1. e4 c5 What a surprise! Anand is playing 1.e4 and Gelfand 1...c5!
2. Nf3 I guess almost everyone expected Boris to play his favorite Russian (Petroff) opening.
2... Nc6 3. d4 cxd44. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e56. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 So Gelfand is choosing Sveshnikov, a very forced opening... here home analyses are definitely playing a major role
8. Na3 as we remember, Leko was working like crazy on this opening, players like Carlsen, Anand himself had to fight for many years to achieve any playable position
8... b5 9. Nd5 Anand is choosing the main like with 9.Nd5. Another main line is 9.Bxf6
9... Be7 10. Bxf6 we are in the main line and I am sure Anand is very surprised by the Blacks opening choice this is why maybe Anand is choosing this super solid line with 9.Nd5 and 11.c4
10... Bxf6 11. c4 the evaluation of this line is : very little better for White. A big fan of this line for White is Ian Nepomniachtchi who managed to win a few nice games
11... b4 12. Nc2 O-O We are still in one of the main lines of the opening, now White has a few choices, to play 13.h4!? is one of them, trying to develop the bishop over g3, Bh3 and then Kf1-g2. Another choice is the simple Be2
13. g3 Anand is playing the 13.g3, maybe he is leaving still both options to him on the next move, to play Bg2 or h4 and Bh3. A clear minus of the move 13.g3 is that Black can play now Bg5! 14.h4 Bh6 and the Black bishop is standing very nicely on h6
13... a5 not so long ago here was played a very instructive game: Jakovenko-Tregubov where Black managed to equalize quite easily by playing this plan: Bg5 then a5 and Ne7!
Gelfand decides to start with 13...a5, why?! I think because he wants White to play now 14.h4 and be back in the variation with 13.h4 first, Why?! because I guess he knows it very well! :)
14. Bg2 Anand is going for the Bg2 plan... I guess now Gelfand has to play 14...Bg5, it is quite important for Black to have the bishop on h6. Another plan for Black could be the 14...g6-Bg7 but personally I don't like it
14... Bg5 and yes, we see the Bg5 move, back to the main. Should White try now the immediate 15. O-O or first to include 15.h4 Bh6 ? I guess it doesn't matter much and would lead to the same position. Maybe Anand has prepared here some novelty for us? Hmm hard to believe so, he was totally surprised by the Black's opening choice, so probably only next game we could expect something new.
15. O-O Be6 we contnie to follow the main line, and maybe Gelfand's 15...Be6 is a little surprise. Let us take a look what are the main ideas of White and Black: White is usually trying to make a pressure on the d pawn by playing Qd3, Rfd1. Black is trying to develop by playing Qb8-Rd8 maybe Qa7-Qc5 then to play a4 forcing White playing b3 and trying to get some play on the a file. White is usually trying not to play Ne3 to early not too let Bxe3 happen to early... And as we are in the live comments there is no time to list all, so more later in the daily WCC newsletter
16. Qd3 Maybe White is trying not to play h4 to early, to have the f4 move in the pocket, but it is hard to imagine that f4 could work, Black always is ready to play exf4
16... Bxd5 Wow! We see 16...Bd5!? this move is a big surprise! Usually such a move cannot be good for Black and logical play would be 16...Qb8, but considering the speed of Gelfand playing it, it is clearly still a preparation. What does Black want to play at 17.cxd5 ? At 17...Nd4 18.Nxd4 exd4 19.f4 and Rc1 seems to be clearly better for White. 17...Ne7 seems to be the best option but also here I think after 18.Bh3 White's position is looking better... I think Anand is as surprised as me to see 16...Bxd5
17. cxd5 Nb8 usually we have the same position with h4-Bh6 included and then at White's cxd5 Black is going for Nb8 and Na6-c5. But without h4 Bh6 maybe White has some extra ideas with the f4 move !?
18. a3 16...Bxd5 was a novelty at GM level, Anand is certainly surprised and Gelfand is playing fast, proving this was home preparation. Novelties in Gruendfeld, novelties in the Sicilian! Great work by the team of Gelfand.
18... Na6 And Na6 played without thinking!! Computers don't like it at first sight. After the exchanges we are in a position which is looking like an easy draw, but I don't think that it is "such an easy" draw as it seems. The opposite color positions can degenerate very quickly and very dangerous.
19. axb4 Nxb4 20. Nxb4 For Black is clear to exchange both rooks, also Queens if possible, to bring the bishop over d8 to b6 and then to c5. White should try to make use of the weak square c6 and put for example a rook there by playing Rc1-Rc6, then maybe play Qc4 and make some pressure on the pawn b4. All this gives White a small plus
20... axb4 ,
21. h4 Bh6 ,
22. Bh3 Black can try to play now 22...Qb6, then g6, Rfd8, and in case needed to have Bf8 move. The position is of course very close to a draw, the only problem could be the move 22...Qb6 23.Bd7! with Bc6 next and winning the a file. A bit strange that Gelfand is thinking for so long... I think 22...Qb6 is a very obvious decision. Maybe Boris really doesn't want to let the White bishop to d7, but is it that dangerous?!. I think in case of 22...Qc7 23.Qb5! followed by Qc6-this can really become quite dangerous for Black!
22... Qb6 As expected we see the 22...Qb6! Seems like the best try for White now is to play 23.Qc4 but this can be met by 23...Qc5! 24.Qxc5 dxc5 and now we can see, how useful the bishop in standing on h3-protecting the field c1! Probably White is not doing better because Black just wants to play c4-c3 and everything is fine
23. Bd7 yes, White is trying probably the "only chance" 23.Bd7
23... b3 and immediate answer by Black 23...b3!? a very interesting and forced move. Black wants to play at 24.Bc6 Ra2! As I already mentioned before, a move like 23...Qc5 would be I think perfectly fine for Black even if the position is a bit worse it is hard to find for White a real "plan"
24. Bc6 Ra2 25. Rxa2 bxa2the game is getting a bit more interesting, can White win the a pawn?
26. Qa3 Oh no what is this? 26.Qa3 was basically a draw offer! Now 26...Rb8 and position is a draw! 26.b3 was the only chance, even if it is looking a bit risky, it is not easy to find a clear way of protecting the pawn for Black. 26.b3! Rb8 27.Ba4, probably 26.b3 f5! could be a try for Black 27.exf5 and e4! And probably White got nothing as well. I have a feeling that Gelfand knew everything until the last move...
26... Rb8 And what else, a draw was agreed. Amazingly solid by Gelfand, Anand cannot find a way to score. Behind this draws is amazing work, this we have to understand, but of course until now out of 5 games we saw just 1 game that was exiting, this is a bit pity... Tomorrow Gelfand is White again and we hope to see finally Boris as prepared with White as he is with Black, that would mean a big fight!
27. Qxa2 ½-½
2. Nf3 I guess almost everyone expected Boris to play his favorite Russian (Petroff) opening.
2... Nc6 3. d4 cxd44. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e56. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 So Gelfand is choosing Sveshnikov, a very forced opening... here home analyses are definitely playing a major role
8. Na3 as we remember, Leko was working like crazy on this opening, players like Carlsen, Anand himself had to fight for many years to achieve any playable position
8... b5 9. Nd5 Anand is choosing the main like with 9.Nd5. Another main line is 9.Bxf6
9... Be7 10. Bxf6 we are in the main line and I am sure Anand is very surprised by the Blacks opening choice this is why maybe Anand is choosing this super solid line with 9.Nd5 and 11.c4
10... Bxf6 11. c4 the evaluation of this line is : very little better for White. A big fan of this line for White is Ian Nepomniachtchi who managed to win a few nice games
11... b4 12. Nc2 O-O We are still in one of the main lines of the opening, now White has a few choices, to play 13.h4!? is one of them, trying to develop the bishop over g3, Bh3 and then Kf1-g2. Another choice is the simple Be2
13. g3 Anand is playing the 13.g3, maybe he is leaving still both options to him on the next move, to play Bg2 or h4 and Bh3. A clear minus of the move 13.g3 is that Black can play now Bg5! 14.h4 Bh6 and the Black bishop is standing very nicely on h6
13... a5 not so long ago here was played a very instructive game: Jakovenko-Tregubov where Black managed to equalize quite easily by playing this plan: Bg5 then a5 and Ne7!
Gelfand decides to start with 13...a5, why?! I think because he wants White to play now 14.h4 and be back in the variation with 13.h4 first, Why?! because I guess he knows it very well! :)
14. Bg2 Anand is going for the Bg2 plan... I guess now Gelfand has to play 14...Bg5, it is quite important for Black to have the bishop on h6. Another plan for Black could be the 14...g6-Bg7 but personally I don't like it
14... Bg5 and yes, we see the Bg5 move, back to the main. Should White try now the immediate 15. O-O or first to include 15.h4 Bh6 ? I guess it doesn't matter much and would lead to the same position. Maybe Anand has prepared here some novelty for us? Hmm hard to believe so, he was totally surprised by the Black's opening choice, so probably only next game we could expect something new.
15. O-O Be6 we contnie to follow the main line, and maybe Gelfand's 15...Be6 is a little surprise. Let us take a look what are the main ideas of White and Black: White is usually trying to make a pressure on the d pawn by playing Qd3, Rfd1. Black is trying to develop by playing Qb8-Rd8 maybe Qa7-Qc5 then to play a4 forcing White playing b3 and trying to get some play on the a file. White is usually trying not to play Ne3 to early not too let Bxe3 happen to early... And as we are in the live comments there is no time to list all, so more later in the daily WCC newsletter
16. Qd3 Maybe White is trying not to play h4 to early, to have the f4 move in the pocket, but it is hard to imagine that f4 could work, Black always is ready to play exf4
16... Bxd5 Wow! We see 16...Bd5!? this move is a big surprise! Usually such a move cannot be good for Black and logical play would be 16...Qb8, but considering the speed of Gelfand playing it, it is clearly still a preparation. What does Black want to play at 17.cxd5 ? At 17...Nd4 18.Nxd4 exd4 19.f4 and Rc1 seems to be clearly better for White. 17...Ne7 seems to be the best option but also here I think after 18.Bh3 White's position is looking better... I think Anand is as surprised as me to see 16...Bxd5
17. cxd5 Nb8 usually we have the same position with h4-Bh6 included and then at White's cxd5 Black is going for Nb8 and Na6-c5. But without h4 Bh6 maybe White has some extra ideas with the f4 move !?
18. a3 16...Bxd5 was a novelty at GM level, Anand is certainly surprised and Gelfand is playing fast, proving this was home preparation. Novelties in Gruendfeld, novelties in the Sicilian! Great work by the team of Gelfand.
18... Na6 And Na6 played without thinking!! Computers don't like it at first sight. After the exchanges we are in a position which is looking like an easy draw, but I don't think that it is "such an easy" draw as it seems. The opposite color positions can degenerate very quickly and very dangerous.
19. axb4 Nxb4 20. Nxb4 For Black is clear to exchange both rooks, also Queens if possible, to bring the bishop over d8 to b6 and then to c5. White should try to make use of the weak square c6 and put for example a rook there by playing Rc1-Rc6, then maybe play Qc4 and make some pressure on the pawn b4. All this gives White a small plus
20... axb4 ,
21. h4 Bh6 ,
22. Bh3 Black can try to play now 22...Qb6, then g6, Rfd8, and in case needed to have Bf8 move. The position is of course very close to a draw, the only problem could be the move 22...Qb6 23.Bd7! with Bc6 next and winning the a file. A bit strange that Gelfand is thinking for so long... I think 22...Qb6 is a very obvious decision. Maybe Boris really doesn't want to let the White bishop to d7, but is it that dangerous?!. I think in case of 22...Qc7 23.Qb5! followed by Qc6-this can really become quite dangerous for Black!
22... Qb6 As expected we see the 22...Qb6! Seems like the best try for White now is to play 23.Qc4 but this can be met by 23...Qc5! 24.Qxc5 dxc5 and now we can see, how useful the bishop in standing on h3-protecting the field c1! Probably White is not doing better because Black just wants to play c4-c3 and everything is fine
23. Bd7 yes, White is trying probably the "only chance" 23.Bd7
23... b3 and immediate answer by Black 23...b3!? a very interesting and forced move. Black wants to play at 24.Bc6 Ra2! As I already mentioned before, a move like 23...Qc5 would be I think perfectly fine for Black even if the position is a bit worse it is hard to find for White a real "plan"
24. Bc6 Ra2 25. Rxa2 bxa2the game is getting a bit more interesting, can White win the a pawn?
26. Qa3 Oh no what is this? 26.Qa3 was basically a draw offer! Now 26...Rb8 and position is a draw! 26.b3 was the only chance, even if it is looking a bit risky, it is not easy to find a clear way of protecting the pawn for Black. 26.b3! Rb8 27.Ba4, probably 26.b3 f5! could be a try for Black 27.exf5 and e4! And probably White got nothing as well. I have a feeling that Gelfand knew everything until the last move...
26... Rb8 And what else, a draw was agreed. Amazingly solid by Gelfand, Anand cannot find a way to score. Behind this draws is amazing work, this we have to understand, but of course until now out of 5 games we saw just 1 game that was exiting, this is a bit pity... Tomorrow Gelfand is White again and we hope to see finally Boris as prepared with White as he is with Black, that would mean a big fight!
27. Qxa2 ½-½
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