Anand (2788) - Kasimdzhanov (2670), WCC (11), 10.10.2005

Yet again, thanks to courtesy of Mr.Karim Abdul, I have the pleasure of posting an annotated game from the World Chess Championship. Karim is "Chess Chronicle"owner and this is just a sample of the bi-weekly ezine (which usualy has 40-50 pages).



Anand (2788) - Kasimdzhanov (2670)
WCC (11), 10.10.2005
Comments by GM Alex Finkel

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.f3 e5 7.Nb3 Be6 8.Be3 Nbd7 9.Qd2 b5 10.0-0-0 Nb6 11.Qf2 Nc4 12.Bxc4 bxc4 Another popular line of Najdorf variation has been played, but in the following position Anand deviates from the most popular 13.Nc5 in favor of a move in the game, which was first tried a month ago by Moldavian grandmaster Bologan. 13.Na5!? 13...Rc8 Very logical continuation. White's idea is to bring the knight to b4 via c6, so it makes sense to deprive him of this possibility. [13...Nd7 14.Nc6 Qc7 15.Nb4 Qb7 16.Nbd5 Rb8 17.b3 cxb3 18.cxb3 Be7 19.Kb2 Bd8 20.Rd3 0-0 21.g4 Kh8 22.Rc1 Ba5 Bologan,V-Gelfand,B/Merida 2005] 14.Bb6 Qd7 15.g3 g6 As White is going to play f4 later on black bishop is better placed on g7 than on e7, not to mention it's important to take square f5 under control. [15...Be7 16.f4( 16.h3!? 0-0 17.f4 Bxh3? 18.fxe5 Ng4 19.Qf3 Nxe5 20.Qh5+-) 16...Bh3 17.Rd2 0-0 18.Rhd1 Qe8] 16.Rd2 Bh6 17.f4 Ng4?! The knight has nothing to do on g4, so it was more in the spirit of the position to play [17...0-0 18.Rhd1 Ne8 19.Be3 Bg7 with good counterchances.] 18.Qf3 Rb8 19.h3! 19...Nf6? This move is the decisive mistake, even though Black's position is quite dangerous anyway. [19...Rxb6 20.hxg4 Bxg4 21.Qe3 Rb8 22.Nxc4 Bf8 23.Nxe5+-; It was necessary to try 19...Nh2 20.Qe3 ( 20.Rhxh2 Rxb6 21.Nd5 Bxd5 22.Rxd5 exf4 23.gxf4 Qc7÷) 20...Nf3 21.Nd5] 20.Bc5+- Not just winning a pawn, but keeping black king in the center. 20...exf4 [20...dxc5 21.Rxd7 Nxd7 22.Nd5+-] 21.gxf4 Rc8 22.Bxd6 Qd8 23.Bb4 [Not so bad was 23.Nb7 Qb6 24.Nc5 Rxc5 25.Na4 Qa5 26.Nxc5 Qxa2 27.Qa3+-] 23...Qb6 24.a3 Nh5 25.Kb1 [Once again white had a choice between a move in the game and 25.Nd5 Bxd5 26.exd5 Kd7 (26...Bxf4 27.Qe4++-) 27.Re1 Rhe8 28.Rde2 Bxf4+ 29.Kb1+-] 25...Bxf4 26.Nd5 Bxd5 [26...Qb8 27.Qxh5! gxh5 28.Nf6#] 27.Rxd5 Bb8 28.Rhd1 c3 [28...Qe6 29.Qc3 f6 30.Nxc4+-] 29.Rd7 1-0