Anand's Immortal is a chess game played by Levon Aronian as White against Viswanathan Anand as Black in Round 4 of the 2013 Tata Steel Chess Tournament.[1]
The game is considered one of Anand's greatest masterpieces; Chess.com staff ranked it as the third best chess game of all time, behind Kasparov's Immortal and the Opera Game.[2]
The game
editWhite: Aronian Black: Anand Opening: Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation (ECO D47)
- 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Bd3 Bd6 9. O-O O-O 10. Qc2 Bb7 11. a3 Rc8
- The game opens up in a very theoretical and well-known fashion. Only until move 12 do the players start innovating with novel ideas.[3]
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
| 8 |              | 8 | |||||||
| 7 | 7 | ||||||||
| 6 | 6 | ||||||||
| 5 | 5 | ||||||||
| 4 | 4 | ||||||||
| 3 | 3 | ||||||||
| 2 | 2 | ||||||||
| 1 | 1 | ||||||||
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
Position after 12. Ng5
- 12. Ng5?!
- Aronian tempts Anand to play 12...Bxh2+, winning a pawn, where white might enjoy greater piece activity.[3]
- 12...c5!
- Anand responds with a pawn sacrifice (h7) of his own, which Aronian accepts.
- 13. Nxh7 Ng4
This calls to mind the similar 20...Ng4 from the game Rotlewi versus Rubinstein.[3]
- 14. f4?
- White should have played 14. h3!, which gives an unclear position after 14...Bh2+ 15. Kh1 Qh4.[4]
- 14...cxd4 15. exd4 Bc5!
- The first of a series of sacrifices to come. If white accepts the sacrifice, Black will capture back on c5, followed by a quick invasion with Qd4+ and Nf2. [3][4]
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
| 8 | | 8 | |||||||
| 7 | 7 | ||||||||
| 6 | 6 | ||||||||
| 5 | 5 | ||||||||
| 4 | 4 | ||||||||
| 3 | 3 | ||||||||
| 2 | 2 | ||||||||
| 1 | 1 | ||||||||
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
Position after 16. Be2
- 16. Be2 Nde5!!
- Black is still trying to clear the way for Qxd4+ and Nf2 and doesn't mind giving up a knight to do so.
- 17. Bxg4 Bxd4+ 18. Kh1 Nxg4 19. Nxf8
- If white plays 19. Ng5, black would continue similar to the game with f5, followed by either Rf6-h6 or Qh4.
- 19...f5!
- Black cuts off white's chances of defense against the black queen.[5]
- 20. Ng6 Qf6 21. h3 Qxg6 22. Qe2
- White cannot take the knight on g4 as there would be Qh6#.[4]
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
| 8 | | 8 | |||||||
| 7 | 7 | ||||||||
| 6 | 6 | ||||||||
| 5 | 5 | ||||||||
| 4 | 4 | ||||||||
| 3 | 3 | ||||||||
| 2 | 2 | ||||||||
| 1 | 1 | ||||||||
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
The final position
- 22...Qh5 23. Qd3 Be3! 0-1
- Interfering white's defense against Qxh3+ (the g-pawn is pinned). Aronian sees no way out and finally resigns.[4]
References
edit- ^ "Tata Steel 2013 Round 4". 15 January 2013.
- ^ "The Best Chess Games Of All Time". 18 August 2018.
- ^ a b c d "Two of the World's Best in a Game for the Ages". The New York Times. January 2013. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
- ^ a b c d "Anand's Immortal Chess Game - Aronian Vs. Anand, 2013". Chess.com. November 2019. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
- ^ "Tata Steel 2013 Round 4 - A Superb Win By Vishy Anand!". Chess.com. January 2013. Retrieved 30 July 2023.