Carlsen wins second game against Anand

Magnus Carlsen demonstrated his amazing ability to make something from nothing as he won the second game of his world championship match against Viswanathan Anand in Sochi. The world champion now leads 1.5-0.5 in the 12-game match.

Carlsen opted to play the Spanish Opening with white and chose an early exchange of Bishop for Kt in order to avoid sharp variations. The position seemed to be almost dead-equal. But Carlsen slowly developed an initiative on the kingside with a clever manoeuvre that allowed his queen's rook to come into the attack by an unusual route. Anand underestimated the danger and by move 20, white had a strong initiative.

Anand was forced to head into an inferior endgame and a position that both players said they considered very unpleasant for black . White held all the trumps in the resulting simplified position. He had the better pawn structure, and much more active pieces with severe domination in a double rook and queen endgame.  

It looked as though Carlsen had several ways to win without too much trouble and most of the analysts expected white to head into a winning endgame. However, Anand tried to complicate the situation with a pawn breakout and that led to forcing complications where White probably retained a winning advantage.

Both players were in time trouble when Anand blundered in a difficult position and allowed a mating attack. Black resigned on move 35.

White: Carlsen Vs Black: Anand, Game II, World Championship Sochi 2014

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.0-0 d6 6.Re1 0-0 7.Bxc6 bxc6 8.h3 Re8 9.Nbd2 Nd7 10.Nc4 Bb6 11.a4 a5 12.Nxb6 cxb6 13.d4 Qc7 14.Ra3 Nf8 15.dxe5 dxe5 16.Nh4 Rd8 17.Qh5 f6 18.Nf5 Be6 19.Rg3 Ng6 20.h4 Bxf5 21.exf5 Nf4 22.Bxf4 exf4 23.Rc3 c5 24.Re6 Rab8 25.Rc4 Qd7 26.Kh2 Rf8 27.Rce4 Rb7 28.Qe2 b5 29.b3 bxa4 30.bxa4 Rb4 31.Re7 Qd6 32.Qf3 Rxe4 33.Qxe4 f3+ 34.g3 h5 35.Qb7 (1-0)