Final. Game one (Round 3.1)

Bareev-Anand [E05]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Nf3 Be7 5. Bg2 O-O 6. O-O dxc4 7. Qc2 a6 8. a4 Bd7 9. Qxc4 Bc6 10. Bg5 Bd5

In the second game of the semi-final match V. Anand played 10... a5 against B. Gelfand, but failed to gain a full equality. In this game Black chose a more reliable continuation.

11. Qc2

Another possible line 11. Qd3 Be4 12. Qe3 we mentioned already in our annotation to the game Gelfand - Anand (Shengyang (m/3), 2000).

11... Be4 12. Qc1

12... h6

A new move. Black ascertains the intentions of White’s dark-squared bishop rather timely. After 12... Nbd7 13. Nc3 Bc6 14. Qc2 Bb4 15. Rfe1 h6 (15... Bxf3 16. Bxf3 c6 17. Red1 Qa5 18. Bf4 e5 19. dxe5 Nxe5 20. Bg2 Rad8 21. Na2 which occurred in the game Filippov - Gutov (Omsk/Perm, 1998) gave no full equalisation to Black) 16. Bxf6 Nxf6 17. e4 White kept good chances for an advantage in the game Ruck - Yu Shaoteng (Gyula, 2000), having got a mighty pawn centre. The line 12... Nc6 13. Nbd2 Nxd4 14. Nxd4 Bxg2 15. Nxe6 fxe6 16. Kxg2 was also tested recently, but the compact pawn chain supplied White with better chances both in the game Kaidanov - C. Bauer (New York, 2000) and in the game Tkachiev - Piket (Cannes, 2000).

13. Bxf6 Bxf6 14. Nc3 Bxf3 15. Bxf3 c6 16. e3 a5 17. h4 Na6 18. h5 Qe7 19. Rd1 Rfd8 20. Qc2 Nb4

It’s evident that the play is absolutely equalised. White cannot prevent Black from the advance c6-c5.

21. Qb3 Rac8 22. Rac1 c5

The opponents could have agreed to a draw after this move quite confidently.

23. dxc5 Rxd1+ 24. Qxd1 Rxc5 25. Ne4 Rc7 26. b3 b6 27. Be2 Rxc1 28. Qxc1 Qd8 29. Qc4 Be7 30. Qb5 Nd5 31. Bc4 Bb4 32. g4 Nf6 33. Nxf6+ 1/2-1/2 Draw.

Final. Game two (Round 3.2)

Anand - Bareev [C11]

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. Nce2

This variation stood already in good stead for V. Anand in 2000. He won three convincing victories in it before this game, though none of them was ”serious”. All the games were played with shortened time control, and in the Spanish town Leon where V. Anand played with A. Shirov the players even were allowed to use computer’s help.

5... c5 6. c3 cxd4

Evgeni Bareev goes the way which was carved in the game Bezgodov - Sakaev (Moscow (m/3), 1999), played in the final match of the Russia Championship. Other opponents of the Indian grandmaster preferred to play differently: 6... Nc6 7. f4 b5 ( 7... Qb6 8. Nf3 Be7 9. a3 O-O 10. h4 f6 11. Rh3 Na5 12. b4! cxb4 13. axb4 Nc4 14. Ng3 a5 15. Bd3 f5 16. Ng5!, and Black suffered a strong attack (Anand - Shirov, Frankfurt (active), 2000)) 8. a3 cxd4 ( 8... c4 9. Nf3 Nb6 10. g4 f5 11. gxf5 exf5 12. Bg2 Be7 13. O-O h6 14. Rf2 Be6 15. Bf1 g5 16. fxg5 hxg5 17. h4! g4 18. Ng5, and it turned out suddenly that it was White, and not Black, who was attacking on the queenside (Anand - Morozevich, Frankfurt (active), 2000)) 9. Nxd4 Nxd4 10. cxd4 b4 11. a4 Qa5 12. Bd2 Be7 13. Nf3 O-O 14. Bb5 Nb6 15. b3 Ba6 16. Bxa6 Qxa6 17. a5 Nd7 18. Qe2, and even the computer was unable to help Black to keep the balance in the game Anand - Shirov (Leon, 2000). Our site attended to all these games, so you can find their annotated texts in our archive.

7. cxd4 f6 8. Nf4 Bb4+ 9. Bd2 Qb6 10. Bxb4

The continuation 10. Qh5+!? g6 11. Nxg6 Bxd2+ 12. Kxd2 Qxb2+ 13. Ke3 was not yet tested in the practice.

10... Qxb4+ 11. Qd2 Qxd2+ 12. Kxd2 Ke7 13. exf6+ gxf6 14. Re1 Nb6

15. Nf3!

The above mentioned game Bezgodov – Sakaev developed according to a different script. After 15. Bd3 Nc6 16. Nf3 Kd6 17. Nh5 Rf8 18. Bxh7 e5 Black got an excellent play in the centre of the board. The move, played by V. Anand in this game, is much stronger and can influence the estimation of the whole variation.

15... Nc6 16. Bb5 Bd7 17. Bxc6!

White gets rid of his bishop properly. Using the circumstance that Black has to take with the pawn, White restricts considerably the opportunities of his opponent’s bishop.

17... bxc6 18. Re2 Rae8 19. Rhe1 Kf7 20. Kc1 Nc4

Most likely Black has already planned the sacrifice of a pawn which will follow later. Otherwise this move was unnecessary.

21. Nd2 Nxd2

No sense to retreat. After 21... Nd6 22. Nb3 or 21... Nb6 22. Nb3 White’s knight intruded to c5.

22. Kxd2 c5

It was this sacrifice which Black meant when he played 21... Nc4.

23. dxc5 e5

24. Nxd5!

White does not want to yield the initiative to his opponent and ventures on a sacrifice by an exchange. After 24. Nd3 Bb5 Black’s play was much simpler than in the game.

24... Bb5 25. Kc3

Of course no 25. Re3? because of 25... Rd8.

25... Bxe2 26. Rxe2 Rc8 27. Kc4 Ke6 28. b4 Rhd8 29. Rd2 Rd7 30. f4!

Another excellent resource, found by White. It turns that Black cannot gain from the binding on the d-file.

30... e4

There was already no escape. There was no 30... Rcd8 because of 31. c6 Rxd5 32. f5+!, and in case of 30... h5 White played 31. b5 e4 32. c6! Rd6 33. a4 Rcd8 34. c7 Rc8 35. a5 Rxd5 36. Rxd5 Rxc7+ 37. Kd4 f5 38. b6 axb6 39. axb6 and then won the rook endgame easily.

31. Rd4 f5

32. g4!

White delivers one blow after another at Black’s position.

32... Rg7

If 32... fxg4, then after 33. Rxe4+ Kf7 34. b5 White’s pawns on the queenside are irrepressible.

33. Ne3 fxg4 34. Rd6+ Kf7 35. Nf5

As a matter of fact, this move puts an end to the game. Black’s rook has no good square to retreat.

35... e3

There was no 35... Rgg8 because of 36. Nh6+, and in case of 35... Rg6 the solution was 36. Rxg6 Kxg6 (if 36... hxg6, then again a fork 37. Nd6+) 37. Ne7+, and White’s knight has time for everything.

36. Nxg7 Re8 37. Nxe8 e2 38. Rf6+ 1-0 Black resigned. In case of 38... Ke7 White won with a simple manoeuvre 39. Rf5 e1Q 40. Re5+ Qxe5 41. fxe5 Kxe8 42. Kd5.