The Tiger and the Snow

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Expressly annotated by Miss Lonelyhearts

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Magnus Carlsen – Viswanathan Anand
World Chess Championship; match game 4; Sochi, November 12, 2014
Sicilian Defence B40

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. g3 Nc6 4. Bg2 d5 5. exd5 exd5 6. 0-0 Nf6 7. d4 Be7 8. Be3 cxd4 9. Nxd4 Bg4. A laborious earlier reference is 9. ... 0-0 10. h3 Re8 11. Re1 h6 12. Nd2 Bd6 13. c3 Bd7 14. Qb3 a6 15. Rad1 Qc7 16. Nf1 Re7 17. Qc2 Rae8 18. Nf5 Bxf5 19. Qxf5 Qa5 20. Qb1 Qb5 21. b3 Bc5 22. Qd3 Bxe3 23. Rxe3 Qa5 24. Qd2 Rc8 25. Bxd5 Nxd5 26. Qxd5 Rxe3 27. Qxa5 Rxg3+ 28. Nxg3 Nxa5 29. c4 Rc7 30. Rd8+ Kh7 31. Ne4 Nc6 32. Rf8 Kg6 33. Kg2 Nb4 34. Nc3 Rd7 35. Rb8 Kf5 36. Na4 Rc7 37. Nc3 ½ : ½ Short – Caruana, Wijk aan Zee 2010. 10. Qd3 Qd7 11. Nd2 0-0 12. N2f3 Rfe8 13. Rfe1 Bd6! The Dilemma: the Hypermodern Aron Nimzowitsch considered the blockade a “refutation” to the isolani, while for the Classic Siegbert Tarrasch the isolani was a source of dynamism. Well, they’re both right! 14. c3 h6

15. Qf1! “15. Qf1! was a real @MagnusCarlsen move. It is not even doing that much, but it just makes things a bit harder for Vishy”, Nigel Short tweeted. 15. ... Bh5 16. h3 Bg6 17. Rad1. Focusing on the isolated d-Pawn. “Vishy’s position looks slightly uncomfortable. I remember suffering quite a bit in this line years ago vs @nigelshortchess”, Fabiano Caruana tweeted. 17. ... Rad8 18. Nxc6 bxc6 19. c4 Be4. “Frankly it looks quite dull, but maybe Magnus will come up with something interesting, as he often manages to”, Anish Giri said. Black should consider 19. ... Qb7 20. Bd4 Ne4 as a little more dynamic strategy. 20. Bd4 Nh7 21. cxd5 Bxd5. “Strange decision, I would prefer 21. ... cxd5 as I see no problem in 22. Qa6 Re6 23. Qxa7 Qxa7 24. Bxa7 Ra8”, Grandmaster Alexander Delchev says in his live commentary. 22. Rxe8+ Rxe8 23. Qd3. “Vishy’s potential problem is his isolated Pawns. This is far from being fatal, but may be a long-term headache”, Short said. 23. ... Nf8! Reculer pour mieux sauter. 24. Nh4 Be5! An inspired defence! It demonstrates the resourcefulness of such positions. 25. Bxd5 Qxd5 26. Bxe5 Qxe5 27. b3 Ne6 28. Nf3 Qf6 29. Kg2 Rd8 30. Qe2 Rd5 31. Rxd5 cxd5 32. Ne5 Qf5 33. Nd3, Suddenly Magnus realizes that 33. Nc6? is met by 33. ... Nf4+! 34. gxf4 Qg6+ winning back the Knight with advantage. 33. ... Nd4 34. g4 Qd7 35. Qe5 Ne6 36. Kg3 Qb5 37. Nf4 Nxf4 38. Kxf4 Qb4+ 39. Kf3. “The Pawn endgame is completely winning for Magnus. Unluckily for him there are still Qs on :)”, Short joked. 39. ... d4 40. Qe8+ Kh7 41. Qxf7 Qd2. Practically forced. On 41. ... Qc3+? 42. Ke4! d3 43. Qf3! Qc6+ 44. Ke3! Black is in trouble. 42. Qf5+ Kh8 43. h4. “In case you’ve lost interest, Magnus just launched a mating attack with 43. h4, intending to put a Pawn on g6 before Black Queens”, Jonathan Rowson tweeted. 43. ... Qxa2! 44. Qe6. Jonathan Rowson suggests 44. Qd3, but after 44. ... Qb2 Black survives. 44. ... Qd2! 45. Qe8+ Kh7 46. Qe4+ Kh8 47. Qe8+ Kh7 ½ : ½. Chennai Tiger is alive and well!

金奈虎 Viswanathan Anand
Photo: Vladimir Barsky