#1: <1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3 Nf3 Nf6 4 Qc2 dxc4 5 Qxc4 Bf5 6 g3 Nbd7 7 Nc3 e6 8 Bg2 Be7 9 0-0 0-0 10 Re1 Ne4> Else 11 e4 favors White. <11 Qb3 Qb6 12 Nh4!? Bxh4> It's uncertain if 12...Qxb3 helps Black. Both players want the half-open a-file. <13 gxh4 Nef6 14 e4> The pawn at h4 could become a target, but not immediately. In the near future, White's grip on the center appears more pertinent. <14...Bg6 15 Qxb6 axb6> Or 15...Nxb6 16 Bg5, with an edge to White. <16 Bf4 Rfe8 17 Rad1 b5> Nor does 17...e5 18 Be3 completely equalize. <18 Bd6 e5 19 d5 Nh5> Probably best. Black gets nowhere with 19...Nb6 20 b3, while 19...c5?! is parried by 20 a3 Ra5 21 f3, intending Bg2-f1. <20 Bf1 f6 21 b3 Nf4 22 a4!? bxa4 23 bxa4> Further loosening his pawn structure. White hopes that Bf1-c4 or Rd1-b1 will disturb Black. <23...Bf7> The tricky 23...Nb6 24 a5! Rxa5 25 Bc7 Rc5 26 Bxb6 Rxc3 27 d6 Ra8 30 d7 Ne6 31 d8Q+ Nxd8 costs a piece, although Black might eke out a draw. Toughest is 23...cxd5, inviting 24 exd5? Rec8 25 Bb4 Nc5 and 24 Bb5?! d4. After 24 Nxd5 Nxd5 25 Rxd5 Bf7 26 Rb5 b6 27 Rb4 Be6, Black's position remains solid. <24 Rb1 Ra7?!> Too defensive. Instead, 24...cxd5 25 Rxb7 d4! 26 Nb5 Nf8 maintains equality. Obviously 27 Nc7? Reb8 is harmless, but it was too difficult to foresee that Black could handle 27 Nxd4! exd4 28 Bxf4 Rxa4 29 Bb5 Rb4 30 Bd6 Rb2 31 Ra1 by 31...Rc8 32 Raa7 Ne6! 33 Rxf7 Rxb5 34 Rfe7 d3. <25 Red1 Rc8 26 Ne2 Nxe2+> A concession, but Black cannot stand 26...Bh5 27 Nxf4 Bxd1 28 Rxd1 exf4 29 Bh3. If 29...b6, White exploits the back rank with 30 Be6+ Kh8 31 dxc6 Rxc6 32 Bb8! Rxe6 33 Bxa7 Nf8 34 Rd8 Kg8 35 a5!, anticipating 35...bxa5 36 Bc5. <27 Bxe2> Threatening 28 Bg4. <27...cxd5> Maybe 27...f5!? saves Black. <28 exd5 Nf8 29 Bb5> A triumph for White's strategy. Every White piece works, and the d-pawn is ready to advance. <29...Raa8> After 29...Ng6 30 Bb4, both 30...Nxh4 31 d6 Rd8 32 d7 and 30...Be8 31 Bxe8 Rxe8 32 Bc5 Rxa4 33 d6 leave Black helpless against the d-pawn. <30 Be7 Ng6 31 d6 Nxe7> Not fearing 32 dxe7?! Be8 33 Bxe8? Rxe8 34 Rxb7 Rxa4, but White reveals a surprise. <32 Bd7!! Nc6> The problem with 32...Rcb8 33 dxe7 Be8 is 34 Be6+, when White reaches the back rank by 34...Bf7 35 Rxb7! Rxb7? 36 Rd8+ or 34...Kh8 35 Rd6! g6 36 Rbd1 Kg7 37 Rd8. <33 Rxb7 Nd4 34 Bxc8 Rxc8 35 Rdb1> To trade Rooks. White welcomes 35...Nf3+ 36 Kh1! Bd5 37 Rb8. <35...Rf8> Every Black resource fails. For example, 35...Be6 36 d7 Rf8 37 a5 Nf3+ 38 Kh1! Nxh4 loses to 39 a6 Bd5+ 40 f3! Bxf3+ 41 Kg1 Bxb7 42 axb7 Rb8 43 Rc1. <36 Rb8 Be8 37 a5 Nf3+> White laughs at 37...Nc6 38 a6. <38 Kf1!? Nd2+ 39 Ke1 Nxb1 40 a6> Black must yield a Rook and a Bishop to stop the two passers. <40...Bc6 41 a7 Kf7 42 d7 Ke7 43 Rxf8 Kxd7 44 a8=Q> Good enough, but what's the rush? After 44 Rf7+! Kc8 45 Rxg7, Black will still have to give up his Bishop for the a-pawn. <44...Bxa8 45 Rxa8 h5> With 45...Ke7 46 Ra7+ Kf8, Black would force White to find 47 f3! h5 48 Ra5 Ke7 49 Ke2, trapping the Knight. Also 47 f3! e4!? 48 Ra1! Nc3 49 Kd2 Nb5 50 fxe4 clinches the win. <46 Ra7+ Ke6 47 Rxg7 Kf5> Else 48 Rh7 is routine. <48 Rg3!, 1-0.>

#2: <1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 0-0 Be7 6 Re1 b5 7 Bb3 d6 8 c3 0-0 9 h3 Na5 10 Bc2 c5 11 d4 Nd7. 12 d5> Lately Black has met 12 Nbd2 with 12 ... exd4 13 cxd4 Nc6 14 d5 Nce5. <12…Nb6 13 Nbd2 g6 14 b4 cxb4 15 cxb4 Nac4 16 Nxc4 Nxc4 17 Bb3 Nb6> Black would lose a pawn by 17 ... f5?! 18 Bxc4 bxc4 19 Bh6 Rf7 20 Rc1, but 17 ... Bd7 prepares ... f7-f5. <18 Be3 Bd7 19 Rc1 Rc8 20 Rxc8 Bxc8 21 Qc2 Bd7 22 Rc1 Na8> Thwarting an invasion on the c-file, but Anand artfully switches to the Kingside. <23 Qd2 Qb8 24 Bg5!> Inviting 24 ... f6? 25 Nxe5! dxe5 26 d6+. <24…Bxg5> Best. If 24 ... Qd8, then 25 Bh6 Re8 26 Ng5! sets up f2-f4, with a ferocious attack. <25 Nxg5 Rc8?!> Not recognizing the danger. Black should hold with 25 ... Kg7 26 f4 h6 27 Nf3 f6. <26 Rf1! h6> Too late! Only 26 ... Kg7 27 f4 f6 resists. <27 Ne6!> White sees that 27 ... fxe6 28 dxe6 Be8 allows 29 e7+ Kg7 30 Qd5, forcing Black to return material by 30 ... Rc4. <27…Kh7> Isn't the Knight still doomed? <28 f4!> Now White will meet 28 ... fxe6 29 dxe6 Be8 by 30 f5, obtaining two charging passers. <28…Qa7+ 29 Kh2 Be8 30 f5!> Threatening 31 Nf8+ Kg7 32 f6+, mating. <30…gxf5 31 exf5 f6> Declining his last opportunity to capture the Knight, as 31 ... fxe6 32 dxe6 Qc7 33 f6 Bg6 lets White break through with 34 Rd1. <32 Re1> Quickest is 32 Rf3 Bf7 33 Rg3 Rg8 34 Rxg8 Bxg8 35 Qc3!, invading via c6 or g3. <22…Nc7 33 Rc1 Bd7 34 Rc3> No harm done! The Rook will reach g3, leaving Black defenseless. <34…e4 35 Rg3 Nxe6 36 dxe6 Be8 37 e7 Bh5> Or 37 ... Qe7 38 Bg8+. <38 Qxd6, 1-0> Flashy!!

#3: <1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nc3 d5 4 cxd5 Nxd5 5 e4 Nxc3 6 bxc3 Bg7 7 Bc4 c5 8 Ne2 Nc6 9 Be3 0-0 10 0-0> Now Black usually chooses 10…Qc7 11 Rc1 Rd8 or 10…Bg4 11 f3 Na5. <10…Na5> Out of fashion for 15 years. <11 Bd3 b6 12 Rc1> Intending 13 d5 e6 14 c4. <12…cxd4 13 cxd4 e6 14 Qd2 Bb7 15 h4!> Before Black applies pressure to the pawn center, White takes aim at the Kingside. Black cannot stand 15…Qxh4?? 16 Bg5 Qg4 17 f3 Qh5 because 18 Ng3! Bxd4+ 19 Rf2 Bxf2+ 20 Kxf2 Qh2 21 Rh1 traps his Queen. <15…Qe7?!> Inferior. Both 15…Qd7 16 Bh6 Bxh6 17 Qxh6 Nc6 18 Qe3 Rfd8 and 15…Nc6 16 Bb5 Ne7 make more sense. <16 h5 Rfc8 17 e5!> The target is f6. <17…Rxc1 18 Rxc1 Rc8 19 Rxc8+ Bxc8 20 Bg5> White's attack does not rely on Rooks. Ivanchuk, the world's fifth-ranked player, has failed to distract the prodigy. <20…Qc7> No better is 20…f6?, as 21 exf6 Bxf6 22 Bxf6 Qxf6 23 hxg6 hxg6 24 Qc2 hits c8 and g6. But 20…Qa3 21 Ng3 Bb7 22 Ne4 Bxe4 23 Bxe4 Nc4 24 Qc2 b5 or 20…Qd7 21 Bf6 Nc6 22 Qf4 Bf8 keeps some hope of survival. <21 Bf6 Nc6> After 21…Bxf6? 22 exf6 Qd8 23 Qg5, White breaks through with a sacrifice at g6. <22 Qg5> Threatening to drive Black's King out of its shelter by 23 Bxg7 Kxg7 24 Qf6+ Kh6 (or 24…Kg8 25 h6) 25 hxg6 fxg6 26 Qf8+. <22.h6 23 Qc1 g5> Losing a piece, but the improvement 23…Qd7 24 hxg6 fxg6 25 Bxg6 Ba6 won't save Black. After 26 Nf4 Nxd4 27 Qe3, Black's King is too vulnerable. <24 Bb5 Bd7 25 d5!> Clearance. <25…exd5 26 Nd4 Bxf6 27 exf6 Qd6 28 Bxc6 Qxf6> If 28…Bg4 29 Qe3 Qxf6 30 Bxd5 Bxh5 31 Nc6, White's threats persist. <29 Bxd7 Qxd4 30 g3 Qc5 31 Qxc5 bxc5 32 Bc6 d4 33 Bb5 Kf8 34 f4 gxf4 35 gxf4, 1-0.> White makes progress easily by 35…Ke7 36 Kf2 Ke6 37 Bc4+ Kf5 38 Kf3 f6 39 Ba6! Ke6 40 Ke4.