Moscow W.C. Match, game 3: another draw

[Javier]

Third round, third draw. To be honest, though, this game was hard fought, both players showing a will to win.

One gets the feeling that Anand could have got a little bit more out of the position...

Gelfand now gets 3 games with the white pieces out of the next 4, things could get interesting...

 

[Event "World Chess Championship Match"]

[site "Moscow"]

[Date "2012.05.14"]

[Round "3"]

[White "Anand, Viswanathan"]

[black "Gelfand, Boris"]

[Result "1/2-1/2"]

[ECO "D70"]

[WhiteElo "2791"]

[blackElo "2727"]

[Annotator "Robot 4"]

[EventCountry "RUS"]

[TimeControl "40/7200+30:20/3600+30:900+30"]

 

[pgn]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. f3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nb6 6. Nc3 Bg7 7. Be3 O-O 8. Qd2

e5 9. d5 c6 10. h4 {An ambitious move from Anand. It has been played before and white

has scored quite well.} cxd5 11. exd5 N8d7 12. h5 Nf6 13. hxg6 fxg6 14. O-O-O Bd7

15. Kb1 Rc8 16. Ka1 e4 {A strong move, opening up the diagonal for the Bishop on g7.} 17. Bd4 (17.

fxe4 {This would have been rather risky.} Na4 18. Nge2 Nxe4 19. Nxe4 Nxb2) 17...

Na4 18. Nge2 Qa5 19. Nxe4 Qxd2 20. Nxf6+ Rxf6 21. Rxd2 Rf5 22. Bxg7 Kxg7 23. d6

Rfc5 24. Rd1 a5 25. Rh4 Rc2 26. b3 Nb2 27. Rb1 Nd3 {With the idea of Nb4} 28. Nd4

Rd2 (28... Nb4 29. Nxc2 Rxc2 30. Rxb4 axb4 31. Rd1) 29. Bxd3 Rxd3 30. Re1 Rd2

31. Kb1 Bf5+ 32. Nxf5+ gxf5 33. Re7+ Kg6 34. Rc7 {Probably not the strongest.} (34. d7

Rcc2 35. Rc4 Rxc4 36. bxc4) 34... Re8 35. Rh1 {This makes it easy for Gelfand to draw now.}

(35. Re7 Rc8 {Again, Rc7 and then d7.} 36. Rc4 Rxc4 37. bxc4 Rxd6 38.

Rxb7 Rd1+ 39. Kc2 Rg1) (35. Rhxh7 Re1+ 36. Rc1 Ree2) 35... Ree2 36. d7 Rb2+ 37.

Kc1 Rxa2 {Draw.} 1/2-1/2[/pgn]