World Chess Championship 2013, round 4: who said the Berlin Defense was boring?
Nov 13, 2013 · 2 minute read · 0 CommentschessWorld Chess ChampionshipMagnus CarlsenViswanathan AnandBerlin Defense
In my continuing coverage of the World Chess Championship between Anand and Carlsen, today I cover round four, the most exciting and longest game of the match so far! Things are really heating up!
Game and notes below:
Summary
The game featured Carlsen as Black defending against Anand as White using the “infamous” Berlin Defense. I saw a bit more about the Berlin Defense in a companion post. Let’s just say that it has had a reputation as a “boring” defensive opening for Black.
But this game was hardly boring. Anand seemed to falter in the opening as White, embarking on time-consuming Knight maneuvers that seemed to give Carlsen time to neutralize any attacking ideas. But then Anand provocatively offered a Pawn sacrifice, which Carlsen did not actually need to accept, but did. Then Anand pushed Carlsen’s Bishop and Knight all the way back, in an attempt to just run him over with a thematic King side majority Pawn storm. The computer says this was not really sound, but it was exciting to see an aggressive, risk-taking Anand for the first time in the match, after his cautious play in the first three rounds.
Carlsen came up with good counterplay, but in very complex positions, began faltering, and could not refute Anand’s play, even as Anand was fighting for his life. Anand sacrificed a second Pawn to continue the attack. That was an amazing idea to find! Carlsen finally faltered enough to allow Anand to achieve a drawn position. What an amazing game!
Warning: analyzing the game with a computer might give the wrong idea about whether Anand was lost or not during the game, because the positions are so complex that no human could have been expected under the circumstances (the game went for hours and hours) to calculate everything perfectly. From a practical point of view, Anand’s attacking ideas were definitely difficult to counter, and it is to both Carlsen’s credit and Anand’s that they played out this game to a fighting draw.
The state of the match
I think the situation is about even now for both players. Anand has proved in this round that he is in fact able and willing to fight, and Carlsen has continued his tenacity.
The game
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Event: FWCM 2013
Site: Chennai Round: 4 Date: 2013.11.13 White: Anand, Viswanathan Black: Carlsen, Magnus Result: 1/2-1/2 Side to move: white Last move: 1. variations: Next move: 1. e4 variations: |
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 Ah, the Berlin Defense, made infamous in the 2000 Kasparov-Kramnik match in which Kramnik revived the opening as a drawing weapon for Black. 4. O-O Ne4 5. d4 Nd6 6. Bc6 dc6 7. de5 Nf5 8. Qd8 Kd8 For those not familiar with this opening: Black accepts doubled Pawns, less space, an uncastled King, and a delay in development, all in return for the Bishop pair and Queen trade, challenging White to break through. Since Anand is known to play well with the Knight pair, I expect interesting maneuvering. 9. h3 Bd7 Beginning a currently popular plan of maneuvering the King to c8 and to b7 ( after b6 ) , while avoiding the light Bishop being a target, by being prepared to defend f7 with Be8 if necessary. Then Black will expand with c5 and then continue development. A very slow plan, but one that has been used effectively by many. 10. Rd1 Be7 11. Nc3 Kc8 12. Bg5 h6 13. Be7 Ne7 14. Rd2 c5 Thematically trying to expand on the Queen side and free up the c6 square for a piece. 15. Rad1 Be6 A critical moment. White has finished developing, but how next to proceed? The thematic thing to do is to get the Pawns rolling with f4, g4, f5 eventually, while holding off Black's counterplay, which could come in the form of moves like g5, or even h5, h4, Rh5 ( as has happened in some classic Berlin Defense games ) . [15... Bc6? 16. e6 fe6 Looks reasonable, but weakens the e6 square. 17. Ne5 A nice clearance sacrifice.] 16. Ne1?! The fundamental problem with a Knight in chess is that sometimes you have to go backwards in order to redeploy, but this temporarily takes time as well as cedes control of the squares the Knight formerly protected, for example the e5 Pawn. Anand wants to prepare f4 and/or move the Knight to d3, but this seems like a bad plan. 16... Ng6 Immediately taking advantage of the absence of White's Knight, attacking the e5 Pawn. [16... b6 17. f4? White's position looks really good, actually. Black's temporarily extra e6 Pawn is completely unprotected and White's Knight on e5 is a fantastic piece, and the other will come around to e2 and f4. (17. Nd3? g5 Black suddenly springs to life with a fantastic position. White must not get complacent in the Berlin Defense!) 17... g5 Black could play thematically to hurry up with getting the Queen Rook into action. To be honest, I cannot tell what Anand planned here, because it already looks like Black has an advantage. I do not see a good plan for White. 18. fg5 hg5 The thematic g5 thorn gives Black an advantage. 19. Nf3 g4 20. hg4 Bg4] 17. Nd3 Continuing with a plan to get in f4 no matter what. 17... b6 Black has a rock-solid position. 18. Ne2?! A surprise. Another backwards Knight maneuver, to support either f4 or a Knight to f4. But doesn't it just leave the a2 Pawn hanging? This is a provocative sacrifice. [18. f4 c4 Black is clearly better, having isolated White's e5 Pawn and activated the Bishop. 19. Nb4 The natural followup, but White just loses the f4 Pawn. 19... Nf4] 18... Ba2 Carlsen goes for the big win! A move like this is either terrible or great. Is the Bishop trapped? [18... Kb7 19. f4 White has nothing.] 19. b3 c4 20. Ndc1 cb3 21. cb3 Bb1 No, the Bishop is not trapped. How much compensation does White have for the sacrificed Pawn? 22. f4 Anand's point is to gain time in order to advance thematically with the King side Pawn majority. Is it fast enough? 22... Kb7 23. Nc3 Bf5 24. g4 Bc8 25. Nd3 The position Anand clearly aimed for with the sacrifice. Black's Rooks and Bishop look completely undeveloped. There is a threat of driving Black's Knight out of action with f5, followed eventually by Nf4 opening the way for the doubled Rooks. 25... h5 Black must immediately seek counterplay before getting squeezed to death. 26. f5 Ne7 White has played forcing moves, but now looks possibly overextended. The King side is barely defended. 27. Nb5 Trying to go for the c7 Pawn. [27. Nf4?? Loses because of the unprotected g4 Pawn as well as the f4 Knight. 27... hg4 28. hg4 Rh4 Threatening both to take on g4 as well as take on f5.] 27... hg4 28. hg4 Rh4 [28... a6! If Black plays safe, then Anand would presumably have gone for f4 anyway. 29. Nd4 a5 Kicking the Knight immediately looks good.] 29. Nf2 A backwards defensive move, but required. Can Black consolidate in time before White works up threats? 29... Nc6 30. Rc2 By now, the game has gotten really complicated, and so much of my analysis from here on is simply computer-aided. The computer knows the truth. Fire it up yourself. 30... a5 Ready to activate the other Rook, and also use the Queen side Pawn majority. [30... g6] 31. Rc4 Stopping a4. 31... g6 Trying to reactivate the Bishop. 32. Rdc1 Bd7 33. e6 fe6 34. fe6 Be8 Black has conceded a passed Pawn for White on e6, but still hangs on to the extra Pawn. How can White continue the attack? 35. Ne4 Wow, sacrificing a second Pawn in return for Knight activity! I totally did not see this possibility myself. Anand did and computer did. 35... Rg4 36. Kf2 Rf4? Computer says this was a bad move. [36... Rd8 Cleverly gaining a tempo with two Pawn moves in a row. a4 is coming, after which both of Black's Rooks will be active. White looks lost to me. 37. Ke3 The computer move, avoiding giving White time to work up c file threats.] 37. Ke3 Rf8 Giving back a Pawn. [37... g5 Computer move. 38. Ng5?? With all kinds of complications. 38... Rf5 Computer move, wild-looking.] 38. Nd4 Regaining one of the sacrificed Pawns. 38... Nd4 [38... Nb4 39. Rc7 Wins a piece. 39... Ka6 The computer move concedes a draw.] 39. Rc7 Ka6 40. Kd4 White has very active pieces, including the King, but is this good enough to win or draw? 40... Rd8 41. Kc3!? Not at all the move I would think of playing, since it encourages Black's Rook to become active. But Anand is playing for a win, clearly. If the King can escape to Queen side safety to avoid checks, then there is a possibility of White maneuvering to try to Queen the e6 Pawn. [41. Ke3 Natural, preventing Black from invading with the Rook on f8. Computer says equal.] [41. Ke5?? Rf5#] 41... Rf3 42. Kb2 Re3 Bailing out to a draw, through threatening the e6 Pawn and preventing Queening. 43. Rc8 Forced. [43. Ng5 Bb5 Computer shows that Black can use the Rook and Knight for counterplay for a draw.] 43... Rdd3 Keeping both Rooks on the board, still hoping for a win but it looks like a draw already once the Bishop and Knight are off. [43... Rc8 Black could have safely simplified to a position that is at least drawn, with a Pawn up. 44. Rc8 Re4 45. Re8 Clearly a draw.] 44. Ra8 Strange choice, this move that just makes Black's King more active. Perhaps sets more traps? [44. Re8 Re4 Similar.] 44... Kb7 45. Re8 Re4 46. e7 Looks like a draw. White can make no progress, but Black's King is cut off. Even if Black advances the g Pawn, at some point White will overload Black's Rooks and win the g Pawn at the expense of his own e Pawn, with a draw. 46... Rg3 Lending support to the g6 Pawn for advancing. 47. Rc3 Trying to exchange Rooks to bail out into a draw. 47... Re2 48. Rc2 Ree3 49. Ka2 g5 Advancing. White must pick off the g Pawn. [49... Rb3?? 50. Rb8 Kb8 51. e8Q] 50. Rd2 Threatening Rd7+ followed by Red8 and then Queening the Pawn. 50... Re5 51. Rd7 Kc6 52. Red8 Rge3 53. Rd6 Kb7 Aiming to hide the King at a6. [53... Kb5 Allows White to simplify and draw immediately. 54. Rd5 Rd5 55. Rd5 Kc6] 54. R8d7 Ka6 55. Rd5 Threatening to simplify to a draw with e8=Q to get the g5 Pawn in return. 55... Re2 56. Ka3 Re6 Setting a trap. 57. Rd8 [57. Rg5?? Leads to White's King being trapped. 57... b5] 57... g4 58. Rg5 White will get the g Pawn after all, because Black's Rooks are overloaded protecting the g Pawn and preventing e8. 58... Re7 59. Ra8 [59. Rg4] 59... Kb7 60. Rag8 Ganging up on the g Pawn. 60... a4 A last attempt to confuse Anand. 61. Rg4 Simply chop off the g Pawn. 61... ab3 62. R8g7 Forcing a trade of Rooks for a draw. [62. Kb3 Fine also, but why bother?] 62... Ka6 63. Re7 Re7 64. Kb3 Black can make no progress, so it is a draw.