WCC-2014 Game 01 - Anand vs Carlsen - GAME 01 AFTER 42....Re3 INSTEAD OF Re2

0 - 1

I's all over.

IT'S ALL OVER

The defending champion won and Kramnik can relax.
Anand could say to him: "You can come out now" :-)

Who knows who will be the next challenger.

A Carlsen - Anand match would be lovely.
To be frank, a Carlsen - Anybody match would be lovely.

And I'll leave here on that lovely note,
again congratulating both players on a well-matched match.

=================

THESE ARE MY THOUGHTS AS I FOLLOWED THE GAME WHILST IT WAS BEING PLAYED.

Earlier:

I am going doolalah here.
Can't cope.
Don't have to ask how they are feeling.
This match is never ever going to be forgotten.
Phew
=================

third newsflash

===============

Anand gets it back on move 47...Kxg2 rather than 47.Rf7+

Although I am not so sure that Rf7+ would not have gone down as well.

===============

second newsflash

============

Anand giving it back on move 41...Kh7 rather than playing 41....Kg7?

Not really on reflection. It might have been a little easier, but this is going fine.
When I say 'reflection', I mean with the help of the engine of course.
What I saw as a drama, Junior 11 only saw as a minor hiccup.
Clever thing. Even in an endgame. And it doesn't get excited, like me.
How how excited. I'm worn out.

==================

newsflash
========================

IS TOPALOV GIVING IT AWAY ON MOVE 32? 32.fxe4????

32.Re3, even 32.Ne3 or 32.Qe3 would have done to hold the draw

======================

What a pity. He must have been so tense.

============

More on this with the final moves below at **********

===========

Nervous business, this final 'proper' game.
It will be an uphill struggle for Anand, seeing that he is playing Black.

The game will not be their best, as nerves will play an important part.

I hope that it will be a worthy ending to this fascinating championship.

Good luck and Thank You to both players.
You have given us a great time. We critized and scrutinized every move,
as if we know better :-)
I for one have learned a lot.
Pity that I will also forget a lot in no time.

Time to get ready.

D56 QGD Lasker variation, with a solid run and a nice space advantage for White.
Anand deviates on move 16, where he plays 16...Nf6 rather than 16...a5 as in Khalifman vs Jusopov 1/2 in 1992

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 Be7 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bh4 O-O 7. e3 Ne4 8. Bxe7 Qxe7 9. Rc1 c6 10. Be2 Nxc3 11. Rxc3 dxc4 12. Bxc4 Nd7 13. O-O b6 14. Bd3 c5 15. Be4 Rb8 16. Qc2 Nf6 17. dxc5 Nxe4 18. Qxe4 bxc5 19. Qc2 {N} 19... Bb7

So far two unusual moves from Anand.
13...b6, which Topalov took in his stride.
Second 16...Nf6, which surprised him.

19. Qc2 {N} Bb7 20. Nd2 Rfd8 21. f3

21.f3 (A little anxious about the Black's LSB dominating the long diagonal and trying to shift it. Which works. 21...Ba6

22.Rf2 rather than Rc1 is beyond me.
White seems to have totally lost his intial space advantage, and maybe that induced Topalov to take his Rook of the first rank. A little unwise maybe, when that rank is so empty at the moment.

Something along the lines of :

22.Rc1 Rd5 23.Ne4 c4 24.b3, to arrange some planning to go after the -c5- pawn.

After 22.Rf2, Anand has plenty of scope now and can bring a Rook forward or place his Queen on =d6=, or.....you choose

After which Topalov might consider going for -Ra3- and then -h3- rather than -g3-.

Maybe Ra3 isn't so hot. Still, what way is better?
I do like Anand's position at this stage.

Question for anybody out there that knows :

In the Kramnik versus Leko WCC, there was a rule that allowed the defender to still remain champion with 1/2 point less than the challenger. In fact, I thought it was unfair, and so did Leko.

Is that still a rule and will it benefit Anand?

23.g3
Oops, there goes my theory. Well Topalov knows best.
At least his King has some sort of bolthole.

23...Bd3, lovely move, but after 24.Qa4 what?

They might come to blows here with a Queen swap take the stuffing out of this middle game. Along the line of:
25. Qa4 Qg5 26. e4 Bb5 27. Qxb5 Rxd2 28. Rc2 Rxc2 29. Rxc2 Rd2+ 30. Rxd2 Qxd2+ 31. Kh3 c4 32. Qe8+ Kh7 33. Qxf7 Qxb2 34. Qxe6 c3)

19.Qc2N Bb7 20.Nd2 Rfd8 21.f3 Ba6 22.Rf2 Rd7 23.g3 Rbd8 24.Kg2 Bd3 25.Qc1 Ba6 26.Ra3 Bb7

Game now looking like a draw.
I need air and a run.
Play-through game of first 25 moves with board below.

More later if they are still going strong.

==========

****************

25. Qc1 Ba6 26. Ra3 Bb7 27. Nb3 Rc7 28. Na5 Ba8 29. Nc4 e5 e4 32. fxe4 {??} Qxe4+ 33. Kh3 Rd4 {!} 34. Ne3 Qe8 {!} 35. g4 h5 36. Kh4 g5+ 37. fxg6 Qxg6 38. Qf1

I turn my back for a minute and things explode.
Just when I come back in there is the fatal move 32.fxe4 and now only a complementary blunder from Anand can save Topalov.

What a sad, sad thing for the Challenger. After such a fabulously even match.

Kudos to Anand for saving the best for last. He played this with stealth, setting trap after trap.

I mustn't be too previous:
Anand missed a trick on move 36 ...g5+, where 36....Qd8+ would have given Black an easy ride.
So, one never knows until the final blow, and Topalov seems to have reagained his composure.

Qxe4+ 33. Kh3 Rd4 34. Ne3 Qe8 35. g4 h5 36. Kh4 g5+ 37. fxg6 Qxg6 38. Qf1 Rxg4+ 39. Kh3 Re7 40. Rf8+ Kg7 ???????????

Good grief.
There are only two moves to choose from for goodness' sakes.
And he had eight, -8- minutes left to think on it.

Retraction: Not too bad at all. Only a minor hiccup.

37. fxg6 Qxg6 38. Qf1 Rxg4+ 39. Kh3 Re7 40. Rf8+ Kg7 41. Nf5+ Kh7 42. Rg3 Rxg3+ 43. hxg3 Qg4+ 44. Kh2 Re2+ 45. Kg1 Rg2+ 46. Qxg2 Bxg2 47. Kxg2 Qe2+ 48. Kh3 c4 49. a4 a5 50. Rf6 Kg8 51. Nh6+ Kg7 52. Rb6 Qe4 53. Kh2 Kh7 54. Rd6 Qe5 55. Nf7 Qxb2+ 56. Kh3 Qg7

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 Be7 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 0-0 7.e3 Ne4 8.Bxe7 Qxe7 9.Rc1 c6 10.Be2 Nxc3 11.Rxc3 dxc4 12.Bxc4 Nd7 13.0-0 b6 14.Bd3 c5 15.Be4 Rb8 16.Qc2 Nf6 17.dxc5 Nxe4 18.Qxe4 bxc5 19.Qc2N Bb7 20.Nd2 Rfd8 21.f3 Ba6 22.Rf2 Rd7 23.g3 Rbd8 24.Kg2 Bd3 25.Qc1 Ba6 26.Ra3 Bb7 27.Nb3 Rc7 28.Na5 Ba8 29.Nc4 e5 30.e4 f5 31.exf5 e4 32.fxe4 Qxe4+ 33.Kh3 Rd4 34.Ne3 Qe8 35.g4 h5 36.Kh4 g5+ 37.fxg6 Qxg6 38.Qf1 Rxg4+ 39.Kh3 Re7 40.Rf8+ Kg7 41.Nf5+ Kh7 42.Rg3 Rxg3+ 43.hxg3 Qg4+ 44.Kh2 Re2+ 45.Kg1 Rg2+ 46.Qxg2 Bxg2 47.Kxg2 Qe2+ 48.Kh3 c4 49.a4 a5 50.Rf6 Kg8 51.Nh6+ Kg7 52.Rb6 Qe4 53.Kh2 Kh7 54.Rd6 Qe5 55.Nf7 Qxb2+ 56.Kh3 Qg7
0-1