Tech start-up Carlsen should expect backlash from Anand
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MUMBAI: A defeat before the rest day is like a double-edged sword for a chess player in a short 12-game match like the ongoing World Championship clash between India’s Viswanathan Anand and reigning champion Magnus Carlsen in Sochi, Russia.
Viswanathan Anand gets ample time to devise a good strategy to wrest back the initiative he lost after doing down in the second game on Sunday. Conversely, he will also have one full day during which his thoughts would repeatedly return back to the poor second game in which he first lost the initiative, recovered some lost ground thanks to an inaccurate move by his rival before squandering it all with a blunder under sustained pressure.
Carlsen, on the other hand, must be quite relaxed on Monday’s rest day. Having taken the lead in an unexpected manner – in Chennai they drew the first four games before Carlsen struck – the Norwegian will be expecting a quick backlash from his Indian rival. But his strategy has worked superbly thus far as he has been able to play a quite opening and level middle game before constantly building up the pressure in the endgame. This strategy is as per his usual style of play and Carlsen would be hoping to maintain his level of play.
Anand, on the other hand, has to once again try and get a sharp position, just like in the first game, and hope he does not throw the initiative away again by minor inaccuracies. He will have the choice of white pieces on Tuesday and the 44-year-old former champion will have to opt for something new from his preparation and exert enough pressure on the Norwegian to force him to make mistakes. Carlsen has been capitalising a lot on the mistakes of his oppo nents and Anand should try to draw Carlsen out of his comfort zone and put him under pres sure. But that is easier said than done as Anand found out in the first two games.
In the World Champions matches against Veselin Topalov (in 2010) and Boris Gelfand (in 2012), Anand had bounced back from upsetting defeats to level the score at the first available opportunity. Though he could not do so after losing game five in Chennai, Anand would be hoping to get a good break on Tuesday. He has not been able to show his preparation in this match till now. A sharp posi tion on the board in the third game and accurate play would definitely help mitigate the situ ation. He will also try and avoid getting into long-drawn games – Carlsen’s forte – because losing another game will as good as end his chances in this match.