Eye of the Madras Tiger

Magnus Carlsen – Viswanathan Anand
World Chess Championship match game 9; Sochi, November 20, 2014
Spanish Game C67

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. 0-0 Nxe4 5. d4 Nd6 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. dxe5 Nf5 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8 9. h3 Ke8 10. Nc3 h5 11. Ne2. Departing from 11. Bf4 as in Carlsen – Anand, Sochi 2014, World Chess Championship match game 7. 11. ... b6 12. Rd1 Ba6 13. Nf4 Bb7! “Vishy’s Bishop manoeuvre is a bit mysterious to this Neanderthal, but I am sure he knows what he is doing”, Grandmaster Nigel David Short tweeted. If, instead 13. ... Rd8 then 14. Bd2 Nd4 15. Nxd4 Rxd4 16. a4! Bc8 (16. ... g5!?) 17. a5 a6 (17. ... Bf5!?) 18. Be3 Rxd1+ 19. Rxd1 b5 20. Nd3! with an edge for White, Domínguez Pérez – Ponomariov, 25th Torneo Magistral de Ajedrez “Ciudad de León”, León 2012. 14. e6. After 16 minutes of thinking. 14. ... Bd6

15. exf7+ Kxf7 16. Ng5+ Kf6 17. Ne4+ Kf7 18. Ng5+ Kf6 19. Ne4+ Kf7 20. Ng5+ ½ : ½. “Today’s result is slightly in Vishy’s favour. 3 games is enough to level the score but it is now time to sharpen the struggle”, Short said.