Anand Starts With Victory Over Nemesis Aronian

Anand Starts With Victory Over Nemesis Aronian – By Arvind Aaron

Former world champion Viswanathan Anand scored an important opening round win over World No.2 Levon Aronian of Armenia in the FIDE World Chess Championship Candidates Tournament at Khanty-Mansiysk in Russia on March 13, 2014.

“I came from +30 C in Chennai and stayed indoors in the hotel for two days and did not see the town,” said Anand who quietly crushed Aronian with the white pieces in 47 moves. Anand said he did not want to go out as the snow was melting at this time and the temperature was below zero in this part of Russia.

The 5-time world champion who came from a poor run of events after unsuccessfully defending his crown at Chennai in Nov 2013, went for the anti-Marshall variation and by move 25 was holding on to a nice advantage of two bishops in a rooks ending. Aronian resigned when his knight was trapped for the only decisive game of the round.

Anand’s opening preparation and execution of the endgame were the highlights of this round. A couple of more victories would erase his poor recent run at Chennai, London and Zurich.

The event was off to a colourful start after the opening ceremony. FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov and Russian Chess Federation, Andrey Filatov were present in the opening ceremony. The event was inaugurated on Anand’s board and the opening move was 1.e4.

This is a 8-player double all-play-all and 13 games remain to be played. The other three games between Andreikin-Kramnik, Karjakin-Svidler and Mamedyarov-Topalov ended in draws.

The moves:
Viswanathan Anand-Levon Aronian
Round one, Ruy Lopez, C88
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. h3 Bb7 9. d3 d5 10. exd5 Nxd5 11. Nbd2 Qd7 12. Nxe5 Nxe5 13. Rxe5 Nf6 14. Re1 Rae8 15. Nf3 Bd6 16. Be3 Re7 17. d4 Rfe8 18. c3 h6 19. Ne5 Bxe5 20. dxe5 Rxe5 21. Qxd7 Nxd7 22. Red1 Nf6 23. c4 c6 24. Rac1 R5e7 25. a4 bxc4 26. Bxc4 Nd5 27. Bc5 Re4 28. f3 R4e5 29. Kf2 Bc8 30. Bf1 R5e6 31. Rd3 Nf4 32. Rb3 Rd8 33. Be3 Nd5
34. Bd2 Nf6 35. Ba5 Rde8 36. Rb6 Re5 37. Bc3 Nd5 38. Bxe5 Nxb6 39. Bd4 Nxa4 40.Rxc6 Rd8 41. Rc4 Bd7 42. b3 Bb5 43. Rb4 Nb2 44. Bxb5 axb5 45. Ke3 Re8+ 46. Kd2 Rd8 47. Kc3 1-0