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FI. Praful Zaveri: A very good afternoon from Team DNA and welcome to game-9 of the WCC 2012 between the defending champion, GM Vishwanathan Anand from India and the challenger, GM Boris Gelfand from Israel.
FI. Prasad Deshmukh: A spirited comeback wasn't it Praful? Now Gelfand would be under pressure
FI. Prasad Deshmukh:Gelfand opens with the Queen's pawn
FI. Praful Zaveri: Yes, Prasad, a great comeback! Indian Chess fraternity as well as Anand's fans throughout the world are delighted with this comeback.
FI. Prasad Deshmukh: It's a new opening from Anand- the Nimzo-Indian Defense
FI. Praful Zaveri: Gelfand in for a surprise! We are seeing Nimzo Indian from the Indian GM as against Semi-Slav adopted by him with black
FI. Praful Zaveri: We are seeing the main line of the Nimzo-Indian Defense - one the popular opening choice to White's Queen Pawn opening. The opening is named after one of the leading exponent of the hyper-modern Chess, Aron Nimzowitsch.
FI. Praful Zaveri: The players are still in the main line of this opening and we await suprises!
FI. Prasad Deshmukh:Talking about the great Nimzovich, he is believed to have invented this approach against white's Queen's pawn opening in a time when most leading players were of the opinion that the only correct way to oppose a pawn in the centre on the first move was to put your own pawn there. Nimzovich's SYSTEM was like witchcraft to them, they believed it was wrong to the extent of regarding it as blasphemy against the goddess of chess yet they kept losing game after game to him.
FI. Praful Zaveri: A good feedback on this opening and as also on Nimzowitsch by Prasad. For students of the game, it is always beneficial to know its history.
FI. Praful Zaveri: Black's normal continuation in this line is 12...Rc8 and 12...Bxc3
FI. Prasad Deshmukh: Thank you Praful, but can you imagine how vindicated Nimzovich might have felt when he won against his clueless detractors. Almost the entire chess world was against such an approach. It was an epoch-making invention. It is now the most popular reply to White's 1. P-Q4 at almost every chess-playing level
FI. Praful Zaveri:Yes, Prasad. player like Nimzowitsch was much ahead of his time - to simply put it - born at the wrong time! It took time for lesser mortals to understand his idea.
FI. Praful Zaveri: Anand has invested lot of time for his 12th move - Rc8
FI. Prasad Deshmukh: But even then there was a player who quietly adopted Nimzovich's system with the black pieces. He was none other than the Great Capablanca
FI. Praful Zaveri: We have reached a position after White's 13th move - Bd3, which has not been seen at the top level of Chess tournaments recently - interesting strategic battle in the offing!
FI. Prasad Deshmukh: A classic strategic battle is shaping up in the middle. The black Queen is headed to a8 via b8
FI. Prasad Deshmukh: Such a Queen sortie, I think, was very regularly adopted by another strong proponent of the hyper-modern school of thought- the late Richard Reti
FI. Praful Zaveri: Black has captured White's Knight on f3 with his Bishop. We have only 1-game in the database from this line, which was played in the year 2011 between players who were rated 2263 and 2165.
FI. Prasad Deshmukh: The engines are favouring white heavily
FI. Praful Zaveri: The players are on their own now. Engines evaluates this position as better for White: Battle of White's Double Bishops against Black's Double Knights
FI. Prasad Deshmukh: Anand improves the scope of his Queen with his last move, It can now come to the King's defense if such a need arises
FI. Praful Zaveri: Yes, a good queen sortie.
FI. Praful Zaveri: With Gelfand taking lot of time for this move and as also his previous move, the time difference between the two players has narrowed down to 4-minutes.
FI. Praful Zaveri: For the first time in the game, we see Gelfand behind on clock.
FI. Praful Zaveri: Risky move by Anand! He offers his Queen for Gelfand's Rook and Bishop.
FI. Prasad Deshmukh: I can't believe my eyes.. this can't be happening
FI. Praful Zaveri: Anand has given up his Queen for two pieces. We will have to see how his handles this ending.
FI. Prasad Deshmukh: Anand now has a rook, knight and a pawn to show for White's queen
FI. Prasad Deshmukh: Now if the champion manages to erect a fortress around his king with his Knight and Rook then his position will be impregnable... but the question is, Can he?
FI. Praful Zaveri: Yes, Prasad. Creating a fortress is the standard idea when playing with Rook and a minor piece against Queen however; this can happen if Black is able to liquidate White's Bishop against his Knight.
FI. Praful Zaveri: Liquidation has taken place and we have now reached the standard Queen v/s Rook and Knight. Will he be able to create a fortress?
FI. Praful Zaveri: For students of the game, it's a delight to watch this ending.
FI. Prasad Deshmukh: Now if black manages manoeuvre his Knight to d5, I think, then the fortress is created
FI. Praful Zaveri: Nerve wrecking movements for all those following the game. What do you say, Prasad?
FI. Prasad Deshmukh: Abolutely, Praful. There is tension in the air even though it seems fairly easy
FI. Prasad Deshmukh: Having protected everything Anand will now start shuffling the king between g7 & h7
FI. Prasad Deshmukh: There is another interesting idea for black- ... Nb6 followed by Rd7 at some point
FI. Praful Zaveri: Before Anand played 20...Rxc5, he must definitely gone into the 'heart of the ending''!! What do you say, Prasad?
FI. Prasad Deshmukh: No doubt Praful, he seems quite sure of himself
FI. Prasad Deshmukh: Having blocked black's pawn on f5, white may now go for g4
FI. Praful Zaveri: There is one more plan for White - to improve his King's position with Kg3-h4. Black will have to be very precise with his choice of moves.
FI. Praful Zaveri: White has nothing to lose in the position. Anand is still at risk.
FI. Prasad Deshmukh: Tense moments Praful?
FI. Praful Zaveri: Very tense! Nerve wrecking, as I had said earlier.
FI. Praful Zaveri: Nearing a draw?
FI. Prasad Deshmukh: Well, I hope so
FI. Praful Zaveri: We are witnessing the longest game of the championship so far, surpassing the 38 move efforts of game-7.
FI. Prasad Deshmukh: Gelfand seems to be mentally preparing himself for the imminent draw.
FI. Prasad Deshmukh: I was wrong the challenger is trying to wear the champion down
FI. Praful Zaveri: Yes, trying to induce Anand into an error
FI. Praful Zaveri: Precise play by Anand. We are witnessing a great end-game lesson from the maestro!
FI. Prasad Deshmukh: Anand's technique is very instructive. The way in which he has conducted the game is commendable. It has been a lesson in the Art of Defense
FI. Praful Zaveri: Anand holds!!
FI. Prasad Deshmukh: Draw agreed
FI. Praful Zaveri: With 3-games remaining, we have reached a very interesting stage of the match. Anand will have the advantage of 1st move in game 10 and 12.
FI. Prasad Deshmukh: An an absorbing game, wasn't it? I hope you all had as much fun following it as we had bringing it to you. An instructive display of defensive chess by the champion, his technique is top class, isn't it?
FI. Praful Zaveri: Yes, Prasad. A fascinating contest till the end. Also commendable is the challenger effort's of trying to dent the fortress.
FI. Praful Zaveri: We are signing off for now. See you tomorrow at 16.30 IST for live coverage of game-10. Good night from Team DNA!
Prasad and Praful will be with us shortly to take us through what promises to be an absorbing encounter.