[imagefield_assist|fid=3511|preset=frontpage_200x200|title=|desc=|link=none|origsize=|align=left|width=200|height=200]Anand did the unthinkable in the 12th and deciding game of the World Championship --- he won with black in a QGD! This was the first QGD of the match, and Anand played the super solid Lasker Defense.
After getting an equal game, Topalov weakened his own kingside and tried too hard to make something out of the position, and was soon on the defensive. Topalov missed a key move and was losing by move 35.
Anand had superb technique and the match ended with a real bang.
This match was quite exciting, and there were no off-board shenanigans, although many expected this based on previous World Championships (Korchnoi-Karpov and Topalov-Kramnik for example).
The match ends at a perfect time for those interested in the super-strong U.S. Championship, which sees round 1 begin Friday! There are 21 GMs and 3 IMs in the 24 player field, and the clear favorite has to be new Saint Louis resident and reigning Champion Hikaru Nakamura. I will try to blog every day about my own games, standings, and anything else interesting.
Congrats to Anand, and wish me luck in the Championship!
[pgn|pgn=
expected a Catalan when he played 2...e6? I cannot remember many games
where Topalov was white in a QGD or Anand was black in a QGD!} h6 6. Bh4 O-O 7.
e3 Ne4 {The Lasker Defense! Anand maintains his strategy of trading pieces
with black and trying to get an equal/boring position.} 8. Bxe7 Qxe7 9. Rc1 c6
10. Be2 Nxc3 11. Rxc3 dxc4 12. Bxc4 Nd7 13. O-O {There are hundreds of games
with both 13...b6 and 13...e5. Anand chooses the former.} b6 14. Bd3 c5 15.
Be4 Rb8 16. Qc2 {In 1996, Anand played 16.Qa4 against Kramnik, then Kramnik
played 16.Qa4 against Kasparov. Both games were drawn. 16.Qc2 is the other
move. Topalov seems to know a lot of theory in this line, considering it must
have been completely unexpected this game!} Nf6 {Yusupov is an advocate of 16..
.a5, although, he does not score very well with that move! Anand plays a rare
move, but, black has not done particularly well with the "normal" 16...Bb7.}
17. dxc5 Nxe4 18. Qxe4 bxc5 {Black has isolated pawns, but, has an active Rb8,
excellent bishop (on b7 or a6) and must still be in his preparation.} 19. Qc2
Bb7 20. Nd2 Rfd8 {Black keeps improving his pieces and putting pressure on the
white knight. The game is equal, and Anand must be happy to have so much time
on his clock on move 20!} 21. f3 $6 {Sooner or later, white will likely be
forced to play the dreaded f3, due to the powerful Bb7. This weakening does
not bother Topalov, but his further weakening of his king's position this game
is his downfall.} Ba6 22. Rf2 $6 {This seems weird to me, and everyone else I
spoke to about the game. The game is pretty equal after the more natural 22.
Rc1.} Rd7 23. g3 $6 {Further weakening his king's position. Topalov does not
sense the danger.} Rbd8 24. Kg2 Bd3 25. Qc1 Ba6 26. Ra3 $6 {After 26.Qc2,
black likely would keep repeating, as Anand seemed happy to draw with black
this match. Topalov, as usual, wants to fight.} Bb7 27. Nb3 {I don't like the
Nd2 wandering away from the defense of f3 and e4.} Rc7 28. Na5 Ba8 29. Nc4 e5
30. e4 f5 $1 31. exf5 $2 {It must be difficult for a human to play the correct
31.Nd2 after playing Nd2-b3-a5-c4! Now white is in real trouble. Afterwards,
Topalov said he missed 34...Qe8!} e4 32. fxe4 $4 Qxe4+ 33. Kh3 Rd4 $1 34. Ne3
Qe8 $3 {White has to really open up his king now to stop mate.} 35. g4 h5 $1
36. Kh4 g5+ {Chess engines much prefer 36..Qd8+! although the text move wins
as well.} 37. fxg6 Qxg6 38. Qf1 Rxg4+ $1 39. Kh3 Re7 40. Rf8+ Kg7 {Anand said
he could not believe it when he saw 40...Kh7 41.Rh8+!! However, black still
wins with the study-like 41...Kxh8 42.Qf8+ Qg8 43.Qxe7 Bg2+!! 44.Nxg2 Qc8!! ...
.Of course, that is not a variation a human would likely put his faith in on
move 40!} 41. Nf5+ {The best variation (for the spectators) would be 41.Rxa8
Rxe3+ 42.Rxe3 Rh4+ 43.Kxh4 Qg4 mate.} Kh7 42. Rg3 Rxg3+ 43. hxg3 Qg4+ 44. Kh2
Re2+ 45. Kg1 Rg2+ 46. Qxg2 Bxg2 47. Kxg2 {Black still wins after 47.Rf7+ Kg6
48.Rg7+ Kxf5 49.Rxg4 hxg4 50.Kxg2 Ke4. Topalov plays on, but Anand's
technique is flawless!} Qe2+ 48. Kh3 c4 49. a4 a5 50. Rf6 Kg8 {Black wants to
win the b2 pawn, but, he is not in a hurry, since white cannot move.} 51. Nh6+
Kg7 52. Rb6 Qe4 53. Kh2 Kh7 54. Rd6 Qe5 55. Nf7 Qxb2+ 56. Kh3 Qg7 {Anand
played amazingly well for such an important game. The only game in the match
that saw a black victory.} 0-1>>>|white=Veselin Topalov|black=Viswanathan Anand]
