Viswanathan Anand, the new world chess champion, has a particular style and it rests on a particular technique. Excellent opening preparation featuring novelties in fashionable variations is followed by flawless realization of the obtained advantage. How important is the innovation Anand unveiled against Peter Svidler in the Mexico world championship tournament? One answer is suggested by the fact that several rounds after this game, Lev Aronian, playing black, tried to steer into the same line. But Anand deviated from his own home-cooked idea. It seems that he may not have all that much confidence in this particular gift of his to the chess-playing world.

ANAND VS. SVIDLER (White) (Black) Ruy Lopez

1.e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 0-0 8.c3 d5 9. exd5 Nxd5 10. Nxe5 Nxe5 11. Rxe5 c6 12. Re1! An excellent variation on the plan dreamed up by Bobby Fischer. The former world champion had tried 12.g3 but in this case black has 12…Bf6 13. Re1 c5 as Yefim Geller played on more than one occasion. 12… Bd6 13.g3 Bf5 This is the most popular approach today. In 1966 playing against Fischer, Spassky tried: 13…Nf6 14.d4 Bg4 15. Qd3 c5 and reached a draw after careful defense. Interesting as well is 13…Ra7!? 14.d4 Re7 saving the resource f7-f5-f4, as played in Fischer O’Kelly, 1965. 14.d4 Qd7 15. Be3 Rae8 16. Nd2 Bg4 17. Qc2 The attempt to place the pieces more harmoniously via 17. Qb1 Bf5 18. Bc2 Bxc2 19. Qxc2 f5 20.c4 bxc4 21. Nxc4 was brilliantly refuted in Naiditsch-Gustavsson by 21…f4 22. Bd2 f3 23. Qd3 Re2!! 24. Rxe2 Qh3 25. Ne3 Rf4!! and black wins. 17… Bf5

18. Qc1 Re7

This quiet plan, as this game proves, gives better chances to white. Playing against Leko in 2003, Anand himself tried 18… h5!? 19. Nf3 Bg4 20. Nh4 Re6 and here, according to Anand, worthy of attention was 21.f3! Bh3 22. Bf2; Aronian won beautifully against Shabalov in 2004 after 18…Re6! 19. Nf3 Bg4 20. Ng5?! Rg6 21.f3? Bxf3! 22. Nxf3 Bxg3! but here as well 20. Nh4!? deserves attention. Logical looking is 18… Bg4!? For example 19. Bd1 Bxd1 20. Qxd1 f5! and the initiative passes to black.

19. Nf3 Bg4

More precise was 19…Rfe8 20. Nh4 Bh3 and the black bishop is better placed than in this game.

20. Nh4 Rfe8

21. Qd2 h6

Black seems to lack an active plan. White would also be better after 21…Nxe3 22. Rxe3 Rxe3 23. fxe3 c5 24. Rf1 Re7 25.e4.

22. Qd3! g6

23. Bd1 Bh3?!

Black did not have to avoid the exchange of white squared bishops. It was preferable to play 23…Kg7 24. Ng2 Bf5 25. Qd2 g5 26. Bf3 Be4 27. Bxe4 Rxe4 preserving the active position.

24. Bf3 g5

25. Ng2 Bf5

26. Qd1 Nf6

( See Diagram )

And here better was 26…Be4. 27.a4! Ne4?! Now white takes the initiative. Relatively better was 27…b4 28.a5. 28. axb5 axb5 29. Ra6! Qb7 30. Qa1 Bc8 31. Ra8 Bb8?! Simpler was 31…Bf5 32. Rxe8+ Rxe8 33. Qd1 Qd7. 32. Bc1! Nf6 Now black’s position crumbles into dust. He had to choose 32… Qc7! planning Bc8-b7 and f7-f5 and the struggle would continue. 33. Rxe7 Rxe7 34. Qa3! Rd7 A little better was 34…Re8 35. Ne3. 35. Ra5! Black would preserve more resources for defense after 35. Ne3 Ba7 36. Ng4! Nxg4 37. Rxc8+ Qxc8 38. Bxg4 Qc7 39. Bxd7 Qxd7] 35… Ba7 36. Ne3 Qc7 37. Nf5 c5 Of no use was 37…Kh7 38. Qf8. 38. Nxh6+ Kh7 39. Bxg5 1-0