[Event "Eurotel Trophy"]
[Site "Prague CZE"]
[Date "2002.05.02"]
[Round "4.4"]
[White "Anand, Viswanathan"]
[Black "Ivanchuk, Vassily"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Hathaway, Mark"]
[BlackElo "2711"]
[ECO "B66"]
[EventDate "2002.04.28"]
[WhiteElo "2752"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 { I haven't seen this opening variation played by the top GMs in recent months. I suppose it was worn out and they needed to play something else, but there may have been a concensus that it was getting too easy for White to gain and keep the advantage. } 6. Bg5 { Richter } 6... e6 7. Qd2 a6 8. O-O-O h6 { Black sometime s uses ...g7-g5 to help fight for control of the dark squares, in lieu of having a Pe5 to do that. } 9. Be3 ( 9. Bf4 Bd7 ( 9... Nxd4 $4 10. Qxd4 e5 11. Bxe5 ) 10. Nxc6 Bxc6 11. f3 e5 12. Be3 b5 ) 9... Nxd4 { When I first saw this variation I was skeptical. How could you open the d-file for White's queen and rook without bad things happening? But, experience has shown it to be quite effective. The idea is that Black doesn't really want any particular piece sitting on c6, so he simply trades off and then prepares a queen-side offensive. } 10. Bxd4 ( 10. Qxd4 Qc7 ( 10... Ng4 11. Bf4 e5 ) ) 10... b5 11. f3 Qa5 ( { It might be important to act now, before White can play a2-a3. } 11... b4 12. Na4 Qa5 13. b3 Bd7 14. Bb6 Qe5 15. Nb2 a5 ) 12. a3 Be7 ( 12... b4 13. Na2 d5 14. e5 { and Pb4 is lost } ) 13. Kb1 { This could be an indication White has no advantage, but Anand is a patient person who doesn't feel he has to constantly be at the opponent's throat to have a chance to win. } ( 13. Na2 Qxd2+ 14. Rxd2 e5 15. Be3 Bb7 ) ( 13. Bxf6 gxf6 ( 13... Bxf6 14. Qxd6 Bxc3 15. bxc3 f6 16. Kb2 ) 14. f4 ) 13... e5 { I'd generally not be in favor of this move, as it helps White play through the center. } ( 13... Bd7 { might support the queen-side play, but it might also become a target if the d-file should open } 14. e5 dxe5 15. Bxe5 Bc6 ) 14. Bf2 Be6 ( 14... Bb7 { It's easy to forget Bf1 could strike at Pa6 or Pb5. Also, if there's a queen trade Black must be careful to not leave his queen-side too weak. } ) ( 14... O-O $4 15. Nd5 Qxd2 16. Nxe7+ Kh7 17. Rxd2 $18 ) 15. Be1 { threatening Nxb5. Earlier Black could depend upon ...axb5 to open the a-file so Ra8 could defend Qa5. But, now White would have two pieces attacking Qa5. } 15... Qc7 16. Bh4 Rd8 ( 16... g5 17. Bf2 { and Black's queen-side play has stalled, so only a weakened king-side would remain! White would play h2-h4xg5 to begin pecking at it. } ) 17. Bxf6 Bxf6 18. Nd5 Bxd5 19. Qxd5 Bg5 { aiming for ...Bg5-e3-d4, to get "outside the pawn chain" } 20. c3 Be3 21. Bd3 O-O 22. Bc2 Bc5 23. Bb3 { White's bishop is a little better. Black has difficulty forming threats against Kb1. } 23... a5 24. h4 g6 { Black won't allow h4-h5 to pin him down. Instead he aims to meet each White pawn thrust with a counter to keep files closed. } 25. g4 Kg7 26. Rhf1 Rde8 27. g5 hxg5 ( 27... h5 { White might proceed as follows: } 28. f4 exf4 29. Rxf4 Re5 30. Qd3 Qc6 31. Rdf1 Re7 32. Bd5 Qe8 33. b4 axb4 34. axb4 Bb6 35. Rf6 { with a threat to sacrifice a piece at f7 to undermine Pg6 and then e4-e5 to allow Qd3 to invade. Bd5 participates in the offensive, but Bb6 sits idle. } ) 28. hxg5 Be3 29. Qxd6 Qxd6 30. Rxd6 Bxg5 31. Rd5 { One simple move and Black's house of cards begins to crumble. Without queens there are too many weaknesses. } 31... b4 32. cxb4 axb4 33. axb4 Be3 { Now there's the question of whether White's pawn, doubled as it is, is sufficient to win. In this situation, unlike the earlier attacking scenario, the opposite color bishops might help the defender. } 34. b5 Re7 35. Rfd1 Rb8 36. Bc4 Rbb7 37. Kc2 Kf6 38. Rd6+ Kg7 { I wonder why he went back. } ( 38... Kg5 39. Kd3 Bd4 40. Rd2 Red7 41. Rxd7 Rxd7 42. Ke2 Rb7 { looks drawable because White's king has difficulty becoming more active } ) 39. Rc6 Kh6 ( 39... Bd4 { helps to keep White's forces split apart } ) 40. Kb3 Kg5 41. Rdd6 Kf4 42. Rf6+ { This is defensively more effective than Bc4-e2 because a Be2 is vulnerable to ...Kf4-g3-f2. It's also excellent to have Rf6 helping Pb5 to advance. } 42... Kg3 43. b6 Bf4 ( 43... g5 44. Ba6 Rb8 45. b7 Rbxb7+ 46. Bxb7 Rxb7+ 47. Kc2 Bf4 48. Rc3 $16 ) 44. Ba6 Rb8 45. Rc8 Rxc8 46. Bxc8 Be3 47. b7 Ba7 48. Ra6 Bb8 49. Ra8 Bc7 50. Bg4 f5 { Black's duty now is to get rid of all the pawns; though Pb2 is pretty much impervious to threats. } 51. exf5 gxf5 52. Bxf5 Kxf3 53. b8=Q Bxb8 54. Rxb8 { Here we arrive at a vastly simplified ending. White will likely have to give his bishop for Black's pawn, but only at the last minute and after White has advanced Pb2, so the rook & pawn ending is easily won. } 54... e4 { It's better to keep the rook behind the speedy pawn and let White check the Black king all he wants. } ( 54... Rf7 $2 55. Be6 Rf6 56. Bd5+ Ke3 57. Kc4 { and Pe5 can hardly advance at all } ) 55. Rf8 e3 ( 55... Ke2 56. Bg4+ Kd2 57. Rd8+ Ke3 58. Bd7 { For the moment Ke3 blocks Pe4, so Bd7 blocks Re7 from the queen-side. White is ready to advance his pawn. } 58... Kf2 59. Kc3 e3 60. Bb5 Ke1 ( 60... e2 61. Rd2 ) 61. Bc4 Re4 62. b4 $18 ) 56. Bd3+ { As in the note above the bishop goes to the other side of the pawn, far from Black's king and near White's king. White's rook and bishop form a nicely coordinated pincer which prevents Black's king from participating properly. } 56... Kg2 57. Be2 Rd7 58. Rf3 { Black's king is entirely isolated and Pe3 will have to have the defense of Black's rook, so that leaves White's king and pawn to gradually move up the board. } 58... Rb7+ 59. Kc2 Rc7+ 60. Kb1 Re7 61. b3 Re8 62. Kb2 Re7 63. b4 { Apparently Ivanchuk isn't able to out-tactic Anand, but Anand can out-position-play Ivanchuk. } 1-0