The 2014 Khanty-Mansiysk Candidates Tournament was also the most significant chess event of that year.
In this Siberian city, according to various criteria, eight elite chess players competed for the title of challenger, of which the "weakest" Dimitri Andrejkin had a rating of "only" 2.709 points.
Before the start of the tournament, the best chances were given to Levon Aronian, not only because of his best rating (2.830), but also because of his excellent form, especially shown at the tournament in Wijk aan Zee.
The second favorite of the tournament was former world chess champion Vladimir Kramnik, whose chess form was on the rise. The recent world champion Vishal Anand, after losing in a match to the current champion Carlsen, was given almost no chance.
But, the forecasters were wrong this time too.
The “Tiger from Madras” won against six players from the former USSR and Bulgarian Topolov by a full point over second-placed Karjakin. He recorded three wins and with 8,5 points from 14 games (no losses!) safely brought the tournament to a close.
...From the Khanty-Mansiysk 2014 Candidates Tournament, we report Anand's impressive victory over the player who was considered the main favorite before the start of the competition, Aronian.
Spanish game
Anand - Aronjan
Property - Mansiysk 2014.
Elite chess scene 2014.
1.e4 e5 2.Sf3 Sc6 3.Lb5 a6 4.La4 Sf6 5.0-0 Le7 6.Te1 b5 7.Lb3 0-0 8.h3 Lb7 9.d3 d5 10.ed5 Sxd5 11.Sbd2 Dd7
Previously, 11…Nf4 was mostly played, and this is how Aronian himself played against Adams (Yerevan, rapid 2008), and 11….f6, for example Anand - Caruana (Taly Memorial, Moscow 2013).
12. Sxe5 Sxe5 13.Txe5 Sf6 14.Te1 Tae8 15.Sf3 Ld6 16.Le3 Te7
The natural move is 16...Nd5...with an attempt to exchange one of the bishops.
17…d4 Tfe8 18.c3 h6 19.Se5! Lxe5 20.de5 Txe5
In the case of 20…Qc6 21.f3 Rxe5 22.Qd2, the presence of queens on the board does not improve Black's position at all.
21. Qxd7 Nxd7 22.Ted1 Nf6
Directly 22…Nc5 would be followed by 23.Bxc5 Rxc5 24.Rd7 This knight move could have been prepared by 22…Bc6, and Black need not fear the attack of the black-squared bishop on his rook. 23.Bf4 (23.Bd4 Rg5) 23…Re2
23. c4 c6 24.Tac1
It's probably good and right away 24. A4 R5e7
24….R5e7 25. a4 bc4
Black's position is unenviable even in the case of 25…Ne4 26.ab5 ab5 27.cb5 cb5 28.Ra1, but after the move in the game, Black is left with two pawn weaknesses and his bishop continues its pitiful existence.
26. Lxc4 Sd5 27.Lc5 Te4 28.f3 T4e5 29.Kf2 Lc8 (29…Se3 30.Lxf7+Kxf7 31.Td7+)
30. Lf1 T5e6 31.Td3 Sf4 32.Tb3 Td8 33.Le3 Sd5 34.Ld2 Sf6 35.La5 Tde8 (35…Td5 36.Tb8) 36.Tb6 Te5
In the endgame after 36…Nd5 37.Rbxc6 Rxc6 38.Rxc6 Be3 39.Bxa6 (39.Rxc8? Nd1+; 39.Be2 Bd7) 39…Bxa6 40.Rxa6 Nd1+ 41.Kg3 Nxb2, elementary precision is required from White.
37.Lc3 Sd5 38.Lxe5 Sxb6 39.Ld4! Sxa4 40.Txc6 Td8 41. Tc4 Ld7
After 41…Nxb2 42.Bxb2 Rd2+ 43.Ke3 the bishop is hanging on c8
42. b3 Lb5
43. Tb4!
He ends the game with a nice knight capture operation.
43…Sb2 44.Lxb5 ab5 (44..a5 45.Lb6! Td2+ 46.Ke3)
45.Ke3 Te8+ (45..Sd1+46.Ke2) 46.Kd2 Td8 47.Kc3 (47…Sd1+48.Kc2)
1:0.
Bonus video:
