Mission Impossible‎

Viswanathan Anand – Anish Giri
Candidates Tournament; Moscow, March 27, 2016
Giuoco Piano C54

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. 0-0 Nf6 5. d3 d6 6. c3 a6 7. a4 Ba7 8. Na3!? Ne7 9. Bg5!? Departing from 9. Nc2 Ng6 10. Be3 0-0 11. Bxa7 Rxa7 12. Ne3 Ng4 13. Qd2 a5 14. d4 Ra8 15. dxe5 N4xe5 16. Nxe5 Nxe5 17. Bb3 Nd7 18. Bc2 Re8 19. f3 b6 20. Rfd1 Nc5 21. b4! with an edge, Anand – Aronian, Candidates Tournament, Moscow 2016. 9. ... c6 10. Nc2 0-0 11. Nh4 d5 12. exd5 Nexd5 13. Nf3 Qd6 14. Re1 Bg4 15. Bh4 Rae8 16. h3 Bh5 17. Bg3 Nf4 18. Bxf4 exf4 19. d4 c5 20. Be2 cxd4 21. Ncxd4 Re4 22. Qc2 Rc8 23. Rad1 Bxf3 24. Nxf3

24. ... Bxf2+! Today Giri is in the mood for giving a display of courage and will to win. 25. Kxf2 Qb6+ 26. Kf1 Nh5. Threat: ... Nh5-g3 mate. 27. g4 fxg3 28. Bd3. “After Giri’s 24. ... Bxf2+ funny business, Vishy hasn’t played well at all. He’s seemingly not sure whether to punish or survive”, Grandmaster Jonathan Rowson tweeted. On the contrary, Grandmaster Matthew Sadler had expressed a totally opposite opinion: “That’s a great sac by Giri. Horrible for White to defend”. 28. ... Rxe1+ 29. Rxe1 Nf4. “Guess the question is how much Vishy still has in the tank. Need big energy to play these next 10 moves in 3 mins”, Sadler tweeted. 30. Nd4 g6 31. Be4 Qf6 32. Bf3. It’s not clear where and when White could have played better. If, for instance, 32. Nf3 there might follow 32. ... b5! and Black keeps the upper hand. 32. ... g2+ 33. Bxg2 Nd3+ 34. Nf3 Nxe1 35. Kxe1 b5. “The more I look at it, the less I can believe that Vishy can hold this... Too many tricks and Black’s King is so safe”, Sadler said. 36. axb5 axb5 37. Qe4 Rb8 38. Qd4 Qe6+ 39. Kf2 Qb3 40. Ne5. “Think Vishy has done great to get to the time control in reasonable shape. Active pieces so you would expect a draw...”, Sadler said. 40. ... Qxb2+ 41. Kg1 Rc8 42. Qf4. Anand should probably have preferred 42. Nc6 as after 42. ... Re8 43. Ne7+ Rxe7 44. Qd8+ Kg7 45. Qxe7 Qxc3 46. Qd7 White seems to hold more easily than in the game. 42. ... Qa2 43. c4 Qa7+ 44. Kh2 bxc4 45. Bd5 Rf8. Maybe here Giri misses his big chance: 45. ... Rc5! 46. Qd4 (not 46. Bxf7+? Kg7 47. Bxc4 Qc7 and wins) 46. ... Rc7! would seem to offer Black excellent winning chances. 46. Qf6! Now, instead, there is no need to pray for the Gods of Sky and Storms: White easily forces the draw. 46. ... Qa2+ 47. Kg3 Qa7 48. Kg2 Qa2+ 49. Kf3 Qa3+ 50. Kg4 Qa7 51. Kf3 Qa3+ 52. Kg4 ½ : ½. Farewell to the World Chess Championship match, Anand is now out of the game.

Anish Giri
Photo: Worldchess.com