(1) Anand,Viswanathan (2798) - Carlsen,Magnus (2775)
Final Chess Masters Bilbao 2008 (5), 06.09.2008



1.e4 e5 2.Cf3 Cc6 3.Ab5 f5!?
This tournament is quite entertaining in the openings field. We saw those nice Sicilian Dragon attacking games in previous rounds, and now Magnus comes with the active Spanish Schliemann variation. Radjabov has been playing this line with success last two years, and three of those games were against Magnus himself. In the present game, Carlsen (this time playing Black) wants to give the line a try.

4.d3 fxe4 5.dxe4 Cf6 6.0-0 Ac5 7.Axc6 bxc6 8.Cxe5 0-0 9.Cc3
Anand deviates from another of his game where Black got a very pleasant position: [9.Ag5 De8 10.Axf6 Txf6 11.Cd3 Ad4 12.Cd2 Aa6 13.Tb1 d6 14.c4 c5 15.b4 Df7 16.Rh1 Tf8 with compensation for the pawn. Anand,V (2799)-Radjabov,T (2735)/Morelia/Linares MEX/ESP 2008.]

9...d6 10.Cd3 Ad4 11.Ce2 Ab6 12.Ag5 De8 13.Axf6 Txf6 14.Cg3 Df7N
This time is Carlsen who deviated from a previous game where Radjabov his opponent played: [14...Aa6 15.Rh1 Axd3 16.cxd3 Txf2 17.Txf2 Axf2 18.Cf5 Ab6 19.Dg4 Df8 20.Tf1 g6 21.Tf4 Rh8 22.Cd4 Dg7 with good game for Black. Carlsen,M (2690)-Radjabov,T (2729)/Monte Carlo 2007.]

15.b3 Ae6 16.Dd2 Tf8 17.Tae1
Anand used around 30 minutes for last three moves. In this tournament he is thinking a lot, something very unusual on him.

17...Th6!
Black is threatening Qf6-h4.

18.Dc3 Tf6 19.Te2?!
Anand did not realise that this move has a tactic drawback. [If 19.Dxc6 then 19...h5! and Black has enough compensation. He will get back a pawn soon and White's queen would be to far to defend the kingside]

19...Ag4 20.Td2?!
This move is just a blunder; Anand did not see Carlsen next move. [Better was 20.Tee1 Txf2 21.Cxf2 Axf2+ 22.Rh1 Axe1 23.Dxe1 De7 24.Txf8+ Dxf8= ]

20...Ae3! 21.h3 Axd2 22.Dxd2 Ac8 23.f4 h5! 24.f5 h4 25.Ce2 Te8?!
[As Anand pointed out after the game, better was: 25...De7! y en caso de 26.Cf2 d5 27.Cg4 T6f7 with clear advantage for Black. ]

26.Cf2 d5 27.Cg4 Txe4 28.Cxf6+ Dxf6 29.Cc1!
An excellent defensive move.

29...Axf5 30.Df2 Ag6 31.Dxa7 Tf4 32.Txf4 Dxf4 33.Cd3 Axd3 34.cxd3 Dc1+ 35.Rh2 Df4+ 36.Rg1 1/2-1/2