chessgames.com
Members · Prefs · Laboratory · Collections · Openings · Endgames · Sacrifices · History · Search Kibitzing · Kibitzer's Café · Chessforums · Tournament Index · Players · Kibitzing

Chessgames premium membership fee will increase to $39 per year effective June 15, 2023. Enroll Now!

Viswanathan Anand vs Joel Lautier
"Bielisima!" (game of the day Dec-11-2015)
Biel Credit Suisse (1997), Biel SUI, rd 1, Jul-21
Scandinavian Defense: Main Lines. Mieses Variation (B01)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

Click Here to play Guess-the-Move
Given 124 times; par: 22 [what's this?]

explore this opening
find similar games 25 more Anand/Lautier games
PGN: download | view | print Help: general | java-troubleshooting

TIP: As you play through the game, you can get the FEN code for any position by right-clicking on the board and choosing "Copy Position (EPD)". Copy and paste the FEN into a post to display a diagram.

PGN Viewer:  What is this?
For help with this chess viewer, please see the Olga Chess Viewer Quickstart Guide.
PREMIUM MEMBERS CAN REQUEST COMPUTER ANALYSIS [more info]

A COMPUTER ANNOTATED SCORE OF THIS GAME IS AVAILABLE.  [CLICK HERE]

Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 9 OF 9 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Jun-12-11  BiggCojones: Whatta wild game by the Tiger of Madras!
Kudos to the reigning champ of chess!
Long live the KIng!
Jun-12-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  LIFE Master AJ: 21.Bg6!! (I think Black gets mated if he taes the Queen.)
Jun-12-11  M.Hassan: <sevenseaman>: Thank you for the excellent post.I did'nt even get close to your line "a" which when I study it now, see that Black Queen will be lost by the attack. Nice work and thanks again
Jun-13-11  TheBish: Anand vs Lautier, 1997

White to play (21.?) "Insane"

I found the winning idea right away -- if I'm correct, it would be the fastest I've solved a Sunday problem ever (under a minute). A little analysis seems to prove it correct.

21. Bg6!!

Pretty stunning, but whenever there is a discovered attack (in this case double/discovered), amazing moves like this are possible. Possible defenses:

A) 21...Qxd1 22. Rxe6+ Ne7 23. Rexe7+ Kf8 24. Bxh6#.

B) 21...Nxe3 22. Bxf7+ Kf8 23. Qxd4 (but not 23. Bxe3?? Qxe3+! 24. Kxe3 Rxd1) Rxe4 24. Bxe3 and Black must give up both rooks to stop mate -- 24...Kg7 25. Bxd4+ Kf8 26. Bxh8.

C) 21...Qc5 22. Bxf7+ Kf8 23. Kxg2! Qxe3!? (or 23...Nxe3+ 24. Bxe3 Rxd1 25. Bxc5+ Kg7 26. Bxe6+ with two bishops and an attack for a rook) 24. Qe1! (not 24. Bxe3? Nxe3+) and Black must lose the queen to stop mate.

Jun-13-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  Sastre: <bundet111: how come black can't play 20. ...g6? what can anand do if black avoids taking on h6?>

If 20...g6, White can still play 21.Bxg6 because 21...Qxd1 allows 22.Rxe6+ Kf8 23.Rxf7+ Kg8 24.Rg7+ Kf8 25.Ba3+ c5 26.Bxc5+ Ne7 27.Bxe7#.

Sep-25-11  Rubberbandman: I love the tactical cheek of 21.Bg6! in this game.

I still cant tell whether people overrate or underrate Anand on his game page on this site though.. Yet another excellent vishy game

Oct-09-11  Juninho: Bg6 !!!
Jan-24-12  fokers13: David in your second continuation Rxd7 followed by Bxf7 instead of your Rb8?? wins.
Sep-03-13  Nerwal: The backstory of this game is this : at the 1996 french championship in Auxerre, a game Bauer - Prié featured this line til move 15 when Bauer played 15. ♖g3. Immediately after the game Hauchard suggested 15. f3 as an improvement. Prié started to analyze this line and published in the October 96 outcome of the french chess magazine Europe-Echecs a detailed analysis of the Bauer - Prié game, including an in-depth look on 15. f3. So in-depth actually that this analysis almost entirely anticipated the game Anand - Lautier, including the killer 21. Bg6!! (while Prié's analysis in Informator stopped at 19. ♖xb7 ). The weirdest point is that Lautier decided to play the Scandinavian because he had looked at this opening with Prié and he actually had seen this analysis as Prié had shown him, but somehow he forgot this refutation...

The only unclear point remaining is that we don't know how much Anand actually knew before the game, as he could well have opened Informator during his preparations, although Lautier playing the Scandinavian was unlikely. We have to take his word that he found 15. f3 (and the rest) at the board for it, although I don't see any reason to seriously doubt it. It's impossible to read and check (and remember !) all existing analysis, and a player of his class can certainly find all the right moves at the board.

Mar-02-14  Eduardo Bermudez: I wonder if Tiviakov think this game is beautiful
Mar-02-14  Ron: I noticed this game from a couple of years ago made the recent kibitizing list.

Anand's play here blew my mind.

Sep-21-14  Capacorn: Ridiculously awesome game. lol
Nov-13-14  tranquilsimplicity: Anand at his best.#
Mar-18-15
Premium Chessgames Member
  Alex Schindler: I'm always a little surprised to see the Scandinavian played at high level. I find it to be an irritating opening and I'm glad Anand punished it.
Dec-11-15  thegoodanarchist: Looks like a blitz game to me.
Dec-11-15
Premium Chessgames Member
  kevin86: Black's bishop is trapped...can't run away. White will be a piece ahead.
Dec-11-15  JohnBoy: I don't understand <Bermdez>'s Tiviakov comment above.
Dec-11-15  nummerzwei: <JohnBoy: I don't understand <Bermdez>'s Tiviakov comment above. >

I guess he was referring Tiviakov's advocacy of the Scandinavian, which got crushed here.

Also, why not 13...Bd5 anyway?

Dec-11-15  mruknowwho: I think ...e6 came too late.
Dec-11-15
Premium Chessgames Member
  Penguincw: Nice to see Anand be the winner of the GOTD on his birthday.
Dec-25-16  ColeTrane: Maybe if black had retreated Q back to c7 this wouldn't of happened. Maybe Anand never playing Bd2 lured black onto this position....
Jul-06-17  whiteshark: Game annotated by 'Suren' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eR...
Jun-29-20  Chesgambit: Not so insane normal
Sep-11-22  Kristijanf: I really hate Scandinavian opening
Dec-15-22  Seyealebiosu1985: Not easy analysing the potential loss of black. https://cpnseomarketing.com.ng/best...
Jump to page #    (enter # from 1 to 9)
search thread:   
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 9 OF 9 ·  Later Kibitzing>

NOTE: Create an account today to post replies and access other powerful features which are available only to registered users. Becoming a member is free, anonymous, and takes less than 1 minute! If you already have a username, then simply login login under your username now to join the discussion.

Please observe our posting guidelines:

  1. No obscene, racist, sexist, or profane language.
  2. No spamming, advertising, duplicate, or gibberish posts.
  3. No vitriolic or systematic personal attacks against other members.
  4. Nothing in violation of United States law.
  5. No cyberstalking or malicious posting of negative or private information (doxing/doxxing) of members.
  6. No trolling.
  7. The use of "sock puppet" accounts to circumvent disciplinary action taken by moderators, create a false impression of consensus or support, or stage conversations, is prohibited.
  8. Do not degrade Chessgames or any of it's staff/volunteers.

Please try to maintain a semblance of civility at all times.

Blow the Whistle

See something that violates our rules? Blow the whistle and inform a moderator.


NOTE: Please keep all discussion on-topic. This forum is for this specific game only. To discuss chess or this site in general, visit the Kibitzer's Café.

Messages posted by Chessgames members do not necessarily represent the views of Chessgames.com, its employees, or sponsors.
All moderator actions taken are ultimately at the sole discretion of the administration.

This game is type: CLASSICAL. Please report incorrect or missing information by submitting a correction slip to help us improve the quality of our content.

<This page contains Editor Notes. Click here to read them.>

Featured in the Following Game Collections[what is this?]
World's Greatest Chess Games- Nunn Emms Burgess
by Rookpawn
Nice winning shot 21.Bg6!!
from Honza Cervenka's favorite games by Honza Cervenka
facing the unknown dimension with Vishy Anand
from jaime gallegos' favorite games by jaime gallegos
Game 40
from My Best Games of chess by Vishy Anand by apple head
The Lightning Kid Strikes
by Minor Piece Activity
The Most Stunning Games Ever Played (under const
by Checkmate4327
Shocked by the Lightning Kid
from Iron Maiden's favorites album by iron maiden
Scandinavian Anand nice move on 20 by white
from Nice Attacking Games by ningj000
All out attack on the uncastled King with positional sacs.
from Best Chess Games of All Time by Timothy Glenn Forney
Anand's bielisma! game
from Nova's favorite games2 by Nova
FORTRAN 77's favorite games
by FORTRAN 77
Kadimo's favorite games
by Kadimo
Vishy Anand sacrifices away to glory !
by samikd
Gavnyce's favorite games
by Gavnyce
SG'favorite games
by sanojgali
22. Qxd4! Rxd4 23. Rd3 Rd8 24. Rxd8+ Kxd8 25. Bd3 Bh1 26. Bd2+-
from Trapped Piece by patzer2
21. Bg6!!
from Discovered Attack by patzer2
for my money, this is the baddest game i have seen; period
from ALL-TIMERS by keenostuf
f17
from On the attack Timman by takchess
Wild combinations by Anand
from Reisswolf's Favourite Games by Reisswolf
plus 313 more collections (not shown)

Home | About | Login | Logout | F.A.Q. | Profile | Preferences | Premium Membership | Kibitzer's Café | Biographer's Bistro | New Kibitzing | Chessforums | Tournament Index | Player Directory | Notable Games | World Chess Championships | Opening Explorer | Guess the Move | Game Collections | ChessBookie Game | Chessgames Challenge | Store | Privacy Notice | Contact Us

Copyright 2001-2023, Chessgames Services LLC