Holding Back the Years

Peter Veniaminovich Svidler – Anish Giri
6th Chess World Cup; match game 2; Baku, September 28, 2015
Caro-Kann Defence B18

1. e4 c6. Something is very strange here. Giri has to win at all costs. Maybe we overlooked something? 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. Nh3 Nf6 7. Nf4 e5 8. dxe5 Qa5+ 9. c3 Qxe5+ 10. Qe2 Nbd7 11. Nxg6 hxg6 12. Bf4 Qxe2+ 13. Bxe2 Bc5. The position looks already very drawish now. The alternative was 13. ... 0-0-0 14. Rd1 Nd5 15. Bc1 N7f6 16. Bf3 Bd6 17. Ne2 Nb6 18. g3 Nc4 19. 0-0 Bc5 20. Bg2 Ng4 21. Rxd8+ Rxd8 22. Bh3 f5 23. Kg2 Nxf2 24. Rxf2 Bxf2 25. Kxf2 Ne5 26. Be3 Nd3+ 27. Kf3 Ne1+ 28. Kf2 Nd3+ 29. Kf1 Rh8 30. Bg2 Nxb2 31. h4 Rd8 32. Bd4 c5 33. Bxg7 Rd2 34. Nf4 Nc4 35. Ke1 Rxa2 36. Bd5 b5 37. Nxg6 Rh2 38. Bxc4 bxc4 39. Ne5 Kc7 40. Nxc4 Kc6 41. Ne5+ Kd5 42. Kf1 f4 43. c4+ Ke4 44. Ng4 Rc2 45. gxf4 Kxf4 46. Ne5 Rh2 47. Ke1 Rg2 48. Bh8 Rh2 ½ : ½ Duda – Yuffa, 54th World Junior Chess Championship, Khanty-Mansiysk 2015.

14. Bf3. Or 14. 0-0 0-0 15. Rad1 Rfe8 16. Rfe1 a5 17. Kf1 Ne5 18. h3 Nd5 19. Bc1 f5 20. Bb5 Nb6 ½ : ½ Tiviakov – Popov, European Individual Chess Championship, Budva 2009. 14. ... 0-0-0 15. 0-0 Nd5 16. Bxd5. Peter Veniaminovich plays safe. 16. ... cxd5. “Svidler – Giri drifting towards a draw. Means Svidler qualifies for final & Candidates 2016. Giri too on rating, Kramnik out FIDE World Cup”, Grandmaster Lars Bo Hansen tweeted. 17. Rad1 Nf8 18. Rfe1 Ne6 19. Be3 b6 20. Rd3 Kb7 21. Red1 Kc6 22. Ne2 Rh4 23. Nd4+ Bxd4 24. Bxd4 b5 25. g3 Rh5 26. Bxa7 Ra8 27. Be3 Rxa2 28. R1d2 Re5 29. h4 Ra4 30. Kg2 f6 31. Bd4 Rh5 32. Re3 Kd7 33. Red3 Kd6 34. Be3 Kc6 35. Rd1 Ra2 36. R1d2 Ra8 37. Rd1 Ra4 38. R1d2 Ra2 39. Kf1 Ra1+ 40. Rd1 Ra2 41. R1d2 Re5 42. Bd4 Rh5 43. Be3 Ra8 44. Rd1 Ra4 45. R3d2 Ra2 46. b3 Rxd2. It is not hard to foresee that pretty soon Svidler will manage to claim a draw by insufficient (mating) material. 47. Rxd2 b4 48. cxb4 Kb5 49. Bc5 Nxc5 50. bxc5 Kxc5 51. Ke2 g5 ½ : ½. “In a normal game I would never in a million years go for this position, because I’d be bored”, Svidler finally said.

Peter Veniaminovich Svidler
Photo: Eteri Kublashvili