qxc4+ 29.Ka1 Ng4 30.Qc1 30.Qd2 Ne3 30...Qxc1+ 31.Rxc1 Kg7 32.h5? Blundering another pawn. 32...Nf6;0–1
Chris Chase can be reached at BostonGlobeChessNotes@gmail.com.
