(1) Anand,Viswanathan - Kramnik,Vladimir [E25]
WCC Bonn (2), 15.10.2008
[Illescas,Miguel]
There was a lot of expectation about the opening moves. We can presume that Anand will start with his beloved 1.e4, but black's answer can't be easily anticipated. Will it be the solid Russian Defence? Maybe the Anti-Kasparov weapon, the Berlin wall? A respectable Caro-kann? Or a sharp sicilian? Only Kramnik knows... 1.d4 !Kind of surprise! Of course Kramnik should be ready... 1...Sf6 2.c4 e6 Main Kramnik's weapon 3.Sc3 Second surprise: in most of the games Anand was avoiding the Nimzoindia with 3.Nf3 3...Lb4 4.f3 And the third and last surprise from white. The fashion here is now 4.Qc2, "a lo Capablanca". From the very top players, only Shirov was playing this agressive approach in the 90's. Anand never had played this move before and Kramnik was never before facing it! 4...d5 5.a3 Lxc3+ 6.bxc3 c5 7.cxd5 Sxd5 Black is following the main line 8.dxc5 The last try from white. Grab the pawn and try to keep it, very much in "computer style". Practical and psychological factors may have benn taken into account by Anand when making this choice. Kramnik likes the pair of bishops, here he has to fight against them. Kramnik doesn't like to give material so early, here he is pawn down. And most important: Kramnik likes to have the initiative in the opening battle: here he may be less prepared than his opponent. Nice plan but Kramnik had something to say... 8...f5!? The second choice of strong players, a very dinamyc move which fights versus the advance e2-e4. Now it is Kramnik who is probably surprising his opponent. [The main line is 8...Da5 favourite of Karpov] 9.Dc2 Most logical, insisting on playing e4 [Another popular moves are the quiet 9.Sh3 or the agressive; 9.e4 fxe4 10.Dc2] 9...Sd7!? And here it comes the second surprise from Kramnik. This early knight move is almost a novelty. It shows how deep knowledge and understanding has Kramnik when dealing with openings. [The natural 9...0–0 ; and the bizarre 9...f4 have been tried] 10.e4 fxe4 [Seirawan was proposing 10...S5f6?! but it seems to me that after 11.exf5 0–0 12.Lf4! it becomes strategically very risky for black] 11.fxe4 S5f6 12.c6! The best chance, spoiling black's pawn structure. [12.Le3?! Sg4; 12.Sf3 Sxc5=] 12...bxc6 [Again Seirawan was claiming for active play. After 12...Sc5!? 13.e5 Sfe4 white should probably refrain from taking on b7, and after 14.Le3 0–0 15.Sf3² white is doing fine] 13.Sf3 Da5! [Much more passive was 13...Dc7 14.Ld3 0–0 15.0–0 Sg4 16.h3 Sge5 17.Sxe5 Txf1+ 18.Lxf1 Dxe5 19.Le3 Sf6 20.Ld3 and white was better in Portisch,L-Kluger,G/Budapest 1962 (25); The computer proposes 13...Sg4!? 14.Le2 0–0 and after 15.h3 Txf3!÷ the game becomes a real mess] 14.Ld2N Strictly speaking this is the new move in this game. Anand is preparing c4 to prevent the exchange of the light squared bishops. Very logical. [Worst for white was 14.Le3?! Sg4 15.Lg1 0–0³ Moehring,G-Neukirch,D/Annaberg-Buchholz 1965] 14...La6 15.c4 Dc5 White will have problems to castle. The opening battle was won by black who has an easy game. 16.Ld3 Sg4!? [Very reasonable was 16...0–0 17.Lb4 De3+ 18.De2 Dxe2+ 19.Kxe2 c5= with a good game for black.] 17.Lb4 De3+ [Black could take some risk with 17...Db6!? but Kramnik went for the most solid continuation.] 18.De2 0–0–0 This move was critiziced by Anand. [Very safe was 18...c5 19.Ld2 Dxe2+ 20.Lxe2 h6= preventing Ng5 and getting a comfortable position for black.; Anand suggested 18...Dxe2+ but after 19.Kxe2 Sge5 20.Sxe5 Sxe5 21.Ld6!? white may be slightly better even after 21...Sxd3 22.Kxd3²] 19.Dxe3 [Maybe it makes sense for white to try 19.Le7!? Tde8 20.Ld6²] 19...Sxe3 20.Kf2 Sg4+ [Of course is weak 20...Sxc4?! 21.Tac1 Sdb6 22.Lxc4 Sxc4 23.Tc2 where white gets a dangerous initiative] 21.Kg3 Sdf6? This looks a real mistake as both players admitted after the game. Black is loosing coordination. [The natural 21...Sge5= seems to hold the equality without much trouble.] 22.Lb1! Here Kramnik understood that he was overoptimistic and thought for a long time. 22...h5! The best defence! [22...Lxc4 23.e5±; 22...Se3 23.Se5±] 23.h3 h4+! The russian GM is going to play a string of precise defensive moves. [23...Sh6 24.Se5±; 23...Se3 24.Se5 Sxc4 25.Sf7±] 24.Sxh4 Se5 25.Sf3 Sh5+! 26.Kf2 Sxf3! 27.Kxf3 e5! After this active play things are not so easy for white. He needs to coordinate his queenside. 28.Tc1 [I like to give the pawn back. After 28.Lc2!? Lxc4 29.Thd1² It looks ver y promising for white, thanks to the pair of bishops and his better pawn structure.] 28...Sf4! Again Kramnik is going to find the more stubborn defence. 29.Ta2! Sd3! 30.Tc3 [White could get practical chances with 30.Lxd3!? Txd3+ 31.Kg4²] 30...Sf4 Of course black should be happy with the draw. 31.Lc2?! Ugly move. White's rook on a2 was probably very unhappy with this decission. [After 31.Tf2 Td1 32.Lc2² white is slightly better but black gets serious counterplay.] 31...Se6 [Probably stronger was 31...Th6!© keeping the white king on the center.] 32.Kg3! Good move. White king goes to a safer place and the pawn up remains. 32...Td4 a natural move which came with a powerful complement: a draw offer.Surprisingly , Anand agreed, probably worried at the clock (he had less than 3 minutes to reach the 40 moves control) or maybe dissapointed with the lack of coordination of his pieces.[32...Td4 On the press conference Anand said that after 33.c5 he couldn't see a way to make progress. Well, white is pawn up and he can try to play Rf3, Bc3, for example. It seems to me that white was still better and could go on with little risk. A demo variation: 33...Sf4 34.Te3 Th6 35.Kh2 Tg6 36.g3 Lc4 37.Tb2 Sd3 38.Lxd3 Txd3 39.Txd3 Lxd3 40.Lc3 Te6 41.Tb4 and white is undoubtely pressing] ½–½
WCC Bonn (2), 15.10.2008
[Illescas,Miguel]
There was a lot of expectation about the opening moves. We can presume that Anand will start with his beloved 1.e4, but black's answer can't be easily anticipated. Will it be the solid Russian Defence? Maybe the Anti-Kasparov weapon, the Berlin wall? A respectable Caro-kann? Or a sharp sicilian? Only Kramnik knows... 1.d4 !Kind of surprise! Of course Kramnik should be ready... 1...Sf6 2.c4 e6 Main Kramnik's weapon 3.Sc3 Second surprise: in most of the games Anand was avoiding the Nimzoindia with 3.Nf3 3...Lb4 4.f3 And the third and last surprise from white. The fashion here is now 4.Qc2, "a lo Capablanca". From the very top players, only Shirov was playing this agressive approach in the 90's. Anand never had played this move before and Kramnik was never before facing it! 4...d5 5.a3 Lxc3+ 6.bxc3 c5 7.cxd5 Sxd5 Black is following the main line 8.dxc5 The last try from white. Grab the pawn and try to keep it, very much in "computer style". Practical and psychological factors may have benn taken into account by Anand when making this choice. Kramnik likes the pair of bishops, here he has to fight against them. Kramnik doesn't like to give material so early, here he is pawn down. And most important: Kramnik likes to have the initiative in the opening battle: here he may be less prepared than his opponent. Nice plan but Kramnik had something to say... 8...f5!? The second choice of strong players, a very dinamyc move which fights versus the advance e2-e4. Now it is Kramnik who is probably surprising his opponent. [The main line is 8...Da5 favourite of Karpov] 9.Dc2 Most logical, insisting on playing e4 [Another popular moves are the quiet 9.Sh3 or the agressive; 9.e4 fxe4 10.Dc2] 9...Sd7!? And here it comes the second surprise from Kramnik. This early knight move is almost a novelty. It shows how deep knowledge and understanding has Kramnik when dealing with openings. [The natural 9...0–0 ; and the bizarre 9...f4 have been tried] 10.e4 fxe4 [Seirawan was proposing 10...S5f6?! but it seems to me that after 11.exf5 0–0 12.Lf4! it becomes strategically very risky for black] 11.fxe4 S5f6 12.c6! The best chance, spoiling black's pawn structure. [12.Le3?! Sg4; 12.Sf3 Sxc5=] 12...bxc6 [Again Seirawan was claiming for active play. After 12...Sc5!? 13.e5 Sfe4 white should probably refrain from taking on b7, and after 14.Le3 0–0 15.Sf3² white is doing fine] 13.Sf3 Da5! [Much more passive was 13...Dc7 14.Ld3 0–0 15.0–0 Sg4 16.h3 Sge5 17.Sxe5 Txf1+ 18.Lxf1 Dxe5 19.Le3 Sf6 20.Ld3 and white was better in Portisch,L-Kluger,G/Budapest 1962 (25); The computer proposes 13...Sg4!? 14.Le2 0–0 and after 15.h3 Txf3!÷ the game becomes a real mess] 14.Ld2N Strictly speaking this is the new move in this game. Anand is preparing c4 to prevent the exchange of the light squared bishops. Very logical. [Worst for white was 14.Le3?! Sg4 15.Lg1 0–0³ Moehring,G-Neukirch,D/Annaberg-Buchholz 1965] 14...La6 15.c4 Dc5 White will have problems to castle. The opening battle was won by black who has an easy game. 16.Ld3 Sg4!? [Very reasonable was 16...0–0 17.Lb4 De3+ 18.De2 Dxe2+ 19.Kxe2 c5= with a good game for black.] 17.Lb4 De3+ [Black could take some risk with 17...Db6!? but Kramnik went for the most solid continuation.] 18.De2 0–0–0 This move was critiziced by Anand. [Very safe was 18...c5 19.Ld2 Dxe2+ 20.Lxe2 h6= preventing Ng5 and getting a comfortable position for black.; Anand suggested 18...Dxe2+ but after 19.Kxe2 Sge5 20.Sxe5 Sxe5 21.Ld6!? white may be slightly better even after 21...Sxd3 22.Kxd3²] 19.Dxe3 [Maybe it makes sense for white to try 19.Le7!? Tde8 20.Ld6²] 19...Sxe3 20.Kf2 Sg4+ [Of course is weak 20...Sxc4?! 21.Tac1 Sdb6 22.Lxc4 Sxc4 23.Tc2 where white gets a dangerous initiative] 21.Kg3 Sdf6? This looks a real mistake as both players admitted after the game. Black is loosing coordination. [The natural 21...Sge5= seems to hold the equality without much trouble.] 22.Lb1! Here Kramnik understood that he was overoptimistic and thought for a long time. 22...h5! The best defence! [22...Lxc4 23.e5±; 22...Se3 23.Se5±] 23.h3 h4+! The russian GM is going to play a string of precise defensive moves. [23...Sh6 24.Se5±; 23...Se3 24.Se5 Sxc4 25.Sf7±] 24.Sxh4 Se5 25.Sf3 Sh5+! 26.Kf2 Sxf3! 27.Kxf3 e5! After this active play things are not so easy for white. He needs to coordinate his queenside. 28.Tc1 [I like to give the pawn back. After 28.Lc2!? Lxc4 29.Thd1² It looks ver y promising for white, thanks to the pair of bishops and his better pawn structure.] 28...Sf4! Again Kramnik is going to find the more stubborn defence. 29.Ta2! Sd3! 30.Tc3 [White could get practical chances with 30.Lxd3!? Txd3+ 31.Kg4²] 30...Sf4 Of course black should be happy with the draw. 31.Lc2?! Ugly move. White's rook on a2 was probably very unhappy with this decission. [After 31.Tf2 Td1 32.Lc2² white is slightly better but black gets serious counterplay.] 31...Se6 [Probably stronger was 31...Th6!© keeping the white king on the center.] 32.Kg3! Good move. White king goes to a safer place and the pawn up remains. 32...Td4 a natural move which came with a powerful complement: a draw offer.Surprisingly , Anand agreed, probably worried at the clock (he had less than 3 minutes to reach the 40 moves control) or maybe dissapointed with the lack of coordination of his pieces.[32...Td4 On the press conference Anand said that after 33.c5 he couldn't see a way to make progress. Well, white is pawn up and he can try to play Rf3, Bc3, for example. It seems to me that white was still better and could go on with little risk. A demo variation: 33...Sf4 34.Te3 Th6 35.Kh2 Tg6 36.g3 Lc4 37.Tb2 Sd3 38.Lxd3 Txd3 39.Txd3 Lxd3 40.Lc3 Te6 41.Tb4 and white is undoubtely pressing] ½–½
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