"It is a well known fact that almost all the outstanding chess-players have been first-class analysts."
🔸 Mikhail Botvinnik (1960). “Botvinnik: 100 Selected Games”
@UnityChess
🔸 Mikhail Botvinnik (1960). “Botvinnik: 100 Selected Games”
@UnityChess
20... gxf4??
A miscalculation by Anand that costs him the game.
20... Bxd4+ 21. Rxd4 Rad8 22. e5 Qc5 23. Rd1 Nh5 =
21. Bxe5! Qxe5 22. gxf4 Qc5+
22... Qc7 23. f5 Bh5 24. Qxh6 Qxh2+ 25. Kxh2 Ng4+ 26. Kg3 Nxh6 27. Rh1 +-
23. Kh1 Nxe4 24. Nxe4 Rxe4
24... Bxe4 25. Bxe4 Rxe4 26. Qg2+ +-
25. Rg3 Rd4 26. Qe3 1-0
If 26...Kh7 27.f5! B×f5 28.R×f5 Q×f5 29.Q×d4 +-
A miscalculation by Anand that costs him the game.
20... Bxd4+ 21. Rxd4 Rad8 22. e5 Qc5 23. Rd1 Nh5 =
21. Bxe5! Qxe5 22. gxf4 Qc5+
22... Qc7 23. f5 Bh5 24. Qxh6 Qxh2+ 25. Kxh2 Ng4+ 26. Kg3 Nxh6 27. Rh1 +-
23. Kh1 Nxe4 24. Nxe4 Rxe4
24... Bxe4 25. Bxe4 Rxe4 26. Qg2+ +-
25. Rg3 Rd4 26. Qe3 1-0
If 26...Kh7 27.f5! B×f5 28.R×f5 Q×f5 29.Q×d4 +-
37. Rc1??
27-year-old Croatian GM made a fatal blunder.
37. Re2!
A) 37...Rc6 38. Qh2 Rc2 39. Re1 Qg5 40. Qh3 Qf6 41. Re2 Qa6 42. b5 Qxa4 43. Rxc2 Qxc2 44. Kg1 =
B) 37... Qg3 38. Qe5! Qxe5 39. dxe5 Re6 40. Rc2 Re7 41.Rc8 = White has sufficient counter chances.
37... Qg3! 38. Qxg3+
38. Qc2 h3 39. gxh3 Qxe3 -+
38... hxg3 39. f3
39.Rc2 Kg6! 40. Kg1 Rxf2 41. Rxf2 gxf2+ 42. Kxf2 Kg5 43. Kg3 f5 44. b5 b6 45. Kf2 f4 -+
39... exf3 40. gxf3 Rxf3+ 41. Kg2 Rxe3 42. Rc7 Kg6 43. Rxb7 f5 44. Rxa7 f4 45. Kh3 Re2 46. Ra8 Kf7 47. Ra7+ Kf6 0-1
27-year-old Croatian GM made a fatal blunder.
37. Re2!
A) 37...Rc6 38. Qh2 Rc2 39. Re1 Qg5 40. Qh3 Qf6 41. Re2 Qa6 42. b5 Qxa4 43. Rxc2 Qxc2 44. Kg1 =
B) 37... Qg3 38. Qe5! Qxe5 39. dxe5 Re6 40. Rc2 Re7 41.Rc8 = White has sufficient counter chances.
37... Qg3! 38. Qxg3+
38. Qc2 h3 39. gxh3 Qxe3 -+
38... hxg3 39. f3
39.Rc2 Kg6! 40. Kg1 Rxf2 41. Rxf2 gxf2+ 42. Kxf2 Kg5 43. Kg3 f5 44. b5 b6 45. Kf2 f4 -+
39... exf3 40. gxf3 Rxf3+ 41. Kg2 Rxe3 42. Rc7 Kg6 43. Rxb7 f5 44. Rxa7 f4 45. Kh3 Re2 46. Ra8 Kf7 47. Ra7+ Kf6 0-1
30.Rxa6??
Eljanov did not manage to maintain equality in the endgame.
30.Rd1+!
A) 30...Bd4+ 31.Kf1 Kc6 32.Nc7 Bxc5 33.Nxa6 Rxb6 34.Nxc5 Kxc5 35.Rd7 and now:
A1) 35...Rb2 36.Rxe7 Rxh2 37.Kg1 Kd6 38.Rg7 Rh4 39.Kg2 Ke6 40.Kg3 Rh1 41.Kg2 Rh6 42.Ra7 =
A2) 35...Re6 36.Kf2=
B) 30...Kc6 31.Nc7 a5 32.Ne6 = with counterplay.
30...Bd4+ 31.Kg2 Bxc5 32.Ra7+ Kd6 33.Ra2 Be3 34.Rc2 Bxf4 35.h4 Be3 36.Rc8 Rb2+ 37.Kh1 Bxb6
0-1
Eljanov did not manage to maintain equality in the endgame.
30.Rd1+!
A) 30...Bd4+ 31.Kf1 Kc6 32.Nc7 Bxc5 33.Nxa6 Rxb6 34.Nxc5 Kxc5 35.Rd7 and now:
A1) 35...Rb2 36.Rxe7 Rxh2 37.Kg1 Kd6 38.Rg7 Rh4 39.Kg2 Ke6 40.Kg3 Rh1 41.Kg2 Rh6 42.Ra7 =
A2) 35...Re6 36.Kf2=
B) 30...Kc6 31.Nc7 a5 32.Ne6 = with counterplay.
30...Bd4+ 31.Kg2 Bxc5 32.Ra7+ Kd6 33.Ra2 Be3 34.Rc2 Bxf4 35.h4 Be3 36.Rc8 Rb2+ 37.Kh1 Bxb6
0-1
26... Rd5??
Kramnik's strange blunder. He should have prevented the white queen from penetrating to the h-file via the fourth rank.
26... Rd4! 27. Qf3 Rg6
A)28. Bf6 Qd2! The only way for black to get drawing chances.
A1) 29.Qxc6 Rd8 30. Kh1 Qe2 = with sufficient counter chances.
A2) 29. Qh5?? Rxg3+ 30. fxg3 Rc4+ and mate in 3 moves.
B) 28. Qh5 Rxg7=
27. Qb4 c5 28. Qh4 h6 29. Bxh6 Qb3 30. Bd2 Kxg7 31. Qh8+ Kg6 32. Qh7# 1-0
Kramnik's strange blunder. He should have prevented the white queen from penetrating to the h-file via the fourth rank.
26... Rd4! 27. Qf3 Rg6
A)28. Bf6 Qd2! The only way for black to get drawing chances.
A1) 29.Qxc6 Rd8 30. Kh1 Qe2 = with sufficient counter chances.
A2) 29. Qh5?? Rxg3+ 30. fxg3 Rc4+ and mate in 3 moves.
B) 28. Qh5 Rxg7=
27. Qb4 c5 28. Qh4 h6 29. Bxh6 Qb3 30. Bd2 Kxg7 31. Qh8+ Kg6 32. Qh7# 1-0
23...Bf6? [23...Ne6!! White missed this brilliant and of course hidden resource. 24.gxh5 Bxh5 25.Bb1 Nc5 26.Nf5 Ne4! 27.Nxh4 (27.Bxe4 dxe4 28.Nxh4 exf3–+) 27...Bxf3 (27...Nxd2? 28.Qxd2 Bxf3 29.Nxf3+–) 28.Nxf3 Qh5! 29.Qe2 (29.Bc2?? Qg4+ 30.Kf1 Rf8–+) 29...Nxd2 30.Qxd2 Qxf3µ White's exposed king gives black a large advantage, especially when the rook joins the attack.; 23...Nf6 24.Rh3 c5 25.Ne2 Nxg4 26.Rxh4²; 23...c5 24.gxh5 Bxh5 25.Qf1 Bxf3 26.Nxf3 Bf6 27.Bxd5 Nc6=]
24.Re3! Qf7 25.gxh5 Bxh5 26.Qf1 c5 27.Nf5 Nc6 28.Rh3? [28.Nd6 Qd7 29.Qh3 Bg4 30.Qg2 Qxd6 31.Qxg4±]
28...Bg4 29.Nd6 Qe6? [29...Qe7 30.Rg3 Rf8!! 31.Rxg4 (31.Qd3 Ne5 32.Qxd5 Bh4µ) 31...Bd4+ 32.cxd4 Rxf1+ 33.Kxf1 Qxd6µ]
30.Rg3 Rf8 31.Qg2 Be5 32.Rxg4 Qxd6 33.Qxd5 Qf6 34.Qg2 Nd4 35.Bd5 Nf5 36.Nc4 Bc7 37.Qf3 Qd8 38.Qe4 Re8 39.Qxf5 1–0
24.Re3! Qf7 25.gxh5 Bxh5 26.Qf1 c5 27.Nf5 Nc6 28.Rh3? [28.Nd6 Qd7 29.Qh3 Bg4 30.Qg2 Qxd6 31.Qxg4±]
28...Bg4 29.Nd6 Qe6? [29...Qe7 30.Rg3 Rf8!! 31.Rxg4 (31.Qd3 Ne5 32.Qxd5 Bh4µ) 31...Bd4+ 32.cxd4 Rxf1+ 33.Kxf1 Qxd6µ]
30.Rg3 Rf8 31.Qg2 Be5 32.Rxg4 Qxd6 33.Qxd5 Qf6 34.Qg2 Nd4 35.Bd5 Nf5 36.Nc4 Bc7 37.Qf3 Qd8 38.Qe4 Re8 39.Qxf5 1–0
52.a4 [52.Rd7! Ke4 53.Re7+ Kd5 54.Ne3+ Bxe3 55.Rxe3 Rxb2 56.Ra3 Ke4 (56...Rb6 57.Kg2 Ke4 58.Ra4+ Kf5 59.Kf3±) 57.Rxa6 Rb1+ 58.Kg2 Rb2+ 59.Kg1 Rb1+ 60.Kf2 Rb2+ 61.Ke1 Rb1+ 62.Kd2 Rh1 63.Ra4+ Kf3 64.Ra3+ Ke4 65.h4±; 52.Re7 Rxb2 53.Nh6+ Kf6 54.Re4 Rd2 55.a3 a5 56.a4 Bc3 57.Ng8+ Kf5 58.Re3 Bd4 59.Ne7+ Kf6 60.Nd5+ Kg6 61.Rf3 Rd1+ 62.Kg2 Rg1+ 63.Kh2=]
52...Bxb2? [52...Rd1+! 53.Kg2 Rd2+ 54.Kf1 Ke4 55.Rf7 Rxb2=]
53.Ne3+ Ke4 54.Nc4 Rd1+ 55.Kg2 Bd4 56.Re7+ Kd3 57.Ne5+ Ke4 58.Nf3+ Kf5 59.Rd7 [59.Rd7 Ke4 60.Rxd4+ Rxd4 61.Nxd4 Kxd4 62.Kf3+–] 1–0
52...Bxb2? [52...Rd1+! 53.Kg2 Rd2+ 54.Kf1 Ke4 55.Rf7 Rxb2=]
53.Ne3+ Ke4 54.Nc4 Rd1+ 55.Kg2 Bd4 56.Re7+ Kd3 57.Ne5+ Ke4 58.Nf3+ Kf5 59.Rd7 [59.Rd7 Ke4 60.Rxd4+ Rxd4 61.Nxd4 Kxd4 62.Kf3+–] 1–0