World Championship 2012 / Game 8

    Another Win !   Botvinik was once asked a question (I believe it was from Spassky) as to how to break out of the ‘mold’ of a string of draws in a match and win a game.  Botvinik’s answer was – First lose a game.  Correct or not, it seems to have ‘worked’ for Anand who won (as White) one of the shortest games on record in a World Championship match – 17 Moves !   In the diagram position Gelfand has already blundered with his Qf6.  Admittedly a retreat with his Knight to g7 was not particularly inviting as White is ready to run with the ‘h’ Pawn and have a rip roaring attack towards the black King.  Gelfand’s blunder was based on the assumption that White had to defend against the fork on ‘f3′ giving Black the opportunity to sink his Knight into the ‘f4′ square.  Alas – Vishy ‘fell for it’.  He took the hanging Knight, allowed Boris to affect his fork and on the 17th move the World Champion completely corralled the isolated black Queen who will fall as soon as White moves his Bishop.  Ouch ! – No squares for her majesty.   The match is now all tied up, one game apiece, after eight games.