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At last, the FIDE World Cup in Shengyang is over. I am so tired of living in Moscow
according to Chinese time. However, it was also not easy during Las Vegas, 1999.

Now we have the prospect of the two K’s match in London, then the Olympiad in Istanbul
and the next FIDE world championship in New Delhi. So it is not clear how I should
correct my biological watches. Well, it is still easier for us, the commentators, while the
players have much more trouble. It is very important not to sleep at the board; one should
fight, not relaxing for a single second.

Usually a chess player has neither enough money nor enough time for serious
acclimatization. Thus, nobody should be surprised by a meek defeat such as the one the
European players suffered in the second games of the final matches. The beginning of the
matches was set to 9:00 AM Beijing time, which corresponds to 5:00 AM Moscow time
and to 4:00 AM Kiev time.

Now, a few words about the overall results of the tournament.

Anand’s victory was expected by everyone and was considered to be a must. Of course, he
is a grandiose chess player, but I would not speak about his unconditional advantage over
the other players, in the absense of the two K’s, Shirov, Leko and Adams.

Vishi’s result was literally hanging on a thin hair in the semi-final. He suddenly avoided a
struggle in the first game, playing as White, by chosing a rather non-current variation and
agreeing to a draw prematurely. Then, in the second game (see coverage below), Gelfand
played outstandingly and had to win. If he had played 30.Bd5! (this move and the idea of
the queen’s sacrifice on f7 are quite within range of Boris’s abilities), the commentators
would have told completely different stories about the Indian GM. Well, you know, he is
getting older, his speed of playing is not sufficient anymore, his opening preparation is not
far from being excellent, etc, etc.

In no way does this mean that I underestimate Anand’s victory or consider it inappropriate.
In my opinion, Gelfand also deserves first prize, Bareev and Milos too. The former because
he demonstrated outstanding play, the second because he demonstrated outstanding will
and ability to concentrate in the most critical moments of the struggle. The Brazilian GM’s
performance became the sensation of the tournament.

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Honestly, I did not expect that the representative of the soccer country would demonstrate
play of such a high class. Gilberto failed to beat Bareev in the semi-final due to
unbelievable misfortune (see the game below).

All the Chinese participants played great. It seems that the Chinese national team will
represent a horrible force in the next Olympics. Morozevich, Khalifman and Svidler
disappointed me. However, one should not draw definite conclusions from their faults. The
next time, in another place, with some other climate, the Russian stars can do much better.

In the women’s tournament the Chinese players totally dominated. Who could have
predicted, that the women’s world champion would fail to qualify from her group! And all
the same, the Chinese obtained five places out of eight in the final. Thus, it is highly logical
that one of them - Xu Yihua - won the World Cup. I think that China could send three
teams to the Olympiad, and each of them would be able to fight for first place. Pia
Kramling and Natalia Zhukova put up decent resistance to the big Chinese wave. Pia’s own
nerves let her down; during play she twice was close to success in the semi-final. Natasha
had no aggressive opening in her repertoire and was quite tired.

Women in the World Cup were favorably distinguished from men in their straight-out play,
they fought for wins with Black as well as with White. Of course, no one should fail to
mentio too-frequent draws between the Chinese players, but, as I see it, it is all up to the
All-China chess (maybe not only chess) authorities. The girls are not to be blamed.

I think that the tournament’s organization is highly appropriate. Such competitions bring a
pleasant diversity in the dull chess schedule.

Anand,V - Bareev,E [C11]

The final’s decisive game illustrates the winner’s play best of all. Apparently, it is all easy
and simple. Minimal efforts yield an outstanding result. This is Anand!

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5

Eugeny Bareev has played the French Defense for nearly a quarter century.

3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.Nce2

Black has been all right in the variation 5.f4 c5 6.Nf3 Nc6.

5...c5 6.c3 cxd4

Move order is extremely important in these positions. 6...Nc6 7.f4 is another variation.

7.cxd4 f6 8.Nf4

It is well known that in the case of 8.f4?! fxe5 9.fxe5 White gets the utterly unpleasant
check: 9...Qh4+! Then he must play: 10.Ng3 (bad is 10.g3? Qe4) 10...Bb4+ 11.Kf2 , and
Black obtains a serious initiative.

8...Bb4+ 9.Bd2 Qb6 10.Bxb4

Vishi keeps to the beaten track. It would be extremely interesting to examine the sharp
variation 10.Qh5+!? g6 11.Nxg6 Bxd2+ 12.Kxd2 Qxb2+ 13.Ke3 -- it’s quite possible that
home analysis with the aid of chess software has shown that Black is all right here.

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Otherwise, Vishi would play it. This variation has not yet occurred in practice.

10...Qxb4+ 11.Qd2 Qxd2+ 12.Kxd2 Ke7 13.exf6+ gxf6

Black has a decent pawn center here. His task is to complete development and to conduct
the e6-e5 advance.

14.Re1 Nb6 15.Nf3!N

After 15.Nf3!

A clear improvement to the source game. I
remember that in December of last year I
recommended this move in my commentary.
Then, in the final of the Russian championship
was played 15.Bd3?! Nc6 16.Nf3 Kd6 17.Nh5
Rf8! 18.Bxh7 e5 19.Ng3 e4 20.Nh4 Nxd4, and
Black obtained a stable advantage thanks to
his command of the center, Bezgodov,A-
Sakaev,K/Moscow 1999/ 0-1 (40)

15...Nc6

Perhaps Black should be cunning, first playing
15...Bd7 in order to pass the turn.

16.Bb5!

This is White’s idea. Instead of taking a somehow indifferent position on d3, the white
bishop attacks the black c6-knight, which is extremely important, because he controls the
e5- and d4- squares.

16...Bd7

An attempt to keep the knight by 16...Na5?!, with the idea of a7-a6, is against all
developmental principles. After 17.Re2 a6 18.Bd3 Nc6 19.Rhe1 Black is in trouble.

17.Bxc6

White secures control over the e5-point.

17...bxc6 18.Re2 Rae8 19.Rhe1 Kf7?!

Black makes a big concession. His king should stay on d6. Apparently, after 19...Kd6
Eugeny was afraid of 20.Nh5!, and Black cannot play 20...Rhf8? 21.Ng7 Re7 22.Nf5+ but
he could respond with 20...Ref8!, and there was no direct win for White. Meanwhile, Black
may gradually organize the c6-c5 thrust, getting rid of the white d4-pawn.

20.Kc1 Nc4 21.Nd2 Nxd2

Black’s problems would persist after 21...Nd6 22.Nb3 Nf5 23.Nc5 Re7 (23...Nxd4 24.Rd2!)
24.Nfxe6 Bxe6 25.Rxe6 Rxe6 26.Rxe6 Nxd4 27.Rd6 , and White has an initiative.

22.Kxd2

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After 22.Kxd2

White has a stable advantage. The black pieces
are extremely passive, while the white knight
goes to c5...

22...c5!?

Evgeny understands that he must undertake
something in order to avoid the inevitable
slow constriction! He sacrifices the pawn in
order to relieve his center. Alas, this set-up is
not flawless.

23.dxc5 e5 24.Nxd5!

The struggle for the initiative goes on! Anand

gives away the exchange, obtaining two extra
pawns instead. It is much better, than playing a lot of defensive moves in order ro keep the
single extra pawn.

24...Bb5 25.Kc3

White cannot retreat with the rook due to 25...Rd8, and the white knight perishes.

25...Bxe2 26.Rxe2 Rc8 27.Kc4

After 27.Kc4

White has comfortably retained his advantage.
He has a clear plan, including the pawn
advance on the Q-side, while the black rooks
are deprived of open files for intrusion into
White’s camp.

27...Ke6 28.b4 Rhd8 29.Rd2

White can immediately play 29.f4, indirectly
defending his knight. The capture on d5 is
impossible due to f4-f5+. However, after 29...
Rd7 30.Rd2 this results in a transposition.

29...Rd7

Black has pinned the white d5-knight and now
threatens a buildup on the d-file.

30.f4! e4?

A mistake. Nevertheless, it seems that Black’s position is hopeless. Losing is 30...Rcd8?
due to 31.c6! ; Black can put up more stubborn resistance with 30...h5! Anyway, there is
some possibility that White will make a mistake, for example: 31.b5 e4 (now this is
possible, because Black controls the g4-square) 32.Rd4?! (32.c6 Rd6 33.a4 f5 34.a5) 32...f5
33.c6 Rd6 34.a4 Rcd8 35.c7 Rc8! 36.a5 Rxd5! 37.Rxd5 Rxc7+ 38.Kd4 Rc2 and Black
retains some drawing chances in the rook endgame. More precise for White is 32.c6! Rd6
33.a4 f5 34.a5, and White must win soon. 39.Re5+ Kf6 40.b6 axb6 41.axb6

31.Rd4 f5 32.g4!

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The decisive breakthrough. Black’s center falls apart.

32...Rg7

After 32...fxg4 33.Rxe4+ Kf7 34.Re5 the white pawns start their advance.

33.Ne3

What a beautiful knight!
33...fxg4 34.Rd6+ Kf7 35.Nf5

White wins back the exchange, retaining his extra pawns!

35...e3! 36.Nxg7 Re8!

After 36...Re8!

Bareev would have betrayed himself, if he had
not set the last trap! However, this does not
work against Anand. The latter is not going to
join the poor Milos.

37.Nxe8!

Anand rises to the bait!

37...e2 38.Rf6+!

Black resigned. After 38...Ke7 follows 39.Rf5
next 40.Re5+. Anand’s deserved victory! As
expected, the Indian GM became the winner of
the tournament. 1-0

Gelfand,B - Anand,V [E05]

Having fortunately avoided defeat in the previous game, Vishi has morally broken his
mighty opponent.

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3

The Catalan Opening is a modest opening. White does not pretend to have a big advantage
here. He rather expects a small advantage, which he then will be able to magnify, as Boris
did in this game.

3...d5 4.Nf3 Be7

Black is playing to equalize. Play that is sharper and more dangerous for both sides can
arise after 4...dxc4 -- Black is going to keep the extra pawn on c4.

5.Bg2 0-0 6.0-0 dxc4 7.Qc2 a6 8.a4

In the variation 8.Qxc4 b5 9.Qc2 Bb7, Black equalizes easily.

8...Bd7 9.Qxc4 Bc6 10.Bg5

It is well known that forbidden for White here is the natural move 10.Nc3?! due to 10...b5!

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10...a5

In the final game against Bareev, Anand chose another way: 10...Bd5, and equalized easily.

11.Nc3 Na6 12.Bxf6! Bxf6 13.e4

Play proceeds according to well known prototypes. White has traded off his bishop,
occupying the center with pawns instead.

13...Nb4 14.Rfd1 g6

Preparing a flight square for the bishop on g7. More often played is 14...b6, preparing a
flight square for another black bishop.

15.Rac1

A novelty. Sooner or later White must conduct the d6-d5 thrust, in order to clear the big
diagonal for his g2-bishop. The question is, when exactly should he do so? One of the
experts in this variation as White played 15.h4 Rc8 16.Rd2 Bg7 17.Rad1 Qe7 18.Ng5 h6 19.
Nf3 b6 20.d5 Bd7 21.Nd4 exd5 22.exd5 Bg4 23.Nc6 Nxc6 24.Qxg4 Ne5 25.Qe2 and
obtained nothing substantial, though he later won the game, Lputian,S - Polgar,J/Wijk aan
Zee/2000/1-0 (60)

15...Re8 16.d5!

After 16.d5!

Boris starts active operations right away,
wasting no time for preparatory maneuvers!
Essentially, White is already prepared for
opening the play: all his pieces have perfect
positions. The only thing which would
definitely be useful here, is putting the white
pawn on h4, in order to make an escape square
for the white king.

16...exd5 17.exd5 Bd7 18.Nd4 Rc8?!

A rather passive move. Of course, the black c7-
pawn needs some protection, but one should
avoid placing one’s rook so. The black queen
is posed lamely here, being terrorized by the

white e1-rook. She cannot retreat to e7, due to loss of the c7-pawn. Therefore, some
maneuver in Rubinstein’s style deserves attention: 18...Qb8! , with the idea of transferring
the queen to a7. For example: 19.Ne4 (19.Ndb5 Bxb5 20.Qxb5 Re7=) 19...Bg7!? (19...Be5
20.Nc5 Bg4 21.Re1 Qc8 22.Nxb7!) 20.Qxc7 Qxc7 21.Rxc7 Bg4 22.Rd2 Rad8, and Black
obtains rather good compensation for the pawn.

19.Ne4

Boris kindly offers his opponent the a4-pawn as a snack...

19...Be5

Vishi vainly rejects the offer. Later in the game he obtains an utterly bad position. After

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19...Bxa4, as I see it, Boris prepared an efficient strike: 20.Ne6! (not so clear is 20.b3 Bxd4
21.Qxd4 Rxe4! 22.Bxe4 Bxb3) , which is extremely difficult for calculation at the board, but
it brings White advantage in all the variations: 20...fxe6 (20...Qe7 21.b3 Bb2 22.Nxc7 Bxc1
23.d6! , with a menacing initiative for White) 21.dxe6 Qe7 22.Rd7 Bxd7 23.exd7+ Kh8 24.
Nxf6 Qxf6 25.Qe2! (A beautiful nuance!) 25...Qd8 26.Qb5 c6 27.dxe8Q+ Qxe8 28.Qxa5 ,
and the white bishop is stronger than the black knight.

20.Nc5 b6 21.Nc6!

Here the beautiful more 21.Nde6 brings White nothing due to the cold-blooded 21...Qe7!
22.Nxd7 Qxd7 23.Bh3 Qd6!, and the white knight must retreat...]

21...Bxc6 22.dxc6

The beautiful dance of the white knights resulted in a perfect supporting d7-square for
White and the potentially dangerous white c6-pawn. White has won the opening battle.

22...bxc5

Anand realizes that he is being outplayed, and he is going to change the course of events at
any cost. By sacrificing his queen for the white rook and minor piece, he intends to
overtake the initiative.
In the case of 22...Qf6 23.Nd7 Qg7 24.Nxe5 Qxe5 25.Bh3! Rcd8 26.Rd7 Black experiences
some difficulties; equally joyless for him is 22...Qe7 23.Rd7 Qf8 24.Ne4, and White exerts
strong pressure on the f7-point.

23.Rxd8 Rcxd8 24.Re1!

Well done! White has to trade off one rook in order to secure his king from a mating attack.

24...Bd4 25.Rxe8+ Rxe8 26.Qb5!

This is also correct! The passed a-pawn is White’s sole chance for victory, while the f2-
pawn is not so important.

26...Kg7 27.Qxa5 Re2

Vishi also gives away the c7-pawn, trying to create a mating attack against the white king.

28.Qxc7 Rxf2 29.Kh1

At this moment it seemed that Vishi was definitetly losing - White had too many passed
pawns...

29...Nd3

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After 29...Nd3

The crucial moment of the game, of the semi-
finals and of the World Cup in general!

30.Qd8?!

Apparently, White misses the win by this
move. Suggesting itself is 30.Be4, to which
Black must respond with 30...Ne5, with the
threat of Ne5-g4. (but not 30...Ne1 31.Qf4! +-)
Then many interesting variations may follow.
For example: 31.h3 (31.Qc8 h5!) 31...Rf1+ 32.
Kh2 Rf2+ 33.Bg2 Rxb2 (33...Nf3+? 34.Kh1
Ne1 35.Qf4! Rxg2 36.Qf1+-) 34.g4 Nd3 35.
Qg3 (35.Qd6? Ne1!) 35...Rb1 36.Bh1 (not
good is 36.Qxd3 Be5+ 37.Qg3 Bxg3+ 38.

Kxg3 Rb8 39.a5 due to 39...Rc8! 40.a6 Rc7) 36...Rb2+ - and it seems that Black survives in
all variations. Apparently, the strongest continuation for White is 30.Bd5!, with the idea of
trading the white queen for the black rook by Qc7xf7! at some moment. For example: 30...
Ne5 31.a5 (or 31.h4 ) 31...h5 (31...Ng4 32.Qxf7+!) 32.h4! Rf1+ 33.Kg2 Rf2+ 34.Kh3 Ng4
(what else?) 35.Qxf7+! Rxf7 36.Bxf7 Nf2+ 37.Kg2 Ne4 38.a6 c4 39.Bxc4, with a winning
endgame for White.

30...Rc2 31.Bf1 Nf2+ 32.Kg2 Ng4+ 33.Kf3 Ne5+

Vishi provisionally decides to destroy the dangerous white passed pawn. Meanwhile,
deserving attention is: 33...f5!?, not letting the white king get out of his cage. 34.Qe7+ Kh6
35.Qe1 Ne5+ 36.Kf4 Nxc6, and Black destroys the white pawn in the most convenient way.
I think Anand could even fight for a win in this case.

34.Ke4 Nxc6 35.Qc7 Nb4 36.g4

There seems to be no win for White. After 36.b3 Rf2! 37.Bc4 h5 38.a5 Kh6 39.Bxf7 Re2+
it all ended in a perpetual check.

36...Rf2!

The simplest way to the draw. Less appropriate is 36...Rxb2 37.Bc4 Rf2 38.h4! h6 39.g5!,
and Black still faces some suffering.

37.Bb5 g5!

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