[chessmind] Dennis Monokroussos: Mainz Results: Anand defeats Aronian

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Posted by Dennis Monokroussos:
Mainz Results: Anand defeats Aronian
http://chessmind.powerblogs.com/posts/1187745189.shtml


   Most of you already know what happened, but hey - better late than
   never! (And of course, there are the games themselves, with comments.)
   So: when we left off, Anand and Aronian were set to reprise their
   roles as finalists from the Chess960 competition, while Kasimdzhanov
   and Bacrot again battled for the (metaphorical) bronze medal.
   Round 1:
   In game 1, Anand tried the same pre-emptive anti-Marshall line with
   6.d3 he used in their first game from the preliminary competition
   (let's dub this the Accelerated Anti-Marshall). It worked like a charm
   [1]there (see the third game at the link), but this time Aronian used
   the "other plan" and drew without any problem whatsoever in just 24
   moves. Meanwhile, Kasimdzhanov and Bacrot were engaged in a crazy
   up-and-down battle that concluded in Bacrot's favor. Kasimdzhanov came
   out of the opening with a won game, but missed his chance and was
   quickly lost. The adventures were hardly oven, though, as the former
   FIDE champ devised a brilliant swindle - and his opponent fell for it!
   Some accuracy was required before the draw would be complete, and in
   severe time trouble Kasimdzhanov let Bacrot escape the perpetual and
   win the game.
   Round 2:
   Aronian wasn't any more successful with the White pieces than Anand
   had been. Aronian used the Flexible Variation (4.Nf3) against the
   Nimzo-Indian, but despite the line's comparative rarity the players
   followed a 2006 game between Bareev and Grischuk through Black's 18th
   move. Aronian seemed unaware of this earlier game, judging by his time
   usage, but his 19th move improvement was only good for equality at
   best. (Bareev lost in the earlier game.) White's bishop pair
   compensated for the pawn deficit, but nothing more, and the game was
   drawn in 33 moves. As if to make up for the sleepy first-place battle,
   Bacrot and Kasimdzhanov played another barn-burner, this time drawn
   after lots of adventures and very serious mutual time trouble.
   Round 3:
   Anand-Aronian was another snoozefest, with Anand reverting to the
   usual dull Anti-Marshall (instead of the "exciting new" Accelerated
   version). If anyone was better, it was Aronian, but he played
   unambitiously and the game was drawn in 31 moves. Again it was the
   "supporting cast" to the rescue. Bacrot [2]reprised (see the fourth
   game at the link) his Anti-Marshall Marshall Gambit (8.h3 Bb7 9.d3
   d5!?), but this time Kasimdzhanov was better prepared. He managed to
   keep an edge into the middlegame, and it grew into a winning
   advantage. He almost blew it though, with a big error on move 47, but
   Bacrot missed his chance and Kasimdzhanov leveled the match.
   Round 4:
   It might seem that the momentum was with Aronian, but the more
   accurate assessment is that it was with whoever captained the black
   pieces. And sure enough: Anand achieved full equality against the
   Catalan, and his eternal advantage - his speed - paid off. They
   reached an endgame that was equal or very nearly so, but Aronian was
   so short of time that he couldn't solve the problems posed him, and
   Anand won the game, match, and the championship. Meanwhile, Bacrot
   came out of the opening with a clear advantage, but when he twice
   missed the idea of Qb2 his opponent escaped with a draw, and they
   shared 3rd-4th place.
   Games [3]here.

References

   1. http://chessmind.powerblogs.com/files/mainz2007_rapid_day1.htm
   2. http://chessmind.powerblogs.com/files/mainz2007_rapid_day1.htm
   3. http://chessmind.powerblogs.com/files/mainz2007_rapidfinals.htm