Vintage Anand
The 2016 Zurich Chess Challenge was a huge success, drawing five of the world’s top 10 and introducing a novel classical time control. American top gun Hikaru Nakamura won the category 21 event, the second major of the year, under the auspices of the European Chess Union. Eventually, Nakamura and Indian Vishy Anand tied for first-second with 7.0 apiece. Nakamura was declared winner via a slightly better tiebreak.
*** Anand has been around for nearly three decades. At 45, the former world champion must be feeling the ravages of time. In the London Chess Classic, he wound up ninth out of 10 participants, and in the Gibraltar Open this month he finished a disappointing 41st. But in the 2016 Zurich Chess Challenge, he paced himself beautifully. And if chess skills alone are to be the criteria, Anand is on top of his game. Watch the crisp style of the young Anand in the game below. 2016 Zurich Chess Challenge W) V. Anand (India) B) L. Aronian (Armenia) Four Knights Game 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3N c6 3. Bb5N f6 4. Nc3 ...
The game started with a Ruy Lopez (Berlin Defense), but after the text, the opening has transposed into the very old Four Knights Game, one of the most popular openings in the world.
4... Bd6
A rather unusual way of handling the opening, but not without a point. The text discourages 5. Bxc6, as after 5...dxc6, Black obtains a good game plus the Bishop pair. Most common here are the Symmetrical 4...Bb4 and the Rubinstein Variant 4...Nd4. 5. 0-0 0-0 6. d3 Re8
6...Nd4 is a fair alternative. For instance 7. Bc4 c6 8. Nxd4 exd4 9. Ne2 Bc5 with equal chances. 7. a3 h6 8. Bc4 Bc5 9. Be3 Bxe3?!
Not commendable as White obtains a halfopen f file to operate with. 9...d6 seems better. 10. fxe3 d6 11. Nh4! ...
This Knight will be anchored on f5, exerting tremendous pressure on Black’s Kingside. 11... Be6 12. Nf5 Bxc4
12...Nb8, with the idea of 13...Nbd7 is a better alternative.
13. dxc4 Kh7?!
A dubious move. The engine suggests 13... Re6 and after 14. Qf3 Nb8 15. c5 Nbd7 16. cxd6 cxd6 17. Rad1, White obviously has the advantage, but the game is far from over.
14. Qf3 Nb8?
This loses a pawn without compensation. 14...Ng8 seems to offer a longer resistance.
15. Nxh6 Kxh6??
A fatal mistake. But after 15...gxh6 16. Qxf6 Qxf6 17. Rxf6 Kg7 18. Raf1 Rf8 19. Nd5 Nd7 20. R6f3, White is also winning.
16. Qh3ch Kg6
After 16...Nh5 17. g4 g6 18. Nd5 c6 19. gxh5 Qg5ch 20. Kh1 Qxh5 21. Qxh5 gxh5 22. Nc7, White wins material. 17. Rf3! Nh5 18. Rf5 Nf6
After 18...Nf4 19. exf4 Rh8 20. Qg4ch Kh7 21. Qh5ch Kg8 22. Qxf7ch Kh7 23. Rh5 mate.
19. Qh4 1:0 Mate is unavoidable. Solution to last week’s puzzle: Black to move and win. White=Kg1, Qg4, Rg3, Bb6, Bf1, Pa2, Pb4, Pd5, Pf4, Pg2 Black=Kf7, Qc8, Rh6, Bf6, Nf5, Pa6, Pb7, Pd6, Pe4 1...Q d8!! 2. Bf2 ...
If 2. Bxd8 Bd4ch and mate. Or 2. Qxf5 Qxb6ch. And 2. Be3 Nxg3 3. Qxg3 Qc8 followed by ...Qc3 and ...Bh4 Black wins. 2...N xg3 3. Qxg3 Qh8! 4. Be3 Rh1ch 5. Kf2 Bh4 and wins.
Black to move and win.