[Event "21st Sigeman & Co"]  [Site "?"]  [Date "2013.05.25"]  [Round "4"]  [White "Rapport, R."]  [Black "Grandelius, N."]  [Result "1/2-1/2"]  [ECO "E60"]  [WhiteElo "2670"]  [BlackElo "2555"]  [PlyCount "96"]  [EventDate "2013.??.??"]   1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. h4 $5 {A probing move that intends to scare Black into  giving up some information about what kind of structure he wants to play.  There are now three basic options for Black: a) Stop the h-pawn dead in it's  track. b) Prepare to meet h4-h5 with g6-g5. c) And, finally, to ignore it (or  "tenuki" as a go player would say). I used to love this kind of Bent Larsen  style h-pawn launch, but have lately become much more conservative in respect  to my h-pawn. I would like to have a bit more information about my opponents  plans before playing this card.} d6 $1 {A flexible move of the "c)"-kind. Now  White will have to play a Kings Indian with an early h4. It can hardly be very  dangerous for Black. On the upside - from Rapport's point of view - is that  Nils has to play the Kings Indian, which is not his usual cup of tea.} (3... d5  {falls under "c)" and seems like a very principled way to meet White's  (premature?) pawn launch. However it seems that White is doing well after} 4.  cxd5 ({although} 4. h5 $5 Nxh5 5. cxd5 Nf6 $1 {seems a bit over the top.})) (  3... c6 $5 {is a move in the "c)" category and one that I like. After} 4. Nc3  d5 {the h4-pawn does not seem too convincing. However, White is still doing  all right.}) (3... h6 {is the "b)" alternative and a move that often is a good  way of answering eager h-pawns with. Here the question is whether White can  find a setup where the inclusion of h4 and h6 fits against the Grünfeld  Indian?! I ge the feeling that} 4. Nc3 d5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. e4 Nxc3 7. bxc3 c5 8.  Be3 Bg7 9. Qd2 {is a bit better than "normal" for White.}) ({The only "a)  "-alternative available is} 3... h5 {and it seems to me to be the weakest of  them all. Usually one plays this way if it gives one more control of g4 than  it gives your opponent control of g5 (for instance when White has played Nge2  early on), but here that does not seem to fit the bill:} 4. Nc3 Bg7 (4... d5 5.  Bg5 {is one way of trying to make something good of the insertion of h4 and h5.  ..}) 5. e4 d6 6. Bg5 {and we get a position where White can continue with Qd2  without Black being able to disturb the bishop on g5 with h6. That train has  already left the station ;)}) 4. Nc3 Bg7 5. e4 c5 $1 6. d5 e6 {This is the  standard reaction.} ({Another possibility is} 6... O-O 7. Be2 b5 8. cxb5 a6 {  when Black could argue that the h4-move does not fit with a Wolga Gambit setup.  Maybe White should consider 7.h5!?}) 7. Be2 exd5 8. exd5 $1 ({Not} 8. cxd5 Qe7  $1 9. Qc2 ({The idea behind Black's move becomes obvious after} 9. f3 O-O {  when h4-h5 is no longer a threat and the bishop is weirdly placed on e2.}) 9...  O-O 10. h5 Nxh5 $1 11. Bxh5 gxh5 {and - with f7-f5 coming next - Black is very  happy.}) 8... O-O 9. h5 Re8 10. hxg6 $1 (10. h6 $2 {is actually given as a  decent option by my silicon friend, but objectively speaking it is complete  rubbish; the h-file is closed; the attack is gone; and the h-pawn will be weak  in the endgame.}) 10... hxg6 11. Bg5 Qb6 $1 {Nils is playing it like a real  Kings Indian aficionado!} 12. Qd2 Ne4 $1 13. Nxe4 Rxe4 {So far so good. Black  has at least equalized. What should White do now?} 14. f3 $1 ({After} 14. O-O-O  Na6 $1 {it is too late for} 15. f3 {because of} Rd4) 14... Qxb2 $6 {This move  is very materialistic and ignores the fact that Black's queenside is nowhere  near developed. There is a danger in trying to treat every position from a  concrete point of view unless your calculation is more or less spotless.  However, spotless calculation is not a human option. Therefore it is important  to hone your intuition and not forget to listen to it (AND calculate well).} ({  Nils had two excellent alternatives: a)} 14... Re8 15. O-O-O Nd7 {is balanced  (although it is a bit complicated to prove it). White will be forced to go  hunting for Bg7 with Bh6, Bg5 etc. and it should all end in a perpetual bishop  hunt.}) (14... Re5 15. Bf4 (15. g4 Nd7 16. Bh6 Qb4 $1 $11) 15... Re8 16. O-O-O  {leads to similar play as 14...Re8.}) 15. Qxb2 Bxb2 16. fxe4 Bxa1 17. Be7 Nd7 (  {Nils probably missed that} 17... Be5 18. Kf2 $1 Nd7 19. Nf3 {is better for  White. It is human to miss a move now and then, but when you have a choice  between a decent, strategically sound, line and a sharp it-all-hangs-on-a-move  line, then you should go with the decent one unless you are absolutely sure  that you calculated the sharp line correctly. You hear me Nils? ;)}) 18. Nf3  Bc3+ ({Or} 18... Nf6 19. e5 (19. Kd2 $2 Nxe4+ 20. Ke3 Bf6) 19... Ne4 20. Rh4 {  which is dealt with in the next comment.}) 19. Kd1 Nf6 20. e5 Ng4 $6 ({The  game is still quite unclear after} 20... Ne4 21. Rh4 Ng3 22. exd6 Bf5 23. Ng5  Be5 {although it seems to me that Black is the one under pressure. The d-pawn  is BIG.}) 21. Kc2 Ba5 22. Ng5 Bf5+ 23. Kb3 Bd8 24. Bxd8 Rxd8 25. Bxg4 Bxg4 26.  Rh8+ ({White is also close to winning after} 26. Ne4 Kg7 27. Nxd6 f6 28. exf6+  Kxf6 29. Ne4+ Kg7 30. Nxc5) 26... Kxh8 27. Nxf7+ Kg7 28. Nxd8 dxe5 29. Nxb7 e4  30. Nxc5 e3 31. Kc3 Kf6 32. d6 {Probably played with the principle "passed  pawns should be pushed" ringing in his head (no?). However I believe there is  a more important principle to listen to here: "when you have passed pawns  (with backup) against a bishop, then put the pawns on the same colour as the  bishop". I  am not sure whether this move throws away the win, but it sure  makes it more difficult. It is easier to keep the pawns "intact"; then force  the e3-pawn to e2 (where it needs to be protected by the bishop) and then free  either the King of the Knight from it pawn watching duties and try to promote  one of the pawns. Maybe it is easier said than done:} (32. Nd3 Bf5 33. Kd4 $1  e2 34. Ne1 Bg4 (34... Ke7 $6 35. c5 Bc8 36. Ke3 Ba6 37. Nf3) 35. c5 g5 36. a3  Bf5 37. c6 Ke7 38. Ke5 Bb1 39. d6+ Kd8 {and there is no clear win in sight!  All in all it seems to me that Nils played this endgame extremely well and  that all talk of "luck" is far from the truth.}) 32... Bf5 33. Na6 Ke5 $1 {  This is a very strong move that forces the draw.} 34. c5 Kf4 $1 35. Nb4 Kg3 36.  Nc2 e2 37. Ne1 Kf2 38. Kd2 Bd7 {The position is a kind of mutual zugzwang  since White can only move the knight and Black can only move the king.} 39. g4  g5 40. Nd3+ Kf1 41. Ne1 Kf2 42. Nd3+ Kf1 43. a3 a5 44. Ne1 Kf2 45. Nd3+ Kf1 46.  Ne1 Kf2 47. Nc2 Ba4 48. Ne1 Bd7 {In chess luck comes to those who deserve it.}  1/2-1/2   

   [Event "21st Sigeman & Co"]  [Site "Malmö"]  [Date "2013.05.26"]  [Round "5"]  [White "Tikkanen, H."]  [Black "Rapport, R."]  [Result "1-0"]  [ECO "A20"]  [WhiteElo "2535"]  [BlackElo "2670"]  [PlyCount "77"]  [EventDate "2013.??.??"]   1. c4 e5 2. g3 h5 {Again! This guy is really wild! Now the scenario is similar  to that in the last game and White has the same kind of a-, b- and c-type of  answer at hand.} 3. Nc3 {Clearly a critical move! The alternatives are:} (3. h4  {which is often recommended, but that I find somewhat illogical since Black  can play a Karpov-variation setup with the knight on e7 where the g5-square  can later be dealt with by simply playing f7-f6:} Nc6 4. Bg2 Bc5 5. Nc3 d6 6.  Na4 Nge7 $1 {and for the price of giving up the bishop pair Black gets  excellent minor piece play.}) (3. h3 {looks fine too, but Black can try  something like} h4 4. g4 Ne7 5. Bg2 d5 {when - considering the weakening of  the f4-square - finally h5-h4 makes sense.}) ({Black is also doing all right  after} 3. Nf3 e4 4. Nd4 (4. Nh4 $5) 4... Nc6 5. Nc2 h4 $36) 3... h4 4. g4 Bb4 (  4... h3 {as in Dzindzichashvili,R (2565)-Shirazi,K (2450)/Durango 1992, is an  interesting option in that it disturbs the White harmony. However, I would  much rather play such a move AFTER White has played Bg2.}) (4... d5 5. cxd5  Bxg4 6. d4 {as in Moussard,J (2372)-Shirazi,K (2428)/Belfort 2010, is one way  of getting an advantage for White, but} ({I'd prefer to play} 6. h3 {first. To  me the White position - with all those central pawns - seems wonderful.})) 5.  h3 Ne7 6. Bg2 Nbc6 7. Qa4 $5 {This is a preparation for Nc3-d5, but the price  is high as the queen is not doing a lot otherwise on a4.} ({After} 7. Nf3 {it  is hard to see how Black will make the somewhat unorthodox pawn structure on  the kingside work to his advantage.}) 7... a5 $5 ({I prefer the simple} 7...  Bxc3 8. bxc3 d6 9. d3 Qd7 {intending b6, Bb7 and Nd8.}) 8. Nd5 $1 Nxd5 ({One  interesting alternative is} 8... Bc5 9. d3 Nxd5 10. cxd5 Qf6 11. Nf3 Nd4 12.  Nxd4 exd4 (12... Bb4+ 13. Kf1 exd4 14. Be4 $14) 13. O-O O-O {What is so  interesting about it is that the computer fails to realize that Black is  clearly worse after} 14. e4 $1 dxe3 15. fxe3 Qe7 16. d4) 9. cxd5 Ne7 (9... b5  $5) 10. a3 Bd6 11. d4 c6 $6 ({Black is only slightly worse after} 11... exd4 12.  Nf3 d3 $1 13. Qd4 O-O 14. Qxd3 Ng6 {followed by b7-b6.} 15. Qe4) 12. dxe5 Bxe5  13. Nf3 Bb8 14. Qd4 $1 Nxd5 15. Qxg7 Qf6 16. Qxf6 Nxf6 17. Nxh4 $1 {Hans  plays this part of the game excellently!} d5 18. Nf3 Ne4 19. Be3 f5 20. g5 c5  21. Rd1 Be6 22. h4 Rh5 23. Nd2 ({According to the engine there is something  to be said for} 23. g6 $5 {intending Nf3-g5.}) 23... b6 $2 ({Black's last  chance was} 23... d4 24. Nxe4 fxe4 25. Bd2 Bf5 26. e3 Be5 27. exd4 cxd4 {when  there are still a lot of tricks in the position.}) 24. Bf3 Rh8 25. h5 Ra7 26.  h6 Bf7 27. Nxe4 dxe4 28. Bh5 $6 ({Even better is} 28. Bg2 $1 {intending f2-f4!  There does not seem to be defense against this.}) 28... Bxh5 29. Rxh5 Kf7 {Now  Black achieves a blockade, but White keeps a big advantage.} 30. Rh1 Kg6 31.  Rd5 Re8 32. Kd1 Ree7 33. Kc2 Red7 34. Rhd1 Rxd5 35. Rxd5 Re7 36. Bd2 Be5 37. a4  Re6 38. Rd7 {The next move is a blunder in an already lost position.} f4 39.  Bxf4 {and Black resigned. Not a good score for launching the h-pawn early on,  but it was not too clear from the positions that it was a bad choice in  either game.} 1-0   

   [Event "Sigeman & Co Chess Tournament 2013"]  [Site "Malmö"]  [Date "2013.05.23"]  [Round "2.2"]  [White "Grandelius, Nils"]  [Black "Hector, Jonny"]  [Result "1-0"]  [ECO "C74"]  [WhiteElo "2556"]  [BlackElo "2512"]  [Annotator "Tiger"]  [PlyCount "125"]  [EventDate "2013.05.22"]  [SourceDate "2011.03.24"]   1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 d6 $5 {This is a surprising choice from Black considering that the two of the three main proponents of this system,  Ivan Sokolov and Nigel Short (the third being Yandemirov), are both playing in  this same tournament! Did Johnny get inspired during his preparations? I would  have expected that Nils would also have spent some time before the tournament  preparing against this system and therefore I would have avoided it. I do  wonder what speculations led Jonny to choose this line?} 5. c3 ({It has become  more fashionable to play} 5. O-O {lately; probably because it avoids the line  in this game.}) 5... f5 6. exf5 Bxf5 {In 2008 - when I spent a lot of time  trying to learn the basics of playing 1.e4 - I spent a day or two on this line,  trying to find some new ideas. In the end I didn't and went searching for  greener pastures on move 5.} 7. O-O (7. d4 e4 8. d5 exf3 9. Qxf3 Qe7+ (9...  Bxb1 {is possibly stronger, but quite unclear:} 10. dxc6 b5 11. Bb3 $1 {and  the show goes on...}) 10. Kd1 Be4 11. Qh3 Bxd5 12. Re1 Be4 13. Nd2 {and White  was better in Grischuk,A-Najer,E/Khanty-Mansiysk 2007.}) 7... Bd3 $1 ({Now}  7... Be7 8. d4 e4 9. d5 exf3 10. dxc6 b5 11. Bb3 {is quite awkward for Black  since the king will be stuck in the center.}) 8. Re1 Be7 9. Bc2 Bxc2 ({Not}  9... e4 $2 10. Bxd3 exd3 11. Qb3 $1 {and Black cannot defend against both Ng5  and c4, Qxd3.}) 10. Qxc2 Nf6 11. d4 O-O $5 {The second surprise of the game  and one that makes the first surprise easier to understand; Jonny has some  serious preparation up his sleeve!?} ({In the last years it has been a lot  more popular to play} 11... e4 12. Ng5 d5 {and here after} 13. f3 h6 14. Nh3  O-O 15. Nd2 exf3 16. Nxf3 Rf7 $1 17. Nf2 $1 {(played in - among other games -  Grandelius,N-Yandemirov,V/19th Czech Chladek & Tintera A Open, Pa 2008) White  is somewhat more comfortable.}) (11... exd4 12. cxd4 O-O 13. Nc3 Kh8 14. Bg5 {  led to a comfortable position for White in Korneev-Yandemirov, St Petersburg  1996.}) {Black's choice in the game is rather uncommon but has been played by  a number of strong players.} 12. Be3 {I do not like this move and I doubt that  Nils would claim that it is a strong one. Possibly he was just trying to find  a good move that was not part of Jonny's preparation. The upside of Be3 is  that it finishes development, but - on the other hand - it is slow and the  bishop is hardly optimally placed. More serious alternatives are:} (12. d5 {  This is the "main line"; has been played the most, is considered best and is  the engines first choice. The game Almasi-Winants, Wijk aan Zee 1995 continued}  e4 13. Ng5 Ne5 14. Ne6 Qd7 15. Nd2 $1 e3 16. Rxe3 Nxd5 17. Nxf8 Nxe3 18. Qxh7+  Kxf8 19. fxe3 Re8 20. Ne4 $1 Qg4 21. Bd2 Nf3+ 22. Kh1 Nxd2 23. Nxd2 Qe2 (23...  Bf6 $5) 24. Ne4 $14 {and White was clearly better. However there might be  possibilities to improve on the Black game. I guess Jonny must have had  something prepared here.}) (12. dxe5 Nxe5 13. Nxe5 dxe5 14. Be3 {has a 2-0  score for White, but I guess that Black should be able to hold this slightly  worse endgame.}) 12... exd4 ({Black might also consider} 12... Ng4 $5) 13. cxd4  d5 14. Nc3 Bb4 {I would be quite happy if I got this position from the opening.  } 15. Rad1 {Preparation for Nf3-e5...} Qd6 16. Ne5 Rae8 17. Nxc6 ({Before it  comes to it's senses the engine gives} 17. f4 {as it's first alternative. It  might not be a really bad move, but it is the kind of move that burns bridges.  White will have to keep an iron grip on the white squares on the kingside. If  that grip slips, then the knights will enter e4 and c4 and he will be doomed.})  17... Qxc6 18. f3 $1 {Nils is robbing Nf6 of potential squares.} Bxc3 {The  saying is that queen + knight is better than queen + bishop in the endgame. It  is good to have a knowledge about these kind of principles, but it is even  more important not to take them for granted. Chess is a game of many  principles and they often collide. Ask yourself: under which circumstances is  this principle correct? One thing that must be taken into account is the  activity of the minor pieces. If the knight can become active, then yes, the  principle seems to have some bearing...} 19. bxc3 Nd7 $1 {The knight had done  it's thing on f6 and is now headed for c4.} 20. Re2 Nb6 21. Rde1 Qa4 22. Qb3  Qb5 23. Kf2 Nc4 24. Bc1 Rxe2+ 25. Rxe2 Qc6 26. Qd1 Re8 27. Bf4 $1 {This is the  right place for the bishop since it makes it harder for the knight to change  flank (it can be exchanged on d6). Also, the c7-pawn is attacked.} Rxe2+ 28.  Qxe2 Kf7 29. Qc2 g6 30. Qc1 {At this stage Black is symbolically better  (because the knight is a little stronger than the bishop), but now things  start to go wrong for Jonny. What should Black do first? Realize that there is  no real advantage here. The White king is safe and he can strive to get a  passed pawn on the kingside; the best Black can do is an endgame without  queens.} Qb6 $5 {Jonny is aiming at the juicy squares on b2 and a5. A safer  road was} (30... Qd7 31. Be5 Nxe5 32. Qf4+ Qf5 33. Qxf5+ gxf5 34. dxe5 {which  is a dead draw.}) 31. Kg3 Ke8 {Ambitious as always, Jonny intends to move the  king to the queenside and let Nils do what damage he can on the kingside.} ({  The line} 31... Qb2 32. Qxb2 Nxb2 33. Bxc7 (33. Kg4 $5) 33... Na4 34. Kf4 Ke6  35. Kg5 Nxc3 36. Kh6 Nxa2 37. Bb6 Kf7 38. Kxh7 Nb4 39. g4 Nc2 40. h4 Ne3 {  seems to be promising for Black, but that is absolutely out of range for any  human to evaluate with exactness when the time is ticking.}) 32. h4 $5 (32. Be5  {Is also good, but why allow you opponent to clarify the position when  uncertainity is your best hope of winning?}) 32... Kd7 33. Qh1 Nd6 (33... Qf6  $1 34. Qh3+ Kc6 35. Qc8 Qf7) 34. Qe1 Nf5+ {This looks nice for Black, but  unless you have a way to follow up this check can turn into a Phyrric victory  at the blink of an eye (since the f5-square is not really under Black's  control).} 35. Kh3 $1 Qf6 36. Be5 Qe7 37. g4 Ng7 $2 {This is a horrible move  and I could be wrong when I say this: it is easier to commit this kind of  mistake if you think in terms of principles rather than treating every  position as unique! With a misplaced knight in Q+N vs. Q+B, the Q+B is much  stronger; in THIS position. Keep your generalizations to a minimum.} 38. Qb1 $1  b5 (38... Kc8 39. f4 Qd7 40. Qd3 {and White is in the driving seat since he is  the first who will be able to create a passed (and not blockaded) pawn.}) 39.  Qb3 ({Also possible is} 39. a4 {, but there is nothing wrong with Nils's move.}  ) 39... Kc6 (39... c6 40. a4 Kc8 41. axb5 axb5 42. Kg3 {leads to another  position where the bishop dominates the knight. The worst case scenario for  White is that he will have to exchange the knight, but more likely - not.}) 40.  a4 {Now White has a clear advantage because the black pawn majority on the  queenside has become crippled and unfit for creating a passed pawn. Also, the  a-file gets opened to White's advantage and the knight on g7 is seriously out  of play.} Qf7 41. axb5+ axb5 42. Kg3 Ne8 43. Qb4 Qd7 44. Qf8 $5 {An excellent  move from a practical point of view. White keeps up the pressure and does not  show his cards just yet.} ({Nils could also have tried} 44. f4 Kb7 ({(the  point is that} 44... Nd6 $2 45. Qc5+ Kb7 46. Qxd5+ {is bad for Black}) 45. f5  gxf5 46. gxf5 Nd6 47. Bxd6 cxd6 48. Qb1 {with some advantage.}) 44... Kb7 $6 ({  Black is drifting towards a really bad position and it is time to find some  speedy counterplay and keep the king as central as possible!} 44... Nd6 $1 45.  h5 (45. Qa8+ Kb6 46. Qb8+ Ka6) 45... gxh5 46. gxh5 Nc4) 45. Qg8 Ka7 46. Qf8 Kb7  47. h5 {Nils gets tired of jumping around and initiates un petit combination..  .} ({When I came to this stage of my comments I called Stellan Brynell to ask  what the players had said about this position and he did not make me any the  wiser. However, he said that Ulf Andersson did not like this move and preferred  } 47. Kf4 $5 {a move that - I am proud to say - was my own first intention.  After} Nd6 48. Bxd6 cxd6 {it looks like White is just winning, but there are  some hidden possibilities for Black. For instance:} 49. Kg5 (49. Qg8 Kb6 50.  Qxd5 Qc7 {leads to the main line...}) (49. Ke3 Qe6+ 50. Kd2 h5) 49... Qc7 50.  Qg8 (50. Kh6 Qxc3 51. Kxh7 b4 {and the b-pawn is very dangerous.}) 50... Kb6  51. Qxd5 Qe7+ 52. Kf4 Qc7 53. Qb3 d5+ 54. Ke3 Qe7+ 55. Kd3 Qe1 56. Qa3 {and  White keeps some winning chances.}) 47... gxh5 48. Qf5 $2 (48. gxh5 Nd6 49.  Bxd6 cxd6 50. h6 Qc7 51. Qg7 Kb6 {leads nowhere for White (!!) since} 52. Qxc7+  Kxc7 53. Kf4 Kd7 54. Kf5 Ke7 {i a dead draw!}) 48... Qc6 $2 ({I have tried in  vain to understand why Black did not play} 48... Qxf5 49. gxf5 Kc6 50. Kh4 (50.  f6 Nd6 51. Kh4 Nf7 52. f4 Kd7 53. Kxh5 Ke6 54. Bxc7 Kxf6 {is risky only for  White.}) 50... Nd6 51. Bxd6 Kxd6 52. Kxh5 Ke7 53. Kh6 Kf6 54. Kxh7 Kxf5 55. Kg7  {and now} Ke6 ({and} 55... Kf4 56. Kf6 Kxf3 57. Ke5 Ke3 58. Kxd5 Kd3) 56. Kg6  c5 57. f4 cxd4 58. cxd4 b4 59. f5+ Kd7 60. f6 b3 {holds a draw. I guess a  combination of tiredness and respect led Jonny to "believe" in his opponents  move.}) 49. Qxh5 {Now the pawn structure completely favors White.} Nd6 ({  Jonny's last chance was} 49... h6 50. Bf4 Nd6 51. Bd2 Qc4 52. Qxh6 Qf1 53. Qe3  {although Nils should win this too.}) 50. Qxh7 Kb6 51. Qd3 Nc4 52. g5 {The  rest is simple.} Qe6 53. f4 Nxe5 54. dxe5 c5 55. g6 b4 56. cxb4 c4 57. Qd4+ Kb5  58. Qc5+ Ka4 59. Qd6 Qf5 60. g7 Qd3+ 61. Kg4 Qh7 62. Qd7+ Ka3 63. Qf7 {and  Black resigned.} 1-0   

   [Event "Supreme Masters"]  [Site "Norway"]  [Date "2013"]  [Round "2"]  [White "Carlsen, M."]  [Black "Anand, V."]  [Result "1/2-1/2"]  [ECO "B51"]  [WhiteElo "2865"]  [BlackElo "2780"]  [Annotator "Simple"]  [PlyCount "118"]  [EventDate "2013.??.??"]  [SourceDate "2011.03.24"]   1. e4 {This is the most  active move at White's disposal and often leads to duels where the tempo is of  the utmost importance.} c5 {Black plays the "Sicilian" opening. In the last  thirty years or so this has become something of a "main line" in the 1.  e4-complex. Compared to to classical} (1... e5 {the Sicilian has the  advantage of leading to position with an unbalanced pawn structure, which - at  least if you ask me - makes the game more interesting.}) 2. Nf3 d6 {Playing  the Black side of a chess game at a high level one could say that there are  two main strategies: 1. Forcing play, constantly simplifying and keeping the  balance. 2. Trading in information; making moves that keep a maximum of  uncertainty as to how you will proceed. (The famous GM Adorjan even goes as  far as saying that Black has an "advantage" in information, since White makes  the first move and therefore is the first to show his/her hand. These ideas  are exemplarily explained in Jonathan Rowson's book "Chess for Zebras")} 3.  Bb5+ ({Until a few years ago} 3. d4 {was played almost universally. After} cxd4  4. Nxd4 {White initiates a trade of speed (or time) for structure; White  develops faster but Black has an extra pawn in the centre. The current  theoretical status suggests that the trade is balanced. One might say that  Carlsen's choice of move contains a statement: "I do not need an advantage in  the opening in order for me to win against you...". I wonder to what extent he will keep this attitude in their upcoming match?}) 3... Nd7 ({Last year, in  the Masters final, these two chess giants had an encounter with the same  colours. That game went:} 3... Bd7 4. Bxd7+ Qxd7 5. c4 Nf6 6. Nc3 g6 7. d4 cxd4  8. Nxd4 Bg7 9. f3 $5 Qc7 $5 {. Carlsen eventually won that game.}) 4. d4 cxd4 5.  Qxd4 a6 {Black wants to "clarify" the position; the point is that Black does  not have a good alternative to taking the knight on d7, whereas if Black had  waited with a7-a6, then the situation might have changed and the bishop could  have stayed on the board.} 6. Bxd7+ Bxd7 7. c4 {White is at a junction here  and can choose between two quite different types of setups. The one in the  game says: "you have the bishop pair (which is supposed to be good) but I have  a lot of space and will try to smother you slowly". Well, that's a rather  blunt approximation, but it'll have to do.} { 7. Nc3 leads to an alternative structure where White states "I'm ahead in development and will attack you... somehow." } 7... e5!? ({I recommend} 7...Rc8 {in "Experts on the Anti-Sicilian"}) 8. Qd3 b5 {Black  continues with a strategy that focus on the centre through counter attacking  from the side.} 9. Nc3 bxc4 10. Qxc4 Be6 11. Qd3 ({White would love to play}  11. Nd5 {, in order to threaten a check on c7, but then} Qa5+ 12. Bd2 Bxd5 $1  13. exd5 Qb5 {and two major changes as passed that are in Black's interest:  the d5-hole has been filled and in it's place is now a weak pawn that can  easily be attacked with either Ne7 or Nf6.}) 11... h6 $1 12. O-O Nf6 13. Rd1 ({  It is (at least) the second time this position arise in tournament chess. The  game Yu Ruiyuan - Zhou Jianchao, Chinese Teams 2013 continued:} 13. Be3 Be7 14.  Nd2 d5 15. exd5 Nxd5 16. Nxd5 Qxd5 17. Qxd5 Bxd5 {and Black should have  absolutely no problems.}) 13... Be7 14. Ne1 $1 {A general trend in both chess  and go is that the new generations are less concerned with what is "proper" or  - as we say in the chess world - "principled". The development in computer  chess has proven that there are more possibilities than we might otherwise  have thought. Here - however - we have an example of a common occurrence in  chess; a position where principles collide! On one hand you are not supposed  to move backwards with pieces, nor "forget about development" (bishop on c1  stays where it is). On the other hand the knight that just moved is on a  mission, heading for the weak square d5. (Weak in the sense that it cannot be  protected by a Black pawn).} O-O {With this move Black finishes the basic  developing phase. Now comes the old tricky question: where to put the rooks?}  15. Nc2 {The knight continues it's route towards d5.} Qb6 16. Ne3 Rfc8 17. b3  a5 $1 {Black is planning to eventually play a5-a4 in order to break up the  White pawns on the queenside.} 18. Bd2 Qa6 $5 {A typical "chess players move".  A computer or a weaker player might prefer} (18... Qb7 {intending to overload  the knight on c3;} 19. f3 $1 (19. h3 $6 a4 $1 {and White is not able to take  the pawn with the knight since that would leave the more important e4-pawn en  prise.})) 19. Be1 Nd7 20. f3 $1 {Here is an example of a "prophylactic" move.}  Rc6 21. Qxa6 Rcxa6 {The next two moves illustrate a principle that is  generally considered to be quite advanced. It runs something like: "Do not  exchange a piece on a weak square if your opponent has two pieces competing  for that square." Here both White's knights are competing for the d5-square.  Ergo, when White puts one of the knights there...} 22. Ned5 {then Black plays}  Bd8 $1 {avoiding trades. Now White has to find an efficient use for Nc3.} (  22... Bxd5 23. Nxd5 Bd8 24. Rac1 {leads to a clear advantage for White. The  trick for Black here is to pick off the knight on d5 at the right moment.  (Keeping the information .)}) 23. Nb5 Rc8 $6 {The logic behind this move is  that if White chooses to exchange a pair of rooks on the c-file, then Black  will be left with the rook that defends the d6-pawn. However, it seems that It  would have been better to play} (23... Rc6 {instead, since in this line -  after -} 24. Rac1 Rxc1 25. Rxc1 Bxd5 26. exd5 {White is not threatening to  play Rc6 with a tempo on the rook on a6 (as in the game). Which means that  after} Bb6+ $1 (26... Nf6 27. Nxd6 Nxd5 28. Rc8 Rxc8 29. Nxc8 {is slightly  better for White.}) 27. Bf2 Bxf2+ 28. Kxf2 Nf6 29. Nxd6 Nxd5 30. a3 Kf8 {Black  is within drawing range.}) 24. Bf2 (24. Rac1 Rxc1 25. Rxc1 Bxd5 26. exd5 Bb6+  27. Bf2 a4 28. Bxb6 Nxb6 29. Nxd6 {seems a bit annoying for Black although a  player of Anands strength might see it as a piece of cake to draw here.}) 24...  Kh7 {In one sense a logical and prophylactic move. Anand is freeing Bd8 from  the defence of e7. The point is best illustrated with a variation:} (24... Bb6  $4 25. Ne7+ {and next} Kf8 26. Nxc8 {with a complete disaster.}) ({Still this  move surprises me a bit. The normal thing to do here would be to move the King  towards the center and not away from it:} 24... Kf8 {The only reason - that I  can see - why the World Champion would play differently is that - in some  lines - the h-pawn could be harassed with Be3 if Black continues with g6. A  bit too subtle too bee true maybe, but I really cannot see another reason. I  weaker player might think that the King could get into trouble because of the  two knights, but I very much doubt such a thought would enter the mind of the  World Champion.}) 25. Kf1 {In the endgame (a somewhat diffuse concept, but  here it depends on the fact that there are no queens on the board) the Kings  should walk towards the center. Anand breaks the "rule" and Carlsen decides to  follow it.} Rcc6 26. Rac1 Bg5 27. Rc3 $6 ({With the help of and engine one can  easily find} 27. Rxc6 $1 Rxc6 28. Ndc7 Rc2 29. Nxe6 fxe6 30. Rxd6 Rc1+ 31. Ke2  Rc2+ 32. Ke1 Nf8 33. a3 {when Black might still not be lost, but it sure looks  close. If you are a Go player then you are familiar with the concept of  "calculating territory". The equivalent operation in chess is much simpler;  calculating the material. A short calculation of that sort gives us at hand  that White is leading with one pawn (1 point), but the problems for Black does  not stop there. Further reasons for worry is the weak pawn on a5, the passive  knight on f8 and the doubled e-pawn. Black's compensation consists of an  active rook on the second rank and a semi-active bishop. These compensatory  aspects of the position are good enough at the moment, but can easily cease to  be; they are both of a dynamic nature, whereas the White advantage is of a  static nature. If White can disarm the Black activity, then White should win  rather easily.}) 27... Bxd5 $1 28. Rxd5 Rxc3 29. Nxc3 Rc6 30. Be1 Nc5 31. Nb5  Nb7 {That is a very ugly move, but it holds on to what matters; the a- and  d-pawn.} 32. h4 Be3 33. Ke2 Bc5 34. h5 Bb4 35. Bd2 g6 36. a3 ({After} 36. Bxb4  axb4 37. a3 bxa3 38. hxg6+ Kxg6 39. Nxa3 f5 {the Black counterplay makes the  chances balanced.}) 36... Bxd2 37. hxg6+ Kxg6 38. Kxd2 h5 {Now Black is safe,  because even if White is able to win a pawn on the queenside-side of the board,  Black will still be able to hold the endgame:} 39. g3 (39. b4 axb4 40. axb4 Rc4  41. Nxd6 Rxb4 42. Kc3 Rb6 43. Nxb7 Rxb7 44. Rxe5 Ra7 {and Black should be able  to hold the endgame rather easily, since the g-pawn is backward and will soon  be in need of protection, meaning that White will have to place either the  King or the rook in a passive position.}) 39... f6 40. Na7 Rc7 41. Nb5 Rc6 42.  Ke2 Kf7 43. b4 axb4 44. axb4 Ke6 45. Rd3 Rc4 46. Rb3 d5 {Black finally  equalizes completely. The rest is not very exciting.} 47. Kd3 Rc6 48. exd5+  Kxd5 49. Rc3 f5 50. Nc7+ Kd6 51. Ne8+ Kd5 52. Rxc6 Kxc6 53. Ng7 Nd6 54. Nxh5  e4+ 55. fxe4 Nxe4 56. Kd4 Kb5 57. g4 fxg4 58. Kxe4 g3 59. Nxg3 Kxb4 {And the players agreed on a draw.} 1/2-1/2