Viswanathan Anand (b.1969-) is the crown prince of chess.  Few players have earned such public adulation since the days of Fischer and Tal.  Anand’s unfailing modesty, cheer and warmth have won him friends all over the world.  This CD is a tribute to a great player at the height of his career.

It follows the standard Informant format:

CLOSE-UP
   Foreword by Viswanathan Anand
   Bio & Facts
   Tournaments
GAMES
   1052 published games, 456 annotated by Anand
   White/Black repertoire trees
   Stats
CREATIVITY
   Best games
      100 best games
      Chess Informant Jury
   Most important theoretical novelties
      Novelties
      Chess Informant Jury
      Theoretical surveys (B12, C45, E05)
PLAY LIKE ANAND
   Combinations
   Excellent moves
   Attack
   Storming initiative
   Defense
   Endings
   Rare Blunders & Misconceptions

The first section Close-up offers biographical data and tournament crosstables.  Anand won the Indian National Championship in 1986 when he was just 16 years old and he won the World Junior Championship in the following year.  He became a world championship candidate in 1991.

The ensuing decade was a relentless struggle.  He lost the world championship match to Kasparov in 1995 and also the Candidates’ Final to Karpov  in 1998 by the narrowest margin.  It was only in the year 2000 that he succeeded in becoming the FIDE World Champion, beating Shirov in a mini-match.

Since his debut in the international arena Anand has won a number of elite competitions including Linares, Wijk-aan –Zee and Melody Amber tournaments.

In the main section there are 1052 games (1984-2007) of which 456 are annotated by Anand.  His best efforts are marked by effortless ease and they are reminiscent of Capablanca and Smyslov.  There is the same kind of elegance and aesthetic harmony found in the games of those great masters.

The next section Creativity has a selection of games including 6 golden games, 100 Best games and games selected by the Informant Jury.  They are supplemented by an analysis of opening novelties and the games in which they were produced.

The last section Play like Anand includes positions with standard themes like attack, defence and endings.  What is more, it has a set of positions, Rare blunders and misconceptions.  Grandmasters are human and they also stumble in the heat of battle.

This CD offers an excellent overview of Anand’s career and games so far.
 

Viswanathan Anand  - Garry  Kasparov
 Tilburg 1991

Sicilian Scheveningen Variation (B82)
(Notes based on Kasparov’s annotations in the Informant CD)

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6

Kasparov is ready to play the Sicilian Najdorf, his favourite variation.

6.f4

But not in this line...

6...e6

Transposing to Scheveningen Variation. 6...e5 would have led to the Najdorf.

7.Bd3 Nbd7 8.0–0 Qb6?!

With the benefit of hindsight one can call this move an error.

8...Be7 is safer.

9.Be3 Qxb2 10.Ndb5!

Not 10.Qd2 Ng4.

10...axb5 11.Nxb5 Ra5

This is Kasparov's improvement.

11...Qb4?12.Nc7+ seen in De Firmian- Gheorghiu, Lone Pine 1980 is bad for Black.

12.Rb1!Rxb5

Only move.

12...Qxa2? loses to 13.Nc3 Qa3 14.Rb3+-.

13.Rxb2 Rxb2 14.Qa1 Rb6

Forced. If 14…Rb4?? 15.Qc3! wins-NSH

Analysis Diagram: after 15.Qc3

15.Bxb6 Nxb6 16.Qc3!Be7 17.Rb1 Nfd7! 18.Qxg7 Bf6 19.Qh6 Ke7?

Kasparov claims that Black should first play 19...Rg8 preventing g4 advance by White.

On 20.e5 he gives 20...dxe5 21.Rxb6 e4.

Analysis Diagram: after 21...e4

But after 22.Rxe6+ fxe6 23. Bxe4 White is slightly better.

20.Bb5?

The bishop vacates the d-file for the heavy pieces and also prepares the advance e5.But as Kasparov points out, White misses a terrific attack with 20.g4 !! 20...Rg8 (20...Bd4+? 21.Kf1 Nc5 22.Rb4+-; or 20...Nc5 ? 21.e5 dxe5 22.g5+-) 21.g5 Bg7 22.Qh4 (22.Qxh7?? Bd4+ threatening… Rh8–+) 22...e5 ! 23.Kh1 exf4.

Now the tempting 24.g6+ is surprisingly unclear. 24...Bf6 25.gxh7 Rh8 26.Qh5 Be5! 27.Qg5+ Nf6! Isn't Black losing a piece?

Analysis Diagram: after 27...Nf6

28.Rxb6 Rxh7 (threatening ...f3 and ...Rxh2+.) 29.Rb5! Rh5(Now 29...f3? fails to 30.Rxe5+ dxe5 31.Qxe5++-) 30.Rxe5+ dxe5 31.Qg1 Bd7! 32.Qc5+ Ke8 33.Bb5 Bxb5 34.Qxb5+ Kf8 35.Qxb7 Kg7.

So White should play 24.e5! 24...dxe5 (24...Bxe5 25.g6+ Ke8 26.gxh7 Rh8 27.Rb5!! 27...Na4 28.Rxe5+ dxe5 29.Qg5+-) 25.g6+ Bf6 26.gxh7 Rh8 27.Qh5 Nd5 28.Bc4 Ne3 29.Qxf7+ Kd6 30.Rb6+!+-.

Did Anand overlook 20.g4 ? I think he rejected it in his calculations because he didn’t want to expose his kingside.-NSH

20...Rg8?

Mixing up the move order.

Black should have played 20...e5! 21.Rf1 Rg8 22.fxe5 Bxe5 23.Qxh7 Rg7 24.Qh4+ Nf6 and he will have the upper hand.

21.Rd1! e5?

Now it is one move too late. The right move is 21...Rg4! 22.e5! dxe5 23.Qh3 Rxf4 24.Qa3+ Ke8 (24...Kd8 ? 25.Qf8+ Kc7 26.Qd6+ Kd8 27.Qxb6++-) 25.Qc5 Bd8 26.a4 e4 27.Rf1!Rg4! 28.h4! .f5 29.a5 Kf7 30.Bxd7 Bxd7 31.axb6 Be7 32.Qe5 Rxh4 with an unclear position.

22.f5!

Kasparov doesn't comment on this move.  It threatens 23.Qd2.  In all probability he did see the necessity of...Rd8 and prepared for it with the following move.

22...Nc5??

Missing the other threat.

Black should have played 22...Rd8 first, and then only ...Nc5 with better chances of survival.

23.Rxd6+- Bg5

After 23...Kxd6? White can win as he pleases.

24.Qxf6+ Kc7 25.Qxe5+ or 25.Qxf7++-.

24.Qxh7 Nxe4 25.Rxb6 Rd8

Not 25...Be3+? 26.Kf1 Rg4 27.f6+ Kf8 28.Ke2!+- (Kasparov).

If 28...Bxb6 29.Qh8+ Rg8 30.Qh6+ Rg7 31.Qxg7# -NSH

26.Bd3 Be3+ 27.Kf1 Bxb6 28.Bxe4 Rd4 29.c3!

White has the last laugh.  29...Rxe4?? loses immediately to 30.f6+  - NSH

1–0
 

The second game is a tense encounter between the current rivals for world championship.

Vladimir Kramnik – Viswanathan  Anand
Beograd 1997

Semi-Slav Defence (D43)
(Notes based on Anand’s annotations in the Informant CD)

1.Nf3

A flexible move characteristic of Kramnik.  It reserves all options for White.

1...Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 d5 4.d4 c6

The Semi-Slav Defence.

5.Bg5 h6

Heading for the Moscow Variation.

5…dxc4 6.e4 b5 7.e5 h6 8.Bh4 g5 9. Nxg5 hxg5 10.Bxg5 Nbd7 is the Botvinnik System.

6.Bh4 dxc4 7.e4 g5 8.Bg3 b5 9.Be2 Bb7 10.e5 Nh5

This move gives White a free hand. 10...Nd5 is preferable.-NSH

11.a4!

The tempting 11.Nxg5 is good for Black. 11...Nxg3 12.Nxf7 Kxf7 13.fxg3 Kg8 14.0–0 Na6!.

11...a6 12.Nxg5! 12...Nxg3 13.Nxf7 Kxf7 14.fxg3 Kg8! 15.0–0 Nd7 16.Bg4

16.Bh5 is innocuous on account of 16...Rh7 17.Qg4+ Qg5.

16...Qe7 17.Ne4

17...Rh7!

Not 17...c5? 18.Nd6 Bd5.

Now the tempting 19.Rf7 fails to 19...Qd8! 20.Qc2 Qg5 21.Bf3( 21.Rd7Qg4 or 21.Raf1 Bxd6 22.exd6 Qxg4 23.R1f4 Qg5 24.Rxd7 cxd4) 21...Bxd6 (21...Nxe5 22.dxe5 Bxd6 23.Rf4) 22.Rxd7 Bxf3 23.gxf3 Bf8.

So White should play 19.Bf3!Bg7(19...cxd4 20.Bxd5 exd5 21.Qg4+ Bg7 22.Rf7± ) 20.Nf5± !( not 20.Bxd5 exd5 21.Nf5 Qe6 22.Qg4 Rh7).

18.Nd6

If 18.Nf6+ Nxf6 19.Rxf6 Bg7 20.Rxe6 Qg5.

18...Rb8 19.b4?

Missing 19.axb5! cxb5 (19...axb5 20.Ra7±) 20.Nxb7 Rxb7 21.Rxa6 Rb6 22.Rxb6 Nxb6 23.Rf6± (Kramnik).

If 23...Qd8 24.Bxe6+ Kh8 25.Qg4! Bg7 (25...Be7 26.Rg6 Bg5 27.Rg8+ Qxg8 28.Bxg8 Kxg8 29.h4+-) 26.Rf7+-.

Or 23...Kh8 24.Bxe6! 24...Bg7 25.Rg6±.

19...h5!!

A brilliant counterattack. Now Kramnik does not get a second chance.

20.Bh3

Not 20.Bf3 h4 21.g4 Bh6.

If 20.Bxh5 Qg5.

20...Bh6! 21.Kh1 Bg5 22.Qc2

22.Ra3 c5! 23.bxc5 Bd5 is good for Black.

22...Rg7 23.Qe2 Ba8! 24.Qxh5 Rf8

25.Ne4

25.axb5 cxb5! - Anand.

If 26.Rxf8+ (26.Rxa6??Rxf1# ) 26...Nxf8 27.Rxa6? Bd5–+ -NSH

25...c5! 26.Nxg5 Bd5!

The greedy 26...Rxg5? fails to 27.Bxe6+ Kg7 28.Qh4±

Or 28...cxd4 29.Bxd7 Rxf1+ 30.Rxf1 Rxe5 31.Qxd4+-.

27.Nf3?

White could have put up more resistance with 27.Bxe6+!, although after 27...Bxe6 28.Rxf8+ Nxf8 29.Ne4 Rh7 30.Qd1 (30.Qe2 cxd4) 30...Rxh2+! 31.Kxh2 Qh7+ 32.Kg1 Qxe4, he would still have lost.

27...cxb4 28.axb5 axb5 29.Nh4 Qg5 ! 30.Rxf8+ Nxf8 31.Qe8 Rf7! 32.Nf3 Qg6

Alert as ever. 32...Qe3? 33.Bg4!.

33.Qxb5 b3 34.Rf1 Qd3 35.Kg1 Qe3+ 36.Kh1 c3

36...Rb7??37.Bxe6+ +-.

37.Bxe6!

A last brave attempt.

37...Bxe6 38.d5 Rxf3! 39.gxf3

Or 39.Rxf3 c2–+ 40.Qf1 Qxf3 41.gxf3 b2.

A picturesque position.