Games: Chess

Viswanathan Anand scored an extraordinary victory in the second round of the Madrid tournament to become the only player with two out of two. This was either a game of superb imagination and control, or a messy affair in which the winner was rather lucky. Knowing Anand's genius at calculating, I am prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt. See what you think.

White's pawn sacrifice shortly after the opening was almost forced but seemed to offer reasonable compensation. After the tempting 19...Rxc3?! White gains a large advantage with 20.Rxc3 Nxe2+ 21.Kf1 Nxc3 22.Bxc3. As the game went, however, White's sacrifice with 24.Ne4!? was the only way to avoid simplifying to a worse endgame. Does White really have enough for a piece after 27.Ke2? It looks unlikely, but as Krasenkov set about getting his cavalry back to camp, Anand patiently picked off a couple of stray black pawns. After further exchanges, White has only two pawns for a knight, but Black was lost. At the end, he had no defence to Kg6, Kxg7 and an advance of the f-pawn.

White: V Anand

Black: M Krasenkov

1 Nf3 Nf6 23 axb5 Rcd4

2 c4 c5 24 Ne4 f5

3 Nc3 Nc6 25 e3 R4d5

4 g3 d5 26 bxa6 fxe4

5 d4 e6 27 Ke2 Na3

6 cxd5 Nxd5 28 Ra1 Nbc2

7 Bg2 cxd4 29 Rac1 Bb4

8 Nxd4 Ndb4 30 Bxb4 Nxb4

9 Ndb5 a6 31 Rxd5 Nxd5

10 Qxd8+ Kxd8 32 Bxe4 Nb5

11 Na3 e5 33 Bxh7 Ndc3+

12 0-0 Be6 34 Kf1 Ka7

13 Be3 Kc7 35 Ra1 Rd6

14 b3 Rc8 36 Kg2 Rxa6

15 Rfc1 Kb8 37 Rc1 Rc6

16 Nc4 Nd4 38 Bd3 Rc7

17 Rab1 Bxc4 39 Bxb5 Nxb5

18 bxc4 Rxc4 40 Rxc7+ Nxc7

19 Bd2 b5 41 Kf3 Ne6

20 Kf1 Be7 42 Ke4 Ng5+

21 Rd1 Rd8 43 Kf5 Nh3

22 a4 Ndc2 44 f4 resigns.