Chess (#1071)

The world title match has seen two bloodless draws and two wild fights that ended with the point being split. On the basis of what we've seen so far, this could go either way and the margin of victory is likely to be narrow.

Oddly neither player has yet achieved an edge with the white pieces and the advantage of starting first. Both seem to be more comfortable playing black. It's not clear whether this has resulted from some sort of gap in preparation or both are reserving their best shots for later in the 12-game match.

In Game three, Viswanathan Anand had the pressure and Magnus Carlsen had to find an accurate defence and struggled to hold with white. In game 4, Carlsen was better and Anand had to find the accurate defence and hold with white.

Actually "accurate defence" is the wrong description for what was required to balance the inferior positions in both cases. Carlsen had to counter-attack in Game 3 or risk losing from an extremely passive position. In game 4, Anand had to keep active play to compensate for a permanent material deficit.

Both game 3 and 4 were of extremely high standards but in both games, the man with the initiative may have missed a couple of chances. This is inevitable. Even world champions don't play with the sort of inhuman accuracy that computer engines take for granted.

Even with engine analysis, it isn't entirely clear if Carlsen missed an absolute win in Game 4. He could have improved his play slightly at some points and that may have been enough. Anand in contrast may have missed a couple of clear wins in game three, although even this might be disputable since white has defensive chances even in the resulting positions.

One of Anand's clearest chances came in the Diagram, BLACK TO PLAY, (White: Carlsen Vs Black: Anand, Game 3, World Championships, Chennai 2013).

Anand played 34.-- Bxb2 and it gradually eased into a draw after 35.Qf3 Bf6 36.Rxd3 Rxd3 37.Rxd3 Rd8 38.Rxd8 Bxd8 39.Bd3 Qd4 40.Bxb5 Qf6 41.Qb7+ Be7 42.Kg2 g5 43.hxg5 Qxg5 44.Bc4 h4 45.Qc7 hxg3 46.Qxg3 e5 47.Kf3 Qxg3+ 48.fxg3 Bc5 49.Ke4 Bd4 50.Kf5 Bf2 51.Kxe5 Bxg3+ (½-½).

Instead, black can play 34.-Rf8 35. Bxd3 Qd6! (this threatens to hit Qxg3, relying on the pin) 36. Qg2 Rxf2! Now white's best try is 37. Rxf2 Rf8 38. Rdd2 Rxf2 39. Rxf2 Bxf2+ 40. Qxf2 Qxd3. Now black is a pawn ahead and in theory, he should have winning chances. However, white has possibilities of delivering perpetual check since the black king is exposed.

Devangshu Datta is an internationally rated chess and correspondence chess player