World Championship G3 – Anand tantalizingly close to first win

by ChessBase
5/15/2012 – Game three came tantalizing close to a first decisive result, but alas, the audience was left wanting once more. Surprised by Gelfand's Grünfeld in game one, Anand came prepared with an offbeat variation, seeking to just play chess. After a deeply passed pawn on d6 it seemed he would be victorious, but Gelfand saved the game. Daniel King shows us how Anand could probably have won. Update.

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The World Chess Championship 2012 is being staged in the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, between the current World Champion Viswanathan Anand of India and the winner of the Candidates tournament Boris Gelfand of Israel. The match is over twelve games and lasts from May 11 to 30. The prize fund is US $2.55 million, the winner getting $1.53 million (60%), the loser $1,02 million (40%).

Round three: Anand tantalizingly close to first win

A well fought, fantastic struggle ended without much fanfare, the World Champion Viswanathan Anand perhaps playing it safe in the dying stages of game three of the World Chess Championship to draw the game against Boris Gelfand.


World Champion Viswanathan Anand at the start of game three

The position was complex and appeared promising for the NIIT MindChampion Anand, but experts commenting on the game could not come to any firm conclusion, and only analysis by chess engines later should provide more insights into the game. It was one of those very rare times that Anand found himself in time trouble, and impending checkmate threath with both Gelfand’s rooks patrolling his seventh rank, had him settling for a draw with repetition of moves. The game lasted 37 moves and literally had the followers on the edge of their seats for most part.


Challenger Boris Gelfand confronted with Anand's deviation in the Grunfeld

Unlike the first two games, this game was razor sharp, needing both players to play precisely to maintain some semblance of balance. Gelfand’s Grunfeld was met with deviation on move three by Anand, but the 43-year-old Israeli GM had more than done his homework. The speed with which he belted out the moves giving a strong indication that he was all along on the home turf.


Anand ponders while the photographers do their thing


The audience in the theatre, the players on the stage

Anand castled on the queenside, but it was Gelfand who was on the attack in the initial stages. His queen and rooks along with the knight kept the pressure on Anand’s king. Anand ‘s pieces on the kingside were undeveloped, for which Gelfand had sacrificed a pawn. Anand however exchanged off the queens, bishops and knights and appeared better to try and probe for victory. However a cautious 35th rook move by Anand had the game petering into a draw.

The scores now stand level at 1.5-1.5 in the 12 Game Match series in progress at the Tretyakova Gallery at Mosocw.

Press Release by Team Anand at NIIT, photos by Anastasya Karlovich

Game three commentary

IM Malcolm Pein comments on the games on TWIC and live during each game via Twitter #telegraphchess.

Daniel King comments on game three

Daniel King analyses a critical position in the third game

Andrew Martin comments on game three

GM Robert Fontaine and his video producer Gérard Demuydt are in Moscow produced video reports and interviews after each round for the French chess magazine Europe Echecs. In the round three report we see the arrival of players, a short résumé of the game, the press conference, and interviews with Jan Timman and Valentina Gunina, the winner of the European Women's Championship, and Viktor Bologan, the winner of Taça Cuca.


Video stream of the round (from the official World Championship site)

Once again the Russian organisers are providing unprecedented coverage,
with a HD video stream of the action and commentary by visiting grandmasters.


Scoreboard

 Players
Rtng
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Tot.
Perf.
+/–
 Vishy Anand
2791
½
½
½
                 
1.5
2727
 
 Boris Gelfand  
2727
½
½
½
                 
1.5
2791
 

Remaining schedule

Days of play, with live commentators on Playchess.com. Note that the games start at 15:00h local time = 13:00 CEST, 07 a.m. New York or here in your location.

Tues May 15 Game 4 Daniel King
Wed May 16 Rest day  
Thur May 17> Game 5 Daniel King
Fri May 18 Game 6 Loek van Wely
Sat May 19 Rest day  
Sun May 20 Game 7 Lawrence Trent
Mon May 21 Game 8 Oliver Reeh
Tues May 22 Rest day  
 
Wed May 23 Game 9 Daniel King
Thur May 24 Game 10 Yannick Pelletier
Fri May 25 Rest day  
Sat May 26 Game 11 Daniel King
Sun May 27 Rest day  
Mon May 28 Game 12 Sam Collins
Tues May 29 Rest day  
Wed May 30 Tiebreaks  
Thurs May 31 Closing  

Links

The games are being broadcast live on the official web site and on the chess server Playchess.com. If you are not a member you can download a free Playchess client there and get immediate access. You can also use ChessBase 11 or any of our Fritz compatible chess programs.

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