[Event "GMA"]
[Site "Wijk aan Zee NED"]
[Date "2004.01.18"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Zhang Zhong"]
[Black "Anand,V"]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Henderson"]
[BlackElo "2766"]
[ECO "A05"]
[EventDate "2004.01.10"]
[WhiteElo "2639"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d3 ( { A possible option indicated by Anand is: } 3. Nc3 a6 4. d3 b5 { As it is, Anand hopes save a tempi by playing the same system though without a6. } ) 3... b5 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 d6 { Anand was looking for an unbalanced position because Zhong has the reputation of being a very tenacious player. } 6. O-O Nf6 7. Ng5 { Morozevich has a patent on this move; the idea is to make the f2-f4 advance possible. } 7... h6 8. Nh3 Nc6 9. f4 Be7 10. Be3 $6 ( 10. Nd2 h5 11. Nf3 { followed by Nf2 and white has a small edge. } ) 10... h5 11. Nf2 d5 12. e5 Nd7 $2 ( { After the game, Anand thought he should have continued with: } 12... d4 13. exf6 ( 13. Bd2 Nd5 $10 ) 13... dxe3 14. fxe7 exf2+ 15. Rxf2 Qd7 ( 15... Qxe7 $6 16. f5 $1 ) ) 13. c4 bxc4 14. dxc4 Nb6 15. Na3 Rb8 $2 ( 15... Nb4 { and black is fine } ) 16. Nd3 d4 $2 { Now black is strategically in a very difficult position because he is without any counterplay. } 17. Bd2 g6 18. b3 Kf8 $1 ( 18... O-O $2 { This would be very bad, because the black king will be exposed after g4 and f5, while now with the black rook at h8, it is not advisable to open the kingside. } ) 19. Nc2 Nd7 20. Qe2 ( { Another idea for white is to keep his light squared bishop. } 20. Nce1 Na5 21. Nf3 ) 20... Qc7 21. h3 Nd8 22. Nce1 $6 ( { The real turning point in the game, according to Anand. Instead, white could have kept control of the position after } 22. Rab1 $1 { and black has no counterplay in this position, as he cannot open any files. That means that for white, the ideal plan is to first close the queenside, then put his king there (e.g. b2) and then he can open the kingside with g4 and f5. An illustrative variation from Anand, was: } 22... Bxg2 23. Qxg2 Nc6 24. a3 a5 25. a4 { followed by Na3-Nb5, king to b2 and only then action on the kingside. } ) 22... Bxg2 23. Nxg2 Ke8 { Black wants to move his king to the queenside. } 24. g4 $2 { Not a very good idea to open these files (which black could not open himself!) with the king still on g1. In fact in this position the white king is worst placed than black's because of the distance to the safe queenside! } 24... hxg4 25. hxg4 Qc6 26. Rf3 Qa6 $1 { Anand was very pleased with this move because now he can win some tempi while reorganizing his pieces and his king. } 27. Qd1 ( { The point of Anand's little queen shuffle to a6: white has to waste time and move his queen away from the kingside to protect a2, as } 27. Be1 $2 Rxb3 $1 ) ( 27. Nc1 Nc6 { and again the king runs to c7 while white has the rook and knight tied up defending the queenside. } ) 27... Nc6 28. Qc2 Kd8 29. Re1 Kc7 { Now black is totally fine, he has finally counterplay along the h-file. } 30. f5 $2 { By this stage in the press room we were wondering when Zhong would eventually crack - it's here $1 Running out of constructive ideas and also time on his clock, this is more or less a major blunder. Now white's king can never escape from the g-file because of Rh1+. In this game white ruined a beautiful position by opening files that black could never have opened. } 30... gxf5 31. gxf5 Rbg8 32. fxe6 fxe6 33. Rf7 Kc8 $1 { With the subtle threat of Rh5 and ganging up on the e-pawn. Zhong decides to go out with a flurry by sacrificing the exchange. } 34. Bf4 Bf8 35. Qf2 Nd8 36. Rxd7 Kxd7 37. b4 Ke8 $1 38. bxc5 Rh3 39. Qc2 Qc6 40. Re2 ( 40. Re2 Qf3 41. Rd2 Nc6 { and white's position is basically hanging together by a thread - the position is hopeless. } ) 0-1