Canon by inversion

Benjamin Gledura – Viswanathan Anand
14th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival; Catalan Bay, February 1, 2016
Queen’s Gambit Declined D46

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Qc2 Bd6 7. Bd3 0-0 8. 0-0 e5 9. cxd5 cxd5 10. e4 exd4 11. Nxd5 Nxd5 12. exd5 h6 13. Nxd4 Qh4 14. Nf3 Qh5 15. Bh7+ Kh8 16. Qf5 Qxf5 17. Bxf5 Nf6 18. Bxc8 Rfxc8 19. Rd1 Rd8 20. Be3 Be7 21. d6 Rxd6 22. Rxd6 Bxd6. “So far this is Gelfand – Anand, Paris 2013, which ended in a draw, but hardly earth-shattering theory. Was Vishy happy with a draw? This was not the line to choose if he was trying to win”, John Saunders wrote. 23. Rd1 Bc7 24. Kf1 a6 25. h3 Kg8 26. b3 Rd8 27. Rxd8+ Bxd8 28. Ke2 h5 29. Bg5 Kf8 30. Kd3 Ke8 31. Bxf6 Bxf6 32. Ke4 Bd8 33. Ne5 Ke7 34. Kd5 Bb6? A fax paus which opportunely prepares for the next irreversible mistake. 35. Nd3 Kd7 36. Nc5+ Bxc5? The Great Anand is giving a master class to his very young opponent, 16-year old Benjamin Gledura from Hungary. The text move, in fact, didactically loses by force. 37. Kxc5

37. ... Kc7. So much as a dramatic deadlock, but both 37. ... h4 38. a4! and 37. ... g5 38. g4! also put Black in Zugzwang. Now will Benjamin find the win? 38. h4! Yes! The termination of the game is “exemplary”. 38. ... Kd7 39. Kb6 Kc8 40. b4 Kb8 41. f3! “Another nail in the coffin. There seemed little doubt that Gledura was going to miss out now”, Saunders said. 41. ... Kg8 42. g4 hxg4 43. fxg4 Kb8 44. h5 f6 45. a4! Kc8 46. Ka7 Kc7 47. b5 a5 48. Ka8 1 : 0. Fantastic stuff! But don’t believe all that you see. The Tiger from Madras will come back just in time for the Candidates Tournament!

Benjamin Gledura vs. Viswanathan Anand
Photo: Sophie Tray