Anand Draws In 122 Moves, Carlsen Leads 4-3

Anand Draws In 122 Moves, Carlsen Leads 4-3
By Arvind Aaron

Game seven was drawn after 122 marathon moves, the second longest world championship game in history. This one lasted six hours and 25 minutes, only shorter than Korchnoi-Karpov, 1978 game that lasted 124 moves and ended in a stalemate in Baguio City (Phi).

For the first time in the match, Anand played the Berlin variation of the Ruy Lopez with the black pieces. Kramnik had criticised the choice of Anand playing the Sicilian Paulsen that led to his defeat in the previous game.

Both players were quick in the opening and followed the Giri v Radjabov game from Tashkent played recently. Anand varied on move 25. On move 31 the Indian who was a pawn ahead, sacrificed a bishop for two pawns. The resultant position was black having three pawns for the knight of white. One of black’s pawn was lost.

The game slipped into an ending with white having rook, knight and two pawns against black’s rook and four pawns on the same side. It required patient defending and that is what Anand executed. Everytime, Carlsen created a chance, Anand had to work a plan to slip out of it.

The satisfaction of this draw should help the black player in the next game. Anand sits behind the white pieces after three days, two black games and a free day.

This game showed that fighting spirit was high in chess. Only one side had chance and the other side fought for equality. This game is the longest by one sitting as in the other cases, games were adjourned and resumed on different days. Plenty of records were surely created. Future commentators would want higher fees in Carlsen encounters! Though it was Anand who “signed up to suffer” in this fashion by sacrificing a bishop.

In the eighth game on Tuesday, Anand will have the advantage of playing with the white pieces. The score is 4-3 for Carlsen with five games remaining. Anand has white in three of the five remaining games. The second half of this Sochi Match has started on a long note at Russia after a fighting first half.

The longest game in 36 years ended in a draw when the rooks were exchanged off and it became a king and knight for white against king for black. A chess game is terminated when one side does not have enough mating material and that is what happened in the seventh hour of play.

The moves:
GM Magnus Carlsen   – GM Viswanathan Anand   – Ruy Lopez, Berlin Variation, Code: C67
Match Game Seven, Sochi, Russia

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Nxe4 5. d4 Nd6 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9. h3 Ke8 10. Nc3 h5 11. Bf4 Be7 12. Rad1 Be6 13. Ng5 Rh6 14. g3 Bxg5 15. Bxg5 Rg6 16. h4 f6 17. exf6 gxf6 18. Bf4 Nxh4 19. f3 Rd8 20. Kf2 Rxd1 21.Nxd1 Nf5 22. Rh1 Bxa2 23. Rxh5 Be6 24. g4 Nd6 25. Rh7 Nf7 26. Ne3 Kd8 27. Nf5 c5  28. Ng3 Ne5 29. Rh8+ Rg8 30. Bxe5 fxe5 31. Rh5 Bxg4 32. fxg4 Rxg4 33. Rxe5 b6  34. Ne4 Rh4 35. Ke2 Rh6 36. b3 Kd7 37. Kd2 Kc6 38. Nc3 a6 39. Re4 Rh2+ 40. Kc1 Rh1+ 41. Kb2 Rh6 42. Nd1 Rg6 43. Ne3 Rh6 44. Re7 Rh2 45. Re6+ Kb7 46. Kc3 Rh4 47. Kb2 Rh2 48. Nd5 Rd2 49. Nf6 Rf2 50. Kc3 Rf4 51. Ne4 Rh4 52. Nf2 Rh2 53. Rf6 Rh7 54. Nd3 Rh3 55. Kd2 Rh2+ 56. Rf2 Rh4 57. c4 Rh3 58. Kc2 Rh7 59. Nb2 Rh5 60. Re2 Rg5 61. Nd1 b5 62. Nc3 c6 63. Ne4 Rh5 64. Nf6 Rg5 65. Re7+ Kb6 66. Nd7+ Ka5 67. Re4 Rg2+ 68. Kc1 Rg1+ 69. Kd2 Rg2+ 70. Ke1 bxc4 71. Rxc4 Rg3 72. Nxc5 Kb5  73. Rc2 a5 74. Kf2 Rh3 75. Rc1 Kb4 76. Ke2 Rc3 77. Nd3+ Kxb3 78. Ra1 Kc4 79. Nf2  Kb5 80. Rb1+ Kc4 81. Ne4 Ra3 82. Nd2+ Kd5 83. Rh1 a4 84. Rh5+ Kd4 85. Rh4+ Kc5  86. Kd1 Kb5 87. Kc2 Rg3 88. Ne4 Rg2+ 89. Kd3 a3 90. Nc3+ Kb6 91. Ra4 a2 92. Nxa2  Rg3+ 93. Kc2 Rg2+ 94. Kb3 Rg3+ 95. Nc3 Rh3 96. Rb4+ Kc7 97. Rg4 Rh7 98. Kc4 Rf7  99. Rg5 Kb6 100. Na4+ Kc7 101. Kc5 Kd7 102. Kb6 Rf1 103. Nc5+ Ke7 104. Kxc6 Rd1  105. Rg6 Kf7 106. Rh6 Rg1 107. Kd5 Rg5+ 108. Kd4 Rg6 109. Rh1 Rg2 110. Ne4 Ra2 111. Rf1+ Ke7 112. Nc3 Rh2 113. Nd5+ Kd6 114. Rf6+ Kd7 115. Nf4 Rh1 116. Rg6  Rd1+ 117. Nd3 Ke7 118. Ra6 Kd7 119. Ke4 Ke7 120. Rc6 Kd7 121. Rc1 Rxc1 122. Nxc1 1/2-1/2