Carlsen went for the theoretical duel and was duly punished
Viswanathan Anand (left) and Magnus Carlsen study the board during the third game of their 12-match series of the World Chess Championship in Sochi on Tuesday.
Sochi (Russia): Viswanathan Anand pulled one back when it mattered the most with a crushing victory over defending champion Magnus Carlsen in the third game of the World Chess Champion-ship now under way here on Tuesday.Having lost the second game, Anand was faced with a must-win situation and the Indian ace came up with his best effort against Carlsen in recent years. Equalising the score on 1.5-1.5 after the third of the 12-game match, Anand also ended a four-year drought by beating Carlsen in a classical chess game as the last victory by the five-time world champion over the Norwegian had come way back in 2010.
For the first time in his world championship matches against Anand, Carlsen went for a theoretical duel and was duly punished in a well analysed variation.For the record, it was a Queen’s gambit declined by Carlsen, a natural choice with a full point cushion to back him.The players followed a 2013 game played between Levon Aronian and Michael Adams and it was Carlsen who did not seem to have kept track of this game well.
While going behind on time, Carlsen found the right manoeuvres but Anand was still in his preparation. On move 20, the new idea was revealed by Anand which was a big improvement on the existing game in the position.Carlsen had to again sink in long thoughts intermittently during the rest of the game as one or the other problem was posed by Anand with a well-supported passed pawn on the seventh rank.
Anand kept the momentum ticking without any further slips and piled on the pressure in almost Carlsenesque-style — giving the Norwegian an overdue taste of his own medicine.
For once, Carlsen was at the receiving end he could only delay the inevitable. Making matters worse at this point was the clock that was ticking away and Anand sealed the issue after Carlsen made a blunder on move 28. Anand swapped a piece and it was all over in 34 moves.
( Source : PTI )
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