Arctic Stars final

(1) Carlsen,M (2826) - Anand,V (2800) [D78] Arctic Stars Final Kristiansund NOR (1), 30.08.2010 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nf3 Bg7 4.g3 0-0 5.Bg2 c6 6.0-0 d5 7.Nbd2 Bf5 8.b3 Ne4 9.Bb2 Na6!? A rare continuation that had never been played by a top player until now. 10.Nh4 Nxd2 11.Qxd2 Be6 12.Rac1 Qd7 13.Nf3 Rfd8 14.Rfd1 Nc7 15.Qa5 Ne8 16.e3 Bg4 17.Rd2 Bxf3 18.Bxf3 e6 19.Rdc2 Nd6 20.a4 f5 21.Qe1 a5? Anand was severely critical of this move after which "Black just loses a pawn". 22.Bc3?! Fortunately for Black, the Norwegian's reply is not decisive (yet). [Black would indeed lose a pawn by force if play had continued with 22.cxd5! exd5 (If 22...cxd5? 23.Rc7 Qe8 24.Ba3 Bf8 25.Bxd6 Bxd6 26.Rxb7 ) 23.Rc5 And the a5 pawn falls. For example 23...Qc7 is unplayable due to 24.Bxd5+! ] 22...dxc4 23.Bxa5 cxb3 24.Rb2 Rdc8 25.Rxb3 Bf8 26.Rcb1 Ra7 27.Kg2 Nc4 28.Bb4 Bxb4 29.Rxb4 Nd6 30.Qc3 Rca8 31.Qc2 Ra6 32.h4 White already starts softening up the opponent's kingside. 32...h5 33.e4! R8a7 34.exf5 Nxf5 [Anand could not retake with the pawn with 34...exf5? because of 35.d5! and things go downhill very quickly.] 35.Re1 Ra5 36.Qb3 Kf7 37.Re4?! Ne7 [37...b5 would have been better. 38.axb5 cxb5 ] 38.Qc2 Nd5 39.Rc4 Ra8 40.Re5! Ne7 41.Bxh5! The bishop is untouchable. 41...Rxe5 [41...gxh5? 42.Qh7+ Kf6 (42...Ke8 43.Qxh5+ Kf8 44.Rxa5 ) 43.Rg5 Threatening Qg7 mate. 43...Rxg5 44.hxg5+ Kxg5 45.Qg7+ Kf5 46.Qf7+ Kg5 47.Rc5+ and Black loses the queen or is mated.] 42.dxe5 Qd5+ 43.Bf3 Qxe5 44.Re4 Qd6 45.h5! Rf8 46.Qb2 b5 47.axb5 cxb5 48.Qxb5 Nf5 49.Qb7+ Kf6 50.Qh7 gxh5 51.Bxh5 Qd5 52.Bf3 Qd2 53.g4 Ng7 54.g5+! [After 54.g5+! Qxg5+ 55.Rg4 ends it.] 1-0

(2) Anand,V (2800) - Carlsen,M (2826) [C95] Arctic Stars Final Kristiansund NOR (2), 30.08.2010 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.h3 d6 9.c3 Nb8 10.d4 Nbd7 11.Nbd2 Bb7 12.Bc2 Re8 13.a4 Bf8 14.Bd3 c6 15.b4 Nb6 16.axb5 axb5 17.Rxa8 Bxa8 18.Nb3 Bb7 19.dxe5 dxe5 20.Be3 Bc8 21.Qc2 Qc7 22.Na5 Bd7 23.Rc1 h6 24.Nd2 Na4 25.Ndb3 Rb8 26.Ra1 c5 27.bxc5 Nxc5 28.Nxc5 1/2-1/2

(3) Polgar,Ju (2682) - Hammer,J (2636) [C45] Arctic Stars Bronze Kristiansund NOR (1), 30.08.2010 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Bb4 6.Nxc6 bxc6 7.Bd3 d5 8.exd5 cxd5 9.0-0 0-0 10.Bg5 c6 11.Na4 h6 12.Bh4 Be6 13.c3 Be7 14.Re1 Nd7 15.Bxe7 Qxe7 16.f4 f5 17.Qe2 Rae8 18.Qf2 Qd6 19.Rad1 Nf6 20.Nc5 Bc8 21.Qd4 g5 22.Rf1 Nh5 23.fxg5 hxg5 24.c4 Nf4 25.cxd5 cxd5 26.Rf3 Qe5 27.Qxe5 Rxe5 28.Bf1 Ne6 29.Nxe6 Bxe6 30.Ra3 Rf7 31.Kf2 f4 32.h3 Kg7 33.Re1 Rxe1 34.Kxe1 Rb7 35.b3 Bf5 36.Ra6 Rc7 37.Be2 Rc1+ 38.Kd2 Rc2+ 39.Kd1 Be4 40.Bf3 Rb2 41.Ke1 Kf7 42.Bh5+ Ke7 43.Bf3 Kf7 44.Bh5+ Ke7 45.Bf3 1/2-1/2

(4) Hammer,J (2636) - Polgar,Ju (2682) [E17] Arctic Stars Bronze Kristiansund NOR (2), 30.08.2010 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.c4 b6 4.g3 Bb7 5.Bg2 Be7 6.0-0 d5 7.cxd5 exd5 8.Ne5 0-0 9.Nc3 Na6 10.Bg5 Ne4 11.Bxe7 Qxe7 12.Rc1 c5 13.e3 Rac8 14.Re1 Rfd8 15.Bh3 Ra8 16.Qa4 Nc7 17.Nc6 Bxc6 18.Qxc6 Nxc3 19.bxc3 c4 20.e4 Rd6 21.exd5 Qd8 22.Qxc4 Nxd5 23.Re5 Rb8 24.Rce1 a5 25.Bg2 Nf6 26.Re7 Qf8 27.Qc7 Rbd8 28.Bc6 h5 29.h4 g6 30.a4 Qg7 31.R1e5 Ng4 32.Re8+ Kh7 33.Rxd8 [33.Rxh5+ gxh5 34.Be4+ Kh6 35.Rxd8 ] 33...Qf6 34.Re2 Rxd8 35.Kg2 Rd6 36.Bf3 Kg7 37.Qe7 Rd8 38.Qxf6+ Nxf6 39.Bc6 Rd6 40.Bb5 Nd5 41.Rc2 Rd8 42.Kf3 Kf6 43.Ke4 Nc7 44.Bc6 Ke7 45.Rb2 Rb8 46.Bd5 b5 47.axb5 f5+ 48.Ke5 Rxb5 49.Rxb5 Nxb5 50.c4 Nc3 51.c5 a4 52.Be6 a3 53.d5 a2 54.d6+ Kd8 55.c6 [55.c6 a1Q 56.c7+ Ke8 57.c8Q# ] 1-0