[Bobby Ang]
World Chess Championship
Mexico City, Mexico
13-30 September 2007
Final Standings
1 GM Viswanathan Anand (India) 2792, 9.0/14
2 GM Vladimir Kramnik (Russia) 2769, 8.0/14
3 GM Boris Gelfand (Israel) 2733, 8.0/14
4 GM Peter Leko (Hungary) 2751, 7.0/14
5 GM Peter Svidler (Russia) 2735, 6.5/14
6 GM Alexander Morozevich (Russia) 2758, 6.0/14
7 GM Levon Aronian (Armenia) 2750, 6.0/14
8 GM Alexander Grischuk (Russia) 2726, 5.5/14
Average elo: 2751 <=> Category: 21
Time control: 40 moves in 2 hours, followed by 20 moves in one hour, followed by 15 minutes plus 30 seconds for all the remaining moves (40/2h, 20/1h, 15m+30sec/all).
As shown above, this tournament had an ELO average of 2751.75 for category-21 and is the strongest world championship ever. The last world title tournament in San Luis was "only" category 20 (ave 2738), and the original match tournament held in The Hague and Moscow, won by Mihail Botvinnik, in 1948 had a recalculated average of 2698.2 (category 18).
The three oldest players (Anand 37, Kramnik 32, Gelfand 39) finished in the first three places, while the two youngest players (Aronian 25 and Grischuk 24), both tipped to be dark horses, finished in the cellar.
Viswanathan Anand of India won the double-round World Chess Championship in Mexico and crowned himself World Champion. He did this in dominating fashion - the only one to finish undefeated, he took the lead in round 2 (tied with Kramnik), nosing ahead to become the solo front-runner in round 5 and holding it all the way to the last, 14th, round. This world title goes along very nicely with his status as the world's highest-ranked player based on the FIDE rating list.
Anand was "in the zone" for the entire duration of the tournament and the only times he appeared in danger of losing was with Black against Kramnik and Grischuk, in both cases he had to salvage draws in two difficult rook endings a pawn down.
Anand now has a lucrative match lined-up next year against former champion Vladimir Kramnik. This will be a 12-game match to played between May and September 2008 - precise date and venue to be confirmed by FIDE.
You know what? If this match takes place and Anand beats Kramnik, then the Indian would have already won the world title in all the possible formats - FIDE Knock-Out (New Delhi/Teheran 2000), Tournament (Mexico 2007), and Match. This, together with all the titles he has previously won, like the Rapid Chess Champion, Blitz Chess Champion, plus his habit of taking part and successes in almost all the elite tournaments for the past decade really marks him out as among the greatest players of our generation.
Anand picked the Moscow Variation as his main Black weapon against 1.d4. Considering that White could meet the line with the Anti-Moscow Gambit, which is a highly tactical line with refutations to specific variations coming up every now and then, one might second-guess Anand's decision. But for the spectators it was a welcome choice as it led to exciting games. Contrast this against Kramnik's decision to pin his hopes on retaining his title on the dull Petroff.
Anand scored 1 win and 2 draws out of his 3 Anti-Moscows. Here is his second-round victory over Aronian which enabled the Indian to go into the lead.
Aronian,Levon (2750) - Anand,Viswanathan (2792) [D43]
World Championship Mexico City (2), 14.09.2007
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 c6 5.Bg5 h6
This is the Moscow Variation. White can take on f6 and content himself with a small lead in development and space advantage. However, if he is someone like Aronian who likes "crooked" positions and plays to win with White he can continue as in the game.
6.Bh4
The Anti-Moscow Gambit. Contrary to the Botvinnik System (5...dxc4 6.e4 b5 7.e5 h6 8.Bh4 g5 9.Nxg5 hxg5 10.Bxg5), this offers a real gambit since Black can hold on to the pawn with 6.dxc4 7.e4 g5. Since the turn of the century the Anti-Moscow has graduated from being an obscure sideline into the main arena of combat.
6...dxc4 7.e4 g5 8.Bg3 b5
The tabiya (battle formation) of the Anti-Moscow. White has several choices, the most popular by far being 9.Be2. Also frequently seen is 9.e5 and 9.h4. Aronian plays something less common.
9.Ne5 h5!
The correct reaction, forcing white to either play 10.h4 or 10.f3, both of which have weaknesses.
10.h4 g4 11.Be2 Bb7 12.0–0 Nbd7 13.Qc2 Nxe5 14.Bxe5 Bg7 15.Rad1 0–0 16.Bg3!?
Joel Benjamin expressed a bit of puzzlement with this retreat, since, according to him, most players would prefer their bishop on e5 where it will soon exchange itself for its counterpart on g7. Yes, that sounds logical, but the test of experience shows that after the bishop exchange on g7 the weakness of white's h4 becomes more pronounced. Here are some examples: 16.f3 Nh7! 17.Bxg7 Kxg7 18.fxg4 Qxh4 19.gxh5 Ng5 20.Qd2 (20.Bf3? f5! 21.d5?! fxe4 22.dxe6 exf3 23.e7 Rf6 24.Rd8 Nh3+! winning. Halkias,S-Asrian,K/ Ohrid 2001 0–1 (38)) 20...Nh3+ 21.gxh3 Qg3+ 22.Kh1 Qxh3+ draw. Van Wely,L-Lautier,J/ Monte Carlo 2000.
16...Nd7 17.f3 c5!?
Anand's novelty. Previously 17...Qb6 followed by ...c7-c5 was considered best. Anand's idea is to keep his queen on the h4-d8 diagonal. In this game the plan is completely successful.
18.dxc5
The thematic reply to 17...c5 is 18.d5 but in this position Black has the strong 18...Be5! when White is at a loss for a good reply. 19.Bxe5?! (After 19.f4 Bd4+ the black dark-squared bishop is much more active than his direct rival.) 19...Nxe5 20.f4? Qxh4! with decisive attack. Nor can White play 18.Nxb5 cxd4 19.Nxd4 (19.Bxc4 Qb6 20.Bd3 gxf3 21.gxf3 e5) 19...Qb6 because now he is in trouble. For example 20.Bf2 g3! 21.Be3 Qd8! Black's queen is going to penetrate the kingside.
18...Qe7 19.Kh1 a6 20.a4 Bc6
White does not have a shred of an advantage. With Black threatening to go up a pawn to go along with his strong position Aronian realizes that desperate measures are necessary.
21.Nd5!? exd5 22.exd5
caption: position after 22.exd5
22...Be5!
Probably overlooked by White.
23.f4
Forced, but now both of White's bishops have limited scope.
23...Bg7 24.dxc6 Nxc5 25.Rd5
How does Black defend his h-pawn?
25...Ne4 26.Be1
[26.Rxh5?? Nxg3+]
26...Qe6 27.Rxh5?
[27.axb5 Qxd5 28.Bxc4 Qf5 29.Bd3 still gives some chances]
27...f5!
The winning move. White's rook is trapped and has to give itself up for the bishop.
28.Kh2 Rac8 29.Bb4 Rfe8 30.axb5 axb5 31.Re1 Qf7! 32.Rg5 Nxg5 33.fxg5 Rxc6 34.Bf1 Rxe1 35.Bxe1 Re6 36.Bc3 Qc7+ 37.g3 Re3 38.Qg2 Bxc3 39.bxc3 f4 40.Qa8+ Kg7 41.Qa6 fxg3+ 0–1
Black's next move is 42...Qf7, a crusher.
Reader comments/suggestions are urgently solicited. Email address is bangcpa@gmail.com
This article first appeared in Bobby Ang s column in Businessworld (Philippines) on 05 October 2007
No comments:
Post a Comment