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Hello everyone, I am IM Aman Hambleton (www.amanhambleton.com)
will be following for you the game Aronian - Anand.
1. d4 An interesting match ahead! The last many encounters of these players has seen a Queen Gambit in some format, and Aronian generally has been scoring well between them. I expect the same from Aronian this time, but it will be interesting to see what Anand chooses... something more aggressive after his last round victory?
1... d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Bd3 Bd6 9. O-O O-O 10. Qc2 Bb7 11. a3
we have reached a well known position of theory. White has just played a3 to prevent the idea of Black's: b4 undermining the white Nc3 and the center. White would like to continue with a rook to the center and possibly Bd2-e1 or Ne4. Also, e4 is a natural plan but it has to come in the right moment, as Black will strike back with e5.
11... Rc8 Rc8 gives the possibility for White to play b4 and prevent the c5 move for a long time, but after a5 Rb1 axb4 axb4 Black should be able to gain a small initiative by attacking the b4 pawn with ideas like Qe7/Nd5 and a later e5.
12. Ng5 This looks like fun! Aronian is playing very aggressively, and can meet a move like h6 with Nge4 where he controls the c5 square. h6 would turn out to be a weakening move in this case. Black can choose to play in this way, followed by a6 and soon c5, but there is also the chance to play Bxh2+!? Kxh2 Qxg5. Note: IM Aman Hambleton is commenting two games live. You can follow Aronian - Anand here and Nakamura - Karjakin here
12... c5 13. Nxh7 Anand has made a quick decision to allow Nxh7, so he must be prepared for this. There was a case in the Anand - Nakamura game where Anand said he forgot his preparation during the game. This prevented him from playing the most testing moves and ultimately he had to claim a quick draw to save himself. With Black, he cannot afford the same mistake, and especially not against Aronian!
13... Ng4 It would be a stretch to say Ng4 is an obvious move, so at least we can say Anand has remembered his preparation. It looks like a rare aggressive game from the World Champion, and Aronian should be careful. Certainly Nxf8 Qh4 h3 Qxh3! should be avoided with a pretty double bishop mate on the horizon! With all of Black's pieces gathering around the King, White needs to make a pawn move to shield himself: f4, g3, h3. I think h3 is the most logical looking but f4 may be necessary after Qh4 anyways.
14. f4 14. ... c4?! 15. Be4 Bxe4 16. Nxe4 Qh4 will pick up the Nh7 and keep a pin along the diagonal of Qc2, so c4 should be met by Be2 and then Nxh2 looks interesting e.g. (Kxh2 Qh4+ and Qxh7) but White can come out on top of the exchanges after Nxf8 and Nxd7. Qh4 does not look testing since h3 forces the N to retreat and then White has Nxf8 and Qf2 available. I would expect Anand, who must have considered f4 in his preparation, to continue with the accurate cxd4: opening up the c-file for the rook and keeping the attack very dangerous for the price of the exchange.
14... cxd4 15. exd4 Although surprising to see this recapture so quickly, it is the practical response. It was very dangerous to calculate Nxf8 and it's not likely Anand will waste a move with Re8, so it will always be at hand. Qb6 wins the d-pawn by force now; the compensation after Nxf8 Qxd4+ Kh1 Kxf8 is undeniable.
15... Bc5 This move needs no explanation - beautiful geometry and coordination of the Black army. It appears to be prepared at home but Vishy was checking it over the board which is why he was spending his time. In the playing hall there now gathers a big crowd around the game as Aronian sits in a deep think. The idea is dxc5 is met by Nxc5! when Black is nearly down a full rook but his compensation is undeniable. The biggest threat aside from Nxd3 is Qd4+ and the whole house falls. It will certainly take Aronian some time to recover from the shock, and then some more time to work out the variations! would be happy to sacrifice the exchange back on f2, and then take on f8. So Be2 would remove the Black Knight from g4 and minimize the threats, if not for Black's amazing response Nde5!! Almost every Black piece is en prise in this position but what is White to do? If the Ne5 is taken, Qd4 followed by Nf2+ happens and mate is unstoppable on g2 and g1. dxc5 to start looks like the wrong idea since the Bd3 has nowhere to go, the g1-a7 diagonal cannot be covered, and the Nh7 may hang in the future. A very difficult position to make a move for White, but I think Be2 is best.
16. Be2 Anand thought for 30 minutes only to play Bc5 (whether home-prepped or not), so I think it's very possible he can find the brilliancy Nde5. It involves the same clearance technique as a move previous (Bc5): Black wants to move Qd4 and use the smothered mate threats together with Bb7 to bring White down. However, it is hard to play such a rash move and risk losing the advantage when Bxd4 is such a viable alternative. We shall see!
16... Nde5 17. Bxg4 Taking on d4 with the Bishop (now that White has conceded his Be2) seems accurate, to keep the Qh4 avenue open.
17... Bxd4+ 18. Kh1 Nxg4 This is the point of Black's play! Anyone would feel in serious danger from taking a look at Black's bishops, knight, and Qh4 soon to come. Nxf8 is met by the reply f5 to stop Qh7+ and then Black will eventually bring his queen to the h-file. It's important to note that h3 never solves White's problems as Black can always simply play Qxh3 utilizing the pin. It's tough to admit, but Ng5 is necessary here to prevent the Queen from getting to the h-file so quickly. White needs all the pieces he can to defend - look at White's queenside pieces!
19. Nxf8 Another important line runs 19. ... f5 20. Ng6 (to stop Qh4) Qf6 21. Qd3 Qxg5+ 22. Qxd4 Ne3! and Black should win because of the triple attack on g2 and the Rf1 is hanging. After Rf2 for example Bf3+ results in checkmate.
19... f5 20. Ng6 Qf6 It's very possible Anand has this entire line prepared since the start, but it remains beautiful. Since the N has nowhere to go, a move like Qd3 is natural. Unfortunately as I've mentioned above, after Qxg6 White cannot take the Bishop on d4 because of Ne3! White still has not and cannot develop his queenside! Ne5 looks like a good practical attempt, daring Black to exchange at least one of his pieces participating in the attack.
21. h3 Qxg6 22. Qe2 22. ... Qh5 23. Rf3 Nf2+ 24. Rxf2 Qxh3+! 25. Kg1 Qxg2# nicely uses all the pins in the position to checkmate White. So it looks like Nf2+ Kh2 is forced and then at the very least Black can trade into a winning endgame with Bxf3, Qxf3, and Bxc3 where Anand is up many pawns and still has the initiative. Of course there are many ways to continue this game and all are good for Vishy, this is just one of the possibilities in hand for the World Champion.
22... Qh5 23. Qd3 And the World Champion earns the full point in convincing style. This is Anand like we remember him: sharp, accurate, and fearless! A tremendous display by Anand, but also a commendable performance by Aronian - it takes two to tango. Anand was much more comfortable out of the opening, and was smooth in transitioning a small advantage to winning position over the course of the game. Anand really seems to be enjoying himself, and with two straight wins he's sure to be atop the leaderboard going into the next round against the tournament favorite - Magnus Carlsen!
Thank you for following with me IM Aman Hambleton (www.amanhambleton.com and see you in later rounds for more commentary!
23... Be3 0-1
will be following for you the game Aronian - Anand.
1. d4 An interesting match ahead! The last many encounters of these players has seen a Queen Gambit in some format, and Aronian generally has been scoring well between them. I expect the same from Aronian this time, but it will be interesting to see what Anand chooses... something more aggressive after his last round victory?
1... d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Bd3 Bd6 9. O-O O-O 10. Qc2 Bb7 11. a3
we have reached a well known position of theory. White has just played a3 to prevent the idea of Black's: b4 undermining the white Nc3 and the center. White would like to continue with a rook to the center and possibly Bd2-e1 or Ne4. Also, e4 is a natural plan but it has to come in the right moment, as Black will strike back with e5.
11... Rc8 Rc8 gives the possibility for White to play b4 and prevent the c5 move for a long time, but after a5 Rb1 axb4 axb4 Black should be able to gain a small initiative by attacking the b4 pawn with ideas like Qe7/Nd5 and a later e5.
12. Ng5 This looks like fun! Aronian is playing very aggressively, and can meet a move like h6 with Nge4 where he controls the c5 square. h6 would turn out to be a weakening move in this case. Black can choose to play in this way, followed by a6 and soon c5, but there is also the chance to play Bxh2+!? Kxh2 Qxg5. Note: IM Aman Hambleton is commenting two games live. You can follow Aronian - Anand here and Nakamura - Karjakin here
12... c5 13. Nxh7 Anand has made a quick decision to allow Nxh7, so he must be prepared for this. There was a case in the Anand - Nakamura game where Anand said he forgot his preparation during the game. This prevented him from playing the most testing moves and ultimately he had to claim a quick draw to save himself. With Black, he cannot afford the same mistake, and especially not against Aronian!
13... Ng4 It would be a stretch to say Ng4 is an obvious move, so at least we can say Anand has remembered his preparation. It looks like a rare aggressive game from the World Champion, and Aronian should be careful. Certainly Nxf8 Qh4 h3 Qxh3! should be avoided with a pretty double bishop mate on the horizon! With all of Black's pieces gathering around the King, White needs to make a pawn move to shield himself: f4, g3, h3. I think h3 is the most logical looking but f4 may be necessary after Qh4 anyways.
14. f4 14. ... c4?! 15. Be4 Bxe4 16. Nxe4 Qh4 will pick up the Nh7 and keep a pin along the diagonal of Qc2, so c4 should be met by Be2 and then Nxh2 looks interesting e.g. (Kxh2 Qh4+ and Qxh7) but White can come out on top of the exchanges after Nxf8 and Nxd7. Qh4 does not look testing since h3 forces the N to retreat and then White has Nxf8 and Qf2 available. I would expect Anand, who must have considered f4 in his preparation, to continue with the accurate cxd4: opening up the c-file for the rook and keeping the attack very dangerous for the price of the exchange.
14... cxd4 15. exd4 Although surprising to see this recapture so quickly, it is the practical response. It was very dangerous to calculate Nxf8 and it's not likely Anand will waste a move with Re8, so it will always be at hand. Qb6 wins the d-pawn by force now; the compensation after Nxf8 Qxd4+ Kh1 Kxf8 is undeniable.
15... Bc5 This move needs no explanation - beautiful geometry and coordination of the Black army. It appears to be prepared at home but Vishy was checking it over the board which is why he was spending his time. In the playing hall there now gathers a big crowd around the game as Aronian sits in a deep think. The idea is dxc5 is met by Nxc5! when Black is nearly down a full rook but his compensation is undeniable. The biggest threat aside from Nxd3 is Qd4+ and the whole house falls. It will certainly take Aronian some time to recover from the shock, and then some more time to work out the variations! would be happy to sacrifice the exchange back on f2, and then take on f8. So Be2 would remove the Black Knight from g4 and minimize the threats, if not for Black's amazing response Nde5!! Almost every Black piece is en prise in this position but what is White to do? If the Ne5 is taken, Qd4 followed by Nf2+ happens and mate is unstoppable on g2 and g1. dxc5 to start looks like the wrong idea since the Bd3 has nowhere to go, the g1-a7 diagonal cannot be covered, and the Nh7 may hang in the future. A very difficult position to make a move for White, but I think Be2 is best.
16. Be2 Anand thought for 30 minutes only to play Bc5 (whether home-prepped or not), so I think it's very possible he can find the brilliancy Nde5. It involves the same clearance technique as a move previous (Bc5): Black wants to move Qd4 and use the smothered mate threats together with Bb7 to bring White down. However, it is hard to play such a rash move and risk losing the advantage when Bxd4 is such a viable alternative. We shall see!
16... Nde5 17. Bxg4 Taking on d4 with the Bishop (now that White has conceded his Be2) seems accurate, to keep the Qh4 avenue open.
17... Bxd4+ 18. Kh1 Nxg4 This is the point of Black's play! Anyone would feel in serious danger from taking a look at Black's bishops, knight, and Qh4 soon to come. Nxf8 is met by the reply f5 to stop Qh7+ and then Black will eventually bring his queen to the h-file. It's important to note that h3 never solves White's problems as Black can always simply play Qxh3 utilizing the pin. It's tough to admit, but Ng5 is necessary here to prevent the Queen from getting to the h-file so quickly. White needs all the pieces he can to defend - look at White's queenside pieces!
19. Nxf8 Another important line runs 19. ... f5 20. Ng6 (to stop Qh4) Qf6 21. Qd3 Qxg5+ 22. Qxd4 Ne3! and Black should win because of the triple attack on g2 and the Rf1 is hanging. After Rf2 for example Bf3+ results in checkmate.
19... f5 20. Ng6 Qf6 It's very possible Anand has this entire line prepared since the start, but it remains beautiful. Since the N has nowhere to go, a move like Qd3 is natural. Unfortunately as I've mentioned above, after Qxg6 White cannot take the Bishop on d4 because of Ne3! White still has not and cannot develop his queenside! Ne5 looks like a good practical attempt, daring Black to exchange at least one of his pieces participating in the attack.
21. h3 Qxg6 22. Qe2 22. ... Qh5 23. Rf3 Nf2+ 24. Rxf2 Qxh3+! 25. Kg1 Qxg2# nicely uses all the pins in the position to checkmate White. So it looks like Nf2+ Kh2 is forced and then at the very least Black can trade into a winning endgame with Bxf3, Qxf3, and Bxc3 where Anand is up many pawns and still has the initiative. Of course there are many ways to continue this game and all are good for Vishy, this is just one of the possibilities in hand for the World Champion.
22... Qh5 23. Qd3 And the World Champion earns the full point in convincing style. This is Anand like we remember him: sharp, accurate, and fearless! A tremendous display by Anand, but also a commendable performance by Aronian - it takes two to tango. Anand was much more comfortable out of the opening, and was smooth in transitioning a small advantage to winning position over the course of the game. Anand really seems to be enjoying himself, and with two straight wins he's sure to be atop the leaderboard going into the next round against the tournament favorite - Magnus Carlsen!
Thank you for following with me IM Aman Hambleton (www.amanhambleton.com and see you in later rounds for more commentary!
23... Be3 0-1
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