Moves: Anand vs Carlsen, Game 5, World Chess Championship

Game 5 in the World Chess Championship

Defending champion Viswanathan Anand blundered in a drawn endgame and went down to challenger Magnus Carlsen in the fifth game of the World Chess Championship, in Chennai, on Friday.

With seven games to come in the 12-games match, Carlsen leads 3-2, after drawing first blood in his trademark style.

Here are the moves in the fifth round, with analysis and quotes.

Carlsen finally makes a shift from 1. Nf3, something he employed without any success in the first two games with white pieces)

1. c4 e6 (Anand seems ready for the side lines. Apparently a lot of time on preparation was spent on these variations if the first two games are any indication)

2. d4 d5 (A Queen's gambit declined, the chess pundits had been predicting this opening for quite sometime and finally it arrives. This has a very solid reputation)

3. Nc3 c6 (A real surprise. Anand opts for the Noteboom variation that can change shape in to a Semi Slav or some other set ups. Anand has not used this move order in world championship before. This move order is rather forcing so Anand obviously had something in his mind)

4. e4 (Surprise meets bigger surprise. The Marshall attack has not found many takers in top level chess simply because of its forcing nature. Normally white sacrifices a pawn for initiative here) dxe4

5. Nxe4 Bb4+

6. Nc3 (And what is this now? This is not why the Marshall is played by white. In theory books this is considered inferior as black gets easy play) c5

7. a3 Ba5

8. Nf3 Nf6

9. Be3 Nc6

10. Qd3 (The position is just about balanced. Black is doing everything right while Carlsen is aiming for some chances in the equal position) cxd4

11. Nxd4 Ng4.

12. O-O-O Nxe3 (Anand takes the Bishop. After this black should not find any problems in the resulting endgame with his pair of Bishops)

13. fxe3 Bc7

14. Nxc6 bxc6

15. Qxd8+ Bxd8

16. Be2 Ke7 (White only has a miniscule advantage}

17. Bf3 Bd7

18. Ne4 Bb6 (May not be the best but not much is lost with this move)

19. c5 f5 (Anand gives back the bishop pair to equalize early)

20. cxb6 fxe4

21. b7 Rab8

22. Bxe4 (White now has what they call a nagging advantage. Nothing concrete but Carlsen is a master in these positions. Probably better than any other player ever) Rxb7

23. Rhf1 Rb5

24. Rf4 g5 (Anand plays some best moves right now. Keeping white's activity limited)

25. Rf3 h5

26. Rdf1 Be8

27. Bc2 Rc5 (Black needs to bring out the other rook to be fine)

28. Rf6 h4

29. e4 a5

30. Kd2 Rb5 (White's king is now a strong pieces so Anand decides to create weaknesses on the queen side)

31. b3 Bh5

32. Kc3 Rc5+.

33. Kb2 (With a detour, the King is back in its shell again) Rd8

34. R1f2 Rd4 (Anand criticized this move in the post match conference)

35. Rh6 Bd1

36. Bb1 (The position that was close to a drawn some moves back is still about level, but typically, Carlsen has got the dynamics working in his favour) Rb5

37. Kc3 c5

38. Rb2 e5

39. Rg6 a4

40. Rxg5 Rxb3+

41. Rxb3 Bxb3

42. Rxe5+ Kd6 (Down a pawn now, it may still be hold-able but Carlsen has some tricks)

43. Rh5 Rd1

44. e5+ Kd5

45. Bh7 Rc1+ (The decisive error. This check lands black in difficulties)

46. Kb2 Rg1

47. Bg8+ Kc6

48. Rh6+ Kd7