While Viswanathan Anand, the former world champion, has been qualifying for a revenge match for the world title, Magnus Carlsen, the new champion, has been awaiting the identity of his challenger. Now that Carlsen knows that he will have to face Anand once again, the time has come to do some serious preparation and get in some practice against the rest of the world’s elite. I believe that the rejuvenated Anand will pose a considerably greater danger than when he succumbed so feebly in Chennai last year, looking like a pale imitation of himself.
Carlsen has been amusing himself against strong but comparatively lightweight opposition, but he must now switch to a higher gear. This week’s game is typical of the watching brief which the champion has adopted while waiting to see who would emerge as qualifier from Khanty-Mansisk.
Carlsen-Georgiev: Norwegian Team Championship 2014, Ruy Lopez
1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 0-0 b5 6 Bb3 Bb7 7 d3 Bc5 A standard way for Black to defend against the Ruy Lopez in top class contemporary chess. 8 c3 0-0 9 a4 d5 10 axb5 axb5 11 Rxa8 Bxa8 12 exd5 Nxd5 13 Re1 Carlsen tries to improve on previous play which had seen 13 d4 exd4 14 cxd4 Be7. 13 … b4 14 Qc2 f6 15 Nbd2 Kh8 16 Ne4 Be7 17 h3 This is too slow. The immediate 17 d4 is good for White. 17 … Na5 18 Ba2 (see diagram 1) 18 … b3 An overoptimistic pawn sacrifice which might have worked against a lesser light than Carlsen. Instead the simple and solid 18 … c5 leaves Black with a perfectly playable position. 19 Bxb3 Nxb3 20 Qxb3 Nb6 21 d4 Black has some compensation for the missing pawn in the form of his two bishops, but this type of situation, with a solid extra pawn, is meat and drink to Carlsen.
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