The story behind the game
Anand sends pieces toward the black king, while Kosteniuk uses the centre to absorb the pressure. Exchanges on e4 and d4 leave Black with coordinated defenders and a material advantage. Knight and bishop improvements then create threats against White’s rooks. The useful habit is to recount attackers and defenders after every forcing exchange.
Take these ideas to your next game
- Remove a central attacker when its support can be recaptured.
- A pawn recapture can shut a diagonal and gain material.
- Improve a knight with the rooks’ targets in mind.
- Coordinate a bishop attack with the other pieces before collecting material.
Read the complete annotated game
Full game transcript, including the result and the answers. Original explanations by chessgames.info; game score from the sources below.
Bxe4 removes a centrally placed attacking knight. White’s other knight captures on d4 in reply. Black has a pawn recapture available there, so the sequence must be counted through both captures. Compare the remaining attacking pieces rather than assessing the first exchange alone.
exd4 removes White’s remaining knight. White’s rook recaptures on d4, after which Black develops the rook to d8. The exchanges leave Black with active pieces and reduce the number of attackers near the king. Calculate the rook’s entry squares before trying to return material automatically.
Ne5 gives the knight a central route and defensive influence. White’s queen takes on b7, but Black uses the rook actively on d7. The knight later reaches d3. Compare the queen’s pawn capture with the time Black gains to coordinate rooks and bishops.
Red8 is the strongest saved candidate; Ba3 and Nxc1 also receive credit. Kosteniuk played Bc5, attacking the rook on g1 along the diagonal. Black has several strong resources, but the saved comparison places Red8 and the other credited moves ahead of the historical bishop move. Compare the rooks’ checking chances before collecting material.
Result: 0-1. The recorded score ends here; it does not imply checkmate.
Think through the turning points
Move 21: Remove a central attacker
Which bishop capture removes the knight on e4? In the game: Bxe4. Bxe4 removes a centrally placed attacking knight. White’s other knight captures on d4 in reply. Black has a pawn recapture available there, so the sequence must be counted through both captures. Compare the remaining attacking pieces rather than assessing the first exchange alone.
Engine-supported alternatives
Bxe4 · -4.45 · depth 20
Nb3+ axb3 Bxe4 Rxe4 Qxe4 Re1 Qg6 Qd2 Rhe8 Rxe5 Rad8 Ka2 · -2.97 · depth 20
Qg6 Qd2 Bxe4 Qxa5 Rhe8 Bg3 Rac8 Nh4 Qh5 f3 Bc2 Rd2 · -2.57 · depth 20
Move 22: Recapture with the central pawn
Which pawn capture removes the knight on d4? In the game: exd4. exd4 removes White’s remaining knight. White’s rook recaptures on d4, after which Black develops the rook to d8. The exchanges leave Black with active pieces and reduce the number of attackers near the king. Calculate the rook’s entry squares before trying to return material automatically.
Engine-supported alternatives
exd4 Qd2 Nc6 g4 Qd5 a3 Rad8 Qh6 Rhg8 g5 fxg5 f4 · -4.98 · depth 20
Qg6 Qd2 Nc6 Nxc6 Bxc6 Qe2 Rhd8 f4 Rxd1+ Rxd1 Rd8 Rxd8 · -4.45 · depth 20
Qg4 f3 Qg6 Qe3 Rhd8 fxe4 Rxd4 Rxd4 exd4 Qf4 Nc6 Qc7 · -3.33 · depth 20
Move 30: Improve the knight toward d3
Which knight move prepares a jump into d3? In the game: Ne5. Ne5 gives the knight a central route and defensive influence. White’s queen takes on b7, but Black uses the rook actively on d7. The knight later reaches d3. Compare the queen’s pawn capture with the time Black gains to coordinate rooks and bishops.
Engine-supported alternatives
Qf5 Qb6 Nd4 Rxe7+ Rxe7 Qxd8 Rd7 Qb6 Qf4 Qc5 Qxh4 Qc8 · -5.55 · depth 19
Nd4 Rxe7+ Rxe7 Qxd8 Nc2+ Kb1 Bf5 f4 Rd7 Qc8 Nb4+ Ka1 · -5.14 · depth 18
a5 Qb6 a4 a3 Nd4 Rc7 Nc2+ Rxc2 Bxc2 Qe6+ Kf8 · -4.98 · depth 18
Ne5 f4 Rc8 fxe5 Rxc7 e6+ Kg7 Rxc7 Kh6 Bf2 Kh5 a3 · -5.28 · depth 23
Move 36: Double rooks before the bishop capture
Which rook move from e8 doubles on the d-file? In the game: Bc5. Red8 is the strongest saved candidate; Ba3 and Nxc1 also receive credit. Kosteniuk played Bc5, attacking the rook on g1 along the diagonal. Black has several strong resources, but the saved comparison places Red8 and the other credited moves ahead of the historical bishop move. Compare the rooks’ checking chances before collecting material.
Engine-supported alternatives
Red8 Rc3 Nb4 b3 Rd1+ Rxd1 Rxd1+ Kb2 Rd2+ Kc1 Rd8 Rc7 · -6.30 · depth 20
Ba3 bxa3 Rxe4 fxe4 Nxc1 Rxc1 Rd2 Bd6+ Rxd6 Rc8+ Kg7 Rb8 · -6.29 · depth 20
Nxc1 Rxc1 Red8 Qe1 Ke8 Qg1 Qg6 f4 f5 a3 Kf7 Qe1 · -6.12 · depth 20
Bc5 Qxd3 Bxd3 Rxc5 Qg6 a3 a5 Rgc1 Kf7 Rxa5 Qf5 Rxf5 · -5.68 · depth 21
Every piece has a part to play.
Anand sends pieces toward the black king, while Kosteniuk uses the centre to absorb the pressure. Exchanges on e4 and d4 leave Black with coordinated defenders and a material advantage. Knight and bishop improvements then create threats against White’s rooks. The useful habit is to recount attackers and defenders after every forcing exchange.
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Accessible evaluation values & provenance
Stockfish 17.1 · 75,000 nodes per position; 1,000,000 at key moments. Actual depth 12–38. Positive centipawns favour White; mate scores remain separate. Selective search is evidence, not proof.
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