Carlsen gets no advantage against Anand's Berlin in drawn World Championship Game 9

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World Chess Championship 2014 (9)

Carlsen gets no advantage against Anand's Berlin in drawn World Championship Game 9

Mark Crowther - Thursday 20th November 2014

Carlsen offers a draw. Photo ©

Carlsen offers a draw. Photo © | http://sochi2014.fide.com

Magnus Carlsen retains a one point lead going into the final three games of the defence of his world title in Sochi against Viswanathan Anand.

Carlsen used 49 minutes and Anand only 14 in a session that lasted just over an hour. before the draw was agreed. The Berlin Defense to the Spanish is one of the hardest nuts to crack for players of 1.e4 and has also been Carlsen's choice against stronger opposition. Some have speculated that Anand's choice of 1.d4 with white is precisely due to the difficulty in generating chances against this variation if black knows the theory.

Carlsen managed a surprise in the same opening in game 7 where he pressed win for a win for a long time before accepting a draw after. 122 moves. Today Carlsen didn't see anything better than to repeat moves and agree a draw after just over an hour's play.

Carlsen deviated from game 7 with 11.Ne2 to which Anand chose the reply 11...b6. Whist this move isn't quite as common as 11...Be7 there have been high level games using this. 13.Nf4 was played after some deliberation by Carlsen and he admitted that following 13...Bb7 he couldn't see any advantage for white. Anand said about the position after 14...Bd6 "I knew at least this was comfortable for black."

The match remains in the balance. Anand will have two games with the white pieces to try and get an advantage against Carlsen. Anand may have a single use weapon with black in game 11 if he thinks it is time to try and win with black too. Neither player seemed all that concerned by today's result and both can be reasonably happy.

Score after 9 of the scheduled 12 games Carlsen 5 Anand 4. First to 6.5 points or if tied 6-6 there will be rapid tie-breaks followed by blitz.

Game 10 Friday 20th November 2014 3pm local time 12pm GMT: Anand - Carlsen.

Press conference quotes:

Anand in game 9. Photo © http://www.sochi2014.fide.com/.

Carlsen: "As long as I don't see anything clear in the position, he's better prepared than I am, for the match it's also OK with a draw."

"If there is any disappointment of a draw with white it's easier to swallow when you're up in the match." Carlsen

"I wouldn't like to go into details but there are different lines for black there as well." Carlsen on b6.

Press conference for game 9. Photo © http://www.sochi2014.fide.com/.

Was this great preparation?

Anand "Well a lot of this is known so, I mean his idea of e6 is often met by d6, and I knew the check and check. I didn't really expect it but when it happened there's not really much black can do."

Are you happy with this result?

Anand: "You have to play the positions you get and situations you get. I can count, I know the score, but I think I still have some chances."

Carlsen: "It's always better to be able to press a bit with white of course but on the other hand every half a point brings me half a point closer to six and a half. That's not too bad. It's a tough match and right now it looks like it's going the distance."

How is your confidence?

Anand "I think quite reasonable. Also an easy draw like this with black. Well I'll just have to try harder with white."

Feeling better?

Carlsen "Yes sure. Today it was, and it usually is, more about the position than how you feel."

Carlsen to Norwegian press: 'Of course, it was a shamefully short draw' Photo © Tarjei J. Svensen https://twitter.com/TarjeiJS.

Preparation?

Carlsen "Apparently it wasn't good enough today to get a game but it's not a disaster.!

Play over all?

"I think my play has been quite inconsistant but in terms of preparation and also over all play but we'll see."

Free time?

Carlsen "I don't know. It's a good question, I'm not used to having so much free time "

Anand said he was now going to use the time for the next game. "I'll go back and focus on that now."

Opening?

"I try to play the lines I consider to be good and suit my style. It's just today he was better prepared then I was and I didn't see anything at all." Carlsen.

WCh Sochi
Anand, Viswanathan	-	Carlsen, Magnus	½-½	48	D85	Gruenfeld Defence
Carlsen, Magnus	-	Anand, Viswanathan	1-0	35	C65	Ruy Lopez Berlin
Anand, Viswanathan	-	Carlsen, Magnus	1-0	34	D37	QGD 5.Bf4
Carlsen, Magnus	-	Anand, Viswanathan	½-½	47	B40	Sicilian Classical
Anand, Viswanathan	-	Carlsen, Magnus	½-½	39	E15	Queens Indian
Carlsen, Magnus	-	Anand, Viswanathan	1-0	38	B41	Sicilian Paulsen
Carlsen, Magnus	-	Anand, Viswanathan	½-½	122	C67	Ruy Lopez Berlin
Anand, Viswanathan	-	Carlsen, Magnus	½-½	41	D37	QGD 5.Bf4
Carlsen, Magnus	-	Anand, Viswanathan	½-½	20	C67	Ruy Lopez Berlin

WCh Sochi (RUS), 8-28 xi 2014
Name	Ti	NAT	Rtng	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Total	Perf
Carlsen, Magnus	g	NOR	2863	½	1	0	½	½	1	½	½	½	.	.	.	5	2835
Anand, Viswanathan	g	IND	2792	½	0	1	½	½	0	½	½	½	.	.	.	4	2820

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