bahneh's world

After a slightly boring Game 1, India's Viswanthan Anand came up with the first "expected" surprise of the ongoing World Chess Championship in Bonn, Germany against Russian Vladimir Kramnik.

A little research reveals that from over 2,400 of Anand's games, there were 104 wherein the Indian World Chmpion opened with 1.d4, the Queen's pawn opening, including seven in 2007 (all during the 2007 World Blitz Championship in Moscow where I believe he was second behind Vassily Ivanchuk) and a solitary game this year (a 56-move draw with Michael Adams during the Corus event in The Netherlands where Anand and Kramnik took the backseat behind joint champions Magnus Carlsen and Levon Aronian).

Compare 103 with the 1,048 games Anand has played with the white pieces using 1.e4 or the King's pawn opening, including around 59 in 2007 and 36 this year, and it's easy to see why journalists were quick to label Anand's decision to open with 1.d4 in Game 2 as a "surprise," albeit an expected one for obvious reasons.

Leading into the match, pundits were expecting Kramnik to employ the draw-prone Petroff Defense should Anand open with 1.e4. It is also possible that Kramnik will redeploy the Berlin Defense, the same fortification he used to diffuse the firepower of Garry Kasparov in their world title match in 2000.

The Sicilian Defense? Although Kramnik has essayed this opening many times in his career, the dynamic and complex variations along with the risks associated with the Sicilian will have no place in a high-stakes titular duel such as this, at least not in the point of view of Kramnik.

But after Game 2, it doesn't seem like we'll see any of the above any time soon.

You see, by playing 1.d4 Anand seems intent not to venture into Kramnik's home territory.

The Petroff, also called the Russian Game, after all fits Kramnik's solid play like a glove. Same thing with the Berlin.

So whether it's the Russian Game or the Berlin Wall (uhm, the match is being played in Germany, right?), the lanky Russian should have homecourt advantage against 1.e4.

So on with 1.d4 - all the way.

Oh how I hope I'm wrong.