A super rapid game between two of the leading players in the world, who also happen to be vegetarian superbly annotated by Shirov (from the excellent World Chess Rating site). [Event "rapidchess"] [Site "Mainz"] [Date "2003.??.02"] [Round ""] [White "Polgar, Judit"] [Black "Anand, Viswanathan"] [Result "1-0"] [Annotator "Shipov"] 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e5 7.Nb3 Be6 8.f3 Nbd7 9.g4 Nb6 10.g5 Nh5 11.Qd2 Rc8 12.O-O-O Be7 13.Bd3 D {This solid central move is a novelty. Vishy has upheld this position on the black side for quite a while. Peter Leko is his main opponent. Check out their last two encounters} ( 13.Rg1 O-O 14.Kb1 g6 15.Qf2 Nc4 16.Bxc4 Bxc4 17.Na4 {17...Be6 18.Nb6 Rc7 19.Qd2 Rc6 20.Nd5 Bxd5 21.exd5} ( 17.Qd2 Qc7 18.Rg2 f5 19.Nd5 Bxd5 20.Qxd5+ Kh8 21.c3 Qc6 22.Na5 Qxd5 23.Rxd5 b5 {draw Leko-Anand (Monaco, 2003)} ) 17...Be6 18.Nb6 Rc7 19.Qd2 Rc6 20.Nd5 Bxd5 21.exd5 Rc8 22.Qd3 Qd7 23.c4 f6! {Black got good counterplay and eventually won in Leko-Anand (Dortmund, 2003)} ) 13...g6 14.h4 O-O 15.Kb1 f6!? D {This reveals Black's aggressive but dangerous strategy. Black opens a file for his rook but jeopardizes his king. On the other hand, what else is there to do? The d6-d5 breakthrough does not work, whereas an uninvited jump to c4 (Qd2-f2) is undesirable, because White takes control over the d5-square. } 16.gxf6 Rxf6 17.Qf2 Nd7 D {This maneuver raises serious doubts. I think the standard 17...Nc4 18.Bxc4 Bxc4 was safer. After 19.Nd5 (19.Nd2 Be6 20.Nd5 Rf7!?) 19...Bxd5 (no matter how White captures on d5) Black plays Qf8 followed b7-b5 with good play.} 18.Nd5 Bxd5 19.exd5 Rf7 20.Nd2! D {A good knight transfer. } 20...Ndf6 21.c4 D {In case of 21.Bb6 Qf8 22.c4, Black obtains counterplay with 22...Bd8! } 21...Ng4 {Vishy decided to equalize the number of bishops. The more aggressive 21...b5 suggested itself, but with Black's light-squared bishop removed from the board opening the position might be dangerous for Black. } 22.Qg1 Nxe3 23.Qxe3 Bxh4 D {Boldly played! Bearing in mind Judit?s style, the opening of the queenside with 23...b5 looks like a more practical decision. Note that White can?t play c4-c5 -- 24.cxb5 axb5 25.Bxb5 -- because his knight is not on e4. Thus Black can activate his own knight with 25...Ng3 26.Rh3 Nf5, transferring it to the excellent d4-square. } 24.Ne4 {White has achieved a serious advantage in the center. Now it is time for active operations: either the c4-c5 breakthrough or an attack on the kingside. } 24...Nf4 {This move only looks solid. On 24...Be7 the relentless Judit would have sacrificed an exchange - 25.Rxh5 gxh5 26.Qh6, with a dangerous initiative. I think the safest continuation was 24...Ng3 25.Nxd6 Qxd6 26.Rxh4 Qf6, with a complicated position. } 25.Rxh4! D {This is not a sacrifice! On the contrary, White is winning material. } 25...Ng2 ( 25...Qxh4?! 26.Nxd6 ) 26.Qh6 Nxh4 ( 26...Qxh4 27.Qxh4 Nxh4 28.Nxd6 Rcf8 29.Nxf7 Kxf7 ( 29...Rxf7 30.d6 ) 30.Rh1 g5 31.c5 ) 27.Ng5 Nxf3 28.Nxf7 Qf6 29.Qh3 Rf8 30.Nh6+ Kh8 D {White has emerged a piece up. The rest of the game is a product of time trouble and the excitement of both opponents. } 31.Qd7? {White relaxes her vigilance. I think the the most precise way was 31.Ng4 Qh4 (31...Qg7 32.Nf2?; 31...Qf4 32.Bxg6) 32.Qxh4 Nxh4 33.Rh1 g5 34.Rh2! followed by the knight transfer to e4 via f2. } 31...e4! 32.Be2 ( 32.Bxe4? Nd2+! ) 32...Qg7 {Anand returns the favor. After 32...Nd4! 33.Bg4 e3 any of three outcomes would have been possible. } 33.Qxd6! Qxh6 34.Qe7 Qg7 ( 34...Qf4 35.d6! ) 35.Qxe4 Ne5 36.c5 D {The material equilibrium is restored, but White has a decisive positional advantage. } 36...a5 37.Bb5 g5 38.d6 Qg6 39.Qxg6 hxg6 ( 39...Nxg6 40.d7 Rd8 41.Re1 +- ) 40.Re1 D {Judit has confidently conducted this endgame and given her opponent no chance for escape. } 40...Nf7 41.Be8 Kg7 42.Bxf7 Rxf7 43.Rd1 Rf8 44.Kc2 Rc8 45.Kd3 Kf6 ( 45...Rxc5 46.d7 Rd5+ 47.Ke2 ) 46.Kc4 Ke6 47.Kb5 Kd7 48.Re1 Re8 49.Rxe8 D {After the exchange of the rook, White is the first to promote to a queen. } 1-0