Original ChessBase article and analysis of the game can be found here.
[Event "3rd GRENKE Chess Classic"]
[Site "Baden Baden GER"]
[Date "2015.02.06"]
[Round "4.3"]
[White "Anand, Viswanathan"]
[Black "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A90"]
[WhiteElo "2797"]
[BlackElo "2865"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Komodo 8"]
[PlyCount "72"]
[EventDate "2015.02.02"]
1. d4 f5 {The Dutch Defense is an opening that often uses alternative
move-orders, especially to reach a Stonewall formation, as seen in Annotated
Game #147 (a Slav Stonewall). Here Carlsen plays very straightforwardly with
the text move. This may have had a psychological element as well, since the
Leningrad Dutch - something Carlsen had played recently and lost with - is a
more common choice and essentially requires Black to start with ...f5.} 2. g3 {
Anand goes for the standard professional-level approach of a kingside
fianchetto against the Dutch.} Nf6 3. Bg2 e6 4. c4 c6 {a useful illustration
of move-order importance, as White could exchange on d5 with a slight
advantage if ...d5 were played immediately.} 5. Nf3 d5 6. O-O Bd6 {the
defining position of the main line of the Modern Stonewall.} 7. b3 Qe7 8. Ne5 {
Bb2 and a4 (preparing Ba3) are much more popular choices. The text move is the
third most often played and scores well (60 percent) - even better than the
other two moves - but this may reflect the quality of opposition as well. The
drawback of White's choice here is that it does not immediately help his
development.} O-O {Carlsen drew the one previous game he had played in this
line, with the alternate choice of ...b6 (the modern approach to Stonewall
development). While the text move is relatively noncommittal, if Black wants
to play ...b6 and continue his development by getting the light-square bishop
out, the earlier the better.} (8... b6 9. cxd5 cxd5 10. Nc4 Nc6 11. Nxd6+ Qxd6
12. a4 Qd7 13. Ba3 Kf7 14. Nc3 Ba6 15. f3 Rhe8 16. Qd2 Kg8 17. Rfc1 Rac8 18.
Ra2 h6 19. Rac2 Na5 20. Rb1 Rc7 21. Na2 Rxc2 22. Qxc2 Nc6 23. Qd2 e5 24. dxe5
Rxe5 25. Re1 Qe6 26. f4 Rxe2 27. Rxe2 Bxe2 28. Nc3 Bh5 29. Bxd5 Nxd5 30. Qxd5
Qxd5 31. Nxd5 Bf7 32. Ne7+ Nxe7 33. Bxe7 Bxb3 34. a5 bxa5 35. Kf2 a4 36. Ke3
Kf7 37. Ba3 g5 38. h4 Kg6 39. hxg5 hxg5 40. Kd2 Kh5 41. fxg5 Kxg5 {1/2-1/2 (41)
Van Wely,L (2692)-Carlsen,M (2835) Wijk aan Zee 2012}) 9. Nd2 {this may look a
bit unnatural, but if White's bishop goes to b2, it will need an unimpeded
diagonal to be of any use, so the "natural" square on c3 is not as good. The
knight will also be able to transfer to f3 and support e5 that way.} a5 {
the text move is not a new idea, but it is still far from the main line ideas.
It appears to have been played to good effect recently by other players,
however, so perhaps that also attracted Carlsen to it.} 10. Bb2 (10. a4 Na6 11.
Ndf3 Nb4 12. Ba3 Ne4 13. c5 Bc7 14. Bxb4 axb4 15. Nd3 Ba5 16. Nfe5 Nc3 17. Qd2
Bd7 18. f3 Be8 19. h4 Bc7 20. Qe3 b6 21. Rfe1 Rd8 22. Rac1 bxc5 23. Nxc5 Bd6
24. Ncd3 Rc8 25. Nc5 Kh8 26. Qf2 Bxe5 27. dxe5 Ra8 28. Qd4 Bf7 29. Nd3 Rfb8 30.
e3 Ra5 31. Rxc3 bxc3 32. Qxc3 Ra6 33. Nc5 Ra7 34. f4 Kg8 35. b4 g6 36. a5 h6
37. Bf1 g5 38. hxg5 hxg5 39. Bd3 Rc8 40. Rc1 Be8 41. Qd4 Rca8 42. Rc2 Bh5 43.
Rh2 Bf3 44. Kf2 g4 45. Rh5 Qe8 46. Rh4 Rh7 47. Qa1 Rxh4 48. gxh4 Qe7 49. Kg3
Kf7 50. Qa2 Kg6 51. Qc2 Kh5 52. Qh2 Rxa5 53. bxa5 Qxc5 54. a6 Qxe3 55. Qf2 Qxd3
{0-1 (55) Reshetnikov,R (2106)-Tugarin,A (2230) Voronezh 2015}) 10... Nbd7 {
it is more common to have reached this position by first playing the text move,
then a5. The database shows several games by Moskalenko is this line, for
example.} 11. Qc2 a4 $5 {Moskalenko's idea, to disrupt White's queenside. This
goes against traditional ideas of the Stonewall, which feature play
exclusively in the center and kingside. However, Black can effectively
distract White by using this approach and perhaps (as in this game) later on
generate some chances himself on the queenside. Black need not fear White
simply taking the a-pawn, as the pawn is not defensible and the capture may
cause more problems by weakening the queenside structure.} 12. Ndf3 (12. bxa4
Ne4 13. Ndf3 Qd8 14. Nd3 Qa5 15. Nf4 Bxf4 16. gxf4 Qxa4 17. Qxa4 Rxa4 18. cxd5
exd5 19. e3 Nb6 20. Ne5 Be6 21. Nd3 Nd7 22. Rfd1 Rfa8 23. a3 Nd6 24. Ra2 Nc4
25. Rda1 Kf7 26. Bf3 g6 27. Bd1 R4a7 28. Bc1 Ke7 29. Bb3 b5 30. Kf1 Kd6 31. Ke2
h6 32. a4 g5 33. fxg5 hxg5 34. axb5 Rxa2+ 35. Rxa2 Rxa2+ 36. Bxa2 cxb5 37. Nb4
Ndb6 38. Bd2 Nd7 39. Bc3 Nb8 40. Bb3 Nc6 41. Nd3 Ke7 42. f3 Kd7 43. Be1 Ke7 44.
Bg3 N6a5 45. Bc2 Nc6 46. Nc5 f4 47. Bf2 fxe3 48. Bxe3 Nxe3 49. Kxe3 Kf6 {
1/2-1/2 (49) Kiriakov,P (2555)-Moskalenko,V (2540) playchess.com INT 2006})
12... Ne4 {this is a standard, strong Stonewall move. White will have to
either awkwardly attack the knight with f2-f3, or exchange it off, in which
case Black gets a freer game from the exchange of minor pieces.} 13. e3 {
this seems like a waiting move on Anand's part, as it doesn't accomplish much
for White.} a3 {the pawn advance now becomes even more annoying for White.} 14.
Bc3 Nxe5 (14... g5 $5 {is an interesting option more in line with standard
Stonewall plans for kingside attacks.}) 15. Nxe5 Bd7 16. Nxd7 {I'm not sure
why Anand chose to exchange pieces here, since it would seem to favor Black
slightly. The centralized Ne5 could then be exchanged by Black, it is true,
but White would then have a strong central e5 pawn.} (16. f3 $5) 16... Qxd7 17.
c5 Bc7 18. b4 {White with his last two moves has gained queenside space, which
can't be bad, but it's hard to see any concrete threats as a result of it.} h5
{the engine agrees this is a strong move, but it's certainly not one a Class
player would think of. Its usefulness becomes more apparent later. Among other
things, it eventually may threaten ...h4 and it also frees up another escape
square for the king.} (18... b5 $5 {is something I might be tempted to go with
here. For example} 19. cxb6 Bxb6 20. Rfc1 Rfc8 $11 {White will find it
difficult to make any progress and Black can think about redeploying the
bishop via d8 to e7 or f6, as well as moving the knight to d6 and then onward.}
) 19. Be1 {the piece is doing absolutely no good where it is, so a better
place must be found.} e5 $5 {Carlsen immediately takes advantage of the
relaxing of pressure on e5 and opens the diagonal for his bishop. Note how
effective the a3 pawn becomes as a result of this.} 20. dxe5 {this is not
forced, but otherwise Black can get some useful pawn play on the e file
(occupying e4 after the knight vacates it) or support a thematic push of the
f-pawn.} Bxe5 21. Rd1 Qe6 {moving the queen off the d-file and the pin, while
giving it a better diagonal and potential mobility along the 6th rank.} 22. f3
{White finally kicks Black's central knight from its post.} Nf6 23. Bh3 g6 {
in this position, it's now evident that having Black's pawn on h5 helps
restrain any ideas of a White break on g4.} 24. e4 {the logical next step for
White in terms of increasing his activity, especially in terms of pressuring
f5. However, the game now becomes more complicated and Black's open lines are
just as good as White's.} dxe4 25. fxe4 Bb2 $1 {this is a great idea, using an
interference tactic to attack the a2 pawn. White, somewhat surprisingly, has
no other way of defending it. The strength of the Black bishop and the a-pawn
is evident. White still has counterchances, however.} 26. exf5 Qxa2 27. Bf2 {
shutting down the discovered check threat.} (27. fxg6 $4 {fails to a
discovered check tactic, with the Qc2 hanging.} Bd4+) 27... g5 {an excellent
example of cold-blooded defense. Exchanging on f5 would just give White more
lines into Black's king position. The h and g pawns both look weak, but White
cannot exploit them.} 28. Rfe1 Qf7 {time to redeploy the queen back to an
effective square, among other things defending the 7th rank.} 29. Re6 Ng4 {
an aggressive choice.} (29... Rfe8) (29... Rae8) (29... Nd5 {is also an
interesting possibility:} 30. Rg6+ Kh7 {and now} 31. f6 {doesn't quite work,
due to} Qxg6 32. Bf5 Rxf6 33. Bxg6+ Rxg6 $17 {looks good for Black, for
example. It's interesting to compare the tactics in this line with the main
game, since in both cases Black's a-pawn ends up being the deciding factor.})
30. Bxg4 hxg4 31. Rg6+ Kh7 32. Rd7 $4 {a fancy move which does not work.} (32.
Re6 $11) 32... Qxd7 33. f6 {this looks devastating - or that it at least could
get White a perpetual check - but Black can now return the material with his
own deflection tactic.} Qd1+ $1 {The cleanest.} (33... Bxf6 {may have been
what Anand expected, which gives White a drawing line:} 34. Rxf6+ Kh8 35. Rh6+
Kg8 36. Rg6+ Kh8) (33... Rxf6 $1 {however also wins:} 34. Rxf6+ Kg8 35. Rg6+
Kf8 {now there is no longer the Rf8 to block the king and White has no more
checks due to the Bb2 controlling f6.}) 34. Qxd1 Kxg6 35. Qd3+ Kh6 {with White
out of checks and unable to further penetrate Black's position, the passed
a-pawn now decides the game.} 36. h4 gxh3 {now White can postpone the
inevitable for a while, but it's only a matter of time before he has to give
up material to prevent the a-pawn from queening.} 0-1