Not sure, but what looks like an advantage to us might not really be worth playing out to them. Does anybody see a sequence that actually leads anywhere?

Given a bit more time, I think Gelfand could have tried increasing pressure and making something of the passed a-pawn. There seemed to be a lot of play left, and while after the last move the computers think it is even, given a different time situation I think Gelfand could have kept trying for an advantage.

There is play, but I feel pretty sure that Anand can hold it. That's not to say you shouldn't make him sweat a little longer, though. There's almost no chance of Black losing, so I'd elect to continue.

I feel like Lamond Peterson must have been cheating in the first match against Amir Khan too. I guess testosterone is the new drug of choice in this sport. I totally agree with you Petrosianic.

Hey, it is a good start for Boris Gelfand, getting a draw with the Black pieces in Game #1!


Chess Fan

Any chance the techno-ninjas could post a .pgn file on here so we could play through the game when it is over?

Sure, but you can find it on chessgames.com:

[Event "WCC (1) Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.05.11"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Anand, Viswanathan"]
[Black "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "D85"]
[WhiteElo "2791"]
[BlackElo "2727"]
[Annotator "IM Malcolm Pein"]
[PlyCount "48"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[SourceDate "2012.05.11"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 {A slight surprise and very combative. Anand
played the Gruenfeld in game one against Topalov in 2010 and was crushed after
he forgot his theory} 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. cxd5 (5. Bg5) (5. Qb3 {are trendy but the
Exchange Variation remains the main battleground}) 5... Nxd5 6. e4 Nxc3 7. bxc3
c5 8. Bb5+ {A surprise because it's thought to be fairly harmless although
Vishy has played it before. I guess the Gruenfeld might be a slight surprise
so Vishy playing it safe} (8. Be3) (8. Rb1 {Are the challenging continuations})
8... Nc6 9. d5 {[%eval -13,0] A real surprise} (9. O-O cxd4 10. cxd4 O-O 11.
Be3 Bg4 12. Bxc6 bxc6 13. Rc1 Qa5 {Is standard and is sometimes a GM drawing
line} 14. Rxc6 Qxa2 15. Rc7 Qe6 16. h3 Qd6 17. Rc5 Bxf3 18. Qxf3 e6 19. e5 {
Amber Rapid 1999 is an edge for White. Black's bishop is blocked out and the
'a' pawn potentially weak rather than passed}) 9... Qa5 {[%eval 55,0]} 10. Rb1
{[%eval 0,0]} a6 {[%eval 8,0]} (10... Bxc3+ {I think Pein-Forintos went this
way at the Benedictine International in 1982. Don't remember too much and
probably have the year wrong as well. I know this much, I lost ..}) 11. Bxc6+ {
[%eval 8,0]} bxc6 {[%eval 0,0]} 12. O-O $1 {[%eval 8,0] Of course to extract
anything White must continue in gambit style} Qxa2 {[%eval 16,0]} 13. Rb2 {
[%eval 11,0]} Qa5 {[%eval 4,0]} 14. d6 {[%eval 11,0]} Ra7 {[%eval 19,0]} ({
This seems to solve Black's problems. After} 14... Qd8 15. e5 {or} (15. Bf4
Bxc3 16. Rb1 Bg7 17. e5 {Black could come under pressure although computers
are as ever relaxed about it all})) 15. Bg5 {[%eval -18,0]} (15. Bf4 {Looked
sharper if only because the best Black responses look a little risky even if
they are OK. Now Gelfand has a clear path to safety or perhaps more} Rd7 16.
Ne5 (16. Rb8 O-O 17. dxe7 Rxe7 18. Bd6 Rd7 19. e5 Qxc3 20. Qa4 {Is perhaps
quite risky for the first game!}) 16... Rxd6 17. Qc2 O-O $1 18. Nc4 Qxc3 19.
Bxd6 exd6 20. Qxc3 Bxc3 21. Rc2 Bd4 22. Nxd6 Be6 {Must be fine for Black})
15... exd6 {[%eval -13,0]} 16. Qxd6 {[%eval -11,0]} Rd7 {[%eval -3,0]} 17. Qxc6
{[%eval -6,0]} Qc7 {[%eval -10,0] The safest move. If Black can castle and
exchange queens he has the two bishops and a passed 'a' pawn} 18. Qxc7 {[%eval
-14,0]} Rxc7 {[%eval -2,0]} 19. Bf4 {[%eval -4,0]} Rb7 {[%eval 0,0]} 20. Rc2 {
[%eval -25,0]} O-O {[%eval -26,0]} 21. Bd6 {[%eval -25,0]} Re8 {[%eval -25,0]}
22. Nd2 {[%eval -39,0]} (22. e5 Bf5) 22... f5 {[%eval -15,0]} ({if Boris
wanted to press then perhaps} 22... Bd7 $5 23. Bxc5 Rc8 24. Bd6 Rxc3 {is good
for Black}) (22... Bd7 23. Ra1 f5) 23. f3 {[%eval -39,0]} fxe4 24. Nxe4 Bf5 (
24... Bf5 25. Re1 {[%emt 0:00:14] The threat to c5 probably forces Black to
take on e4 and then there is not much in it so a fair result. A good result
for Boris, a draw with Black and Vishy was even under pressure for a while as
his long think on move}) 1/2-1/2

A good game with some life in it. This was the first time Anand played with the white pieces since their first game at Mexico city when Gelfand was also better in the end when they agreed to a draw. It looked like Anand had something going when he pushed the d6 pawn, Gelfand came up with Ra7 ! and held the game easily after that. Good start for Gelfand surprising Anand with the Grunfeld, and Anand too should be happy he got off to a good start.

Going by the previous Championship matches, We have to see if Gelfand can stop Anand in the next couple of games, as Anand is sort of known to 'explode' in the first half, then slowing down later in the match. It will be interesting to see Gelfand's match strategy to counter such a thing if that happens.

I wonder if it would be best for Gelfand to really go for it in these early games - play aggressive, maybe even slightly risky lines as White. As the underdog, I would think Gelfand has to try and set the tone himself, not let Anand dictate how the match goes.

I think Mr. Mitzvah should play to win with White, and hold the line and draw with Black. Wins with the Black pieces these days (for those who make very few mistakes) either require a blunder from White, or some serious risk taking with Black. I think its better to play the more conservative approach that Kramnik applies. Push with White, draw with Black.

It doesn't make for the most exciting of matches (although yesterday's game was awesome) but since it's a once in a lifetime opportunity for Gelfand, better to play it safe. This way if he loses, it will probably be a close match. If he takes a lot of risks with Black, he might get blown out.