2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 e6 and here we have the change on the 3rd move instead of the 3.d4 Anand is playing 3...Bb5, The main reply today is 3...Nf6, but of course 3...e6 is a well known move
4. Bxc6 of course this is the main move here. Radjabov made this line quite popular for Black, showing quite successful results
4... bxc6 4...bxc6 is the normal continuation here, on which White has a few different reactions, 5.O-O, 5.d3, or 5.b3 are the main ones. What is nice for us, the position is not very forced, so probably we will see a positional game!
5. b3 and Anand is doing my favorite move, 5.b3!? I played this myself quite often with White. One of the major ideas of the 5.b3 is, to play quickly Ba3 followed by the d4 move
5... e5 but Gelfand seems to know exactly what he is doing, and answering with the 5...e5!? - it is again amazing, what kind of very deep preparation Gelfand and his team were able to make. Practically in every game Gefland is surprising Anand with something! The 5...e5 !? is already almost a novelty! And clearly the first game on the high level! The critical move in the position is 6.Nxe5. I think in case White does not play 6.Nxe5, Black should be doing perfectly fine, the next moves could be d6,Nf6,Be7, and castle short.
6. Nxe5 so we see the 6.Nxe5 and of course Gelfand will reply with 6...Qe7.
6... Qe7 It is hard to imagine that Anand doesn't know this move - and even I think, Anand MUST know this move because after 5...e5 it is very logical. Now the position has changed and it seems to be quite forced after 7.Bb2 d6 8.Nc4 d5!? ( in case of 8...Qxe4 9.Ne3 White is doing probably a little better ) 9.Ne5 f6!? and it is very hard to evaluate the position
7. Bb2 d6 8. Nc4 so we are coming closer to the "critical position". So probably 8...d5 is a must and 9.Ne5 as well. From here it is getting very exiting.
8... d5 seems like 9...f6 should be main as well. Moves like 9...d4 are leading to a clearly worse position even in case of simple 10.Nc4 Qxe4 11.Qe2 and White is doing better in the endgame. The knight on c4 and Black's pawn structure in the middle guarantees White some advantage
9. Ne3 Anand is playing the silent 9.Ne3 and I think after 9...Qxe4 Black should be doing fine, at least it is looking like that 10.O-O Nf6 11.Re1 Be6 and I don't think White is in time to create something dangerous
9... d4 Gelfand is playing 9...d4 and I think after 10.Nc4 White is having a bit better endgame, but maybe Gefland analyzed it to the end and found great resources - we will see it very soon.
10. Nc4 Qxe4+ 11. Qe2Gelfand started to think a little, maybe that means he expected more 9.Ne5 and not 9.Ne3. This endgame looks better for White but again, maybe Gelfand's team found some resources to make the game equal. 11...Qxe2 12.Kxe2 is probably a must, now Black has a choice of playing 12...Be6 and then castle long, or maybe first 12...Nf6-Nd5. White will probably put the pieces that way: Nba3, d3 then to play Bc1-Bd2 or maybe try the a3-b4 push
11... Qxe2+ 12. Kxe2 Be613. d3 Seems like Anand wants to put the knight on Nbd2, but then where will the White King go? Probably White wants to play fast Re1-Kf1 next. In case White manages to stabilize the position, White is going to be clearly better. The Black's pawn structure can be very risky in the future endgame, that's why it is so strange to m, that Gelfand played that quickly the 9...d4. That seems to give him a worse endgame, what could be his preparation?!
13... Nf6 note: most results from the Asian Team championship are ready
14. Nbd2 O-O-O 15. Rhe1 a few moves were made, probably the most expected ones. Black castles long and develops the knight to f6, White plays Nbd2 and Rhe1 with the idea Kf1 in case needed. Main ideas: Black should start their play on the kingside as soon as possible by moving the pawns forward. For example by playing Nd5 and then h5-h4 proving White to play h3, and then to play g5-g4. White will probably try to search for initiative on the queenside by playing a3 and b4
15... Be7 16. Kf1 Rhe8 a bit strange move by Gelfand, 16...Rhe8. Why is Black not afraid of 17.a3 with the idea b4!?
17. Ba3 why Anand is playing 17.Ba3? Maybe he wants to stop Black from playing 17...Nd5 to have 18.Ne4 but also here Black could try the 18...Nb4. And of course 17..Nd5 is by far not a forced move, maybe something like 17...Kc7 could be played, and I think in case of 18.Ne4 Nxe4 19.Rxe4 Bd5 White is not doing better.
17... Nd5 so Gefland is gong for 17...Nd5. A very natural reaction. Why not to put the knight on b4!? I think 18.Ne4 is almost forced ( what else to do ) 18...Nb4 and maybe now something like 19.Re2!? protecting the pawn c2 and preparing the Rae1 move
18. Ne4 Nb4 19. Re2 can Black be thinking now about the 19...Bxc4 20.bxc4 f5! 21.Bxb4 ( it is pity for White, but there is no move 21.Nd2 because the c2 pawn is hanging Nxc2 and of course 21.Ng3 is not really an option, after 21...g6 the White's knight would be dead, so 21..cxb4 22.Nd2 Bd6 Hard to say if White is better here, probably a little I would say...but not much
19... Bxc4 why Black needed to play first 19...Bxc4 and not directly 19...f5, not so easy to see, but White has a very nice trick: 19..f5 20.Ng3 Bxc4 and now 21.Nxf5! not an easy move to see during the live game
20. bxc4 20.bxc4 seems to be the only move, in case of 20.dxc4 f5! 21.Bxb4 cxb4 22.Nd2 Bf6! only Black can be better. I think that 20...f5 is needed, in case of 20...Kd7 White could try to secure the knight on e4 by playing 21.g4!
20... f5 Note: game video by Vijay Kumar from Moscow here
21. Bxb4 cxb4 Both players continue following the ideas that we give right here on Chessdom.
22. Nd2 Bd6 Anand has a lot to think about now, maybe he has a chance now to get a slightly better position. To play now 23.Rae1 but then Black can counter with 23...Rxe2 24.Rxe2 and Kd7! making the rook on d8 free. Black plan would be then a5-a4, so 23.Rxe8 Rxe8 24. Nb3 c5! and now I think in case of 25.a3 bxa3 26.Rxa3 Kb7 Black is doing fine
23. Rxe8 Rxe8 24. Nb3 c5And the game was agreed to a draw. Only two games ahead, each player has one white and we will very soon see if the match will end in decisive win or in a tiebreak! Thank you for following with me GM Naiditsch and do not forget that today is one of the last days for the New books discounted package at the Chessdom shop. See you in next round for more live commentary!
25. a3 ½-½
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