Candidates 2016: Vishy draws first blood!

Take one game at a time.....don't go too far...speculate....and compare history!

Just say that Vishy won his first game....and goddess Caissa wanted him to be a victor, today....for Topalov missed something very 'simple'....

.....did I say simple!? yes....it was so simple and bread and butter for Misha, who always loved his Rook and sought ways to part with two pieces.... along with a pawn or space for his Rook and whatever remaining he had....and....he risked many a times unduly!

Vishy Anand - Veselin Topalov, Candidates - 2016

Twitter and FB buzzed when Vishy went for this poisoned pawn....

The general consideration that go against such grabbing is that a side risks putting his most powerful piece - The Queen - for doing a menial job of grabbing a pawn and compromising its mobility! Generally, the side which gives the pawn....loads it with sufficient hidden motifs....'poisoning it' and the chief amongst them is to spot a few points near opponent's King which it can direct his pieces upon so as to divert the attention and attend to it, whilst preparing a way to trap the Queen which has strayed too far inside his territory or atleast making its stay there as uncomfortable as possible.

But, on the positive side, the Queen which has perched herself deep inside the arena which belongs to her enemy, exerts certain pressure in that area.....apart from the pawn that she has gobbled.  And, as a rule, espoused by Znosko Borovsky, it is wise not to immediately look for her return journey, which would only end-up releasing the pressure that she exerts in that arena and might free the pieces which may have surrounded her in the hope of 'trapping' her and....

18.....Nd7!? 

To pave way for his Queen to go to h4....and by the way relocating it so that it can do multiple things...attack the Queen, cover a few squares of her return and keep attacking White's 'e4'!

19.Nc4 Nc5; 20.Qc6!

In accordance with Znosko Borovsky's rule!  As you can see, the Queen finds "c6" a safe haven from where it keeps a close watch on the Rooks and if Black's Queen and the e8-Rook has to leave their base, then they should ensure that the one on 'a8' is removed from the sight of White's Queen - which in simple term means One Tempo!

The success of attack and defence in Chess hinges on single tempo, on most occasions!

Anand was critical of his move 19.Nc4!? but a game of chess is replete with such decisions, which would have, behind it, certain considerations befitting the heat of the struggle and it need not comply with the demands of a detailed analysis which happens subsequently.

20.....Nb3?!

Tal would not have even winked his eyes before taking on .....f2!  20....Bf2! 21.Kf2 Qh4; 22.g3 Ne4; 23.Re4 Qe4; 24.Bf4 (as Black was threatening .....Qf3 .....Qg3 followed by mate) g5! and Black has some serious initiative.  There are umpteen games played by Tal, where he has parted two pieces for the Rook and on many occasions, the compensation were not this good! Take a look at the following position, played between Tal - Geller, in 1966:

Tal could not resist himself here and played 32.Nf7!? Kf7; 33.Ng5 Kf6! 34.Re4 and here Geller played a weak ....Qd6 and nearly allowed a draw (Tal lost ultimately).....instead if he had played 34......Qd2! 35.Ra1 Qg5; 36.Ra6 Kf5 would be curtains for White.


Cries of Oof's and aah's went over twitter on spotting this move, whilst Topalov was busy thinking something else....and don't forget, Topalov is an aggressor and if he misses a move like this....it only goes to prove the Chess is not an easy game, over the board!

21.Rb1 Nc1?

And this, does not befit the demands of the position...certainly. But Vishy had already done some damage repair and perhaps .....f6 intending to threaten the Queen with the backtracking of light squared Bishop or even .....f5 doing the dual purpose of that and attacking White's center was better. Black could later bother about what to do with that strayed Knight...!

22.Rbc1 Rb8; 23.Qa6!

As Vishy said in post game talk, this is not just grabbing a pawn (which incidentally is!) but White now has paved way for re-entry of his Queen to better squares in the center! The pawn thus gobbled is also a cause for Black's future headache.

23.....Qh4

Often, such moves occur a bit late.....White is now well prepared for this and infact, it is he who possess the initiative, now.

24.Rc2 Re4; 25.Ne3! Qd8?!

The White Queen, by her presence in the vicinity of pawn rank of Black; the frailty of his c-pawn... and more importantly, floundering on assuming the initiative for the sacrificed pawn has created enough confusion in Topalov's mind.

What now follows is a few misses in the time scramble....till....

26.Qc4! Bg6; 27.Bd3 Rf4; 28.Bg6 hg6; 29.g3! Re4; 30.a6 Qe8; 31.Rce2 Bb6; 32.Qd3 Ra8; 33.Kg2 Qa4; 34.b3 Rd4; 35.ba4 Rd3; 36.Nc4 Ra6; 37.a5! Bd4; 38.Re8!

Anand remembers the Black's weak back-rank! The presence of pawns on g7 and g6 offers the possibility of mating the King on the h-file - a typical motif.

38.....Kh7; 39.R1e7 Rc3; 40.Nd2! Rc2; 41.Ne4! f6

Else, Ng5, h4 and Rh8#

42.h4!

Now the threat is Rf7-f8-h8#

42.....Ra5; 43.Rf7 g5; 44.h5!

Curtains for Black!

44.....Rf2; 45.Nf2 Ra2; 46.Rff8 Rf2; 47.Kh3 g4; 48.Kg4 f5; 49.Rf5     
Topalov Resigned....

......much to the joy of Indians and Vishy fans!