Chess: Fast pawns bring success

THE GAME that won the dollars 30,000 top prize for Viswanathan Anand in Moscow last week was a triumph for fast thinking and fast pawns. For quick-play events such as this, he has evolved an effective style of play which leaves his opponent to do all the thinking.

In this game, Vladimir Kramnik undoubtedly had the initiative after the opening. White's 13. e5] had the nice point that taking on e5 with either knight would lose Black a piece after f4. Anand's 15 . . . Nb6] needed fine calculation. After 16. Ne7+ Kh8, it looks as though 17. c3 will win, since any knight move allows Nc6. But 17. c3 Re8] 18. Bg5 f6 lets Black maintain the equilibrium.

Kramnik seemed to have fallen into the trap of playing Ne7+ quickly, then stopping to wonder what to do next. It is easy to assume that after such a move there must be a powerful continuation, but when you discover there isn't, it can be a severe blow to your morale.

As the game went, White's advanced knight became a liability and Anand won a pawn, although White's bishop pair certainly provided some compensation. It all went badly wrong for Kramnik after 30. h5? designed to create attacking chances, but ultimately loosening White's game more than Black's. When 37 . . . h4 came, Black used his gift pawn to prise open Black's defences, and liberate still further the rampaging monsters in the centre.

----------------------------------------------------------------- White: Kramnik ----------------------------------------------------------------- Black: Anand 1 Nf3 c5 28 h4 Na4 2 g3 g6 29 Be4 Qf7 3 Bg2 Bg7 30 h5 gxh5 4 0-0 Nc6 31 Bg2 Nc3 5 d3 Nf6 32 Rf1 e4 6 e4 0-0 33 Rae1 Qg6 7 Re1 d6 34 Be7 Rf7 8 Nc3 Bg4 35 Bc5 d3 9 h3 Bxf3 36 cxd3 cxd3 10 Bxf3 Rb8 37 Kh2 h4 11 Bg2 b5 38 Qe3 Re8 12 a3 Nd7 39 Bd4 Bxd4 13 e5 Nd4 40 Qxd4+ Qg7 14 exd6 exd6 41 Qe3 Nd5 15 Nd5 Nb6 42 Qc5 Nf6 16 Ne7+ Kh8 43 Bh3 Rg8 17 Bg5 Qd7 44 Qd6 Rc7 18 Be3 Ne6 45 Rc1 Rxc1 19 Nc6 Rbc8 46 Rxc1 hxg3+ 20 d4 Rxc6 47 fxg3 e3 21 d5 Rcc8 48 Be6 d2 22 dxe6 fxe6 49 Rg1 Ne4 23 Bf4 e5 50 Qf4 e2 24 Be3 d5 51 Bxg8 e1Q 25 b4 d4 52 Bd5 Qf2+ 26 Bg5 c4 53 Qxf2 Nxf2 27 Qd2 Qf5 White resigns -----------------------------------------------------------------