2012 World Championship / Anand Edges Gelfand
As Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich explained, “For the Russian Chess Federation, the fact that it is organ- izing the World Championship match is confirmation that Russia is a leading chess nation—holding the match independently of the participants’ citizenship is impor- tant.” The clear message was that chess was
returning to its rightful home, Moscow. In 2012, instead of Karpov and Kas-
parov battling it out in the Hall of Columns, the home of the Soviet Union’s Communist Party Congresses, in 2012 it was an Indian and an Israeli fighting for world supremacy at the home of Russian art, the Tretyakov Gallery. Instead of the 1985 prize fund of 72,000
roubles, Anand, 42, and Gelfand, 43, were playing for U.S. $2.55 million. Just as importantly, the match was not only bril- liantly organized—setting new standards for Internet transmission—but scrupu- lously fair to both contenders. When Kasparov and Karpov competed
for the crown in 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev had just become leader of the USSR and his reforms set the stage for the dissolu- tion of the Soviet Union six years later. By 2012, Mikhail Gorbachev has become
an elder statesman, signing autographs at the opening ceremony while present as patron of FIDE’s Chess in Schools project. As well as Gorbachev and Dvorkovich,
the opening ceremony featured other Russ- ian political heavyweights, while Karpov was another guest at the opening cere- mony, held in the magnificent Vrubel Hall at the Tretyakov Gallery. Karpov gave plenty of interviews talking about the good old days, but the man with whom he is for- ever twinned and who took his title in 1985, Kasparov, was not. (Kasparov would attend later, enjoying a cameo as a com- mentator and giving a typically forthright press conference.) At the opening press conference Gelfand
expressed his hope that the players could produce games worthy of the works of art at the Tretyakov. The course of the match, at least in the early games, was more or less the exact opposite to fine art—tough, precise chess with few opportunities for either player. The underdog Gelfand quickly showed that he came to the title match very well prepared and, apart from giving a single chance to Anand in the third game, Gelfand looked rock solid. The crowds at the Tretyakov had seen
six games ending in six draws. All games finished in under 40 moves, four in less than 30 moves. All but one game had fol- lowed Black’s home preparation for many moves, and the player with the white pieces had been unable to find a suitable counter, leading to an incident-free draw.
(see game top of next column) 38 August 2012 | Chess Life A missed chance
GM Viswanathan Anand (FIDE 2791, IND) GM Boris Gelfand (FIDE 2727, ISR) World Championship, Moscow (3)
Boris breaks through GM Boris Gelfand (FIDE 2727, ISR) GM Viswanathan Anand (FIDE 2791, IND) World Championship, Moscow (7)
The key moment in game 3.
34. Rc7?! After the game Anand was kicking him-
self for not playing 34. d7! Rcc2 35. Rc4!! when, amazingly, White can avoid check- mate and prevail e.g. 35. ... Rb2+ (35. ... Rxc4 36. bxc4 is a slow death.) 36. Kc1 Rxa2 37. Rc8 Rf2 and now Anand at first thought he could win with the spectacu- lar 38. Rg8+ Kf6 39. Re2!!???, forgetting about 39. ... Rf1+! and checkmate next move. Later Anand realized that the right path to victory was 38. Re6+! Kg7 (38. ... Kh5 39. g4+ fxg4 40. Rc5+ is similar.) 39. Rg8+ Kf7 40. Rf6+! and the pawn queens with check.
34. ... Re8! 35. Rh1?! Anand woke up to the strength of 34. d7
and 35. Rc4 as soon as his hand left the rook on h1—otherwise he could have attempted to repeat moves via 35. Re7!.
35. ... Ree2! 36. d7 Rb2+ 37. Kc1 Rxa2, Draw agreed.
Just in time—because of the mate
threat, White cannot avoid the draw. Then suddenly, after the six draws,
the World Championship match exploded into life. While the sixth game was being played
(and drawn) Kasparov stated “Gelfand’s chances are improving with each draw; both can stumble but the chances of Vishy stumbling are higher” and his words proved prescient as Gelfand comprehensively out- played Anand to win the seventh game. “Unfortunately he hit on an area where
we had been a bit careless,” admitted Anand. “In a match where there were so few chances for me it was a really incred- ibly heavy blow to lose game seven. I can’t remember suffering so much; I couldn’t sleep. I really thought I’d blown the match.” This was Gelfand’s first classical win
against Anand for almost two decades— overcoming the psychological factor which Kasparov had said was the biggest obsta- cle to Gelfand winning the match.
38. Nxe6!, Black resigned. Avoiding Anand’s final trap—38. Ng6+
Kg8 39. Nxe6 Rh1+ 40. Kxh1 e1=Q+ 41. Kh2 Qxe6 and Black turns the tables. Now, however, Ng6+ and Rg7 mate is only avoidable at ruinous cost.
A strategic masterpiece by Gelfand. Then, a day later, when Gelfand’s suc-
cess was front page news for many Israeli newspapers and the pundits were count- ing down Anand’s days as world champion, the 42-year-old Indian struck back by winning the shortest game in world cham- pionship history (forfeits excluded). Gelfand lost in only 17 moves and 110
minutes after falling into an Anand trap in a double-edged position.
King’s Indian Defense (E60) GM Viswanathan Anand (FIDE 2791, IND) GM Boris Gelfand (FIDE 2727, ISR) World Championship, Moscow (8)
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. f3 c5
With Black badly tied up, Gelfand now
finds a liquidation which enables him to invade with both knights.
26. Bxe4! dxe4 27. Nd2 f5 28. Nc4 Nf6 29. Nc5 Nd5 30. Ra7 Nb4 31. Ne5 Nc2
A last throw of the dice by Anand, sac- rificing the ill-fated bishop.
32. Nc6 Rxb2 33. Rc7 Rb1+ 34. Kh2 e3 35. Rxc8+ Kh7 36. Rc7+ Kh8 37. Ne5! e2
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