Anand catches Caruana after decisive day of games in Round 9 in Baden-Baden

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1st GRENKE Chess Classic Baden-Baden 2013 (9)

Anand catches Caruana after decisive day of games in Round 9 in Baden-Baden

Mark Crowther - Sunday 17th February 2013

Anand beat Fridman. Photo © Georgios Souleidis.

Anand beat Fridman. Photo © Georgios Souleidis. | http://www.grenkechessclassic.de

Viswanthan Anand shares first place with Fabiano Caruana going into the final round following an explosive day of games in the 1st GRENKE Chess Classic in Baden-Baden. Anand has been searching for the solution is his lacklustre tournament displays over the last 18 months. There were signs at the end of a disappointing London performance, much better in a 3rd placed finish in Wijk aan Zee and that continues in Baden-Baden. Anand looks hungrier and more prepared to fight for his results even if the games themselves are sometimes a little bit ugly. Today was a more conventional win, a big novelty 20.Ra2 was justified by the trick 22.Bg4! Fridman went backwards and Anand brought home the full point. Anand couldn't be sharing the lead without a little help. Fabiano Caruana had a disaster in Wijk aan Zee and although he has led in Baden-Baden throughout his play has been patchy and determined rather than convincing. Today he was ambitious for a win in a closed Catalan against Michael Adams but drifted into a difficult position after 31.f4?! and under pressure blundered with 44.Qe1 and after 44...Ne5!! was subject to a crushing attack. Georg Meier has looked more and more impressive as the event has progressed and has got back to 50% at the expense of his friend Arkadij Naiditsch who has played an emotional tournament which has gripped the spectators. There were signs yesterday and today that his event has run its course as he was ground down in a fine positional performance by Meier. So the table has radically changed, Naiditsch could have led the event had he beaten Caruana, now he's 5th. Fridman looked impressive and solid early on and is now dead last. Adams has looked classy but couldn't get a full point until today. Meier looked a little lightweight at the start but in the second half has shown heavyweight opening preparation that has troubled all his opponents. Finally Anand has caught Caruana up and these two will play the back markers to win the tournament. I was out playing chess today so there are just light notes based on the official press release and a bit of computer analysis. Round 9 Standings: 1-2. Anand, Caruana: 5.5/9 3-4. Adams, Meier: 4.5 5. Naiditsch: 4 6. Fridman: 3 Final Round 10 Sun 17th Feb 2 hours earlier at 12pm GMT: Fridman-Caruana, Adams-Meier, Naiditsch-Anand.

Anand 1-0 Fridman

Anand,Viswanathan (2780) - Fridman,Daniel (2667) [C42]
1st GRENKE Chess Classic Baden-Baden GER (9.1), 16.02.2013
[Crowther,Mark]

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Nc6 7.0-0 Be7 8.c4 Nb4 9.Be2 0-0 10.Nc3 Bf5 11.a3 Nxc3 12.bxc3 Nc6 13.Re1 Re8 14.cxd5 Qxd5 15.Bf4 Rac8 16.h3 h6 17.Nd2 Na5 18.Bf3 Qd7 19.Ne4 Rcd8

[19...Bf8 0-1 Shirov,A (2749)-Gashimov,V (2719)/Sestao ESP 2010/The Week in Chess 825 (64)]

20.Ra2N

Daniel Fridman

Viswanathan Anand

Position after 20.Ra2

[20.Ng3 Bg6 21.Bh5 Bd6 22.Bxd6 Rxe1+ 23.Qxe1 cxd6 24.Bxg6 fxg6 25.Qe4 Qf7 26.Re1 Rf8 27.Re2 Nc4 28.a4 Nb6 29.Qc2 Nd5 30.c4 Nf4 31.Re3 Rc8 32.c5 dxc5 33.dxc5 b6 34.Ne4 bxc5 35.Rf3 Rf8 36.Nxc5 Qd5 37.Qb3 Qxb3 38.Rxb3 Rc8 39.Nd3 Nxd3 40.Rxd3 Rc4 41.Rd6 Rxa4 1/2-1/2 Akopian,V (2696)-Kasimdzhanov,R (2695)/Nalchik RUS 2009/The Week in Chess 754]

20...b6 21.Rae2 Bxa3

The point of Anand's play which is met with a shocking rejoiner.

22.Bg4!

Daniel Fridman

Viswanathan Anand

Position after 22.Bg4

Anand's preparation is hard to spot and puts black in desperate straits.

22...Rf8

[22...Bxg4 23.Nf6+ gxf6 24.Rxe8+ Rxe8 25.Qxg4+ Qxg4 26.Rxe8+ Kg7 27.hxg4 with a crushing position for white.; 22...Be6 23.Bxh6 f5 24.Ng5 Bc4 25.Bxf5 Bxe2 26.Qb1 Bd3 27.Rxe8+ Rxe8 28.Bxd3 gxh6 29.Bb5 Qg7 30.Qa2+ Kf8 31.Qxa3+ Qe7 is a bonkers computer line.]

23.Bxf5 Qxf5 24.Bxc7 Rd7 25.Be5 f6 26.Ng3 Qe6 27.Qa4

Daniel Fridman

Viswanathan Anand

Position after 27.Qa4

27...Nc4?

Most likely Fridman didn't see a way out here.

[27...fxe5 28.Rxe5 Qf7 29.Rf5 is most likely what Fridman feared but 29...Re7! 30.Ra1 Qb3 31.Rxf8+ Kxf8 32.Qxb3 Nxb3 33.Rxa3 Nd2 34.Ra6 Rc7 35.f3 Nb1 36.Ne4 Nxc3 37.Nxc3 Rxc3 38.Rxa7 Rd3 39.Rb7 (39.Rd7 b5 40.Kf2 Rd2+ is equal.) 39...Rxd4 40.Rxb6]

28.Bd6 b5 29.Rxe6 bxa4 30.Bxf8 Kxf8 31.Ra1 Bb2 32.Rxa4 Nb6

Daniel Fridman

Viswanathan Anand

Position after 32...Nb6

My main question about the game is why didn't you just play 33.Rxb6! axb6 34.Ne2! and resigns? - Fridman. "I never know what's going to make my opponents resign" Anand but he just hadn't seen this.

33.Ra6 Bxc3 34.Nf5 Bb4 35.Re2 Kf7 36.Rea2 Nc8 37.g4 g6 38.Nxh6+ Kg7 39.g5 fxg5 40.Ng4 Rxd4

Time control and Anand is completely winning.

41.Rc2 Ne7 42.Rxa7 Bd6 43.Kg2 Kf7 44.Re2 Bb4 45.Re5 Bd6 46.Rxg5 Ke6 47.Ra6 1-0

Meier 1-0 Naiditsch

Meier,Georg (2640) - Naiditsch,Arkadij (2716) [E11]
1st GRENKE Chess Classic Baden-Baden GER (9.2), 16.02.2013

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Bb4+ 4.Bd2 Bxd2+ 5.Qxd2 d5 6.g3 0-0 7.Bg2 Nbd7 8.0-0 dxc4 9.Rc1 Qe7

[9...c5 1-0 Giri,A (2717)-Zontakh,A (2556)/Plovdiv BUL 2012/The Week in Chess 908 (26)]

10.Rxc4 c6 11.b3N

Meier's preparation for this event has been impressive.

[11.Qf4 Re8 12.e4 e5 13.dxe5 Nxe5 14.Qxe5 Qxe5 15.Nxe5 Rxe5 16.Nc3 Re7 17.Rd4 Be6 18.f4 Rd7 19.Rxd7 Nxd7 20.Rd1 g6 21.f5 gxf5 22.Bh3 Nf6 23.exf5 Bd5 24.Bg2 Rd8 25.Bf3 Kf8 26.g4 Ke7 27.Kf2 Rg8 28.h3 Kd6 29.Kg3 Nh5+ 30.Kh4 Nf4 31.Be4 h6 32.Kg3 Nh5+ 33.Kf3 Nf6 34.Kf4 a5 35.Bf3 b5 36.h4 b4 37.Nxd5 Nxd5+ 38.Bxd5 cxd5 39.g5 hxg5+ 40.hxg5 Re8 41.g6 f6 42.Kg4 Re4+ 43.Kh5 Re2 44.g7 Rg2 45.Kh6 Ke5 46.Kh7 1-0 Le Quang Liem (2693)-Adams,M (2722)/Istanbul TUR 2012/The Week in Chess 931]

11...Re8 12.Ne5! Nd5 13.Qb2 f6 14.Nxd7 Bxd7 15.Nd2 e5 16.dxe5 Qxe5 17.Qxe5 Rxe5 18.Ne4 Nb6 19.Rd4 Be6 20.Rad1 Bd5 21.Nc3 Bxg2 22.Kxg2 Rae8 23.e3 Kf7 24.a4 R8e7 25.b4

Daniel Fridman

Viswanathan Anand

Position after 25.b4

25...Na8?!

[25...a5 26.Rb1 Nc8 27.bxa5 Rxa5 28.Rd8 Rc7 and black is tangled up but holding.]

26.e4! g5!? 27.f4 gxf4 28.gxf4 Rh5 29.Ne2 Rh4 30.Kg3 Rh5 31.Kg2 Rh4 32.Ng3!

After a repetition Meier finds the right idea.

32...Rxf4 33.Nf5 Rxf5

Daniel Fridman

Viswanathan Anand

Position after 33...Rxf5

Unfortunately for him Naiditsch has to give up the exchange but he is lost all the same.

34.exf5 Nb6 35.Rh4 Kg7 36.Rg4+ Kf7 37.Rh4 Kg7 38.Rg1 Nxa4 39.Kf3+ Kf8 40.Rhg4 Rf7 41.Rg8+ Ke7 42.Rd1 Nb6 43.Rb8

Daniel Fridman

Viswanathan Anand

Position after 43.Rb8

White has tied black up, now he eats pawns.

43...Nd7 44.Rxb7 Ke8 45.Kf4 Ne5 46.Rxf7 Kxf7 47.Ke4 1-0

Caruana 0-1 Adams

Caruana,Fabiano (2757) - Adams,Michael (2725) [E00]
1st GRENKE Chess Classic Baden-Baden GER (9.3), 16.02.2013

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Nf3 Bb4+ 5.Bd2 Be7 6.Bg2 c6 7.Qc2 Nbd7 8.0-0 b6 9.Rd1 0-0 10.Bf4 Bb7 11.Ne5 Nh5 12.Bd2 Nhf6 13.cxd5

[13.Bf4 would invite a draw by repetition and a valuable half with a point lead.]

13...cxd5 14.Nc6 Bxc6 15.Qxc6 Rc8 16.Qb5 Ne8 17.Qd3

[17.Qa4 1-0 Meier,G (2648)-Prohaszka,P (2563)/Dresden GER 2012/The Week in Chess 929 (57)]

17...Nd6 18.b3

[18.Nc3 g6 19.b3 Nb8 20.Bc1 Nc6 21.Bb2 Nf5 22.e3 Qd7 23.Rac1 Rfd8 24.Qd2 Nd6 25.Qe2 Bf6 26.Bf1 Bg7 27.Ba3 Bf8 28.Bb2 Bg7 29.Qe1 Qb7 30.Ba3 Bf8 31.Bd3 Ne4 32.Bxf8 Nxc3 33.Rxc3 Kxf8 34.Rdc1 Ne7 35.Qe2 a5 36.h4 h5 37.Kg2 Qd7 38.Ba6 Rxc3 39.Rxc3 Qa7 40.Bd3 Qb8 41.Qc2 Rc8 42.Rxc8+ Qxc8 43.Qxc8+ Nxc8 44.f3 Kg7 45.Kf2 1/2-1/2 Tomashevsky,E (2707)-Matlakov,M (2632)/Taganrog RUS 2011/The Week in Chess 868]

18...f5 19.f3 Nb8 20.Nc3 Nc6 21.e3 Bf6 22.Ne2 Qd7 23.Rac1 Rc7 24.Be1 Rfc8 25.g4!? a5! 26.a3 a4 27.bxa4 Nc4 28.gxf5 exf5

Michael Adams

Fabiano Caruana

Position after 28...exf5

A hugely complicated position.

29.Rb1

[29.Rxc4!? with the following sort of play. 29...dxc4 30.Qxc4+ Kh8 31.Qb5 Na5 32.Bh3 Qxb5 33.axb5 Nc4 34.e4 g6 35.a4 Nb2 36.Ra1 Bxd4+ 37.Nxd4 Rc1 38.Rxc1 Rxc1 39.Kf2 Nd3+ 40.Ke2 Nxe1 41.exf5 Kg7 42.fxg6 hxg6; 29.Bg3 Ra7 30.Rxc4 dxc4 31.Qxc4+ Kh8 32.Qb5 Ra5 33.Qb3 Raa8]

29...Ne7 30.Bb4

[30.Nc3 f4 31.exf4 Rc6 32.Nb5]

30...Kh8 31.f4?!

Michael Adams

Fabiano Caruana

Position after 31.f4

Adams pointed out this was an error.

[31.Bh3; 31.e4]

31...Qe6! 32.Bd2 Bh4 33.Rb5 Rc6 34.Rdb1 h6 35.Kh1?!

[35.Ng3 Kh7 36.Kh1 Re8]

35...Bf2 36.R5b3 Ng8 37.Rf1 Bh4 38.Be1 Bxe1 39.Rxe1 Nf6 40.Ng3

Michael Adams

Fabiano Caruana

Position after 40.Ng3

40...Ne4

Maybe a bit early.

[40...g6 41.Kg1 Qe7 42.Bf3 Kh7 43.Nf1]

41.Nxe4 dxe4 42.Qd1 Qf7

Michael Adams

Fabiano Caruana

Position after 42.Qf7

43.Rg1

also looks like it's drifting.

[43.Rc3 Qe8 44.Qe2 Nd6 45.Rxc6 Qxc6 46.Qb2]

43...Kh7

Michael Adams

Fabiano Caruana

Position after 43...Kh7

"It's very hard for White to make a move that doesn't lose material" - Adams.

44.Qe1?

[44.Rc3 Ne5 45.Rxc6 Nxc6 46.Qd2 and white has sorted out his position somewhat.]

44...Ne5!

Michael Adams

Fabiano Caruana

Position after 44...Ne5

and the rest is all black as he gets a huge attack.

45.Qb1

[45.d5 Rc1 46.Qxc1 Rxc1 47.Rxc1 Qxd5 48.Rcb1]

45...Ng4 46.h3 Nf2+ 47.Kh2 Qh5 48.Kg3 Nxh3 49.Bxh3 Rg6+

Michael Adams

Fabiano Caruana

Position after 49...Rg6+. A massacre

50.Kh2 Rxg1 51.Kxg1 Qxh3 52.d5 Rd8 53.Qf1 Qg4+ 54.Kh2 Rxd5 0-1

Tables

1st GRENKE Chess Classic Baden Baden GER (GER), 7-17 ii 2013											cat. XIX (2714)
					1		2		3		4		5		6
1.	Caruana, Fabiano	g	ITA	2757	*	*	½	½	½	0	1	½	1	1	½	.	5½	2789
2.	Anand, Viswanathan	g	IND	2780	½	½	*	*	½	½	½	½	1	.	½	1	5½	2779
3.	Adams, Michael	g	ENG	2725	½	1	½	½	*	*	½	.	0	½	½	½	4½	2720
4.	Meier, Georg	g	GER	2640	0	½	½	½	½	.	*	*	0	1	½	1	4½	2729
5.	Naiditsch, Arkadij	g	GER	2716	0	0	0	.	1	½	1	0	*	*	½	1	4	2663
6.	Fridman, Daniel	g	GER	2667	½	.	½	0	½	½	½	0	½	0	*	*	3	2594

Round 9 (February 16, 2013)
Caruana, Fabiano	- Adams, Michael	0-1	54	E00	Catalan
Anand, Viswanathan	- Fridman, Daniel	1-0	47	C42	Petroff's Defence
Meier, Georg	- Naiditsch, Arkadij	1-0	47	E11	Bogo Indian Defence