Anand's Immortal



Anand's Immortal is a chess game played by Levon Aronian as White against Viswanathan Anand as Black in Round 4 of the 2013 Tata Steel Chess Tournament.

The game is considered one of Anand's greatest masterpieces; Chess.com staff ranked it as the third best chess game of all time, behind Kasparov's Immortal and the Opera Game.

The game
White: Aronian Black: Anand  Opening: Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation (ECO D47)


 * 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Bd3 Bd6 9. O-O O-O 10. Qc2 Bb7 11. a3 Rc8


 * The game opens up in a very theoretical and well-known fashion. Only until move 12 do the players start innovating with novel ideas.


 * 12. Ng5?!


 * Aronian tempts Anand to play 12...Bxh2+, winning a pawn, where white might enjoy greater piece activity.


 * 12...c5!


 * Anand responds with a pawn sacrifice (h7) of his own, which Aronian accepts.


 * 13. Nxh7 Ng4

This calls to mind the similar 20...Ng4 from the game Rotlewi versus Rubinstein.


 * 14. f4?


 * White should have played 14. h3!, which gives an unclear position after 14...Bh2+ 15. Kh1 Qh4.


 * 14...cxd4 15. exd4 Bc5!


 * The first of a series of sacrifices to come. If white accepts the sacrifice, Black will capture back on c5, followed by a quick invasion with Qd4+ and Nf2.


 * 16. Be2 Nde5!!


 * Black is still trying to clear the way for Qxd4+ and Nf2 and doesn't mind giving up a knight to do so.


 * 17. Bxg4 Bxd4+ 18. Kh1 Nxg4 19. Nxf8


 * If white plays 19. Ng5, black would continue similar to the game with f5, followed by either Rf6-h6 or Qh4.


 * 19...f5!


 * Black cuts off white's chances of defense against the black queen.


 * 20. Ng6 Qf6 21. h3 Qxg6 22. Qe2


 * White cannot take the knight on g4 as there would be Qh6#.


 * 22...Qh5 23. Qd3 Be3! 0-1


 * Interfering white's defense against Qxh3+ (the g-pawn is pinned). Aronian sees no way out and finally resigns.