Today Magnus Carlsen won “a look a like” drawn rook endgame in the Fide World Chess Championship against the current World Chess Champion Vishy Anand. Magnus play is in general that of a true World Chess Champion. It seems that Magnus took good advantage of the win yesterday by pressing Vishy. Magnus is now in the lead with 4 points against 2 with only 6 more games to go!
In move 29. Magnus could have gone straight ahead with exd4 to pressure the pawn on e4!
Vishy’s decision with 38. Qg3 to trade a pawn for piece activity in a difficult rook ending for withe seems inaccurate in retrospect. Deep HIARCS also suggest to stay put with 38. Kg1!
Vishy’s plan with 43. h4 and 44. h5 to create a double pawn to slow down the movement of blacks pawns was good idea! And Magnus apparently did’t see this he said on the press conference in Chenai after the game.
The decisive mistake is properly 60. Ra4? 60. b4! apparently creates the necessary counter play for the withe pawns and should at least be equal! A tough decision to make in the heat of the moment. “The best way to defend, is to attack”!
62. But Anand’s plan with 62. c4 and 63. Ra3+ is to slow an antidote against the ambitious black pawns. White cannot prevent the queening of the black pawn without losing his precious rook.
And the withe King from India most rest his case in this battle of minds.
A game like this shows the unbelievably high standard of chess from both sides. Even computers will testify to this fact. But against the Mozart of Chess even the slightest inaccuracy is punished mercilessly!
Analysis by GM Daniel King:
Excellent in depth analysis by IM Christof Sielecki:
