A repertoire based on his games in ChessBase's 2020 Mega database emphasises deep theoretical lines.
White
Open 1.e4, aiming to play a mainline Spanish: 1...e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0/d6 8.c3 d6/0-0 9.h3.
Meet 9...Nb8 with the mainline 10.d4 Nbd7 11.Nbd2 Bb7 12.Bc2 Re8 13.Nf1 Bf8 14.Ng3 g6 15.a4 c5 16.d5 c4 17.Bg5.
Meet 9...Na5 with the mainline 10.Bc2 c5 11.d4 Qc7 12.Nbd2 cxd4 13.cxd4 Nc6, at which point Anand has twice played the main move 13.Nb3 and twice played 13.a3!?, doing better with the latter.
Meet 9...Bb7 with the mainline 10.d4 Re8 11.Nbd2 Bf8, at which point he has most often played 12.a4 but scored much better with the main alternative 12.d5.
Meet 9...Re8 with the mainline 10.d4 Bb7 11.Nbd2, which is a transposition to Anand's play against 9...Bb7.
Meet 9...Nd7 with the mainline 10.d4 Bf6, at which point Anand has twice played 11.a4 and twice played 11.Be3, doing slightly better with the former.
Meet 9...Be6 with the mainline 10.d4 Bxb3 11.axb3 exd4 12.cxd4 d5 13.e5 Ne4 14.Nc3 f5 15.exf6 Bxf6 16.Nxe4 dxe4 17.Rxe4 Qd5 18.Rg4.
Against the Marshall Attack: 8.c3 d5 play the mainline 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Rxe5 c6 12.d4 Bd6 13.Re1 (Anand has sometimes transposed White's 12th and 13th moves) Qh4 14.g3 Qh3 15.Be3 Bg4 16.Qd3 Rae8 17.Nd2.
Against the Open Variation: 5...Nxe4 play the mainline 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.dxe5 Be6, continuing 9.Nbd2 Nc5 10.c3 Be7 11.Bc2. If 9...Be7 play 10.c3 0-0, at which point Anand has done best with 11.Qe2!? Nc5 12.Nd4 Nxb3 13.Nxb3 Qd7 14.Nxc6 Qxc6 15.Be3.
Against 5...b5 6.Bb3 Bc5 play 7.a4!? If 6...Be7 play 7.d4!? d6 8.c3, and if 6...Bb7 play 7.d3!? with a quick a4.
Against 5...Bc5 play 6.c3 b5 7.Bb3 d6, at which point Anand has done much better with the slightly unusual 8.a4 than with the mainline 8.d4.
Against the Steinitz Deferred: 4...d6 play 5.c3, meeting 5...Bd7 and 5...g6 with 6.d4 and meeting 5...f5 with 6.exf5 Bxf5 7.0-0 Bd3 8.Bc2 Bxc2 9.Qxc2 Nf6 10.d4.
Against 4...b5 5.Bb3 Na5 play 6.0-0 d6 7.d4.
Against the Berlin: 3...Nf6 head for the Berlin Wall: 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nxf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.Nc3, meeting 9...Ke8 10.h3 h5 with 11.Bg5 or 11.Bf4, meeting 9...Ne7 10.h3 Ng6 with 11.Bg5+, meeting 9...h6 10.h3 Bd7 with 11.b3 Kc8 12.Bb2 b6 13.Rad1, meeting 9...Be7 with 10.Rd1+ Ke8 11.Bg5 and meeting 9...Bd7 10.h3 h6 with 11.b3, which is a transposition to Anand's line against 9...h6.
Against the Schliemann: 3...f5 play 4.d3 fxe4 5.dxe4 Nf6 6.0-0 Bc5 7.Bxc6!? bxc6 8.Nxe5.
Against the Classical: 3...Bc5 Anand won all three games in which he played 4.c3 and all three in which he played 4.0-0.
Against 3...g6 Anand has done best with 4.c3, and there is no other black third move he has faced more than twice in Mega20.
Against the Petrov: 2...Nf6 play 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3, meeting 6...Nc6 7.0-0 Be7 (Black can easily reverse moves six and seven) with 8.c4 Nb4 9.Be2 0-0 10.Nc3 and meeting 6...Bd6 with 7.0-0 0-0 8.c4 c6, at which point Anand played 9.Re1!? five times and 9.Qc2 four times, but scored 28 percentage points higher with the latter.
Against the Philidor: 3...d6 play 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Be7 6.g3!?
Against the Sicilian: 1...c5 play Open lines, ie 2.Nf3, 3.d4 and (after 3...cxd4) 4.Nxd4.
Against 2...d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 play 6.Be3, meeting 6...e6 with 7.f3 b5 8.g4!?, meeting 6....e5 7.Nb3 Be6 with 8.f3 and continuing 9.Qd2 against both 8...Be7 and 8...Nbd7, and meeting 6...Ng4 with 7.Bg5 h6 8.Bg4 g5 9.Bg3 Bg7, at which point Anand varied his responses, doing well with 10.Be2, 10.h3, 10.Qd2 and 10.Bc4.
After 5...Nc6 Anand usually played 6.Bg5 e6 7.Qd2, meeting 7...a6 and 7...Be7 with 8.0-0-0, but the one time he faced 7...Qb6 he beat it with 8.Nb3.
After 5...g6 play 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3, meeting 7...0-0 with 8.Qd2 Nc6 9.Bc4 (Black often transposes moves seven and eight) Bd7, at which point Anand played equally 10.h4 and 10.Bb3 but did much better with the latter.
After 5...e6 play 6.g4 h6 (the only move Anand faced in Mega20) 7.h4 Nc6 8.Rg1.
After 2...Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 the move 5...d6 transposes to the 2..d6 line with 5...Nc6. If 5...e5 play 6.Ndb5 d6 7.Bg5 a6 8.Na3 b5 9.Bxf6 gxf6 10.Nd5, meeting 10...f5 with 11.c3 Bg7 12.exf5 Bxf5 13.Nc2 and meeting 10...Bg7 with 11.Bd3 Ne7 12.Nxe7 Qxe7 13.0-0 0-0 14.c4. If 5...e6 play 6.Ndb5, meeting 6...d6 with 7.Bf4 e5 8.Bg5, which transposes to the line with 5...e5, and meeting 6...Bb4 with 7.a3 Bxc3+ 8.Nxc3 d5 9.exd5 exd5 10.Bd3 0-0 11.0-0 d4 12.Ne2. If 4...g6 play 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Bc4, meeting 7...0-0 with 8.Bb3 and meeting 7...Qa5 with 8.0-0 0-0 9.Nb3. If 4...Qb6 play 5.Nb3 Nf6 6.Nc3 e6 7.Bd3!?
After 2...e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 play 5.Bd3, meeting 5...Bc5 with 6.Nb3, continuing against 6...Be7 with the unusual 7.Be3!? and continuing against 6...Ba7 with 7.Qe2 Nc6 8.Be3. Meet 5...Nf6 with 6.0-0, continuing against 6...Qc7 with 7.Qe2 d6 8.c4 and continuing against 6...d6 with 7.c4. Meet 5...g6!? with 6.0-0 Bg7, which Anand has reached three times, winning with 7.c3, 7.Be3 and 7.Nb3. Meet 5...Qb6 with 6.c3!? and meet 5...Qc7 with 6.0-0 Nf6 7.Qe2, which is a transposition into the line 5...Nf6 6.0-0 Qc7.
After 2...g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Bg7 play 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Be3, transposing into the line with 2...Nc6 and 4...g6.
After 2...Nf6 play 3.Nc3, after 2...a6 play 3.c4 and after 2...b6 play 3.Nc3 Bb7 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nxd4.
Against the French: 1...e6 2.d4 d5 play 3.Nc3, meeting the Classical: 3...Nf6 with 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.Be3, continuing against 7...a6 with 8.Qd2 b5, a position Anand reached six times with the white pieces, playing four different moves, including 9.h4 twice 9.a3 twice, doing better with the latter. If 7...cxd4 play 8.Nxd4 Bc5 9.Qd2 0-0 10.0-0-0. If 7...Qb6 play 8.Na4 Qa5+ 9.c3, meeting 9...cxd4 with 10.b4 and meeting 9...c4 with 10.b4 Qc7 11.Be2 Be7 12.0-0.
Against the Winawer: 3...Bb4 play 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3, meeting 6...Ne7, 6...Qc7 and 6...Nc6 with 7.Qg4 (Anand played Nf3 slightly more often than Qg4 against 6...Ne7 but scored 21 percentage points and 399 elo better with the latter). If 6...Qa5 play 7.Bd2 Qa4 8.Qg4. If 5...Ba5 play 6.b4 cxd4 and now Anand played equally often and roughly equally successfully 7.Nb5 Bc7 8.f4 Bd7 and 7.Qg4!? Ne7 8.bxa5 dxc3 9.Qxg7 Rg8 10.Qxh7 Nbc6 11.f4.
Against the Rubinstein: 3...dxe4 play 4.Nxe4 meeting 4...Nd7 with 5.Nf3 Ngf6 6.Nxf3+ Nxf6 7.Bd3 c5 8.0-0 cxd4 9.Nxd4 and meeting 4...Bd7 with 5.Nf3 Bc6 6.Bd3 Nd7 7.0-0 Ngf6 8.Ng3.
Against the Caro-Kann: 1...c6 2.d4 d5 play 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4, meeting 4...Bf5 with 5.Ng3 Bg6 6.h4 h6 7.Nf3 Nd7 8.h5 Bh7 9.Bd3 Bxd3 10.Qxd3 e6 11.Bf4, meeting 4...Nd7 with 5.Bc4 Ngf6 6.Ng5 e6 7.Qe2 Nb6 8.Bb3 h6 9.N5f3, continuing against 9...c5 with 10.Bf4 Nbd5 11.Be5 Qa5+ 12.Nd2 and continuing agasint 9...a5 with 10.a4 c5 11.Bf4 Bd6 12.Ne5, and meeting 4...Nf6 with 5.Nxf6+ exf6 (no games with 5...gxf6 in Mega20) 6.Nf3 Bd6 7.Bd3 0-0 8.0-0.
Against the Pirc: 1...d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 play 4.f4 Bg7 5.Nf3, meeting 5...0-0 with 6.Bd3 (Anand has played 6.a3 equally often but not so successfully) and meeting 5...c5 with 6.Bb5+ Bd7 7.e5 Ng4 8.e6, continuing against 8...Bxb5 with 9.exf7+ Kd7 10.Nxb5 Qa5+ 11.Nc3 cxd4 12.Nxd4 Bxd4 13.Qxd4 Nc6 14.Qc4 and continuing against 8...fxe6 with 9.Ng5 Bxb5 10.Nxb5!? Qa5+ 11.c3 Qxb5 12.Nxe6.
Against the Modern: 1...g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d6 play 4.Be3, meeting 4...a6 with 5.Qd2 b5 6.a4!? b4 7.Nd1 a5 8.c3, meeting 4...c6 with 5.Qd2 b5 6.f4 and meeting 4...Nf6 with the repertoire-consistent 5.Qd2 or 5.h3 (Anand has only faced 4...Nf6 twice in Mega20, drawing with 5.Qd2 and winning with 5.h3).
Against Alekhine's Defence: 1...Nf6 play 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 3.Nf3, meeting 4...Bg4 with 5.Be2, continuing against 5...e6 with 6.0-0 Be7 7.c4 Nb6 8.Nc3 0-0 9.Be3, and continuing against 5...c6 with 6.0-0 Bxf3 7.Bxf3 dxe5 8.dxe5 9.Nd2!?
Against the Scandinavian: 1...d5 with 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 meet both 3...Qa5 and 3...Qd6 with 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3. Anand has only faced 2...Nf6 four times in Mega20, scoring wins with 3.Bb5+ and 3.c4 but a draw and a loss with 3.d4.
Black v 1.e4
Play 1.e5 aiming to meet the Spanish with the Marshall Attack: 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.c3 d5. After 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Rxe5 c6 meet 12.d4 with 12...Bd6 13.Re1 Qh4 14.g3 Qh3, meet 12.d3 with 12...Bd6 13.Re1 Bf5 14.Qf3 Qh4 15.g3 Qh3 and the one time Anand faced 12.Re1 he played 12...Bd6. If 9.d4 play 9...exd4 10.e5 Ne4 11.cxd4 Bf5.
If White avoids the Marshall with 8.h3 play 8...Bb7 9.d3 d6 10.a3 Na5 11.Ba2 c5. Against 8.a4 play 8...b4 9.d3 d6, against 8.d4 play 8...d6 9.c3 Bg4 and against 8.d3 play 8...d6 9.c3 Na5 10.Bc2 c5 11.Nbd2 Re8 12.Nf1 Bf8.
Against the Exchange Variation: 4.Bxc6 play 4...dxc6, meeting 5.0-0 with 5...f6 6.d4 Bg4 7.dxe5 Qxd1 8.Rxd1 fxe5 9.Rd3 Bd6 and meeting 5.Nc3 (no other fifth moves in Anand's games) with 5...f6 6.d4 exd4 7.Qxd4 Qxd4 8.Nxd4 Bd6, after which he quickly castled kingside.
Against the Italian Game: 3.Bc4 play 3...Bc5, meeting 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 (White's fifth and sixth moves are often reversed) with 5...d6, continuing against 6.0-0 with 6...a6 7.Bb3 Ba7. If 7.a4 or 7.Nbd2 play 7...0-0. Continue against 6.Bb3 with 6...0-0, continue against 6.Nbd2 with 6...a6 7.Bb3 0-0, continue against 6.b4 Bb6 7.a4 with 7...a5 8.b5 Ne7 and continue against 6.Bg5 with 6...a6!?
If 5.d4 play 5...exd4 meeting 6.e5 d5 7.Bb5 Ne4 8.cxd4 with 8...Bb6 and meeting 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Nc3 (no games with 7.Bd2) Nxe4 8.0-0 Bxc3 9.d5 with 9...Ne5!?
Against the Evans Gambit: 4.b4 play 4...Bxb4 5.c3 Ba5.
After 4.0-0 Nf6 Anand has only faced in Mega20 5.d3 when 5...d6 will almost certainly transpose to lines already covered.
Against the Scotch: 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Anand has equally played 4...Nf6 and 4...Bc5 but done much better percentage-wise and rating-wise with the latter, and against the Scotch Gambit: 4.Bc4 he plays 4...Bc5, meeting 5.c3 with 5...Nf6.
Against the Scotch Four Knights: 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.Nxd4 play 5...Bb4 and against the Spanish Four Knights: 4.Bb5 play 4...Bb4.
Against the Ponziani: 3.c3 play 3...Nf6 4.d4 Nxe4 5.d5 Ne7 6.Nxe5 Ng6.
Against the Bishop's Opening: 2.Bc4 play 2...Nf6, meeting both 3.d3 and 3.Nc3 with 3...Bc5.
Against the King's Gambit: 2.f4 play 2...exf4, meeting 3.Bc4 with 3...Nf6 4.Nc3 c6 and meeting 3.Nf3 with either 3...d5 or 3...g5 (Anand has played each move once, drawing both times).
Against the Centre Game: 2.d4 exd4 3.Qxd4 Nc6 4.Qe3 play 4...Nf6 and meet both 5.Bd2 and 5.Nc3 with 5...Bb4.
Black v 1.d4 and Others
Against 1.d4 aim for a Nimzo-Indian: 1...Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4, meeting 4.Qc2 with 4...d5 5.cxd5 Qxd5, continuing against 6.Nf3 with 6...Qf5 7.Qxf5 exf5 8.a3 Be7 or 7.Qb3 Nc6 and continuing against 6.e3 with 6...c5 7.Bd2 Bxc3 8.Bxc3 cxd4 9.Bxd4 Nc6 10.Bc3 0-0 11.Nf3 Rd8 12.Be2 Qe4. If 5.a3 play 5...Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3 Ne4 7.Qc2 c5 8.dxc5 Nc6, at which point Anand has only faced 9.cxd5, meeting it with 9...exd5 10.Nf3 Bf5 11.b4 d4!? 12.g4 Bg6.
Against 4.e3 play 4...0-0, meeting 5.Bd3 with 5...d5, continuing against 6.Nf3 with 6...c5 7.0-0 dxc4 8.Bxc4 Nbd7, continuing against 6.cxd5 with 6...exd5 7.Nge2 Re8 and continuing against 6.a3 (no games with 6.Ne2) with 6...Bxc3+ 7.bxc3 dxc4 8.Bxc4 c5, meeting 5.Nge2 with 5...d5 6.a3 Bd6 (Anand has scored +2=0-0 with this but just one draw in three tries with the more popular 6...Be7) and meeting 5.Nf3 with 5...d5, after which the vast majority of games see 6.Bd3, which transposes to 5.Bd3 d5 6.Nf3.
Against 4.Nf3 Anand's most common choice has been 4...d5 but he has scored 25 percentage points and 115 elo better with 4...b6. Meet 5.Bg5 Bb7 6.e3 with 6...h6 7.Bh4 g5 8.Bg3 Ne4, meet 5.e3 with 5...Ne4!? 6.Qc2 Bb7 7.Bd3 Bxc3+!? 8.bxc3 f5 9.0-0 0-0 and meet 5.Qc2 with 5...Bb7 6.a3 Bxc3+ 7.Qxc3 0-0.
Against 4.f3 play 4...d5 5.a3, at which point Anand has scored a win and a draw with the main move 5...Bxc3+ and with the slightly unusual 5...Be7!?
Against 4.a3 play 4...Bxc3+ 5.bxc3 c5, and against 4.g3 play 4...0-0 5.Bg2 d5 6.Nf3 dxc4 7.0-0 Nc6.
If White avoids the Nimzo-Indian with 3.Nf3 Anand has played the Queen's Gambit Declined: 3...d5 and the Queen's Indian: 3...b6 almost equally often but has scored 12 percentage points more with the latter, which is a better repertoire fit bearing in mind his playing the Nimzo-Indian line 4.Nf3 b6.
Against 4.Nc3 the move 4...Bb4 transposes to the aforementioned Nimzo-Indian line.
Against 4.g3 play 4...Ba6, meeting 5.b3 with 5...Bb4+ 6.Bd2 Be7 7.Bg2 c6, continuing against 8.Bc3 with 8...d5 9.Ne5 Nfd7 10.Nxd7 Nxd7 11.Nd2 0-0 12.0-0 Nf6 or 9.Nbd2 Nbd7 10.0-0 0-0 11.Re1 c5 12.e4 dxe4 13.Nxe4 Nxe4 14.Rxe4 Bb7 and continuing against 8.0-0 with 8...d5. Meet 5.Nbd2 with 5...Bb4, continuing against 6.Qc2 with 6...Bb7 7.Bg2 Be4 and continuing against 6.a3 (the only other sixth move Anand has faced) with 6...Bxd2+ 7.Nxd2 Bb7 8.Nf3 d5. Meet 5.Qb3 with 5...Nc6 6.Nbd2 d5!? Meet 5.Qa4 with 5...Bb7 6.Bg2 c5 7.dxc5 Bxc5 8.0-0 0-0 9.Nc3 Be7. Meet 5.Qc2 with 5...Bb7 6.Bg2 c5 7.d5 exd5 8.cxd5 Nxd5 9.0-0 Be7, continuing against 10.Rd1 with 10...Qc8 and continuing against 10.Qe4 with 10...Bc6 (an Anand novelty that became the main line) 11.Ne5 Nf6 12.Nxc6 Nxc6 13.Qa4 0-0.
Against 4.a3 play 4...Bb7 5.Nc3 d5, meeting 6.cxd5 with 6...Nxd5, continuing against 7.Qc2 with 7...Nxc3 and answering both 8.Qxc3 and 8.bxc3 with 8...Be7, continuing against 7.e3 with 7...g6 8.Bb5+ c6, continuing against 7.Bd2 with 7...Nd7 and continuing against 7.Qa4+ with 7...Qd7!? 8.Qc2 Nxc3 9.bxc3 (Anand has not faced the rarer 9.Qxc3) Bd6.
Against 4.e3 play 4...Bb7, meeting 5.Bd3 with 5...d5 6.0-0 dxc4!? 7.Bxc4 a6 and meeting 5.Nc3 with 5...d5 6.cxd5 exd5 7.Bb5+ c6 8.Bd3 Bd6 9.0-0 0-0.
Against 4.Bf4 play 4...Bb7 5.e3 Nh5!? 6.Bg5 Be7 7.Bxe7 Qxe7 8.Nc3 f5.
If White avoids the Nimzo-Indian with 3.g3, transpose to a Catalan with 3...d5. After 4.Nf3 Be7 5.Bg2 (White's last two moves are often played in reverse order) 0-0 6.0-0 play 6...dxc4, meeting 7.Qc2 with 7...a6, continuing against 8.Qxc4 with 8...b5 9.Qc2 Bb7 10.Bd2 Ra7!? 11.Rc1 Be4 12.Qb3 Nc6 13.e3 Qa8 14.Qd1 b4, and continuing against 8.a4 with 8...Bd7 9.Qxc4 Bc6.
If 7.Ne5 play 7...Nc6, meeting 8.Bxc6 bxc6 9.Nxc6 with 9...Qe8 10.Nxe7+ Qxe7 and meeting 8.Nxc6 bxc6 9.Na3 (the only move Anand has faced) with 9...Bxa3 10.bxa3 Nd5 11.Qa4 Nb6 12.Qxc6 Rb8 13.Qc5 Bb7 14.e4 Qd6.
If 7.Qa4 play 7...a6 when 8.Qxc4 (practically the only move played) is a transposition to lines with 7.Qc2.
If 7.Na3 play 7...Bxa3 8.bxc3 b5!? 9.a4 a6.
Against 6.Qc2 play 6...c5, meeting 7.0-0 with 7...cxd4 8.Nxd4 Qb6!?, and meeting 7.dxc5 with 7...Qa5+ or 7...Bxc5 (Anand has played each move once, drawing both times), and against 6.Nbd2 (the only other sixth move Anand has faced) play 6...c5.
Against 2.Nf3 Anand's most-common response has been 2...d5 but a much better repertoire fit is 2...e6, with which he has scored 14 percentage points and 103 elo better. Nearly all his opponents responded to 2...e6 with 3.c4, which is a transposition to lines already covered. Similarly 3.g3 transposes to the Catalan after 3...d5. Against 3.e3 play 3...b6 with more transpositional possibilities. The only truly independent third move Anand has faced is 3.Bg5, which he once beat with 3...h6 and the other time with 3...c5.
Against the New London: 2.Bf4 play 2...d5 3.e3 e6, meeting 4.Nf3 and 4.Nd2 with 4...Bd6 and meeting 4.c4 with 4...Be7.
Against the Trompowsky: 2.Bg5 play 2...e6, meeting 3.e4 with 3...h6 and meeting 3.Nd2 with 3...Be7.
Against 2.Nc3 play 2...d5, meeting the Veresov: 3.Bg5 with 3...Nbd7 and meeting the Jobava-Prié: 3.Bf4 with 3...e6 4.Nb5 Na6 or 3...c6 4.e3 Bf5 (Anand has played each line once, winning both games).
Against 1.Nf3 Anand has played 1...d5 and 1...Nf6 almost equally often, but the latter is a better repertoire fit, eg 2.c4 and 2.d4 can be met by 2...e6. Against the King's Indian Attack continuation 2.g3 play 2...d5 3.Bg2 c6 3.0-0 Bf5. Against 2.b3 play 2...c5 3.Bb2 Nc6.
Against the English: 1.c4 play 1...e5, meeting 2.Nc3 with 2...Nf6, continuing against 3.Nf3 with 3...Nc6 4.g3 Bb4 5.Bg2 0-0 or 5.Nd5 Bc5 6.Bg2 0-0. If 4.e3 play 4...Be7 5.d4 exd4 6.Nxd4 0-0. If 4.a3 (the only other fourth move Anand has faced) play 4...g6 5.g3 Bg7 6.Bg2 0-0 7.0-0 Re8!?
Against 3.g3 play 3...Bb4 4.Bg2 0-0, meeting 5.Nf3 with 5...Re8 6.0-0 e4 7.Nd4 Nc6, meeting 5.e4 with 5...Bxc3 6.bxc3 (Anand has not faced 6.dxc3) Re8!? and meeting 5.Qc2 with 5...Re8.
Against 2.g3 (no Anand games in Mega20 with 2.Nf3) play 2...Nf6 3.Bg2 (3.Nc3 is a transposition to 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.g3), at which point Anand has played almost equally often 3...Nc6 and 3...c6 but has scored 12 percentage points and 192 elo better with the latter. After 3...c6 meet 4.d4 with 4...e4!?, continuing against 5.Nc3 and 5.Bg5 (the only fifth moves Anand has faced) with 5...d5. Meet 4.Nf3 (the only other fourth move Anand has faced) with 4...e4 5.Nd4 (Anand has not faced the rarer 5.Ng5) d5.
Against 1.b3 play 1...e5 2.Bb2 Nc6 3.e3 Nf6.
Here Anand faces the Spanish of French grandmaster Maxime Vachier-Lagrave.
Vachier-Lagrave (2760) - Anand (2789)
Norway Chess (Stavanger) 2018
Spanish Open
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Nxe4
No Marshall Attack today. The move 5...Be7 is more common in Anand's praxis, and he has scored much better with it percentage-wise and rating-wise, but like all of today's top players, Anand sometimes varies so as not to present a stationary target.
6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.dxe5 Be6 9.c3 Be7
Anand has also played 9...Bc5, but has performed much better with the text.
10.Nbd2 0-0 11.Re1 Nc5 12.Nd4 Nxd4 13.cxd4 Nd3
Winning the bishop-pair with 13...Nxb3 is a serious alternative. The text first appears in ChessBase's 2020 Mega database in a game of Alekhine's from 1914.
14.Re3 Nf4
Carlsen preferred another way of winning the bishop-pair, namely by 14...Nxc1, in a loss to Shirov in 2007.
15.Nf3 Bg4 16.h3 Bh5 17.Rc3
White highlights the main strategic problem with the black position - a backward c pawn on a half-open file.
17...Ne6 18.g4!?
Breaking the pin but inevitably weakening the kingside.
18...Bg6 19.Be3 a5 20.Bc2 Bb4 21.Rb3 f5 22.exf6 Bxc2 23.Qxc2 Qxf6 24.Ne5
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
24...c5!?
Anand is prepared to give up the exchange in order to get rid of his c-file weakness.
25.Nd7 Qf7 26.Nxf8
Not 26.Nxc5? Bxc5 27.dxc5 d4 etc.
26...Rxf8
Black is down the exchange, but he has the better bishop and his pieces generally are more active.
27.Qf5
Later the same year the game Mihail Kobalia (2620) - Babu Lalith (2529), Rilton Cup (Stockholm) 2018, saw White give back the exchange by 27.a3!? c4 28.axb4 cxb3 29.Qc6 (½–½, 34 moves). Grandmaster Krisztián Szabó in Mega20 gives the likely improvement 29.Qxb3!?, continuing 29...Qf3 30.Qd1 Qxh3 31.bxa5, analysing the position out to equality.
27...cxd4
Szabó's suggestion of 27...c4!? seems stronger.
28.Qxf7+ Rxf7 29.Rxb4?
It seems Black had to play 29.a3 Nc5 (forced) 30.Rxb4 axb4 31.Bxd4 Nb3 32.Rd1 "and the position is drawish" - Szabó.
29...axb4 30.Bd2 b3 31.axb3
Material is temporarily equal, and White has the advantage - other things being equal - of having the better minor piece to work with a rook, but other things are not equal, as Black quickly demonstrates.
31...Rf3 32.b4 Rd3 33.Re1 Kf7 34.Bc1 Rxh3 35.Re5?!
Stockfish11 and Komodo11.01 prefer 35.Kg2 Rb3 36.Re5 Rxb4 37.Rxd5, but Black is a solid passed-pawn up.
35...Rd3 36.Kf1 Rd1+ 37.Re1 Rxe1 38.Kxe1 g6 39.f4 Nd8 40.g5 Ke6 0-1
White is a pawn down and helpless to a knight and/or king invasion on the light squares.
Vachier-Lagrave (2760) - Anand (2789)
Norway Chess (Stavanger) 2018
Spanish Open
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Nxe4
No Marshall Attack today. The move 5...Be7 is more common in Anand's praxis, and he has scored much better with it percentage-wise and rating-wise, but like all of today's top players, Anand sometimes varies so as not to present a stationary target.
6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.dxe5 Be6 9.c3 Be7
Anand has also played 9...Bc5, but has performed much better with the text.
10.Nbd2 0-0 11.Re1 Nc5 12.Nd4 Nxd4 13.cxd4 Nd3
Winning the bishop-pair with 13...Nxb3 is a serious alternative. The text first appears in ChessBase's 2020 Mega database in a game of Alekhine's from 1914.
14.Re3 Nf4
Carlsen preferred another way of winning the bishop-pair, namely by 14...Nxc1, in a loss to Shirov in 2007.
15.Nf3 Bg4 16.h3 Bh5 17.Rc3
White highlights the main strategic problem with the black position - a backward c pawn on a half-open file.
17...Ne6 18.g4!?
Breaking the pin but inevitably weakening the kingside.
18...Bg6 19.Be3 a5 20.Bc2 Bb4 21.Rb3 f5 22.exf6 Bxc2 23.Qxc2 Qxf6 24.Ne5
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| How can Black solve the problem of his backward c pawn? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
24...c5!?
Anand is prepared to give up the exchange in order to get rid of his c-file weakness.
25.Nd7 Qf7 26.Nxf8
Not 26.Nxc5? Bxc5 27.dxc5 d4 etc.
26...Rxf8
Black is down the exchange, but he has the better bishop and his pieces generally are more active.
27.Qf5
Later the same year the game Mihail Kobalia (2620) - Babu Lalith (2529), Rilton Cup (Stockholm) 2018, saw White give back the exchange by 27.a3!? c4 28.axb4 cxb3 29.Qc6 (½–½, 34 moves). Grandmaster Krisztián Szabó in Mega20 gives the likely improvement 29.Qxb3!?, continuing 29...Qf3 30.Qd1 Qxh3 31.bxa5, analysing the position out to equality.
27...cxd4
Szabó's suggestion of 27...c4!? seems stronger.
28.Qxf7+ Rxf7 29.Rxb4?
It seems Black had to play 29.a3 Nc5 (forced) 30.Rxb4 axb4 31.Bxd4 Nb3 32.Rd1 "and the position is drawish" - Szabó.
29...axb4 30.Bd2 b3 31.axb3
Material is temporarily equal, and White has the advantage - other things being equal - of having the better minor piece to work with a rook, but other things are not equal, as Black quickly demonstrates.
31...Rf3 32.b4 Rd3 33.Re1 Kf7 34.Bc1 Rxh3 35.Re5?!
Stockfish11 and Komodo11.01 prefer 35.Kg2 Rb3 36.Re5 Rxb4 37.Rxd5, but Black is a solid passed-pawn up.
35...Rd3 36.Kf1 Rd1+ 37.Re1 Rxe1 38.Kxe1 g6 39.f4 Nd8 40.g5 Ke6 0-1
White is a pawn down and helpless to a knight and/or king invasion on the light squares.
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