Sicilian Defense, Dragon-Yugoslav Attack, Panov Variation

VISWANATHAN ANAND vs. ANDREW JONATHAN MESTEL
London, 1985

1. e4, c5
2. Nf3, d6
3. d4, cxd4
4. Nxd4, Nf6
5. Nc3, g6
6. Be3, Bg7
7. f3, 0-0
8. Qd2 ....

The Dragon Variation of the Sicilian.  Notice the dragon-shaped outline of White's pieces.

8. .... Nc6
9. g4 ....

The Panov Variation.

9. .... Be6
10. 0-0-0, Ne5
11. h4, Bc4
12. Bh3, Ba6
13. b3 ....

Preventing 13.....Nc4 which would be favorable for Black.

13. .... Qa5
14. Kb1, Qa3
15. g5, Nh5
16. f4, Nc6
17. Bg4, Nb4
18. Bxh5, gxh5
19. Nf5, Rfe8

Protects the e-pawn.  If 19.....Bxc3, 20. Qxc3 Qxa2+, 21. Kc1, the position would benefit White more.

20. Nxg7, Kxg7
21. Qd4+, e5
22. Qxd6, Rac8
23. Qf6+, Kg8
24. Rd7 ....

Unperturbed by dangers in his own turf, White pushes on with the attack.

24. .... Rf8
25. g6!! ....

Black resigns.  He cannot avoid mate after 25.....hxg6, 26. Rg1 Kh7, 27. Rxg6.

Sicilian Defense Closed Variation

VISWANATHAN ANAND vs. BORIS GELFAND
Wijkaan Zee Hoogovens, 1996

1. e4, c5
2. Nc3, d6
3. f4, g6
4. Nf3, Bg7
5. Bc4, Nc6
6. d3, e6
7. 0-0, Nge7
8. Qe1, h6
9. Bb3, a6
10. e5, Nf5
11. Kh1, Nfd4
12. Ne4, Nxf3
13. Rxf3, dxe5
14. fxe5, Nxe5
15. Rf1, g5
16. Qg3, 0-0
17. Bxg5!! ....

A surprise move!  Gelfand was caught off-guard.

17. .... hxg5
18. Nxg5, Ng6
19. Rae1 ....

White could have taken the f7 pawn by 19. Nxf7 Rxf7, 20. Qxg6.  But Anand has other plans.

19. .... Qe7
20. Rf5 ....

Now it is clear that White is planning a mate by Queen on h7, but he has to protect the Knight first.

20. .... Bf6

Black knew of White's plan, and figured that he must eliminate the White's Knight.

21. Nxe6!! ....

His plan on the h-file destroyed, White set on plan B: to destroy the kingside pawn structure.

21. .... fxe6

A correct reply.  Black would lose more material after 21....Bxe6, 22. Rxe6 fxe6, 23. Qxg6+ Bg7, 24. Bxe6+ Rf7, 25. Rxf7 ...

22. Rxe6!! ....

White pursued his plan knowing that the aftermath, as stated before, would be favorable for him. Now, if 22.....Bxe6, 23. Qxg6+ Qg7, 24. Bxe6+ would be decisive.

22. .... Kg7

Forced.

23. Rxe7, Bxe7
24. Rxf8, Bxf8
25. h4!!, Resigns

White delivers the coup d grace.  Black opted to resign than lose more materials.  If 25....Kh7, 26. h5 Ne7, 27. Qf3 Bg7, 28. Qe4+ Nf5, 29. g4 ....

Vishy (Busy) Knight

VISWANATHAN ANAND vs. IVAN SOKOLOV
S.W.I.F.T. 1992
Sicilian Defense, Kan. Knight Variation

1. e4, c5
2. Nf3, e6
3. d4, cxd4
4. Nxd4, a6
5. Nc3, d6
6. a4, Nf6
7. Be2, Nbd7
8. 0-0, Nc5
9. Bf3, Be7
10. g3, 0-0
11. Bg2, Qc7
12. Be3, Rb8
13. f4!, Re8
14. e5, dxe5
15. fxe5, Nfd7

Knight has to back off.  Black's Queen cannot take the pawn because of 16. Bf4....

16. Rxf7!! ...

 A shocker!  Only at this point has Black realized that his King is exposed.

16. .... Kxf7
17. Qh5+!, Kf8

Not 17....Kg8 because of 18. Qxe8.  If 17....g3, then 18. Qxh7+ Kf8, 19. Bh6 mate.

18. Rf1+, Nf6
19. exf6, Bxf6
20. Ndb5!, axb5
21. Nxb5, Qd7

The Knight at c5 is lost anyway, and the Black Queen has nowhere to go.

22. Qxh7, Qe7

Vishy may have other plans.  Now, Black defends his Knight.

23. Rxf6!! ....

Another stunner!  Now, if 23....gxf6, then 24. Bh6+ leads to mate.

23. .... Qxf6
24. Bxc5+, Re7

If 24.....Kf7, then 25. Nd6+ and White wins instantly.

25. Qh8+, Kf7
26. Nd6+, Resigns

Black's King can only go to g6, and mated after 27. Be4+ Kg5, 28. Qh4+.

Fantastic!

Morphy's Knights

NAPOLEON MARACHE vs. PAUL MORPHY
New York, 1857
Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Pierce Defense

1. e4, e5
2. Nf3, Nc6
3. Bc4, Bc5
4. b4, Bxb4
5. c3, Ba5
6. d4, exd4

The Pierce Defense. 

7. e5, d5
8. exd6, Qxd6
9. 0-0, Nge7
10. Ng5, 0-0
11. Bd3, Bf5
12. Bxf5, Nxf5
13. Ba3, Qg6

White is trading one of his Rooks for the opponent's Knight.

14. Bxf8, Qxg5
15. Ba3, dxc3
16. Bc1, Qg6
17. Bf4, Rd8
18. Qc2, Ncd4
19. Qe4 ....

19. .... Ng3!!

The Knight could not be taken because White loses his Queen.  White then thought that he gets a piece by simply eliminating the threat ....

20. Qxg6, Nde2 mate.

Spectacular!

Semi-Slav Defense, Meran Variation

LEVON ARONIAN vs. VISWANATHAN ANAND
Tata steel, 2013

This game is considered one of the most brilliant chess games ever played.  Vishy Anand, 2012 FIDE World Chess Champion, handled the black pieces real well.

1. d4, d5
2. c4, c6
3. Nf3, Nf6
4. Nc3, e6
5. e3, Nd7
6. Bd3, dxc4
7. Bxc4, b5
8. Bd3 ....

The Queen's Gambit Declined, Semi-Slav Defense, Meran Variation.

8. .... Bd6
9. 0-0, 0-0
10. Qc2, Bb7
11. a3, Rc8
12. Ng5, c5!
13. Nxh7 ....

If 13.....Bxh7, Black simply moves his King to h8.

13. .... Ng4!!
14. f4 ....

White's only hope.  Game is lost after 14. h3 Bh2+, 15. Kh1 Qh4, and Black threatens 16. Qxh3 ....

Neither can White survive after 14. g3 Qh4, 15. gxh4 Bxh2 mate.

14. .... cxd4!
15. exd4, Bc5!!

A surprise move!  Black's intention is to activate the sleeping Knight on d7 and to post his Queen on d4.

16. Be2, Nde5!

Another surprise.  Now, if 17. dxc5, Qd4+, 18. Kh1 Nf2+, 19. Rxf2 Qxf2 and Black wins the game.

If 17. fxe5 Bxd4+, 18. Kh1 Qh4 and Black threatens mate.

17. Bxg4, Bxd4+
18. Kh1, Nxg4
19. Nxf8, f5

Taking the wandering Knight would prolong the game.  If 19....Kxf8, then 20. Qh7 ....  Black's Queen is too valuable to stray away from her intended square, which is h4.   Now, if 19....Qh4, then 20. Qh7+ and the exchange of Queens would favor White.

20. Ng6, Qf6
21. h3, Qxg6
22. Qe2, Qh5

Black threatens 23....Qxh3 mate.

23. Qd3, Be3!

A fantastic cover!  White resigns since he cannot prevent the impending mate without tremendous loss of materials.

Scotch Game, Scotch Gambit

PAUL MORPHY vs. HART
Unknown Location, 1854

1. e4, e5
2. Nf3, Nc6
3. d4, exd4
4. Bc4 ....

The Scotch Gambit is an aggressive line in the Scotch Game that gives up an early pawn for a strong early attack against the black King.

4. .... d6
5. c3, dxc3
6. Qb3, Qe7

If 6....Na5, then 7. Bxf7 Ke7, 8. Qxc3 ....

7. 0-0, b6
8. Nxc3, Na5
9. Qb4, Nxc4

If 9....c5, then 10. Bb5+ Bd7, 11. Qa4 ....

10. Qxc4, Bb7
11. Re1, 0-0-0
12. Bf4, f6
13. Rac1, Kb8
14. Nd5, Bxd5
15. exd5, Qd7
16. Nd4, Ne7
17. Rxe7!! ....

Eliminating a major defensive piece....

17. .... Bxe7
18. Qa6, c5

Black's Queen cannot go to c8 because of the threat 19. Nc6+ and mate afterwards.

19. dxc6, Qc8

Of course not 19....Qc7, because White threatens 20. Nb5....

20. c7+!!, Ka8
21. cxd8=Q, Qxd8
22. Nb5, Qb8
23. Rc7, Resigns

Fantastic attack! 

Morphy's Ball in Corner Pocket

PAUL MORPHY vs. CHARLES LE CARPENTIER
New Orleans, 1849
Irregular Opening

1. e4, e5
2. Nf3, Nc6
3. d4, exd4
4. Bc4, Bb4+
5. c3, dxc3

White sacrifices one pawn after another.  What could be his plan?

6. 0-0-0, cxb2
7. Bxb2, Bf8
8. e5, d6
9. Re1, dxe5
10. Nxe5!!, Qxd1
11. Bxf7+!! .....

A surprise move!  Morphy takes advantage of the opponent's exposed King.

 11. .... Ke7

If 11.....Kd8, then 12. Rxd1+ ....

12. Ng6+!!, Kxf7

The most logical move against White's double-check.

13. Nxh8 mate.

Astounding!  A brilliant Queen sacrifice.