Anand vs Carlsen : Bilbao Master round 4 !

Tonight, World Champion - Vishy Anand (photo left) will meet his young challenger Magnus Carlsen (photo right) in round 4 of The 2008 Bilbao Master.

I will watch the game live on Internet Chess Club (ICC) with live commentary by GM Nick De Fermain and MIG Greengrad.

The interesting part of today clash is whether Carlsen will play his new weapon - the Sicilian Dragon. Although he lost to Anand in Mainz 2008 final, he still repeat the opening against Ivanchuk in the 2nd round. For Anand, he will surely go for a win today with the white piece after being trash by Topalov yesterday in only 25 move !

Vishy Anand (2798) - Magnus Carlsen (2775) [A00]

Bilbao 2008 (Round 4), 06.09.2008

1.e4 e5 no Sicilian Dragon for today :( 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 f5 However Magnus enter to the unusual Ruy Lopez :The Schliemann Defence a very sharp line in which Black attempts to open the f-file for the attack, frequently sacrificing a pawn or two. Considered by many to be somewhat dubious, it is occasionally used in top-level play as a surprise weapon. ! 4.d3 fxe4 5.dxe4 Nf6 6.0–0 Bc5 7.Bxc6 Anand choose and aggresive line 7...bxc6 8.Nxe5 Black has sacrifies a pawn for the two bishop !? 8...0–0 8...Nxe4? would be a blunder after 9.Qh5+ g6 10.Nxg6 9.Nc3 d6 10.Nd3 it's dangerous for Anand to take another pawn with 10.Nxc6 Qe8 because then black will have a strong initiative and open lines for his bishop to attck white's king. 10...Bd4 11.Ne2 Bb6 12.Bg5 Qe8 13.Bxf6 Rxf6 14.Ng3 so far so theory. Now Carlsen play the novelty 14...Qf7 before 14...Ba6 is played but the drawback of move according to GM Nick De Fermain is it commiting the bishop on the a6-f1 diaganol and the bishop can be block by white by playing b3 and c4 15.b3 Be6 Carlsen mantain his bishop on the c8-h3 diaganol and prepares the development of his remaining piece - the a8 rook

16.Qd2 Rf8 17.Rae1 [17.Kh1 Rh6] 17...Rh6 18.Qc3 Rf6 [18...Qe7 19.Nf5 Bxf5 20.exf5 Qh4 21.h3 seems to guard all the attack on the kingside! 21...Rxf5 (21...Qg3 22.Qc4+ d5 23.Qg4) 22.Qxc6±] 19.Re2? [Anand should have played 19.Qxc6 Bxf2+ 20.Nxf2 Rxf2 21.Nf5 Rxf1+ 22.Rxf1 with a clear advatage for white.] 19...Bg4 20.Rd2 Be3!! 21.h3 [not 21.fxe3 Rxf1+ 22.Nxf1 Qxf1# checkmate] 21...Bxd2 22.Qxd2 Bc8 Now Anand is down in material - more or less a pawn actually 23.f4 h5!? 24.f5 h4 25.Ne2 Re8 [25...d5 26.Ne5 Qe7 27.Ng6 Qc5+ 28.Qd4 Qxd4+ 29.Nxd4 Re8 30.e5] 26.Nf2 d5 27.Ng4 Rxe4 28.Nxf6+ Qxf6 29.Nc1 Bxf5 30.Qf2 Bg6 31.Qxa7 Rf4 32.Rxf4 Qxf4 33.Nd3 Bxd3 34.cxd3 Qc1+ 35.Kh2 Qf4+ Carlsen choose to be save because white's have a strong passed pawn on a file and he probably think is better to have half a point fplaying black against World No. 1 and collect some rating points ! 36.Kg1 ½–½