Anand equals Carlsen with Game 3 win

Viswanathan Anand tied the World Chess Championship match with a win against world champion Magnus Carlsen in Game 3. Both players have won one game each, leaving the 12 -game match wide open. The challenger displayed excellent opening preparation to wrest an early advantage and he managed to convert it.

Anand played an unusually sharp variation with the white pieces after Carlsen declined his Queen's Gambit. This is a favourite line of Armenian Grandmaster, Levon Aronian. Carlsen said in the press conference that he regretted his opening choice because he ran into strong preparation.

It was a very unbalanced position. Both players had dangerous-looking passed pawns but it quickly became apparent that white's passed pawn on c7 was more powerful. It could be supported by all white's pieces and it tied black down to defence. White's advantage became crushing because all his pieces became more active as the pawn created pressure. Carlsen ran into time pressure and sacrificed a piece in desperation. But it was all over by move 34 as black resigned in a hopeless position.

White: Anand Viswanathan Vs Black : Carlsen Magnus
Game 3, World Championship Match, Sochi 2014

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Be7 5. Bf4 O-O 6. e3 Nbd7 7. c5 c6 8. Bd3 b6 9. b4 a5 10. a3 Ba6 11. Bxa6 Rxa6 12. b5 cxb5 13. c6 Qc8 14. c7 b4 15. Nb5 a4 16. Rc1 Ne4 17. Ng5 Ndf6 18. Nxe4 Nxe4 19. f3 Ra5 20. fxe4 Rxb5 21. Qxa4 Ra5 22. Qc6 bxa3 23. exd5 Rxd5 24. Qxb6 Qd7 25. O-O Rc8 26. Rc6 g5 27. Bg3 Bb4  28. Ra1 Ba5 29. Qa6 Bxc7 30. Qc4 e5 31. Bxe5 Rxe5 32. dxe5 Qe7 33. e6 Kf8 34. Rc1 (1-0)