Boston Globe
Chess notes
By Harold Dondis and Patrick Wolff
August 22, 2009
Classical Chess Theory holds that the two bishops are superior to a
bishop and a knight, assuming there are no other significant features
in the position. Of course, it is true that two bishops can be even be
better than two knights. But in chess, principles are particularly
frail when confronted with over-the-board decisions. And in this game,
Viswanathan Anand vs. Lev Aronian from the 2009 GrenkeLeasing rapid
World Championship in Mainz, Germany (with a time limit of 20 minutes
plus 5 seconds per move for the game), theory falls on its face.
Anand Aronian 2009 World Rapid Chess Championship (Preliminary Round)
Slav Defense
Anand Aronian Anand Aronian
White Black White Black
1. d4 d5 22. Be2 (e) Nc8
2. c4 c6 23. Bxa7 Rc2
3. Nf3 Nf6 24. Bc4 (f) Rxb2
4. e3 (a) Bg4 25. Bc5 Ne4!
5. h3 Bxf3 26. Re1 Ncd6! (g)
6. Qxf3 e6 27. Ba3 Rd2!
7. Nc3 Nbd7 28. Bf1 Rxd4
8. Bd3 Bb4 29. Bc1 Nd2!
9. O-O O-O 30. Bb2 Rd5
10. Qd1 dxc4 31. Rad1 Nf5 (h)
11. Bxc4 c5 32. Be2 Nxb3!
12. Qb3 cxd4 33. Rxd5 Rxd5
13. exd4 (b) Qa5 34. Rb1 (i) Nbd4
14. Rd1 Rac8 35. Bf1 Nc6
15. Bd2 Nb6! 36. Bc3 Rd7
16. Bf1 Bxc3! (c) 37. g4 Nfe7
17. Bxc3 (d) Qa4 38. f4 Nd5
18. Bb4 Rfd8 39. Bd2 Kf8
19. Bc5 h6 40. Kf2 Ke7
20. Bb5 Qxb3 41. h4? Nf6! 0-1
21. axb3 Rc7
Anand had won this event every year since Garry Kasparov last won it
in 1999. However, he dropped behind in this tourney with two straight
losses on the first day of play. He never recovered. Here is one of
his losses, against Aronian of Armenia, who won the tourney. Not only
did Anand get two bishops against two knights, he also had the White
pieces. He lost a pawn, then a second one, and when third pawn was
about to go, he resigned.
a) More normal is 4.Nc3, to take the point away from 4. . .Bg4,
although of course it also allows all the sharp lines beginning with
4dxc4.
b) Or 13.Qxb4 dxc3 14.Qxc3 Rc8 etc. and Black’s initiative compensates
for Whites two bishops.
c) Black’s incisive play is keeping the balance. Note how important it
is for Black to play with concrete ideas; if Black wavers then Whites
two bishops will give him the edge.
d) Or 17.bxc3 Ne4! with play against White’s pawns.
e) Of course not 22.Rxa7?? Rxc5.
f) This move tries to keep an edge for White, but this appears to be
misguided. Perhaps 24.Bf3 was better, to make a draw after 24. . .Rxb2
25.Bxb7 Rxb3 etc.
g) But not 26. . .Nxf2? because then the knight is trapped. Now White
needs to find some way to untangle his pieces and keep his pawns
intact but he fails to find it.
h) Not only has Black won a pawn, he has activated all of his pieces
and he is attacking White’s weak b-pawn. Rather than trade down into a
losing endgame Anand tries to complicate, but to no avail.
i) Or 34.Bc4 Rd2 35.Bxg7 (35.Bc3 Rc2 etc.) 35. . .Na5! 36.Bc3 Nxc4
37.Bxd2 Nxd2 etc.
Annotations by grandmaster Patrick Wolff, a two-time US champion who
offers chess exercises and more at
© Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
