Molasses

Viswanathan Anand – Szidónia Lázárné Vajda
14th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival; Catalan Bay, January 26, 2016
Queen’s Gambit Declined D16

1. c4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 e6 6. e3 c5 7. Bxc4 Nc6 8. 0-0 cxd4 9. exd4 Be7 10. Qe2 0-0 11. Rd1 Nb4 12. Bg5 h6 13. Bh4 Bd7 14. Ne5 Be8. Black usually continues 14. ... Bc6, e.g. 15. Bg3 Nbd5 16. a5 Rc8 17. Bb3 a6 18. Rdc1 Bb4 19. Bh4 Qd6 20. Qd1 Bb5 21. Nxb5 axb5 22. Rxc8 Rxc8 23. Qf3 Qc7 24. h3 Ra8 25. Qd1 Bd6 ½ : ½ Ivanchuk – Tkachiev, French Team Chess Championship Top 16, Mulhouse 2010. 15. a5 Nfd5 16. Bg3 Rc8 17. a6 bxa6 18. Nxd5 exd5 19. Bxa6 Rc2 20. Rd2 Rxd2 21. Qxd2 Qb6 22. Bf1 a5 23. h4 Bf6 24. Ra3 Nc6 25. Nxc6 Bxc6 26. Rxa5 Qxd4 27. Qxd4 Bxd4 28. b4 Ra8 29. Bd3 Bb6 30. Rxa8+ Bxa8 31. Kf1 f6 32. h5 Kf7 33. Ke2 Bc6 34. Bf4 Ke7 35. f3 Bd4 36. Be3 Bxe3 37. Kxe3 Bb7 38. Kd4 Kd6

39. b5. Anand has constantly pressed his opponent, without producing any appreciable result. Now it was his last chance for trying to capitalize with 39. Bb5 Ba8 40. Be8, but after 40. ... Bb7 41. b5 Ba8 42. Bg6 Bb7 43. Bf5 Ba8 44. Bc8 Kc7 45. Be6 Kd6 “[...] there doesn’t really seem a way to breakthrough”, says International Maester Sagar Shah. 39. ... Bc8 40. g4 Bd7 41. b6 Bc8 42. Bg6 Kc6 43. Bf5 Bb7 44. Be6 Kxb6 45. Bxd5 Bc8 46. Ke4 ½ : ½.

Viswanathan Anand vs. Szidónia Lázárné Vajda
Photo: John Saunders