1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Nc6 7. Qg4 g6 8. Bd2 Bd7 9. h4 h6 10. Bd3 Qe7 They repeated the rare variation from game 1. 11. Nh3 O-O-O Anand chose 10.Bd3 this time and the position is a bit different. 12. O-O c4 13. Be2 Be8 Ponomariov is trying to push the f-pawn again. 14. Nf4 But with 14.Nf4! Anand didn't let him. 14... Kb8 And he has a clear advantage again. 15. a4 Ka8 16. Bc1 This time Anand will take the weak dark squares from the other side. 16... f5 17. exf6 Nxf6 18. Qxe6 Qg7 Ponomariov spotted the strong f5! A very nice sacrifice. He has excellent attacking chances after Bf7 and g5. The black pieces are well coordinated unlike game 1. 19. Qh3 Bd7 20. Qg3 And the Nf4 will be under attack by the g-pawn. 20... Bf5 20...Bf7 was also good. Ponomariov chose a positional approach. 21. Nh5 21...Qe7 is very good intending to take on e2 after Nf6. 21... Qe7 22. Nxf6 Qxe2 It was played and black will fight for an advantage. Anand is behind on the clock - we don't see this very often. 23. f3 Rhf8 He played a strange f3 move. It weakens the dark squares and doesn't look promising. Ra2! is good now. Threatening to win the queen by Re1. 24. Bxh6 Rxf6 25. Bg5 Rff8 26. Rf2 Qe8 Anand gave two pieces for a rook and pawn. 27. Bxd8 Qxd8 He is a little worse. Just 1 open file in this position. 28. Re2 a6 And no penetration points there. 29. Qg5 The weak pawns on a4, c3, c2 give black the advantage. 29... Qd6 Of course black won't trade queens. 30. Kf2 Ka7 31. a5 Rh8 Anand trying to trade queens again. 32. Qg3 Qf6 And Ponomariov avoiding. 33. Qg5 Qd6 It looks like a repetition draw. 34. Qg3 Qd8 It's up to Ponomariov, will he try and fight? 35. Qg5 Rxh4 36. Qxd8 Nxd8 He exchanged queens and took one pawn back. But the white rooks are active now. 37. Re5 Bxc2 38. Rxd5 Ne6 39. Re5 Nc7 Thanks to e clever rook maneuver Anand won his pawn back. And black if left with no central pawns - not a good sign. 40. Rc5 Rh7 41. Rxc4 Rd7 Combined with the more time Anand has it looks like he is going to win again. 42. Re1 b5 Re1 was not accurate and Ponomariov seized his chance with b5! 43. Rc6 Kb7 44. Rb6+ Ka7 Now he has good chances for a blocade on the light squares. 45. Rc6 But his king is passive and the g6 pawn is weak. 45... Kb7 46. Rb6+ Ka7 47. Rc6 Kb7 48. Rb6+ A fair result after both players missed an advantage. Anand wins the match 2,5-0,5 and qualifies for the final. 1/2-1/2

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. c3 d5 9. exd5 Nxd5 10. d3 Bf6 11. Nbd2 Nf4 12. Ne4 Nxd3 13. Nxf6+ gxf6 14. Bh6 Nxe1 15. Qxe1 Ne7 16. Rd1 Qe8 17. Nh4 Be6 Anand played a Marshal and Ponomariov avoided main theory with 10.d3, after that he sacrificed some material for an attack and he will return most of it. 18. Qe3 Ng6 19.Qf3 leads to a forced draw. 19. Bxf8 Qxf8 20. Nxg6 hxg6 21. Bxe6 fxe6 The black king is exposed and that gives white compensation for the pawn. 22. Qe4 Qe8 23. g3 Rb8 But is it enough for a draw? 24. h4 Rb6 This game they are playing at a more normal speed. Will white manage to create any threats to compensate for the pawn? It's not clear yet. 25. Kh2 Rd6 Ponomariov made a waiting Kh2 move. Anand didn't hesitate to trade rooks and returned the pawn. 26. Rxd6 cxd6 27. Qb7 d5 28. Qxa6 Qd7 His strong central pawns give him winning chances. 29. Qa3 His is ahead on the clock too. 29... d4 30. cxd4 exd4 31. Qd3 Kg7 Anand created a passed d-pawn and Ponomariov blocked it, but the advance of the other central pawn is coming. 32. g4 e5 33. f3 f5 No counter play for white is visible. Two connected passed pawns will decide the game. 34. h5 gxh5 And Anand is winning a pawn after h5 gh! 35. gxf5 Kf6 36. Kg3 White is lost. Anand is winning in two ways. Qg7+ and Qxf5. 36... Qxf5 and he just chose Qxf5. 37. Qxb5 Qf4+ 37...h4+! was more precise. But 37...Qf4+ is also sufficient for victory. 38. Kg2 h4 And Qg3+ is inevitable. 39. Qb6+ Kf5 40. Qb7 Qg3+ The black queen defended everything and the h-pawn is ready to advance. 41. Kf1 h3 The black king finds refuge in the white camp and Ponomariov may resign. 42. Qf7+ Kg5 43. Ke2 43...Qg2 followed by Kh4 finishes it. 43... Qg2+ 44. Kd3 The king will be safe at f2 and the h-pawn queens. 44... Kh4 45. Qh7+ Kg3 46. Qg7+ Kf2 Ponomariov is down do 30 seconds and completely lost. 47. Qxe5 h2 48. Kxd4 Qg1 49. Kd3 Qd1+ 50. Kc4 Qh1 Another great game by Anand. Opening variation, middlegame, and endgame all perfect. 0-1

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Nc6 Ponomariov played a rare 6...Nc6 move. 7. Qg4 g6 8. h4 h6 9. Bd2 c4 10. Qg3 Bd7 On move 9 they are in a completely unknown position. This happens very rarely at top level. 11. h5 g5 12. f4 f6 13. Nh3 Anand has a clear advantage. But if black manages to develop and castle queenside, he will be able to fight back. 13... Qc7 14. Be2 O-O-O 15. O-O Be8 Ponomariov played 15...Be8 leaving the e6 pawn undefended - probably not a good move. 16. Rae1 Rd7 And Rd7 cannot be good 17.fg5 is strong. 17. Qh2 But Anand chose the cautious Qh2. 17... f5 18. fxg5 hxg5 Ponomariov sacrificed a pawn. 19. Nxg5 Nd8 20. Rf4 Rg7 Black has definate compensation is the open kingside files. 21. Rh4 Nh6 22. Nh3 And he will counterattack white's queenside pawns. 22... Qe7 Ponomariov regained the pawn. 23. Nf4 Qxa3 24. Rh3 Qf8 25. Rg3 His pieces are well placed for defence. Now the position is very interesting. 25... Rxg3 26. Qxg3 The rook exchange gives white the chance to play Ng6. 26... Qe7 27. Ra1 a6 Nh3 followed by Bg5 is also interesting. 28. Be1 Anand chose 28.Be1, fighting for the dark squares. 28... Rg8 29. Qh4 Qxh4 If the bishop gets to f6 it will be a big acomplishment. From there it supports the h-pawn. 30. Bxh4 Bf7 31. Bf3 Nc6 32. Kf2 Kd7 Both players are playing really fast for this time control. 33. Bf6 Na7 The Bf6 - Nf4 duo is very strong. 34. Ke2 Nb5 35. Kd2 Nc7 36. Rb1 Kc6 37. Be7 Ne8 After some play on the queenside Anand can increase his advantage with 38.Bc5. 38. Nh3 b5 39. Ra1 Kb7 40. Bg5 Rh8 But he tries to transfer his knight to g5, from where it will disturb black even more. 41. Nf4 He also managed to provoke b5. 41... Ng8 If black doesn't build some kind of fortress, nothing good awaits him. 42. h6 Nc7 43. Rh1 Rh7 44. Bh5 Bxh5 45. Rxh5 Kc6 Ponomariov decided to block the passed pawn with a rook against all rules - and he will lose. 46. Ng6 Ne8 His knights has no coordination at all. 47. Nf8 Rh8 48. h7 Ng7 49. Ng6 Good game by Anand. Who showed us how to use an advantage in space in the best possible way. 1-0