[Event "2012 World Championship"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.05.15"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Anand, Viswanathan"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "D45"]
[Annotator "Mackenzie,Dana"]
[PlyCount "68"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 {And so it is. The Slav Defense.} 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3
a6 {We are repeating the hybrid variation from the second game of the match. A
Meran in the style of Chebanenko. Judging from everything, the champion's work
on this scheme was fundamental, deeply calculated and intended for repeated
application.} 6. b3 Bb4 {I wonder who will be the first to leave the beaten
path?} 7. Bd2 Nbd7 8. Bd3 O-O 9. O-O {The grandmasters are moving quickly and
surely...} Bd6 {The same prophylaxis [as game 2]. Just for kicks, let me show
you White's trick:} (9... Re8 $2 10. Nxd5 $1 Nxd5 ({in case of} 10... exd5 11.
Bxb4 {Black will be just a pawn down}) 11. cxd5 Bxd2 12. dxc6 {and White wins
a pawn and seizes the initiative as well.}) 10. Qc2 {A local novelty -- for
this match.} (10. Rc1 {was played in the second game.}) 10... e5 {Vishy's
answer was instantaneous. He and his seconds foresaw the opponent's choice!
Which, to be honest, is no wonder, because after all the queen move to c2 was
the main theoretical path and, it appears, will continue to be in the future.
Any delay could allow White opening up the center first, or allow him to
prepare thoroughly for Black's attack. Here is a good example from the
challenger's corpus:} (10... h6 11. Ne2 Re8 12. Ng3 e5 13. cxd5 Nxd5 14. Rad1
exd4 15. Nxd4 Nb4 16. Bh7+ Kh8 17. Qb1 Nd5 18. Bf5 Qc7 19. Rfe1 N7f6 20. e4 Ne7
21. Bxc8 Raxc8 22. Qc1 c5 23. Nf3 Ng4 24. Ba5 Qxa5 25. Rxd6 Qxa2 26. Re2 Qxb3
27. h3 {and here in the game B. Gelfand - A. Sokolov, Wijk aan Zee 2006, it
turned out that the knight on g4 has no way back. On} Nf6 {would have followed}
28. Rxf6 gxf6 29. Qxh6+ Kg8 30. Nh5 {with decisive threats. To make a long
story short, Boris won.}) 11. cxd5 cxd5 12. e4 {And once again Boris strives
for a sharp opening of the game.} (12. dxe5 {is well known to be harmless for
Black, for example,} Nxe5 13. Nxe5 Bxe5 14. Rad1 Bg4 15. f3 Bd7 16. Ne2 Rc8 17.
Qb1 Qb6 {with good chances for Black in A. Brown - N. Vityugov, Kalitea 2008.})
12... exd4 {Playing by analogy with the second game would not have worked here:
} (12... dxe4 13. Nxe4 Nxe4 14. Bxe4 Nf6 15. dxe5 Nxe4 16. Qxe4 {and White
gets a healthy extra pawn.}) 13. Nxd5 Nxd5 14. exd5 {The first direct threat
to Black's rear has materialized -- the pawn on h7 is under attack.} Nf6 15. h3
{In this way White prevents the bishop sortie ... Bc8-g4. The weak pawns in
the center remain alive for the moment. Other moves that have been tried are} (
15. Rae1) ({and} 15. Rfe1) ({however,} 15. Nxd4 {is for the moment not a
serious threat because of} Be5 16. Bc3 Qxd5 {with complete equality.}) 15...
Bd7 {Playing for development. Black is prepared to sacrifice a pawn. In the
game I. Krush - T. Enkhbat, Internet 2005, Black replied in symmetrical
fashion:} (15... h6 16. Rad1 Nxd5 17. Nxd4 Qf6 18. Be4 Nf4 19. Be3 {and here
Black lashed out with} Bxh3 20. gxh3 Qg5+ 21. Kh1 Qh4 {and only survived
because White mistakenly failed to play} 22. Bf5 $1 Nxh3 23. Kg2) 16. Rad1 {
Before retreating to b1 with the queen, it's a good idea to let the queen rook
pass through. The coordination and harmony of the pieces is more important
than a pawn. With the text move Boris has created a tower of Babylon on the
d-file. An attractive setup, dang it!} Re8 {The foes have not slowed the pace
of their play. It would seem that Anand, after yesterday's trials and
tribulations in time trouble, has decided not to waste time on variations that
he is already familiar with. He has been making his choices almost immediately.
Now taking the pawn on d4 is a serious possibility. Will Black have enough
compensation for the pawn? I'll also note here that Black's move is a novelty.
It's no wonder that Gelfand has sunk into thought... Previously Black has
played} (16... Rc8 17. Qb1 Rc5 18. Bg5 h6 19. Bh4 g5 20. Bg3 Bxg3 21. fxg3 Nxd5
22. Bh7+ Kg7 23. Rxd4 Qb6 {with chances for both sides in E. Levin - P.
Martynov, St. Petersburg 2012.}) 17. Nxd4 {The principled move! There is no
sense in further preparations. Now the Black knight cannot immediately win the
pawn back on d5 because of the threat on h7.} Rc8 ({The direct} 17... Re5 {
would have led to a very dangerous initiative for White:} 18. Bc3 Rxd5 19. Bc4
Rc5 20. Nf3 {and as you can see, the villainous rook on d1 is literally mowing
down the crowds of innocent bystanders with its attack along the file...}) 18.
Qb1 h6 {Astounding cold-bloodedness! The champion plays as if the pawns were
even. Without any hurry he tends his chess garden, plants a few flowers, pulls
out some weeds. And he doesn't trespass on his neighbor. In fact, the pawn on
d5 remains weak. As a result of the activity of Black's pieces it might fall
all by itself, like a ripe fruit from a fruit tree. Such an experienced
gardener as Anand knows this better than anyone... The time remaining is now 1:
18 - 1:51. You'll agree that this is a serious difference. If I were in
Gelfand's shoes I would think about invading on the square f5. For example,
with 19. Nf5 there is a chance to achieve the advantage of the two bishops.
It's not a gold nugget, but at least it's something.} 19. Nf5 {And so it goes.
The other way of taking control over f5 would not have been successful:} (19.
Bf5 Rc5 $1 20. Bxd7 Qxd7 21. Nf5 Bb8 $1 {and Black wins back the pawn with
full equality.}) 19... Bxf5 {There is no point in putting up with this jerk on
f5.} 20. Bxf5 {The two bishops are on the board!} Rc5 {Black is close to being
able to pluck the fruit from its branch. As a result there will be wide open
spaces in the center of the board. A well-mown lawn.} 21. Rfe1 {More exchanges
are inevitable. White's problem is to coordinate his pieces, to defuse Black's
activity and then attack... say, either the pawn on b7 or the Black king.} (21.
Rc1 {was worthy of consideration, with the idea of sending the rook to c8. For
example, in case of} Rxd5 22. Rc8 Qb6 (22... Qe7 23. Re1) 23. Rxe8+ Nxe8 24.
Be3 Bc5 25. Bh7+ Kh8 26. Be4 Rd7 27. Bf4 {White retains a certain initiative})
({however, I have a suspicion that after} 21. Rc1 {Vishy would have played} Qb6
{, not rushing to win back the pawn.}) 21... Rxd5 {Perfect timing. At the
moment White does not have any direct threats. Indeed, the most frightening
prospect for Black is the possibility that all of the heavy pieces will
disappear from the board, the White king will march into the center, and then
the advantage of the two bishops will become a very weighty factor -- that is,
their ability to put pressure across the whole width of the battlefield and on
squares of any color. For that reason Black must strive for active counterplay
before the aforementioned endgame arises. From the defender's point of view it
would not be a bad idea to trade off a pair of bishops. And if he could trade
his knight for a bishop, that would be completely wonderful.} 22. Bc3 {Played
after long debate. All four rooks are under attack. Few will survive... It's
unlikely that Black will put up with the pressure of the bishop on c3 for long.
The opposing bishop begs to be played to e5. Although, strictly speaking, even
an exchange on f6 with the doubling of Black's pawns might not be that
dangerous for Black, if he can in response organize pressure on the f2 pawn...
The clocks read 1:05 - 1:30.} ({Most likely} 22. Rxe8+ Qxe8 {also came under
consideration -- here the threat of ... Qe8-e5 underscores the unfortunate
position of the bishop on f5. The game might continue} 23. Bc3 Be5 $1 24. Rxd5
Nxd5 25. Bd2 Bc3 $1 {and Black has achieved the desired exchange of minor
pieces.}) 22... Rxe1+ {Possibly this is one way of illustrating my words about
the doubling of pawns on f6. I think that on} (22... Be5 {Boris would have
answered} 23. Bb4 $5) 23. Rxe1 Bc5 {Just so! Black organizes serious
counterplay on the dark squares. If White doesn't take on f6, then the bishop
on c3 will be neutralized by ... Bc5-d4. Black also has some prospects of
playing ... g6 (making sure not to overlook the sacrifice on g6) and ... Kg7,
converting his little garden into an absolutely comfortable place to live. And
of course I'm not even mentioning the possible attacks on the f2 pawn...} 24.
Qc2 {A solid and refined move, but not aggressive. Indeed, White would not get
anything out of} (24. Bxf6 gxf6 ({of course not} 24... Qxf6 $4 25. Re8+ Bf8 26.
Bh7+ Kh8 27. Rxf8#) 25. Qe4 Rd2 26. Qg4+ Kf8 {and the necessity of defending
f2 shackles White's pieces. He will have to play} 27. Re2 Qd6 28. Bc2 Rxe2 29.
Qxe2 Qf4 {and the battlefield turns into a complete wasteland}) ({I also
scrutinized the position without dark-squared bishops:} 24. b4 Bd4 25. Bxd4
Rxd4 26. Qb3 {Visually White's position appears a bit better, and for the
moment Black does not have the advance ... g7-g6. But on the other hand, I
don't see any clear plan for White. The game might continue} Qd6 27. a3 b5 28.
Rc1 g5 29. g3 Kg7 {with rough equality.}) 24... Bd4 {Of course. It appears
that we will now have one-third as many bishops on the board. The bishop on c3
has nowhere to go. If 25. Bd2? Black will take on f2, and on 25. Bb4 Qb6! is
unpleasant.} ({The naive} 24... g6 $2 {will not do because of} 25. Bxg6 fxg6
26. Qxg6+ Kf8 27. Bxf6 {with a win for White.}) 25. Bxd4 Rxd4 26. Qc8 {This is
Gelfand's idea. He plans, in very forthright fashion, with the bluntness of a
soldier, to storm the opponent's queenside. Beginning with the pawn on b7.} ({
I thought that it was more promising to lay siege in a more patient fashion:} 
26. Qc3 Rd2 (26... g6 27. Bc8 $1 {is strong}) 27. Bc2 ({here, however,} 27. Bc8
{is no longer good because of} Rxa2 28. Bxb7 Qb6 $1) 27... g6 28. b4 Kg7 29.
Bb3 {and White retains a certain ... psychological pressure.}) 26... g6 {Black
opens the window and gives his king some more air.} 27. Bg4 {The bishop
continues to defend the queen. Its mission is to land on c8.} h5 {But alas, it
is not meant to be. The trap} (27... Nxg4 $2 28. Re8+ $1 {was too obvious.})
28. Qxd8+ {Forced.} Rxd8 29. Bf3 {I also looked at the poisonous continuation}
(29. Rd1 Rxd1+ ({if} 29... Re8 30. Bf3 {the answer} b6 {is unplayable because
of} 31. Rd6) 30. Bxd1 {From here the kings of both players will run to the
center, and Black will have to play somewhat precisely, because the pawns on
the kingside are vulnerable and it is not so simple for him to control the
squares on which White's king can invade the queenside. But on the other hand,
it's quite possible that I am exaggerating the difficulty -- it's really just
wishful thinking.}) 29... b6 {A well-considered reorganization. Black will
arrange his pawns and pieces in such a way that they all defend one another,
and there will be nothing for White's bishop to do. White cannot prevent the
move ... a6-a5 because of tyhe penetration of Black's rook.} 30. Rc1 {With the
threat of invading on c6.} Rd6 {Played very rapidly. But is it the right move?}
({I think it might have been worth choosing a more active method:} 30... Rd2
31. a4 (31. Rc6 Nd7) 31... a5 32. Rc6 Nd7 {Here the activity of black's pieces
will most likely lead to a further reduction in the number of pawns.}) 31. Kf1
{Even though Black's defenses are strong, White still has some chances for
success.} a5 {All of the soldiers are defended now.} 32. Ke2 {Apparently Boris
is planning an exchange of rooks, reducing matters to a king race. After
Ke2-e3 he can play Rc1-c6, opening up the road for his king. I suspect that
Vishy is already regretting the fact that he didn't put his rook on d2. Now
there's no getting there... The champion continues to ponder, and his time
advantage is melting away: 0:30 - 0:56. The battle continues.} Nd5 {Realizing
that a passive tactic could lead to serious problems, Anand -- albeit
belatedly -- strives for counterplay. Oh well, better late than never! The
knight aims for b4 or f4. One also has to work out whether Black can hold the
rook endgame after an exchange on d5 followed by Rc1-c6.} ({If} 32... Kf8 33.
Ke3 Ke7 34. Rc7+ Ke6 35. Rb7 {Black has fallen into the wrestling pit. White
has quite a few resources for improving his position (for example, a2-a3,
g2-g3, Bf3-e2-c4) while Black has nothing, aside from the desperate attack ...
g6-g5-g4. And, of course, the knight jump to d5 again.}) 33. g3 {Technical
prophylaxis.} ({If} 33. Bxd5 Rxd5 34. Rc6 {Black is saved by the activity of
his rook. For example:} Re5+ 35. Kd3 Rd5+ 36. Kc4 (36. Kc3 b5 37. Ra6 b4+ 38.
Kc4 Rg5 39. g3 h4 $1 40. g4 Re5 $11) 36... Rd2 37. a4 Rxf2 38. Rxb6 Rxg2 39. b4
axb4 40. a5 Ra2 41. Kxb4 g5 42. Rb5 f6 43. Kb3 (43. Kc5 g4 $11) 43... Ra1 44.
Kb2 Ra4 45. Kb3 Ra1 {with a draw by repetition.}) 33... Ne7 {The knight makes
an interesting whirligig. Apparently it is planning to go to d4 via f5. The
clocks show 0:19 - 0:49.} ({In my analysis I did not find any serious problems
with the calmer} 33... Kg7 {. For example,} 34. a3 Ne7 $1 {and the knight
descends on d4 with even greater effect.}) 34. Be4 {Cutting off the cavalry's
raid. After} (34. Rc7 Nf5 35. Be4 Re6 $1 36. Kd3 Rd6+ 37. Kc3 Nd4 $1 {we have
arrived at a rather strange position, which I find personally surprising, in
which for the time being White's three pieces are unable to overcome Black's
two.}) 34... Kg7 {All as it should be. Without the collaboration of all of his
pieces Black can hardly expect a positive outcome. It's best not to count on
study-like miracles. You need a certain reserve of solidity in your position...
And suddenly... What? WHY A DRAW? I have to admit that I completely fail to
understand Gelfand's decision [to offer a draw]. There was no risk of any kind
for White, and no matter what happens he will retain a small advantage. You
might say that he didn't like the time situation? I think that in such a
simple position it would not be a problem to quickly make six moves. From the
competitive viewpoint the challenger is categorically wrong. One must never
let the champion off the hook so easily! If there is an advantage -- press on,
keep playing, keep trying! If you give him presents like this you can hardly
hope to win the match.  Oh well, Boris is his own boss. It's his decision... 
Thank you for your attention, dear readers. I, grandmaster Sergey Shipov, bid
you farewell until the day after tomorrow, when the fifth game will take place.
Best wishes.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "2012 World Championship"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.05.15"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Anand, Viswanathan"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "D45"]
[Annotator "Shipov, Sergey (translated by Dana Mackenzie)"]
[PlyCount "68"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 {And so it is. The Slav Defense.} 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3
a6 {We are repeating the hybrid variation from the second game of the match. A
Meran in the style of Chebanenko. Judging from everything, the champion's work
on this scheme was fundamental, deeply calculated and intended for repeated
application.} 6. b3 Bb4 {I wonder who will be the first to leave the beaten
path?} 7. Bd2 Nbd7 8. Bd3 O-O 9. O-O {The grandmasters are moving quickly and
surely...} Bd6 {The same prophylaxis [as game 2]. Just for kicks, let me show
you White's trick:} (9... Re8 $2 10. Nxd5 $1 Nxd5 ({in case of} 10... exd5 11.
Bxb4 {Black will be just a pawn down}) 11. cxd5 Bxd2 12. dxc6 {and White wins
a pawn and seizes the initiative as well.}) 10. Qc2 {A local novelty -- for
this match.} (10. Rc1 {was played in the second game.}) 10... e5 {Vishy's
answer was instantaneous. He and his seconds foresaw the opponent's choice!
Which, to be honest, is no wonder, because after all the queen move to c2 was
the main theoretical path and, it appears, will continue to be in the future.
Any delay could allow White opening up the center first, or allow him to
prepare thoroughly for Black's attack. Here is a good example from the
challenger's corpus:} (10... h6 11. Ne2 Re8 12. Ng3 e5 13. cxd5 Nxd5 14. Rad1
exd4 15. Nxd4 Nb4 16. Bh7+ Kh8 17. Qb1 Nd5 18. Bf5 Qc7 19. Rfe1 N7f6 20. e4 Ne7
21. Bxc8 Raxc8 22. Qc1 c5 23. Nf3 Ng4 24. Ba5 Qxa5 25. Rxd6 Qxa2 26. Re2 Qxb3
27. h3 {and here in the game B. Gelfand - A. Sokolov, Wijk aan Zee 2006, it
turned out that the knight on g4 has no way back. On} Nf6 {would have followed}
28. Rxf6 gxf6 29. Qxh6+ Kg8 30. Nh5 {with decisive threats. To make a long
story short, Boris won.}) 11. cxd5 cxd5 12. e4 {And once again Boris strives
for a sharp opening of the game.} (12. dxe5 {is well known to be harmless for
Black, for example,} Nxe5 13. Nxe5 Bxe5 14. Rad1 Bg4 15. f3 Bd7 16. Ne2 Rc8 17.
Qb1 Qb6 {with good chances for Black in A. Brown - N. Vityugov, Kalitea 2008.})
12... exd4 {Playing by analogy with the second game would not have worked here:
} (12... dxe4 13. Nxe4 Nxe4 14. Bxe4 Nf6 15. dxe5 Nxe4 16. Qxe4 {and White
gets a healthy extra pawn.}) 13. Nxd5 Nxd5 14. exd5 {The first direct threat
to Black's rear has materialized -- the pawn on h7 is under attack.} Nf6 15. h3
{In this way White prevents the bishop sortie ... Bc8-g4. The weak pawns in
the center remain alive for the moment. Other moves that have been tried are} (
15. Rae1) ({and} 15. Rfe1) ({however,} 15. Nxd4 {is for the moment not a
serious threat because of} Be5 16. Bc3 Qxd5 {with complete equality.}) 15...
Bd7 {Playing for development. Black is prepared to sacrifice a pawn. In the
game I. Krush - T. Enkhbat, Internet 2005, Black replied in symmetrical
fashion:} (15... h6 16. Rad1 Nxd5 17. Nxd4 Qf6 18. Be4 Nf4 19. Be3 {and here
Black lashed out with} Bxh3 20. gxh3 Qg5+ 21. Kh1 Qh4 {and only survived
because White mistakenly failed to play} 22. Bf5 $1 Nxh3 23. Kg2) 16. Rad1 {
Before retreating to b1 with the queen, it's a good idea to let the queen rook
pass through. The coordination and harmony of the pieces is more important
than a pawn. With the text move Boris has created a tower of Babylon on the
d-file. An attractive setup, dang it!} Re8 {The foes have not slowed the pace
of their play. It would seem that Anand, after yesterday's trials and
tribulations in time trouble, has decided not to waste time on variations that
he is already familiar with. He has been making his choices almost immediately.
Now taking the pawn on d4 is a serious possibility. Will Black have enough
compensation for the pawn? I'll also note here that Black's move is a novelty.
It's no wonder that Gelfand has sunk into thought... Previously Black has
played} (16... Rc8 17. Qb1 Rc5 18. Bg5 h6 19. Bh4 g5 20. Bg3 Bxg3 21. fxg3 Nxd5
22. Bh7+ Kg7 23. Rxd4 Qb6 {with chances for both sides in E. Levin - P.
Martynov, St. Petersburg 2012.}) 17. Nxd4 {The principled move! There is no
sense in further preparations. Now the Black knight cannot immediately win the
pawn back on d5 because of the threat on h7.} Rc8 ({The direct} 17... Re5 {
would have led to a very dangerous initiative for White:} 18. Bc3 Rxd5 19. Bc4
Rc5 20. Nf3 {and as you can see, the villainous rook on d1 is literally mowing
down the crowds of innocent bystanders with its attack along the file...}) 18.
Qb1 h6 {Astounding cold-bloodedness! The champion plays as if the pawns were
even. Without any hurry he tends his chess garden, plants a few flowers, pulls
out some weeds. And he doesn't trespass on his neighbor. In fact, the pawn on
d5 remains weak. As a result of the activity of Black's pieces it might fall
all by itself, like a ripe fruit from a fruit tree. Such an experienced
gardener as Anand knows this better than anyone... The time remaining is now 1:
18 - 1:51. You'll agree that this is a serious difference. If I were in
Gelfand's shoes I would think about invading on the square f5. For example,
with 19. Nf5 there is a chance to achieve the advantage of the two bishops.
It's not a gold nugget, but at least it's something.} 19. Nf5 {And so it goes.
The other way of taking control over f5 would not have been successful:} (19.
Bf5 Rc5 $1 20. Bxd7 Qxd7 21. Nf5 Bb8 $1 {and Black wins back the pawn with
full equality.}) 19... Bxf5 {There is no point in putting up with this jerk on
f5.} 20. Bxf5 {The two bishops are on the board!} Rc5 {Black is close to being
able to pluck the fruit from its branch. As a result there will be wide open
spaces in the center of the board. A well-mown lawn.} 21. Rfe1 {More exchanges
are inevitable. White's problem is to coordinate his pieces, to defuse Black's
activity and then attack... say, either the pawn on b7 or the Black king.} (21.
Rc1 {was worthy of consideration, with the idea of sending the rook to c8. For
example, in case of} Rxd5 22. Rc8 Qb6 (22... Qe7 23. Re1) 23. Rxe8+ Nxe8 24.
Be3 Bc5 25. Bh7+ Kh8 26. Be4 Rd7 27. Bf4 {White retains a certain initiative})
({however, I have a suspicion that after} 21. Rc1 {Vishy would have played} Qb6
{, not rushing to win back the pawn.}) 21... Rxd5 {Perfect timing. At the
moment White does not have any direct threats. Indeed, the most frightening
prospect for Black is the possibility that all of the heavy pieces will
disappear from the board, the White king will march into the center, and then
the advantage of the two bishops will become a very weighty factor -- that is,
their ability to put pressure across the whole width of the battlefield and on
squares of any color. For that reason Black must strive for active counterplay
before the aforementioned endgame arises. From the defender's point of view it
would not be a bad idea to trade off a pair of bishops. And if he could trade
his knight for a bishop, that would be completely wonderful.} 22. Bc3 {Played
after long debate. All four rooks are under attack. Few will survive... It's
unlikely that Black will put up with the pressure of the bishop on c3 for long.
The opposing bishop begs to be played to e5. Although, strictly speaking, even
an exchange on f6 with the doubling of Black's pawns might not be that
dangerous for Black, if he can in response organize pressure on the f2 pawn...
The clocks read 1:05 - 1:30.} ({Most likely} 22. Rxe8+ Qxe8 {also came under
consideration -- here the threat of ... Qe8-e5 underscores the unfortunate
position of the bishop on f5. The game might continue} 23. Bc3 Be5 $1 24. Rxd5
Nxd5 25. Bd2 Bc3 $1 {and Black has achieved the desired exchange of minor
pieces.}) 22... Rxe1+ {Possibly this is one way of illustrating my words about
the doubling of pawns on f6. I think that on} (22... Be5 {Boris would have
answered} 23. Bb4 $5) 23. Rxe1 Bc5 {Just so! Black organizes serious
counterplay on the dark squares. If White doesn't take on f6, then the bishop
on c3 will be neutralized by ... Bc5-d4. Black also has some prospects of
playing ... g6 (making sure not to overlook the sacrifice on g6) and ... Kg7,
converting his little garden into an absolutely comfortable place to live. And
of course I'm not even mentioning the possible attacks on the f2 pawn...} 24.
Qc2 {A solid and refined move, but not aggressive. Indeed, White would not get
anything out of} (24. Bxf6 gxf6 ({of course not} 24... Qxf6 $4 25. Re8+ Bf8 26.
Bh7+ Kh8 27. Rxf8#) 25. Qe4 Rd2 26. Qg4+ Kf8 {and the necessity of defending
f2 shackles White's pieces. He will have to play} 27. Re2 Qd6 28. Bc2 Rxe2 29.
Qxe2 Qf4 {and the battlefield turns into a complete wasteland}) ({I also
scrutinized the position without dark-squared bishops:} 24. b4 Bd4 25. Bxd4
Rxd4 26. Qb3 {Visually White's position appears a bit better, and for the
moment Black does not have the advance ... g7-g6. But on the other hand, I
don't see any clear plan for White. The game might continue} Qd6 27. a3 b5 28.
Rc1 g5 29. g3 Kg7 {with rough equality.}) 24... Bd4 {Of course. It appears
that we will now have one-third as many bishops on the board. The bishop on c3
has nowhere to go. If 25. Bd2? Black will take on f2, and on 25. Bb4 Qb6! is
unpleasant.} ({The naive} 24... g6 $2 {will not do because of} 25. Bxg6 fxg6
26. Qxg6+ Kf8 27. Bxf6 {with a win for White.}) 25. Bxd4 Rxd4 26. Qc8 {This is
Gelfand's idea. He plans, in very forthright fashion, with the bluntness of a
soldier, to storm the opponent's queenside. Beginning with the pawn on b7.} ({
I thought that it was more promising to lay siege in a more patient fashion:} 
26. Qc3 Rd2 (26... g6 27. Bc8 $1 {is strong}) 27. Bc2 ({here, however,} 27. Bc8
{is no longer good because of} Rxa2 28. Bxb7 Qb6 $1) 27... g6 28. b4 Kg7 29.
Bb3 {and White retains a certain ... psychological pressure.}) 26... g6 {Black
opens the window and gives his king some more air.} 27. Bg4 {The bishop
continues to defend the queen. Its mission is to land on c8.} h5 {But alas, it
is not meant to be. The trap} (27... Nxg4 $2 28. Re8+ $1 {was too obvious.})
28. Qxd8+ {Forced.} Rxd8 29. Bf3 {I also looked at the poisonous continuation}
(29. Rd1 Rxd1+ ({if} 29... Re8 30. Bf3 {the answer} b6 {is unplayable because
of} 31. Rd6) 30. Bxd1 {From here the kings of both players will run to the
center, and Black will have to play somewhat precisely, because the pawns on
the kingside are vulnerable and it is not so simple for him to control the
squares on which White's king can invade the queenside. But on the other hand,
it's quite possible that I am exaggerating the difficulty -- it's really just
wishful thinking.}) 29... b6 {A well-considered reorganization. Black will
arrange his pawns and pieces in such a way that they all defend one another,
and there will be nothing for White's bishop to do. White cannot prevent the
move ... a6-a5 because of tyhe penetration of Black's rook.} 30. Rc1 {With the
threat of invading on c6.} Rd6 {Played very rapidly. But is it the right move?}
({I think it might have been worth choosing a more active method:} 30... Rd2
31. a4 (31. Rc6 Nd7) 31... a5 32. Rc6 Nd7 {Here the activity of black's pieces
will most likely lead to a further reduction in the number of pawns.}) 31. Kf1
{Even though Black's defenses are strong, White still has some chances for
success.} a5 {All of the soldiers are defended now.} 32. Ke2 {Apparently Boris
is planning an exchange of rooks, reducing matters to a king race. After
Ke2-e3 he can play Rc1-c6, opening up the road for his king. I suspect that
Vishy is already regretting the fact that he didn't put his rook on d2. Now
there's no getting there... The champion continues to ponder, and his time
advantage is melting away: 0:30 - 0:56. The battle continues.} Nd5 {Realizing
that a passive tactic could lead to serious problems, Anand -- albeit
belatedly -- strives for counterplay. Oh well, better late than never! The
knight aims for b4 or f4. One also has to work out whether Black can hold the
rook endgame after an exchange on d5 followed by Rc1-c6.} ({If} 32... Kf8 33.
Ke3 Ke7 34. Rc7+ Ke6 35. Rb7 {Black has fallen into the wrestling pit. White
has quite a few resources for improving his position (for example, a2-a3,
g2-g3, Bf3-e2-c4) while Black has nothing, aside from the desperate attack ...
g6-g5-g4. And, of course, the knight jump to d5 again.}) 33. g3 {Technical
prophylaxis.} ({If} 33. Bxd5 Rxd5 34. Rc6 {Black is saved by the activity of
his rook. For example:} Re5+ 35. Kd3 Rd5+ 36. Kc4 (36. Kc3 b5 37. Ra6 b4+ 38.
Kc4 Rg5 39. g3 h4 $1 40. g4 Re5 $11) 36... Rd2 37. a4 Rxf2 38. Rxb6 Rxg2 39. b4
axb4 40. a5 Ra2 41. Kxb4 g5 42. Rb5 f6 43. Kb3 (43. Kc5 g4 $11) 43... Ra1 44.
Kb2 Ra4 45. Kb3 Ra1 {with a draw by repetition.}) 33... Ne7 {The knight makes
an interesting whirligig. Apparently it is planning to go to d4 via f5. The
clocks show 0:19 - 0:49.} ({In my analysis I did not find any serious problems
with the calmer} 33... Kg7 {. For example,} 34. a3 Ne7 $1 {and the knight
descends on d4 with even greater effect.}) 34. Be4 {Cutting off the cavalry's
raid. After} (34. Rc7 Nf5 35. Be4 Re6 $1 36. Kd3 Rd6+ 37. Kc3 Nd4 $1 {we have
arrived at a rather strange position, which I find personally surprising, in
which for the time being White's three pieces are unable to overcome Black's
two.}) 34... Kg7 {All as it should be. Without the collaboration of all of his
pieces Black can hardly expect a positive outcome. It's best not to count on
study-like miracles. You need a certain reserve of solidity in your position...
And suddenly... What? WHY A DRAW? I have to admit that I completely fail to
understand Gelfand's decision [to offer a draw]. There was no risk of any kind
for White, and no matter what happens he will retain a small advantage. You
might say that he didn't like the time situation? I think that in such a
simple position it would not be a problem to quickly make six moves. From the
competitive viewpoint the challenger is categorically wrong. One must never
let the champion off the hook so easily! If there is an advantage -- press on,
keep playing, keep trying! If you give him presents like this you can hardly
hope to win the match.  Oh well, Boris is his own boss. It's his decision... 
Thank you for your attention, dear readers. I, grandmaster Sergey Shipov, bid
you farewell until the day after tomorrow, when the fifth game will take place.
Best wishes.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "2012 World Championship"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.05.15"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Anand, Viswanathan"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "D45"]
[Annotator "Shipov, Sergey (translated by Dana Mackenzie)"]
[PlyCount "68"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 {And so it is. The Slav Defense.} 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3
a6 {We are repeating the hybrid variation from the second game of the match. A
Meran in the style of Chebanenko. Judging from everything, the champion's work
on this scheme was fundamental, deeply calculated and intended for repeated
application.} 6. b3 Bb4 {I wonder who will be the first to leave the beaten
path?} 7. Bd2 Nbd7 8. Bd3 O-O 9. O-O {The grandmasters are moving quickly and
surely...} Bd6 {The same prophylaxis [as game 2]. Just for kicks, let me show
you White's trick:} (9... Re8 $2 10. Nxd5 $1 Nxd5 ({in case of} 10... exd5 11.
Bxb4 {Black will be just a pawn down}) 11. cxd5 Bxd2 12. dxc6 {and White wins
a pawn and seizes the initiative as well.}) 10. Qc2 {A local novelty -- for
this match.} (10. Rc1 {was played in the second game.}) 10... e5 {Vishy's
answer was instantaneous. He and his seconds foresaw the opponent's choice!
Which, to be honest, is no wonder, because after all the queen move to c2 was
the main theoretical path and, it appears, will continue to be in the future.
Any delay could allow White opening up the center first, or allow him to
prepare thoroughly for Black's attack. Here is a good example from the
challenger's corpus:} (10... h6 11. Ne2 Re8 12. Ng3 e5 13. cxd5 Nxd5 14. Rad1
exd4 15. Nxd4 Nb4 16. Bh7+ Kh8 17. Qb1 Nd5 18. Bf5 Qc7 19. Rfe1 N7f6 20. e4 Ne7
21. Bxc8 Raxc8 22. Qc1 c5 23. Nf3 Ng4 24. Ba5 Qxa5 25. Rxd6 Qxa2 26. Re2 Qxb3
27. h3 {and here in the game B. Gelfand - A. Sokolov, Wijk aan Zee 2006, it
turned out that the knight on g4 has no way back. On} Nf6 {would have followed}
28. Rxf6 gxf6 29. Qxh6+ Kg8 30. Nh5 {with decisive threats. To make a long
story short, Boris won.}) 11. cxd5 cxd5 12. e4 {And once again Boris strives
for a sharp opening of the game.} (12. dxe5 {is well known to be harmless for
Black, for example,} Nxe5 13. Nxe5 Bxe5 14. Rad1 Bg4 15. f3 Bd7 16. Ne2 Rc8 17.
Qb1 Qb6 {with good chances for Black in A. Brown - N. Vityugov, Kalitea 2008.})
12... exd4 {Playing by analogy with the second game would not have worked here:
} (12... dxe4 13. Nxe4 Nxe4 14. Bxe4 Nf6 15. dxe5 Nxe4 16. Qxe4 {and White
gets a healthy extra pawn.}) 13. Nxd5 Nxd5 14. exd5 {The first direct threat
to Black's rear has materialized -- the pawn on h7 is under attack.} Nf6 15. h3
{In this way White prevents the bishop sortie ... Bc8-g4. The weak pawns in
the center remain alive for the moment. Other moves that have been tried are} (
15. Rae1) ({and} 15. Rfe1) ({however,} 15. Nxd4 {is for the moment not a
serious threat because of} Be5 16. Bc3 Qxd5 {with complete equality.}) 15...
Bd7 {Playing for development. Black is prepared to sacrifice a pawn. In the
game I. Krush - T. Enkhbat, Internet 2005, Black replied in symmetrical
fashion:} (15... h6 16. Rad1 Nxd5 17. Nxd4 Qf6 18. Be4 Nf4 19. Be3 {and here
Black lashed out with} Bxh3 20. gxh3 Qg5+ 21. Kh1 Qh4 {and only survived
because White mistakenly failed to play} 22. Bf5 $1 Nxh3 23. Kg2) 16. Rad1 {
Before retreating to b1 with the queen, it's a good idea to let the queen rook
pass through. The coordination and harmony of the pieces is more important
than a pawn. With the text move Boris has created a tower of Babylon on the
d-file. An attractive setup, dang it!} Re8 {The foes have not slowed the pace
of their play. It would seem that Anand, after yesterday's trials and
tribulations in time trouble, has decided not to waste time on variations that
he is already familiar with. He has been making his choices almost immediately.
Now taking the pawn on d4 is a serious possibility. Will Black have enough
compensation for the pawn? I'll also note here that Black's move is a novelty.
It's no wonder that Gelfand has sunk into thought... Previously Black has
played} (16... Rc8 17. Qb1 Rc5 18. Bg5 h6 19. Bh4 g5 20. Bg3 Bxg3 21. fxg3 Nxd5
22. Bh7+ Kg7 23. Rxd4 Qb6 {with chances for both sides in E. Levin - P.
Martynov, St. Petersburg 2012.}) 17. Nxd4 {The principled move! There is no
sense in further preparations. Now the Black knight cannot immediately win the
pawn back on d5 because of the threat on h7.} Rc8 ({The direct} 17... Re5 {
would have led to a very dangerous initiative for White:} 18. Bc3 Rxd5 19. Bc4
Rc5 20. Nf3 {and as you can see, the villainous rook on d1 is literally mowing
down the crowds of innocent bystanders with its attack along the file...}) 18.
Qb1 h6 {Astounding cold-bloodedness! The champion plays as if the pawns were
even. Without any hurry he tends his chess garden, plants a few flowers, pulls
out some weeds. And he doesn't trespass on his neighbor. In fact, the pawn on
d5 remains weak. As a result of the activity of Black's pieces it might fall
all by itself, like a ripe fruit from a fruit tree. Such an experienced
gardener as Anand knows this better than anyone... The time remaining is now 1:
18 - 1:51. You'll agree that this is a serious difference. If I were in
Gelfand's shoes I would think about invading on the square f5. For example,
with 19. Nf5 there is a chance to achieve the advantage of the two bishops.
It's not a gold nugget, but at least it's something.} 19. Nf5 {And so it goes.
The other way of taking control over f5 would not have been successful:} (19.
Bf5 Rc5 $1 20. Bxd7 Qxd7 21. Nf5 Bb8 $1 {and Black wins back the pawn with
full equality.}) 19... Bxf5 {There is no point in putting up with this jerk on
f5.} 20. Bxf5 {The two bishops are on the board!} Rc5 {Black is close to being
able to pluck the fruit from its branch. As a result there will be wide open
spaces in the center of the board. A well-mown lawn.} 21. Rfe1 {More exchanges
are inevitable. White's problem is to coordinate his pieces, to defuse Black's
activity and then attack... say, either the pawn on b7 or the Black king.} (21.
Rc1 {was worthy of consideration, with the idea of sending the rook to c8. For
example, in case of} Rxd5 22. Rc8 Qb6 (22... Qe7 23. Re1) 23. Rxe8+ Nxe8 24.
Be3 Bc5 25. Bh7+ Kh8 26. Be4 Rd7 27. Bf4 {White retains a certain initiative})
({however, I have a suspicion that after} 21. Rc1 {Vishy would have played} Qb6
{, not rushing to win back the pawn.}) 21... Rxd5 {Perfect timing. At the
moment White does not have any direct threats. Indeed, the most frightening
prospect for Black is the possibility that all of the heavy pieces will
disappear from the board, the White king will march into the center, and then
the advantage of the two bishops will become a very weighty factor -- that is,
their ability to put pressure across the whole width of the battlefield and on
squares of any color. For that reason Black must strive for active counterplay
before the aforementioned endgame arises. From the defender's point of view it
would not be a bad idea to trade off a pair of bishops. And if he could trade
his knight for a bishop, that would be completely wonderful.} 22. Bc3 {Played
after long debate. All four rooks are under attack. Few will survive... It's
unlikely that Black will put up with the pressure of the bishop on c3 for long.
The opposing bishop begs to be played to e5. Although, strictly speaking, even
an exchange on f6 with the doubling of Black's pawns might not be that
dangerous for Black, if he can in response organize pressure on the f2 pawn...
The clocks read 1:05 - 1:30.} ({Most likely} 22. Rxe8+ Qxe8 {also came under
consideration -- here the threat of ... Qe8-e5 underscores the unfortunate
position of the bishop on f5. The game might continue} 23. Bc3 Be5 $1 24. Rxd5
Nxd5 25. Bd2 Bc3 $1 {and Black has achieved the desired exchange of minor
pieces.}) 22... Rxe1+ {Possibly this is one way of illustrating my words about
the doubling of pawns on f6. I think that on} (22... Be5 {Boris would have
answered} 23. Bb4 $5) 23. Rxe1 Bc5 {Just so! Black organizes serious
counterplay on the dark squares. If White doesn't take on f6, then the bishop
on c3 will be neutralized by ... Bc5-d4. Black also has some prospects of
playing ... g6 (making sure not to overlook the sacrifice on g6) and ... Kg7,
converting his little garden into an absolutely comfortable place to live. And
of course I'm not even mentioning the possible attacks on the f2 pawn...} 24.
Qc2 {A solid and refined move, but not aggressive. Indeed, White would not get
anything out of} (24. Bxf6 gxf6 ({of course not} 24... Qxf6 $4 25. Re8+ Bf8 26.
Bh7+ Kh8 27. Rxf8#) 25. Qe4 Rd2 26. Qg4+ Kf8 {and the necessity of defending
f2 shackles White's pieces. He will have to play} 27. Re2 Qd6 28. Bc2 Rxe2 29.
Qxe2 Qf4 {and the battlefield turns into a complete wasteland}) ({I also
scrutinized the position without dark-squared bishops:} 24. b4 Bd4 25. Bxd4
Rxd4 26. Qb3 {Visually White's position appears a bit better, and for the
moment Black does not have the advance ... g7-g6. But on the other hand, I
don't see any clear plan for White. The game might continue} Qd6 27. a3 b5 28.
Rc1 g5 29. g3 Kg7 {with rough equality.}) 24... Bd4 {Of course. It appears
that we will now have one-third as many bishops on the board. The bishop on c3
has nowhere to go. If 25. Bd2? Black will take on f2, and on 25. Bb4 Qb6! is
unpleasant.} ({The naive} 24... g6 $2 {will not do because of} 25. Bxg6 fxg6
26. Qxg6+ Kf8 27. Bxf6 {with a win for White.}) 25. Bxd4 Rxd4 26. Qc8 {This is
Gelfand's idea. He plans, in very forthright fashion, with the bluntness of a
soldier, to storm the opponent's queenside. Beginning with the pawn on b7.} ({
I thought that it was more promising to lay siege in a more patient fashion:} 
26. Qc3 Rd2 (26... g6 27. Bc8 $1 {is strong}) 27. Bc2 ({here, however,} 27. Bc8
{is no longer good because of} Rxa2 28. Bxb7 Qb6 $1) 27... g6 28. b4 Kg7 29.
Bb3 {and White retains a certain ... psychological pressure.}) 26... g6 {Black
opens the window and gives his king some more air.} 27. Bg4 {The bishop
continues to defend the queen. Its mission is to land on c8.} h5 {But alas, it
is not meant to be. The trap} (27... Nxg4 $2 28. Re8+ $1 {was too obvious.})
28. Qxd8+ {Forced.} Rxd8 29. Bf3 {I also looked at the poisonous continuation}
(29. Rd1 Rxd1+ ({if} 29... Re8 30. Bf3 {the answer} b6 {is unplayable because
of} 31. Rd6) 30. Bxd1 {From here the kings of both players will run to the
center, and Black will have to play somewhat precisely, because the pawns on
the kingside are vulnerable and it is not so simple for him to control the
squares on which White's king can invade the queenside. But on the other hand,
it's quite possible that I am exaggerating the difficulty -- it's really just
wishful thinking.}) 29... b6 {A well-considered reorganization. Black will
arrange his pawns and pieces in such a way that they all defend one another,
and there will be nothing for White's bishop to do. White cannot prevent the
move ... a6-a5 because of tyhe penetration of Black's rook.} 30. Rc1 {With the
threat of invading on c6.} Rd6 {Played very rapidly. But is it the right move?}
({I think it might have been worth choosing a more active method:} 30... Rd2
31. a4 (31. Rc6 Nd7) 31... a5 32. Rc6 Nd7 {Here the activity of black's pieces
will most likely lead to a further reduction in the number of pawns.}) 31. Kf1
{Even though Black's defenses are strong, White still has some chances for
success.} a5 {All of the soldiers are defended now.} 32. Ke2 {Apparently Boris
is planning an exchange of rooks, reducing matters to a king race. After
Ke2-e3 he can play Rc1-c6, opening up the road for his king. I suspect that
Vishy is already regretting the fact that he didn't put his rook on d2. Now
there's no getting there... The champion continues to ponder, and his time
advantage is melting away: 0:30 - 0:56. The battle continues.} Nd5 {Realizing
that a passive tactic could lead to serious problems, Anand -- albeit
belatedly -- strives for counterplay. Oh well, better late than never! The
knight aims for b4 or f4. One also has to work out whether Black can hold the
rook endgame after an exchange on d5 followed by Rc1-c6.} ({If} 32... Kf8 33.
Ke3 Ke7 34. Rc7+ Ke6 35. Rb7 {Black has fallen into the wrestling pit. White
has quite a few resources for improving his position (for example, a2-a3,
g2-g3, Bf3-e2-c4) while Black has nothing, aside from the desperate attack ...
g6-g5-g4. And, of course, the knight jump to d5 again.}) 33. g3 {Technical
prophylaxis.} ({If} 33. Bxd5 Rxd5 34. Rc6 {Black is saved by the activity of
his rook. For example:} Re5+ 35. Kd3 Rd5+ 36. Kc4 (36. Kc3 b5 37. Ra6 b4+ 38.
Kc4 Rg5 39. g3 h4 $1 40. g4 Re5 $11) 36... Rd2 37. a4 Rxf2 38. Rxb6 Rxg2 39. b4
axb4 40. a5 Ra2 41. Kxb4 g5 42. Rb5 f6 43. Kb3 (43. Kc5 g4 $11) 43... Ra1 44.
Kb2 Ra4 45. Kb3 Ra1 {with a draw by repetition.}) 33... Ne7 {The knight makes
an interesting whirligig. Apparently it is planning to go to d4 via f5. The
clocks show 0:19 - 0:49.} ({In my analysis I did not find any serious problems
with the calmer} 33... Kg7 {. For example,} 34. a3 Ne7 $1 {and the knight
descends on d4 with even greater effect.}) 34. Be4 {Cutting off the cavalry's
raid. After} (34. Rc7 Nf5 35. Be4 Re6 $1 36. Kd3 Rd6+ 37. Kc3 Nd4 $1 {we have
arrived at a rather strange position, which I find personally surprising, in
which for the time being White's three pieces are unable to overcome Black's
two.}) 34... Kg7 {All as it should be. Without the collaboration of all of his
pieces Black can hardly expect a positive outcome. It's best not to count on
study-like miracles. You need a certain reserve of solidity in your position...
And suddenly... What? WHY A DRAW? I have to admit that I completely fail to
understand Gelfand's decision [to offer a draw]. There was no risk of any kind
for White, and no matter what happens he will retain a small advantage. You
might say that he didn't like the time situation? I think that in such a
simple position it would not be a problem to quickly make six moves. From the
competitive viewpoint the challenger is categorically wrong. One must never
let the champion off the hook so easily! If you have any kind of advantage --
press on, keep playing, keep trying! If you give him presents like this you
can hardly hope to win the match.  Oh well, Boris is his own boss. It's his
decision...  Thank you for your attention, dear readers. I, grandmaster Sergey
Shipov, bid you farewell until the day after tomorrow, when the fifth game
will take place. Best wishes.} 1/2-1/2

