2012 Anand v Gelfand round 11 World Chess Championship

Anand choses the Nimzo Indian again, like game 9, but a difference on move 8 with ...Bd7. Gelfand has a long think here. In game 9, Anand put this bishop on the long diagonal h1-a8 by fianchetto ...b6 and ...Bb7. Peter Svidler comments that Gelfand is taking too much time trying to find a reason for this divergence. It is not a new move according to my database, but the common response is drawish. I would guess that Gelfand had prepared something against the line Anand played in game 9 and is trying to figure out if it still works.



1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bd4 4.e3 O-O 6.Nf3 c5 7.O-O dxc4 8.Bxc4 Bd7

Shortly after the commentary goes to break and after taking 40 minutes, Gelfand decides on 9.a3 Ba5 10.Qe2 Bc6 11.Rd1 Bxc3 12.bxc3 Nbd7 13.Bd3 Qa5 14.c4 cxd4 15.exd4 Qh5 16.Bf4 Rac8 17.Ne5 Qxe2 18.Bxe2 Nxe5 19.Bxe5 Rfd8 20.a4

Anand settles down for a bit of a think here. He has a large time advantage. If he can greatly complicate things, it will put a lot of pressure on Gelfand. Svidler thinks that Ne4 is a promising try, which Anand plays 20...Ne4 Gelfand finds a move that Svidler did not consider 21.Rd3 f6 22.Bf4 Be8 23.Rb3 Rxd4 24.Be3 Rd7 [½ - ½]


The match is even and the last regular game on Monday May 28 with Anand playing white. There is a tie break possible on Wednesday if they draw Monday.