Baden Baden wins the Bundesliga; Tiviakov beats Anand

by ChessBase
4/16/2012 – The final rounds of the Bundesliga were no less dramatic than the Russian Team Championship whose final rounds played the same weekend. The leader was top-rated Baden Baden, but they suffered an unexpected setback when their top board, Viswanathan Anand, lost to an inspired Sergey Tiviakov. Nevertheless, the team held strong in the last round and took the title. Final report.

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The Bundesliga 2011/12 is underway and is held from October 14th, 2011 to April 15th, 2012. It is a round-robin schveningen tournament in which 16 teams of eight players play each other at the rate of 40 moves in 100 minutes followed 20 moves in 50 minutes and finally 15 minutes for the rest of the game plus a 30-second increment as of move one.

Schachbundesliga 2011/12


The playing area for the final rounds

Rounds fourteen and fifteen


The round's poster

The final rounds of the Bundesliga were no less dramatic than the Russian Team Championship whose final rounds played the same weekend. For fans, it was a mouth-watering spectacle of great chess, and it was nothing strange for online spectators to have six or eight boards tiled on their screens. The leader was top-rated Baden Baden, but they suffered an unexpected setback when their top board, Viswanathan Anand, found himself in a nasty bind against Sergey Tiviakov, and went from bad to worse as he lost. To his credit, the Dutch GM also played the position with textbook technique, and his exploitation of his advantage would not be misplaced in future instruction manuals.


Sergey Tiviakov had his day of glory by inflicting Anand's first
ever defeat in league competition.

[Event "Schachbundesliga 2011-12"] [Site "Baden Baden GER"] [Date "2012.04.14"] [Round "14.1"] [White "Tiviakov, Sergei"] [Black "Anand, Viswanathan"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B51"] [WhiteElo "2647"] [BlackElo "2817"] [PlyCount "99"] [EventDate "2011.10.14"] [WhiteTeam "SC Eppingen"] [BlackTeam "OSG Baden-Baden"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bb5+ Nd7 4. d4 cxd4 5. Qxd4 a6 6. Bxd7+ Bxd7 7. c4 e5 8. Qd3 h6 9. Nc3 Nf6 10. O-O Be7 11. a4 b6 {A highly dubious choice according to Tiviakov.} 12. b3 Ra7 (12... Bc6 13. Ba3 Ra7 14. Nd5 Nxd5 15. cxd5 Bd7 16. Nd2 b5 17. axb5 Bxb5 18. Nc4 O-O 19. f4 exf4 20. Rxf4 Bf6 21. Raf1 Be5 22. Rf5 Re7 23. Qe3 Rfe8 24. Nxe5 Rxe5 25. Rxe5 Rxe5 26. Bb2 Bxf1 27. Bxe5 Bb5 28. Bg3 Qe7 29. Qd4 Qg5 30. Qc3 Qg6 31. Qf3 Bd7 32. Qd3 Bb5 33. Qf3 Bd7 34. Qd3 Bb5 35. Qc2 Qf6 36. h3 Qd4+ 37. Kh2 Bd3 38. Qc8+ Kh7 39. Qf5+ Kg8 40. Qc8+ Kh7 41. Qf5+ { 1/2-1/2 (41) Gdanski,J (2400)-Koch,J (2270) Arnhem 1987}) 13. Rd1 Bc8 14. Ba3 Rd7 {The postion is very unpleasant for Black, and while he is in no immediate danger, nor does he have any active prospects. It is curious that this type of closed passive position should fall precisely after Tkachiev's comments with Kramnik in their interview.} 15. Nd2 O-O 16. Nf1 Bb7 17. Ne3 Re8 18. Ncd5 Nxd5 19. Nxd5 Bxd5 20. Qxd5 Qa8 21. Qxa8 Rxa8 22. Rd5 f6 23. Rad1 Rad8 24. g3 g5 25. f4 gxf4 $2 {Impatience? Frustration? The problem is that this not only doesn't solve any of Black's problems, but it opens up the g-file for White. Black's serious lack of space and mobility means that he cannot switch from one side to the next as quickly as his opponent. Had he left it to White to exchange, then it would have been the f-file opened, and would be far easier to keep control of both.} 26. gxf4 Kf7 27. Kf2 exf4 28. Kf3 Ke6 29. Bc1 Rc8 30. Bxf4 Bf8 31. h4 Rc6 32. h5 Rb7 33. Be3 Rb8 34. Bd4 Rc7 35. Rg1 Bg7 36. Rg6 Rf7 37. Be3 Rd7 $2 {Missing a shot that Tiviakov also missed with the time control approaching.} 38. Rf5 ({The spectacular} 38. e5 $3 {would have won on the spot, but fortunately for the Dutch GM, this does not squander his game.} Kf7 (38... dxe5 39. Rxd7 Kxd7 40. Rxg7+ $18) 39. exf6 Bf8 (39... Bxf6 $2 40. Rf5 $1) {and the end is near.} 40. Bxh6) 38... Rf7 39. Kg4 Bf8 40. Bxh6 Bxh6 41. Rxh6 Rg7+ 42. Kf4 $1 (42. Rg6 $4 {would be a blunder.} Rxg6+ 43. hxg6 Rg8 44. Kh5 Rh8+ 45. Kg4 Rg8 $11) 42... Rf8 43. a5 $1 {Opening up further weaknesses to overwhelm Black's pieces.} Rg1 (43... bxa5 {is no help.} 44. e5 $3 dxe5+ 45. Rxe5+ $1 Kf7 46. Rf5 $1 Ke6 47. Rxa5 Ra8 48. Re5+ Kf7 49. Rf5 $18) 44. axb6 Rb1 45. b7 Rxb3 46. e5 $1 dxe5+ 47. Rxe5+ Kd6 48. Rf5 Ke6 49. Rh7 Rd8 50. Rd5 {Not the World Champion's brightest moment, but one must give credit to Tiviakov for playing it as well as he did.} 1-0


One suspects the bear is in hibernation, getting ready for the
match ahead.

It was strangely ironic that just a week earlier Tkachiev, in his interview with Kramnik, had expressed his belief that these were the types of postions that Anand mishandled. Still, this would be an oversimplification, as it is clear the Indian's energy and focus is on his title defense less than a month from now.


GM Philipp Schlosser


Alexander Berelowitsch facing Gawain Jones, the surprise of the European Championship

Fortunately for the leaders, it only led to a drawn match, and did not cost them their lead, but it did mean a loss was not a luxury they could afford in the last round with Bremen breathing down their necks. In the final round, Anand made no mistakes and rolled over his opponent, while the rest of his team also scored heavily, and they took the 2011/2012 title.


OSG Baden Baden, the winners of the 2011/12 season of the Bundesliga

Final standings

Rk
Team
Rds
+
=
-
T Pts
Bd Pts
1
OSG Baden-Baden
15
13
1
1
27
80.5
2
Werder Bremen
15
12
1
2
25
77
3
SG Solingen
15
11
1
3
23
71
4
SC Eppingen
15
9
3
3
21
67.5
5
SV Wattenscheid 1930
15
8
2
5
18
64
6
SG Trier
15
8
1
6
17
67
7
SF Katernberg
15
7
1
7
15
56
8
SV 1930 Hockenheim
15
5
4
6
14
56.5
9
SV Mülheim Nord
15
5
3
7
13
60.5
10
SF Berlin 1903
15
5
3
7
13
56.5
11
SK Turm Emsdetten
15
5
2
8
12
54.5
12
Hamburger SK
15
4
2
9
10
52.5
13
SC Hansa Dortmund
15
3
4
8
10
48
14
USV TU Dresden
15
4
0
11
8
52
15
SC 1950 Remagen
15
2
3
10
7
53
16
SK König Tegel
15
3
1
11
7
43.5

Pictures by Georgios Souleidis and Kai Hombrecher


Links

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