India's Anand the last man standing

By Kristianus Liem

This is the last article on the World Chess Championships held in Groningen, the Netherlands in December last year.

JAKARTA (JP): The Indian superstar Viswanathan Anand became the last man standing in the World Chess Championship KO system in Groningen, the Netherlands, Dec. 8-30, 1997, after beating England's Michael Adams 5-4 in the final. Anand qualified for the FIDE World Championship Grand-Final match against Anatoly Karpov in Lausanne, Switzerland, Jan. 1-9, 1998.

Adams, who seemed to have nine lives in previous matches, among others against countryman Nigel Short and Russian champ Peter Svidler, finally ran out of luck after drawing the first eight games in the match against Anand. He lost the sudden death blitz game (White 4 minutes, Black 5 minutes, plus 10 second increment per move. First player to win a game qualifies).

This was the most expensive blitz game in the history of chess. The difference between winning and losing the sudden death game was US$314,000. The loser received $375,000 and the winner $768,000 or $1,370,000 depending on his result against Karpov.

White: GM Viswanathan Anand

Black: GM Michael Adams

Caro-Kann Defense

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.c4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e6 6.Nf3 Be7 7.cxd5 Nxd5 8.Bc4 Nxc3 9.bxc3 0-0 10.0-0 Nd7 11.Bd3 Qc7 12.Qe2 Re8 13.c4 g6 14.c5!?

An unusual but apparently good idea. Black getting d5 for his Knight, but in return White control d6 and stops b7-b6 since it will be met by c5-c6.

14...Nf6 15.Ne5 Bd7 16.Bf4 Qc8 17.Rab1 Nd5 18.Bg3 Rf8

Playing it safe. It is tough to calculate long variation in a blitz, e.g. 18...Nc3 19.Qf3 f6 20.Nxd7 Nxb1 21.Rxb1 Qxd7 22.Rxb7 Qxd4 23.Rxe7 Rxe7 24.Qxa8+ Kg7 25.Qe4 Qxc5 26.h4 and White is better.

19.Rfc1 Bf6 20.Nc4?!

Initiating a new drastic change of the position but Anand wasn't about to allow Adams to consolidate with Bd7-c6. Nevertheless, 20.h4 was probably stronger.

20...Bxd4 21.Nd6 Qd8 22.Nxb7 Qf6 23.c6

Black can hardly blockade this pawn in the long run.

23...Bc8 24.Rb3 e5 25.Be4 Be6 26.Rf3 Qg5 27.Qe1 Qe7?

Black missed a golden opportunity to launch an attack with his strong majority of pawns. Namely 27...f5! and Anand would soon find himself in deep trouble after 28.Bxd5 Bxd5 29.Rd3 f4.

28.Qa5 Bb6 29.Qa3 Qxa3 30.Rxa3

White task to promote the c-pawn is easier without the Queens.

30...f6?

Here again Adams missed an opportunity 30...f5 31.Bxd5 Bxd5 32.Bxe5 Rfe8 and 33...Bxc6!

31.Nc5 Bxc5 32.Rxc5

The Bishop pair increases the winning chances.

32...Nc7 33.f3 a6 34.h4 Rad8 35.Rc1 Rd2 36.Be1!

Whether White has a pawn on a2 or not is irrelevant since the only thing that counts at this stage is his ability to push the c-pawn one step further.

36...Rxa2 37.Rxa2 Bxa2 38.Ba5 Rf7 39.Rd1 Nb5 40.Rc1 Nc7 41.Rd1 Nb5 42.Rd8+ Kg7 43.Ra8 Bc4 44.Rb8 f5 45.Bc2 Bd5 46.Rb6 Nd6

See diagram

47.c7! Nc8

Down to the last stand. After 47...Rxc7 48.Rxd6 Rxc2 49.Rxd5 White is a piece up.

48.Rb8 Rf8 49.Ba4 Be6 50.Bc3 Kf6 51.f4

Black's position collapses.

51...Kf7 52.Bxe5 Ne7 53.Rd8 Nc8 54.Kf2 Ke7 55.Bc6 a5

Of course not 55...Rxd8? 56.Bf6+ and wins.

56.Bb7 Kf7 57.Bc6 Ke7 58.Bc3 Kf7 59.Bxa5 Rg8 60.Bb4 Na7 61.Ba4 Nc8 62.Bc5

Black is tied up.

62...h6 63.Bb5 g5 64.fxg5 hxg5 65.h5 1-0

Black resigned here because White wins in all lines, a few illustrations: 65...Kg7 66.h6+ (also wins 66.Bd7 Bxd7 67.Rxd7+ Kh6 68.g4 fxg4 69.Rd8 Kh7 70.Kg3 and Black runs out of moves) 66...Kxh6 (or 66...Kh7 67.Ba6 Rh8 68.Bxc8 Bxc8 69.Bf8 White wins) 67.Rxg8 Bxg8 68.Bd7.