16...Nde5!! The move that made the game famous. The knight steps into a square where a pawn can take it — but it clears the path for the queen and bishop, and the threats explode.
Levon Aronian vs Viswanathan Anand
Why this game matters
Wijk aan Zee, 15 January 2013. Against world No. 2 Levon Aronian, Viswanathan Anand produced one of the most admired games of the modern era. In a Semi-Slav, Anand poured his pieces toward the white king and offered material again and again — a knight, a bishop, a rook — until Aronian, facing unstoppable mate, resigned after just 23 moves. Commentators dubbed it 'Anand's Immortal', and it has been ranked among the greatest games ever played.
The lesson
Piece activity can be worth more than material when every move creates a threat. Anand's sacrifices were not wild — each one cleared a line or a square toward Aronian's king and could not be safely declined. The lesson: when you have a lead in development and your opponent's king is stuck in the centre, calculate forcing lines and don't count the points.
Move by move
5. e35.e3 Nbd7 — a Semi-Slav Meran. Black accepts a slightly cramped but resilient structure, planning to free his game with …c5 and …b5.
11. a311.a3 Rc8 — Anand calmly stacks his rook behind the c-pawn, preparing the central break …c5 that gives his pieces room.
12. Ng512.Ng5 — Aronian goes after h7, a standard attacking try. But it removes the knight from the centre, and Anand has prepared something extraordinary.
12… c512...c5! The freeing break. Suddenly Black's bishops and queen all point at White's position, and the open lines outweigh the pawn on h7.
16. Be216...Nde5!! The move that made the game famous. The knight steps into a square where a pawn can take it — but it clears the path for the queen and bishop, and the threats explode.
17. Bxg417...Bxd4+! Even with the knight 'hanging', Anand keeps sacrificing. Every move opens another line toward the white king.
18… Nxg418...Nxg4 — Anand has now given up the exchange and ignored a hanging knight, because his attack is faster than any defence.
20… Qf620...Qf6 — quietly bringing the last attacker in. White's extra material is meaningless against the converging black pieces.
23. Qd323.Qd3 Be3! The final quiet move. Aronian resigned: after the bishop lands on e3, …Qxh3+ and mate cannot be stopped. A masterpiece of activity over material.
Frequently asked
Why is it called 'Anand's Immortal'?
Like Anderssen's 1851 Immortal Game, Anand won with a cascade of sacrifices — giving up material repeatedly to keep the initiative — and forced resignation while still 'behind' on the board. A major chess site later ranked it the third-greatest game of all time, behind Kasparov's Immortal and Morphy's Opera Game.
What was the key idea behind 16...Nde5?
It looks like a blunder because a pawn can capture the knight, but the point is to clear the e5-square and the path for Black's queen and bishop. After the lines open, every black piece bears down on the white king, and the material count stops mattering.
Can I try the famous finish?
Yes — take the board as Anand after White grabs the h7-pawn and try to find the quiet move that unleashes the attack, or replay the whole game move by move, no sign-up.