GOTM; (Game # 16)  January, 2005.   

  GM Viswanathan Anand (2781) - GM Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu (2687)  
 [C41] 
  German (National) Team Competition / Bundesliga 2004-2005  
  Porz, GER;  (Round # 6) / 12,12,2004.  

  [A.J. Goldsby I]  

This is a game played in the recent "Bundesliga," (The German Team competition). 

It features really great play ... and one incredibly spectacular move by GM Viswanathan Anand.  (From the LCC / TWIC # 528.)  

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 1.e4 e5; 2.Nf3 d6;  {Diagram?}  
The very venerable "Phildor's Defense." (This opening has a somewhat suspect reputation according to modern theory.) 

In the Philidor, Black gets very cramped and compact positions, but hopes for counter-play based on a clean and solid Pawn structure.  

     [ More normal is: (>/=) 2...Nc6; which will probably lead to a more <standard> opening. ]  

 3.d4 exd4!?;  (hmmm)    
Black surrenders the center ... for free piece play.  

[This whole approach was pioneered and popularized by the great Danish Player, ... GM Bent Larsen.]  

Black has a whole array of responses on move three.  
(3...Nd7!?; 3...Qe7!?; 3...f5?!; the text move, and 3...Nf6!)  

See  MCO-14  for more information on all of Black's alternatives here.  

     [ Or Black can play:  3...Nd7;  which is "The Hanham Variation."  
        (This is the old, main line.) ]  

 4.Nxd4 Nf6;  5.f3!?,  (Maybe - '!')  (TN?)  
A rather odd-looking move ... wouldn't you say? 
(This move is slow, and simply appears to weaken White's dark-squares.)  

     [ I expected something like:  5.Nc3, "+/="  (center)  {Diagram?}  
        when White maintains a small, but solid edge here. ]  

Both sides continue to develop.  
 5...Be7;  6.c4! 0-0;  7.Nc3,  (center, space)     {See the diagram ... just below.}   
White's strategy has been revealed. GM Anand has a clamp on d5, and although White is a little behind   
in development, Black must take care that he is not slowly suffocated.  

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This is a very interesting idea, there certainly has not been a lot of games (or master-level experience); 
 with the idea of f2-f3!? on move five.  {We are already out of book here.}   

     [ Another idea was:  7.Bd3!?,  "~"  ]   

 7...c6!?;  (square-control)  
This keeps all of his opponent's pieces off the d5-square here ...  
but it does weaken Black's foot soldier on the d-file quite a bit.  

 8.Be3 Re8;  9.Qd2 d5!?;  (hmmm)  
Black attempts to solve his problems ... all at once. (Risky?)  

     [ Maybe safer was: 
       (>/=) 9...Nbd7;  10.Nf5 Ne5;  11.Nxe7+ Qxe7;  12.Rd1,  "+/="  {D?}   
       but White still holds an edge. ]   

 10.cxd5! cxd5;  11.Bb5! Bd7;  12.e5 Bxb5;  13.Ndxb5 a6!;     
An inventive attempt by Black to try and stir up some counterplay.  

     [ Or  13...Nfd7!?;  14.f4,  "+/="  ('±')  {Diagram?}   
        and White is solidly better. ]   

 14.Nd4!,  (Nice!)   
White soberly retreats ... he does not allow his optimism or his pride to get the better of him.  

Now Black is left less space, an isolated d-Pawn and White's N on d4 ... radiates power in all directions.  
(Additionally, White managed to trade off an undeveloped, - possibly bad - Bishop; and he did so with a 
 gain of time!)  

     [ </= 14.exf6?! Bxf6! "~"  (<=>) ]  

 14...Nfd7;  15.f4 Nb6!?;  
Checking on h4 with the Bishop was another idea here.  

 16.b3 N8d7;  17.0-0 Rc8;  18.Nf5 Bb4;  19.Bd4 Nc5;  20.Qe3[] Rc6;  21.Rac1!?,   
A natural response.  

     [ Also - the try of:  (>/=) 21.a3!?, "+/="  {Diag?}   
        was worth a look here. ]   

 21...Qc8;  (hmmm)   [ Maybe - '?!' ]     {See the diagram ... just below.}      
At first this appears to be a very natural type of move, doubling on the file - and also hitting the White Knight (on f5).  

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Take a close look at this position. Which side would you rather play?  

     [ Probably better was:  >/=  21...Nc8[];  22.Qf3 Ne6!; ("<=>") {Diagram?}   
        which gives Black a fairly good game. ]   

 22.Nxg7!!,  (Maybe - '!!!')   
A truly astounding move ... that had to have come as a rude shock to Black.  

     [ Of course not: </= 22.Nd6? Rxd6!; "=/+" ]  

 22...Kxg7;  23.f5! h6[];  
This is pretty much forced.
(Black needed an escape square for his King ... and also desperately wanted to prevent Qg5+ as well.  
 White's big threat was to play f5-f6+, followed by either Qh6 or Qg5+, when it would have been 
 difficult for Black to prevent mate.)  

     [ Maybe worse was:  (</=) 23...Bxc3!?; ('?!')  24.Rxc3 Ne4;   
       25.Rxc6 bxc6;  26.e6+ f6;  27.Bxb6,  ("+/-")  {Diagram?}  
       with a dominating position for White. ]   

The rest is basically a mop-up operation.  
 24.e6+ Kh7;  25.Qe5! Rg8;  26.exf7 Rg5?;  (ugh)  
A blunder ... but one that comes in a completely lost position. (The move,  ...Nd3[];  was forced.)  

 27.Qe7, "+/-"  Black Resigns.  (1-0)   
White's main threat is to promote his pawn on f7 with (a discovered) check.  
{Black is powerless to prevent this.}  

An amazing show by Anand. He made a player - rated close to 2700 - look bad, polishing him off in less than thirty moves!   
The Knight sack on g7 was unbelievable  ...  really Tal-like! {The highest compliment that I could bestow on ANY player!!}    

  Copyright (c) A.J. Goldsby, 2005. All rights reserved.  

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