two questions about Aornian-Anand's game

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1704763

Can someone explain me move 15 of Anand? What happens if white captures the bishop?

Same about move 16. What happens if white captures the knight?

Well, your second question is pretty easy:

17. fxe5 Qxd4+ 18. Kh1 Qg1+ 19. Rxg1 Nf2 mate.

Aronian's own comment after 15. ... Bc5: "After 16.dxc5 Nxc5 17.Qe2 I am just worse. The bishop on b7 is such a monster - Aronian. 17...Nxd3 18.Qxg4 Qd4+ 19.Kh1 Kxh7"

Ok, thanks for your comment!

15. ... Bc5 16. dxc5 Nxc5 17. Rd1 Qd4+ 18. Kh1 Nf2+ 19. Kg1 Nh3+ 20. Kh1 Qg1+ 21. Rxg1 Nf2 mate.

Similarly, 15. ... Bc5 16. dxc5 Nxc5 17.Be2 Qd4+ 18. Kh1 Nf2+ 19. Rxf2 (19. Kg1 gets smothered-mated as before) Qxf2 and White is defenseless on g2.

Aronian's 17. ... Nxd3 18.Qxg4 Qd4+ 19.Kh1 Kxh7 line comes after 15. ... Bc5 16. dxc5 Nxc5 17. Qe2

Thank you very much! Helped a lot

It was an amazing game by Anand. One for the record books... and until now, Aronian has always been a very tough opponent for him.

This is what Houdini says, at no great depth:

There are various replies for White after 16...Nxc5 (16...Qe2, 16...h3); the point is that the way is now open for the white Q to d4+, and the diagonal a7-g1 can also be used.

There's a white bishop on d3 at the end of move 15.  Aronian's exploration is departing from what was actually played following move 15 because on move 16 in the game, White's bishop retreated back to e2.

ETA: Drat!  Responded as you were editing.  :D

Here's an interview with Vishy, right after the game.

http://chess-news.ru/en/node/10755

@Basilicone:

In Houdini's line 17. Nxf8 Nxd3 18. h3 Qd4+ 19. Kh1, why not 19. ... Ndf2+ 20. Kg1 Ne4+ 21. Kh1 Ng3 mate?

@blueemu - after 19...Ndf2+ White has 20.Kh2, preventing the discovered check and removing the mate threat.

PS in this video , posted shortly after the match yesterday, kingscrusher plays live through many variations using Houdini - not an in-depth analysis, but it brings to light the dozens of possibly lethal combinations which arose after a lot of (for the likes of us) seemingly logical moves - very worth watching!

Not with the other Knight still on g4... that's why I suggest using the d-Knight instead of the g-Knight.

Aha sorry, I´d overseen that - apparently after 19...Ndf2 then simply 20.Rxf2 Nxf2+ 21.Kh2 Kxf8, putting White at ca. -0,3

Yes, that was my conclusion, BUT...

The move 20. Rxf2 was also possible after the other Knight check (... Ngf2+), leading to an identical position... but Houdini rejected it in favor of 20. Kh2 instead. That means that (in Houdini's opinion) 20. Kh2 must be less disadvantageous for White than returning the Rook with 20. Rxf2.

So why not FORCE White to return the Rook, by checking with the d-Knight instead of with the g-Knight? It forces White into the same line that Houdini had already rejected as inferior.

... is there a flaw in my reasoning?

No, you´re quite correct! I made the mistake - I´d tried so many lines that I´d copied the wrong one into the analysis board here for posting. Houdinis suggestion is in fact also yours; checking with the d-knight is correct. Sorry about that! Here´s the line:

Aha! Thanks for the confirmation... I was afraid that I was losing my grip on the position.