Maybe Anand's best try to play for a win was 34.d7 Rcc2 35.Rc4. Hard to blame him for choosing a slightly safer alternative when he was low on time, though.

Timman will be back tomorrow, after that it's Lautier, Svidler, Leko and Kramnik (!). See the schedule here.

Wow, nice line-up for commentary! Thanks for the link!

I wonder if Anand did miss a win somewhere. On TWIC IM Malcolm Pein gives this line as holding for Black: 34.d7 Rcc2 35.Rc4 Rxc4 36.bxc4 h5 37.Kc1 Rd4 38.Kc2 Kf6 39.Rh7 Ke6 40.Kc3 Rxd7 41.Rxh5 Rg7. But what if White simply exchanges rooks with 41.Rxd7? That pawn endgame after 41...Kxd7 42.Kd4 looks very difficult to hold for Black. I've only looked at it briefly, but Rybka seems to be finding wins for White in all lines. Any idea how Black can defend?

edit: Well, maybe Black could try something like 39...Kg6. Not sure if that's enough to draw after e.g. 40.Kc3 Rd1 41.d8Q Rxd8 42.Rxb7.

Seems also to me like 34.d7 clearly wins. 39..Kg6 etc and 42.Rxb7 should win for white as white can easily guide the c-pawn with the his advanced king support while his rook can get to 2nd rank and defend all the other pawns. Wish Anand had more time.

I don't see a clear win. Black seems to just hang on. 34. d7 Rc5 seems a little better, holding the line on the 5th rank pawns, and keeping the White King boxed in. Has anybody shown a clear in?

OK, you're right, 34...Rc5 holds if 34.d7. But 34...Rc5 would be hard to find and would have tested Gelfand's OTB skills. I still wish Anand had more time but taking time in opening is what it would require for Anand to deal with Gelfand's preparation, let Anand take his time.

How about a different question. What is your take on Anand's f3 in the opening, effectively changing the game from a Grunfeld to a King's Indian type game?

Was it because he could not really find anything good against the Grunfeld? Or was it because he just wanted to get Gelfand out of his Grunfeld preparation and kind of keep them both in uncharted waters and out of their match preparation?

It is really a compelling question and the first real change in the match. Do you take your opponent out of his preparation at the expense of you also being taken out of your preparation?

I guess when your that good that is one more tool in your utility belt.

Taking your opponent to a setup different than what he is expecting to go into as his move response shows would always be good. You limit your opponent's pattern recognition. But whether you would lose your memorized pattern depends on your width of preparation. Yes I believe Anand has that additional tools i.e. deep preparation in a wide variety of lines plus OTB calculation plus end game skills. But it is not just one move 3.f3, Anand had to keep on deviating. When he delayed d6 is when I believe Anand finally took Gelfand out of theory. Gelfand yielded finally with his failure to find 23...Nb6!? If Anand continues like this like deviating from main lines earlier on, Gelfand will be under pressure, and I am sure then Anand can come out on top.

Well, because I am "rooting for" Boris Gelfand to win this match over Anand, I am quite pleased to see that Gelfand is playing "pretty evenly" with Anand after the first three games of this World championship Match!

Needless to say, if either player can get the first outright win of this Match within the scheduled 12 games, it will be HUGE!!


Chess Fan