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Anand errs, Carslen capitalises again

Devangshu Datta Chennai
Magnus Carlsen cemented his lead in the world championship match by winning his second game in succession. Carlsen defeated the world champion Viswanathan Anand in Game Six, forcing resignation after 68 moves. It was another impressively accurate performance by the young Norwegian grandmaster. He gradually nursed a small advantage into a win after Anand made an almost imperceptible error in a very technical rook endgame.

Carlsen summed it up well. He got a "pretty solid position" out of the opening and he could play for a win without a risk. After Anand sacrificed (or blundered) a pawn, Carlsen got a good rook ending but he was not at all sure it was winning.

However, he managed to find a sharp trap in the endgame and Anand failed to hold the position when he had to find exact moves. A visibly disturbed Anand admitted this was a "heavy blow" but he said he will try to wipe it from his memory and do his best to fight back.

Carlsen defended again with the Berlin Defence to Anand's Spanish opening - this had occurred in Game 4 also. However, Anand deviated on move 4 and looked to keep more pieces on and develop a king-side attack. This is a position both players know very well - they have played both sides of it against each other as many as seven times.

White revealed a new idea on 10. Bg5 but black defended solidly, forcing a series of simplifying exchanges. Black quickly reached a superior Queen + Rook ending where white has a weak pawn structure. It seemed as though white could easily hold the draw however.

Anand dropped a pawn on 38. Qg3. It wasn't clear whether he did this deliberately or he blundered. After that, the rook endgame appeared to be drawn but Carlsen kept finding ways to create subtle problems. Anand played slightly inaccurately and Carlsen managed to implement a last tricky idea, which resulted in a quick pawn promotion.

This puts the challenger ahead by 4-2 in the 12-game match. The first player to reach 6.5 wins so Carlsen must now be the favourite to wrap up the match quickly.


  THE GAME SCORE 
White: Anand Vs Black Carlsen
World Championship Match 2013 Chennai, Game # 6
  • 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.c3 0-0 6.0-0 Re8 7.Re1 a6 8.Ba4 b5 9.Bb3 d6 10.Bg5 Be6 A novelty by white and black responds accurately.
     
  • 11.Nbd2 h6 12.Bh4 Bxb3 13.axb3 Nb8 14.h3 Nbd7 15.Nh2 Qe7 16.Ndf1 Bb6 17.Ne3 Qe6 18.b4 a5 19.bxa5 Bxa5 20.Nhg4 Bb6 21.Bxf6 Nxf6 22.Nxf6+ Qxf6 23.Qg4 Bxe3 24.fxe3 Qe7 25.Rf1 c5 26.Kh2 c4 27.d4 Rxa1 28.Rxa1 Qb7 29.Rd1 Qc6 30.Qf5 exd4 31.Rxd4 Re5 32.Qf3 Qc7 Black is a little better due to white's poor pawn structure.
     
  • 33.Kh1 Qe7 34.Qg4 Kh7 35.Qf4 g6 36.Kh2 Kg7 37.Qf3 Re6 38.Qg3?
    White offers a pawn to free the position. The resulting rook endgame can be drawn but it requires exact play.
     
  • Rxe4 39.Qxd6 Rxe3 40.Qxe7 Rxe7 41.Rd5 Rb7 42.Rd6 f6 43.h4 Kf7 44.h5 gxh5 45.Rd5 Kg6 46.Kg3 Rb6 47.Rc5 f5 48.Kh4 Re6 49.Rxb5 Re4+ 50.Kh3 Kg5 51.Rb8 h4 52.Rg8+ Kh5 53.Rf8 Rf4 54.Rc8 Rg4 55.Rf8 Rg3+ 56.Kh2 Kg5 57.Rg8+ Kf4 58.Rc8 Ke3 59.Rxc4 f4
    This is the diagrammed position, White to play. The only good move is 60. b4! which draws if black tries the same trick with 60.-h3 61. gxh3 Rg6 62. Rc7 f3 63. Re7+ Kd3 64. b5 Rg2+ 65. Kh1 Rb2 66. Kg1 Kxc3 67. b6 Rxb6 68. Kf2 Rf6 69. Re3 with a draw.

     
  • Anand blundered with 60.Ra4? h3 61.gxh3 Rg6 62.c4 f3 63.Ra3+ Ke2 64.b4 f2 65.Ra2+ Kf3 66.Ra3+ Kf4 67.Ra8 Rg1 (0-1). Black can force a queen, and easily catch white's pawns with 68. Rf8+ Ke3 69. c5 f1=Q 70. Rxf1 Rxf1 71. Kg3 Rf4 72. b5 h5 73. b6 h4+ 74. Kh2 Rb4 etc.

 

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First Published: Nov 16 2013 | 10:36 PM IST

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