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     Tthanks Pilla Bewarse Username: Tthanks Post Number: 478 Registered: 01-2013 Posted From: 171.159.192.10 Rating: N/A |
Hello everyone, I am GM Vidit Gujrathi and will be commenting game 4 of the FWCM 2013 that starts today at 14:30 IST (10:00 CET). You can replay the games with my commentary at the main page of Chessdom here. Yesterday we saw a very interesting fight and today I expect another thriller. Carlsen played the Caro-Kann in the 2nd game and didn't face any opening problems and maybe today also he might stick to it. 1. e4 e5 2...e5 So it is not a Caro-Kann! We will see a Petroff or Berlin? 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 It's a Berlin defence.This line is extremely popular at the top level because of it's solidity.Here white can go for the endgame with 0-0 or play the middlegame with d3.We all remember how well Kramnik used this line against Kasparov in London 2000 4. O-O Anand goes for the the main line.In recent times he had more often gone for d3.Earlier this year he scored a very interesting victory in this line against Karjakin. 4... Nxe4 5. d4 Nd6 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. dxe5 Nf5 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8 Here white has tried various setups with the mixtures Rd1-h3-Nc3 etc. Black also has tried a lot of lines here. For eg Playing the ending with King on e8 and a bit slower- Kc8-b6 etc. 9. h3 White's basic idea here in this line is to use his majority of pawns on kingside.He prepares ideas such as g4 with h3 9... Bd7 10. Rd1 Be7 Interesting. Recently there were quite a few top level games with Kc8 !? The games continued 11.g4-Ne7 12.Ng5-Be8 13.f4 etc. Adams used this line with black quite successfully against Caruana earlier this year. 11. Nc3 Kc8 12. Bg5 h6 13. Bxe7 Nxe7 Carlsen is blitzing the moves here & He definitily seems very well prepared for this line.Carlsen has used Berlin quite well previously and it will be interesting to see how it fares today.Choosing a plan here is quite tricky.White can either go with the standard doubling of the rooks on the d-file now or maybe play a slow manouevre with Ne2-f4 14. Rd2 c5 15. Rad1 Here black needs to choose where to place the bishop.Bc6 allows the standard pawn sacrifice in this lines with e6 ! and after Be6 white can go for the standard knight manouevre with Ne2-f4. 15... Be6 Carlsen is still playing quite fast.There is a good possibility that he has worked out all the continuations carefully at home. 16. Ne1 I am a bit surprised with this move.One of the ideas must be to clear the way for the f-pawn.Other plan also could be to go Nd3-f4.Somehow I don't seem to like this move a lot.Ne2-f4 was more energetic. 16... Ng6 Nd3 and then b6 seems forced here. 17. Nd3 b6 Black is very comfortable here.He has solved the development problems very easily.After Kb7 he will connect the rooks and I don't see an active dangerous plan for white. As in game2 White has failed to gain any advantage with white. 18. Ne2 White finally goes for this plan.Here Black has a very dangerous option to go Ba2 and if b3 to go c4.But this is very risky.The bishop is in danger of getting trapped and also It allows the entry of the rook to d7. I don't think Carlsen will go for it.. but if he does it will certainly raise the excitement All commentary at this link too 18... Bxa2 Carlsen does go for it ! The battle is now heating up. Let's analyse it concretely. After the most obvious 19.b3 the game might continue 19...c4- 20.Ndc1 cb3 21.cb3 Bb1. After looking briefly at a few lines I don't see a clear way for white to proceed.He can muddy the waters with e6 but Black can play the simple and strong Bf5 ! 19. b3 c4 20. Ndc1 cxb3 21. cxb3 Bb1 Everything was forced uptil now. Here After the obvious Rd7 black has a very strong computer move, Rg8 ! Black protects the g7-pawn in advance.Another option for white is to go for f4 and play for long-term compensation. 22. f4 Here Black can play the Kb7 & if white goes 23.Rd7 -Rf8 24.e6-Bf5 ! & It seems that he has defended against all the threats.And if he goes for the slower 23.Kf2 black can just go Be4 ! Concretely things seem quite good for black here. Did Anand underestimate ba2? 22... Kb7 White can go for Nc3-Bf5 g4 but then Black can simply go Bc8! and go h5 later. Magnus is fearless ! He must have foreseen all this while playing Ba2 ! 23. Nc3 Bf5 24. g4 Bc8 25. Nd3 Black can play very concretely here with h5!? The game might continue 26.f5-Nh4 27.Kf2 ! Black can then play 27...hg4 28.hg4-g6!? On the first look it certainly looks a little risky.A safer alternative might be not to challenge f5 with 25..Ne7 26.f5-Nc6. The game has started to heat up! Who would have expected such an outcome from the boring Berlin?  25... h5 He goes for the forced line. Magnus is just fearless 26. f5 Instead of the risky looking Nh4 it is maybe better to go Ne7 26... Ne7 White now has to find ways to increase the pressure.Ne4-Ng5 is an obvious way to do it or maybe do it like the computer - Rc1-Nb5 plan. 27. Nb5 I am a little surprised by this move.I expected the natural Ne4-Ng5 . After 27...a6 Nd4 I somehow don't like the placement of this knight.It looked more active on g5. After Nd4 Engine shows a very strong idea with a5-a4 ! It will be difficult to play like this though. 27... hxg4 28. hxg4 There was an impossible to spot, Computer alternative to hg4 .. viz 28.Rc1 Nd5 29. e6 ! fe6 30.Ne5 !! with the brilliant threat of Rxc7 ! Nc7 Nd6 with a mate in one ! 28... Rh4 29. Nf2 It's a day of crazy lines.For eg now after 29...Nc6 30.Rc1-g6 White can play the thematic 31.e6-fe6 32.f6! but the threats can be parried with the very calm e5 ! 33.f7-Bg4 34.Rc4 and Rf8 with a lot of pawns for the piece. 29... Nc6 It will be interesting to see whether he follows the above variation. 30. Rc2 to me g6 seems to be the most concrete solution.Engine show a5 or Rh6 to be better,but I doubt that. 30... a5 Black is trying to create some air for his rook with a5-a4.If white tries to stop that with 31.Rc4 Black has a very interesting Bishop sacrifice with Bxf5 ! The point being that after 32.gf5-Rc4 33.bc4 Ne5 Black's pawns are more dangerous than the extra piece. Although it must be said that White has a powerful intermezzo with 32.Rc6 ! -Kc6 33.Nd4 & Nf5 31. Rc4 Now g6 is a very strong move,aiming to break the kingside pawns.The tactics seem to work in black's favor as well. 32.Rdc1-Bd7 33.e6-fe 34.fe6 and just Be8 and everything is defended. 31... g6 Very accurate play by Magnus, a5 ! and now g6 ! I don't see how white can create any complications for black.All lines seem to be working in black's favor.Will this be the first decisive game of the match? Maybe it's possible to muddy the waters with 32.f6 Be6 33.Rc6 ! Kc6 and Nd4 !? Looks crazy but it's tricky. 32. Rdc1 I don't like this move as it is easy to play for black now.Maybe f6 was the best way to complicate and give some practical problems. 32... Bd7 33. e6 fxe6 34. fxe6 Be8 Engines show 34.Ne4 here ! with idea 35...Rg4 36.Kf2 -Rd8 and 37.Ke3 !! To play a move like ke3 is very difficult.The point is that after the immediate 37.Ned6-cd6 38.Rg4-Ne5 is very strong. 35. Ne4 Anand played it ! I wonder if he will play the eventual Ke3 as well. Tenacious defense ! 35... Rxg4+ 36. Kf2 Now maybe it is better to go Rf4 followed by g5.It's difficult to calculate all the complications after 36..Rd8. The level of this game is just fantastic. Carlsen plays the gutsy Ba2 and then plays very accurately & now Anand plays the very strong Ne4-Kf2 ! 36... Rf4+ 37. Ke3 Rf8 g5 was stronger ! The point is that after Nd4 black can play Nb4.Nd4 is more powerful now than after g5 as the rook on f8 is comparatively passive. 38. Nd4 Nxd4 39. Rxc7+ Ka6 40. Kxd4 Rd8+ After 41.Ke3-Rd5 white has the strong Rg7 ! Threatening to bring the c1 rook to c7. Did Carlsen underestimate white's threats? 41. Kc3 Interesting.Maybe he is going for 1vs2 same flank pawns rook ending. For example after 41...Rf3 42.Kb2-Re3 43.Rc8 ! and then after exchanging everything we reach the above ending. 41... Rf3+ 42. Kb2 Re3 We reach a theoretically draw endgame after 43.Rc8-Rc8 44.Rc8-Re4 followed by a swap of e&g pawns. 43. Rc8 Rdd3 Engines show R1c4 as equal but I think 44.Re8 here should draw anyway. 44..Re4 45.e7 followed by Rc6 & Rb8 Most probably this will be an another draw, but what a fight this is! Both players played at a very high level 44. Ra8+ Kb7 45. Rxe8 Rxe4 46. e7 Rg3 Rdd3 didn't work because of Rd8 ! And then there is a perpetual with Ka2-Rb3. 47. Rc3 White's aim will be to exchange one rooks. So now if black avoids it with for instance Rg5 White can play Rh3-Rh7 supporting the e7 pawn and then go Re8-g8. 47... Re2+ 48. Rc2 Ree3 49. Ka2 Now if black just pushes the g pawn it's a draw. 49..g5 50.Rh2 g4 51.Rh8 ! followed by perpetual checks. 49... g5 50. Rd2 Re5 White now has the chance to reach the desired drawn theoretical endgame with 51.Rd7-Kc6 52.Ra7 Rge3 53.Rg8. At the same moment the strongest computer chess championship TCEC is going on live here 51. Rd7+ Kc6 52. Red8 Anand played an even more convincing move. Now after 52...Rge3 53.Rd6-Kc5 the key move is 54..e8=Q ! Re8 and then 55.Rd5 followed by exchange of rooks or perpetual. 52... Rge3 53. Rd6+ Kb7 54. R8d7+ Ka6 55. Rd5 Re2+ 56. Ka3 Re6 Rg5 would be a big blunder here as white gets mated after b5 ! Most probably ,Now we will see same flank 2vs1 double rook endgame.It's drawn theoretically, but it's tricky 57. Rd8 Chessdom shop is now with free worldwide shipping on many products 57... g4 58. Rg5 Rxe7 59. Ra8+ Kb7 60. Rag8 a4 61. Rxg4 axb3 62. R8g7 Ka6 63. Rxe7 And this is a draw. Thank you for following with me GM Vidit Gujrathi and see you soon for more live commentary! See you also for online games at Chessdom Arena 63... Rxe7 64. Kxb3 ½-½ |