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Viswanathan Anand vs Jeffery Xiong
Tata Steel Masters (2020), Eindhoven NED, rd 5, Jan-16
French Defense: Winawer. Poisoned Pawn Variation General (C18)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

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Kibitzer's Corner
Jan-16-20  Momentum Man: 37.f4 was such a clever move! Nice game by Anand
Jan-16-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: The former world champion displays excellent understanding: while normally a 2-0 pawn majority is superior to one which is 3-1, the outside connected passed pawns have not begun to move towards their ultimate aim in life, whereas the passed centre pawn is a source of great danger and the black monarch is cut off from the action.
Jan-16-20  Fanques Fair: Anand's record against the French is impressive ! You shouldn't play it against him.
Jan-16-20  MordimerChess: How to beat French Defence - written by Viswanathan Anand. Seems like young American GM tried to check his skills against one of the best French Defence beaters in the World. But in my opinion Xiong should play slightly more agressive on the queen side, Qa5 would help to exchange light square bishops and not lose so many tempi.

The game: https://youtube.com/watch?v=tOEgqaA...

There is also link to nice interview with Anand linked in first 2 minutes of the movie. Enjoy!

Jan-19-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  Richard Taylor: <Momentum Man: 37.f4 was such a clever move! Nice game by Anand.> I agree. Also his c4 was both the right move and is the kind of move that takes some courage.

I don't think that Anand or anyone will ever always beat the French or this line regularly. As GMs watch each others openings they modify the lines. So Botvinnik lost to Tal in a line of this line but in the next match he won...but I just had a look and he lost the only Winawar French he played! Bother!...Still Botvinnik was careful to play other openings and managed to win. Where's another example?

I have trouble against the French myself. I dodge these lines mostly by playing the Tarrasch variation.

Oh well, there was Korchnoi. What lines of the French did he play? I think the line (general line) gives good dynamic chances for white and black.

Perfidious is right about the central majority. It helps that the Black K is there in this case. Sometimes that helps the defence but not in this case because of mate threats.

Anand is of course one of the great World Champions. He has been looking a bit shaky per se these days but is doing well, and keeping his rating pretty high, all things considered.

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