Today the challenger, Boris Gelfand, had the white pieces. For the fourth time, he opened P-Q4 and the champion, Viswanathan Anand, responded with the Slav Defense:
1. P-Q4 P-Q4
2. P-QB4 P-QB3
3. N-QB3 N-B3
4. P-K3 P-K3
5. N-B3 P-QR3
At this point in Games 2 and 4, Gelfand had played P-QN4, and both of those games ended in draws. In Game 6, Gelfand played Q-B2, and that game also ended in a draw. So today, Gelfand tried something else:
6. P-B5 QN-Q2
This was a more aggressive approach than Gelfand's previous efforts, and Anand spent a lot of time on moves 7 and 8.
7. Q-B2 P-QN3
8. P x P N x P
Gelfand then started putting more pressure on the queenside of the board, with hopes of advancing his knight into a strong position.
9. B-Q2 P-B4
10. R-B1 P x P
11. P x P B-Q3
12. B-KN5 O-O
13. B-Q3 P-R3
14. B-R4 B-N2
15. O-O Q-N1
The ensuing battle led to an exchange of rooks.
16. B-N3 R-B1
17. Q-K2 B x B
18. RP x B Q-Q3
19. R-B2 N(N3)-Q2
20. R(1)-QB1 R(R1)-N1
21. N-QR4 N-K5
22. R x R(ch) B x R
That was followed by an exchange of queens.
23. Q-B2 P-N4 (This move by black provoked a question mark on the official game broadcast.)
24. Q-B7 Q x Q
25. R x Q P-B3
But Anand was still in trouble on the queenside. He had a rook, and bishop and a knight on the side of the board -- compared to Gelfand's rook and two knights after the challenger's 28th move -- but Anand's bishop was trapped on the back row.
26. B x N P x B
27. N-Q2 P-B4
28. N-B4 N-B3
Anand was now also running into serious time trouble. Each player was given two hours to make 40 moves, and now Anand had only 12 minutes to make 12 moves. Gelfand had 17 minutes left, so that was another advantage for him. Meanwhile, Gelfand continued to increase the pressure from his knights.
29. N-B5 N-Q4
30. R-QR7 N-N5
31. N-K5 N-B7
By this point the queenside featured a rook and two knights for white, compared to a rook and a bishop for black. The official broadcast describes this position as a "decisive advantage" for white. In an effort to save his position, Anand sought to advance his central pawn. But Gelfand stayed on the attack, losing a pawn but taking black's bishop.
32. N-B6 R x P
33. R-QB7 R-N8(ch)
34. K-R2 P-K6
35. R x B(ch) K-R2
Now Gelfand started to close in for mate:
36. R-B7(ch) K-R1
37. N-K5 P-K7
38. N x KP resigns
Knowing that his king was trapped in a corner and would inevitably be mated, Anand resigned.
So for the first time since the match began, we have a leader. Anand only has three more matches where he could play white, so he needs to make something happen quickly. We will hope that these last few matches have as much drama as the end of yesterday's Chelsea/Bayern Munich game. Remember: first player to 6 1/2 points wins.
SCORE AFTER SEVEN MATCHES:
Anand (IND) 3 - 4 Gelfand (ISR)
WOW! That was a great and thrilling report!
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