[Event "SuperGM"]
[Site "Linares ESP"]
[Date "2002.02.25"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Kasparov, Garri"]
[Black "Anand, Viswanathan"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Hathaway, Mark"]
[BlackElo "2757"]
[ECO "B49"]
[WhiteElo "2838"]

1. e4 c5 { Anand has played the Sicilian Defense, Spanish Game (Open or closed variations) , Scandinavian Defense and (against some opponents) the French Defense or Caro-Kann Defense. Recently he has been playing the Sicilian Defense with ...e6. } 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Qc7 { Black's opening seems particularly aimed at preventing any Sozin-like variation (Qc7 makes Bf1-c4 unlikely) or a Richter (Bc1-g5 to pin a Nf6) as there is no Nf6. So, White develops more quietly and will latch onto a concrete plan a bit later, after he's seen how Black has developed. } 6. Be2 a6 7. O-O Nf6 8. Be3 Bb4 ( 8... d6 { completes a transformation to a classical Scheveningen Variation. } ) ( 8... b5 9. Nxc6 dxc6 ( 9... Qxc6 $4 10. e5 { and Be2-f3 will be tremendously advantageous to White } 10... Bb7 11. Bf3 Nd5 12. Nxd5 exd5 13. Qd4 $16 ) ) 9. Na4 Be7 ( 9... Nxe4 { has also been played } ) 10. Nxc6 bxc6 11. Nb6 Rb8 12. Nxc8 Qxc8 { With this short flurry White has the two bishops and a simpler pawn formation. It's the next phase of the game which will resolve whether those two bishops are powerful. } 13. Bd4 O-O 14. e5 { Earlier in the tournament Shirov played 14. Qd3, which gave a small advantage. } ( 14. Bd3 c5 15. Bc3 c4 16. Be2 Nxe4 ) 14... Nd5 15. c4 { Kasparov advances pawns to help ensure Black's pieces get chased around and Pd7 stays backward (gaining a grip on d6) . But, in so doing he makes moves like ...f7-f6xe5 possible, and he blocks the attack on Pa6 (however slight or insignificant that might seem) . } 15... Nf4 16. Bf3 { This is a far less desirable square for the bishop than d3, but I suppose it is heading to e4. } 16... Qc7 17. Re1 Ng6 18. c5 { One of the curious aspects of this kind of position is the difficulty of getting at Pd7, despite it being on an open file and almost indefensible. Defense of the exposed Pe5 and Pb2 keep White busy. } 18... f6 { Anand doesn't wait for Bf3-e4xg6 because that would weaken his king's position, probably making a later ...f7-f6 impossible. } 19. exf6 Bxf6 20. Be4 Nf4 21. Bxf6 ( 21. g3 $4 { allows Black's knight too many possibilities } 21... Nh3+ 22. Kg2 Bxd4 ) 21... Rxf6 { With two open files occupied by rooks it appears Black has adequate compensation for the backward Pd7. All those Black pawns on light squares limit Be4 (only Ph7 is truly exposed to the bishop) } 22. Qc2 h6 23. Rad1 Nd5 24. g3 { It's not so easy for Black to find a very good plan here. Certainly Pa2, Pb2 and Pc5 are worth attacking, but he must also realize White can fight with f2-f4-f5 to undermine Nd5 and to weaken Kg8. There is also Bxd5 cxd5 to mobilize Pc5. White holds the central files and Black has to use his long-distance pieces (queen and rooks) to work from the edges, hitting all the crucial points. } 24... a5 ( 24... Qa5 25. Bxd5 cxd5 26. a3 ( 26. c6 $2 Rc8 ( 26... dxc6 27. Qxc6 Rb6 ) ) 26... Rc8 27. Rc1 Rc6 28. Re3 { defending Pa3 to prepare b2-b4 } 28... d6 29. b4 Qb5 30. Rc3 dxc5 31. Rxc5 Rxc5 $13 ) ( 24... Qb7 { As with Qa5 this plans some offense, but it stays in touch with square c6. } 25. Rd2 Qb5 26. f4 { and White threatens f4-f5 to undermine Nd5 } ) ( 24... Rbf8 25. f4 Nxf4 $2 26. gxf4 Qxf4 27. Rd2 Qg4+ 28. Bg2 { and White seems secure enough to begin thinking about ways to repel Black and go on the offense } ( 28. Kh1 $4 Rf1+ 29. Rxf1 Rxf1# ) ) ( 24... g5 $5 { exposes Kg8, but gets a grip on the important f4 square } ) 25. a3 { Before committing to such weakening moves as f2-f4 he prevents ...Nd5-b4, which would gain a valuable tempo, hitting Qc2. This also prevents ...Rb8-b4. } 25... Rff8 { I suppose he might have an idea of adding pressure on the b-file with doubled rooks, but it seems unlikely this could succeed and he would be removing a valuable defender from his king. } 26. Re2 ( 26. Rd4 { prevents ...a5-a4, thus freeing the way for Qc2-e2-g4-g6. The maneuver ...Qc7-e5-g5 is prevented by Be4-h7+. } ) 26... Qd8 { So, Anand brings Qd8 toward the king-side, but that would leave Pa5 weaker. How does he think this will succeed? } 27. Rd4 Rb7 28. Bh7+ ( { an appealing, but false trail: } 28. Qd1 Qf6 29. Bxd5 exd5 30. Rxd5 Rxb2 31. Rxd7 Rxe2 32. Qxe2 Qa1+ 33. Kg2 Qxa3 ) ( 28. f4 $5 { idea: f4-f5 to undermine Nd5 and further weaken Kg8 by opening lines for White's rooks } 28... e5 $4 29. Bxd5+ cxd5 30. Rxe5 $16 ) 28... Kh8 29. Bd3 { White's pieces look active, but they get in each other's way. Ideally he'd like to get his queen in front of Bd3 (at e4 for example) to attack Kh8, but he can't because Re2 is in the way. All the weaknesses put demands on his pieces and they're not free to just attack. } 29... Qf6 30. Ra4 Ra8 31. Qd2 Qd8 32. Bb1 Rb5 { This is consistent with his plan to defend Pa5 and threaten Pc5, but Rb5 can't easily get to the king-side for defense. Black depends upon his queen, knight and possibly Ra8 to defend the king-side. White might be able to bring all his pieces to bear on the king-side. } 33. Rh4 ( 33. Qd3 Nf6 ) 33... Qe7 { This is a gutsy move. It allows White to win Ph6 and continues the plan to pressure White's queen-side. Or, perhaps he just overlooked that Kasparov might capture Ph6. } ( 33... Qf6 $4 34. Qd3 Kg8 35. Qh7+ Kf7 36. Rg4 { and White's attack gains ground } ) ( 33... Qf8 $5 { defends Ph6, leaves open f6 for the knight and attacks Pc5 } ) 34. Rxh6+ Kg8 ( 34... gxh6 $4 35. Qxh6+ Kg8 36. Re4 ) 35. Rh4 Rab8 36. Bh7+ Kf7 37. Qd3 Qg5 { This seems aggressive because he's keeping his king safe and still expecting to break through on the queen-side. To capture Pb2 and allow White to succeed in the attack on Kf7 wouldn't be good. But, however scary it may seem, it's not clear White has anything. } ( 37... Rxb2 38. Bg6+ Kg8 39. Qf3 { idea: Rh4-h8+ (to pull Black's king onto the h-file) Qf3-h5+-h7+-h8# } 39... Nf6 ( 39... Qf6 $4 40. Rxb2 Rxb2 41. Rh8+ Kxh8 42. Qh5+ Kg8 43. Qh7+ Kf8 44. Qh8+ Ke7 45. Qe8# ) ( 39... Qg5 $4 40. Qf7# ) 40. Re5 { intending Re5-h5-h8# } ( 40. Qf4 Qxc5 ) 40... R8b3 ( 40... Qf8 { This very computer-ish move, aimed at generating counterplay at f2, would have to be found on the time control move, no doubt with little time. With Kg8 boxed-in Black couldn't have much confidence in the situation, even if it really would hold a draw. } ) 41. Reh5 Nxh5 42. Qxh5 Qxh4 43. Qxh4 Rb8 44. Qh7+ Kf8 45. Qh8+ Ke7 46. Qxg7+ Kd8 47. h4 $18 ) ( 37... Qxc5 $5 { This is an anti-intuitive move which might have the best chance of winning. Walking away from the king's defense actually opens a path for the king to perhaps walk away from the attackers. However, this probably wasn't his original plan intention. } ) 38. Qd4 Rxb2 { a tactical trick in time trouble? If 39. Rxb2 Qc1+ regains the rook. } 39. Bg6+ Kg8 ( { Another computer-ish move which one probably wouldn't be considering is } 39... Kxg6 40. Rxb2 $4 ( 40. Rg4 Rxe2 41. Qd3+ ( 41. Rxg5+ $4 Kxg5 ) 41... Kf6 42. Rxg5 Re1+ 43. Kg2 Kxg5 44. Qd2+ Ne3+ 45. fxe3 Reb1 ) 40... Qc1+ 41. Kg2 Qxb2 42. Rg4+ Kh5 43. Rh4+ Kg5 ) 40. Bh7+ Kf7 41. Bg6+ Kg8 42. Bh7+ { The complications can be overwhelming and the players choose not to lose when they don't see a way to win. For example, Anand could have tried 42...Kf8 to end the attacking checks, hoping for time to continue his plan. But, being down a pawn and seeing Kasparov grasping at perpetual check, he probably felt like it was a good idea to draw. } 1/2-1/2