Game of the Month

A Defensive Novelty

Novelties are mainly conceived as new methods of putting pressure on one’s opponent, or moves backed up by previously unforeseen tactical ideas. In the game between Viswanathan Anand and Vladimir Kramnik from the recent Wijk aan Zee International, Anand demonstrated a defensive novelty – a move previously considered too naïve as Black is challenged to embark on an immediate attack. Kramnik obliged, but Anand was able to show that White’s position had enough tactical resources of its own to withstand the assault. The end result was an accurate game by both players, each responding to the unique demands of the position. The pleasing thing about modern chess is that now, a typical draw between world-class players is a sharp tangle of shots and countershots, rather than the yawns of yesteryear.

[Event "Hoogovens"]

[Site "Wijk aan Zee NED"]

[Date "1998.01.26"]

[Round "09"]

[White "Anand,V"]

[Black "Kramnik,V"]

[Result "1/2-1/2"]

[ECO "B33"]

[WhiteElo "2770"]

[BlackElo "2790"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5

The Sveshnikov Variation.

6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 8. Na3 b5 9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. Nd5

DIAGRAM

Bg7

This move is recommended in my forthcoming book on the Sveshnikov from Hays Publishing as Black’s most practical, as the lines 10 … f5 11 Bxb5, 10 … f5 11 Nxb5 and 10 … f5 11 Bd3 are completely avoided.

11. Bd3

The move which gives 10 … Bg7 its most distinctive flavor, as the push … f6-f5 is stopped for now. Instead, 11 c3 generally transposes to comparatively quiet lines after 11 … f5 12 exf5 Bxf5 13 Nc2. An unusual line is 11 Ne3 radically preventing ... f5. Klinger - Vaiser, Szirak 1985 was a good example of the explosive possibilities in Black’s position: 11 ... Ne7 12 Qh5 (if 12 g4 h5!) f5 13 exf5 e4 14 O-O-O O-O 15 f3 Qb6 with a good game for Black. Another important alternative on White’s 11^th is the widely overlooked immediate 11 c4. Then Beliavsky - Dolmatov, Yugoslavia 1992, continued 11 ... f5 (not 11 ...b4 12.Nc2 a5 13.Bd3 and White just stands much better due to his solid control over d5 and f5) 12.cxb5 Nd4 13.Bd3 0-0 with decent compensation for the pawn.

Ne7

The point of 10 … Bg7. Black aims to eliminate the White knight on d5, and then advance in the center, even at the cost of a pawn.

12. Nxe7 Qxe7 13. O-O

A strange variant was seen in Furlan, Ankerst, Bled, 1995: 13.c3 f5 14.Nc2 (14 exf5 e4 is just good for Black) Qb7?! (14 ... Bb7!, meeting 15 exf5 with 15 ... Qg5, is the right way to handle the slow 13 c3) 15.Qf3 d5 16.exf5 e4 17.Qg3 Bf6 18.Be2 and

White has the more reliable position.

O-O

If Black wants to avoid Anand’s treatment of this position, he can play 13 … f5 instead, after which White would usually respond with 14 c4 (see the next note). In Enders - Kalinichev, Budapest, 1995, White instead played passively with 14 f3 0-0 14.Kh1 d5 15.c3 Rd8

16.Qe2 dxe4 17.fxe4 f4 with advantage for Black.

DIAGRAM

14. Qf3!?

Nearly universally played here is 14 c4 f5!, and then White has a choice between 15 Qe2, 15 Re1, 15 Qf3, 15 Qh5, and the naïve-looking captures 15 exf5 and 15 cxb5. With the text White tries to stifle Black’s counterplay, but the Black pawns are on the march now anyway. Of course, Anand and Kramnik are several levels above this – Anand just believes that he will have good chances of holding on to the booty in the face of Black’s attack.

f5! 15. exf5 d5!

Kramnik does not hesitate to offer a double-pawn sacrifice. Not 15 … Bb7? 16 Be4 and White immediately neutralizes the long diagonal.

16. Qxd5 Bb7 17. Qb3 e4 18. Be2 Qg5

This is the critical position for judging Black’s play. Less good would have been 18 … Qe5 19 Nc4 and White radically solves his main problem – the poor position of the knight on a3. Here 19 Nc4 loses to 19 … Bd5.

19. Rad1

While Black has two fearsome bishops, White can still try to establish piece play in the center, as it will at least take Black some time to recoup some material. For example, 19 … Qxf5 can now be met by 20 c4!, although White can also simplify with 20 Nc4 Bd5 21 Ne3. Kramnik decides to focus his attention more directly on White’s kingside.

e3 20. f3 Be5!

Threatening to start real trouble with … Qg5-h4.

21. Nc4 Bf4

Not 21 … bxc4 22 Qxb7 Qh4? 23 f4 Bxf4 24 g3 and White wins.

22. Rd4

DIAGRAM

Bd5!

Taking advantage of the unique overloading of the White rook on d4: it needs to be on the fourth rank to deal with the threat of … Qg5-h4, and it also has been performing the job of preventing … Bb7-d5.

23. Rxf4

Simpler was 23 Rxd5 Qh4 24 g3 (White just loses after 24 h3?? Qg3) Bxg3 25 hxg3 Qxg3+ with a perpetual. Anand is looking for a little more out of the position. First he eliminates Black’s kingside play.

Qxf4 24. Qxe3

White currently has three pawns for the Exchange.

Qxf5!

An accurately calculated defensive series.

25. Bd3 Qf6 26. Nb6 Rad8 27. Nxd5 Rxd5 28. Qe4 Qd4+

Stopping all of the threats. The endgame is even, as although Black has rook against bishop, White has solid pawn majorities on both sides of the board.

29. Qxd4 Rxd4 30. Re1 1/2-1/2