Anand's Immortal

Game animation

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

White: 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 at move 12 do the players start innovating with novel ideas.[3]
abcdefgh
8a8b8c8 black rookd8 black queene8f8 black rookg8 black kingh88
7a7 black pawnb7 black bishopc7d7 black knighte7f7 black pawng7 black pawnh7 black pawn7
6a6b6c6 black pawnd6 black bishope6 black pawnf6 black knightg6h66
5a5b5 black pawnc5d5e5f5g5 white knighth55
4a4b4c4d4 white pawne4f4g4h44
3a3 white pawnb3c3 white knightd3 white bishope3 white pawnf3g3h33
2a2b2 white pawnc2 white queend2e2f2 white pawng2 white pawnh2 white pawn2
1a1 white rookb1c1 white bishopd1e1f1 white rookg1 white kingh11
abcdefgh
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]
abcdefgh
8a8b8c8 black rookd8 black queene8f8 black rookg8 black kingh88
7a7 black pawnb7 black bishopc7d7 black knighte7f7 black pawng7 black pawnh7 white knight7
6a6b6c6d6e6 black pawnf6g6h66
5a5b5 black pawnc5 black bishopd5e5f5g5h55
4a4b4c4d4 white pawne4f4 white pawng4 black knighth44
3a3 white pawnb3c3 white knightd3e3f3g3h33
2a2b2 white pawnc2 white queend2e2 white bishopf2g2 white pawnh2 white pawn2
1a1 white rookb1c1 white bishopd1e1f1 white rookg1 white kingh11
abcdefgh
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]
abcdefgh
8a8b8c8 black rookd8e8f8g8 black kingh88
7a7 black pawnb7 black bishopc7d7e7f7g7 black pawnh77
6a6b6c6d6e6 black pawnf6g6h66
5a5b5 black pawnc5d5e5f5 black pawng5h5 black queen5
4a4b4c4d4e4f4 white pawng4 black knighth44
3a3 white pawnb3c3 white knightd3 white queene3 black bishopf3g3h3 white pawn3
2a2b2 white pawnc2d2e2f2g2 white pawnh22
1a1 white rookb1c1 white bishopd1e1f1 white rookg1h1 white king1
abcdefgh
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

  1. ^ "Tata Steel 2013 Round 4". 15 January 2013.
  2. ^ "The Best Chess Games Of All Time". 18 August 2018.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ a b c d "Anand's Immortal Chess Game - Aronian Vs. Anand, 2013". Chess.com. November 2019. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  5. ^ "Tata Steel 2013 Round 4 - A Superb Win By Vishy Anand!". Chess.com. January 2013. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
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