[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