The Tiger Who Came to Tea

Viswanathan Anand – Magnus Carlsen
World Chess Championship; match game 5; Sochi, November 14, 2014
Queen’s Indian Defence E16

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb4+ 5. Bd2 Be7 6. Nc3 Bb7 7. Bg2 c6 8. e4 d5 9. exd5 cxd5 10. Ne5 0-0 11. 0-0 Nc6 12. cxd5. The fleeting theoretical background is 12. Bf4 Na5 13. Bg5 Rc8 14. Bxf6 Bxf6 15. cxd5 Bxd5 16. Nxd5 exd5 17. Re1 Qd6 18. Qa4 Nc4 19. Qxa7 Nxe5 20. dxe5 Bxe5 21. Rad1 Bxb2 22. Bxd5 Qf6 23. Re7 g6 24. Rd3 Rc2 25. Rf3 Qd4 26. Rexf7 1 : 0 van Wely – Tkachiev, FIDE World Blitz Championship, Dubai 2014. 12. ... Nxe5

13. d6!? Nc6 14. dxe7 Qxe7 15. Bg5 h6 16. d5 Na5. “16. ... Na5 was a very good practical (and maybe objective) choice from @MagnusCarlsen. If he stands worse, it is not very much” Nigel Short tweeted. The spontaneous 16. ... Rad8 could have been seriously met by the astonishing Queen sacrifice 17. Bxf6 Qxf6 18. dxc6. 17. Bxf6. After 17. d6 Qd8 18. Bxf6 Qxf6 the d-Pawn doesn’t look so impressive. 17. ... Qxf6 18. dxe6. If 18. Qe2 then 18. ... exd5 19. Nxd5 Bxd5 20. Bxd5 Nc6 is roughly equal. 18. ... Qxe6. “18. ... Qxe6?! unexpected”, Teimour Radjabov said. The controversial alternative was 18. ... Bxg2 19. exf7+ Qxf7 20. Kxg2 Nc4 with a vague compensation for the Pawn. 19. Re1 Qf6 20. Nd5. “Wow, 20. Nd5 is gutsy!”, Anish Giri tweeted. 20. ... Bxd5. 20. ... Qxb2 21. Re2 Qa3 22. Re3 Qb2 23. Rb1 Qxa2 24. Ra1! Qc4 25. Rxa5 bxa5 26. Ne7+ “is certainly a way to spice it up in”, Jan Gustafsson said. 21. Bxd5 Rad8 22. Qf3 Qxb2. Fearless. On 22. ... Qxf3 23. Bxf3 Nc4 24. b3 White stands better. 23. Rad1. “Normally, Magnus should defend a position such as this, yet still impressive how Vishy manages to put pressure in each game”, Fabiano Caruana tweeted. 23. ... Qf6 24. Qxf6 gxf6 25. Re7 Kg7 26. Rxa7. Anish Giri suggests 26. Kg2!? (threatening Bd5xf7), but 26. ... Nc6 27. Rc7 Ne5 28. Rxa7 Rd6 29. Bb3 Rxd1 30. Bxd1 Rd8 31. Bh5 Rd2 seems seems enough to survive. 26. ... Nc6! 27. Rb7. Also after 27. Ra4 Rd6 28. Bb3 Rxd1 29. Bxd1 Rd8 a draw seems very likely. 27. ... Nb4 28. Bb3 Rxd1+ 29. Bxd1 Nxa2 30. Rxb6 Nc3 31. Bf3 f5 32. Kg2 Rd8 33. Rc6 Ne4 34. Bxe4 fxe4 35. Rc4 f5 36. g4 Rd2 37. gxf5 e3 38. Re4 Rxf2+ 39. Kg3 Rxf5 ½ : ½.