Lucky Carlsen, Back In Lead 3.5-2.5

Lucky Carlsen, Back In Lead 3.5-2.5
By Arvind Aaron

In a see-saw sixth game, Magnus Carlsen of Norway blundered his centre pawn on move 26 and the challenger Viswanathan Anand failed to seize the opportunity. A rare event for a world championship match.

White positionally obtained a big advantage and defeated black in 38 moves. At the half-way stage, Carlsen leads by 3.5-2.5 with another six games still to be played.

Sunday is a rest day and game seven will resume on Monday with Carlsen sitting behind the white pieces yet again. The first player to reach 6.5 points will win this match.

The double bishop and rooks helped white to keep black on the defensive. While unleashing a planned defensive move, Anand forgot about this “gift” that was waiting for him in the middle of the board. Had he played 26…Nxe5, history of world chess could look different.

Carlsen opened with the king pawn and Anand chose the same Sicilian Paulsen. Carlsen came prepared to play the Maroczy bind and it suited him sell. Despite the blunder by both players, the Norwegian was able to keep the slight advantage long.

After black’s pawns fell on the king side, white was in the drivers seat and opposite colour bishops could not do much help for the Indian. Carlsen believed that had black taken the pawn, he would have continued in the “worse” position and it was not yet a “lost” position.

The moves:
GM Magnus Carlsen
GM Viswanathan Anand
Match Game Six, Sochi, Russia
Sicilian Paulsen, Maroczy Bind, B41
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. c4 Nf6 6. Nc3 Bb4 7. Qd3 Nc6 8.
Nxc6 dxc6 9. Qxd8+ Kxd8 10. e5 Nd7 11. Bf4 Bxc3+ 12. bxc3 Kc7 13. h4 b6 14. h5 h6 15. O-O-O Bb7 16. Rd3 c5 17. Rg3 Rag8 18. Bd3 Nf8 19. Be3 g6 20. hxg6 Nxg6 21. Rh5 Bc6 22. Bc2 Kb7 23. Rg4 a5 24. Bd1 Rd8 25. Bc2 Rdg8 26. Kd2 a4 27. Ke2 a3 28. f3 Rd8 29. Ke1 Rd7 30. Bc1 Ra8 31. Ke2 Ba4 32. Be4+ Bc6 33.Bxg6 fxg6 34. Rxg6 Ba4 35. Rxe6 Rd1 36. Bxa3 Ra1 37. Ke3 Bc2 38. Re7+ 1-0