I’m only sleeping

Viswanathan Anand – Magnus Carlsen
World Chess Championship; match game 8; Sochi, November 17, 2014
Queen’s Gambit Declined D37

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Be7 5. Bf4 0-0 6. e3 c5 7. dxc5 Bxc5 8. a3 Nc6 9. Qc2 Re8. “9. ... Re8 is rather an unusual move. I don’t know it, despite 30+ years experience in this variation”, tweeted Nigel Short. Well, it is from Showalter – Janowski, New York 1898, match game 1. 10. Bg5 Be7. Possibly a novelty. For 10. ... d4 11. 0-0-0 e5 see the above mentioned game Showalter – Janowski, New York 1898, match game 1. 11. Rd1 Qa5 12. Bd3 h6 13. Bh4 dxc4 14. Bxc4 a6 15. 0-0. Someone has suggested the immediate 15. Ba2 as “trickier” for after the innocent-looking 15. ... b5 16. Bb1 Bb7?? 17. Bxf6 Bxf6 18. Qh7+ Kf8 19. Rd7 White wins (Erwin l’Ami’s analysis), but 16. ... g6 17. 0-0 Bb7 18. Bxf6 Bxf6 19. Rd7 Qb6! 20. Ne4 Be7 21. Nd6 Bxd6 22. Rxd6 Rad8 is roughly even, as shown by Grandmaster Alejandro Tadeo Ramírez Álvarez.

15. ... b5 16. Ba2 Bb7 17. Bb1 Rad8. Fearless. After 17. ... g6 18. Ne4 Nxe4 19. Qxe4 Rad8 20. Bxe7 Rxe7 21. Qh4 White’s attack is just like a rollerball. 18. Bxf6. “[...] 18. Rxd8 Rxd8 19. Ne4 Nxe4 20. Qxe4 Bxh4 21. Nxh4 Kf8 22. Qh7 Qa4!! and holds. Spacebaring is fun!”, Jan Gustafsson tweeted. 18. ... Bxf6 19. Ne4. If 19. Qh7+ Kf8 20. Ne4 then 20. ... Rxd1 21. Rxd1 Rd8 holding his own well. 19. ... Be7. 19. ... Rxd1 is decidedly a bad move because of 20. Nxf6+ gxf6 21. Qh7+ Kf8 22. Rxd1. 20. Nc5. If 20. Rc1 then 20. ... g6. 20. ... Bxc5 21. Qxc5 b4. “21. ... b4. Magnus is well prepared. White has not much here, symmetrical Pawns. A peaceful ending expected”, Zsuzsa Polgár said. 22. Rc1 bxa3 23. bxa3 Qxc5 24. Rxc5 Ne7 25. Rfc1 Rc8 26. Bd3 Red8 27. Rxc8 Rxc8 28. Rxc8+ Nxc8 29. Nd2 Nb6 30. Nb3 Nd7 31. Na5 Bc8 32. Kf1 Kf8 33. Ke1. “33. Ke1. It’s right for Vishy to play a few more moves, but unfortunately he’s a yank short of a nibble. Draw extremely likely”, Jonathan Rowson said. 33. ... Ke7 34. Kd2 Kd6 35. Kc3 Ne5 36. Be2 Kc5 37. f4 Nc6 38. Nxc6 Kxc6 39. Kd4 f6 40. e4 Kd6 41. e5+ ½ : ½. “A very dull game. Anand was surprised and ducked the critical continuations at an early stage. Not fatal, but tempus fugit”, Short said.

Magnus: I’m only sleeping... Photo: Chess-News.ru.