[Event "GMA"]
[Site "Wijk aan Zee NED"]
[Date "2004.01.11"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Anand,V"]
[Black "Akopian,Vl"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Henderson - Anand"]
[BlackElo "2693"]
[ECO "B80"]
[EventDate "2004.01.10"]
[WhiteElo "2766"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 { I also checked his Caro-Kann and French Defence, he's only played this twice before. } 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 Nc6 { This is a smart move order: 6 ..e6 gives me the extra option of 7 g4 } 7. f3 e6 8. g4 Be7 9. Qd2 O-O 10. O-O-O Nxd4 11. Bxd4 b5 12. g5 Nd7 13. h4 Qc7 ( { This came as a surprise - but it does have a good pedigree e.g. Adams-Kramnik, Leko-Kasparov. I was more expecting } 13... b4 { with a brilliant win by black in Ponomariov-Akopian } 14. Ne2 a5 15. Ng3 Ne5 16. Qf2 Qc7 17. f4 Ng4 18. Qf3 e5 19. Nf5 exd4 20. Qxg4 b3 21. axb3 a4 22. Bd3 d5 23. g6 Bxf5 24. exf5 axb3 25. f6 hxg6 26. fxe7 Qxe7 27. Qh3 Qb4 28. Kb1 Qa5 29. cxb3 Rfc8 30. Qxc8+ Rxc8 31. h5 Ra8 32. Kc2 Rc8+ 33. Kb1 Ra8 34. Kc2 gxh5 35. Rxh5 g6 36. Rhh1 Qc7+ 37. Kb1 Qxf4 38. Rh3 Re8 39. b4 Re3 40. Rhh1 Qf3 41. Rhf1 Qh3 42. Rh1 Qg2 43. Rhg1 Qh2 44. Rh1 Qg3 45. Rhg1 Qd6 46. b5 Qb4 47. Rg4 Re1 48. Rxe1 Qxe1+ 49. Kc2 Qb4 50. Rg3 Qa4+ 51. Kc1 Qb3 52. Rf3 f5 53. Be2 Qb4 54. Kc2 Kg7 55. Rb3 Qc5+ 56. Kd2 Qb6 57. Ra3 Kh6 58. Ra6 Qc5 59. Bd3 Kg5 60. Ra1 Kf4 61. Rg1 Qb4+ 62. Kc2 Qa4+ 63. Kd2 Qb3 64. Rxg6 Qxb2+ 65. Kd1 Ke3 66. Rg3+ Kf2 67. Rh3 Qb3+ 68. Kd2 Qc3+ 69. Kd1 Qa1+ 70. Kd2 Qe1+ 71. Kc2 Kg2 { 0-1 Ponomariov,R-Akopian,V/Bled 2002/EXT 2003 } ) 14. Kb1 b4 15. Na4 Bb7 16. Qxb4 { Quite risky, but worth a try to surprise him because he doesn't play these positions too often. } 16... Bc6 17. Nc3 Rfb8 ( 17... Ne5 $6 18. Qb6 $1 ) 18. Qc4 Ne5 19. Qe2 Qa5 { I was surprised he played this as it's a bit slow; I expected Bb5. } 20. f4 { I have to check whether this is the best move in the position; however it looked right. } 20... Ng6 ( { It came as a shock to me that this was possible - it just doesn't look as if it should work, but it does. I was concentrating on something like: } 20... Bb5 21. Qe1 $1 ( 21. Nxb5 axb5 22. fxe5 dxe5 23. Bxe5 Qxa2+ 24. Kc1 Qa1+ 25. Kd2 Rd8+ 26. Ke1 Bb4+ 27. c3 Rxd1+ 28. Qxd1 Qxb2 ) 21... Nf3 ( 21... Bxf1 22. fxe5 -- 23. Nd5 ) 22. Qf2 Nxd4 23. Qxd4 { and with Rh3 coming black has no attack at all } ) 21. Qf3 ( { The alternative just seems to lead to a forced draw: } 21. f5 e5 22. fxg6 exd4 23. Nd5 Bxd5 24. exd5 Rxb2+ 25. Kxb2 Rb8+ 26. Kc1 Qa3+ $10 ) 21... e5 { I was beginning to realise that I had missed something. } 22. Bf2 ( { Forced, because now there is no Qa3: } 22. fxe5 dxe5 23. Bf2 Rxb2+ 24. Kxb2 Qa3+ 25. Ka1 Bxe4 $1 26. Qh3 Bxh1 $19 ) 22... Qb4 23. b3 Nxf4 { Here he offered me a draw. OK, I declined it because black had about 25 minutes left and I felt I should try and press at least a bit more. The other thing was that with his draw offer I could now safely predict black's response to Be1 (Qc5 with idea of repetition after Bf2 Qb4). } 24. Be1 Qc5 ( 24... a5 $6 25. Nd5 Qb7 26. Bc4 { followed by Rh2 and white is very safe. } ) 25. Bg3 a5 26. Bxf4 exf4 27. Nd5 ( { The alternative was: } 27. Rh3 a4 28. Qxf4 { and now maybe 28 ..g6 } ) 27... Bd8 { Strange, but I totally missed that the bishop could go in the other direction! } 28. Qxf4 a4 29. Rh2 Bxd5 30. exd5 ( { Not a positional concession (closing c4-f7 for the bishop) because the white bishop has at d3 also a good square: } 30. Rxd5 $2 Qc3 $1 31. Rd3 { And it's something of an optical illusion: this rook doesn't protect b3 } 31... axb3 32. cxb3 ( 32. Rxc3 bxa2+ 33. Ka1 Rb1# ) 32... Rxb3+ 33. axb3 Ra1# ) 30... Ba5 { with the idea Bc3 } 31. Qd4 Qa3 $6 { Better is 31 ..Qc7 32 Rh3 and black should be able to defend } 32. h5 $1 { Now white has time for this. } 32... Bb6 33. Qc3 ( 33. Qb2 Qxb2+ 34. Kxb2 Be3 $10 { with idea Bishop to e5 and black is solid. } ) 33... Ba5 34. Qd4 ( 34. Qb2 $2 Qxb2+ 35. Kxb2 a3+ 36. Kb1 Re8 $10 ) 34... Bb6 35. Qd3 Re8 36. g6 fxg6 37. hxg6 h6 $2 ( { Yes, now black is lost: } 37... Bd8 $1 { and white has to look for a draw! } 38. Rf2 Bf6 39. Rxf6 axb3 $1 40. Qxb3 Reb8 41. Bb5 $44 ) 38. Bh3 Bd8 39. Be6+ Rxe6 40. dxe6 Bf6 41. c3 axb3 42. Qc4 $1 Qa5 ( { The most unpleasant move for white, he can still easily lose! Among other things, black has a nasty check on f5 } 42... bxa2+ 43. Rxa2 Qxa2+ 44. Qxa2 Rxa2 45. Kxa2 Kf8 46. Rxd6 Ke7 47. Rc6 h5 48. c4 h4 49. Rc5 $1 Kxe6 50. Rh5 { and the win is simple with Kb3-a4-b5 etc. } ) ( 42... Rb8 43. e7+ Kh8 44. Rb2 bxa2+ 45. Qxa2 { and everything is covered. } ) 43. e7+ ( 43. Qxb3 $2 Qf5+ 44. -- Qxg6+ ) 43... Kh8 44. Re1 Be5 ( { The alternatives fair no better - but perhaps more entertaining for the gallery: } 44... Qf5+ 45. Qe4 bxa2+ 46. Rxa2 $18 ) ( 44... Bxe7 45. Rxe7 Qf5+ 46. Qe4 bxa2+ ( 46... Qf1+ 47. Kb2 Rxa2+ 48. Kxb3 { with no checks left to somehow salvage a draw. } ) 47. Ka1 Qf1+ 48. Qe1 $18 ) ( 44... Re8 45. axb3 { threatening Ra2 } ( 45. Qc6 $2 Qf5+ ) 45... Bxc3 46. Qf7 Qa1+ 47. Kc2 Qb2+ 48. Kd3 $18 ) 45. Qc6 ( { Another win but less elegant is: } 45. Qxb3 $18 ) 1-0