Anand back in Business

After a bad performance in Gibraltar the former world champion Vishy Anand is in his element in Zurich. First he did well at the blitz event, sharing the second place and defeating the sole winner Hikaru Nakamura. Yesterday was even better for him after a convincing start of the rapid part of the event. First there was a blitz-krieg against Aronian:

[Event "Zürich Chess Challenge 2016"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2016.02.13"]
[Round "1.3"]
[White "Anand, Viswanathan"]
[Black "Aronian, Levon"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2784"]
[BlackElo "2792"]
[Annotator "Bojkov, Dejan"]
[PlyCount "37"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]
[WhiteClock "0:28:15"]
[BlackClock "0:23:36"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. Nc3 {[%csl Gc3,Gc6,Gf3,Gf6] Diagram [#] One
more way to avoid the Berlin- just get into the Four Knights.} Bd6 {A fighting
move. Aronian avoids the heavily explored lines after} (4... Bb4) ({Or} 4...
Nd4 {which both have somewhat drawish reputation.}) 5. O-O O-O 6. d3 Re8 {
One of Black's plans is to transfer the knight to g6 and go for regroupment
with c7-c6 and Bd6-c7. The immediate} (6... Ne7 {however allows the highly
entertaining} 7. Nxe5 Bxe5 8. d4 d6 9. dxe5 dxe5 10. Be3 {with advantage for
White in Michiels,B (2462) -Stefanova,A (2527) Antwerp 2009}) 7. a3 h6 8. Bc4
Bc5 9. Be3 Bxe3 (9... d6 {looks more solid.}) 10. fxe3 {[%csl Yf7,Rg8][%cal
Gf1f7,Gc4f7,Gf3h4,Gh4f5,Rd1f3,Rd1e1,Re1g3] Diagram [#] Now that the "f" file
has been opened White's plan is crystal-clear- Nf3-h4-f5 followed by either
Qd1-f3 or sometimes Qd1-e1-g3 and mate on the kingside.} d6 11. Nh4 ({Also
good is} 11. Qe1 Ne7 12. Nh4 c6 13. Qg3 {with kingside attack in Bicho,
N-Santos,A Aveiro 2003}) 11... Be6 $146 {This is Black's best bet but his
position remains highly suspicious after Anand's reply.} ({The only
predecessor saw:} 11... Na5 $2 {When instead of White could have won with the
beautiful} 12. Bxf7+ $3 {Diagram [#]} Kxf7 13. Qh5+ Kg8 (13... Kf8 14. Rxf6+
Qxf6 (14... gxf6 15. Qxh6+ Kf7 16. Qh7+ Kf8 (16... Ke6 17. Nd5 Nc6 18. Nf5 {
and Black is helpless.}) 17. Ng6#) 15. Rf1) 14. Rxf6 $1 gxf6 (14... Qxf6 15.
Qxe8+) 15. Qg6+ Kf8 16. Qh7 Re6 17. Nf5 Ke8 18. Nd5 $18 {[%csl Ya5,Ya8,Rc7,Yc8,
Yd8,Ye6,Re8][%cal Rd5c7] Diagram [#] and Black cannot parry the threat Nd5xc7+!
}) 12. Nf5 $1 {The knight on f5 is more important than any double pawns on the
"c" file. There will be no endgame!} Bxc4 ({Or} 12... Bxf5 13. Rxf5 {when
White proceeds with his kingside attack and the attempt to bring fresh
defenders with} Ne7 {fails to} 14. Rxf6 $1 gxf6 15. Qh5 Rf8 16. Qxh6 $18) 13.
dxc4 Kh7 14. Qf3 {Diagram [#] The outcome of the opening battle is a failiure
for Aronian. On the top of that he blunders.} Nb8 $2 ({Black is usually trying
to bring a pawn on f6 in these positions. However} 14... Ng8 {will be strongly
met with} 15. c5 $1 ({It is too early for} 15. Nxg7 Kxg7 16. Qxf7+ Kh8) 15...
dxc5 16. Rad1 {with clear edge for White after} Qg5 17. Rd7 Qg6 18. Rxc7 {
[%csl Gc7,Gf1,Gf3,Gf5] Diagram [#]} ({Or} 18. Nd5)) 15. Nxh6 $1 {[%csl Yh7]
Diagram [#] A deadly blow! It is highly unusual to see a top GM losing that
quickly, albeit in a rapid game.} Kxh6 ({Or} 15... gxh6 16. Qxf6 Qxf6 17. Rxf6
{with certain loss in the endgame.}) 16. Qh3+ Kg6 ({Since} 16... Nh5 {loses to
both} 17. g4 ({And} 17. Rxf7 {is very convincing too.}) 17... g6 18. gxh5) 17.
Rf3 Nh5 18. Rf5 $1 {Diagram [#] The final touch.} Nf6 (18... Rh8 19. Qg4+ Kh6
20. Rxh5#) 19. Qh4 {Aronian resigned just a move before the mate.} 1-0

Then came a devilish trick against Giri:

[Event "Zurich Chess Challenge 2016"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2016.02.13"]
[Round "2.2"]
[White "Giri, Anish"]
[Black "Anand, Viswanathan"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2798"]
[BlackElo "2784"]
[Annotator "Bojkov, Dejan"]
[PlyCount "92"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]
[WhiteClock "0:02:42"]
[BlackClock "0:06:21"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. O-O Nf6 5. d3 d6 6. c3 a6 7. a4 O-O 8. Re1 h6
({A fresh game saw} 8... Ba7 9. Na3 h6 10. Nc2 Re8 11. Be3 Be6 12. Bxe6 Rxe6
13. Bxa7 Rxa7 14. d4 exd4 15. Nfxd4 Nxd4 16. Qxd4 Ra8 {with approximate
equality, So,W (2773)-Mamedyarov,S (2747) Wijk aan Zee 2016}) 9. h3 Be6 10.
Bxe6 fxe6 {[%csl Rf2][%cal Gd8e8,Ge8g6,Rf6h5,Rh5f4,Rf8f2,Rc5f2] Diagram [#]
Funnily, Anand is trying to achieve similar position to the one he had against
Aronian the round before with reversed colours!} 11. Be3 Bxe3 $146 {The
simplest and strongest move.} ({The predecessor saw Black getting into some
trouble after:} 11... Ba7 12. Bxa7 Rxa7 13. d4 (13. b4 $5) 13... exd4 14. cxd4
e5 15. Nc3 $14 {[%csl Gd4,Ge4] Diagram [#] Duexmann,M (1060)-Fraenzel,M (1495)
Solingen 2005}) 12. Rxe3 Qd7 (12... Nh5 {is premature due to the standard trick
} 13. Nxe5 $1) ({But} 12... Qe8 {is perfectly playable.}) 13. Nbd2 ({Normally
White will be happy to advance in the center, but} 13. d4 {allows} exd4 14.
cxd4 d5 15. e5 Ne4 $11) 13... Qf7 14. g3 (14. b4 $5 {Diagram [#] to exapand on
the queenside makes sense as well.}) 14... Nd7 15. Kg2 a5 $1 {[%csl Gb4][%cal
Ga5b4] Diagram [#] Anand can be happy with the opening, he equalized
comfortably.} 16. Qc2 Nc5 17. Rf1 Qd7 18. b3 Ne7 (18... Rf7 {is more obvious,
but Anand's move is more concrete.}) 19. Nc4 b5 {[%csl Rb3] Diagram [#] The
point behind Black's play. He gets counterplay against the b3 pawn.} 20. axb5
Qxb5 21. Rb1 Nc6 22. Ncd2 Rab8 23. d4 {Giri is trying to reduce the pressure
against the b3 pawn.} Nd7 (23... exd4 24. Nxd4 Qb7 25. Nxc6 Qxc6 26. b4 {
is somewhat better for White instead.}) 24. dxe5 Ndxe5 25. Nd4 {Safer was} (25.
Nxe5 Qxe5 26. f4 Qc5 27. Qd3 Qb5 28. Qxb5 Rxb5 {Diagram [#] with approximate
equality.}) 25... Nxd4 26. cxd4 Nc6 27. Qc3 Qb6 {Now the weaknesses are
leveling themselves. The black pawns on c7 and a5 do not look too good, but
neither do d4 and b3 in White's camp.} 28. Nf3 Nb4 29. Qc4 Rbe8 30. Rc1 Rf7 31.
Nd2 $6 {A serious inaccuracy. Correct was:} (31. Ne1 $1 {when} Ref8 32. Qxe6 {
may lead to a sweet draw after} d5 $1 33. exd5 (33. Qxb6 $2 Rxf2+ {is bad for
White.}) 33... Qxe6 34. dxe6 Rxf2+ 35. Kg1 Rf1+ 36. Kh2 R8f2+ 37. Ng2 Rxc1 38.
e7 {Diagram [#]} Rf8 39. exf8=Q+ Kxf8 $11) 31... Ref8 32. f4 $2 {One
inaccuracy leads to a serious mistake.} ({This time} 32. Qxe6 $2 {was bad for
White as the knight on d2 is hanging} d5 $1 33. exd5 Qxe6 34. dxe6 Rxf2+) ({
However} 32. Rf1 $1 {was correct when the game would have remained
approximately even.}) 32... e5 $1 {[%csl Yd4,Re3,Yf4,Rg2] Diagram [#] Anand
immediately spots a tactical possibility and nets a pawn.} 33. Nf3 (33. f5 exd4
) (33. fxe5 d5 $1) 33... exf4 34. gxf4 d5 $1 {[%csl Yc4,Ye4,Rg2] Diagram [#]
And sacrifices is back for activity. The real problem for Giri is not the pawn,
but the horrendous situation of his king.} 35. exd5 Qd6 36. Ne5 Rxf4 37. Kg1 {
The pawn on c7 is taboo due to the knight fork} (37. Qxc7 Qxc7 38. Rxc7 Nxd5
$19 {[%csl Yc7,Ye3] Diagram [#]}) 37... Kh7 (37... Nxd5 38. Rg3 {is less clear.
}) 38. Rg3 R8f5 39. Rg4 {Once more the c7 pawn is invincible:} (39. Qxc7 Rf1+
40. Kh2 R5f2+ 41. Rg2 Qf6 $19 {[%csl Rh2] Diagram [#]}) 39... Qf6 {Anand
energetically conducts the attack.} 40. Rxf4 Rxf4 41. Rf1 Qg5+ 42. Kh2 Re4 43.
Nf3 ({Slightly more resilent is} 43. Rg1 {but this should also lose say after}
Qf4+ 44. Kh1 Qf5 45. Kh2 Re3 46. Qf1 Qxf1 47. Rxf1 Rxb3 $19) 43... Qf4+ {
Diagram [#]} 44. Kg2 Re3 45. Qc1 Re2+ 46. Kh1 Qg3 0-1

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