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Today we’re going to look at one of the most impressive games of recent years, played by GM Levon Aronian and the current World Chess Champion GM Viswanathan Anand at the Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2013, Round 4.
The game opened with 1. d4 and Anand responded with the Meran Variation of the Semi-Slav Defense, an opening that Anand has literally played for decades (including 2 very important wins in his world chess championship match against Kramnik in 2008). In that encounter with Kramnik, Anand opted for a more classically theoretical move order with 8. …a6, however in the game we are currently examining Anand played the more modern 8. …Bd6 (a variation that Anand also employed with success against Magnus Carlsen at Linares 2007).
This is a very double-edged chess opening and black has strong winning chances because the positions are consistently very open and complicated in the Meran System.
What really distinguishes this game is not the opening, but the way that Anand combined tactical combinations with positional play and extreme precision to make shocking moves like 15. …Bc5!!, 16. …Nde5!! And 19. …f5!! (also the risky 12. …c5!) — moves that Anand later confessed he had prepared for his match with Gelfand.
Interface used ICC: http://www.chessclub.com/from/WStewart/