WCC Anand v Kramnik - Game 5

Commentary (most recent at top)

KRAMNIK RESIGNS!!!  The threat of e2 is devastating!  A fantastic win by Anand with the black pieces again!  Anand now leads 3.5-1.5 after 5 games.  Game 6 is tomorrow (Tuesday).

34...Ne3!!  Fantastic move by Anand - Kramnik must have missed this!

29. Nxd4  Is the pawn really safe?  The idea may be Rd1, but Kramnik's back rank is weak.

Clocks: Kramnik 0:20 Anand 0:55

25. Qg4  The roles reverse!  Anand now has control of the c-file, so Kramnik grabs the g-file instead and attacks the f4 pawn too.  Anand's King could also come under fire here.

24...Qc5  A beautiful spot for the Queen, eyeing a possible move to d5 or g5.

23. Rxc8 Rxc8 24. Ra1  Anand could not afford to allow white control of the c-file, so the rooks are exchanged and now HE takes control.

Clocks: Kramnik 0:36 Anand 1:21

20...Bxh4 21. Nxh4 Ke7  Anand exchanges and thereby clears the square e7 for his king, allowing him to connect his rooks on the back rank.  Kramnik needs to beware of a possible rook sac on g2 now that Vishy can bring his other rook over to g8 as a follow up!

20.a4  Kramnik supports his bishop on b5, so his queen is now free to move.  Clocks: Kramnik 0:54   Anand 1:41

19...Be7  Now that his own pawn is blocking the way on f4, Vishy re-routes the bishop to e7 to challenge the white bishop on h4.

18. Rac1 f4 19. Bh4  Finally Kramnik decided to claim to open file and Vishy kicks the bihsop off the g-file.

Do not adjust your PCs.  Kramnik has been thinking for over half and hour on his 18th move.  With hindsight, you have to say that this doesn't seem like a wise choice of opening.  Anand must have a lot of home prep in this line and Kramnik needs to think it all out for himself at the board.

Kramnik is having a long think about his 18th move.  He had obviously prepared something to meet what Vishy played in game 3, but he wasn't prepared for this slight deviation in moves.  Clocks: Kramnik 1:20  Anand 1:53

17...f5  So Vishy aims to push to bishop out of the way with the advance f4.

17.Bg3  Kramnik ensures that his g2 pawn is sheltered along the g-file.

Wow!  We have a repeat of the sharp Meran varation of the Slav from game 3!  Vishy is the first to deviate, playing 15...Rg8 instead of 15...Bd6.  Kramnik takes the opportunity to develop his bishop to f4.  Will Kramnik and his seconds have cooked up a reply to Anand's home preparation?  Playing the same line again could be either brave or foolhardy...

Welcome back everyone to game 5 of this 12-game match for the World Chess Championship between the champion Vishy Anand and challenger Vladimir Kramnik.  Anand leads 2.5-1.5 thanks to his win in game 3 with the black pieces, but Kramnik will have the white pieces again today and will be hoping to do better this time and square the match asap.

This game is particularly important because the order of colours is reversed at the halfway point of the match, so Anand will have the white pieces in game 6 and 7.  Kramnik has never beaten Anand with the black pieces, so if he wants to tie the match soon, his best chance is today.

We should probably expect 1.d4 again today from Kramnik, since his experiments with 1.e4 in past years did not meet with much success.  Will Anand play a sharp Slav again or does he have a quieter alternative lined up?  Roll on game 5 and may the best man win!