Anand got his first win
The fact that the German Carnival’s festivities took place today didn’t stop the players from demonstrating that they were ready to fight.
World Champion Viswanathan Anand defeated Arkadij Naiditsch and jumped to second place in the standings, half a point behind Fabiano Caruana.
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GRENKE Chess Classic Baden-Baden 2013 preview / Pairings / Live games with analysis
The most anticipated game of the day was the one that confronted Vishy Anand, who had made 4 straight draws so far, and Germany’s Nr.1 Arkadij Naiditsch, who had shown fighting spirit in this tournament – he had 3 decisive games before today.
The match started with the very fashionable 4.d3 line of the Spanish. This was a sign that the Indian was looking for a long battle and wasn’t in the mood to go into the drawish lines of the Berlin Wall.
After the opening, the play entered strategic waters following Naiditsch’s decision to lock the pawn structure in the center.
The World Champion began maneuvering and looking for activity on the queenside, while Naiditsch carefully protected all the weak points.
However, the story turned upside down when the German went for a knight sacrifice with 28. Kh7. According to the computer, he should have taken a safer route with 28. Bf8 – which sacrifices a knight anyway, but in a much more favorable position (on d5 instead of f4, with d6-pawn covered).
Miscalculation by Naiditsch followed by an optimistic attack was skillfully refuted by the World Champion Vishy Anand, who proved solid play and precision are keys to success at top level.
Meier - Adams
On the second board, the lowest-rated GM Georg Meier faced GM Mickey Adams, who surprisingly played a rather dynamic opening compared to his usual style – 12. e5 is a move that invites a direct confrontation in the center. Meier played with a “safety first” mindset against the always dangerous Englishman. The players started the three-fold repetition on the 31st move.
The last match-up was played between the leader GM Fabiano Caruana and GM Daniel Fridman. The German used his beloved Petroff Defense and Caruana chose the most dynamic setup with opposite-side castling. Fabiano put a pawn on h4, when Daniel had already launched the pawns forward on the queenside. Even though the game looked like it might turn into a real fight, the German’s willingness to exchange pieces simplified the position rather quickly. The peace treaty was signed on move 41.
Caruana - Fridman
Tomorrow will be a rest day in Baden-Baden.
Official website / Replay the games with analysis
Round 6 on 13/02/2013 at 15:00
Fridman Daniel – Naiditsch Arkadij
Anand Viswanathan – Adams Michael
Meier Georg – Caruana Fabiano
