Linares 1998 Rd. 1 - Kramnik-Ivanchuk

KRAMNIK – IVANCHUK
Linares 1998
Rd. 1
ECO D02

It is said that Anand has analyzed this game and even found a “spectacular” rook sac winning for Kramnik. If anyone knows where such analysis can be found I would appreciate hearing about it!

1. Nf3 Nc6

Normally after 1. Nf3 the game would evolve into a Reti, Queen’s Gambit, Queen’s Indian, Catalan or some other conventional opening. With the rare 1…Nc6 Black seems to be making a challenge – “I dare you to play the Ruy Lopez. If you don’t play the Ruy, or other double-king pawn opening, then I’ve prepared my response and you haven’t.”

2. d4 d5 3. Bf4 Bg4 4. e3 e6 5. c4 Bb4+ 6. Nc3 Nf6

This is similar to a Nimzo-Indian setup, only Black’s QB is outside his pawn chain.

7. Rc1 O-O 8. h3 Bxf3

White seems to get an advantage with 8…Bf5 9. a3 (9. Bd3 Bxd3 10. Qxd3 dxc4 11. Qxc4 is also good) 9…Bxc3 10. Rxc3 Ne7.

9. Qxf3 Qe7

9…Ne4 10. Bd3 f5 11. cxd5 exd5 is also logical.

10. Bg5 Bxc3+ 11. Rxc3

I think it is somewhat unusual that Black cedes both bishops without any disruption to White’s pawn structure.

11…Qb4

I think Black sees a chance for a series of forced moves to head into an endgame and takes it; otherwise he will be gradually squeezed to death.


12. Bxf6 Qxb2 13. Rb3 Qc1+ 14. Qd1 Qxd1+ 15. Kxd1 dxc4 16. Rxb7 gxf6 17. Kd2

17. Bxc4 Rab8 18. Rxb8 Rxb8 19. Kc2 Na5 20. Bd3 c5 21. dxc5 Rc8 is more sterile.

17... Rab8 18. Rxc7 Na5 19. Kc2 Rb4

19…Rfc8 20. Rxa7 Nc6 21. Ra4 Nb4+ 22. Kc1 c3 23. Be2 and the computer says it’s about equal.

20. Rxa7 Ra4

Forced. 20…Nc6 21. a3 Nxa7 22. axb4 Rb8 23. Bxc4 Rxb4 24. Kc3

21. Rxa5!

My computer confirms that this exchange is the best way for White to maintain his advantage.

21…Rxa5 22. Bxc4 h5 23. h4 Rc8 24. Kd3 Rxc4

White will get his extra pawn but in a Rook endgame this advantage is generally not enough to win.

25. Kxc4 Rxa2 26. Rf1 f5 27. d5 Kf8

27…exd5 28. Kxd5 would leave Black with a pawn structure more difficult to defend.

28. dxe6 fxe6

I would think that the removal of another pair of pawns would make this even easier for Black to defend. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if most Grandmasters would agree to a draw here. Unless it’s trickier than I imagine there are two other possibilities; A) Kramnik would like to keep Ivanchuk in misery a bit longer for his own reasons; B) It is a fact that the organizers in Linares very much discourage quick so-called “Grandmaster draws”, so the players are being diplomatic for the sake of their hosts.

29. Kd4 Ke7 30. Ke5 Ra4 31. f3 Ra5+

31…Rxh4? would be a bad, perhaps even losing mistake. For one thing the pawn isn’t free. White could immediately bring his rook (which has been tied to defense) into play and help grab Black’s e-pawn. 32. Rb1 Ra4 33. Rb7+ Kf8 34. Kxe6 Ra5? 35. Rf7+ Ke8 36. Rh7 is won for White. Or 32. Rb1 Rh2? 33. Rb7+ Kf8 34. Kf6 Kg8 35. Rg7+ Kf8 and White picks up more material while Black’s rook remains in a vault. Finally 32. Rb1 Kf7 33. Rb7+ Kg6 34. Rb6 Rc4 35. Rxe6+ Kg5 36. f4+ and Black is lost again.

32. Kf4 Ra2 33. Rb1 Kf6

Again it would be bad for Black to pocket the pawn. Maybe he would still draw but it looks much more difficult: 33…Rxg2? 34. Ke5 Rg6 35. Rb7+ Kf8 36. f4 Kg8 37. Re7 Rg4 38. Rxe6 Rxh4 39. Kxf5 (“Roughly speaking, rook and two pawns always win against rook and pawn when White has two passed pawns” – Reuben Fine, Encyclopedia of Chess Endings). If 34…Rg3 35. Rb7+ Kf8 36. Kxe6 Rxf3 37. Rf7+ Ke8 38. Rxf5+ Rxe3+ 39. Kf6 Kf8 40. Kg6+ Kg8 41. Kxh5 probably draws.

34. Kg3 Re2 35. Rb3 e5 36. Rb6+ Kg7 37. Rb3 Kf6 38. Ra3 Kg6 39. Kh3 Kf6

It would appear that 39…Re1 is a little better in order to facilitate checks against the White king on the back rank.

40. g4 hxg4+ 41. fxg4 fxg4+ 42. Kxg4 Kg6 43. h5+ Kh6 44. Ra6+ Kh7 45. Ra3 Kh6 46. Kf5 e4 47. Kxe4 Kxh5 48. Kf5

White doesn’t seem to make progress either with 48. Ra1 Kg6 (to cover the queening square) 49. Rf1 (cutting off the king from the queening square) 49…Ra2 50. Ke5 Ra5+! (other moves are more problematical) 51. Ke6 Ra6+.

48…Rf2+ 49. Ke6 Re2 50. Kf5 Rf2+ 51. Ke5 Kg6 52. e4 Rb2 53. Ra7 Rb5+ 54. Ke6 Rb6+ 55. Ke7 Rb5 56. Ra6+ Kg5 57. Re6 Kf4 58. Kf6 Rh5 1/2-1/2

Live Blogging Game 9

Game Nine of the 2008 World Chess Championship is underway in Bonn, Germany. Viswanathan Anand needs only one point to claim the match victory against Vladimir Kramnik. I am live blogging with assistance from Fritz, Susan Polgar’s Chess Blog, and perhaps the discussion taking place at Meg’s Daily Dirt Chess Blog. Anand has the White pieces.

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 c6

Kramnik goes in for the Semi-Slav defense. This likely means we will have a tense struggle with Kramnik looking to at least save face by making a serious effort with the Black pieces. Kramnik would have to win three of the next four games to force a tiebreak – not really very likely.

5. Bg5

My own choice in this position with the White pieces is the quieter 5. e3.

5…h6 6. Bg3 dxc4

Taking a gambitted pawn.

7. e4

This is similar to my mainstay as White in the Queen’s Gambit Accepted. The key difference – and it’s a big one – is that I never play my King’s Bishop to g5 in that opening.

7…g5 8. Bg3 b5

Black tries to hold on to his extra pawn for little while longer.

9. Be2 Bb7 10. Qc2

White adds another layer of protection on the e-pawn. White will probably be active on the queenside, Black may likely look to develop an attack on the queenside. For now, White has a classic center with pawns on e4 and d4, while Black has an extra pawn, at least temporarily.

10…Nbd7 11. Rd1

Reinforcing the other center pawn at d4.

11…Bb4 12. Ne5 Qe7

Polgar believes this is a new move. She seems to recall seeing a recent article by the German GM Lutz on this move.

13. O-O Nxe5

On 14. Bxe5 Black seems faced with a dilemma considering the placement of his king. Castling short would seem to make it more difficult to get an attack going on the kingside (White’s king looks absolutely solid right now). If Black aims to castle long, it may make a kingside attack easier in one sense but then he may have to ward off White’s attack on the king. He may try to act like Anand has in the match when he’s had the Black pieces and not castle at all. I’d say that’s the most likely scenario.

14. Bxe5 O-O

Black castles short. For now, Black’s king seems solid in spite of the loosening of pawns in front of him. White doesn’t seem to have a way to get pieces over to the kingside very easily. So White may try to keep up pressure on the Queenside or in the center, and it will remain to be seen whether Black can mount his own attack. I’m leaning towards 15. b3.

15. Bxf6 Qxf6

This seems to be a prophylactic to slow down any chance that Black has to get a kingside attack going. Anand would be very happy to draw today, leaving him only another draw away from the crown. The onus is on Black to get something tangible going. He does have the extra pawn, and Fritz is giving him a slight plus. I think b3 still looks possible, but it’s rather far down the list of Fritz’s choices.

16. f4 Qg7 17. e5 c5

White can take his pawn back now – but will he? The position is very unbalanced and it’s hard for mortals to make assessments. If the tide turns against Kramnik, 17…c5 may be seen as the culprit.

18. Nxb5 cxd4 19. Qxc4

Fritz likes 19…a5, with 19…Ba5 as a second choice. 19…a5 doesn’t feel right to me. 19…gxf4 20. Bf3 Bxf3 21. Rxf3 Be7 22. Qxd4 is one line.

19...a5

Fritz is giving this =0.09. Another blogger says Rybka (a much stronger program than my older version of Fritz) is evaluating the position as +.70 for Black. It might appear that Kramnik has succeeded in creating some real counter chances for himself. 20. Bf3 Rac8 is apparently not much of an option for Vishy.

20. Kh1

It doesn't seem this was on anyone's radar. White apparently fears the g-file more than the a8-h1 diagonal. But who exactly is attacking who isn't clear to me.
A possibility here is 20...gxf4 21. Bf3 Rac8 22. Qxd4 Ba6 and Black looks all right. Instead of 22...Ba6 there is 22...Rc5 23. Bxb7 Rxb5 24. Rxf4 and there appears to be a trap in 24...f5? 25. exf6 Qxb7 26. Rg4+

20...Rac8 21. Qxd4 gxf4 22. Bf3 Ba6 23. a4 Rc5

The players are blitzing out their moves. Time is getting a little short but given how complicated this is it seems a little odd they are playing this quickly.

24. Qxf4 Rxe5 25. b3 Bxb5 26. axb5 Rxb5 27. Be4

Another series of moves played very quickly. Susan says this has to be the biggest advantage Kramnik has had in the match so far, but doesn't know if it's enough for him to win.

27...Bc3

Fritz is liking Black's position better now. I doubt that commentators have been able to keep up with the last several moves -I certainly haven't been able to.

28. Bc2 Be5 29. Qf2 Bb8 30. Qf3 Rc5 31. Bd3 Rc3 32. g3 Kh8 33. Qb7

Fritz gives this as -.84. Black is keeping the pressure on. I wonder if 32...Kh8 was the best move.

33...f5 34. Qb6 Qe5

It's still quite complicated - loose pawns all over the board, bishops of opposite color and all the heavy machinery (Qs and Rs) still on the battlefield.

35. Qb7 Qc7

Susan says that Anand missed a forced draw with 35.Bxf5 exf5 36.Qxh6+ Kg8 37.Qg6+ Qg7 38.Qe6+ Kh8 39.Rxf5 Rxf5 40.Qxf5 Qb7+ 41.Rd5=

36. Qxc7 Bxc7 37. Bc4

The queens are off and Black still has his extra pawn, which White just targeted with his bishop. Can Kramnik hold it and convert this game?

37...Re8 38. Rd7

Black still seems to have a small advantage, but not like it was, at least according to Fritz. Kramnik has a minute and 40 seconds for his next two moves.

38...a4

Fritz indicates a completely even game and wants 39. Ra1.

39. Rxc7 axb3 40. Rf2 Rb8 41. Rb2

The players have made the time control. In the fury Black sacrificed his bishop and now has another passed pawn - a very threatening poawn on the b-file. Fritz suggests 41...Rc2 is necessary for Black and is evaluating this position as -.059.
Kramnik is taking a long think here, but he may be just calming his nerves and giving a full assessment to the position after an exciting scramble for the time control.

41...h5

Played after very long and deep thought. The position was controversial among the kibbitzers on the Polgar blog with most believing Anand would draw this and others thinking Kramnik still had winning possibilities. Nobody mentioned this move.

42. Kg2 h4 43. Rc6 hxg3 44. hxg3 Rg8 45. Rxe6

This is looking very much like a draw now.

46. Rxc4
1/2 - 1/2

I don't think anyone can fault Kramnik in this game - he showed a lot of heart.

Quiet Draw in Game Five

If anyone expected Vladimir Kramnik to come out swinging in desperation with the Black pieces today after having his head handed to him by Viswanathan (“Vishy”) Anand, the Tiger of Madras, they were quite mistaken. With the White pieces Anand directed play through the Classical Queen’s Gambit Declined channels, through 11. Be5, repeating a line Kramnik played with Black against Kasparov in 2001 at the Botvinnik Memorial match in Moscow. That game was drawn, and since then the line has been given a fairly heavy workout by GMs at the highest levels, although in recent years it’s tended to be drawish. Topolov, Sokolov, Ponomariov, Karpov, and Radjabov are some of the superplayers who have recently delved into one side or another of this variation (Ponomariov has tried both sides, drawing all five of his games in the line).
Kramnik, who would have obviously been prepared for this line veered first with 11…Bf5, instead of the usual 11…Bf6. But it wasn’t much of a novelty and the game stayed along apparent mainstream channels when he got Bf6 in on the next move and the usual dark-square Bishop exchange took place. The character of the game was defined by Black’s isolated d-pawn, and even though some imbalance was struck after 15. Nxf5 Qxf5 leaving Black with a Knight to toil against White’s Bishop, it was easily seen that the game was likely to end in an early draw. Indeed a wholesale liquidation of pieces was begun at move 28, and the players were going to be left with a lifeless, symmetrical pawn structure in which the different minor pieces would be no factor.
Personally, I would not be surprised if Kramnik uncharacteristically goes out like a lamb from this point on in the match.
I would like to mention Susan Polgar’s excellent commentary on her blog. Her analysis and commentary is geared at beginners to intermediate players. Her great strength is that she doesn’t just flood the reader with variations, but she with remarkable clarity she explains the concepts of the moves and positions. More commentary like this from GM’s would be a welcome tool for many of us patzers. I would suggest a game collection book from Ms. Polgar with the same type of analysis but deeper exploration of alternative lines, also with explanatory text.

ANAND TAKES THE LEAD

Vishy Anand drew the first blood yesterday, overwhelming his opponent with a vicious attack as the players neared the time control in game three of the World Chess Championship in Bonn, Germany. With the clocks ticking relentlessly, Anand, two pawns down, pressed an attack with his pieces while Kramnik, playing with White, seemed to be running out of safe moves for his king and his queen. The last several moves came in rapid fire, and as the contenders crossed the time control safely, Kramnik, who I imagine assaying his ruined position with sobriety, resigned. It was a very exciting game, most commentators paying tribute to a very high level of play by both warriors, some even referring to it as a masterwork by Anand.
I didn’t get to look at the game until about move 27, after Anand had sacrificed two pawns. Making a quick initial assessment I was deeply concerned that Kramnik would walk away with the point. But after 27…Bg2+ 28. Ke1 Bh3 it became quite clear that Anand was controlling the play, although for all I could tell, White could have weathered the attack and eventually put Black on mat.
As many commentators noted, move 33. Bd3? was a lemon, but Vishy missed the opportunity to close down Kramnik’s store a little earlier by 33…Bxd3! with a forced mate in ten. Former World Champion Gary Kasparov, analyzing on the fly, suggested 33. Kb3 (I had expected White to try 33. Qd2 Rg2+ 34. Be2), but computers confirmed that that would only likely have prolonged the inevitable. The fact that Vishy missed the quickest win hardly mattered as he found another apparently forced winning line with
33. Bh3. Kramnik gave me a start with 34. a5 as I wasn’t able to see how Anand could stop the promotion – but Anand had it all worked out satisfactorily.
This puts Kramnik’s back to the wall a bit, as there are only nine regulation games left. Under the rules, if the match is tied after 12 games, the players go in to overtime with rapid play games, and Anand, one of the fastest grandmasters, has an overwhelming lifetime plus against Kramnik in rapid play.

Anand-Kramnik Game 2: A Worthy Draw

As usual, I was wrong, wrong, wrong in my prediction yesterday that Kramnik would come out with a strong surprise with Black in today's second match game for the World Chess Championship in Bonn.
It was Anand who uncorked the first big surprise of the match by opening 1. d4 with his first turn with the White pieces - he was widely expected to play his more customary 1. e4. As reported on the Daily Dirt Chess Blog, Kasparov had in fact predicted that Anand would try to cross Kramnik up with 1. d4. In his match with Leko, Kramnik had apparently told a reporter that he had spent zero time preparing against the possibility of 1. d4 and was at a loss when Leko used that opening. Of course, nobody would doubt that Kramnik would not be so unprepared again but still it seems like a sound tactical decision by Vishy, and now Kramnik must be prepared for anything not just in game four, but throughout all the even numbered games.
I didn't get a deep look at today's game - it was a Nimzo Indian with 4. f3 - which was the second strong surprise. Anand has never played 4. f3 as White, and it's apparently never shown up in Kramnik's games on either side of the board.
The game developed with some interesting exchanges in the center that left isolated pawns early on for both sides - indeed there was a fascinating symmetry in the pawn structure. Kramnik sacrificed a pawn on the kingside in order to get some much needed play in his position and pressed, perhaps a little delicately, for an advantage. It seemed to me (and what do I know?) that White was holding the advantage with his extra pawn - as tentative as the material gain seemed - and the fact that Black's bishop was buried uselessly on the queenside. White also had the advantage of the bishop pair. But as they got past the 30 move mark, Anand started slipping in time, and at the point where a draw offer was made he only had a few minutes left to make several moves.
The position still seemed dynamic with chances for both sides, but in such a short match it would seem neither player had the stomach to face the uncertainies that were waiting in further play. Who can blame them?
More than ever it would seem that whoever strikes first blood in this 12-game match will have a huge advantage. If it's Kramnik who scores first, it may be an unsurmountable one, as he is known for being a very tough defender who will take no unnecessary chances. With a one-point lead, he could be a very tough nut for Anand to crack. On the other hand, Vishy scores also does very well when he is ahead.
Rest day tomorrow.

World Chess Championship Begins

Vladimir Kramnik and Vishy Anand sat across the board from each other yesterday in Bonn to commence the next stage of the struggle for World Chess Champion in the post-Kasparov age.
Yesterday's game, posted below, was a variation of the Slav Exchange defense. In this outing the Exchange pretty much lived up to its reputation as a rather dull opening which taxes neither player. This particular opening is a part of my repertoire so I was very interested to see which lines the two champions would excercise. In my preparations I spent more effort on examining 9...Qa5 10. O-O O-O and only made a note of Anand's 9...O-O, stopping after 10. Bxc6.
Having chosen such a lifeless opening with the White pieces in Game One, I would expect that Kramnik may be loaded for bear with the Black pieces, and that he will try very hard to press Anand. Of course, Kramnik is known for choosing risk free openings
in which he tortures his opponent (with boredom?) while waiting for smallest of advantages. He doesn't like to lose.

RUBINSTEIN - ALEKHINE Semmering 1926

The Russian born Alexander Alekhine was the fourth World Chess Champion, following Jose Capablanca and preceding Max Euwe. He is know for his outstanding combinational vision. Bobby Fischer said that Alekhine “played gigantic conceptions, full of outrageous and unprecedented ideas. He had great imagination; he could see more deeply into a situation than any other player in chess history.”
In My Great Predecessors, Gary Kasparov quotes Fedor Bohatirchuk, who was stranded in Genoa for a month with Alekhine in 1914:

"There was no question of being bored: I had a partner, and what partner – Alekhine! Only someone who has played this chess genius knows what a magician he was on the 64 squares of the chessboard. In his hands the pieces were transformed into living creatures, making moves that were completely unexpected to his opponents. Moreover, these surprises would strike the enemy like a bolt from the blue in any stage of the games, even when there were very few pieces remaining."

The following game, played in the Alpine village of Semmering in 1926, a year before Alekhine became World Chess Champion, features one of those “bolts from the blue” (18…Nxf2!). Alekhine’s opponent with the White pieces, Akiba Rubinstein, was a Polish master who was one of the strongest players (some would argue the strongest) who never made World Champion.


RUBINSTEIN - ALEKHINE
Semmering 1926

1. d4 Nf6
2. c4 e6
3. Nf3 b6

The Queen’s Indian Defense, which is still widely played today.

4. g3

A very common response. As White, I play 4. a3, known as Petrosian’s Variation.

4. … Bb7
5. Bg2 Bb4+
6. Nbd2 O-O
7. O-O d5
8. a3 Be7
9. b4 c5
10. bxc5 bxc5
11. dxc5 Bxc5
12. Bb2 Nbd7
13. Ne5 Nxe5
14. Bxe5 Ng4
15. Bc3 Rb8
16. Rb1

“Although this move cannot be considered a decisive mistake, it certainly facilitates the opponent’s plans.” – Alekhine
On Chessgames.com, the line 16. e3 Nxe3 17. fxe3 Bxe3+ 18. Kh1 d4, strong for Black, is looked at.

16. … d4
17. Rxb7

In light of Black’s 18th move this is clearly wrong. In his Book, “My Best Games of Chess,” Alekhine gives 17. Bb4 Bxg2 18. Kxg2 Qc7 as White’s only chance for resistance.



18. … Nxf2!

In his book “My Best Games of Chess,” Alekhine writes “By this pseudo sacrifice Black forces the win of at least a pawn with an overwhelming position. Of course, ineffective would be the immediate 18…dxc3 because of 19. Ne4, etc.”

19. Kxf2 dxc3+
20. e3 cxd2
21. Ke2 Qb8
22. Bf3 Rd8
23. Qb1 Qd6
24. a4 f5
25. Rd1 Bb4
26. Qc2 Qc5
27. Kf2 a5
28. Be2 g5
29. Bd3 f4
0-1