[Event "Amber2001"]
[Site "Monaco"]
[Date "2001.03.22"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Anand, Viswanathan"]
[Black "Ivanchuk, Vassily"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "R.Scherbakov"]
[BlackElo "277"]
[ECO "C88"]
[EventDate "2001.??.??"]
[PlyCount "85"]
[SourceDate "2001.05.12"]
[WhiteElo "283"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. a4 { This is the so called "Anti-Marshall" - recently the top players do not
often allow Black to sacrifice a pawn after 8. c3 d5 } ( 8. c3 d5 ) 8... b4 ( { As you may remember, we considered an excellent win by Garry Kasparov vs.
Peter Leko in recently finished super-tournament in Linares:CT-115 } 8... Bb7 9. d3 d6 10. Nbd2 Na5 11. Ba2 c5 12. Nf1 Re8 13. Ne3 h6 14. Bd2 { and so on. } ) 9. d3 d6 10. a5 ( 10. Nbd2 Na5 11. Ba2 c5 { is another possibility } ) 10... Be6 ( { Both } 10... Bg4 ) ( { and } 10... Rb8 { are the alternatives. } ) 11. Nbd2 Bxb3 12. Nxb3 Re8 13. h3 $5 { This modest move is a novelty. } ( { After the immediate } 13. d4 exd4 14. Nfxd4 Nxd4 15. Nxd4 Bf8 $132 { Black obtained more or less acceptable play in the games Szabo - Unzicker,
Bern 1987 and Short - I.Sokolov, Linares 1995. } ) 13... Qd7 14. Bg5 h6 15. Bh4 { White postponed the advance d3-d4 trying to realise it in more favourable
situation. } 15... Nh7 ( { Unfortunately it was impossible to play more actively: } 15... Nh5 $2 { failed to } 16. Nxe5 $1 ) 16. Bxe7 Rxe7 17. d4 { There was no reason to delay this advance anymore. } 17... exd4 18. Nfxd4 Nf6 19. f3 Nxd4 20. Qxd4 ( 20. Nxd4 { could be well met by } 20... d5 $1 { and in case of } 21. e5 { Black has } 21... Rae8 $1 $13 ) 20... Qb5 { Generally
ck's position looks quite acceptable but , as we'll see, his play is not so
easy. } 21. Qd3 $1 Qg5 ( { The ending after } 21... Qxd3 $6 22. cxd3 { is difficult. White will create strong pressure on the c-file and if Black
puts his pawn on c5 then d3-d4 will be annoying. } ) ( 21... Qe5 22. Nd4 $14 { was also better for White. } ) 22. Qd2 $1 { Insisting on the ending. } 22... Qxd2 ( 22... Qb5 $5 { deserved attention although after } 23. Nd4 Qc5 24. Kh1 $14 { White kept better chances but Black can reasonably hope for counterplay - ...
Nh5 would be one of the ideas. } ) 23. Nxd2 Rae8 24. Nb3 $1 { A good prophylactic move. } ( { Of course, not } 24. Nc4 $2 { due to } 24... d5 $1 ) 24... c5 $6 { It was probably better to refrain from this move for a while. } ( 24... d5 $6 { was dubious due to } 25. Nc5 { and Black cannot give up the a6 pawn. } ) ( { Something like } 24... Re5 $5 { deserved attention. } ) 25. Red1 Re6 26. Rd2 Kf8 27. Rad1 Ke7 28. Nc1 $1 { The advance ...d6-d5 is prevented - it's time to improve the knight. } 28... Rd8 29. Nd3 Rd7 30. b3 g5 31. Kf2 Rb7 32. Nb2 $1 { Simple, but effective play - Black is already in trouble! } 32... Rb5 $6 { Of course, the rook has nothing to do here but it was already difficult to
give Black better advice. } ( { Something like } 32... h5 33. Nc4 Rd7 { looked more stubborn but after } 34. Ne3 { the only way to secure the d6-pawn is } 34... Ne8 { - I think there is no need to say that White has a huge advantage here. } ) 33. Nc4 Ne8 34. e5 $1 { Securing a decisive penetration. } 34... dxe5 35. Rd7+ Kf6 36. Ra7 Kg6 37. Rdd7 f6 38. Rd8 $18 { Black has a pawn up but look at his pieces - none of them can move! } 38... h5 39. Rda8 h4 40. Rxa6 { The a-pawn can hardly be stopped. } 40... Nc7 41. Rxe6 Nxe6 42. a6 Nc7 43. Ra7 { Black resigned. Extraordinary technique by Vishy Anand! } 1-0