Kramnik: My Life & games

KRAmy life NIK & gam es scanned, cleaned, and processed by

TEKENDAMA

by Vladimir Kramnik & lakov Damsky

translated and edited by Ken Neat

EVERYMAN CHESS Published by Everyman Publishers pic. London

First published in 2000 by Everyman Publishers pic,formerly Cadogan Books pic,Gloucester Mansions, 140A Shaftesbury Avenue,London WC2H 8HD. English Translation Copyright © 2000 Ken Neat Reprinted 2000, 2001 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means: electronic, electrostatic,magnetic tape,mechanical,photocopying,recording or otherwise, without prior permission in writing from the publishers.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 1 85744 270 9

Distributed in North America b y The Globe Pequot Press,P.O Box 480,246 Goose Lane,Guilford,CT 0643 7-0480 All other sales enquiries should be directed to Everyman Chess,Gloucester Mansions, 140A Shaftesbury Avenue,London WC2H 8HD tel: 020 75 3 9 7600

fax: 020 73 79 4060

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website: http://www.everyman.uk.com

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EVERYMAN CHESS SERIES (formerly Cadogan Chess) Chief Advisor: Garry Kasparov Advisory Panel: Byron Jacobs and Andrew Kinsman Russian Series Editor: Ken Neat Typeset by Ken Neat,Durham Printed in Great Britain by The Bath Press, Bath

Contents Authors' Foreword

4

Acknowledgements

4

An Unusual Childhood

5

A Vertical Take-ofT

21

The Spirit of the Time

95

Selected Games

126

Breakthrough

126

Attack

15 6

Positional Play

176

Complicated Battles

2 12

Victories in the Opening

244

From the Opening into the Endgame

25 4

Postscript

268

Vladimir Kramnik' s Career

269

Index of Opponents

27 1

Index of Openings

272

Authors' Foreword The great satirists I lya Ilf and Evgeny Petrov explained in detail how to write a book together. Alas. their experience as well as that of other 'ducts ' - from the Goncourt brothers to the Weiner brothers - was not used this time. There were no quarrels, no arguments. and not even any drawing of lots, except that the author-grandmaster resolutely crossed out the paragraphs in which the author-master tried to praise him excessively . . Iakvv Damsky wrote the biographical chapters of the book and the introductions to those selected games where another author is not indicated. Vladimir Kramnik annotated the selected games, analysed some of the other games included. and the rest will be evident from the text . The co-authors would like to hope and trust that the book will be enj oyed by chess­ loving readers, and that it will be both useful and interesting to them .

Acknowledgements The translator gratefu lly acknowledges the assistance of: Vladimir Krupchitsky. for the transmission of material from Moscow, Olga Zabotkina. for resolving certain problems in translation, and Andrew Kinsman. for proof-reading and additional editorial work.

An Unusual Childhood IT SEEMS TO M E that his birth was foretold long before it actually occurred . In the spring of 1 970, Belgrade, full of warmth and light, received aiL without exception, the best chess players in the world: in progress was the first match in the history of sport - and not only of chess - between one national team and a team from the entire rest of the world. ' US S R­ World' - these two words hung above the enormous Trades Union Palace, and cried out from thousands of posters in the streets, in the parks, and on the embank­ ments of the Sava and the Danube. The grandmasters were unable to stick their noses out of their hotel : a solid ring of fans would appear instantly and would grow with every second . . . Only, all this was fil led with so much love for chess and for chess players, there was such a genuine interest in every approach and every question, that the participants simply could not sweep aside the stream of universal interest and atten­ tion . The taciturn Yefim Geller and the introvert Mikhail Botvinnik readily entered into conversations, and even Bobby Fischer gave the first and last interview in his life to a special correspondent of Soviet Television. ' Your team will be the strongest for a long time, but a future world champion can be born anywhere, and even there. where chess is not played at all . ' - I can hear these words on an old. dried-out. black and white cine-film which is still kept in my archives . . . Of course, in the first instance Bobby had himself in mind, although it is difficult to recognise his native New York as that comer of the earth where chess is not played seriously . On the other hand, this definition - and without any stretching - is applicable to Tuapse· quiet, even sleepy in winter, but in summer

a flourishing resort; it was one of the most southerly towns on the B lack Sea coast of the Soviet Union and is now the most southerly on the territory of the modem Russian state. Even in the high season it lacked the pride, arrogance and noisy bustle of Sochi, which was favoured by the authorities and therefore had become rich; it lived its own life. not for show but for its own sake. And now imagine an ordinary, quite modem block, in one of the flats of which the father is an artist and sculptor who is well known in his circle and throughout the Krasnodar Region, and whose works are exhibited. The mother is a music teacher, and in tune with studies played by children, in the home there is that special harmony that always lifts you up one step above the everyday existence. There are also two boys in the fami ly, initially small and thin, always ready to jump virtually from the window into the sea that from June till October is warm and soft . . . No one in the house, or indeed in the town, played chess professionally. But an intellectual family, naturally, had a chess set, and one day the father showed his younger son the moves, explained a few things, and over the course of several evenings played perhaps a couple of dozen games with him. It must have been providence that urged him to do this - the seeds could not have fal len on more fruitful soil. His son was only four at the time, but something in this magic game suddenly excited him much more than the other games and pursuits of childhood . . . Of course, some elements of a child's perception of the world were stored in Vladimir Krarnn i k's memory, but . . . At the age of five he was already attending the town ' s House of Pioneers, where the chess club was run by the only 'chess

6

Kramnik: my life and games

professional ' in Tuapse. He held first category rating, and his understanding of chess corresponded to this leveL but he loved his work and he was able to captivate the boys in his group . When Vladimir was in the third year at schooL he won the adu lt championship of the town and - as a local celebrity became the centre of attention. No, it did not bring him any indulgences at schooL not that he needed them . I ncidentally, Vladimir did not receive a gold medal after finishing school, but only because he did not take his final exams: at the time he was playing in the World Junior Championship . But in chess . . . The seven-year-old( I) first category player was helped for a year or two by much more experienced men­ tors : master players Orest Averkin, who in his time had seconded Lev Polugayevsky during his battle for the world crown, and Alexey Osachuk . And he himself was growing rapidly - both phys ically, and in the figurative sense . He was playing only in the Krasnodar Region, since there was not yet the opportunity to travel further, but at the regional championships he managed to collect all the necessary points like nuts from a tree, and at the age of I I he left the legion of first category players and was awarded the title of candidate master. And a little later, in the famous school of Mikhai l Botvinnik. when he stood by the demonstration board his head already reached the eighth rank his height, like his play, was becoming .extra­ ordinary . . . But first try to imagine the chess level of a nine-year-old boy who is not yet fami liar with theory - sometimes his knowledge extends only to the initial 6-8 moves, and in by no means all the openings, but who has already learned \... ithout assistance to look for - and find I - plans, and to regroup the pieces so that they work towards a common goal . The'signs of a perfect chess pitch are already evident here.

No. 1 Oganian-Kram nik Belorechensk J 98.+

Sicil ian Defence This was the Junior Championship of the Krasnodar Region with an age ' ceiling' of 1 6 . Kramnik, naturally, was the youngest competitor, a role which he became accus­ tomed to playing for some 1 0- 1 2 years . Another current grandmaster, Sergey Tiviakov, was two years older. but it was they, the youngest among the young, who won this championship . However, before this game from the last round it was Oganian who was leading. Only victory over him wou ld change the situation in the tournament table, and this had to be done with the black pieces . . . 1 e4 c5 2ltJf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ltJxd4 ltJc6 5 ltJc3 d6 6 .lie3ltJf6 7 .lic4 a6 8 iLb3l1fc7 9 'ife2 .lie7 lO 0-0-0 .lid7 1 1 f3 ltJa5 1 2 g4 ltJxb3+ 1 3 ltJxb3 .lic6 1 4 g5 ltJd7 1 5 : hfl b5 1 6 a3 :b8 1 7 f4 b4 1 8 axb4 '::'x b4 1 9 l::t d4 a5 20 lHdl 0-0 21 f5 ltJc5 22 f6 ltJxb3+ 23 cxb3 gxf6 24 gxf6 iLxf6 25 iLh6 h8 ! 26 .lixfS : xd4 27 :gl iLxe4 28 h4 : b4 29 lIfd2 : xb3 30 .lixd6 'ifb6 31 : g4 1 hc3+ 0- 1 This game had been preceded in the penultimate round by the following battle.

No.2 Kram nik-Serdyukov Belorechensk J 98.+

Sicilian Defence

1 e4 c5 2ltJf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4ltJxd4 ltJf6 5 ltJc3 g6 6 .lie3 .lig7 7 f3 0-0 8 iLc4 ltJc6 9 lIfd2 .lid7 1 0 0-0-0 l:t c8 1 1 .lib3 ltJe5 1 2 h4 h5 At this point White ' s theoretical know­ ledge in the Sicilian Dragon Variation was exhausted, and he had to begin thinking at the board. 1 3 iLh6 .lixh6 1 4 lIfxh6 l hc3 1 5 bxc3 "a5 16 ltJe2 : c8 1 7 b l .lib5 18 ltJd4 .lia4

7

An unusual childhood

1 9 ttJe6 fxe6 20 ii.xe6+ ttJn 2 1 'itxg6+ ..th8 22 ii.xe8 'ifxc3 23 e5 'i!lb4+ 24 �e l 'l'a3+ 25 �d2 'i!lb4+ 26 �e2 ii.b5+ 2 7 �f2 'i'e5+ 2 8 �g3 'i!lxe5+ 29 �h3 ttJd5 30 l:hd5 'i!lxd5 3 1 .lte6 1-0

Talking about his first steps in chess and looking through on a computer the games from his childhood - of those that have been retained - Kramnik remembered situations. which at the time seemed to him especially significant . The first tournament when he had to travel from his native town: perhaps not very far. a few dozen kilometres. but even so - not at home. and accompanied by his father. His first win over a grandmaster: even if it was in a simultaneous display (fate determined the victim to be Alexander Panchenko. one of the founders of the Chelyabinsk school of young players. wel l known throughout the country. and he merely looked in per­ plexity at his ten-year-old opponent, not attaching. however . any significance to the fact that he had lost). Finally. his first win in a serious tournament game against a master: in Soviet chess it was very rare for a first category player to achieve this . . . No. 3 Remezov-Kramnik Krasnodar 1985

9 0-0 a6 1 0 f4 'ite 7 1 1 f5 ttJxd4 1 2 �xd4 ii.d7 1 3 'itf3 b5 1 4 a3 ::tab8 1 5 fxe6 fxe6 1 6 Wh3 We8 1 7 Wg3 'it>h8 1 8 e5 dxe5 1 9 1IIxe5 We6 2 0 ::'ae 1 �d6 2 1 "g5 h 6 22 'ifh4 e5 ! 23 ii.xe5 ii.xe5 24 ::'xe5 ttJg4 25 l:eel 1IIe 5+ 26 'iifh l ttJf2+ 2 7 l:hf2 'ifxf2 28 'ifxf2 l:xf2 29 �g l l:b18 30 ttJe4 1:2f4 3 1 ttJe5 ii.e8 32 ii.a2 a5 33 ttJd3 l:I.4f6 34 e4 ii.f5 35 ttJe5 b4 36 axb4 axb4 37 e5 �h7 38 g3 g5 39 �g2 l:d8 40 Ji.e4 l:td2+ 41 �f3 ::'xb2 42 �e3 :te2 43 :1al �g7 44 1:a7+ �18 45 �d4 .::td 2+ 46 �e3 l:d l 47 : a8+ �e7 48 .::ta 7+ 'iitd 8 49 e6 :te l 50 �d4 b3 51 Ji.xb3 :td6+ 52 ..te3 l:I.el + 0-1

· Volodya remembered the following game. for the additional reason that . . . he himself liked it : in particular, without knowing the theory, he found the correct manoeuvre of his bishop from d7 to b 7 . . . No. 4

Zaitsev-Kramnik Team Tournament Slavyansk 1986

Sici lian Defence 1 e4 e5 2 ttJf3 e6 3 d4 exd4 4 ttJxd4 ttJe6 5 ttJe3 d6 6 �e3 ttJf6 7 Ji.e2 �e7 8 0--0 0-0 9 f4 a6 1 0 Ji.f3 1IIe 7 1 1 "d2 �d7 1 2 ttJb3 llab8 1 3 a4 b6 1 4 :tfd l l:I.fd8 1 5 "e2 �e8 1 6 1IIe 4 �b7 1 7 f5 "d7 ! 1 8 fxe6 fxe6 1 9 Ji.xb6 ttJe5 20 'i'e2 : 18 2 1 as g5 ! ? 2 2 h3 ttJxf3+ 23 gxf3 e5 24 Wg2 "e6 25 ttJe2 d5 26 ttJg3 l:be8 2 7 ttJf5 �h8 28 ttJxe7 'ifxe7 29 :te l dxe4 30 fxe4 :e4 31 ttJd2 :xe2 32 .::ta el Ji.xe4 33 "'e2 :fe8 34 .:ted l g4 ! 35 h4 �f3 36 "xa6 �xd l 37 l:I.xd l "d7 38 'ife2 'ifd5 39 Wf2 ttJe4 40 "f5 :te l 41 �h2 l:I.g8 42 ttJxe4 l:I.xd l 43 "f6+ .::tg 7 44 "18+ 1IIg8 45 "f6 "a8 46 'itxe5 g3+ 47 cJi>g2 l:I.e l 48 �f3 "18+ 49 'i!lf4 .::to + 0-1

After this game wins over masters were no longer unusual .

Sicilian Defence 1 e4 e5 2 ttJf3 e6 3 d4 exd4 4 ttJxd4 ttJe6 5

ttJc3 d6 6 Ji.e3 ii.e7 7 ii.e4 ttJf6 8 ii.b3 0-0

A diminutive form of Vladimir - (trans­ lator' s note) . •

Kramnik: my life and games

8

No.5 Kram nik-Zhukov Belorechensk 1986

Sicilian Defence

1 e4 eS 2 lOO e6 3 d4 exd4 4 lOxd4 a6 S lOe3 bS 6 �d3 �b7 7 0--0 d6 8 a3 lOf6 9 �hl �e7 1 0 'Wet 'jje 7 1 1 f4 lObd7 1 2 lOO eS 1 3 �d2 0--0 1 4 fxeS dxeS I SlOh4 g6 1 6 �h6 l:fe8 1 7 lOfS �18 1 8 W'g3 �xh6 1 9lOxh6+ �g7 20 'WgS :18 2 1 :0 lOhS 22 lOfS+ �h8 23 :h3 f6 24 'ifh6 lOeS 2S lOh4 �g8 26 lOxg6 hxg6 27 'ii'x g6+ lOg7 28 �e2 lOee6 29 'Wh7+ �f7 30 �hS+ �e7 3 1 .:tg3 l:g8 32 : 0 :a18 33 :tg6 'We4 34 �e2 W'd4 3S �g4 fS 36 �xfS �e8 37 :tdl -. f2 38 :txe6+ 1-0 Victory in his first USSR Boys ' Cham­ pionship again depended on the final game : No. 6 Shilov-Kramnik Baku 1987

Sicil ian Defence

1 e4 eS 2lOOlOe6 3 d4 exd4 4lOxd4lOf6 S lOe3 eS 6 lOdbS d6 7 �gS a6 8 lOa3 bS 9 �xf6 gxf6 10lOd5 f5 1 1 e3 fxe4? A well-known mistake, that was as yet . . . unknown to a 1 2-year-old youth, who within three hours was to become the champion of the greatest chess country in the world. 12 �xbS �d7 13 �a4 �g7 14 lOe4 0--0 1 5 lOeb6 :a7 1 6 lOxd7 'i'xd7 1 7 lOb4 lOxb4 1 8 �xd7 lOd3+ 1 9 �O lhd7 20 W'e2 fS The two pieces cannot compensate for the sacrificed queen, but Black does have some play . In addition, it seems White was already sure that he was winning . . . 2 1 :tdl d5 22 ::'xd3 exd3 23 'Wxd3 :d6 24 �e2 e4 2S 'i'd f4 26 0 .:tg6 27 :tgl �h8 28 'iib 3 d4 29 exd4 �xd4 30 'i'b4 :td8 31 'We7 :tdg8 32 :te1 :txg2+ 33 �dl exO 34 'Wd7 �e3 35 :txe3 fxe3 36 'Wd4+ :t2g7 37 'Wxe3 f2 0-- 1

And one more thing - he learned to work a great deal . Alone . ' Of course, I was not yet good enough to be a master, but I had sharply improved. Only there was always a lack of purposefulness, given the wide range of positions being examined' this was his own admission and self­ assessment. From it one can trace that parabola of eternal inner dissatisfaction, along which even now grandmaster Kramnik, one of the best today, and, quite possibly, simply the best - tomorrow, is movIng. Strictly speaking, any skill, including chess, is not dependent on time. It may exist outside of a concrete space and not under the oppressive control of the calendar. In no way can it be urged, pushed to one side, held or accelerated. Only, it is hard to agree with this, and Vladimir' s chess fate is confirmation: ' In general, it was through a fortunate accident that I ended up at the Botvinnik­ Kasparov school . In Tuapse there was a great chess enthusiast, who was not an expert and could not assess my capa­ bilities, but who was a fan of mine. With­ out informing my parents or, of course, me, he wrote to Botvinnik telling him about me, an I l -year-old candidate master. Botvinnik probably received hundreds of such letters, and 98 out of every 1 00 would be not worth bothering with. But this one he did not tear up, did not throw in the bin, but he replied and requested that some of my games should be sent. Among them were these . . . ·

No. 7 Kramnik-Chumaehenko Gelendzhik 1987

Sicilian Defence

1 e4 e5 2 f4 b6 3 e4 �b7 4 l2Je3 e6 5 l2J0 d6 6 d4 exd4 7 lOxd4 l2Jf6 8 �d3 lObd7 9 'We2 �e7 1 0 0--0 0--0 1 1 �hl 'We7 1 2 fS e5 1 3 l2JdbS 'Wd8 1 4 l2Jd5 lOxdS 1 5 exdS a6 16 lOe3 �f6 1 7 �e3 :te8 18 l2Je4 lOe5

An unusual childhood 1 9 .:i.xc5 bxc5 20 �d2 : b8 2 1 a3 a5 22 g4 h6

X .i.

if

z. "

, .i. , ,�,� , � ttJ � � � � 'if � : � : 23 h4 ! .:ixh4 24 f6 .:ic8 25 1Wh2 :b3 26 .:i.c2 :1xb2 2 7 �xh4 ::'xc2 28 g5 1Wd7 29 fxg7 'ii'h 3+ 30 �xh3 Axh3 3 1 gxf8�+ �xf8 32 l:f2 1 -0

NO . 8 Kram nik-M ayorov Gelendzhik

French Defence 1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 tUc3 lLlf6 4 J..g5 .:ib4 5 ttJge2 dxe4 6 a3 .:ie7 7 .:ixf6 gxf6 8 tUxe4 f5 9 tU4c3 b6 1 0 g3 .:ib 7 1 1 d5 exd5 1 2 .tg2 c6 1 3 �d3 .:ic8 1 4 0-0-0 Vi'd6 1 5 ttJd4 f4 1 6 :hel .:i.e6 1 7 tUf5 .:ixf5 1 8 'i'xf50-0

Z4i , " �

Xe

.i. , 'if ,

,

'if ,

� ttJ ��� �� �::

19 .:i.xd5 'i'f6 20 .:i.e4 'ii'x f5 2 1 .:i.xf5 ,j,g5 22 h4 .:ih6 23 g4 f6 24 tUe4 Jt.g7 25 .!ld6 as 26 :ed l a4 2 7 f3 h6 28 :l d4 �ti

9

29 %:td8 :a7 30 tUd6+ �g8 31 .:i.e6+ �h7 32 lLlf5 tUa6 33 l:4d7 :xd8 34 :xa7 1 -0

' Botvinnik looked through about five games from the cleven that had been sent to him. and said: "We must definitely admit this boy" . His colleagues obj ected: "Why hurry. Mikhai l Moiseevich, let ' s have a look at the other games . too . " "Of course we ' l l look at them, , answered Botvinnik, "but all the same we will take Kramnik . ·' That is the version in which I heard this pleasant "legend". I don't know what it was that made an impression on him. perhaps it was my readiness at such an early age to play any positions, even very quiet ones, or to transpose into equal or even sl ightly inferior endings . Most of the books that came my way at that time were on the endgame, and my very first book was a games collection of Anatoly Karpov. On the whole I was attracted by positional play with some tactics, and already then I was aiming for universality. 'At that time the Botvinnik-Kasparov school was something special . The most talented pupi ls from all over the country were invited there. Among the trainees were Svidler, Rublevsky, Shirov, Akopian . . . During my very first session in Druskininkai in 1 98 7 I felt shy, I was afraid of being left outside the circle of other pupils. and that I wou ld be weaker than the others . In fact I was somewhere in the middle of that group. Did I sense contradictions in the perception of chess at the sessions led by Kasparov, after reading Karpov ' s book? Yes, of course. They played in a comp letely different manner then. but both were extremely strong. At that time I was only beginning to under­ stand, or rather even to sense, why this happened. This contradiction taught me to look at many chess problems in as broad a way as possible. ' During the session Kramnik played a compulsory mini-match with an exper­ ienced and strong master - today he is a grandmaster from . . . Israel !

Kramnik: my life and games

10

No. 9 B.Alterman-Kram nik Dmskininkai 1 98 7 English Opening

1 d4 ttJf6 2 ttJf3 c5 3 c4 e6 4 ttJc3 cxd4 5 ttJxd4 a6 6 g3 'iii' c 7 7 'i'd3 ttJc6 8 ttJxc6 dxc6 9 �g2 �e7 10 �O �O 1 1 h3 e5 1 2 �e3 �e6 1 3 b 3 ttJd7 1 4 tZJe4 h6 1 5 g4 :ad8 1 6 �c3 :fe8 1 7 :tadl ttJf8 1 8 ttJc5 ii.c8 1 9 ttJa4 ':xdl 20 ..:!.xdl ttJg6 2 1 kb6 �b8 22 e3 �e6 23 ii'd3 'i'c8 24 ttJc5 �xc5 25 �xc5 ttJh4 26 �e4

I.

.� il i i i 1. :;1 � I [s& [s � [s [s �[s [s [s 1: � 'jV

26 ... h5 27 f3 g6 28 �f2 f5 29 gxf5 gxf5 30 ..:!.gl + �f7 3 1 'iii' c3 ttJg6 32 ii.c2 �d8 33 'iii'e l 'i'h4+ 34 ':g3 :tg8 35 �g2 f4 �1 Three years later, at one of the last sessions of the school - where what Krarnn i k found most interesting was the very manner of thinking of the young World Champion Garry Kasparov, dis­ cussing with Mikhail Moiseevich the games of their young pupils, the course of his thoughts, and his reaction to the fluctuations of fortune - the usual mini­ match took place . . .

No. 1 0 Kramnik-Belikov Russia 1 990 Sicil ian Defence

1 e4 c5 2 ttJf3 ttJc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ttJxd4 ttJf6 5 ttJc3 d6 6 J.e2 e6 7 ii.e3 �e7 8 �O a6 9

f4 �c7 1 0 a4 �O 1 1 'lithl l:e8 1 2 �gl �d7 13 ttJb3 b6 14 ii.f3 :t ab8 15 'ile2 �c8 16 'iWc4 �d8 1 7 e5 d5 18 'ii'e 2 ttJd7 19 ttJd4 ttJxd4 20 il.xd4 �e7 21 ttJd l �c5 22 c3 b5 23 axb5 l:xb5 24 il.xc5 tLlxc5 25 b4 ttJd7 26 'ii' d 2 ttJb6 27 ttJe3 �b7 28 �e2 ttJc4 29 �xc4 dxc4 30 :fdl a5 3 1 bxa5 1:ha5 3 2 l:ha5 'ii' x a5 3 3 tLlxc4 'ii a4 34 ttJd6 l:.d8 35 c4 �c6 36 :bl :a8 37 h3 h5 38 �h2 g6 39 :b6 �g7 40 f5 exf5 4 1 'ii'g5 1-0 As you wil l understand, all this (and his principled unwillingness to comment on his early games, also) is Kramnik . Only not today' s 'wise 24-year-old ' , but the 1 8year-old Krarnn i k ! He may have been an Olympiad champion in the Russian nation­ al team and a much sought-after participant in the most prestigious tournaments in the world, but he was still only a youth, who had not yet even reached the official age when one can vote. A youth who was able to think wel l in advance of his years . In truth, he did not have a childhood : when he was eight or nine years old, while not even realising the power of his talent, he already definitely knew that his whole life would be devoted to professional chess . And this despite the fact that, out of all the components of the game, unlike his great teachers, Botvinnik and Kasparov, he was least attracted by the struggle. Except perhaps in certain games and with quite specific opponents . . , A person who has found his strength in something always has aspirations, which sometimes appear like an avalanche . He can aspire to different things : to power, to adventures, to stonny passions, to research. Finally, to discover his real self. To work out that code of unwritten laws by which he wants to l ive and by which it is worth living. This is not granted to everyone. But it is my deep conviction that Krarnn i k, with his absolute abhorrence of dictator­ ship and with his slight lack of strong competitive ambition, derives enonnous pleasure from trying to discover his real

An unusual childhood self. What about other things ') ' When I learned that 1 had become number one in the rating l ist. 1 was happy . For about 1 5 minutes . Then the TV news started and . . v,'hen you watch the news in Russia. happiness disappears . And then you realise that there are higher goals than to be N o . 1 . in the Elo l ist . To this quotation by Kramnik 1 can onl\ add that I know some very. very famous grandmasters. for whom a place in the top ten in the rating list intoxicated them for six whole months . . . And a few more confessions that directly or indi rectly give you an idea of Kranmik . . . ' Relations with peop le with whom you compete depend on how each individual perceives that sphere of activity in which we are engaged . For me personal ly. it is very much separated - chess and l i fe itself. I have many friends i n the chess world. but it is very difficult to be really friendly with those for whom the two are combined and for whom compet ition at the chess board is impossible without competition in life For me this is possible. and I separate these notions very clearl y . And there are a number of players who thi nk the same as I do. ' '1 simply have no time for any particular interests apart from ches s . I am the sort of person who wants more than he can manage. and this is why I will always be . short of time . '1 cannot work on chess in the metro or the trolley-bus. or when the telephone is ringing every half an hour. I need complete sol itude . That is way 1 stay up late after midnight . At about one o' clock my head becomes very clear and I can think especially wel l . But I also usually get up late. In the chess world I think that they are all "night owls". Or nearly al l . ' 'When I was a chi ld I l i ked the games of Capablanca. and later I was captivated by Alekhine's play . For a long time my favourite player was Fi scher. who was twenty years ahead of his time . He played

II

in the 70s as they play now. at the end of the century . That impressed me most of all . Nowadays 1 enj oy analys ing the games of Vas i ly Smys lov. Prioriti es in l i fe are constantly changi ng. and at different levels . of chess development new interests arise . ' In the current FIDE World Champion­ ship. on the knock-out system. weaker players have good chances . Those. who in a long match wou l d practically have no chance. here may creep through. ' ' When I have the chance. 1 like to play tennis. or in winter to go ski ing. But in spring or autumn. when 1 can ' t find a court or a football pitch and suitable company. I go runn i ng . A lthough I don 't enj oy it and it is very hard work. 1 must somehow keep i n shape . On t h e whole. t h e l i fe o f a chess professional is not as easy as it appears at first sight . One needs to devote some ten hours a day to chess and to eve!)1hi ng connected with it physical and psychological preparation. Lately 1 have had great difficu lty in forcing myself outside and running for about 20 minutes . . Psychological training mainly means conditioning myself before a tournament for at least two weeks of combat . These are ,veeks of constant. intense pressure. day and night . Because of this all chess players have prob lems in sleeping. When you sleep for only 3 -4 hours a night. your results deteriorate i mmediately. And when I ,vas younger it often happened that by the end of a tournament I was exhausted. ' There are also other aspects. such as spec ial preparations for each i ndividual opponent. . As regards "computer preparation" . . . Unfortunately. things have become much harder . Now. along with creative work. one has to do work that is purely techn ical . Eve!)' month I have to look through some ten thousand games. so as not to miss any new ideas and trends . It is very hard techn ical work. and I spend 3 -4 days a month on it . I much prefer creating new ideas'-

Kramnik: my life and games

12

,It is important in l i fe to retain some sort of balance. Perhaps. in order to achieve the goal of becoming world champion, it is better to devote oneself entirely to chess . But I am a different kind of person . I like life in all its manifestations, and it is very hard for me to restrict myself to chess alone . 'When I am at a tournament I do practically nothi ng apart from chess . But betvveen tournaments I rest . Although lately the l ife of a chess player has intensified, and therefore one has to be more professional . To rest less and to restrict oneself more . I have many "diversions", however. I like simply to go out into the town, walk about. and visit a bar or restaurant . ' There was a period in my life when for a couple of years I moved from one place to another. I lived on my own. and used to cook for myself. It is clear that in this my standard is not very high . I l ived mostly on sandwiches and on what I cooked myself. Now at last I have an opportunity to eat normal ly I I like del icac ies, but on the whole I am not fussy about what I eat . ' (Here. I think, it i s absolutely necessary to mention one more small. but rather colourful detai l . From that period. when he was living away from his family and had very little money. there originated a phrase which is still in the vocabulary of Vladi mir and his chess friends who sometimes keep him company - ' Kramn i k ' s soup ' . When it got to the point that it was unbearable to live on sandwiches and he wanted terribly to have something hot. anything that came to hand wou ld be thrown i nto a pan : ti nned meat. sausages, and even . . . cheese ! On one occasion. sitting at a table with good food. Kramnik even mentioned that to this day he remembers the special taste of that soup . . . ) * * *

Wel l. now we have a reason for retu rning to that time when. as a very gi fted teen­ ager. who displayed great prom ise and was

rather gent le. Kramnik step by step, but extremely swiftly. began his ascent i nto the chess e l ite. He easily passed though the master stage. which becomes the fi nal achievement for many talented players. and soon acqu i red a high Elo rating that was the envy of many grandmasters . He played a great deal : in j u nior tournaments, and more rarely with adults . But the young players he met - who were 2. 3 , 4. and sometimes 5 -6 years his senior - were so ski l led that he couldn ' t want for more : he cou ld learn much from them and by playing against them l Today every chess fan knows their names, but then . . . By the time he vvas 1 8 . Alexey Shirov, a pupil though not always an obedient one - of the great Mikhai l Tal. had become a grand­ master, known throughout the world. Clearly heading for this title were the Leningrad masters Peter Svidler and Konstantin -Sakaev (the latter, having an age advantage. which is espec ially per­ ceptible during the period of growth. once . blocked ' littl e ' Kramnik s way to the World Under- 1 6 Championship). Vladimir Akop ian from Yerevan, Kramn i k ' s neigh­ bour from the Krasnodar Region Sergey Tiviakov. etc . etc . He had to fight to break though their l i nes, because the seem ingly never-ending well of the Soviet Chess School had not yet dried up. and there were plenty of candidates for every place ' i n the sun· . . . NO . l l

Kram nik-Rublevsky USS'R Junior rhampionship

Pinsk 1 989 Sicil ian Defence

1 e4 c5 2 f4 g6 3 lLlf3 �g7 4 lLlc3 lLlc6 5 .li.b5 lLld4 6 0-0 lLlxb5 7 lLlxb5 lLlf6 8 lLlc3 d6 9 d3 0-0 1 0 'ifel e6 1 1 � h l b6 1 2 'ii h4 lLld7 1 3 'ii g3 f5 14 .li.d2 lLlf6 1 5 e5 lLlh5 1 6 'ii'f2 �b7 1 7 l:lae l .li.xf3 1 8 'ii xf3 d5 1 9 lLlb5 .li.h8 2 0 lLld6 lLlg7 2 1 c4 dxc4 22 dxc4 lLle8 23 �c3 lLlxd6 24 l:ld l

An IInusual childhood

24....�e4 25 :'xd8 :'fxd8 26 Wg l :'d7 27 :' d l :'ad8 28 :'xd7 :'xd7 29 wfl .i&.g7 30 �e2 .i&.f8 31 .i&.el ..i&.e7 32 �a3 Wn 33 �a4 :'c7 34 �b5 h6 35 a4 .i&.d8 36 a5 :e7 37 b4 g5 38 g3 g4 39 �c6 .i&.c7 40 bxc5 bxc5 41 �a8 h5 42 �xa7 .i&.xe5 43 �b6 .i&.c7 44 �c6 e5 45 fxe5 ..i&.xe5 46 �fl h4 47 gxh4 .i&.xh2 48 h5 .i&.d6 49 a6 g3 50 �b6 f4 5 1 a7 f3 52 a8� g2+ 53 �gl �f6 54 .i&.f2 .i&.f4 55 �xf3 1 -0

No. 1 2 Kram nik-Tiviakov QlIalifj!ing Tournament/or the f:uropean Junior Ch. Sochi 1990

Ni mzo-Indian Defence 1 d4 �f6 2 c4 e6 3 �c3 ..i&.b4 4 �c2 0-0 5 a3 .1uc3+ 6 �xc3 b6 7 .i&.g5 .i&.b7 8 �h3 d6 9 f3 �bd7 1 0 e4 e5 1 1 d5 a5 1 2 b3 h6 1 3 .i&.e3 c5 1 4 �f2 �h5 1 5 g3 .i&.c8 1 6 .:ie2 :'a7 1 7 �d2 �f6 1 8 a4 ':e8 1 9 0-0-0 !ZJf8 20 Wbl �g6 2 1 :hfl �e7 22 .i&.d3 'i'f6 23 :'de 1 £Df8 24 f4 exf4 25 gxf4 �g6 26 f5 tUe5 27 ..i&.e2 �h4 28 ..i&.xh6 £Dg3 29 hxg3 �xh6 30 �f4 g5 31 fxg6 �xg6 32 :'h l �g7 33 :'h5 f6 34 :'ehl �n 35 :5h4 :e5 36 �d3 ':g5 37 .i&.h5 :'xh5 38 :'xh5 ':e7 39 ':h7+ Wg8 40 �h4 1-0 It was this victory that enabled Vladimir to finish one point ahead of his rivals (6 out of 8. with no defeats). and to secure the only qual ifying place for the European Under-20 Championship . Before this he

13

had also played in the World Under- 1 4 Champ ionship: the time control there was unusual - two hours for 48 moves, Vladimir was unable to adjust to it quickly, and as a result he brought back 'only' the silver medal . Perhaps that is why the State Sport Official Anatoly Bykhovsky. the senior trainer of the U S S R junior national team. summing up a qualifying stage. said this about the boy who had already become champ ion of the country. and had demonstrated a level of play that was not at all . childish ' : ' Kramnik deserves to go to the European Championship . He is only 1 5 , he is improv·ing rapidly. and the lessons that he has begun having with grandmaster Tseshkovsky are undoubtedly having an effect . But today he is not our strongest . player . . . How could he be the strongest, if his rivals in those 'extra' years had learned so much in youth. as in wartime. each day can well count as three. and every game that you play adds not just a grain, but a whole lump of experience, and before one ' s eyes a 'boy ' at the chess board turns into a ' man ' . It is only later that it wi ll be all the same: whether you are 30, 32. or 35 . . However. occasionally inter-junior competitions were replaced by a kind of protuberance : a switch to a different environment. The following game, for examp le, made an impression on Vladimir, not so much by the chess content. as by the colourful personality of his opponent. International master Samuel Zhukovitsky twice won the Champ ionship of the Russian Republic, and once sensationally left behind both Boris Spassky, who had already played his first match for the world crown, and Lev Polugayevsky, as well as all the other Russian grandmasters . But the main thing was that. at the age of nearly 70, he was our living chess history, and also he had maintained a very worthy level of play.

14

Kramnik: my life and games

NO. 1 3 Kram nik-Zhukovitsky Rostov-on-Don 1 988 Caro-Kann Defence

1 e4 c6 2 d4 dS 3 'Dd2 dxe4 4 'Dxe4 'Df6 S 'Dxf6+ gxf6 6 c3 1i.fS 7 'DfJ e6 8 g3 .:id6 9 .:ig2 'Dd7 1 0 'Dh4 .:ig6 1 1 0-0 VJic7 1 2 b4 0-0 1 3 f4 fS 1 4 VJib3 .:ie7 IS 'DfJ as 1 6 bxaS :xaS 1 7 c4 :fa8 1 8 .:ib2 1i.hS 19 'DeS f6 20 'Dxd7 VJixd7 21 a4 .:in 22 .:ic3 :Sa7 23 l:fd l l:d8 24 as �g7 2S :ab l VJic7 26 wh l :d7 2 7 :d2 VJic8 28 :al :a6 29 .:ifJ �f8 30 VJib2 VJid8 31 :e2 hS 32 :ael �g8 33 :e3 �g7 34 'iWe2 Wh6 3S :xe6 Ji.xe6 36 VJixe6 VJie8 37 VJixfS :a8 38 .:ib4 1 -0 But here it was the play that he liked .

:e8+ W h 7 3 2 'iWe3 'Df4 3 3 'DeS 1i.gS 34 'ilVfJ 1i.h6 3S g3 1 -0 Soon Kramnik again had to go through the selection process, and again almost at home - in Sochi . To this town, in a single group, were sent six juniors of each age category, to dispute the qualifying places for the World Under- 1 8 and Under-20 titles . Volodya shared overall third place, those level with and ahead of him were all from the senior group, so he went forward to the World Under- 1 8 Championship, which he won . NO. 1 5 Kram nik-Vescovi World Junior Championship Guarapuava 1 991

Benko Gambit NO. 1 4 Kram nik-Y akovich GMA Grand Prix Qualifying Tournament. Belgrade 1 989 Giuoco Piano

1 e4 eS 2 'DfJ 'Dc6 3 .:ic4 'Df6 4 d3 Ji.cs S c3 d6 6 Ji.b3 Ji.b6 7 'Dbd2 'De7 8 'Dc4 'Dg6 9 h3 .:ie6 1 0 0-0 0-0 1 1 :el h6 1 2 d4 i.xc4 1 3 i.xc4 :e8 1 4 'iWb3 'iWd7 IS a4 as

1 6 i.e3 'Dxe4 1 7 i.bS c6 1 8 i.d3 exd4 1 9 .:ixd4 .:ixd4 20 .1i.xe4 :xe4 2 1 l:xe4 i.f6 22 ':ael dS 23 :4e3 l:d8 24 'iWb6 :a8 2S l:dl tDe7 26 'DeS �c8 27 :e2 hS 28 :del :a6 29 VJics 'jIc7 30 'DfJ 'Dg6 3 1

1 d4 'Df6 2 c4 cS 3 dS bS 4 cxbS a6 S e3 .1i.b7 6 'Dc3 �aS 7 bxa6 .:ixdS 8 .1i.d2 .1i.c6 9 'DfJ d6 10 .:ic4 'Dxa6 1 1 e4 e6 1 2 0-0 'iWc7 1 3 .l:el 'ifb7 1 4 .1i.f4 :d8 IS a3 .:ie7 1 6 :b l 'Dc7 1 7 'iWc2 dS 1 8 .1i.xc7 'jIxc7 19 exdS exdS 20 .1i.bS �f8 21 .1i.xc6 'iWxc6 22 'De2 'iWb7 23 b4 �a7 24 'DeS :c8 2S 'Dd4 'iWc7 26 'DfS cxb4 2 7 'ii' b 3 .1i.d6 28 'Dxd6 'i'xd6 29 axb4 g6 30 'ii' h3 �g7 3 1 �h6+ �g8, and Black lost on time in this hopeless position . But for all the significance and impor­ tance of his success - whether they liked it or not, this title changed the attitude of Soviet chess officials to the young man much more important for Kramnik was the adult championship of the Russian Feder­ ation, then the biggest republ ic of the USSR And although that chess "epoch' had long since gone, when Vasily Smyslov and David Bronstein were happy to be­ come champions of Moscow, Viktor Korchnoi and Boris Spassky of Leningrad, and Isaak Boleslavsky and Lev Polu­ gayevsky of the Russian Federation, all of these championships still represented a barrier of increased height and difficulty. On that occasion, in Kuibyshev, a city on

15

An unusual childhood

the middle Volga (now it i s again called Samara), the tone of the tournament was set by young and ambitious masters, who within 2-3 years all without exception naturally, we are talking here about the winners - became grandmasters . The Re­ public Sports Committee, understandably, was not generous enough to award five gold medals, 'overtime ' was prescribed, and, allowing only one rival ahead of himself, Vladimir Kramnik became the youngest silver medal winner in the entire history of the Russian Championship . . . No. l 6 Kramnik-Meister Russian Federation Championship KUibyshev 1 990

Two Knights Defence

1 e4 e5 2 lLlO lLle6 3 �e4 lLlf6 4 d3 Ji.e7 5 � 0--0 6 .:ib3 d6 7 e3 lLld7 8 .1i.e3 lLle5 9

i.xe5 dxe5 1 0 �d5 .:id6 1 1 �xe6 bxe6 1 2 lLlbd2 .:ia6 13 'iWe2 l:e8 14 :tadl l:e6 15 :tfet :tg6 1 6 lLlfl .:ie8 1 7 lLlg3 .1i.g4 1 8 :te3 h5 1 9 h3 .:ixh3 2 0 gxh3 h4 2 1 'it'h2 hxg3+ 22 fxg3 :h6 23 :fl :tb8 24 �g2 'i'd7 25 h4 'i'e6 26 b3 .:ie7 27 'i'e2 :td8 28 lLlh2 :tg6 29 'i'h5 :th6 30 'i'e2 :tg6 31 h5 :tf6 32 :thl :h6 33 'ifg4 'i'xg4 34 �g4 :e6 35 :to .:ig5 36 :tdl f6 37 lLlfl �f7 38 lLlh3 .:ih6 39 �fl :ted6 40 �e2 �e6 41 g4 �d7 42 :tf5 :te8 43 g5 �xg5 44 �g5 fxg5 45 :tgl :e7 46 l:.gxg5 :tde6 47 :tf8 :h6 48 l:.g8 'iiit d6 49 �O :tf7+ 50 �g4 :f4+ 5 1 �g3 :ti 52 :tg6+ :txg6+ 53 hxg6 :tfl 54 :txg7 l':td l 55 �g4 :tgl + 56 �O as 57 :tg8 �e6 58 cltfl :tel 5 9 :tf8 1-O No. 1 7 Kramnik-Isupov Russian Federation Championship KUibyshev 1 990

King's Indian Defence I c4 g6 2 d4 .:ig7 3 e4 d6 4 lLle3 lLlf6 5 0 � 6 i.e3 lLle6 7 lLlge2 a6 8 'i'd2 :b8 9

h4 e5 1 0 d5 lLla5 1 1 lLlg3 e5 1 2 :t b l b6 1 3 h 5 .:id7 1 4 b4 ! exb4 1 5 l:hb4 'i'e7 1 6 h6 �h8 1 7 'i'b2 b5 18 exb5 1:fe8

19 bxa6 :txb4 20 'ifxb4 'i'xe3+ 2 1 'i'xe3 :txe3 22 a 7 :te8 23 .:ia6 :a8 2 4 0-0 .:ie8 25 :t e l 1-0 For this success all five winners were allowed into the so-cal led all-union tourna­ ment of young masters - the traditional ' forging' ground of Soviet grandmasters . Over a period of more than 20 years 'heat treatment' was received there by Anatoly Karpov and Garry Kasparov, as wel l as all the 'chess princes ' - world and European junior champions, and many candidates for the 'adult' world crown. In a word, the 'visiting card' of the winner could be presented with casual pride in the most refi ned chess society . In January 1 99 1 , in the quiet Ukrainian town of Kherson, cosily situated on the B lack Sea coast, the best of the competitors were Ildar Ibragimov from Kazan, Andrey Kharlov from Siberia, and the youngest player in the tournament - Vladimir Kramnik . . . No. I8 B rodsky-Kramnik Kherson 1 991 Sicilian Defence

1 e4 e5 2 lLlO lLle6 3 d4 exd4 4 lLlxd4 lLlf6 5 lLlc3 e5 6 lLldb5 d6 7 .:ig5 a6 8 lLlaJ b5 9 .:ixf6 gxf6 10 lLld5 f5 1 1 .:id3 .:ie6 1 2 'i'h5

Kramnik: my life and games

16

In this theoretical position from the Sveshnikov Variation of the Sicilian, rather than the usual 1 2 . . . .ii.g 7 Black preferred 1 2 ... l:g8, which, however, had also been played before. 1 3 0-0-0 A rare continuation . 1 3 c3 or 1 3 g3 IS more usual . 1 3 .. Jhg2 1 4 f4 Conceding the initiative : the black rook begins operating very powerfu l ly on the second rank. 1 4 'iff3 was essential . 1 4 ... ttJd4 ! 1 5lbe3 :fl 1 6 exf5 It was time to get rid of the . guest' by 1 6 nhfl , although here too Black is better. 16 ... .Jtxa2 1 7 fxe5 If 1 7 ttJg4 Black has the very strong 1 7 . . . l:. c8 ! , threatening 1 8 . . . tUb3 mate ' 1 7 ... dxe5 If 1 7 . . . I:. c8 1 8 .ii. xb5+ tUxb5 1 9 tUxb5 axb5 20 exd6 with some counterplay. 1 8 ttJxb5

1V *

I ,

lZJ

,

, 'ii

1 8 ... .ii. h 6 ! 1 9 :the1 The only defence. If 1 9 ..w xh6 there follows 1 9 . . . l hc2+' with mate by the knight on e2 or b 3 , depending on the piece with which White takes the rook . 1 9 ... axb5 1 9 . . . 'iW b6 20 tUxd4 exd4 2 1 �4 l:. b8 ' also came seriously into consideration . 20 .:ii. x b5+ Or 20 'iWxh6 .ii. c 4 with a mating attack. 20...�e7 2 1 'iWh4+ f6 22 'iixfl i.f7 23 .:ii. d 3 'ji'b6 24 .Jte4 :a2 25 c4 .Jtxc4 26 �b1 �a5 Black could have mated by 26 . . . l:ta l + 27 � xa l 'i'a6+ 28 � b l .ii.a 2+ 29 �c l �c4+ 30 � d2 tUb3 mate. 27 ttJd5+ (desperation) 27 . . . .ii. xd5 28 �xd4 .::t a l + 29 �c2 '::' x d1 30 'i'xd 1 (30 . . . exd4 was now possible) 30 . . . 'iWa4+ 31 �c3, and without waiting for the mate by the queen at c4, White managed to resign . The amusing thing was that this was regarded as a qualifying tournament for . . . the ' open' championship of New York, at that time a highly prestigious event. Its image was supported by the $20,000 first p rize; the remaining p rizes - by American tradition - were much more modest. But none of the young players went to North America. According to the regulations, in the city of the B ig Apple they would have had to play two games a day, and the directors of what was still the Soviet Chess Federation or the Sports Committee - it is no longer possible to establish who exactly - announced that such a workload was . damaging for young, growing people' . Instead the boys were sent to South American, and in Brazil . . . they won that year' s World Student Team Champion­ ship . Krarnn i k, who was a schoolboy - and he was not the only one - received a fake student card from the state; however, playing for the other teams were some who were by no means students, but very much bearded adults . Perhaps that is why this

An unusual childhood

competItIOn, which had been so popular between the sixties and the eighties, in the end vanished . . . The Soviet team - they did not yet know that they were playing under the national red flag for the last time drove through their rivals with the inevitable might of the heaviest tank . They finished 8 points ahead of their pursuers and this out of a total of 3 6 possible points ! Kramnik, it will be remembered, won all his games on boards two and one . . . No. 1 9 Kram nik-Costa World Student Team Championship Maringa 1991 Queen ' s Gambit

1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 'bc3 'bf6 4 cxd5 exd5 5 .ig5 c6 6 e3 �b6 7 �c2 'be4 8 �f4 �f5 9 .id3 'ba6 1 0 a3 �a5 1 1 �a4 �xa4 1 2 'Llxa4 'bb8 1 3 �e2 'bd7 1 4 :tel 'bb6 1 5 'Llc5 'bxc5 1 6 �xf5 'bb3 1 7 ':c3 'ba5 1 8 'LlrJ 'Llac4 1 9 ':b l a 5 2 0 �d3 �e7 2 1 'Lld2 'bxd2 22 �xd2 g 6 2 3 f3 � d 7 2 4 e4 :ae8 25 b4 axb4 26 axb4 ':c8 27 Ji.e3 dxe4 28 fxe4 f5

17

directives of the previously unshakeable and insurmountable USSR Sports Com­ mittee - Kramnik made use of the oppor­ tunity to take part in a few Brazil ian and European opens, and in each he invariably added a good number of points to his rating. And even so, in the international arena Kramnik was not yet mounting a purposeful fight for first, and only first place: primarily because his inner orientation was completely different . But the games he was creating were increas­ ingly interesting. I had never previously come across anything simi lar to this :

No.20 Kramnik-Renet Gausdal 1 992 King ' s Indian Defence

1 d4 lLlf6 2 c4 g6 3 'bc3 �g7 4 e4 d6 5 f3 0--0 6 Ji.e3 e5 7 'bge2 c6 8 �d2 'bbd7 9 0--0--0 �c7 1 0 �bl 'bb6 1 1 t2Je l d5 1 2 cxd5 cxd5 1 3 t2Jb5 'Wie7 1 4 dxe5 t2Jfd7 1 5 f4 dxe4 1 6 �d6 �xd6 1 7 �xd6

.I

, *1. �, � :

�� :..ti, cJ;

,

29 d5 fxe4 30 dxc6+ bxc6 31 �xb6 exd3 32 ':xd3+ �e8 33 ':e1 ':f8 34 ':a3 :n 35 ':a7 ':b8 36 Ji.c5 ':d8+ 37 �c3 :d7 38 ':a8+ ':d8 39 ':a6 ':d7 40 ':xc6 �d8 41 �b6+ 1-0 So, evel)1hing was proceeding along a

rising trajectol) . It became possible to play ( in forei gn tournaments, over and above the

This position is one of almost comp lete zugzwang' Black ' s pawns cannot move ( l 7 . . . g5 1 8 g3), while if 1 7 . . . lI d8 1 8 t2J xa7 or 1 7 . . . lI e8 1 8 t2J c 7 . There only remain useless moves with the king and dark­ square bishop . . . 1 7 ... �h8 1 8 a4 ':b8 Or 1 8 . . . t2J xa4 1 9 t2J c7 : b8 20 iL xa7. 1 9 'bxa7 1 -0

18

Kramnik: my life and games

No. 2 1 Kramnik-Lerner Gausdal 1 992

It is curious that this game began with 1 b3, but by the fifteenth move, against his strong and experienced opponent, Kramnik had gained a big advantage. Now White only needs to suppress the counterplay, unwillingly begun by B lack. 27 l:del ! 27 �xf4 'ii'xf4 28 gxf4 : 8e3 was much less convincing. 27 ... c5 Black loses after 27 . . . .: xe l 28 ':' xe l l he l 29 Wh 8+ �g6 3 0 'l'g8+ � h5 3 1 .xf7+ .g6 3 2 g4+ �g5 3 3 ttJf3+. Also 27 . . . :t xd2 28 .xd2 f3+ 29 �h l � 3 does not work - 30 'iid 3 +. Therefore he finds a morc original resource. 28 �d3+ f5 29 :xe2 :!'xe2 30 bxc5 dxc5 31 ttJf3 (it is clear that Black' s counterplay has become bogged down) 3 1 . . . :e4 32 d6 ! ttJd7 33 'ilid5 �g6 34 'i'xb7 'tixd6 35 .ii. e5 ! �d3 36 �xf4 .:tf6 37 'ilic6 In the time scramble White prefers to tie down the opponent ' s forces, although the simple 3 7 'ilixa7 was also possible. 37 ... l:.e7 38 :c1 'ilie4 3 8 . . . .ii.g 7 would have opened the way for the knight - 39 ttJh4 'ii'e 4+ 40 �xe4 fxe4 4 1 ttJf5 , winning. 39 �d6 'ilib7 40 :dl ! (aiming at c5 ), and in this hopeless position B lack lost on time.

Kramnik ' s performance in 1 992 in Dortmund was quite special, and in its way symbolic : as it was once said by professor Max Euwe, former world champion, at the time when he was President of FIDE: ' an intellectual city welcomed an intellectual game' . As usual, almost the entire cream of the chess world had been invited to the main tournament : Kasparov and I vanchuk, Anand and Kamsky, Shirov, who was still representing Latvia, and Salov, who was already living in Spain, Bareev, Hubner . . . Of course, even in his sweetest dreams Vladimir could not imagine that Dortmund was destined to become his chess 'promised land' or that very point on the planet where he would suddenly exper­ ience a wonderful harmony of the desirable and the possible. Where, either easily or in a hard fight, he would in point of fact take only first place, and during those years he would not once have to stop his clock as a sign of capitulation. All this was in the future. But for the moment . . . For the moment, already No. 24 in the rating list, although stil l with the modest title of ' FIDE Master' (nowadays they give this title to ten-year-olds who cannot be seen above the chess board), in the Open Tournament of the Dortmund Festival he so dealt with a number of vigorous and highly experienced grandmasters, that he put them completely to rout ! 'The most talented of all the players I have seen here is Vladimir Kramnik' - this was said later in an interview for the serious Dutch magazine New in Chess by Garry Kasparov, whose authority at that time was indisputable. ' In terms of talent he is definitely No. 1 . I have never said this before, but I think he is the only one who plays as well as I did at the same age. I have always smiled regarding the talent of Judit Polgar, and laughed regarding Gata Kamsky, and I do not believe (in a bright future for - I . D . ) the other players of the Dortmund Festival . But 1 6-year-old Kramnik is already playing big-time chess.

An unusual childhood

His is a genuine chess talent. There are many players, but they don 't play chess, they move the pieces. Whereas Kramnik plays chess. ' Moreover, he handled both complex and relatively simple positions with equal pleasure and skil l . No.22 Kram nik-Knaak Dortmund 1 992 King ' s Indian Defence

IltJOltJf6 2 d4 g6 3 c4 d6 4 ltJc3 tLJbd7 5 e4 e5 6 .:te2 .:tg7 7 0-0 0-0 8 .:te3 c6 9 d5 c5 10 tbe 1 ltJe8 1 1 g4 1 1 ltJd3 f5 1 2 f4 is more often played, with an equally complicated game, but more often does not mean better . . . 1 1 ...f5! At that time this was a new move . After wandering around with his queen : 1 l . . . �4 ? 1 1 2 'ith l ! h8 1 3 ':g l �e7 1 4 a3 ltJdf6 1 5 b4 b6 1 6 tLJd3 ltJ g8 1 7 a4 f5 1 8 g5 'i' f7 1 9 a5 Black stood clearly worse in Gelfand-Ivanchuk, Kramatorsk 1 989. 1 2 exf5 If 1 2 f3 Black can reply 1 2 . . . f4 1 3 � f2 h5 , with the idea of countering 1 4 h4 with 14 . . . g5 1 ? 1 2 ... gxf5 1 3 gxf5 tLJb6 The obvious 1 3 . . . tLJdf6? would have left Black with problems over regaining the f5 pawn after 1 4 �c2 . 14ltJO If White loses time on occupying the open g-file by 1 4 W h 1 � xf5 1 5 :g 1 � h8 16 ltJf3, he has to reckon with 1 6 . . . e4 1 ? 1 7 ttJg5 � xc3 1 (excuse me, grandmaster Gufeld ! ) 1 8 bxc3 �e7, and the black knight at b6 is ready to go via d7 to e5 . 14 ... l.xf5 1 5 tLJg5 'JJie 7 Or 1 5 . . . h6 1 6 tLJe6 � xe6 1 7 dxe6 with the initiative for White . 16 �hl ltJf6 Black could have considered 1 6 . . . e4 ! ? 1 7 :g l h6 1 8 tLJe6 � xe6 1 9 dxe6 'i'xe6 with a complicated game.

19

1 7 :gl 'it>h8 Here after 1 7 . . h6 1 8 tLJe6 � xe6 1 9 dxe6 �xe6 20 � xh6 tLJg4 2 1 � xg4 �xh6 22 ltJ e4 White would have gained control of e4, the key square in the King ' s Indian Defence, gaining a great advantage. 1 8 'i'd2 .:tg6? For some reason B lack lifts his control of e6 . For the moment it was not possible for Black once and for all to cut the Gordian knot - 1 8 . . . h6? 1 9 tLJe6 � xe6 20 dxe6 'i' xe6 2 1 � xh6 with a very strong attack on the king, and he plans to occupy the f4 square. 1 8:. Jitg8 was better, when White has a choice between 1 9 :g3 and 1 9 : ad I I ?, in order to answer 1 9 . . . ltJ bd7 with 20 tLJe6 . 1 9 :taft 1 9 tLJe6 was premature in view of 1 9 . . . tLJe4 ! 20 tLJxe4 � xe4+ 2 1 f3 ,lhf3 . 1 9 ... tLJh5 . Consistent, but . . . After the game my opponent suggested 1 9 . . . � h6 ! 20 b3 1i. xg5 2 1 � xg5 tLJbd7, when Black is still able to defend. 20 tLJe6 :n 2 1 b3ltJd7?! Now 2 1 . . . tLJf4 was the only move : 22 � xf4 exf4 23 � d3 � h5 24 f3 �4 25 tLJc4 � e5 , and for the time being Black stil l holds on. 22 1i.d3 tLJrs 23 tLJg5 .

23 ... .:txd3 24 �xd3 The hasty 24 tLJxf7+? 'i' xf7 25 'iix d3 'i'f3 + 26 :g2 tLJf4 27 �e4 'i'xg2+ wou ld have let slip part of White ' s gains .

20

Kramnik: my life and games

24 ...:f6 25 'iie2 ! tLlf4 26 .:txf4 :xf4 27 'iih 5! h6 The attempt to breath more freely with 27 . . . e4 wou ld have been justified only after the reckless 28 tLlcxe4? l he4 29 tLlf7+ d2 �f4+ 53 �e2 d3+ 54 We3 .Jte3 55 We4 We7 56 �d5 .Jtxe5 57 �b5 �d6 58 �e4 iLe7 59 �b5 wf6 60 h4 .Jtg3 61 h5 .:1e7 0-- 1

9 ... tDge7 ! A cold shower on a hot head I White had apparently reckoned only on 9 . . . tD f6 1 0 tDxf4 exf4 I I g 5 with the initiative. Now he should have agreed to 1 0 tD fl , but then, you may well ask, what was the point of weakening the kingside? 10 tDxf4 exf4 1 1 .il.b5 0--0 1 2 iLxe6 tDxe6 1 3 tDb3 d5 ! 1 4 .il.xf4 dxe4 1 5 dxe4 'i'f6 ! Now White ' s hopes are dashed. 1 6 iLe3 'i'xb2 1 7 iLxe5 It was time to castle, but then Black would have supported his c5 pawn. 1 7 . . . :d8 1 8 �e2 b6 1 9 iLe3 tDb4 20 'it>f1 'iix e2 2 1 �xe2 tDxe2 22 :e1 tDxe3+ 23 fxe3 iLxg4 24 wf2 l:e8 25 ::'e4 iLe6 26 ::'a4 as 27 ::' b l g6 28 tDd4 iLd7 29 l1c4

47

A vertical take-off

l:xe4 30 :xb6 l:xh4 3 1 :'e7 �e8 32 :bb7 nh2+ 33 'lii' g3 :txa2 34 tLJf3 l:.e2 35 �f4 a4 36 tLJg5 a3 37 :a7 :xa7 38 :!.xa7 a2 39 t2Je4 Ji.e6 40 tLJe3 1:e2 41 tLJxa2 �d5 42 tLJb4 :e4+ � 1 What was Kramnik doing during his post-Olympiad six-month break from classical chess? To a great extent this is a rhetorical question : working, working and working. He was studying new openings, as he naturally was not satisfied only with what had already been discovered and tried. His knowledge broadened, deepened: middlegame positions were becoming familiar, fresh ideas were appearing . . . At the same time Vladimir had to answer the banal questions of the dilettante j ournal­ ists : 'You are handsome, tall, and clever: do girls like you? ' ; "They say that you spend nights in the casino ' . . . The latter resulted from the fact that at the tournament in Linares, Kramnik and Shirov were seen walking in the town early one morning, and they were immediately compared with Gata Kamsky who lived according to "the rules ' and at the same hour would have been methodically j og­ ging his five or ten kilometres. I witnessed a few of these interviews and was sur­ prised by the amazing outward composure of the young man : had it been someone else, he would have been ranting and ravmg . . . By that time, apart from the rapidplay Grand Prix, the Professional Chess Asso­ ciation had announced a series of PCA Super Classics, the first of which was the Mikhail Tal Memorial Tournament. 'We are all, in a sense, Tar s children; I grew up on his games and in my childhood I played in such a style' - this is Kramnik, who came to Riga in April 1 995 in a fighting mood. He won the brilliancy prize (game No . 1 3 1 ), but did not take a serious part in the battle for first place. It is likely that his mood was deflated by the following game.

NO.45 Kramnik-Ivanehuk Tal Memorial. Riga 1 995

After playing the first half of the game very subtly, in one breath, Vladimir carried out a decisive combination. 25 tLJdxf7! lhf7 26 t2Jxf7 �xf7 27 :td7+ �f8 28 l:el ? ! -Inoomprehensible, since 2 8 c 5 would have won, so to speak, on auto-pilot. Perhaps even after this not all the chances were lost, but White was upset by what had happened. 28 ... a5 29 a3 axb4 30 axb4 tLJb2 3 1 g5 :a3+ 32 �g4 t2Jxe4 33 lhe6 t2Je3+ 34 '8t>f3 tLJd5+ 35 �e4 t2Jee7 36 :'e6 :e3+ 37 �d4 l:b3 38 l:dxe7 Y:z-lh Kramnik nevertheless went through the tournament undefeated, and in general it was from Riga that his record sequence began : meeting the strongest players in the world, the 20-year-old grandmaster did not once have to stop the clocks and - jumping ahead slightly - he concluded the year in first place on both the FIDE and the PCA rating lists . For the first time in ten years, world champion Garry Kasparov was forced to give way to the player, who you remember? - a couple of years earlier he had 'appointed ' as his successor on the chess throne. It is clear that merely ' keep­ ing afloat' in such company would have been insufficient for Kramnik to make such an upward leap . Hence the bri l liant games Nos . 1 3 9, 1 76 and 1 78, and also . . .

48

Kramnik: my life and games

No.46 Kramnik-Timman Novgorod 1 995 Griinfeld Defence

1 lLlo g6 2 d4 lLlf6 3 c4 �g7 4 lLlc3 d5 5 cxd5 lLlxd5 6 e4 lLlxc3 7 bxc3 c5 8 l: b l 0-0 9 �e2 cxd4 1 0 cxd4 • as+ 1 1 �d2 1t'xa2 12 0-0 �g4 13 �g5 h6 14 �e3 lLlc6 1 5 d5 lLlaS 1 6 �c5 .:lf6 1 7 e5 �xe5 18 :tb4! �xO 19 .:lxO .:lf6?! As shown by subsequent events, this is a not very successful attempt to improve Black's play in a position that had already been seen before. At the preceding super­ tournament in the same peA series - the Tal Memorial, Vishwanathan Anand, for whom this fashionable and sharp variation was part of his main opening arsenal, pre­ ferred 1 9 . . . l:ae8 against Krarnn i k (see also game No. 5 5 ), but after 20 � e3 ! ( 'the rotatory movement of the white pieces creates a strong impression' - grandmaster Yuri Razuvaev once remarked about this) 20 . . . � c3 2 1 : a4 � 2 22 'ji'd3 b5 23 .i. c l ! he was forced to part with his queen 23 . . . bxa4 (23 . . . W'b3 24 J: a3 ) 24 .i. xb2 �xb2, and if instead of 25 d6 White had simply picked up a piece - 25 'ji'd2 lLlc4 26 'i'c2 :c8 27 .i. e2, the game would have been over, and the tournament in Riga could have turned out differently. But Timman too was unlucky.

20 :a4 'ji'b3 2 1 l:xaS 'ji'xd l 22 :xdl b6 23 d6! ::tac8 24 d7 :cd8 25 �xe7 !

i.xe7 26 :xa7 .l:t b8 2 7 :el ! �d8 28 ne8 b5 29 :a8 ! (all forced and pretty) 29 . . Jba8 30 �xa8 b4 31 �d5 �g7 32 'litO and Black resigned . He is powerless to prevent the white king from making its victorious march to c8 . On this demonstration of his analytical power, at the board Krarnn i k required only 50 minutes . . . The fol lowing, however, was pure improvisation. No.47 Ljubojevic-Kram nik Belgrade 1 995 Sicilian Defence

1 e4 c5 2 lLlo lLlc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lLlxd4 lLlf6 5 lLlc3 e5 6 lLldb5 d6 7 .i.g5 a6 8 lLla3 b5 9 �xf6 gxf6 1 0 lLld5 .i.g7 1 1 g3 fS 1 2 exfS e4 1 3 f6 In this way White gets rid of the danger­ ous bishop, but its place on the long dark­ square diagonal will be occupied with strong effect by the queen. 1 3 c3 tbe5 ! ? was more logical, with very sharp play. 1 3 ... �xf6 1 4 lLlxf6+ 'ji'xf6 1 5 'ji'd5 Now 1 5 c3 lLle5 clearly hands the initiative to B lack (there is no longer that fine knight at d5 ! ), and the Yugoslav grandmaster ( ' Lj uboj evic is an unusual player, his ideas are always original ' Krarnn i k) throws caution to the wind.

15 ... 0--0 ! 16 c3? 1 6 0-0-0 �g4 is unpleasant for White. After 1 6 'ji'xc6 'ji'xb2 17 : b 1 'ji'xa3 the

49

A vertical take-off

rook at a8 is immune and Black remains a pawn up after 1 8 ii. g2 ii. f5 1 9 0-0 ]::tac8, but even so this is what White should have played. 1 6 ... b4! 1 7 CLJc4 White would have lost immediately after 1 7 'ii'xc6 bxa3 1 8 �xa8 axb2 1 9 l:. b 1 'ii'xc3+ . 1 7 ... bxc3 1 8 'ii'x d6 Black also wins after 1 8 �xc6 cxb2 1 9 lI b I 'ii'c 3+. 1 8 ... .ii. e6 ! Completing the mobilisation of all the pIeces . 1 9 �f4 �g7 20 0-0-0 tUb4 ! 2 1 �e5 .{Jxa2+ 22 'itbl �xe5 23 CLJxe5 1i.b3! 0-1 An excellent sustained attack .

g3 -g4 White has an undisputed and great advantage. 3 1 bxc5 ! One of those ' little combinations ' , the effectiveness of which was demonstrated long ago by Capablanca. Black cannot keep his extra piece. 31 . . . CLJxb5 32 c6 CLJd6 33 cxd7 ':xc 1 34 l:xc1 ':xd7 35 .ii. d 3 Wf7 36 ':c6 'ii'b 3 37 �f3 'ii' b 7 38 'ii'e3 :e7 39 'ii' b 6 'tWxb6+ 40 ':xb6 :d7 41 wf2 CLJc8 42 ':b8 CLJd6 43 ':b6 CLJc8 44 :c6 CLJe7 45 .ii. c4 ! . and White gradually converted his minimal material advantage . No.49 Kram nik-Renet European Club Championship Clichy 1 995

No.48 Kram nik-Short Horgen 1 995

Getting through to c5 will take a very long time. putting pressure on the c6 pawn is pointless . . . But the b5 pawn can be made weak after Kramnik's trademark breakthrough. which he senses literal ly with the tips of his fingers . 27 d5 ! exd5 28 exd5 CLJf5 29 �f2 c5 . Avoiding, even if at the cost of a pawn, the complete opening up of the position . '..ack is hoping to securely blockade the �sed d5 pawn. 30 .{Jxb5 tUd6 After 30 . . . cxb4 3 1 lI c6 followed bv

Black has erected all conceivable defensive lines. but nevertheless . . . 22 h4 h6 23 �h2 CLJe8 24 ':g3 tUh7 25 'itg2 1i.g8 26 hxg5 hxg5 27 'ii'h 6 'ii' b6 28 :e2 ':d8 29 ':h3 lIg7 30 e4 ! dxe4 3 1 tUxe4 ':xd4 (forced) 3 2 CLJxd4 'ii'x d4 33 Wfl 1i.f7 34 lIhe3 CLJc7 35 CLJf2 CLJd5 36 ':e4 �c5 37 1i.c4 CLJe3+ 38 lI2xe3 1i.xc4+ 39 Wgl 1i.g8 40 b3 a5 41 :e8 ':d7 42 ':h3 Black resigned in view of the variation 42 . . . �d6 43 �g6 1I g7 44 lI xh7+ lI xh7 45 �xg8 (or 45 lI xg8 ) mate. But at the same time. a quite incom­ prehensible finish from that tournament in Novgorod.

50

Kramnik: my l�fe and games

NO. 5 0 Kramnik-Ehlvest Novgorod 1 995

Instead of the normal, in all senses of the word, 1 4 exd7+ �xd7 1 5 :t xd3 , and if 1 5 . . .'iW g4 1 6 �g5 ! ? with compl ications, in all probability favourable to White, the e6 pawn suddenly 'turned right' - 1 4 exf7+? 'Games like this happen, in which it is impossible to explain a single move . . . I do not know how I made the moves that I made, ' Kramnik said the following day. And, as a result of this chess black-out: instead of a share of second place even after a draw, and clear second place in the event of a win - only sixth place . . . True, this was again the last round. It would be too much to l ist it as a 'decisive ' one, but even so, even so . . . In Belgrade 1 993 too, in his penultimate game Vladimir failed to convert a healthy extra pawn that he had acquired almost in the opening: yet if he had won, he would have caught the leader, his opponent Alexander Belyavsky, and could well have counted on first prize. However, from the list of Vladimir's main competitions, it is clear that he had begun exchanging high places in tournaments for first or second. He needed to make only one more half a step : forwards and up. He managed to do this surprisingly quickly . Two months later. In the town where for some reason Kramnik has always played and plays amazingly easily

and successfully, though he himself simu ltaneously both recognises and denies this phenomenon. 'I can't say that in Dortmund I played more strongly than in Riga or Novgorod. The only difference was that here I made use of all my opportunities, did not blunder, and did not get into severe time trouble. I have come to realise : if you do not miss anything, you can achieve very good results ' - this is the appraisal of Kramnik himself, who gave a few further 'grounds ' for his success . ' I gave u p smoking l iterally 2 - 3 days before the tournament in Dortmund. It was probably an award from above - usually a change of routine immediately before a competition does not do you any good . . . During the tournament, of course, I was dying to smoke. It was impossible to imagine that I would not have a smoke immediately after the time control. But I contained- myself. ' In general I did not consider this tournament as being very important for me; I just wanted to play. Such a relaxed state even helped at the beginning. But somewhere in the middle, when real chances of first place appeared, I began to grow nervous. At last I wanted to win the tournament ! The tension became strong, I began sleeping worse, and by the end of the tournament I was pretty tired . . . Even so, Dortmund is indeed a unique place for him. Judge for yourself: for a start - a shared victory in the open tourna­ ment accompanying the main grandmaster event, which led to that sensational invitation to the Russian Olympiad team in 1 992 . The next year, having just j oined the grandmaster 'family ' , he allowed only Anatoly Karpov to finish ahead of him. Now - for the first time a 'clear' first place in a super-tournament of FIDE category 1 7 . And, running ahead, year in, year out success after success, without a single loss ! It came to the point when in 1 998, during the drawing of lots, the organisers j okingly, but nevertheless aloud, expressed '

A vertical take-off

the desire to hear a different name when awarding the main prize two weeks later. Alas, Kramnik again failed to justify their hopes . . . Vladimir's excellent wins - his game with Short was named the best creative achievement of the tournament - are given in the selected games as Nos . 1 40 and 1 47 . But the tally o f ' ones ' i n the table was opened in the first game.

NO. 5 1 Kramnik-Ivanehuk Dortmund 1 995

21 i.h3 ! 'An elegant move, inviting the opponent into an ending with unbalanced material, ' grandmaster Mikhalchishin commented on White's unusual decision. 'What can Black do? Thus 2 1 . . . � f7 is not possible in view of 22 0,xf7 'i; xf7 23 e4 CiJe7 24 d5 . After 2 1 . . .f5 the knight at e5 is clearly dominant, and White has a choice between the central breakthrough 22 e4 CiJe7 23 d5 and the methodical pressure of 22 l:t dc I with the threats of e3 -e4 and .i.g2xd5 , after which the play becomes a matter of technique. ' 21 . . . fxe5 22 .:ixe6+ iLf7 23 iLxe8 :xe8 . 14 dxe5 0,b6 25 l:d4 i.e6 26 f4 'i;f7 2 7 e4 g6 2 8 'i;f2 'i;e7 29 :tel a 5 3 0 :e5 a4 31 :l.b4 �d7 32 :tel iLe6 33 �e3 CiJd7 34 :be4 :b8 35 h4 h5 36 :gl lith8 37 :e2 �e6 38 :tgc1 CiJb8 39 :te5 1;e7 40 : l e2 tld7 41 :xe6 ;

51

With this exchange sacrifice White clears the way for the advance of his kingside pawns . 4 1 . . . bxe6 42 :xe6 :b8 43 :xg6 :xb2 44 f5 :b3+ 45 'i;f4 :xa3 46 :g7+ 'i;e8 47 e6 CiJf6 48 g4 ! The winning move. 4 8 e5 would have been hasty - 48 . . . CiJd5+ 49 'i; e4 CiJc3+. 48 ... 1:al If 4 8 " . CiJxg4 there would have followed 49 e5 . 49 e5 CiJd5+ 50 �e4 1-0 And then Kramnik made a move that was both unexpected and puzzling. He accepted Garry Kasparov' s invitation to work with him during the match for the chess crown in New York, where the world champion ' s opponent was the player who had passed through the entire qualification process of the Professional Chess Associa­ tion, Viswanathan Anand. In principle, there -was nothing surprising in this, and from a symbiosis of the strongest, even if only temporary, both sides gain. New ideas emerge, you are able to look at your own play from a slightly different angle, to feel your weaknesses with the tips of someone else ' s very sensitive fingers, and to outline the direction of your future work. All this is for the best, but . . . In the rich history of chess it had never previously happened that a participant in a match for the world championship was seconded by another grandmaster, who himself was a real candidate for the champion's title. And Kramnik himself did not conceal the fact that this is how things were . Since the universal interest in the 20-year-old youth, who was climbing like a rocket, was growing from day to day, journalists literally would not leave him in peace, and in numerous interviews - Kramnik, sincere and very tactful, even to this day has not learned say ' no' - Vladimir did not hide his growing thoughts about becoming champion. And suddenly - to disclose himself completely in front of the person, with whom he might well have to play a

52

Kramnik: my life and games

match for the crown . . . The experts, who understood the psychology of sport in gcneral and of big-time sport in particular, shook their heads - not clear, not clear . . . But Kramnik would not be Kramnik if evcf)1hing in his life were orthodox and cou ld be arithmetical ly calculated. For all the complete outward clarity and trans­ parency, in his soul existed the most com­ plicated feelings, complexes, and aspir­ ations, that sometimes fought with one another. Among them you would definitely not find anything black or malevolent, but all the rest - and in all colours and shades - had their place . Today there is probably no point in studying seriously what it was that urged Kramnik to collaborate with a very probable future opponent, but I would venture to suggest that a year later he would have declined such a proposal . . . During the New York match, however. Krarnn i k managed to fly to France for a week, led his Bundesliga club into the final of the European Club Championship, and with this modest tournament experience set off for Switzerland. There, in the small and quiet town of Horgen - and, naturally, in a building of one of the banks - took place the final event of the first (and, alas, as it turned out, the last) series of 'ful l-length' super-classic tournaments under the aegis of that same Professional Chess Associa­ tion . After starting with the Tal Memorial in Riga and continuing in Novgorod, this final stage was due to determine both the wmner of this categof)' 1 7 super­ tournament. and the best score in the three tournaments combined. and also effect­ ively the leaders of the next New Year world rating list. One of these questions seemingly did not need an answer. Garry Kasparov, who had won the first two stages of the series, was far ahead of his rivals, and for overall success. second. third or even fourth place for him would suffice. But after exhausting himself in his match with Anand. he finished only fifth - and with a vef)'

modest score ! As a result, it was only by a miracle that Kasparov remained winner of the series, and it was Kramnik who brilliantly ' answered ' the other two questions . ' I had an irrepressible thirst for fighting, and I also felt that I was in good form' - these words were confirmed by his first place (on tie-break), by the outstand­ ingly delicate game No. 1 77, and also, among others, by the following one : NO. 5 2 Kramnik-Vaganian Horgen 1 995 Queen ' s Indian Defence

1 LbfJ Lbf6 2 d4 e6 3 c4 b6 4 a3 �b7 5 Lbc3 Lbe4 6 tDxe4 i.xe4 7 e3 �e7 8 1l.d3 d5 9 �xe4 dxe4 1 0 Lbd2 f5 1 1 fJ i.d6 1 2 'i' a4+ c 6 1 3 0-0 'ilih4 1 4 f4 0-0 Is everything alright for Black? Yes, only it was not 'without reason that White calmly went in for simplification, gaining with every exchange a microscopic advan­ tage . Now this could have easily been thrown away, for example, by the obvious 1 5 b4, when the white pawns lose their mobility (c4-c5 is rendered harmless by the interposition of . . . b6-b5), whereas the black pieces head towards the kings ide 1 5 . . . .: f6 . Only when was it that Kramnik's play was routine? . .

I. .

'. &:. .

'

1 5 c5 ! A pawn sacrifice for the initiative - this, according to Tarrasch, is a much more

53

A vertical take-off

difficult matter than thc sacrifice o f a piece. and especial ly the queen : there con­ crete calcu lation practically always prevail s . 1 5 . . . bxc5 1 6 .:uc4 �e7 1 7 dxc5 �xc5 18 b4 �d6 19 �b2 Of course. not 19 tZJb6 axb6 20 �xa8 e5 with fine play for Black. 19 ... �c7 20 :fd l c5 21 bxc5 �xc5 22 :ac1 �e7 23 �b5 ! With the more than unpleasant threat of 24 �b7. 23 ... �b6 24 a4 ! �c5 25 �d4 �xd4 Again the queens ide cannot be developed - 25 . . . tZJd7 26 iL xg7 � fd8 27 iL a 1. when the threat of 28 � b2 is terrible. and 27 . . . � ab8 does not work in view of 28 ll xd7. 26 :xd4 a6 27 �b6 :a7 28 .:ud6 :d7 29 :c8 ! ! Exchanges ease the defence - this i s one of the postulates of chess. Here, however. the exchange intensifies the pressure : the finding of such paradoxes is a touchstonc of genuine mastery . 29 . . . :xc8 (there is nothing else) 30 !Uxc8 �a3 Or 30 . . . � 4 3 1 g3 �h5 32 �xb8 and \\ ins (32 . � xd4 3 3 .:ud6+) 31 �xe6+ � f8 32 �xf5+ �e8 33 �e6+ �d8 34 'ti'b6+ �e8 35 .:ud6+ And in view of the variation 35 . . . � c7 36 11 xe4+ � f6 37 tZJc4+ Black resigned. As regards the rating list. here the tournament in Horgen became the basis of the main chess sensation of many a long year. Since the time of his accession to the throne, Garry Kasparov had not conceded to anyone the first slot in that ranking table. by which - as there is nothing better - the chess world is accustomed to de­ fining the strongest . The world champ ion had succeeded even in conquering a seemingly unreachable height : to surpass the rating record held since 1 972 by Robert James Fischer. established. as you will remember. after his 'c1ean' scores in the candidates matches and his more than

convincing victory over the tenth king in chess history. Boris Spassky . Nevertheless. on I st January 1 996 the list of chess high soc iety opened with the name of Kramnik: among the elite he had achieved the greatest addition to his rating and. moreover. he had played more senous games than any of his main rivals during the previous six months. For all that. Kramnik remained the youngest of the top thirty players - he was only 2 0 ' He was the only one not to lose a single game in battles against the elite. All this taken together both impressed. and inspired. and also allowed him to dream of much . . . True. to achieve this ' happy end ' Kramnik had to continue his traverse of the chess heights in Belgrade, "..'here he succeeded with both his trademark break­ through in the selected games chapter. (No 1 2 5 ). the measured games Nos. 1 48 ilnd 1 63 . and with much else . . . NO.53 Kram nik-Lautier Belgrade 1995

.

,

,

Black ' s onl\' move here was the subtle 26 . . . 11a4 ' . in order to lure the white pawn to a3 and subsequently create more quickly a passed pawn on the queenside. But the artless 26 ... ':'xd4+ 27 :d3 ::txd3+ 28 �xd3 f6 29 Wc4 a6 allowed White to break through to the key d5 square with a pawn sacrifice and to accurately convert his advantage into a win.

54

Kramnik: my i!fe and games

30 f5! �d6 31 fxe6 �xe6 32 �d4 �f5 33 �d5 �f4 34 �e6 f5 35 e3+ �g4 36 h3+ 'iit g5 37 h4+ �g6 38 h5+ �g5 39 h6 �g6 40 h7 �xh7 41 �xf5 �g7 42 �e6 1 -0 At precisely that time, the International Chess Federation, FIDE, which had grown tired of the two championships and felt that it was no longer possible to afford the former qual ifying system, proposed, through its President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, a new formula for the world championship : a single, grandiose, mass tournament held on a knock-out system. The prize find announced was a stunning one for chess, and was quite comparable with that of the richest tennis tournament in the world the US Open . And though many spoke against such a revolution in the ancient chess kingdom (with a single, forced exception - after Alekhine ' s death - the throne had always been ascended after a match), the sum of five million dollars was stunning. In the first, second and third instance, those who cou ld not seriously hope for a triumphant ascent, and to whom the noble but apparently decrepit Olympic slogan of Baron Pierre de Coubertin was applicable : 'The main thing is not victory, but taking part, ' it simply promised good earnings . Grandmasters of the first rank (generally it is absurd to divide the possessors of the highest chess title into certain invisible but real 'categories ' , but the title was excessively devalued a long time ago) said that fortune wou ld play too great a part in these short matches, consisting of only two serious games . It was something else that more concerned Kramnik. In an attempt to gain peace and quiet, the champions ' of different versions ' , Garry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov, were invited straight to the semi-finals, and after Kasparov' s cate­ gorical refusal, Karpov received the green light directly into the final ! Fresh and rested, he would face an opponent who had knocked out roughly five opponents, who had played not less than 1 5 'normal ' and

rapid games, and who had possibly shredded his nerves in blitz games . All this left the . candidate' with such slim chances of success that, in Kramnik' s opinion, it was turning a quite democratic reform into a kind of sacrifice to one player, for the sake of escaping from a dead end. Incidentally, other top players thought the same. But only Kramnik supported his word by his action; he was the only one of the ' dissidents ' to make a principled statement at the FIDE Congress, and when the injustice remained uncorrected - to refuse to take part. Meanwhile, his sequence of first places in prestigious tournaments continued. And what play ! For example, it would seem that no one had ever beaten Kasparov in such style as Vladimir did in game No. 1 4 1 . In general there were many creative successes in 1 996. The majority have been annotated by Kramnik himself, but here are two that he disregarded - undeservedly, in my opmlOn . . . No.54 Kramnik-Seirawan A msterdam 1 996 Sicilian Defence

1 tt:J0 c5 2 e4 tt:Jf6 3 tt:Jc3 d5 4 exd5 tt:Jxd5 5 �b5+ i.d7 6 tt:Je5! This unexpected thrust sets Black certain problems - he is obliged to part with his bishop . 6 . . . tt:Jf6 Problems awaited Black in the event of the optimistic 6 . . . i. xb5 7 'i'f3 ! f6 (7 . . . tt:Jf6 8 'ii'xb7) 8 tt:Jxb5 fxe5 9 'i'xd5 'i'xd5 1 0 tt:Jc7+ d7 1 1 tt:Jxd5 . 7 tt:Jxd7 tt:Jbxd7 8 d4 cxd4 9 "ii'x d4 a6 1 0 i.e2 e6? In Kramnik's opinion, 1 O . . . e5 ! 1 1 'i'd3 'iic7 would have promised B lack more. H i.f4 ii.c5 1 2 'i' d3 � 1 3 0-0 b5 14 11.0 lita7 1 5 :tadl 'i'aS 1 6 a3 b4 With the most natural moves White has gained a serious positional advantage.

A vertical take-off

Black' s attempt to create at least some counterplay encounters a brilliant tactical refutation . 1 7 lLla2 ! bxa3 1 8 b4 ! �xb4 If 1 8 . . 'ifa4 White had prepared 1 9 :t b l ! with the murderous threat of 20 l2Jc3 . 1 9 lLlxb4 'ifxb4 20 �d6 Wa5 2 1 �xrs �xrs 22 :a1 lLlc5 23 'ifd6+ :e7 24 ntb1 Exploiting fully the energy of his heavy pieces . 24 . . . l2Je8 25 %1b8 lLld7 26 :a8 'ifc5 27 'i'xc5 lLlxc5 28 .:ic6 f6 29 l:xa3 �n 30 �xe8+ :txe8 3 1 :txe8 'it'xe8 32 :ta5 1-0 .

No. 5 5 Kramnik-Anand Dos Hermanas 1 996 Griinfeld Defence

1 lLlo g6 2 d4 lLlf6 3 c4 �g7 4 lLlc3 cxd5 lLlxd5 6 e4 lLlxc3 7 bxc3 c5 8 0-0 9 �e2 cxd4 1 0 cxd4 'if a5+ 11 'i'xa2 12 0-0 .1i.g4 13 �g5 h6 14 lLlc6 1 5 d5 lLla5

d5 5 l:bl .lid2 .:ie3

Against one of his main rivals Kramnik again employed the fashionable - and deeply analysed by him - variation of the Griinfeld Defence with a pawn sacrifice. 16 �c5 ! �f6 17 e5 �xe5 18 :b4 �xO 19 �xO :ae8 20 .ie3 ! lLlc4 21 �xh6 lLld6 22 �xrs :txrs 23 h4 :c8 24 �e4 'i'a5 25 :a4 'ifb5 26 i.bl l:c5 27 �d3 'i'd7 28 :xa7 :xd5 29 :a8+ �g7 30 h5 l:d4 31 'ife2 �f6 32 hxg6 fxg6 33 �bl , and White won . . . on the 1 0 I st move !

55

' For a long time the position oscillated between a win for me and a draw. We were approaching the third and final time control, and I had about five minutes left, while with Vishy it was just the opposite ­ he had a mass of time, about an hour and a half. At this point Anand suddenly began looking as if bewitched at the rising flag on my clock. But I played quickly and successfully, and finished Vishy off after all ' - this was how Kramnik himself described the further course of the game. 33 . . . 'if g4 34 'if a2 lLlc4 35 'ifb3 b5 36 :e1 l:d2 37 :a2 : d5 38 �e4 :e5 39 l:ae2 'i'h4 40 g3 'ifh6 41 'ifd3 lLld6 42 �d5 :xe2 43 'ifxe2 'ifh3 44 �e6 'ifh8 45 'i'o 'ifb8 46 �g2 b4 47 : h 1 'i'b7 48 �d5 'ifb5 49 g4 lLln 50 �b3 lLlh6 51 :e1 'ifg5 52 :e4 lLlf5 53 'ifd l lLlh4+ 54 �h3 'ifc5 55 'ife2 g5 56 'ifc4 'ii' x c4 57 :xc4 �c3 58 :c5 lLlo 59 �g3 l2Je5 60 :b5 �d2 61 0 .i.c3- 62 f4 gxf4+ 63 �xf4 lLln 64 :d5 �b2 65 'it>f5 �f6 66 :dl lLlg5 67 :d3 lLln 68 :d7 lLld6+ 69 �f4 lLln 70 :b7 �e5+ 7 1 �e3 �d6 72 �e4 lLlg5+ 73 �f5 lLlo 74 �d5 lLlh4+ 75 �g5 lLlg6 76 :a7 lLlrs 77 �f5 �c5 78 :b7 �d6 79 g5 lLlg6 80 :a7 lLlrs 81 �b3 lLlg6 82 :a8 lLlrs 83 �g4 �c7 84 �h5 �d6 85 :c8 �e5 86 :c5 lLlg6 87 l:c8 lLlrs

88 : e l ! �c3 89 :n e6 90 :dl �n 9 1 :d8 lLlg6 92 :d7+ �e8 9 3 �a4 l2Je5 94 :b7+ �rs 95 g6 lLld3 96 �h6 lLlc5 97 :b8+ 'i;e7 98 �c2 lLld7 99 :b7 �d6 1 00 g7 �xg7+ 1 0 1 �xg7 1-O

56

Kramnik: my l�re and games

Incidentally, in this same tournament, Kramnik also won against Ivanchuk (game No. 1 42 ) .

realised perfectly wel l that White has quite sufficient compensation for the pawn, which in any case he is unlikely to be able to hold on to.

NO. 56 Kram nik-Adams Dortmund 1 996

Black shou ld go into the knight ending, with drawing chances . Now Kramnik demonstrates very fine technique. 45 .. J:tb4 46 tbc5 tba7 47 �e2 g5 48 �e3 gxh4 49 gxh4 J:b2 50 tbd7+ �e6 5 1 tbf8+ �f6 5 2 tbh7+ �g6 5 3 tbg5 ! (an excellent place for the knight) 53 . . . 'it>f6 54 l:d5 l:b6 55 �f4 lha6 56 :'xf5+ �g6 57 tbxe4 tbc8 58 l:.g5+ 'ith6 59 te5 �g6 60 :e8 l:c6 61 �e5 tbb6 62 l:e7 The knight ending after 62 l1 e6+ ':' xe6+ 63 � xe6 tbc4 64 f4 tbe3 may be drawn. 62 ...tbc4+ 63 Wd5 :'c8 64 :'e6+ �g7 65 tbg3 cJitf7 66 l:th6 tbd2 67 .I::tx h 5 :ta8 68 tf5+ �g7 69 1::£4 l:I.a5+ 70 �e6 :a6+ 71 cJitf5 :1c6 72 �g5 tbc4 73 tbf5+ cJith7 74 tbe7 :c5+ 75 :'f5 tbe5 76 �h5 �g7 77 :'g5+ �f6 78 tbg8+ �e6 79 f4 tbd3 80 :'xc5 tbxc5 81 �g6 tbd3 82 f5+ �e5 83 f6 tbf4+ 84 'it>f7 �f5 85 tbe7+ �g4 86 tbg6 tbh5 87 �e7 1-0 NO. 5 7 Korchnoi-Kramnik Vienna 1 996 Black has just avoided a three-fold repetition of the position, although he

33 ... f6 ! Boldly weakening all the light squares for the sake of neutralising the lurking central attacker - the bishop at b2. Now, among- others, the following variations were possible: 34 � b 1 ttJdxc4 3 5 'i'xh6 ':' f7 (35 . . . ttJxb2 ? 3 6 'illh 7+ �f8 3 7 'iWh 8+ � f7 3 8 'Wixg7 mate) 3 6 iL xe5 ttJxe5 (36 . . . :' xe5 3 7 'Wih 7+ � f8 3 8 iLg6 gives White a decisive advantage) 3 7 ': xf6, and now : (a) 3 7 . . . l:. xf6 3 8 'ifh 7+ 'itf8 39 'iih8+ � e7 40 'iWxg7+ : f7 4 1 'i'xe5+ �d8 42 � 8+ 'Wic8 43 �d6+ 'ii'd 7 ! with a draw; (b) 3 7 . . . ttJg6 ! 3 8 'iixg6 l::t e l + 39 � f2 l hb l (or 39 . . . :' xf6+ 40 �xf6 I hb l ) 40 %hf7 'ii'x f7+ 4 1 'iWxf7+ � xf7, with a slight advantage in the rook ending. But these were just a few of the branches of a whole tree of variations, with widely spreading shoots . And although, obj ectively speaking, the position did not contain any continuations favourable to Black, Kramnik evidently decided to give even Korchnoi, a ' calculating' player, an opportunity to calculate deeply. In the line given above his opponent did not like something, and played . . . 34 iLxe5? By ' winning ' a tempo, White loses everything.

A vertical take-off

34. . .fxe5 3 5 'jfxh6? e4 After this the bishop is ' hanging' , and also 36 . . . tDf5 is threatened. 36 _h5 :e5 ! Preparing a secure barrier in the variation 3 7 �4 exd3 3 8 lI h3 lI f5 . 37 'i'g6 exd3 38 :h3 :f5 39 'i'h7+ �f8 40 l:xf5+ tDxf5 4 1 :f3 l:e5 42 g4 After receiving in reply 42 . . . d2, White resigned .

57

27 lhe8 lhe8 28 .!:xd3 :te2 29 l:b3 b6 30 :b5 �h6 3 1 g4 ! After 3 1 f4 it would have been very difficult to convert the advantage.

NO . 5 8 Kram nik-J. Polgar Novgorod 1 996

Black has just attacked the advanced enemy rook and intends after 1 9 :g4 lIe6 ! to gain quite adequate counterplay, while after the exchange of minor pieces a draw looks distinctly likely. Only here Kramnik finds a third way . 19 :h5 ! ! �xd 4 The more cautious 1 9 . . . lI ad8 20 lI d I :e6 2 1 i.f5 %1 f6 22 i. b I lI e6 23 f4 tDf8 would have left White with a gradually increasing initiative . 20 :dl ! :ad8 (2(L � f8 ') 1 2 1 1!Nc2 lIac8 22 'ib 3) 21 kxg6 'ti'xd2 22 i.xf7+ �xf7 23 l:xd2

d4

The pawn would also have fal len after �. 3 . . . �e6 24 f4 1 24 :1h4! d3 25 :f4+! �g6 26 :e4 h5?! A serious weakening, which is lliantlY exploited by Kramnik. Much re tenacious was 26 . . . � f6 ! 27 lIxe8 e8 28 lIxd3 lI e2 29 lI b3 b6 30 f4 .

t

3 1 . ..g6 Insufficient was 3 1 . . .h4 3 2 f4 � g6 (32 . . . h3 + 33 � g3 h2 34 n h5+ � g6 35 f5+ � f6 36 .lhh2 lI xb2 3 7 f4 ! lI b5 3 8 :t c2 .:a5 -3 9 � h4 l:t a3 40 n c6+ a8 30

60

Kramnik: my life and games

3 1 tLJcxb7 .:txb7 32 tLJxb7 �g7 33 �f1 :b8 34 tLJd6 :d8 35 tLJb5 l:hdl + 36 .:txdl a6, and the players soon agreed a draw . I will conclude this in general rather sad topic with two citations from . . . myself. Reporting from the tournament . Lord Novgorod the Great ' , I had this to say, in particular, about the games played by the hero of this book . The most dramatic game at the start was the meeting of the two brilliant young grandmasters, who have been most often victorious in recent battles - Vladimir Kramnik and Vesclin Topalov. Both arrived in Novgorod directly from Dort­ mund . which was also not a weak tournament, and from Novgorod both will set off to yet another ' super' - in Vienna. Of course, the strength of the young is boundless (at the opening ceremony Kramnik even admitted that a week free of playing was sufficient for him to feel completely restored), but their encounter somehow forced one to doubt this . . . No. 6 l Kram nik-Topalov Novgorod 1 996 White 's position is strategically won (grandmaster Makarychev' s personal com­ puter, operating at the classical rate of two hours for 40 moves, evaluated his advan­ tage as being worth more than a pawn).

He continues the battle for the key e4 square with 25 tLJd2 . However, to many 25 tLJh4 ! ? seemed more attractive, and importantly, more resolute, when the tempting 25 . . . e4 2 6 � xe4 �xh4 2 7 .i.xf5 � d4, with an apparently strong counter­ attack against £1, runs into the calm reply 28 'ii'd 2 ! (stronger than 2 8 g3 �x£1+ 29 Wg2 'iif6 30 .i. xg6 �f3+ 3 1 � h3) 2 8 . . . � x£1+ 2 9 'iix£1 � x£1+ 30 � xf2 ':'xf5+ 3 1 W e3 tLJe7 3 2 ': c7 tLJxd5+ 33 tLJxd5 l hd5 34 ':' xb7, and in particular be­ cause his king is cut off on the back rank, but also in view of the threat of 3 5 b5, the ending is absolutely hopeless for Black. 25 ... .:tfB 26 h3 Wg7 27 tLJe4 And here the double-edged 27 g4 came into consideration. The quiet continuation in the game allowed Black to stabilise the position 27 tLJf6 28 tLJg3 �xd3 29 'i'xd3 h5 30 tLJe4 tLJxe4 3 1 'tixe4 �h7 32 'ij'c2 .:ih6 33 tLJa4 �f6 34 1:c7 lhc7 35 'ii'x c7+ �g7, and after 36 tLJc3 'iff4 37 g3 'ifc 1 + 38 �g2 � c2 39 h4 to obtain every chance of winning by 39 . . . 'ifd3 , when against the deadly 40 . . . e4 there is no satisfactory defence. But Topalov carried out immediatel y the desired 39 . . . e4, which allowed White to disentangle himself with a little tactical 'trick' : 40 tLJb5 . True, when he had not yet cooled down from the heat of battle, Veselin named no less than four( ' ) continuations that h e claimed would have won - 40 . . . 'Yib3, 40 . . . �d3 , 40 . . . �d l and �

-

••.

A vertical take-off

h I , but with the black pawn at , h5 it is more logical to castle long. 13 'i'c2 .ih6 1 4 0-0-0 c5

97

is more effective after 1 6 . . . ttJc5 ! 1 7 ttJb3 (or 1 7 i. f2 ttJe6 1 8 ttJ b3 'i'e7, and there is nothing to prevent the black knight from comfortably occupying d4 after the pre­ paratory . . . c6-c5 ) 1 7 . . . i. e3 . 1 7 ttJa4 With the obvious idea of 1 8 c5, forcing the opponent' s reply. 17 . . . c5 1 8 ttJc3 �e3?! Played after not much thought, this move surprised me. Black goes in for the exchange (wasting valuable tempi ! ) of one of the main defenders of his own king and for the knight at d2, which is cramping its own pieces. I was sure that there would fol low 1 8 . . . i. b7 19 ttJd5 a4 with unclear play ( l 9 . . . ttJg5, with the idea of . . . ttJe6-d4, is weaker in view of 20 i. xg5 i. xg5 2 1 g3 i. h6 22 f4 with the initiative) . 1 9 ttJd5 �d4 20 ttJb3 Here I considered my position to be m uch �uperior. However, the prestige of the world champion weighed on me, caus­ ing me to have doubts : perhaps I am missing something? 20 . . . J.. b 7 21 ttJxd4 cxd4 22 f4 :tb8?! A careless move. 22 . . . ttJh6 was stronger, when I would have continued 23 fx.e5 dxe5 24 c5 i. c6 (weaker is 24 . . . l:t c8 25 'ib3 ttJxc5 26 ttJxf6+ "' h8 2 7 'i'g3 ! when Black stands badly) 25 : hfl with the initiative. 23 :thO ttJh6

IS dxc6?! An inaccuracy . Stronger was 1 5 "' b l , Ilen White is a little better. At any event, 1W0uid only like to play White in this pos­ ion. Now the situation becomes unclear. 15 . bxc6 16 �bl a5? ! ..

-Kasparov too does not choose the mgest continuation. Black ' s counterplay

24 c5 ! Here I practically did not work out any variations, although I saw that the quiet 24

98

Kramnik: my l�fe and games

fxe5 dxe5 25 c5 � c6 promised me an ad­ vantage. I decided to play creatively . . . 24 ... �xd5 (there is obviously nothing else) 25 exd5 tLlf5 26 fxe5 I had already planned the entire fol low­ ing play with sacrifices, and I somehow did not want to switch to positional l ines, but serious consideration should have been given to 26 c6, with the possible variation 26 . . . tLlc5 27 fxe5 ! tLl xh4 28 exd6 W'xd6 29 ': xd4 tLlf5 30 :t c4 tLla6 3 1 c7 tLlxc7 3 2 ': xc7 �xh2 , and although Black holds on, White has a clear advantage. 26 ... tLlxh4 If Black prefers to win the exchange 26 . . . tLlxe5 27 .l:tx f5 gxf5 . then after 2 8 c6 'ilb6 29 � f2 the battle is hardly prolonged. 27 exd6 tLle5 (c5 -c6-c7 was threatened) 28 llxd4 tLlf5 The alternative did not promise much 2 8 . . . .: b4 29 l hb4 axb4 30 �e4 tLlf5 3 1 �xb4, and for the knight White has five connected passed pawns .

2 9 :xf5 It is somehow awkward to attach an ' I ' to this obvious move, especially since it is harmoniously linked with the entire preceding play. I could have played 29 :t e4 . of course, but I did not calcu late any lengthy variations, being convinced that at the least a perpetual check would tum up . 29 ... gxf5 30 �xf5 Wg7! In the event of 3 0 . . . :t b4 (named by Kasparov after the game as the strongest) 3 1 �e6+ the following variations arise :

(a) 3 1 . . . � h8 3 2 l hb4 axb4 3 3 W'e7, and it is very i mportant that the black queen cannot immediately go to a5 with counter­ play, while after 3 3 . . . 'ii'c8 34 d7 ! tLlxd7 3 5 � d3 f5 3 6 c 6 tLl f6 White wins by 3 7 .i.a6 ! We8 3 8 W'xf8+ 'i'xf8 3 9 c7. The game concludes in similar fashion after 34 . . . 'i'd8 35 'i'xd8 (35 d6 ! ?) 3 5 . . . ': xd8 36 c6 tLlxd7 3 7 c7 1:g8 3 8 d6, when there is no defence against the threat of .i. d3 -f5 ; (b) 3 1 . . . tLlt7 3 2 1 hb4 axb4 3 3 .i. xh5 (33 'iVe4 tLl e5 3 4 �xb4 is also good) 33 . . . �g7 34 i. xt7 1 ht7 3 5 c6 � 6 3 6 c7 jfg l + 37 � c2, and the king avoids perpetual check. Therefore the move made by Black can be considered his only possibility. 3 1 �xh5 n h8? The decisive oversight; here 3 1 . . . l:tb4 would indeed have been stronger, and after 3 2 1::t xb4 axb4 3 3 W'e6 W'a5 1 White has only. a draw: 34 'ii'e 7+ �g8 3 5 �e6+ �h8 3 6 'fie7 . True, the quiet 3 2 We4 would have led to a very complicated and, impor­ tantly, unusual position, in which White 's chances are still better. Nevertheless, the battle would have continued, with all three results of the game still possible.

32 :g4+! Here Kasparov threw up his hands : in a serious game it is unlikely that he would have missed this check . Now Black ends up In zugzwang. 32 . . . WfS 33 'Wie6 Of the three white pieces, two are hanging, yet neither can be taken. There

99

The spirit o/the time

was also 3 3 c6 �xd6 34 c7 tLlxg4 3 5 cS .+ :' xcS 3 6 .xcS+ �g7 3 7 'Wixg4+ with a big advantage, but the move p layed is more immediately decisive. 33 .. J1b7 34 c6 Here my opponent became animated and began shaking his head as he calculated variations, but I had seen in advance that the sacrifice did not work . 34 . . . .:!.xb2+ 35 �xb2 'ii' b 6+ 36 �a3 'l'c5+ 37 �a4 �c2+ 38 �b5 'iWb2+ 39 �a6 .e2+ 40 �b7 :h7+ 41 d7 Black resigned in view of the variation 4 1 . . . 'ifb5+ 42 � c7 l hd7+ 43 cxd7 'Yi'c5+ 44 'iii>d 8 . So, that was that? But in the semi-final something happened that was talked about in the entire chess world for months on end, and there was not a single magazine that did not give this final position from the match. NO. 9 1 Vyzhmanavin-Kram nik Moscow Rapid J 994

Black( ! ! ), and hence his decision to go into the final by the safest way ! Such a black­ out is beyond the bounds of chess, and psychologists too would do best to keep quiet. Someone suggested : perhaps it was Kramnik that the heavens wanted to see in the final . There, of course, he was unable to play calmly: ' I was upset by this incident ' . In a superior position in the second blitz game he stumbled on easy ground and the first prize went to Anand. But in the next stage in New York he overcame his opponents by clean scores in rounds one and two, in blitz he defeated Ivanchuk, and in the fi nal, without reaching the blitz games, he again beat Kasparov. And he led the Grand Prix series, ahead of Anand, Kasparov and Ivanchuk, although it was after this defeat that the world champion named as his main rival - and the No.2 in the world not him, but the Indian player . . . In principle the London stage did not change anything, if one disregards the quite sensational success at the start of. . . the computer ' Pentium Genius ' , which at the will of the organisers was included among the finalists . Moreover, the heart­ less machine defeated none other than the strongest player on the planet ! Kramnik reached the semi-finals without difficulty. NO.92 Kramnik-Vyzhmanavin London Rapid J 994

It had been preceded by two draws in the main, rapid games, and then came a blitz tie-break: 6 minutes for White, 5 minutes for Black, but with the draw in Black' s favour. Naturally, in this position there is no hint of this, and Kramnik was already intending to resign, when suddenly his opponent, at that time a very solid grandmaster, offered . . . a draw ' Alexey suddenly imagined that he was playing . . .

1 00

Kramnik: my life and games

1 4 fxe5 dxe5 1 5 !ZJh6+ 'ili'g7 1 6 !ZJg4 'ili'g8 1 7 �h6 �b7 1 8 'ii' d 2 'iie 7 1 9 J:f2 f6 20 .:I.aft 'ii'd 6 21 �xfS :1xfS 22 .:I.dl 'iie 7 23 !ZJe3 !ZJaS 24 c5 'it'g7 25 cxb6 axb6 26 d5 !ZJc5 27 d6 cxd6 28 'iix d6 'iix d6 29 1:bd6 �xe4 30 .:I.xb6 �xg2 31 'ili'xg2 !ZJe4 32 1:c2 f5 33 .:I.a6 !ZJb7 34 .:I.a7 1:f7 35 !ZJc4 �f6 36 :1b2 !ZJbd6 37 l:ta6 �e6 38 !ZJxd6 !ZJxd6 39 c4 1 -0 After this Kramnik retained the overall lead, although Anand and Ivanchuk were close behind him . The concluding stage in Paris began as expected. Kasparov and Kramnik confid­ ently got through to the semi-finals, Vladimir' s play being, if not always consistent, then very interesting. He held the initiative in his first semi­ final match with Kasparov, and mounted his trademark breakthrough in the centre, but the world champion defended very tenaciously (as Kramnik put it, with enor­ mous concentration), and managed to save the draw. But in the blitz game, where Black was again satisfied with a draw, the unwritten rule of football went into operation : ' if you don 't score, they wil l score against you . ' No.93 Kasparov-Kramnik Paris Rapid 1 99g 1 g5 would have left Black with the unpleasant threat of 50 . . . 1i. h2+ 5 1 � xh2 l:r xfl with a mating net in prospect. 46 ... l::!. x fl +! 47 'it>h2 By taking the rook, White would have allowed the black pawn to queen. 47 . . . :'xf2 48 %hd5 1:txg2+ 0-1 And the main semi-final pairing was decided. 'Tomorrow will be a happy day, ' said Kasparov, and he went off to prepare. ' If I slept badly before a game with Kasparov, I would have suffered from insomnia a long time ago, since we have played each other a number of times, ' Kramnik replied to a journalist' s question. And again everything was decided by the bl itz game.

NO.96 Kram nik-Kasparov New York Rapid 1 995

1 02

Kramnik: my l�fe and games

This time the draw was in favour of Kasparov, who to achieve it chose as his weapon the peaceful Petroff Defence. But here Black ' s defence is very difficult, especially after the natural activation of the white king. Krarnn i k, however, immediately went into the pa\\1l ending with a " nominal ' additional fighting unit . 29 :dxe6 lhe6 30 .:txd5 �f6 3 1 :'xe6+ '::' xe6 3 2 .:ixe6 �xe6 3 3 �d2 c 4 34 b5 �d5 35 'it>e3 �e5 The tournament bulletin recommended here 35 . . . g5 ! as leading to a draw. But in fact Black loses : 35 . . . g5 ? 36 � f3 h5 37 h4 ! � e6 ( 3 7 . . . gxh4 3 8 � f4) 3 8 hxg5 � f5 3 9 g 6 �xg6 4 0 g4 h4 4 1 �g2 � h6 42 �h3 �g5 43 a4 . 36 h4 h5 37 g3 g6 38 �f3 �f5 39 a4 �e5? What an important, nervy blitz game does even to the great ! - 39 . . . g5 ! would have given a simple draw. 40 g4 �e6 Subsequently grandmaster Pal Benko, who composed a study on the theme of this ending, showed that Black could still have drawn as follows : 40 . . . hxg4+ ! 4 1 xg4 � f6 42 � f4 g7 ! 43 �g5 � f7 ! 44 h5 gxh5 45 � xh5 � f6 46 �g4 � e5 47 c;i(g5 (47 � f3 f5 with the opposition) 47 . . . �e4 48 � f6 f2 led to a draw, and gave Vladimir the first prize. On this occasion there was no car on the stage of the Kremlin Palace . . . Then the Grand Prix j umped from the well-trodden route of New York-London­ Paris and set off to Geneva : in this second stage some new names ' seeped through ' from the qual ifier into the main net, but the running was nevertheless made by the stars. Thus in the first round Krarnn i k and Korchnoi (who in his best years used to play blitz with strong masters, giving them odds of 4( ! ! ) minutes ! ) played in such lively fashion, that on the conclusion of their match the spectators applauded for some five minutes . After winning the first game, at the required moment Vladimir elegantly forced a draw.

After 25 tUxe6 fxe6 26 'ifxe6+ �h8 27 d7 although Black is a piece up, things are still far from clear - 2 7 . . . : cd8 2 8 l:[ fl etc. But . . . 27 . . . l:f2+ 28 �hl :txh2+, and th.ere is no escape from perpetual check. Kranm ik also held on in the first game of the quarter-final, using another, more rare, chess 'tool ' . NO. I OO Kramnik-Speelman Geneva Rapid 1 996

68 a7 l:ta2+ (68 . . .lit xa7 69 l:t b4) 69 �gl nat + 70 �g2 l: a2+ 7 1 �gl l:xa7 72 l:b4 l:tal+ 73 �g2 The simplest, although 73 �h2 g3+ 74 'it>g2 : a2+ 75 �g l l:t h2 76 l:t b6 ! was also possible, obtaining Henrik Kasparian's well-known drawn position.

The spirit of the time

73 ... h3+ 74 'it'h2 :!'a2+ 75 'it'ht :g2 76 l: b7+ 'it'g6 77 :!.g7+, and there is nowhere to hide from the ' desperado ' white rook . Alas, in the second game the sensation of Geneva occurred : Kramnik lost to a very nice Englishman, who was not only not one of the 'big four' of the main contestants, but who had reached the top group only by qualifying. And in the final Anand defeated Kasparov, and with 9 points became the leader. Kasparov and Krarnnik were immediately behind him, so that there was still all to play for . . . That, at least, is what they thought. As did the whole chess world. But . . . ' In life "but" happens very often, ' Anton Pavlo­ vich Chekhov, a subtle expert on human psychology, used to say. For the sake of initiating a match with the super-computer Deep Blue Kasparov 'betrayed' the com­ pany InteL the main sponsor completely terminated its support (which even before then had not been very scrupulously carried out) for the PCA. and the Professional Chess Association with its showpiece Grand Prix passed away . . . Rapid chess, as a system, withstood the test of time only at the traditional tourna­ ments in Monaco - in combination with playing . . . blindfold Its organisation and financing has for ever put into the history of chess the Dutchman Joop van Oosterom - without doubt the most prominent of all the chess patrons in the second half of the 20th century . Enormous expenses - every year more than half a million dol lars - and absolute disinterestedness ! The tournaments acqu ired their 'double' formula only from 1 993, and in 1 994 the 1 9-vear-old Vladimir Krarnn i k made his debut . Later he admitted : ' Personal ly they have always given me enormous pleasure, ' although there are absolutely opposite opinions . Kasparov, for example, has never taken part in these battles, having explained once to the author of these lines that playing blindfold with a high degree of concentration - otherwise there is no

1 05

point in making a fuss - demands too much strength and energy. Krarnnik has his own opinion : ' For a professionaL there is no particular difference between a rapid and a blindfold game. But when you are playing "rapid", it is extremely hard to concentrate - there is no motivation, you just move the pieces, you are in a semi­ relaxed stage. But playing blindfold, like it or not, you have to make your body work at full power, otherwise you risk losing your orientation on the board. ' Perhaps that is why he has four times come out top in this designation? - and the games give evidence of what high-class play he has demonstrated . . . Vladimir in general describes with pleasure the ' M elody Amber' tournaments held annually in March . And a kaleido­ scope of his appraisals of different years creates a truly unique picture. " Even if you want to, you can 't find any faults in the excellent organisation of the traditional tournament in Monaco. Thanks to the care of J oop van Oosterom and his fami ly, the participants and their com­ panions always have the most favourable conditions . One of the best hotels in Monte-Carlo, the Metropol, an open account in its restaurant and bars (which, of course, we don 't abuse), and even pocket money for everyday expenses . They meet us, they see us off. . . Van Oosterom lives on Aruba and usually he flies to Monaco with his wife and two daughters for the start of the tournament. It is pleasant to see a person who quite sincerely finances chess out of his love for it, not for business purposes . He is not very concerned about advertising and the attention of the publ ic. Van Oosterom gains pleasure simply from the play itself. He is a good chess player, a correspon­ dence grandmaster, and he happily j oins in the analysis of the completed games, and suggests quite reasonable moves. 'The organisers are constantly trying to add variety to the guests ' leisure time and

1 07

The spirit o/the time

tempo - 1 1 . . . � cS 1 2 e3 0-0, with quite good piece play. 1 1 b4 ! axbS 1 2 ttJxbS And facing Black is the terrible threat of 1 3 cS .d8 1 4 'jia7, against which he can defend only at the cost of a very strong attack . . . on his king. 1 2 ... dS 1 3 ttJd6+ �e7 1 4 cS .a6 I S 'i'c2 ttJe8 1 6 bS 'ii a8 1 7 �f4 ttJxd6 1 8 i.xd6+ �e8 1 9 �xb8 �xb8 2 0 a4 Although nominally B lack is ahead on material, he has no way of opposing the armada of white pawns on the queenside. 20 . . :ii c 7 21 l:fe l fS 22 as ttJeS 23 c6 b6 24 axb6 �xb6 2S :a8 �d8 26 :b8 1-O No. 1 03 Ivanchuk-Kramnik Monaco Rapid 1 99./ Sicil ian Defence

1 e4 cS 2 ttJf3 ttJc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ttJxd4 ttJf6 S ttJc3 d6 6 AgS e6 7 'ifd2 Ae7 8 0-0-0

0-0 9 ttJb3 'i'b6 1 0 f3 l:td8 1 1 �bl 'i'c7 12 h4 a6 13 .f2 bS 14 �e3 ': b8 IS g4 tZJes 16 gS ttJfd7 1 7 hS b4 18 ttJe2 as 1 9 g6 a4 2 0 ttJbd4 ttJcS 2 1 gxf7+ �xf7 2 2 ttJf4 �f6 2 3 ttJbS �e7 2 4 �e2 b 3 2 S cxb3 axb3 26 a3 ttJa4 27 :'d4

27 ... ttJxb2 28 �xb2 ttJc6 29 :t e l �d7 30 ttJxe6 :dc8 31 tZJec7 ttJxd4 32 ttJxd4 dS 33 .:ii. a6 :a8 34 'ife2 'ifd6 3S f4 :txc7 36 l:!.xc7 �xd4+ 37 .:txd4 'ifxc7 38 .:ii. eS 'i'cs 39 .:ii. c3 .:ic8 40 .g2 :'xa6 41 �xg7+ '&te8 42 'ifh8+ �f8 43 �eS+ �e7 0-1

No. 1 04 Kramnik-Lj ubojevic Monaco Rapid 1 996 Sicilian Defence

1 ttJf3 c5 2 c4 ttJf6 3 ttJc3 g6 4 e4 ttJc6 S d4 cxd4 6 ttJxd4 d6 7 �e2 ttJxd4 8 'ii'x d4 �g7 9 �e3 0-0 1 0 .d2 Ad7 1 1 0-0 �c6 1 2 f3 ttJd7 A theoretical position has been reached, but with Black a tempo down. 1 3 b4 b6 1 4 :tael .:tb7 I S l:fd l :c8 1 6 .:igS f6 ! ? 1 7 �h4 Retreating back to e3 followed by ttJbS was also possible. 1 7 . . . tZJes 1 8 ttJbS ttJc6 After 1 8 . . . a6 there is 1 9 ttJd4, when Black' s b6 pawn is weakened. N ow White decided to go in for a forcing variation, but he miscalculated. Meanwhile, the quiet 1 9 a3 ! followed by � f2 would have consol­ idate(lhis advantage. 19 ji'dS+? ! �h8 20 ttJxa7 ttJxb4 ! It was this that I had overlooked - if 2 1 'i'xb7 Black has 2 1 . . . .:t b 8 . I had to think for a long time, for some . . . 1 2 minutes . 2 1 .d2 :a8 22 �xb4 .:1xa7 Thus, an equal position has been reached. Given simple play, in the end the two sides would have exchanged a- and b­ pawns, White would have played c4-cS, and a draw would have resulted. However, Lj uboj evic was of a different opinion, and, sensing his aggressive intentions, I unhurriedly played 23 n c2, when there followed 23 . . . ..tc6 24 :t b l 'ifa8 2S �d2 gS 26 .:if2 g4 ! My opponent finds a very interesting way of complicating the play, and the tension grows . 27 :xb6 gxf3 28 gxf3 ! Accepting the challenge. 2 8 l hc6 would have led to a straightforward draw. In reply Ljuboj evic began pressing from all sides . 28 . . J�� g8 29 �f1 l:t a3 An unpleasant move; in some cases . . . � xe4 is threatened. 30 :1b3 .l: aS (intending . . . .:t hS ) 31 cS !

1 08

Kramnik: my life and games

It is good that if 3 1 . , , �a4 White has 32 l:a3 . 31 . . . d5 The situation has become extremely sharp . White' s defensive resources are suf­ ficient, but at this point I had only one minute left, while Ljuboj evic had about 2 0 ' However, he over-rated his position .

32 .::t b 6 (intending 3 3 It xc6) 32 ... �a4 33 '::' c b2 dxe4 34 'ii' c3 White' s trump is his c5 pawn, but he was already down to his last 30 seconds . 34 . . . :d8? After the game Ljubo and I analysed the game for about an hour - given accurate play by White, all three results were still possible. 35 c6 f5 36 'i'b4 .:ixc6 37 ':xc6 W'xc6 38 'ii'xa5 �cl + 39 .:iel (everything somehow knits together) 39 . . J 1 g8 Threatening 40 . . . it. d4, and if 40 lI b4 it. c3 , so that White has only one reply. 40 J:d2 exf3 Apparently the best practical chance was still 40 . . . it. c3, but at this point Ljuboj evic began to grow markedly nervous. 4 1 Ji.xf3 'i'c4+ 42 :e2 'i'f4 43 �d5 White is saved by the addition of ten seconds per move. 43 . . . e6 44 '::' xe6 'ii' x h2 45 :te2 'i'f4 46 .:id2 'i'a4 47 :g2 'i'a3 48 'i'b3 �a6+ 49 �e2 'i'c6 50 'ii' c4 'ii' b 6 51 '::' x g7! (now is the time ' ) 51 . . . �xg7 (5 1 . . . l hg7 52 'ii'c 8+ Itg8 5 3 � c3+) 52 .:ic3+ �f8 53 .:1b4+ �g7 54 .:1c3+ �f8 55 'i'c8+ �e7 56

.xg8 W'bl + 57 �el Kramnik)

1-0 (Notes by

No. 1 05 Van Wely-Kramnik Monaco Rapid 1 998 Queen ' s Gambit

1 d4 lLJf6 2 c4 e6 3 lLJf3 d5 4 lLJc3 c6 5 e3 lLJbd7 6 W'c2 �d6 7 �e2 � 8 0--0 dxc4 9 �xc4 b5 10 �d3 �b7 1 1 l:dl a6 1 2 e4 e5 1 3 dxe5 lLJxe5 1 4 lLJxe5 �xe5 White' s subsequent play is consistent, but at the same time forced: neither 1 5 f4 � d4+ 1 6 � h l lLJg4 nor 1 5 �g5 it. xh2+ is possible. At the same time his king's residence is not defended by a single piece, and Black is about to launch an attack. 1 5 �xb5 �xh2+ 1 6 �hl W'e7 1 7 .:1e2 �e5 1 8 �f3 c5 Begi,nning a siege of the e4 pawn, and completely seizing the initiative. 19 :el :fe8 20 �gl l:1ad8 21 �g5 h6 22 �xf6 'iWxf6 23 :tadl 'ii'f4 24 lihd8 :xd8 25 l: d l 'i'h2+ 26 � f1 �d4 27 'i'b3 This hastens White ' s already inevitable defeat. Bad is 27 lLJd5 it. xd5 28 exd5 'ifh l + 29 W e2 : e8+ 3 0 � d2 it'h4, while if 27 lLJe2, then Black has the unpleasant 2 7 . . . 'iWh 1 + 2 8 lLJg 1 a5 with the threats of . . . : d6-f6 and . . . it. a6. 27 .. J1b8 28 'i'a4 as 29 'i'c4

29 ... �d5 ! White resigns, since any of the three captures leads to a quick mate, whereas

1 09

The spirit oflhe time

after 29 . . . � a6') 30 � xa6 :' xb2 White would have been able to give perpetual check.

are more rare than with others. but even so, even so . . . Thus, on this occasion Judit Polgar played excellently against him. She even landed a pretty tactical blow and soon attacked the queen . . . with an undefended ' B l i ndfo l d ' g a mes fro m M o naco bishop ! 1 2 ... lLJd5 ! 1 3 c4 lLJxe3 1 4 fxe3 fxe4 1 5 Hcre it seems to me that one cannot get by without a smal l foreword . Undoubtedly, it dxe4 �e7 1 6 �O �c8 1 7 lLJd3 �e6 1 8 is only to people \vho are very distant from �c2 cxb4 1 9 axb4 �h8 20 c5 b5 2 1 ::ta6 chess that blindfold play seems a ::tac8 22 lLJdxe5 .:ig8 23 lLJg4 h5 24 lLJgh2 phenomenon virtually from another world 1i.c4 25 .:tel 1i.d3?? Initial ly Vladimir was slightly taken (and a simultaneous display - the more so l ). but even so. out of all the existing aback, but then he decided not to take a variations of chess it is the most difficult risk and began calculating the moves and stands apart . True. Kramnik has said backwards . The verdict pronounced was that whoever plays well at classical chess unfavourable for Polgar, and the bishop will also play well blindfold, but this is was captured . . . 26 �xd3 :cd8 2 7 'ilic2 �e6 28 �ha7 perhaps the only case where there is reason to regard his authoritative opinion with a :a8 29 :xa8 !has 30 e5 1 -0 certain degree of scepticism. After all, Regarding his debut in blindfold chess strong grandmasters have come to the . in 1 994, Kramnik had this to say: - 'The entire day was filled with chess ! A Melodv Amber tournament and made 'blindfold' results such as 0 out of 7 ! And rapid game, then analysis with the because they only played well . But you opponent, and soon after a meal the time need to play very wei l l Otherwise you came to sit down at the board again. In have to strain yourself. not to notice and addition, playing the blindfold game calculate variations. but merely to ' see' the second is especially difficult, and towards position and sense it . . . the end of the tournament much was decided by stamina. ' For example, not long before the finish No. 1 06 I had the better position in a '"blind" game Kram nik-J. Polgar with Ivanchuk, when I made a curious Monaco Blind 1 996 oversight . With white pawns at g4. g5 and h4, at some point I captured a black pawn .I � .I • on h5 by g4xh5 , and for a long time I thought that it was . . . the white h-pawn that i 6) .l i had moved there . The error came to l ight i .l i i when I gave a check with my queen from i i i f5 , where it was undefended, and Vasily � � happily captured it. And at this point I was contending with Anand for overall � � � .,t ttJ victory ! ' �. � t'i:J � . Another. similar instance occurred i n a : : 'Wi � crucial game with Anand. I conducted the game well, but . . . ' In the diagram position something Even the stars do not manage without incidents. to an equal degree dramatic incredible happened to me . . . and . . . amusing. In Kramnik' s games they '

1 10

Kramnik: my l�fe and games

No. 1 07 Kram nik-Anand Monaco Blind 1 99 7

greatly interest me. I switched to a regime of complete relaxation : I rested, stopped preparing for the games, and simply tried out new openings . (Noles by Kramnik) But on most occasions everything went 'normally' . . . No. 1 08 Kamsky-Kramnik Monaco Blind 1 994 Sicilian Defence

I cannot claim that White has a won position, but Black' s problems are quite serious. I decided first to drive the rook from its active position. 26 .1i.a6 :1a8 Later many reckoned that I had for­ gotten where the black king was - at h8 instead of g8 . In fact I extremely rarely lose sight of where a piece is . The problem is that on the computer screen (which dis­ plays an empty board and the opponent ' s last move) the letters ' a ' and ' e ' are rather similar. And after glancing briefly at the display, I decided that Anand had played 26 . . . l:t e8 (after 26 . . . :ta8 I was planning 2 7 .1i. b7 and then the capture on a5 ) . 27 .1i.b5 Setting up a powerful battery against . . . the phantom rook at e8 . At this point I was very happy with my position : the ending seemed unpleasant and very difficult for Black. Suspicion set in a move later. 27 . . . lLJc5 28 .Jtxa5 �xa5 29 lZJxa5 lha5 The rook appeared from nowhere, it all became clear to me, and I had to resign . This absurdity spoiled my entire tourna­ ment. In the rapid game with Anand in my eagerness to gain revenge I overstepped the mark, advanced imprudently, and lost 0-2 . I realised that first place was out of the question, and second or third did not

1 e4 c5 2 lLJO lLJc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lLJxd4 lLJf6 5 lLJc3 d6 6 .ii. g5 e6 7 .1i.b5 'iib 6 8 .Jtxf6 gxf6 9 lLJb3 a6 1 0 .1i.e2 'ii c7 1 1 a4 b6 1 2 lLJd4 .1i.b7 1 3 lLJxc6 'iix c6 1 4 'i'd4 :1g8 1 5 .:1 0 'i'c5 White has played the opening l imply and his opponent already has the initiative - both in the sharp middlegame, and in the ' Sicilian ' endgame. The f6 pawn is now taboo ( l 6 'W'xfO? .llg 7), and so . . . 1 6 'l'd3 0-0-0 1 7 0-0 h5 1 8 'iii h l h4 1 9 h3 �b8 2 0 1: a3 'ii'e5 2 1 .l:b3 d5 ! ? 2 2 .Jtg4 In order to meet 22 . . . .ll d 6 with 23 f4 . 22 . . . �c5 23 exd5

23 ... f5! 24 .ii. e 2 (24 .lt D ? .ll d 6) 24 .. Jhd5 25 lZJxd5 .Jtxd5 26 �O �xb3 (26 . . . .lld 6? 27 l hb6+ and 28 1: hd6) 27 'i'xb3 l:td8 28 c3 l:d2 29 l:dl �xf2 30 c4 (forced in view of the threatened . . . : d3 , . . . l:txD and . . . 'iig 3 ) 30. . JWxb2 3 1 'ii'x b2 l::t x b2 32 g4 hxg3 33 h4, and White continued his hopeless resistance until the following piquant position was reached :

III

The spirit of the time

in any case White should have gone in for this position . 1 8 ... �d6 1 9 g3 tUe5 20 �g2 'ii'f5 2 1 l:1d2 �e5 22 l:1ad1

It is White to move. He can acquire a queen - 52 h8 'iW , but after 52 . . . g I tU ! he is mated ! No. 1 09 Karpov-Kram nik Monaco Blind 1 995 Queen ' s Gambit .

1 d4 d5 2 e4 e6 3 tUf3 tUf6 4 tUe3 dxe4 5 a4 �f5 6 e3 e6 7 .:txe4 �b4 8 0-0 0-0 9 'i'e2 .:tg6 1 0 lUe5 tUbd7 1 1 tUxg6 hxg6 1 2 J:dl 'i'a5 1 3 .id2 e5 Somewhat over-hasty. More accurate is 13 .. J �ad8 14 � e l tUb6 15 � b3 , and now 1 5 . . . e5, as I subsequently p layed against Kamsky . 1 4 d5 .:1ad8 Weaker is 1 4 . . . cxd5 1 5 tUxd5 tUxd5 1 6 i.xd5 with a marked advantage to White . 1 5 dxe6 bxe6 Here we can take stock. White has the better pawn structure, and if his a4 pawn were still at a2, he would have a more definite advantage. Black ' s play is associa­ ted with the b4 square and the b-file. 1 6 �el e4 1 7 �b3 A somewhat inaccurate move. The set­ up 1 7 'iWc2 followed by � e2 looks more 10gica1 . 1 7 ... ii'e5 1 8 j,.e2 Neither I nor my opponent noticed the possibility of 1 8 tUxe4 . Black loses a pawn, and even if he has the initiative after 1 8 . . . � xe I 1 9 tUxf6+ tUxf6 20 l:txe I l::tb 8,

22 ... l:tb8! The result of White ' s passive play and the inaccurate placing of his pieces (cf. the note to his 1 7th move). Now he loses a pawn, . on the queenside, and at the same time his light squares on the kingside are hopelessly weak. 23 i.b1 It is hard to suggest anything better. 23 . . . j,.xe3 24 bxe3 ttJxa4 25 :1a2 tUb2 ! A tactical nuance, based on the rook at d l being inadequately defended : White cannot play 26 ll xb2 l:t xb2 27 'iWxb2 ikf3 + and 2 8 . . . 'ii'x d l . 26 :td2 tUe4 2 7 l:1 d 1 lUe5 28 h3 tUf3 29 1:a4 tUg5 30 g4 W'e5 (with the terrible threat of . . . tUf3 ) 3 1 ike2 :tfe8 (securely defending the e4 pawn before invading with the knight at f3 ) 32 l::t x a7 tUf3 33 'iWa2 ikh2+ 34 �f1 1!ixh3+ 35 �e2 lUe5 36 .:te2 'ii' x g4+ 37 �d2 l:ed8+ 38 �c1 lhd 1 + 39 .:txdl .gl 40 j,.d2 tUd3+ 41 �e2 :b2+ 0-1 (Notes by Kramnik) No. I I O Kramnik-Nikolie Monaco Blind 1 995 Queen ' s Indian Defence

1 tUf3 tUf6 2 e4 b6 3 g3 j,.b7 4 .:tg2 e6 5 0-0 iLe7 6 tUe3 0--0 7 :tel d5 8 exd5 exd5

1 12

Kramnik: my life and games

9 d4 lLJe4 10 �c2 lLld7 1 1 ..if4 lLlxc3 1 2 bxc3 lLlf6 1 3 :adl �c8 1 4 �g5 ! :e8 If 1 4 . . . c5 there follows 1 5 dxc5 �xc5 1 6 t2Jd4 with the threat of lLlf5 and pressure on the d5 pawn. 1 5 c4 c5 1 5 . . . c6 would have been passive - 1 6 tbe5 with a big advantage. 16 �xf6 �xf6 17 cxd5 ..ixd5 I 7 . . . cxd4 is also bad on account of 1 8 .xc8 and 1 9 lLlxd4 . However, now White' s pawns gain the opportunity to cross the demarcation line, cramping the opponent ' s forces . 1 8 e4 �b7 1 9 e5 ..id8 20 d5 c4 2 1 d6 'ilVc5 22 lLlg5 ! The decisive exchange, depriving B lack of any saving hopes . 22 . . . .:ii. x g5 23 ..ixb7 :ab8 24 ..id5 g6 25 'ilVxc4 'ii'x c4 26 ..ixc4 b5 27 �d5 a5 28 f4 �d8 29 g4 a4 30 f5 �a5 31 e6 fxe6 32 fxe6 �xel 33 e7+ �g7 34 :xe1 1-0 (Notes by Kramnik) No. 1 1 1 Kamsky-Kramnik Monaco Blind 1 996 Sicilian Defence

1 e4 c5 2 lLlO lLlc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lLlxd4 lLlf6 5 lLlc3 d6 6 �g5 e6 7 'ii' d 2 a6 8 0--0--0 h6 9 �e3 lLlxd4 1 0 �xd4 b5 1 1 'i'e3 A rather rare move, employed by Shabalov. He used to work with Kamsky, and so I expected something of this sort from Gata. I t . . . �d7 1 2 e5 dxe5 1 3 Vi'xe5 �b8 (the strongest) 14 'iWxb8+ Earlier 14 'ili'e3 had been played, without success . 1 4 ... :xb8 1 5 �xf6 gxf6 1 6 lLJe4 �c6 1 7 lLlxf6+ �e7 Now it becomes clear what counterplay Black has acquired by the pawn sacrifice : his light-square bishop has occupied the long diagonal, and his rook is assisting in the pressure on g2 - his compensation for the pawn is quite reasonable. So far this is

all theory, and it would appear that White had not prepared anything new. 18 lLlh5 l:g8 1 9 0 J:g5 20 lLlf4 h5 The idea is fairly simple - the development of the dark-square bishop at h6, and also the possible further pawn advance . . . h5 -h4-h3 . 2 1 h4? ! I don 't like this move. I t weakens the kings ide, whereas the possible opening of the position on the queenside is to Black' s advantage - the white king will become a target for attack . 2 t . . J:te5 22 lLld3 ..ih6+ 2 3 Wb 1 l:e3 24 :leI ? A serious positional mistake. White has only two active pieces - his knight, and his rook at d I , so why exchange one of them? After all, if 24 . . . :g8 (as in fact occurred) White cannot play 25 l he3 �xe3 26 l:[h2 with the idea of 27 � e2 on account of 27 . . . :i.g t He should have driven away the rook at e3 with the knight from c2 : 24 lLlb4 .i. b7 25 c3 and then 26 lLlc2 . 24 . . ':1g8 25 l::t x e3 �xe3 26 c3 f5 27 �c2 �f6 28 lith3 f4 ! The white pieces are completely inactive, but a certain accuracy is required. Of course, there was no point in engaging in unnecessary complications - 28 . . . e5 29 g4 ! ? 29 �dl ?! An incorrect plan, but there is nothing in particular that he can move . 29 . . . e5 30 �e2 ii.d7 31 l:hl �f5 Threatening 3 2 . . .l:t d8 and 3 3 . . . : d2+; here Kamsky involuntarily shook his head and admitted his mistake. 32 'ltdl l:[d8 White had a wide choice - it was also possible to pick up a pawn after 32 . . . .i. xd3 3 3 .lt xd3 1:txg2, but I did not want to exchange pieces . 33 �c2 e4 34 fxe4 �xe4 35 b3 a5 For a decisive breakthrough of White's defences it is essential to open a file on the queenside. 36 a3

1 13

The spirit a/the time

This merely increases the effect, but 36 lith3 b4 3 7 c4 a4 etc . also does not help .

36 ... b4 ! 37 axb4 axb4 38 exb4 ::'e8+ 39 Wb2 kd4+ 40 Wbl ':a8 41 WeI .l:!.al + The rook has broken into the opponent ' s position: the outcome is decided. 42 Wd2 .l:!.a2+ 43 Wc1 Ji.e3+ 44 Wb 1 .l:!.d2 45 b5 ':d1+ 46 We2 ':c1 + 47 Wb2 j.xd3 48 b6 ':xfl 49 b7 .:ii. d 4+ 50 Wa3 ke5 I had not forgotten about the b-pawn (in blindfold play this is possible), and so White resigned . It is amusing that with the black pieces in this tournament I scored a maximum 5 out of 5 playing blindfold - it is probable that the initial role of defender is better suited to this type of play . (Notes by Kramnik) No. I I 2 Anand-Kramnik Monaco Blind 1 996 Sicil ian Defence

1 e4 e5 2 tDf3 tDe6 3 d4 exd4 4 tDxd4 tDf6 5 tDe3 d6 6 .:ii. g5 e6 7 'ii' d 2 a6 8 0-0-0 h6 9 j.e3 .:ii.e 7 1 0 f3 tDxd4 1 1 Ji.xd4 b5 1 2 Wbl ':b8 1 3 .:ii. xf6 kxf6 1 4 'ii'x d6 'ii'x d6 15 ':xd6 We7 1 6 ':dl kxe3 1 7 bxe3 e5 Despite White ' s extra pawn. there is no question of him having an advantage. 1 8 Wb2 Ji.e6 19 kd3 ':he8 20 ':al Planning to exchange the weak queens ide pawns . 20 . . . .:e5 2 1 ':hbl kd7 22 kfl ? !

White is attracted by the idea of 23 c4 bxc4+ 24 'it> c3, but an unpleasant surprise awaits him. 22 .. Jlbe8! 23 e4 �e6 ! This is the whole point. If 24 c3 there fol lows 24 . . . � xc4 25 � xc4 ':' xc4, when White has to suffer for a long time in a gruel ling rook ending, and possibly in vam. 24 exb5 .l:!.xe2+ 25 Wa3 axb5 26 ::'xb5 White appears to have got way with a slight fright : after 26 . . . lit a8+ and lit 2 7 . . . axa2 the position is equal, but the a2 pawn can also be taken in another way . 26 . . . j.xa2 27 .l:!.xe5+ .:ii. e6 28 :a5 1:b8 A curious position. There are no direct threats against White, but his men are pinned to the left side of the board by the 'physically' stronger black pieces . It only remains to resolve the problem of how to break through on the kings ide. " 29 .l:!.a7+ wf6 30 Wa4

. � ... .

30 ... g5 31 g3? Anand was evidently extremely dis­ tressed by the course of the game, and he loses without a fight . 3 1 . . . .l:!.xh2 32 .l:!.a3 .l:!.f2 33 j.b5 h5 Whatever he does, White is quite unable to get to the right side of the board, and the game is decided by the advance of the h-pawn. 34 .l:!.a6 Wg7 35 Wa5 h4 36 gxh4 gxh4 37 .l:!.b6 .l:!.a8+ ( 3 7 . . . :' xb6 is also possible) 38 1:a6 �xa6+ 39 kxa6 h3 40 �al Wf6 0-1 (No tes by Kramnik)

1 14

Kramnik: my life and games

No. 1 1 3 Kramnik-Ivanehuk Monaco Blind 1 99 7 English O�ening

1 ttJO ttJf6 2 e4 b6 3 g3 il.b7 4 il.g2 e6 S � JLe7 6 ttJe3 � 7 l:et dS 8 cxdS

ttJxdS 9 e4 ttJxe3 10 bxe3 ttJe6 I know of only one game, between two amateurs, where this move occurred there, however, it was made without any aim. But if Ivanchuk plays this, it implies an entire set-up of the forces, and quite a good one. 1 1 d4 ttJaS 12 JLf4 Seemingly the most logical . The follow­ ing day, in our rapid game, Karpov unexpectedly went in for this same line, but, to be honest, I had not found time to look at it, and for variety' s sake I played . . . the weaker 1 2 ttJe5 .i d6, and now the extremely unfortunate 1 3 f4 . I ended up slightly worse and had to defend, but I made a draw. Here 1 3 f4 is totally inap­ propriate: the king' s position is weakened, the prospects of playing f4-f5 are obscure, and the bishop at c l is 'blunted' . 1 2 ... JLd6 The point of Black ' s idea. He wants to exchange bishops, simplify the position somewhat, and then play . . . c7-c5 . If immediately 1 2 . . . c5, then 1 3 d5 (exploiting the fact that if 1 3 . . . exd5 1 4 exd5 � xd5 there is the winning stroke 1 5 1:txe7), and White has a great advantage. 13 ttJeS Even with gain of tempo I did not want to place the pawn on e5 . In principle, White' s main aim in this position is to advance d4-d5 . 1 3 . . . ...e7 I underestimated the other plan for Black, involving . . . f7-f6 and . . . e6-e5 , after which it is rather hard for White to devise anything with the pawn structure. It is not altogether clear what to do with the bishop at f4 : on e3 or d2 it comes under attack after . . . ttJc4 . I decided to 'bash on' .

1 4 W'g4 f6 I S ttJO JLa3 If 1 5 . . . e5 White has the very unpleasant 1 6 %4 ! Then after 1 6 . . . .i c8 1 7 ttJf5 .i xf5 1 8 exf5 he has the advantage, while 1 6 . . . exf4 is not possible because of 1 7 ttJf5 , when the queen is trapped: 1 7 . . . ...f7 (d7) 1 8 % 6+. There is also 1 6 . . . h5 , but I did not work it out fully. After 1 7 "'xh5 exf4 1 8 ttJg6 1i'd8 1 9 e5 ! I think that there must be a mate somewhere. Vasya realised all this and made a rather interesting move. Apart from 1 6 . . . .i b2 he is also threatening 1 6 . . . .i xe4 1 7 :'xe4 f5 - such a nuance is easily overlooked in blindfold play. I decided to retreat my bishop . 1 6 JLc1 l:ae8 1 7 ttJh4 JLxc1 1 8 :taxc1 "'a3 1 9 "'e2 eS Obj ectively the position favours White. If Black' s pawn were at f7, he would be completely alright . With his pawn at f6, beginning typical operations on the c-file is probl e matic, since I have � h3 , when Black has difficulties with his e6 pawn. 20 JLh3 "a4 ? ! During the game I didn't like this move : at a3 the queen was tying down the rook at cl. 2 1 :tedl �e6 ? ! A provocative move, and undoubtedly a poor one. I was expecting the exchange 2 1 . . .cxd4 22 cxd4, and then, for example, 22 . . . .i c8 followed by . . . l: d8 .

Here I had a wide choice of good continuations, such as 22 dxc5 bxc5 23 :' d6, or 22 'ii'h 5 . But the artist in me

The spirit a/the time

1 15

3 4 'ii' d 8+ �e8 (34 . . . �g7 3 5 f6+ � h6 3 6 awakened, and I launched into tactical complications . It was, after all, more of a 'ii'f8 +) 3 5 f6 Threatening 3 6 f7+ � xf7 3 7 :fl +, and recreational tournament, and I decided to if 3 5 . . . � f7 White has 3 6 'ii'c 7+. enjoy myself a little. 35 ... 'ii'e5 36 'ii'e 7 'ii'x e7 37 fxe7 �f7 38 22 d5 ! To judge by Vasya' s reaction, this was lLlxe3 lLld2 39 :te2 lLlf3+ 40 �f2 lLlg5 4 1 lLlc4 1 -0 completely unexpected for him. The game turned out to be interesting, 22 ... exd5 23 'ii'h 5 Threatening (after, for example fairly logical, and, I think, the best one I 23 . . . dxe4 ) 24 � f5 h6 (24 . . . g6 25 lLlxg6) 25 played in Monaco 1 99 7 . (Notes by 'ii'g6 . Ivanchuk finds an excellent resource, Kramnik) which came as a surprise to me. 23 . . . .::1 e5 ! 24 .:if5 g6 25 'ii' g4 NO. 1 1 4 If 25 lLlxg6 there is the unusual defence Karpov-Kramnik 25 . . . .i. e8 ! , and White stands badly . Monaco Blind 1 99 7 2 5. . . �e8 2 6 f4 Queen ' s Gambit Continuing the attack . After 26 exd5 : xe l + (26 . . . l hf5 27 lLlxf5 ! ) 27 l he l l � lLlffi 2 � � 3 lLlf3 � 4 lLl� �M 5 'i'xg4 2 8 .i. xg4 f5 it is doubtful whether 'ii'b 3 c5 6 cxd5 exd5 7 dxc5 lLlc6 8 e3 � 9 �e2 �e6 ! White stands any better in the ending. White is slightly better after 9 . . . �xc5 1 0 26 .. Jhe4 ! ? l:t O-i) . The correct decision : after 26 . . . e7 2 7 �e6+ and 2 8 exd5 White has a powerful 1 0 lLld4 �xc5 1 1 lLlxe6 fxe6 1 2 0-0 The b-pawn is poisoned: 1 2 'ii'xb7 ? lLlb4 initiative . Vasily takes the steam out of the when Black is threatening 1 3 . . . :b8 and attack. 1 3 . . . lLlc2+. 27 .:ixe4 dxe4 28 'i'e6+ iH7? 12 ... 'ii'e 7 1 3 �d2 �h8 1 4 :tadl Essential was 2 8 . . . �g7 29 'i'xe4 (29 'it'e7+ is also fairly unpleasant for Black) 14 : fd I followed by 1 5 � e I was better. 14 ... a6 15 a3 :tad8 16 �c1 �a7 29 . . . 'i'xa2 . Black ' s position is now slightly more 29 'i'xf6 The adventures did not end here. Ivan­ pleasant. 1 7 'ii' a 2 ( 1 7 lLlb I d4 ! ?) 1 7 ... lLle5 ! 1 8 chuk found an interesting tactical chance. lLlb l? 29 . . . e3 30 :d8 �e4 3 1 l:hf8+ �xf8 32 Again, as in our game in Dos Herrnanas lLlg2 ? A blunder. Something extraordinary (No. 1 5 2), Karpov is let down by his ' habit' occurred here : I had the feeling that the of placing his pieces on the back rank. black knight was somewhere very remote After 1 8 b4 b5 Black ' s advantage would and would not quickly come into play. The have been minimal . 1 8 ... lLle4 1 9 'ii' b 3 simple 3 2 f5 ! , breaking up Black' s White does not have time to reposition position, would have won. I decided : I wil l pick u p the e 3 pawn and Vasily wi ll resign his knight at d2 : 1 9 lLld2? lLlxf2 20 l hf2 l hf2 ! (20 . . . � xe3 2 1 lLlf3 ) 2 1 � xf2 immediatelv- . � xe3+ ! ! 22 � xe3 (if 22 � fl Black wins 32 ... lLlc4 ! 33 f5 ! ? �g8? by 22 . . . 'ii'h 4) 2 2 . . . 'ii'c 5+ 23 � f4 : f8+ 24 Black had the very interesting move � � � xe5 (24 �g3 'i'f2+ 25 �h3 'ii'x e2) 33 . . . e8 ! ? with the idea of . . . d5 . And although obj ectively White should prob­ 24 . . . : f5 + 2 5 � xe6 'ii'c 8+, and the white ably win, there are plenty of complications . king perishes in enemy territory. 1 9 ... 'ii' h 4 20 f3 Now Black loses by force .

1 16

Kramnik: my life and games

After 20 g3 'ii'h 3 Black wins, while 20 f4 is bad in view of 20 . . . ttJg6 with the threat of 2 1 . . . ttJxf4. 20 ... ttJd6 The game would have concluded quickly after the resolute 20 . . . ttJg4 ! ! 2 1 fxg4 � b8 22 :' f4 (22 h3 'i'g3 ) 22 . . . i. xf4 23 exf4 'ii'f2 + 24 � h l 'i'xe2 . 2 1 g3 'i'h3 22 :fl ttJe4? In a completely won position I was drawn towards 'brilliance ' . This striving not only to beat, but to crush my opponent led to an oversight in a lengthy, forcing variation. Meanwhile, the prosaic attack on the king - 22 . . . : f6 would have been decisive. 23 fxe4 :1xfl 24 �xfl W'xh2+ 25 �el W'xg3+ (25 . . . : f8 ! ?) 26 �d2 d4 27 �c2 Wg2? 28 ttJc3 ! d3+ 28 . . . :' c8 wou ld not have saved B lack after 29 'i'xb7 .xe2+ (29 . . . :' xc3+ 30 bxc3 'ii'x e2+ 3 1 :t d2) 30 �b I 'i'c4 3 1 exd4 i. xd4 32 :' xd4 . 29 �bl 'i'g5 30 .:tfl Obj ectively Black ' s position is lost, but I continue to resist. 30 . . . 'i'e7 31 .:th3 :d6 32 .:td2 b5 33 ttJa2 'i'h4 34 .:txe6 'i'xe4 35 ttJc3 'i'h4 36 :fl l'1d8 37 e4 'i'h2 38 W'd5 :e8 39 .:td7! ttJc4 40 �xe8? The bishop 'intrudes ' out of tum; again the queen should have had its say. White could have won instantly by 40 'i't7 ! ttJxd2+ 4 1 'lita2 l:.g8 4 2 'i'xg8+. 40... ttJxd2+ 4 1 �a2 ttJxfl 42 'ikf7? 42 c5 ! ? would have retained the advan­ tage, but how could White resist the temptation of a triple ( ! ) attack on a7, fl and f8 ! ? But I have an amazing resource. 42 .. Jlifl ! ! Unexpectedly everything i s defended ! 43 'Wd7 W'd4 44 'ii'h 3 'W'c4+ 45 �al (45 � b l ! ?) 45 ... ttJe3 46 �g6 h6 47 W'd7 ttJc2+? The following line, discovered by Anand, could have become a worthy con­ clusion to this crazy- encounter: 47 . . . � d4 ! 48 � t7 (48 'ii'd 8+ 'W'g8 49 'i'xd4 ttJc2+)

48 . . . 'i'xt7 ! ! 49 'i'xt7 � xc3 , and the d-pawn cannot be stopped. Fantastic ! I have rarely encountered anything l ike this. But at that moment we each had about a minute left, and to find such a non-trivial variation in time trouble, and blindfold, is exceptionally difficult.

48 �bl ttJxa3+ 49 �al ttJc2+ 50 �bl ttJa3+ 51 ·�ct?? Karpov is also in a fighting mood and is not agreeable to draw, but he is wrong to avoid the repetition of moves . Three pawns are three pawns, even in Monaco . . . 51 . . . �e3+ 52 �dl 'i'b3+ 53 �el ttJc2+ 54 �fl 'i'g8 55 ttJd5 It was worth picking up a pawn : 55 'ii'xd3 'i'c4 56 'ii'x c4 bxc4 57 � t7 with chances of a more tenacious resistance. 55 ...W'f8+ 56 �f7 i.g5 57 e5 ttJd4 58 e6 d2 59 ttJc3 'Wd8 60 �g2 'i'xd7 6 1 exd7 b4 62 ttJdl a5 63 b3 g6 64 �xg6 �g7 65 .:th5 ttJxb3 66 ttJe3 ttJc5 67 ttJc4 a4 68 ttJxd2 a3 0-1 (Notes by Kramnik) No . 1 1 5 Kramnik-Topalov Monaco Blind 1 998 Modem Defence

1 ttJO g6 2 d4 d6 3 c4 .:tg7 4 ttJc3 e5 Here it is possible to transpose into a normal King ' s Indian; personally I do not like the 4 . . . e5 variation for Black. Among chess players it has become known as the . Azmaiparashvili Opening ' . One can play

The spirit of the time

this way. of course. but it is basicallv rubbish. S dxeS dxeS 6 "*,xd8+ Wxd8 7 1i.d2 White has quite a few ways of develop­ ing his initiative. Apart from 7 .lt d2 there is 7 .ltg5+ f6 8 0-0-0+ lLld7 9 .lt d2. as Kasparov played against Azmaiparashvili (Olympiad. Moscow ( 994) . 7. . .1i.e6 8 0-0-0 tLld7 9 tLlgS ! ! ? Not wasting time on the defence of the c4 pav.n . After 9 b3 or 9 e3 Black will probably comp lete his development with­ out particular problems : . . . e7-c6 . . . . �c7. .. f7-f6 and . . . lLle7. achieving a normal position . Therefore White must act energetical l y . 9. . . .!xc4 1 0 e4 ! ? A new move. I think . Before this 1 0 b3 .lt e6 I I lLlxe6+ fxe6 I 2 g3 had been played (or recommended by someone). with. at the least. sufficient compensation for the pavv n. The move 10 e4 is to some degree typical. but in the given situation it is more in the spirit of the position . True, for the moment it is not clear where later I cou ld have gained an advantage. but Black ' s position gave cause for alarm both to me. and to my opponent . 1 O ... 1i.xfl 1 1 �hxfl tLlh6 Practically forced : if I I . �e8 White has the unp leas �nt 1 2 C2Jb5 . 1 2 f4 This is the point of my idea - White begins opening lines. and the black king feels extremely uncomfortable 1 2 . . . c6 1 3 fxeS 1 3 f5 f') followed bv h2-h3 and g2-g4 also came into consideration . Now. how­ ever. compl ications begin, and they are rather unclear. 1 3 ... We7 ( l 3 . lLlxe5 ? 1 4 lLle6+) 1 4 tLlf3 tZJg4 ( I 5 .lt g5+ was threatened) I S .!gS+ We8 16 e6 fxe6 1 7 ':'d6 tLlfS 1 8 ':'fdl The critical point of the game. Here I thought for a long time, about ten minutes. White has various possibilities, up to the sacrifice of a second pawn - 1 8 e5 ! ? which did not satish' me. I went i n for this

1 17

position when I played 1 2 f4, thinking that White has a reasonable initiative, but In fact it proved not at all easy to develop . 1 8 ... .!f6 ! A calm and strong reply. I had assumed that Black would play 1 8 . . . h6 . Then 1 9 l:id8+ l:i xd8 20 l:i xd8+ � f7 2 1 .lt d2 fol­ lowed by 22 l:i b 8 . After the move played, in my view, a position of dynamic balance is reached . I decided to . step on the gas ' . 1 9 eS ! ? After 1 9 .lt xf6 lLl xf6 Black can alwavs answer e4-e5 with . . . lLld5 . Then. a fter . . . � e7. he gradually brings his pieces out . and I was afraid that my initiative might evaporate. 1 9 ... .:iLxgS+ 20 tLlxgS lLlxeS After 20 . . . lLle3 2 1 l:t l d3 lLlc4 White can give up the exchange - 22 lLlce4 . 2 1 lLlxe6 We7

.

22 lLld8 ! ? This move was underestimated by Veselin. Incidental ly, it also sets a nice trap with a draughts-like theme - I don 't known if my opponent saw it : 22 . . . lLlf7 ? 23 l:te l + ! � xd6 24 lLlxf7+ and 25 lLlxh8 . A cheap trick, perhaps, but one easy to miss playing blindfold. For the moment Black maintains his concentration. 22 . . . .:.b8 I 'bash on ' further - 23 lLle4 with the intention of going to c5 . A VISCOUS, complicated position has arisen . 23 . . . lLlfd7

1 18

Kramnik: my l�fe and games

Black wou ld appear to be playing for a win, and the variation 2 3 . . . tOc4 24 l hc6 l hd8 with a probable draw does not suit him. However, I too have no less grounds for aiming for a win . 2 4 :'e6+ �xd8 24 . . . ..t f8 is extremely dangerous for Black in view of 25 lit fl + r3;;g 7 26 : e7+ � h6 2 7 tOf7+ tOxf7 28 It fxf7 . 2S :xeS :tf8?! This disrupts the logical course of the game. True, the mistake is not yet decisive, but it makes things considerably more difficult for Black. During the game we both thought that 25 . . . n e8 was not possible because of 26 l hd7+ ..t xd7 27 tOf6+. But here it unexpectedly transpires that after 27 . . . � d6 28 lhe8 l he8 29 tO xe8+ � e7 the knight is trapped, and it is now White who has to seek a way to save the game, by giving up the piece at a6 or b6 . After 25 . . . : e8 the simplest way to draw is by 26 tOf6 l:t xe5 2 7 tOxd7 l:t d5 2 8 tOxb8 � c7 29 tOxc6 . 26 tOcS l:I.f7 White has the draw in hand, but I manage to find an interesting and latent resource - 27 :te3 ! , the idea of which - the threat 28 : D - Topalov did not see, and he played 27 ... b6? He had to make use of his last chance 2 7 . . . � c 7 (which Topalov very much did not like) 28 tOe6+ � b6 29 l:t b3+ �a5 . After the game we moved the pieces about a bit in this position, but did not find a mate - the black king escapes, although White does have a perpetual check. 28 :to! :xO Not 2 8 . . . : e7 - 29 tOxd7 n xd7 30 : f8+ � c7 3 l l hd7+. 29 tOxd7 The simplest. The rook ending after 29 ':' xd7+ � c8 3 0 gxD bxc5 3 1 l:. xh7 l:[ b4 may not be won. But now the white knight cannot be trapped. Here Vesel in spent a long time calculating, but there was no longer any way to save the game . . . 29 ... :f2 30 tOxb8+ �c7 3 1 tOa6+ �b7

If 3 1 . . . ..t c8, then 3 2 ::t d2 ' l hd2 33 � xd2 c5 34 b4 � b7 35 b5 is good enough to win. 32 tOb4 cS 33 tOc2 �c6 Alas, 33 . . . l hg2 is not possible because of 34 l:t d7+. 34 l:I.d2 :n + 3S %:tdl l:f2 36 :gl gS 37 h3 hS 38 tOel c4 39 tOo c3 40 bxc3 1::tx a2 4 1 �bl l:f2 42 tOxgS WdS 43 g4 h4 44 l::t d l + �c4 4S tOe4 l:th2 46 gS �b3 47 l:tgl as 48 g6 1-0 (Notes by Kramnik) I was also happy with the next game, a complete one in the strategic sense. NO. 1 1 6 Nikolic-Kramnik Monaco Blind J 998 Queen ' s Gambit

1 d4 tOf6 2 c4 e6 3 tOo dS 4 tOc3 c6 S cxd� , UsuallY' Nikolic plays 5 Ji.g5, but here he apparently did not want to allow the Botvinnik Variation - a difficult one for blindfold play. S . . . exdS 6 �gS �e7 7 e3 A passive move; if White is aiming for anything, he should play 7 'iic2 , 7 ... .:tfS 8 .:td3 �xd3 9 'iWxd3? ! A slight inaccuracy. I t is better to exchange first on f6 , 9 ... tObd7 Now after 1 0 .:t xf6 tOxf6 the knight at f6 is excellently placed, and the bishop can switch from e7 to its ' lawfu l ' square d6, 1 0 0-0 0-0 1 1 l:I.ab 1 as 12 a3 A debatable point. In my opinion, White should not undertake any aggressive attempts such as b2-b4, which merely weakens his position, but should prefer playing for equality : the capture on f6 followed by deploying the pieces in the centre and a probable e3 -e4 . 1 2 . . . tOe4 l 2 . . . a4 1 3 �c2 Wa5 is also possible - in such a set-up without the l ight square bishops, Black is in no danger. 13 .i.xe7? ! ( 1 3 .:t f4 is better) 13 ..... xe7

The spirit a/the time

Now I have a very easy game. The knight is excellently placed at d6, eyeing both flanks, and the f-pawn is ready to advance to f4. 1 4 b4? A routine move and a significant mis­ take . After 1 4 tLld2 it is rather early to talk of an advantage for Black. Now, however, the c4 square is seriously weakened, and White' s position becomes very uneasy. 14 ... b5! A typical idea, not allowing b4-b5 . 1 5 'it'e2 axb4 1 6 axb4 ttJd6 The position has clarified. The knight goes to c4, completely blocking White' s play o n the queens ide, and the weight of the struggle switches to the kingside, where Black ' s resources are greater. This game outwardly seems dull, but in fact it is a classic one for the Carlsbad structure. Without false modesty I would say: the plan that I was able to carry out may well find its way into the books as a striking example of how positional mistakes may lead to defeat in a fairly solid position. 17 llb3?! It was better to set up a counter on the a-file by 1 7 'iib 3 and :t a l , or else try to transfer the knight from c3 to a more promising position. 1 7 ... ttJb6 ! Exploiting an opportunity, I direct my less active knight to c4 . 1 8 tDe5 :fe8 1 9 ttJd3 My opponent became rattled and was unable to find a concrete plan . But strategically White ' s position is very unpleasant, and it is not clear what in general he should do. Wait until B lack begins to ' rol l ' on the kingside? 19 . . . ttJbe4 20 ttJe5 White intends at a convenient moment to play e3 -e4, and although this is not a panacea against all his ills, I play to keep my opponent on the canvas . 20 . . . l:.e8 I considered play on the a-file to be insufficient, and therefore I decided to

1 19

widen the front. 2 1 h3? Most probably the decisive mistake. Now, hanging over White ' s position like a Sword of Damocles is the typical sacrifice on e3, since the square g3 has been irre­ parably weakened, and hence also the white king. He should have p layed 2 1 �h 1 . After the move in the game it all became clear to me, and the further deployment of the pieces went ' like clock­ work ' . White has no way of opposing the opponent ' s plan . 2 1 . . . g6 2 2 :1 c t :1a7 2 3 'ii' d l h 5 2 4 �hl 'i'g5 25 l:bbl l:ae7 26 1:al ttJf5 Everything is ready for the knock-out blow. 27 :1a2

27 ... ttJexe3 28 fxe3 llxe3 Black' s attack develops purely positionally, and yet there is no defence against it. 29 :f2 Hoping to meet 29 . . . 'I'g3 with 30 'ii'd2 . 29 . . . 'ii'h 4 ! 30 'iWd2 ttJxd4 3 1 :tefl ttJf5 By now Nikolic was tired, and he also had little time left. The only chance was 3 2 �g l , when I was intending 3 2 . . . 'ii'xb4 3 3 ttJxd5 ! ? ( 3 3 tLld 3 'ii'd4 34 l:[ d l :xd3 3 5 'it'xd3 l:t e l +) 3 3 . . . 'ii'xc5 , and although White picks up the exchange on e8 or e3 , his position is obj ectively lost, not so much even on material, as due to the disastrous position of his king. Predrag probably did not notice the tactical trick 33 ttJxd5 , and thought that everything was losing.

1 20

Kramnik: my l�fe and games

32 :'xf5? (desperation) 32 . . . gxf5 33 tDd 1 :tel 34 'iiit g 1 :8e2 35 'ii e 3 ::'xd1 0-1 (Notes by Kramnik) No. 1 1 7 Sadler-Kramnik Monaco Blind 1 998

1 4 ii.xfS tDxf5 1 5 1ifh5 g6 1 6 'iih3 l:e8 1 7 ii.d2 h5 ! 1 8 l:ad 1 'iid 6 1 9 tDh4 tDxh4 20 'iix h4 l:I.e4 21 �g3 �e6 22 :fe1 l:e8 23 h3 h4 ! 24 'i'g5 l:be1 +! 25 l:xe1 �xe 1 + 26 ii.xe1 l:xe 1 + 27 'iiit h 2 ii.xf2 28 g4 hxg3+ 29 'iiit g2 tDe5 ! Completing the mating net and begin­ ning the concluding forcing manoeuvre. 30 h4 :1g1+ 3 1 'iiit h 3 :t h 1 + 32 'iiit g 2 l::t h 2+ 33 'iiit fl g2+ 34 'iiit x f2 gl 'ii'+ 35 'iiit x g1 tDfJ+ 0-1 No. 1 1 8 Kram nik-Piket Monaco Blind 1 998

Instead of a leap by his attacked knight to e6, White finds an original move which sharply increases his activity on the queens ide. 1 7 a4 ! ? b5 So as not to lose the queen : 1 7 . . . hxg5 ? 1 8 ii. b6 'ii'a6 1 9 ii. e2 . 1 8 tDe6 ii.xe6 1 9 dxe6 fxe4 20 ii.e2 bxa4 21 l:txa4 'iW e7 22 tDxe4 tDxe4 23 lhe4 :!.fb8 24 l:b4 l:bb4 25 'ii'x b4 'i'a5 26 �d2 'iWxb4 27 ii.xb4 :d8 28 l:d1 tDf5 29 g4 tDd4 30 ii.e4 �f8 3 1 l:a1 ii.f6 32 'iiit g 2 ii.e7 33 ii.d5 In the end (not without the opponent 's help) White converted his material advantage. 33 . . . l:b8 34 ii.d2 g5 35 Ita7 nb5 36 ii.a2 d5 37 ii.e3 tDe6 38 Ite7 :e5 39 ii.xd5 l:xe3 40 ii.xe6 e4 41 �fl e3 42 fxe3 libe3 43 ii.d5 :h3 44 .::t e 2 �f6 45 :e8+ �e7 46 l:e7+ �d6 47 l:1d7+ 'iit'e5 48 e7 �Xe7 49 ii.g2 'it'e6 50 lhe7+ 'iit'x e7 51 ii.xh3 �f6 52 ii.g2 h5 53 h3 �e5 54 �fJ �f4 55 'iit' e 2 1-0 No. 1 1 9 Anand-Kramnik Monaco Blind 1 999 Sicilian Defence

1 e4 e5 My opponent was not expecting this - it was a long time since I had played anything other than the Petroff. In the first, 'active' game I had not managed to win a queen ending where I was a pawn up. An unpleasant after-taste remained, and I decided to play more sharply. 2 tDfJ tDe6 3 d4 exd4 4 tDxd4 tDf6 5 tDe3 d6 6 fJ e5 7 tDb3 ii.e7 8 ii.e3 0-0 9 'ii d 2 as I analysed this continuation once, but I did not know the current state of theory. 1 0 ii.b5 The main line is 1 0 a4 .i. e6, and after the exchange on d5 the knight at c6 obtains the b4 square. 1 0 ... tDa7

The spirit of the time

I had thought up this strange move a long time before, since when it had already been played. 1 1 .:ie2 l2Jc6 1 2 .:ib5 l2Ja 7 1 3 �a4 Possibly Anand did not obj ect to a repetition of position and a draw, but psychologically it was difficult to go in for this. It seemed to me that he made this last move reluctantly - the entire enterprise was not to his taste . 13 . . . �e6 I also examined 1 3 . . . b5 1 4 l2Jxb5 l2Jxb5 1 5 � xb5 a4 1 6 l2Jc I d5 , but considered it to be an over-forceful solution . 1 4 �xa7 1 4 0-0 is unfavourable because of 1 4 . . . .1i. c4 and 1 5 . . . b5, and queens ide castling also looks dangerous . Possibly 1 4 � f2 shou ld have been preferred, but then Black has a good choice : 1 4 . . . �b8, 14 . . . l2Jc8 or 14 . . . b5 1 '1 1 4 ... l:.xa7 1 5 � f2 ':a8 1 6 {}-(),,-O ? This ambitious move surprised me. though that 1 6 0-0 had to be played, when Black is only slightly better. Now White wants to consolidate his grip on the light squares - � b5 and a2-a4 (of course, g2-g4-g5 is not a threat) . Reckon­ ing that it wou ld be hard to play . . . d6-d5 , I was planning at some point the exchange sacrifice . . . ':' c8xc3 . I had already entered 1 6 . . . .:. c8 on the computer keyboard, but then I decided that the rook would come in usefu l on a8, and in addition the queen was not doing anything at d8 . 1 6 ... �b8 ! It was obvious that my opponent did not like his position . In this type of play the opponent's emotions are often clearly seen. When things are not going well, even the most ·steely · . such as Karpov, give themselves away' . 1 7 �b5 ':c8 18 l2Ja4?! Probably 1 8 a4 should have been played. when I was planning 1 8 . . . ':' xe3 1 9 bxc3 � c7 (after the immediate 1 9 . . . d5 I did not like 20 �b6 or 20 l2Jc5) and then . . . d6-d5 .

121

1 8 ... d5 ! Now all the b lack pieces are in play, and many variations for White do not 'gel ' . 1 9 l2Jb6 a4 Here there were many tempting continuations, but 1 9 . . . a4 is probably the most accurate. 20 .:txa4 - If,zO l2Jxa4 dxe4, or 20 l2Jxc8 'iii'x c8 2 1 l2Jd2 a3 and White ' s position collapses . 20 .. :i'a7 (20 . . . d4 was also very strong) 2 1 exd5 (2 1 ':' hfl d4 22 l2Jxc8 ':' xc8 ) 21 ...�d8! (it wou ld appear that Anand overlooked this move) 22 dxe6 .:ii. x b6 (Black wins a piece) 23 exf7+ wxf7 24 l2Jc5 'iii'x a4 ! The final precise stroke . White resigns . (Notes by Kramnik) And, finally, blitz. The eternal safety­ valve for even the most serious and orthodox of chess researchers - with very rare exceptions . A qu ite different game, with other values that come to the fore. Error-free five-minute games practically do not exist, and ' he who analyses bl itz games is stupid' , as Rashid Nezhmetdinov, a fervent supporter of this relaxation and also my teacher, liked to say . Incidentally, both he, and also other Soviet masters, gave a good thrashing to the young USA champion, Bobby Fischer, who was already a grandmaster, on the only occasion when he came to the . chess Mecca' - Moscow. After this Bobby began training seriously in five-minute chess, and in this he was fully successful . . .

1 22

Kramnik: my l�fe and games

Kramnik himself considers blitz to be that extreme boundary, which allows chess to remain . . . chess. Anything more rapid is foolish . But five minutes, in his opinion, allows you to think at the required moment, carry out a plan, and calculate sufficiently far and accurately. Of course, as the flag begins to rise, technique sometimes suffers, and accidental, by no means obl igatory moves appear, but at the top grandmaster level it is a spectacle from which it is hard to tum away. This is why bl itz tournaments have nowadays become sometimes even an obligatory diversion in the program of maj or tournaments - for example, on an additional ly allotted free day. There is no need to take from here many games by Vladimir, who, incidentally, in blitz plays I e4 as often as I d4 or I tUD . A single miniature will suffice . No. 1 20 Kram nik-Salov Wijk aan Zee Blitz 1 998 Giuoco Piano

1 e4 e5 2 tUo tUc6 3 �c4 �c5 4 c3 d6 5 d4 exd4 6 cxd4 .:ib4+ 7 tUc3 �g4 8 0-0 tUf6 9 d5 .:txO 1 0 gxO .:txc3 1 1 dxc6 .:la5 1 2 cxb7 :'b8 13 .a4+ c6 14 'i'xc6+ We7 1 5 e5 dxe5 1 6 'ii' c 5+ .d6 1 7 'ii'x a5 :xb7 18 b3 1 -0 But we cannot pass by the grandiose two-day battle with direct coverage on the Internet, which was arranged in late November of the same year, 1 998, between Garry Kasparov and Vladimir Kramnik. The 24 blitz games, each valued (apart from the priceless prestige and ambition essential for a genuine competitor) at $ 1 000 - they were followed by the entire world. Here the entire range of great mastery was displayed. Skilful buildi ng up of pressure, intermediate moves, resource­ fulness and composure in defence - all this can be seen here :

No. 1 2 1 Kramnik-Kasparov Moscow Blitz Match 1 998 Queen ' s Gambit

1 tUo d5 2 d4 tUf6 3 c4 e6 4 tUc3 c6 5 .:tg5 tUbd7 6 cxd5 exd5 7 e3 .:te7 8 .:td3 0-0 9 W'c2 '::' e8 10 0-0 tUf8 1 1 '::' a b1 as 1 2 a3 .:td6 1 3 %:tbe1 �g4 1 4 tUd2 �h5 1 5 f4 ! h 6 1 6 .:th4 �g6 1 7 fS .:t h 7 1 8 h3 tU8d7 1 9 tUo b5 20 e4 b4

2 1 e5 ! bxc3 22 exd6 ':he1 23 '::' x e1 cxb2 24 1i'xb2 :b8 25 'ilc3 'ifb6 26 �xf6 tUxf6 27 : b 1 'ii' x b 1 + 28 �xb 1 lhb 1 + 29 �h2 .:lxfS 30 tUe5 �h7 31 tUxf7 .:te4 32 tUe5 l:b7 33 �gl a4 34 tUxc6 '::' b 3 35 'i'd2 l:xa3 36 tUe5 :tal + 37 �h2 a3 38 d7 tUxd7 39 tUxd7 :t b 1 40 tUc5 ':b2 4 1 tUxe4 l:xd2 4 2 tUxd2 a 2 43 tUb3 �g6 44 �g3 �f5 45 'it>O h5 46 g4+ hxg4+ 47 hxg4+ Wg5 48 �g3 g6 49 tUa1 �f6 50 Wf4 iftf7 51 �e5 1-0 No. 1 22 Kram nik-Kasparov Moscow Blitz Match 1 998 King's Indian Defence

1 tUo tUf6 2 c4 g6 3 tUc3 �g7 4 e4 d6 5 d4 0-0 6 �e2 e5 7 0-0 tUc6 8 d5 !De7 It is a thankless task playing the King ' s Indian against Kramnik. In his hands 9 b4 is a sharp weapon . . . 9 b4 a5 1 0 �a3 axb4 1 1 .:1xb4 tUd7 1 2 a4 fS 1 3 tUg5 tUc5 1 4 �xc5 dxc5 1 5 .:to

The spirit of the time

A new move ! 1 5 'iib 3 had previously been played. The white bishop, as usual in this variation, 'cuts through' the long light­ square diagonaL since the e4 pawn may be exchanged on f5 , and the d5 pa"l1 will inevitably move to e6 . I S .. J:ta6 1 6 as ! (fixing the target at b7) 1 6 . . . �h8 17 t2Je6 �xe6 18 dxe6 f4 19 'i'xd8 lhd8 20 ,Utbl nb8 2 1 tZJdS tZJxdS 22 exdS Ji.f8 23 �e2 'ua7 24 a6 .:td6 Now and later 24 . . . l:t ba8 would have eased the defence, exchanging the dangerous white pa�. 2S h4 �g7 26 �e4

1 23

everyone. Here, for example, is an account by Kramnik himself, with an excursion into recent history . ' My August j ourney in 1 998 to Western Europe began with Cologne. The local television channel VDR (it broadcasts over the whole of Germany) has been popular­ ising chess for about ten years now with commendable constancy. Every year on a Sunday evening in August at 2 3 . 3 0 viewers can watch a so-called l ive game between two top players . 'Naturally, the specific nature of TV transmission dictates certain demands . The time control is one hour for the entire game for each player. The player with White needs to win, in order to retain the right to appear in Cologne the following year. Commentary is by the well-known German grandmasters Hort and Pfleger. Frederic . Friedel also arrives with his program Fritz it too is included in the analysis of the game. All this should certainly stimulate the interest of fans . It would interesting to know whether the organisers calculate the rating of the audience? 'I made my debut in this unusual spectacle in 1 996, when with Black 26 ... b6? (the decisive mistake, after which the rest is silence) 27 1t.bS h6 28 (newcomers are traditional ly given this �f1 :f8 29 �e2 :f6 30 l:b3 �f8 31 :h3 colour) I drew with Anand and eliminated �e7 32 �d3 �f8 33 �e4 �g7 34 1t.e6 him, and then in 1 997 I won . ' �f8 3S �bS �g7 36 �b7 �f8 37 :tgl �e7 38 g3 f3 39 :tel �d8 40 :'e3 hS 41 No. 1 23 :hl �e7 42 :tdl 1-0 Kramnik-J.Polgar It can be added that at the start Kasparov Cologne TV 1 99 7 broke away, then at the two-thirds distance Kin ' s Indian Defence Krarnn i k was leading, but even so the final score was 1 2 - 1 2 . Apparently, to the 1 t2Jf3 t2Jf6 2 c4 g6 3 t2Jc3 �g7 4 e4 d6 S obvious dissatisfaction of both participants d4 0-0 6 .i.e2 eS 7 0-0 exd4 8 tZJxd4 l:e8 and to the delight of all chess lovers . This 9 f3 c6 10 �hl tZJbd7 1 1 �gS 'iWb6 1 2 encounter became known as the ' C osmic t2Jb3 as 1 3 �d2 a4 1 4 Ji.e3 cS A new move . This position has occurred Superblitz ' . And by no means because it many times in practice, with Black usually took place in the casino of the Cosmos moving his queen, occasionally venturing Hotel in Moscow . . . 1 4 . . . tZJc5 , but holding the d5 square to the Another trend of the times is televised chess. Though not yet everywhere, it is very last. I S t2Je l t2JeS 1 6 :bl .i.e6 1 7 b3 axb3 gradually gaining ground - naturally, by 18 axb3 �aS 1 9 l:tdl lled8 20 tZJbS �xd2 the efforts of those who are of interest to -

Kramnik: my life and games

1 24

After the exchange of queens White unhurriedly builds up the pressure. 2 1 :xd2 tLle8 22 tLla2 fS 23 exfS Ji.xf5 24 :tbdl tLlc6 25 g4 .:te6 26 tLlac3 tLla5 27 :'bl b6 28 'it'g2 h6 29 Ji.d3 g5 30 i.e4 i.xe3? The decisive mistake : Black voluntarily parts with a potential defender of the d6 pawn and the kingside . A move later White will play h2-h4, and there wil l no longer be anything with which to oppose this. 31 tLlxe3 1:ae8 32 h4 gxh4 33 i.xh6 tLle7 34 i.g5 1:d7 35 i.xh4 b5 36 tLld5 tLlxd5 37 exd5 i.f7 38 �f5 :ee7 39 i.f6 'it'f8 40 :a2 1 -0 (Notes by Kramnik) ' In 1 998 Michael Adams was nominated as my opponent. And in contrast to my game with Anand two years previously, this time the organisers were simply happy : the game proved to be very tense and interesting. Evel)1hing was decided literally in the last few seconds . ' No. 1 24 Kram nik-Adams Cologne TV 1 998 Nimzo-Indian Defence

1 d4 tLlf6 2 e4 e6 3 tLlc3 .:it.b4 4 �e2 0-0 5 e4 The need to play for a win demanded that I initiate sharp play as soon as possible. 5 . . . d5 6 e5 tLle4 7 .:ii. d3 e5 8 exd5 exd5 9 tLlge2 I did not special ly prepare for the game, but I had noticed this move in Informator. Most probably it is not one of the strongest. Adams thought up a very good idea (or perhaps he knew it already? ) . 9 . . . exd4 1 0 tLlxd4 tLld7 White has not even a trace of an advan­ tage . He can simplify the position by I I i. xe4 dxe4 1 2 � xe4 tLlxe5 1 3 0-0, but then he cannot hope for more than a draw. Therefore I went in for a risky variation. 1 1 f4 �h4+ .

The alternative is 1 1 . . . tLldc5 1 2 0-0 with a fairly complicated position. 1 2 g3 -.h3 ( l 2 . . . tLlxg3 fails to 1 3 -.£2 tLlc5 1 4 � c2) 1 3 �f1 Forced : 1 3 . . . tLlxg3 was threatened. Clearly unacceptable is 1 3 � xe4 dxe4 1 4 'ii'xe4 tLlc5 with a very strong attack on the weakened light squares . 1 3 . . JWh5 1 4 �g2 tLlb6 1 5 0-0 i.xe3 1 6 bxe3 �h3 Also not bad is 1 6 . . . �g4 (which we examined after the conclusion of the game) followed by . . . : fc8 with the idea of pressure on the c3 pawn. However, now too Black' s position is at least equal . 1 7 f5 White must display some activity soon, as otherwise it will be too late. 1 7 . . . i.xg2? ! An unfortunate decision; 1 7 . . . f6 ! was significantly stronger. Mickey was afraid of al l owing' my pawn to go to e6, but I did not see anything terrible in this, for example: 1 8 e6 : fc8 ( 1 9 : f3 i.g4) White has his weaknesses . Now, however, my queen is comfortably placed at g2 and assists the development of my initiative. 18 -'xg2 tLlc4?

Another poor move, this time with more serious consequences . It was not yet too late for 1 8 . . . f6 1 9 g4 �e8 20 e6, although in this version Black's position is now rather unpleasant: 2 1 � a3 is threatened, and if 20 . . . tLlc4 White has excellent pros­ pects on the kingside after g4-g5 and ':' f3 .

The spirit of the time 1 9 g4 'it'h4 20 f6 ! tLJxe5

Fortunately for Black, he finds the only possibility of parrying the threats of 2 1 tLJf3 and 2 1 tLJf5 , trapping his queen . 21 fxg7 (2 1 � f4 is also interesting) 21 ..JHe8 22 tLJf5 'iWd8 23 .:ie3 I went in for this position from afar, evaluating it as 'with a big advantage to White' . But Adams defends very skilfullv. 23 .. J :te6 24 g5 (24 � d4 i � an emp ty threat in view of 24 . . . tLJc6) 24 ... l:c8 25 tbh6+?! Somewhat over-hasty. could have calmly strengthened my positIOn bv 25 :ae l c;tJ h I, and only then tLJf6+. 25 ... l:xh6 Forced, since if 25 . . . c;tJ xg7 White wins by 26 � d4 tLJ( 'it' )xg5 27 tLJxf71 26 gxh6 :c6 27 Whl ?! Time trouble began to interfere (at this point we each had about five minutes left). I saw 27 ': f5 , which is probably the strongest move, but decided not to get mixed up in complications after 27 . . . :g6 28 ': xe5, although in this case White 's position is obj ectively won on account of the catastrophic position of the black king . After 27 . . . tLJc4 2 8 'it' f3 :g6+ 29 'iit> h l my pieces would also have been very active . The desire to win as calmly as possible runs into serious counterplay by Black . 27 ... :g6 28 'iWh3 tLJg4 Of course, not 2 8 . . . d4 29 cxd4 �d5 ?? 30 'it'c8+ with mate. It is hard to comment on the subsequent events, which took place in a time scramble. White must be on his guard: the opponent' s pieces have taken up active positions, and it is easy to overlook some mate . For the moment Black is threatening to bring his queen onto the long diagonal . 29 'it'f3 'it'c7 Putting the pressure on: mate at h2 is threatened. Here I had been counting in advance on 3 0 � f4, but I noticed in time

1 25

3 0 . . . ihc3 1 , and the queen cannot be taken because of mate on f2. I had to change my plans . 30 Ji. g 1 tLJe5 ! Mickey does not lose heart, and is not bought off by 3 0 . . . tLJ xh6 3 1 %:t ad I with advantage to White . 3 1 �h3? A mistake. As shown by Fritz, 3 1 'iWf4 1 was possible, and if 3 1 . . .l:t. g4 3 2 'iWf5 d4 1 ? (which we both thought was very danger­ ous for White) - 33 �e6 " But try finding such a move with your flag about to fall I 3 1 ...'ii' c6 In passing I had set a trap : 3 1 . . . d4? 3 2 cxd4 'iWc6 was too early in view of 3 3 d5 1 32 .:id4 tLJg3+ Black goes in for an exchanging oper­ ation, leading to a roughly equal ending. 32 . . . ': xh6 3 3 �g2 :g6 34 �e2 �e6 etc . was also unclear. 33 hxg3 1::t x h6 34 �xh6 'iWxh6+ 35 �g2 f6 36 :f4 Wxg7 37 :afl �g6?! 38 :f5 ? ! Playing t o restrict the queen, although it would have been simpler to win the a7 pawn. We were now down to our last sec­ onds, and Adams cracked under the tension. 38 ... a6 39 l::!. l f4 �e8? A blunder, leading quickly to defeat . True, my position is slightly better: Black has no useful moves . The knight is bodily protecting the d5 and f6 pawns, and the advance of the pawn to h5 is liable to result in its loss after c;tJ h4 . Evidently Mickey shou ld have simply waited, by playing . . . b7-b5 and . . . a6-a5 . After his blunder the only question was : would I have time to mate the b lack king? 40 :'xf6 �g8 41 l:tf8+ (4 1 � xe5 was simpler, and if 4 1 . . . 'iix e5 42 :g4+ c;tJ h8 43 ': f8 mate) 4 1 ...�xf8 42 l::!. x f8+ 'it'xf8 43 .:ixe5 Wf7 44 Wf3 �e6 45 wf4 b5 46 a3 a5 47 .:id4 a4 48 Wg5 Wf7 49 Wh6 �g8 50 g4 Wf7 5 1 'it'xh7 1 -0 ( No tes by Kramnik) •

Selected G a mes IN MODERN CHESS - more than ever before - it is hard to draw the line between positional and tactical play : in grandmaster games these elements of the game are naturally combined. Thcrefore the divis­ ions we have used are somewhat arbitrary : for example, a breakthrough is based on the implementation of a strategic plan, and it, in tum, relies on the tactical features of the particular position . We will merely draw the attention of the reader to some counter-argument in each game - and not more.

Breakth rough

�g4 3 Ag2 0-0 ttJd7 4 d4 5 e6 f5 6 ttJbd2 Radically preventing a possible e2-e4, which in the event of 6 . . . ttJgf6 White would nevertheless be able to play after l:t e 1 . It should be said that at that time Black ' s last move was beginning to come into fashion . 7 c4 .ltd6 Keeping in reserve the possibility of developing the king' s knight at either f7 (via h6), or f6 .

No. 1 25 Kramnik-Belyavsky Belgrade 1 995 Rcti Opening

With thanks to faulty equipment 'This was the last round, and for overall victory in the tournament it was essential for me to win. For this reason I avoided the main theoretical set-ups of the Queen ' s Gambit, which were well known t o my opponent, and chose something of a sideline. Especially since at the start of the tournament my computer had broken down, and all my opening preparation essentially came to nothing. I had to play "on spec", and I myself was surprised that with such a modest opening I was able to win, within the "official bounds" of a miniature game . . . ' (Kramnik) To this it can be added that the present game might well serve as a ' visiting-card' of the breakthrough - a very sharp weapon in Kramnik's hands .

1 2

ttJo g3

d5 c6

Here I decided to begin playing more actively, in order to try and exploit my opponent' s slight delay in developing his kingside. Because if B lack should succeed in playing . . . ttJgf6 and . . . 0-0, he will achieve a highly favourable version of the ' stonewall ' set -up, without his light -square bishop being shut in. 8 -.b3 l:b8 The black queen must not be diverted to the defence of the pawn - for the moment it is guarding the g5 square, to where the white knight is eager to go. :e1 9 Hinting that e2-e4 will be highly probable after the pawn exchange in the centre. Incidentally, after 9 . ttJgf6 this is . .

1 27

Selected games

what White would have played : 1 0 cxd5 cxd5 I I lLlg5 'iKe7 1 2 f3 � h5 1 3 e4, beginning a direct attack on the king. 9 lLlh6 cxd5 cxd5 10 h3 ! 11 At this point I did not even know of the game ' s predecessor, Hug-Speelman, Altensteig 1 994, where White illogically blocked the e-file by I I lLle5 , and after 1 1 . . . lLlxe5 1 2 dxe5 � c7 a draw was agreed a few moves later. 11 �h5 This loses in surprising fashion, but also after 1 1 . . . � xf3 1 2 exf3 , firstly, Black cannot save his e6 pawn without losing the right to castle, and secondly, he is clearly unable to deploy his knights satisfactorily.

fxe4 12 e4 ! ! 13 lLlg5 ! I no longer remember the details, but I think that during the game I first considered the ' normal ' 1 3 lLlxe4, then found a more expeditious continuation. It was this that my opponent did not expect. 13 iLf7 If 1 3 . . : � xg5 1 4 lLlxe4 'iie 7 White has either 1 5 �g5 ! lLlf6 (after 1 5 . . . 'iKf8 there follows 1 6 'i'xd5 1 exd5 1 7 lLlxd6 mate) 1 6 lLlxf6+ gxf6 1 7 � xh6, when the attack continues now for free, or 1 5 lLlxd6+ 'iix d6 1 6 � f4, picking up the rook at b8 and then also the pawns at d5 , e6 and b7. If 1 3 . . . 'ife7 the strongest is 14 lLlxe6 J. f7 ( l 4 . . . �xe6 1 5 l he4) 1 5 lLl xg7+ 'iit f8

1 6 lLlxe4 xf7 20 'i'h 5 + ! g6 2 1 'ifh 3 the black king feels uncomfortable. f3 'ifh5 20 All moves by the knight are bad on account of 2 1 : e 1 +, and 20 . . . 0-0? also fails after 2 1 fxe4 'i'xfl + 22 'ii'xfl .i xh2+ 23 � xh2 ':' xfl 24 tLJc5 ! with a won ending for White. 21 g3 Again the most critical . After 2 1 h3 'i'e5 ! 22 fxe4 ? 'i'h2+ 2 3 � f2 (}-O+ 24 tLJf3 .

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selected games

.i xe4 B lack' s attack is irresistible. Of course, 22 f4 1 is stronger, but after 22 . . . Vi'f6 23 .i. b2 0-0 it is only a question of how great Black ' s advantage is.

O--O? 21 It is obvious that, if I do not want to be mated (for example, 2 1 . . . 4Jc5 ? 22 %:te I + �f7 23 4Jf5 ! with a strong attack), I have to sacrifice a piece. Of the many possible versions of this sacrifice, the strongest was 2 l . . . 4Jxg3 ! 22 hxg3 (22 �e l +? 1 4J e4 23 :a2 0-0 with an attack� 22 .l:. e l + � f7 1 23 liJe6 4Jf5 24 4Jg5+ �g8) 22 . . . 0-0 2 3 %:t a2 ! (a defensive manoeuvre on which White' s entire position depends) 23 . . . ii. xg3 24 :g2 ..t e5 25 4Jc5 %:tad8 26 ii. e3 ii. c8 1 , and it would seem that White has to seek salvation in variations such as 27 f4 ! (otherwise it is difficult to escape from the pin on the d-file) 27 . . . �xd l 28 %:t xd l ..txf4 29 ii. xf4 (29 ii. f2 ..t e5 1 ? ) 29 . . . %:t xf4 30 %:tgd2 (30 l hg7+? �h8 3 1 It c7? :g8+), retaining reasonable drawing chances (30 . . . ii.g4? ! 3 1 4Jde6 1 ) . 22 fxe4 ifh3 ! Calmly continuing the attack. Pretty, but insufficient, was 22 . . . %:t xfl + 23 �xfl ii. xg3 ? 1 (23 . . . ii. xe4 1 ? retains some com­ pensation) 24 hxg3 ..t xe4 25 %:ta2 ! (if not the strongest, then at least this is the sim­ plest) 25 . . . 'iWh I + 26 � f2 'iWh2+ 2 7 � e3 'i'xa2 28 � xe4, when White must win. 4Jf3? ! 23 Clearly underestimating the opponent's play. It was possible to include another

piece in the defence - 23 l:.a2, and after 23 . . . ii. xe4 (23 . . . ..t xg3 ? 24 4Jf5 ! It xf5 25 ':' xf5 ..t xe4 26 l:tg5 ! ) 24 lI e I ! (the only way of defending against . . . � xg3 ) 24 . . . ..t b7 (or 24 . . . %:t ae8 25 ':' e3 ) 25 �d3 1 an unusual position arises : White is a piece up, for which Black has a pawn and positional compensation. It is very hard to give an accurate evaluation of this position. In a practical game I would prefer to be playing Black (25 . . . %:t ae8 ! ?; 25 . . . :ac8 ! ?� 25 . . . .: f6 ! ?� 25 . . . l:tad8 ! ? ) . However, 2 3 'i'e2 ! would have given White the advantage, for example: 23 . . . ii. xg3 (White parries the diverting 23 . . . ..t xe4 by interposing 24 ..t f4 ! ..t xf4 25 'i'xe4) 24 4Jf5 ! During the game we both overlooked this strong move ( insufficient is 24 ii. g5 ii. xe4 ! , or 24 hxg3 'ifxg3 + 25 �g2 ':'xfl + 26 � xfl 1:tf8 +, and White stands badly in view of 2 7 �g I 'iVe l +) . Now, howev@{, i t very difficult to continue the attack: 24 . . .l:t xf5 25 l: hf5 ..t xh2+ (25 . . . ii. xe4 26 'i'xe4 'i'xh2+ 27 � fl %:t d8 is possible, but Black has given up too much material for the attack to succeed) 26 'i'xh2 'i'g4+ 2 7 � f2 'ii'xe4 2 8 �e5 'iVc2+ 29 � c l and the white king escapes from the pursuit, or 24 . . . ii. e5 25 ..t b2 ..t xb2 26 4Jxb2 �xb3 2 7 4Jd3 with a clear advantage - I am not sure whether it is sufficient for a win, but the advantage is certainly there . �xg3 ! 23

24

4Jc5?

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Kramnik: my life and games

It was on this move that Kasparov was pinning his hopes . However, it was time that White seriously concerned himself with the safety of his king : 24 �e2, and although 24 . . . l:t xD ! 25 ':'xD � xh2+ 26 � f2 (26 � h l .i.xe4 ! ! 2 7 'i'xe4 �g3+ 28 �g l 'iWh2+ 29 � fl 'ifh l + 3 0 �e2 'ife l + 3 1 � d3 :d8+ and B lack wins) 26 " . �4+ 27 � fl looks very dangerous for him, there does not appear to be a win : (a) 27 . . . � e5 2 8 'i'c4+ � h8 29 'iit7 with counterplay; (b) 2 7 . . . .i. d6 ! ? 2 8 � b2 ! ? .i. xe4 29 'i'c4+ � h8 3 0 .i. xg7+ cttxg7 3 1 'iid4+ cttg 8 3 2 'ifc4+; (c) 27 . . . .i.g3 28 'i'g2 ! 'i'xe4 (28 . . . .i. e5 29 � b2 � xb2 30 ttJxb2 .i. xe4 3 1 1i'h3 ! ) 2 9 'i'xg3 'iVxD + 3 0 'iixD .i. xD 3 1 ttJc 5 ; ( d ) 2 7 . . . 'iVg4 2 8 � e l ! ? 'ii'g l + 29 ': fl .i.g3+ 30 � d2 : d8+ ( 3 0 . . . 'iid 4+ 3 1 'ilfd3 'i'xa l 3 2 � b2) 3 1 '1t c2 .i. xe4+ 32 'iixe4 ii'xfl 3 3 'i'c4+ 'iix c4+ 34 bxc4; (e) 2 7 . . . .i. xe4 2 8 'iVc4+ � h8 29 ttJc5 ! �e5 3 0 'ili'xe4 'i'xe4 3 1 ttJxe4 � xa l with equality. After 24 ttJc5 ? it would appear that the game can no longer be saved. 24 l:hO 25 :1xO If 25 l:ta2 l:t xfl + 26 'iix fl 'iVxfl + 27 � xfl :' c8 ! 28 � e3 .i. f4 ! 29 ttJxb7 � xe3 30 lha6 � f4 with a very difficult ending, but White was still feeling optimistic. 'i'xh2+ 25 26 �f1

26 �c6 ! ! A quiet move of crushing strength, which was underestimated (or overlooked) by Kasparov. After the l ight-square bishop j oins the attack, the position of White ' s king becomes totally precarious . 27 �g5 It is surprising, but, despite his extra rook, White is completely defenceless, for example: 2 7 'ii'd 3 � l + 2 8 � e2 'ii'e l mate, 2 7 ':a2 � b5+ 2 8 ttJd3 .i. xd3+ ! 29 : xd3 (29 'iix d3 'ii'h l + and 3 0 . . . 'ii'e l mate) 29 . . , lH8 + 3 0 : D 'ii'h l +, or 27 .:a5 .i. c7! 2 8 :ta l ': d8 . 27 .i.b5+ 28 ttJd3

28 l:!.e8! Bringing up the last piece into the attack. : a2 29 The only ' sens ible ' move - 29 ':c l also fails to save White: 29 " . � 1 + 30 � e2 ': xe4+ 3 1 � d2 'iig 2+, and Black wins, since the c 1 square is not available to the king. 29 'ii'h 1 + Having seen a forced win, I did not even bother to look for anything better (especially since I had little time left). Meanwhile, it would have been simpler to conclude the game with . . . mate in four moves: 29 . . . .i. xd3+ ! 3 0 :'xd3 (30 'l'xd3 � l + 3 1 �e2 'i'e l mate) 3 0 " . � 1 + 3 1 � e2 'l'g2+ 3 2 �e3 ':xe4 mate. It may seem incredible that this was not seen by a

Selected games

player with such a rating, but the explanation is probably that it is psychol­ ogically difficult to give up ' such' a bishop for ' such' a knight, and so at a particular moment this move may be simply overlooked. lhe4+ 30 �e2 �d2 31 There is a pretty mate after 3 I .lt e3 'i'g2+ 32 2: f2 'i'xf2 ! ! 'i'g2+ 31 'i'xa2 32 �c1 'i'al + .:!.xg3 33 'i'c3+ �c2 34 :d4 �bl 35

1 69

capable of generating new ideas - and not by way of exceptions . But the happiest case must be considered that, when work that was done earlier comes in useful at a decisive moment. Any clash with Kasparov, Anand or Ivanchuk is always such a moment. And any victory of the ' B ig Four' (at that moment - after all, its composition has a tendency to change frequently) in a battle between them always echoes around the chess world. So that the fresh ' seed ' sown by Kramnik bore fruit a year later, where it was both necessary, and important.

1 e4 c5 2 tZJfJ tZJc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 tZJxd4 tZJf6 5 tZJc3 d6 6 �g5 e6 7 'ir'd2 a6 8 0--0--0 h6 9 �e3 iLe7 10 f4 tZJxd4 1 1 �xd4 b5 12 'tWe3 Quite a popular move at that time. For 1 2 .lt d3 see the following game. . 1Wc7 LZ dxe5 e5 13 14 �xe5

Black regains the piece while continuing his attack. If 3 6 .lt f6 he wins by 36 . . . .lt xd3+ 3 7 � a2 .lt b l + 1 3 8 'i'xb l 2:d2+ . Therefore White resigned .

No. 1 42 Ivanchuk-Kramnik Dos Hermanas 1 996 Sicil ian Defence

Timely ripened fruit One can, realising the importance of a forthcoming encounter, prepare for a quite specific game . One can prepare more abstractly, studying chess; this in particular is the approach taken by those who are

14 tZJg4 ! A new move that I had prepared roughly a year earlier. Theory used to recommend 1 4 . . . ji'a7 1 5 'ifg3 b4, but after 1 6 tZJb5 ! Black can resign. 15 'i'fJ tZJxe5 16 �xa8 tZJd7 ! This is the point o f the idea (bad i s 1 6 . . . tZJc6? 1 7 tZJxb5 ! ) . Now White has problems with his development and the defence of his f4 pawn.

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Kramnik: my life and games

17 g3? This is, of course, a radical attempt to solve all White ' s problems, but a very unfortunate one. However, also after 1 7 'iif3 the black pieces would have become extremely active : 1 7 . . . � b7 1 8 'tWe3 � d6 ! 1 9 ttJe2 0-0 with full compensation. 17 ttJb6 �f3 .:ib7 18 19 ttJe4

19 f5 ! After 1 9 . . . 0-0 20 �g2 II c8 Black has excellent compensation for the sacrificed exchange (for example, 2 1 �e2 ttJa4 with the threat of . . . � xe4 and . . . .i. f6), but I reckoned that my position already allowed me to hope for more. wfB �h5+ 20 ttJf2 21 It is not hard to see that Black easily parries 'attacks ' such as 2 1 ttJg5 2 1 . . . .i. xg5 22 fxg5 .i. xh 1 . 21 .:if6 ! Again i n search o f more, I rej ected the chance of gaining a slight advantage after 2 1 . . . � xh l 22 ttJxh l � f6 . The point is that my light-square bishop can often join the attack (for example, after 22 J:g I ? ttJa4 23 ttJd3 .i. e4 ! 24 �e2 ttJxb2 ! 25 ttJxb2 �c3 26 t'Dd3 �a l + 2 7 �d2 .i. c3+ 2 8 �e3 .i. d4+, picking up the rook), and I was reluctant to exchange it for a rook . Of course, all these ' positional considerations ' were accompanied by the calculation of numerous specific variations .

22 �d3 An interesting attempt to play for a counterattack, especially as it is not apparent how White can defend. After 22 : e l even 22 . . . 'i'd6 ! ? is quite good. 22 ttJa4 ! Of course, not 2 2 . . . � xh l 2 3 l:txh l t'Da4 24 t2Jd 1 when White holds on. 23 :he1 .i.xb2+ 24 �bl Despite the apparent abundance of threats, it is not so simple to mate White, whereas the black king is also beginning to feel uncomfortable, and so . . .

24 .i.d5 ! Simultaneously defending and attacking; if 24 . . . 'i'e7 White calmly plays 25 � xf5, intending to reply to 25 . . . .i. f6 with 26 .i. xe6 . 25 .i.xb5 In the hope of 25 . . . axb 5 ? 26 l: xd5 , whereas 25 �xf5 would have led to a piquant mate - 25 . . . � xa2+ 26 �a2 'i'c4+ 27 � b l t'Dc3+ 28 xb2 'i'b4+ 29 � c l tDa2 mate. 25 .i.xa2+ 'it>xa2 26 axb5 �b1 27 'i'a5 Somewhat short of time, Black overlooks a much simpler win : 27 . . . 'i'e7 ! 2 8 J: d3 'ib4. When aiming for this position from afar, I was afraid of the checks available to White (29 J: d8+ etc . ), but it is easy to see that they do not save him.

171

Selected games

30

28 ttJd3? No better is 28 I:. xe6? ttJc3+ 29 � xb2 'i'b4+ or 28 I:. d7 'ili'xe l + 29 ttJd l �g8 ! 3 0 'ili'g6 � f6, but White had an excellent opportunity to stir up trouble with 28 c3 ! , after which Vasily would have parried the mating attack, although without guaran­ teeing himself a draw. The following variations are interesting : (a) 2 8 . . . � xc3 29 l:t d7 �4+ 3 0 � c2 � 2+ 3 1 � d l �b l + 32 W e2 'iWxe l + 3 3 Wf3 Wg8 34 l:t d l , uncxpectedly trapping the queen; (b) 2 8 . . . ttJxc3+ 29 W xb2 ttJa4+ 3 0 Wa2 'ib4 3 1 : d8+ cJi; e7 32 I:. d7+ (or 32 l:t e8+ lhe8 3 3 :' xe6+ � xe6 34 'iWxe8+ 'ili'e7, transposing into a won ending) 32 . . . � xd7 33 'iWf7+ W c8 34 'ili'xe6+ � b8 35 'ili'e5+ �a8 3 6 'ilVd5 + W a7 37 'ili'd7+ W b8 3 8 ':'c8+ ':' xe8 3 9 'ili'xe8+ � c7 4 0 'iWe5+ 'i'd6 and B lack should win. It is another matter that all this wou ld have been not easy to find with time trouble approaching. 28 1i.a3 ! Apparently i t was this move that Ivanchuk overlooked. Throughout the game it was mainly retreats by the bishop along the long diagonal that were considercd, and this was probably the reason for White' s mistake. �a2 29 Thc only defence against mate, but even this no longer provides a 'cure ' . 29 ttJc3+

�b3

30 ttJd5 ! There may be other ways to win, but this is the simplest and most clear-cut: the white king is not allowed out of the danger zone. 31 Wa2 �b4+ 32 �bl �c3 At l ast 'the black pieces have been ideally regrouped to set up the mating construction ( 3 3 ttJb2 Via3 ) , The knight at d5 blocks the d-file, and the opponent' s counterplay is a little too late, White resign s .

NO. 1 43 Hiibner-Kramnik Dortmund 1 996 Sicilian Defence

A rook makes a knight move To start with - nothing surprising. In those years when the German grandmaster and professor of classical philology Robert Hubner was among the candidates for the world chess crown, the openings were rarely played so dynamically, and only by a few players . But for the black rook to aim to go from b7 to a5 , that is 'to make a knight move ' , and in so doing twice offer to sacrifice itself. , . Here Black displayed that same imagination, that in the ' Hubner years ' was displayed by Bronstein, Tal and

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Kramnik: my life and games

Fischer. Those who were customarily called ' magicians ' and ' sorcerers · . . .

1 e4 c5 2 lLlo d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 liJxd4 lLlf6 5 lLlc3 lLlc6 6 .lii. g5 e6 7 �d2 a6 8 � h6 9 �e3 .lii. e 7 1 0 f4 liJxd4 1 1 .lii. x d4 b5 1 2 �d3 b4 13 liJe2 In the ' Kremlin Stars-96 , Judit Polgar played 1 3 ttJa4 against me, but after 1 3 . . . : bS 1 4 eS dxeS I S � xeS � d7 ! 1 6 b3 � xa4 1 7 bxa4 0-0 I S � xbS 'ii'x bS I gained more than sufficient compensation for the exchange.

�a5 13 Another move order is also quite possible - 1 3 . . . eS 1 4 Ji. e3 ( 1 4 fxeS dxeS I S .i. xeS �aS ) l 4 . . . 'iiiaS . 'it'b 1 e5 14 15 .lii. e3 0-0 %:thel ? ! 16 Superfluous centralisation : at e l the rook is rather passively placed. In my opinion, 1 6 l:thfl or 1 6 ttJg3 is preferable. 16 l:tb8 ! ? A fighting move. 1 6 . . . : dS is n o weaker, but in this case there can follow 1 7 c4 ! bxc3 I S 'ii'x c3 ( I S ttJxc3 'jjc 7 leads to a complicated game) I S . . . '�xc3 ( l S . . .'iW a4 ! ? 1 9 .i. b6 l:. d7 2 0 b 3 'i'a3 i s worth examining) 1 9 ttJxc3 Ji. b7, and although Black stands perfectly well, the position is simplified somewhat and it becomes a little easier for White to play . . .

ttJel 17 If 1 7 ttJg3 or 1 7 h3 Black would have continued 1 7 . . . : dS with sufficient counterplay . 17 :d8 1 7 . . . �c7 ! ? came into consideration, not only making way for the a-pawn, but also preparing . . . d6-dS . For example: I S h3 :dS 1 9 �f2 ( 1 9 g4 dS ! ) 1 9 . . . dS 20 fxeS ttJxe4 2 1 � xe4 dxe4 22 l:t xdS+ � xdS 2 3 � f4 � e6 24 ':xe4 a s with compensation for the sacrificed pawn. 18 �a7 If I S h3 there would have followed I S . . . dS ! 18 l:tb7 Black could also have considered the seemingly strange move I S . . . 1:aS ! ?, with the possible continuation 1 9 �g I .ltg4 20 ttJb3 �c7 2 1 : c l as 22 c3 bxc3 23 lhc3 �7 . 19- - -�g l .lii. g4 'i' a4 20 lLlb3

I was happy with the outcome of the opening - Black has a good position and fine play with his pieces . A brief skirmish in the centre with unclear consequences 20 . . . 'jjc 7 2 1 l:. c l dS (2 1 . . .aS 22 c3 ! with the initiative) 2 2 exdS ttJxdS 2 3 ':xeS �f6 24 l:t xdS l hdS 2S .lt h7+ 'it' xh7 26 �xd5 l:[ bS 27 �d2 (of course, not 27 ttJcS ? ! 'i'xf4 2 S 'iix f7? ': xcS 29 .lt xcs 'jjeS ) - for the moment did not come into my plans _ 21 :tel exf4

Selected games

2 1 . . . : b5 ? 1 was tempting but premature in view of 22 h3 .1 e6 23 f5 %ta5 24 a3 . 'iYxf4 22 ttJ After 22 d4 ! ? the black pieces would have unexpectedly become active on the kingside : 22 . . . ttJh5 (22 . . . d5 23 e5 ttJe4 24 .i. xe4 dxe4 25 'iYxf4 .i. e6 26 ttJxe6 fxe6 27 'i'xe4 leads to an advantage for White) 23 h3 (23 .i c4 1 ? .i.g5 ! ?) 23 . . . .i e6 24 ttJxe6 fxe6 25 .1 c4 'i'd7 26 .i xa6 %t bb8 . True, in this case it is rather hard to give a clear evaluation of the position. 22 .:ie6 23 �d4? An incorrect formulation of the correct idea. 23 %tcd I ttJg4 24 .i d4 would have maintained the dynamic balance. Hubner overlooks Black ' s far from obvious reply.

23 :b5! After 23 . . . ttJg4 Black would have had to reckon with 24 e5 1 ? 24 'i'd2? Panic . It was obvious that my previous move had come as an unpleasant surprise to my opponent, and he grew nervous . Meanwhile, White ' s defensive resources were considerable - if he had found the only accurate reply 24 l:t cd I : (a) after 24 . . J � a5 25 ttJxa5 'ti'xa2+ 26 c l 'i'a l + (26 . . . 'ti'xa5 2 7 b3 1 ) 2 7 d2 �xa5 28 I:. a l 'ifh 5 29 c l ttJg4 (29 . . . ttJd5 30 'ti'f3 ) 30 b I White parries the immediate threats; (b) 24 . . . ttJg4 ! is stronger : 25 .i xb5 (not

1 73

25 ttJc l because of 25 . . . it.g5 26 jj'g3 .1 xc l 27 b3 .a3 ) 25 . . . axb5 26 ttJc l .1g5 27 'ti'g3 .1 xc I 28 xc I ! (White loses after 28 b3 'i'a3 ! 29 h3 I:. a8 30 hxg4 .1g5 1 3 1 .i. e3 .i. f6 or 29 ::' xc l %:r a8 3 0 n cd l 'i' xa2+ 3 1 � c l %:r c8 3 2 l:t d2 .1 xb3 ) 2 8 . . . .: c8 29 l:te2 ttJ e5 1 ? (aiming for c4; after 29 . . . 'i' xa2 30 �d2 the king slips out of the danger zone) 30 .i xe5 ( 3 0 a3 .i. b3) 30 . . . dxe5 3 1 'ti'xe5 .i.g4 (also interesting is 3 1 . . . '� xa2 1 ?, not reducing the tempo of the attack) 3 2 l:tdd2 .i. xe2 3 3 l:t xe2 'ti'xa2 . Black ' s position is preferable, but whether this is sufficient for a win is hard to say. 24 ttJg4 ! l:t 24 . . . a5 would have been parried by 25 a3 . 25 c4? The concluding error. The only way to retain some drawing chances, even if only minimal, was by 25 .i. xb5 axb5 26 a3 bxa3 2 7 - bxa3 (27 Wa5 ? axb2 28 .i.xb2 .i. xb3 ) 2 7 . . . .1g5 2 8 � 4 'ti'xb4 29 axb4 .i. xc l 3 0 l:txc I ttJxh2 . 25 bxc3 26 bxc3 The alternatives were no better: 2 6 .1 xb5 �xb3 , 26 'i'xc3 l:t xb3 2 7 axb3 .1 xb3 , or 26 l hc3 .i xb3 27 axb3 'ti'xd4 .

lhb3+ 26 �xb3 27 axb3 Major loss of material cannot be avoided - 28 Wb2 : b 8 29 .:t e2 .1 a2+, and so White resigned.

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Kramnik: my l�re and games

No. I 44 Gelfand-Kramnik European Club Cup Berlin 1 996 Queen ' s Gambit

We are friends, but . . . The two friends were playing here for different clubs - 'Agrouniversar from the Yugoslav town of Zemun and ' Empor' from Berlin, and this meeting between the favourites in the semi-final tournament practically assured the winners of a place in the Grand Final . The game was, as always, extremely uncompromising and sharp, and it ended in a problem-like mate, rarely seen in a practical game.

1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3 ttJc3 ttJf6 4 ttJf3 e6 5 e3 ttJbd7 6 111 c 2 �d6 7 g4 ! ?

This unusual, strange-looking, but rather interesting move was first employed by a former Riga player, Alexander Shabalov, now an American grandmaster, but was introduced into a top-level chess by another former Riga player, Alexey Shirov, who was to become a Spanish grandmaster, in a game with Akopian, Oakham 1 992 . It was there that I saw this thrust, with which White fights for the rapid advance e3 -e4 after 8 gS . It is amusing that I had analysed this possibility in . . . 1 98 8 , when I began studying the Meran Variation, and I was unable to reach

a clear assessment of it. With every day this continuation seemed more interesting to me, but I did not employ it in practice, since . . . I did not believe in the high quality of the move. Reasoning of the sort , It cannot be good, because it can never be good' operated strongly, but analysis, and quite deep, was carried out. Incidentally, at the time I was unable to find arithmetically precise equality for Black . . . 7 i.b4 The main theoretical debates revolve around 7 . . . ttJxg4 and 7 . . . dxc4 . Both are worth considering, and lead to complicated and unclear play . With Boris, however, I employed a continuation that was much less well studied. The second move with the bishop seems strange, but in fact Black fights for the centre, and the flank diversion of the g-pawn may lose its value. 8 �d2 'iie 7 Aimi ng-to exploit the weakening of the long light-square diagonal by . . . b7-b6, . . . � b7 and . . . c6-cS . My opponent thought for a long time, and . . . 9 a3 Perhaps not the best decision. White should have considered 9 gS � xc3 1 0 � xc3 ttJe4 I I � d3 . If Black takes the gS pawn, then White has undoubted compen­ sation, while I I . . . ttJxc3 1 2 'ii'x c3 leads to a classic position from the Queen's Gambit, the only difference being that the pawn is not at g2, but gS . Who this favours is hard to say; each side has arguments for and against. For example, 1 2 . . . dxc4 1 3 .lt xc4 bS 1 4 � e2 � b7 with a double­ edged game. 9 �xc3 10 �xc3 b6 ! Both developing B lack ' s own aims, and as prophylaxis against the threatened I I � b4 . 11 .id3 Removing the pawn tension by I I cxdS would have discharged the situation, but after I I . . . exdS would have given B lack control of e4 .

Selected games

1 75

ttJxe5 1 7 " xe8 ttJf3+) 16 . . . l: c8 ! 1 7 'i'xa7 ttJxg4, when it is dangerous for White to castle on either side. Even so, in a joint analysis we decided that Boris should have gone in for this position. 14 0-0 15 g5 White would be very happy to play 1 5 g4-g2 ; alas, pawns do not move backwards . . . 15 ttJd5 16 jtd2

11 jta6 ! Black flexibly changes his strategic plan and, seemingly, takes the initiative. The point is that after I I . . .dxc4 1 2 i. xc4 jt b7 13 g5 he has to make a concession to White and place his knight not on e4, but on d5 . During the game I considered the following sharp variation - 1 3 . . . ttJd5 1 4 jt d2 c5 1 5 e4 ttJc7 1 6 0-0-0 cxd4 1 7 jt b4 ttJc5 1 8 : xd4 0-0 I 9 l: hd 1 . In this position Black has his trumps, but even so the move played is stronger. "a4 12 The immediate 1 2 g5 would not do in view of 12 . . . dxc4 13 gxf6 cxd3 14 fxg7 l:g8, while 1 2 cxd5 jt xd3 1 3 Wxd3 exd5 was also favourable to B lack. After 1 2 ttJe5 the simplest is 1 2 . . . ttJxe5 1 3 dxe5 ttJd7 1 4 Wa4 i. b7, when the opening thrust g2-g4 proves to be a blank shot, and the bishop at c3 resembles a large pawn. 12 dxc4! 13 "xa6 If 1 3 "xc6 l: c8 1 4 "a4 jt b7 1 5 jt b4 'i'd8 1 6 jt e2 a5 and the weakness of the a8-h 1 diagonal is felt. 13 cxd3 14 Wxd3 White should have considered 1 4 'i'b7 0-0 15 ttJe5 with the idea after 15 . . . l: fb8 of replying 1 6 ttJxc6 l: xb7 1 7 ttJxe7+ � f8 1 8 ttJc6, to all appearances achieving equality. B lack, it is true, has the more cunning 1 5 . . . "e8 ! ? 1 6 ttJxd3 ( 1 6 Wxc6?

16 f5 ! Light-square strategy typical for the given pawn formation, reinforced by the variation 1 7 gxf6? "xf6 . 17 0-0-0 No better is 1 7 0-0 "fl, heading for h5 . But now too Black builds up an attack, and a swift one at that. 17 c5 18 �bl b5! 19 'i'xb5 Practically forced ( 1 9 . . . c4 was threatened), although it opens l ines for a direct attack on the king. 19 20 'i'aS I spent a considerable time on this move. The white king ' s position is after all quite solid, and cannot easily be taken . �a2 ? 21 Perhaps the decis ive mistake. I t i s natural that White should want to move off the b-file and to do this with gain of tempo,

1 76

Kramnik: my life and games

but sounder was 2 1 W a l c4 (with the threat of 22 . . . c3) 22 l:t c l lit c8 23 � c3 tDb8 ! ?, transferring the knight to c6 and gradually increasing the pressure (even after 24 tDe5 tDc6 25 tDxc6 :' xc6). 21 :tb8 22 .l:bl

27 l:I.xb2 l:xb2 28 The desperate 28 'ii'f8 + does not work in view of 2 8 . . . :'xf8 !

'ii'a 2+! White resigns The first purely problem-like mate In my career. I rtyself liked it . . .

28

22 e5! This is more vigorous than 22 . . . c4 - the queen gains access to e6 . 23 l:hc1 This allow Black to conclude the game with a pretty finish. Initially I thought that White had the defence 2 3 tDxe5 tDxe5 24 dxe5 'ii'xe5 25 .Jt c3 tDxc3 + 2 6 bxc3, but then I found 26 . . . 'iWe4 ! , when everything falls into place: 27 ': xb3 'tWc2+ 28 � a l 'ii'xb3 , mating. 'Yi'e6 23 ' Charging up the battery' - 24 . . . tDc3+, 25 . . . :' xb2+ and 26 . . . 'i'a2 mate ' 24 exd4 �al 25 l:I.xc5 The last chance. 25 tDxc5 26 'ii'x c5 Apparently all is still not clear: if 26 . . . dxe3 White has 2 7 ttJd4 . However, Black now has evil intentions . 26 tDc3! 27 tDxd4 Mate also cannot be avoided after 2 7 � xc3 dxc3 2 8 ttJd4 cxb2+ 2 9 �a2 ( 2 9 l hb2 ': xb2 3 0 tDxe6 l:. b l + 3 1 rJ.?a2 : 8b2 mate) 29 . . . :'xa3+ 30 �xa3 'ii'a6+ .

Positional Play No. 1 45 Kramnik-Kamsky Linares 1 993 Queen ' s Gambit

When tenacity does not help . . . Kramnik's opponent, the already experienced grandmaster Gata Kamsky, had from his early years been accustomed to spending all his time during a game only at the board: such tenacity often bore fruit, and he was able to save some positions where anyone else would simply have given up resisting. But here the shield was inferior to the sword : too strong, and more important, too timely was the blow struck by White on the 1 6th move. Kramnik himself tactfully refrains from saying that Black undoubtedly ' had the right' to resign much sooner that he actually did . . .

Selected games

1 77

d5 d4 4:Jf6 4:JO c6 c4 e6 4:Jc3 In my preparations for the game I devoted a lot of attention to the Griinfeld Defence, but this opening came as a complete surprise to me. 4:Jbd7 5 �g5 Black avoids engaging in a sharp theoretical dispute in the Botvinnik Variation after 5 . . . dxc4 . 'ii a5 6 e3 �b4 4:Jd2 7 8 it'c2

1 0 . . . 4:Je4 was more critical, when the following approximate variations were possible: I I .lt h4 exd4 ! 1 2 4:Jxd4 ( 1 2 exd4 0-0 1 3 0-0 'ii'f4 ! with an equal game) 1 2 . . . 'iVa5 (or 1 2 . . . 4:Jxc3 1 3 bxc3 ) 1 3 O-O ! � xc3 ( 1 3 . . . 4:Jxc3 1 4 bxc3 � xc3 ? 1 5 4:Jb3 'ifb4 1 6 a3 and White wins, or 14 . . . � d6 1 5 4:Jf5 with a big advantage) 1 4 cxd5 ! cxd5 (after 1 4 . . . � xd4 ? ! 1 5 'iix e4+ .iL e5 1 6 dxc6 bxc6 1 7 f4 White has an obvious advantage) 1 5 bxc3 �xc3 1 6 'iid l , and White has full compensation for the pawn. 11 jixc4 0-0 0-0 12 �d6 h3 13

e5 8 An interesting attempt by Black to solve his opening problems by tactical means . He fails to equalise by 8 . . . 0-0 9 .i. e2 dxc4 (or 9 . . e5 1 0 0-0 1 exd4 I I 4:Jb3 with a slight advantage to White) I 0 � xf6 4:Jxf6 I I 4:Jxc4 it'c7 1 2 a3 .iL e7 1 3 b4, and White has a clear positional advantage. 9 4:Jb3 I decided not to check the opponent ' s analysis after 9 .iLxf6 (9 dxe5 ? ! 4:Je4) 9 . . . 4:Jxf6 1 0 dxe5 4:Je4 1 1 tLJdxe4 dxe4 1 2 0-0-0 .iL xc3 ! 1 3 it'xc3 it'xa2 . At the board this position appeared to me to be unclear, which wou ld seem to be not far from the truth . 9 �c7 The most natural, but 9 . . 'ifb6 1 ? also came into consideration. dxc4 10 J.. e 2

13 :te8? A dubious move, weakening the f7 pawn. Much stronger was 1 3 . . . a6 followed by . . . b7-b5 and . . . .iL b7, although even this plan does not guarantee B lack equality. On the contrary, the attempt by B lack to play 'actively' did not work : 1 3 . . . h6? ! 1 4 � h4 (not 1 4 � xh6? 4:Jb6 1 5 it'g6 4:Je8 ! 1 6 tZJe4 .iL e7 ! ) 1 4 . . . 4:Jb6 1 5 � d3 ( 1 5 .iL xf6 4:Jxc4) 1 5 . . . exd4 1 6 4:Jxd4 ! g5 ? 1 1 7 .iLg3 � xg3 1 8 fxg3 'iixg3 1 9 %:t xf6 'iix e3 + 20 'jIf2 'iix d3 2 1 %:t xh6, and White' s attack is irresistible. 14 l:adl exd4?! Black should have reverted to the p lan of . . . a7-a6, . . . b7-b5 and . . . .iLb7, although after 1 3 . . . %:te8? it is no longer so good. 15 4:Jxd4 1i.e5 After thinking for some twenty minutes, realised that it was time for vigorous measures, while the difference in activity

1 2 3 4

.

.

1 78

Kramnik: my life and games

of the white and black pieces was so appreciable.

16

f4 !

Exchanging, at the cost of a pawn, Black' s only active piece - his dark-square bishop .

16 17

20 21 22 23 24

Jl.xe3 'i'f2 ! �xf2 l:d8 :xd8

.xe3+ .xf2+ Jl.xfS :xd8

iLxd4 :xd4 !

This is stronger than 1 7 exd4 4:Jb6 1 8 �b3 .d6 1 9 f5 , which, however, would also have set Black difficult problems .

17

:xe3

The remainder does not require any commentary, since this ending is an easy technical win for White .

18

:tfd l !

White can calmly strengthen his position, since his pieces dominate the board, and Black, with his extra pawn, is bound 'hand and foot' .

18

4:Jf8

This loses almost by force, but it is already hard to offer Black any good advice. For example : 1 8 . . . ne7 1 9 4:Jb5 ! �6 20 4Jd6 and Black cannot move a single piece, or 1 8 . . . a6 1 9 ':'xd7 ! 4:Jxd7 ( 1 9 . . . �xd7 20 �xf6 gxf6 2 1 �xf7+ ! �xf7 22 4Jd5 and wins) 20 �xf7+ ! Wxf7 2 1 tt.Jd5 'ii'a5 22 4:Jxe3 and White has a decisive attack with material equal .

19

f5

'iWe5

Equivalent to capitulation, but there is nothing else. After 1 9 . . . ':e 7 ( 1 9 . . . .:re5 is met by 20 �f4) 20 �xf6 gxf6 2 1 'i'f2 ! �d7 (what else?) 22 l:.g4+ �h8 23 �4 'i'e5 24 'ilih6 ! 'i'e3 + 25 'i'xe3 ':xe3 26 �xf7 h6 27 l:tg8+ �h7 2 8 ':xd7 Black loses a piece.

24 ... b5 25 �e2-"a5 26 Jl.f3 �d7 27 :a8 g5 28 :a6 tZJe6 29 Jl.xc6 Jl.xc6 30 :xc6 b4 3 1 4Je2 a4 32 l:c4 4:Jd5 33 g3 �f8 34 4:Jd4 4Jec7 35 4:Jc6 b3 36 axb3 axb3 37 4:Jb4 �e7 38 4:Jxd5+ 4:Jxd5 39 l::t d4 �e6 40 J:d3 h5 41 1::1x b 3 f5 42 l:b8 f4 43 nh8 fxg3+ 44 �xg3 4:Jf6 45 b4 �d5 46 .l:h6 4:Je4+ 47 �g2 h4 48 �f3 4:Jd2+ 49 �g4 4:Je4 50 b5 4:Jf2+ 5 1 'it'f5, and finally Black resigned.

No. 1 46

Kramnik-Georgiev Olympiad, Moscow 1 994 Queen ' s Gambit

On his own experience Chess players of even very high rank build their opening repertoires in different ways . Some place the accent on searching for innovations, capable in the first instance by their surprise value of bringing a tournament point. Others are ready to give up the effect of surprise and time after time go in for the same sharp, multi-variational

Selected games

posItions, in order in the next practical skirmish to check their home preparation. And so on until that particular scheme is completely exhausted, until in the endlessness of chess there becomes one less blank spot. This game very clearly demonstrates the path followed by the still very young grandmaster Kramnik. It would be hard to find a more convincing demonstration !

1 79

1 6 . . . ttJc5 looks preferable. 17 �e2 �a8 ? ! Now i t can be considered that Black has lost the opening battle . 1 7 . . . 'i'xg2 is perhaps not a lot stronger, but on the other hand it is far more consistent. After 1 8 :hg I 'i'xh2 1 9 :xg 7 it still has to be clarified : where does the b lack pawn stand better, at f7 or at f6?

1 ttJO d5 2 d4 ttJf6 3 c4 c6 4 ttJc3 dxc4 5 a4 �f5 6 lUe5 e6 7 0 �b4 8 e4 (another popular continuation at that time was 8 i.g5 ) 8 ... .ltxe4 9 fxe4 ttJxe4 1 0 �d2 'i'xd4 1 1 ttJxe4 'i'xe4+ 1 2 'i'e2 i.xd2+ 1 3 �xd2 'i'd5+ 1 4 'iit c 2 ttJa6 1 5 ttJxc4 ��O

16 'ife3 ! ? A rare move at the time. I have played this position as White several times, and earlier I always chose 1 6 'i'e5 . Here is a little theoretical analysis, based on my own games : 1 6 . . . f6 1 7 'ii'e 3 ( 1 7 �xd5 cxd5 1 8 ttJa3 ttJb4+ 1 9 � d2 � d7 20 ':' c I l:c8 2 1 lI c3 b6 1 22 i. b5+ � d6 23 � e2 a6= Kramnik-Lautier, Linares 1 994) 1 7 . . . �b8 1 8 i. e2, and now: (a) 1 8 . . . 'i'xg2 1 9 l::t hg l 'i'xh2 20 l::t xg7 ttJb4+ 2 1 � b3 ttJd5 22 'i'D h5 ! ? 23 l::t f l l::t c 8 24 � a2 l::t c 7 25 l::t fg l ;l; (Kramnik­ Lautier, Cannes 1 99 3 ) ; ( b ) 1 8 . . . e 5 1 9 g 3 'iie 6 20 b3 l::td 5 2 1 � b2 l::t h d8 22 I:ad l ttJb4 23 'i'c3 'i'e7= (Kramnik-Ivanchuk, Linares 1 994). 16 �b8

18 g4 ! Not allowing the black queen to go to f5 , although the more modest 1 8 g3 was also good. 18 f6 Black' s desire to set up the g7-f6-e5 pawn chain is understandable, but it is unrealisable. I would have preferred 1 8 . . . ttJc7 1 9 l:tad l 'i'g2 20 'i'D ! ? 'i'xD 2 1 i. xD , and although White' s advantage is obvious, it is not so simple to transform it into something real . 19 l:hdl 'i'g2 20 '::' x d8+ :xd8 'i'xe6 21 The time had come to calculate concrete variations . The 'positional ' 2 1 : d l l hd l 22 � xd l 'i'd5+ was less promising. 21 'i'xh2 The knight cannot be firmly established at d5 : 2 1 . . . ttJb4+ 22 � b3 ttJd5 23 :1 d l 'i'xh2 24 i. D 'iih 3 25 l: d3 W'fl 26 i. e4, and if 26 . . . : b8 27 l:t xd5 ! cxd5 28 'i'xd5 with an irresistible attack. During the game 2 1 . . . ttJc7 seemed to me to be more logical . After a series of

1 80

Kramnik: my life and games

obligatory moves - 22 .e7 : e8 23 'iixc7 'i'xe2+ 24 � c3 the position becomes typical of this variation : the white king defends itself, Steinitz-style - 24 . . . �D+ (24 . . . 'iixg4 ? ! 25 a5 , with the threat of tOb6+, 25 . . .• D+ 26 'it b4 .e4 27 :d l , and the black king feels uncomfortable) 25 'ot> b4 �xg4 (25 . . . b6 26 b 3 ) 26 : e l ! ': c8 2 7 �f7, and White has a clear advantage thanks to the activity of his pieces . In fact, the white king feels more protected than its opposite number. l:b8 :'dl 22 23 a5 ! ? Also quite strong was 2 3 �e7 tOb4+ (what else?) 24 'iix b4 'ii xe2+ 25 : d2, but when I saw the idea of the coming combination, I was unable to resist . . . 23 tOe 7 This allows White to land an elegant blow. More tenacious was 23 . . . tOb4+ 24 � b3 (24 �b l l ?) 24 . . . tOd5 , although even here Black' s chances of saving the game arc not great.

tOb6+! ! 24 24 :a l I ?? would be too pretty . Unfortunately, chess is not draughts (chequers), Black is not obliged to take the queen, and he has the reply 24 . . . : e8 ! 24 axb6 25 axb6 tOa6 Here 25 . . . l:r. e8 loses to 26 bxc7 �xe2+ 27 �xe2 l he2+ 28 � c l , when White ' s passed pawn is unstoppable. But the obviously strange 25 . . . : h8 was objectively

stronger, desp ite the fact that after 26 bxc7 .xc7 27 :d7 White has excel lent winning chances . 26 :al :d8 The alternatives were : (a) 26 . .'�f2 2 7 : xa6+ bxa6 28 .xc6+ : b7 29 .c8+ : b 8 30 .xa6 mate; (b) 26 . . . 'iig 2 27 'iie 7 with the threat of 28 : xa6+; (c) 26 . . .'ii' e 5 2 7 lit xa6+ bxa6 2 8 .xc6+ ':b7 29 .lt D � 8 30 � b l , and there is no defence against 3 1 'iic 4; (d) 26 . . . l:h8 2 7 �e7 'ot> b8 (27 . . . � 8 28 .lt xa6) 2 8 :' xa6 bxa6 29 'ii'a 7+ 'ot>c8 30 b7+. 27 'jje 7 'i'd6 :xa6+ 28 �b8 .

29 'iix d6+ Greed (29 'iixg7?), as always, is punishable. After 29 . . . .l:t d7 30 'iig 8+ l:. d8 3 1 'iix h7 : d7 White is obliged to repeat moves. 29 l::t x d6 :a3 30 In many games in this variation I have achieved a pleasant ending, but this was the first time that it was so pleasant! 30 e5 31 l:1b3 g6 :b5 l::t e6 32 33 �d3 l:.e5 h5 34 b4! Missing an opportunity to set a last trap : 34 . . . :g5 (34 . . . cxb4 3 5 : xe5 fxe5 3 6 g5 � c8 37 Jt e4) 35 Jt e2 cxb4 36 l:txg5 ?? (36

181

Selected games ':xb4 ) 3 6 . . . fxgS 3 7 'itb3 hS I . and you may be surprised to learn that this is a theoretical draw . After 34 . . . c4 3 5 .li.xc4 ':xb5 36 �xb5 h5 37 gxb5 gxh S . however. Wh ite retains two pawns on the b-fiJe. and he wins in one of two ways. after first picking up the black ki ngside pawns : he moves his king to dR and plays b4-bS and i.c6. or he places his king at cS and sacrifices his bishop on b 7 . when he has a reserve tempo with the b4 pawn to gai n the opposition.

• i � : i � c3J 35 36 37 38 39 40 41

K

i i �

�

: xc5 gxh5 :xh5 \tc3 \td4 \tc5 Wd5

i

the l i nes of great comp lications . If it is born in mind that the commander of the white pieces had j u st turned twenty - on ly twenty ! - then . . . The fol l owing factor also merits surpri se : Kramnik with obvious and sincere pleasure plays any type of chess. continuing most strikingly the l i ne of Boris Spassky and Robert Fischer - the first universal players of the h ighest rank .

1

2 3 4 5 6

ttJf3 d4 g3 .:tg2

d5 e6 ttJf6

.:te7 0-0

0-0

c4 'i'c2 a4 8 A rare conti nuation; m9re usual . . -. 9 'iWxc4 10 ttJbd2 e3 11

7

8

.

dxc4 a6 ttJc6 . . .li.d7 9 'i'xc4 is 'i'd5 :d8

: e6

gxh5 :xb6 :c6+ :b6 : c6+

Black resigns

NO. 1 4 7

Kram nik-Piket Dortmund 1 995 Catalan Opening

In the range from A to Z

11 'i'h5 ! ? A rather awkward manoeuvre. but one can understand my opponent - he did not want to defend the s l ightly i nferior ending after the theoretical I I . . .1i.d7 1 2 ttJe5 ! 'i'xc4 1 3 ttJdxc4 ttJxe5 1 4 ttJxe5 ttJd5 1 5 .1i.d2 . 12 e4 Contro l l i ng the important d5 square and cutting off the black queen from the centre and the k i ngside . .

Any top-class player is good at everything, or nearly evel!'thing. But such a degree of universal ism . . . In this game White was ready to take play i nto a sl ightly better ending. positional ly outp layed his opponent, and then sharply switched onto

1 82

Kramnik: my l�re and games

.:id7 12 b5 ! ? b3 13 Black tries to create counterplay, to avoid being squeezed. �e8 'ilc3 14 15 axb5 axb5?! A serious inaccuracy. Black should have continued in the same 'crooked' style: 1 5 " . � b4 ' 16 �c2 � xb5 ' , creating piece pressure on the centre. And although after 1 7 e5 ! White retains a slight advantage. this was the lesser evil . :xa8 :'xa8 16 1i.b2 17

Having reinforced his central pa�l1S, White can face the future with confidence. Powerful centre, advantage in space, the opponent weak on the queenside - what more does he need? 17 :a2 18 �c1 ! 1 8 :ta l , exchanging the opponent's only active piece, would also have retained the advantage. But I followed an ancient rule: for the side with a spatial advantage it is unfavourable to exchange pieces . 18 �h6 19 h3 g6 An original queen manoeuvre, rarely seen in practice. 20 :tel 20 l:.d l ! ? also came into consideration ­ for the moment it is hard to decide where the rook will be best placed. �f8 20

21 �b l 'Llb4 22 'Lle5 White is already beginning to turn his sights to the kingside - after . . . g7-g6 the black king ' s position has been weakened. 22 'Lld7?! The exchange of this piece, defending the king, gives White the opportunity for a dangerous attack, and also resolves for him the question of what to do with the knight at d2 . Better was 22 . . . :t a6, with a perfectly defensible position . �c3! 23 l:a6 Not 23 . . . 'Llxe5 ? 24 � xb4 � xb4 25 �xa2 . 24 'Llxd7 i.xd7 25 'LlfJ The second knight goes to replace the one that has departed, but Black wi l l find it much more difficult to get rid of this one. 25 1Wa8 I think dUlt Black should have radically resolved the problem of the knight with 25 . . . f6 ! , although this would have further weakened his kings ide, which White could have aimed to break up, for example, by 26 h4 ! , with an obvious advantage. 26 'Lle5 .:ic6 ? !

A strange decision. I t was time for Black to 'come to his senses ' and bring up pieces to the defence - 26 . . . .i. e8 . After the move p layed I spent a considerable time searching for a forced win by 27 d5 ! ?, but I couldn't help feeling that one white piece was clearly missing from the attack . . .

1 83

Selected games

27

'it'd} !

Now everything is ready for the decisive stonn, and Black IS forced to do something.

27 28

.tb2

ttJa2 b4

Or 28 . . . .i.b4 ? ! 29 :e3 . After the advance of the pawn the most sensible (and strongest) move was the simple 29 "c2 ! , again switching to positional lines and literally paralysing the opponent . But I had been preparing so long for an attack, that I was no longer thinking about anything else . . .

29

d5

This does not lose the advantage (in general it is difficu lt to lose it with one move), but it provokes unnecessary complications .

29 30

i.e8 ttJg4

Continuing in the same spirit, but again 30 'ifc2 was good .

30 31 32 33 34

.0 ttJf6+ 'i'xf6 .d4

ttJc3 h5 .txf6 exd5

35

"xb4

.:I.a2

Of course, Black cannot concede the a l ­ h 8 diagonal (34 . . . dxe4? 3 5 "xb4), but

ttJb5?!

This tempting b i d t o complicate the game in the time scramble is probably the decisive mistake. An equally difficult endgame awaited B lack after either 35 . . . :xb2 36 "xc3 "a2 3 7 exd5 .i.b5 3 8 'iff6 :b l 3 9 :xb l "xb l + 4 0 �h2 "xb3 4 1 "d8+ �g7 42 "xc7, or 3 5 . . . tDe2+ ! ? 3 6 :xe2 :xb2 3 7 :xb2 "a l + 3 8 �h2 "xb2 39 "e7 .i.b5 40 "xc7 "xb3 (40 . . ...xf2 ? 4 1 'iWb8+ and 42 "xb5 ) 4 1 exd5 , but there was no longer anything better.

36 37

.tf6 .:I.e3

'i'a7

Short of time, Piket had probably overlooked that the plausible 37 . . . c5 ? loses to 38 exd5 ! But now the white queen again j oins the attack, this time with decisive effect; ..,.

37 38 39

"e7 ! .:I.d3

d4 ttJd6

Weak is 39 :e l ? d3 40 :fl d2 with counterplay - . . . d l " is threatened .

39

As a result of his tactical operation White has gained a strong initiative, but also B lack has acquired some counter­ chances .

34

another attempt came into consideration: 34 . . . :e6 ! ? 35 "xb4 ttJxe4 3 6 "d4 f6, and he is still holding on.

40

"a6

lid} ? !

With this last move before the time control I missed an opportunity for a forced and pretty win : 40 .i.g5 ! ! "xd3 4 1 .i.h6 �h7 42 "f8, and there is no defence against the mate. But the move played is also good enough to win.

1 84

Kramnik: my life and games

40 41 42

1:n �d4 !

-'e2 d3

The most precise way t o win.

42

d2

There is nothing else.

43

'i'e5

At last the battery along the long diagonal has gone into operation !

43 44

�f8

�e3 !

Creating a mating threat that is difficult to parry . It is after all dangerous to weaken the position of the king with . . . g7-g6 !

44

�g8

After 44 . . . f6 45 'i'xf6+ i.f7 the simple 46 .i. f3 is possible, when apart from anything else White is a pawn up .

45

i.h6

-.xf2+! ?

An original tactical resource, which does not succeed. Black also fails to save the game by 45 . . . tiJf5 46 'i'xe8+ �h7 47 'i'xf7+ xh6 48 exf3 , when he is again one tempo short. 46 l:xf2 d l 'i'+

47

.:tn

After 47 i.fl ? there is a surprising defence - 47 . . . 'i'a 1 !

47 48 49

lhg2+ �xg2 'iie 2+ �gl Black resigns

Of course, this verdict of a genius is an extreme one, but there is a great deal of truth in it. To those who are capable of creating, it does indeed sometimes help to have a blank sheet, giving free scope to their imagination, and flight to their thoughts . And in this game Kramnik, had he wished, would have been quite within his rights to repeat another sentence of Picasso: 'I do not seek, 1 find. ' Indeed, how can one not draw attention to the continuous interaction of the white pieces, to the instantaneous switching from one type of battle to another, and finally, to the diversity of motifs, which White first created and then was guided by . . .

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

tiJo c4 tiJc3 d4 CB5 i.g5 e3 i.d3

Before this 1 had never made a serious study of these Carlsbad structures with the knight at f3 . 1 only knew the basic ideas after castling by both sides, whereas after this knight move 1 was obliged to 'create' at the board.

9 10

i.xe7 0-0

11

'i'b l ! ?

No. 1 4 8

Kramnik-Timman Belgrade 1 995 Queen ' s Gambit

The effect of a blank sheet The great 20th century reformist painter Pablo Picasso has some words that are far from applicable to everyone : ' A real artist should be an ignoramus, he should ignore everything, because knowledge is an impediment, it hinders seeing, and takes away direct perception and express ion. '

tiJf6 e6 d5 tiJbd7 exd5 c6 i.e7 tiJh5

'i'xe7 0--0

1 85

Selected games And it turned out that in this theoretical position, after thinking for some fifteen minutes, I came up with an important improvement. Instead of the usual I I nb I , White prepares his minority attack with gain of tempo.

11 12 13

b4 l'lc1

lLlhf6 :e8

After the immediate 13 b5 c5 White' s advantage becomes merely symbolic. But after this move the knight at c3 is defended, and if 13 . . . lLle4 there now fol lows 1 4 b5 .

13 14

a4

a6 g6

A semi-waltIng move. Here 1 4 . . . lLle4 was possible, but the simple 1 5 �xe4 dxe4 1 6 lLld2 and 1 7 b5 would have given White an excellent game.

17

17 18

15

'ii'b 2

15

a5

Since Black has no particularly useful moves, he forces the opponent to declare his intentions on the queenside.

16

bxa5

A typical decis ion, since here too 1 6 b5 c5 does not promise White as much as he would like.

16

:'xa5

lLlb3

lLlg4 �d6

Timman ' s entire plan is based on this pseudo rook sacrifice.

19

g3

The 'gift' cannot be accepted : 1 9 lLlxa5 .xh2+ 20 �f1 :'xe3 2 1 fxe3 � I + 2 2 �e2 �xg2+ and B lack wins .

19

:1a7

It is very hard to say where the rook is best placed. After the game we j ointly decided that it should have been retreated to a8 . But that was after the game . . .

20 Improving the pos ition of his queen, White "j ust in case ' takes control of the second rank and wishes in the event of exchanges to have the opportunity to recapture on a I with his rook.

lLld2

With the idea of beginning a siege by lLlb3 , a4-a5 and tba4 . Black is simply obliged to create at least some kind of counterplay.

e4 !

A timely breakthrough. For the moment Black ' s pieces are not very harmoniously placed, the weakening of his king ' s position may also tell, and the e-file is more likely to end up In White ' s possession than B lack' s .

20 21 22

lLlxe4 llel

dxe4 iff'S b6

The attempt by Black to 'disentangle' himself with 22 . . . lLldf6 did not appeal to him in view of 2 3 lLlbc5 lLlxe4 24 �xe4 lLlf6 25 'ii'b 6 na8 26 �f3 ':xe l + 27 nxe l , when his queens ide is still stalemated .

23 24

lLlbd2 ii.c2 !

�a6

1 86

Kramnik: my life and games

The exchange of bishops would ease the defence, and also White wants to launch an attack with .ltb3 and tOg5 .

24

:b7

Reluctantly played. But, firstly, Black very much wants to prepare the move of one of his knights to f6, in order to exchange at least a pair of minor pieces, and secondly, with his last few quiet moves White has already placed his opponent in a critical position, and it is not easy to suggest anything else. Thus if 24 . . . c5 White interposes the unpleasant 25 h3, and the black knight has to go to h6, where, according to Tarrasch, it ruins Black' s entire game . . .

25

.1i.b3

tOgf6

29 . . . tOb4 ! ? After this White wins a pawn 3 0 tOf6+ �h8 3 1 tbd5 + f6 3 2 tOxb4 'WIixb4 33 'ii'xf6+ :g7 34 l:tc3 , when Black is forced to play either 34 . . . 'ii' f8 35 :xc6 or 34 . . . ':f8 35 'i'xc6. But in time trouble my opponent did not find this, and he lost quickly .

30

:xc6

'ii'b 4

30 . . . 'ii'g 7 would not have saved Black after 3 1 'ii'd2 l:[bd7 32 .ltxd5 l:txd5 3 3 'ii' xd5 lhd5 34 tOf6+.

31

tOf6+

�f8

Forced, otherwise after 3 1 . . . tOxf6 32 .ltxf7+ the queen is lost .

32 33 34

tOxh7+ tOf6+ l:1e4

�g8 �f8

At last ' But now other problems for Black appear.

26 27

:tad tOxf6+

::'c8

By now there was a wide choice. 2 7 tOg5 does not look bad, and i f 2 7 . . . tOd5 2 8 ':'xc6 lhc6 29 .ltxd5 ':'f6 3 0 ii.xb7, although in this case Black ' s pieces are slightly activated. I preferred to wait before winning material .

27 28

tOxf6 d5 !

A practically decisive breakthrough.

28 29

tOxd5 tOe4

Black resigns . The power of the white pieces in the final position is indeed very great.

No. 1 49

Kramnik-Ehlvest Vienna 1 996 English Opening

Foundation stone of a school

29

:d8?

The last straw that Black might have clutched at was the far from obvious

' This game was played in the third round. The tournament had not started very well for me - 0 out of 2, and in this games collection you will not find the game Kramnik-Shirov from the fi rst round. In the second round (against Karpov) for the

1 87

Selected games first time in my l ife I was 45 minutes late for a game. The first round began at 1 5 . 00, and by all the laws of logic I decided that the second round would also start at this time . Stroll ing about at 1 4 .40 not far from the tournament building, I saw a man running towards me and indicating with his fingers something resembl ing the " victory" sign (which in fact simply signified the number " two" - the starting time of the round) . " My" mistake was belatedly ex­ plained to me, and I rushed in to play a game of rapid chess. In general I have quite good results at rapidplay, but evidently this was simply not my day. ' On arriving for the game with Ehlvest (and being pleasantly surprised that on this occasion I had guessed the starting time of the round), I suddenly remembered that the Soviet Chess School recommends that, after two successive defeats, in the follow­ ing game you should if possib le agree a quick draw . But I think that the Russian Chess School has not yet come to an opinion about this, and I decided to play a little . . . ' (Kramnik)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

tDf3 c4 tDc3 'iWc2 a3 �xc3 b4 g3

tDf6 e6 �b4 0-0 1i.xc3 c5 b6

8

tDc6 ! ?

A n unusual way o f handling this position. Black more often plays 8 . . . �b7 9 Jii.g 2 d6 1 0 0-0 tDbd7 etc.

9 10 11

�g2 0-0 �b2

�b7 d6 e5

Sooner or later the a l -h8 diagonal will have to be blocked.

12

e3

Defending against . . . tDd4 .

12 13

:c8 d3

Also quite good is 1 3 d4 exd4 (weaker is 1 3 . . . cxd4 1 4 exd4 e4? 1 5 tDd2 d5 1 6 b5 tDe 7 1 7 c5 ) 1 4 exd4 tDxd4 1 5 tDxd4 cxd4 1 6 W'xd4 �xg2 1 7 'it>xg2 d5 ! ?, but I did not like the fact that the position would be considerably simplified.

13

lIe8?

A poor move, from both the tactical, and the strategic viewpoint. After 1 3 . . . tDe7 I was planning 1 4 'iWb3 ! ? ( 1 4 tDxe5 ? �xg2 1 5 tDg4 tDe8 ! 1 6 �xg2 h5 1 7 tDh6+ "'h7, or 1 6 tDh6+ �h8 1 7 �xg2 f6 1 8 tDg4 h5), threatening bxc5 and preparing d3 -d4 . 1 3 . . . a6 1 or 1 3 . . . 1tc7 ! ?, defending the bishop, was probably best, although here too White retains a slight advantage thanks to his two bishops and more flexible pawn structure .

14

b5 !

White ' s strategic idea is to block the position (after b4-b5 and e3 -e4) and to transfer the weight of the struggle to the

1 88

Kramnik: my life and games

kingside, where he has all the play. His advantage in space, in the absence of any counterplay for the opponent, gives him the advantage.

14

�7

Or 14 . . . tbb8 1 5 a4 a5 1 6 e4 tbbd7 1 7 tbh4 tbf8 1 8 f4 . The following tactical operation would have been prevented by 1 4 . . . ttJa5 , but here too after 1 5 e4, with the idea of ttJh4 and f2-f4 (or the reserve possibility �c2 and �c3 ), the poor position of the knight on the edge of the board guarantees White the advantage .

15

ttJxe5 ! ?

At the board I thought that this gave more than the prosaic 1 5 e4 tbg6 1 6 tDd2 tbf8 1 7 f4, but now I am not so sure .

15 16

to defend against the threat of 'ii'c 4-f4 followed (if necessary) by ':c l -c4 . He is forced to continue 1 9 . . . c4 ! 20 dxc4 ':e4 2 1 'ii'd 3 ':exc4 (2 1 . . . ':cxc4? 22 fJ ) 22 'ii'f5 'ii'e 7, but 23 e4 ! (23 .txf6 'ii'e 4) leaves White with a strong initiative.

19

:tfe l !

After the immediate 1 9 'ii'xf6 'ii'xf6 20 .txf6 �fJ ! it would have been extremely difficult to convert the extra pawn.

: e6

19

Better was 1 9 . . . .tb7 20 f4 ! d5 2 1 Wxf6 'ii'xf6 22 .txf6, although now White has very real chances of exploiting his advantage (the opponent ' s bishop cannot reach fJ ) .

20

f4

jixg2

tbg4

This is the tactical justification of White' s idea. Now 1 6 . . . �xfl ? 1 7 tbxf6+ gxf6 1 8 �xf6 leads to a direct mate, and Black also loses after 1 6 . . . ttJh5 1 7 �xg2 f5 1 8 ttJh6+ g2 'tid6 33 ':h l : e7 and . . . lI de8 was stronger. However, I can always revert to this plan . Generally speaking, there is no point in hurrying in such positions, especial ly when time trouble is imminent . For the defending side it is always difficu lt to remain under pressure for long, and at some point he may ' help ' his opponent. That is why with this move I did ever�thing possible to camouflage my intentions, endeavouring for as long as possible to keep Veselin in the dark . As a result he kept on defending against illusory threats, and was unable to do anything to oppose my real plan . Although it is possible that there was not in fact any defence . . . 'i'd6 32 �g2 33 f3 Black was threatening 33 . . . .i.xc3 34 'ifxc3 l:te4 followed by . . . ':h4, picking up the h5 pawn. 33 34 :e2 35 :cel If 35 ttJd l Topalov rightly feared 35 . . . 'i'f4 ! Wif6 35 3 5 . . . i. xc3 36 �xc3 Wib 4 3 7 �c2 c3 looked very interesting, with good winning chances, but firstly, I was afraid that my advantage might not be sufficient for a win, and secondly, for the moment I simply did not want to give up such a strong bishop (I feared the wrath of grandmaster Gufeld) . �d6 36 �g4

205

Planning the possible regrouping . . . .i. c7 and . . . �d6 . 37 �d l .:ii. b 4 Bad was 37 . . . i. c7? 38 e4 ! dxe4 3 9 ttJxe4 . 38 �c2 :d8 Creating the new threat of . . . i. c8, and, it would seem, finally ' stretching ' the opponent' s defensive lines . White no longer has any satisfactory defence . 39 .t::. d l .:ii. c8 40 e4 This leads by force to a bad position, but also after 40 ttJa2 l:t de8 ! 4 1 W f2 �d6 42 lI h 1 it is hard to believe that White can hold on. Besides, by now it would seem that my opponent was simply tired of such a difficult and passive defence . 40 �xc3 41 e5 Or 4 1 �xc3 dxe4 42 fxe4 i. b7, and the white pawns begin to fall : 43 � f3 g4 !

41 :xe5 ! 42 dxe5 Or 42 1 he5 � xd4 . Ji.xe5 42 With a material advantage of two bishops and a pawn against a rook (since it is hard to perceive the piece at g4 as being anything other than a pawn), the win is achieved without particular difficulty . 43 .l:.del .:ii. c 7 The most precise : White' s threats on the e-file are easily parried. :1e8+ 44

206

Kramnik: my life and games

Or 44 :e7 .ltd7 45 �e2 c:3;g7 and 46 . . . .ltd6 .

44 45 46 47

:xd8 :d1 f4

Wg7 .1i.xd8 ii-b7

Desperation, since 4 7 �h3 'ife5 with the idea of . . . .ltf6 dispels any White illusions .

47 48

d4+ d3

ii-f3

8

1i.g4 ! ?

A n interesting try. although one that is hardly good enough to equalise.

9

Wc2

h6

Usually this is not a very good move in this set-up, but I think that my opponent did not like the position arising after 9 . . . ttJbd7 1 0 1i.xf6 ( 1 0 ttJe5 ttJxe5 ! I I dxe5 ttJd 7 is unclear) 1 0 . . . ttJxf6 1 1 ttJe5 1i.e6 1 2 f4 c5 1 3 0-0 cxd4 1 4 exd4 �b6 1 5 �f2 .

In view of the variations 49 �xc4 �2+ 50 c:3;g3 .ltxf3 5 1 c:3;xf3 'iie 2+ and 49 �f2 �xf5 ! 50 1i.xb7 �g4+ 5 1 'Yi'g3 �xd l further resistance is pointless, and my opponent stopped the clocks .

No. 1 5 7

Kramnik-Zviagintsev Tilburg 1 998 Queen ' s Gambit

I nto a head wind . . . 10 The course taken by this game was partly dictated by Kramnik " s condition during the tournament: there was no question of him being at the top of his form. Besides, chess players know that there is such a thing as a favourable wind and a head wind: as his opponent aptly put it, " in Tilburg, Kramnik was completely out of luck . " But nevertheless . . .

1 2 3 4 5 6

d4 c4 tZJf3 tZJc3 lLg5 cxd5

d5 e6 tZJf6 lLe7 0-0 exd5

If Black does not want to play the Carlsbad structure, he can recapture on d5 with his knight, which gIves reasonable chances of equalising.

7 8

e3 1i.d3

c6

8 'iWc2 ttJbd7 9 1i.d3 is simpler. transposing into familiar positions .

lLf4

Nothing is achieved by 1 0 .ltxf6 .ltxf6 I I h3 .lte6 ! (after 1 1 . . . 1i.xf3 1 2 gxf3 I like White ' s position) 1 2 g4? ! ttJd7 followed by . . . c6-c5, but 1 0 h3 ! ? is interesting : 1 0 . . . .1i.xf3 I I 1i.xf6 1i.xg2 ( I I . . .1i.xf6 1 2 gxf3 , or I I . . . .lte4 1 2 ttJxe4 .ltxf6 1 2 . . . dxe4 ? 1 3 iL.xe7 exd3 1 4 �c5 - 1 3 ttJc5 and White stands better) 1 2 .lth7+ c:3;h8 1 3 iL.xg7+ c:3;xg7 1 4 ':'g l �h8 1 5 ':'xg2 ttJd7, although here too Black is alright ( 1 6 0-0-0 ttJf6 1 7 .ltf5 �d6 1 8 l:tdg l ':'g8 ) .

10 11

tZJe5

11 12

ii-xe5

ttJbd7

White can also consider I I h3 ! ? .i.xf3 1 2 gxf3 c5 1 3 dxc5 ttJxc5 with a complicated game.

ttJxe5 ttJd7

During the game I was more concerned about 1 2 . . . iL.e6 ! ? 1 3 0-0 ( 1 3 h3 ttJd7 1 4 1i.g3 c5 ) 1 3 . . . ttJg4 ! 1 4 .ltf4 ( 1 4 .1i.g3 iL.d6 with equality) 1 4 . . . iL.d6, but here too after 1 5 h3 ! iL.xf4 (or 1 5 . . . ttJf6 1 6 iL.xd6 �xd6

207

Selected games 1 7 :tab 1, and White retains a minimal advantage) 1 6 exf4 lLlf6 1 7 l:.fe 1 the initiative is with White, although Black ' s position i s very solid.

13

.:it.g3

e5? !

It i s clearly not the best moment for this advance - Black ' s pieces are not very harmoniously placed. 1 3 . . . l:e8 1 4 0-0 lLlf8 was better, deferring . . . c6-c5 until better times .

14

18 'i' c2 1 8 lLlxa4? lha4 1 9 hxg4 nxd4, and the enemy pieces suddenly become very active. 18 19

�d7 a3

Having conceded space on the queenside, I thought that at some point the a4 may become weak . Within ten moves I felt l ike Nostradamus I

�O

I did not see any point in going in for the compl ications after 1 4 lLlxd5 cxd4 (for example, 1 5 .i.. c 7 'ii'e 8 1 6 1it'c4 ! ?), because, firstly, the move played promises an enduring positional advantage, and secondly, I was afraid once again in this tournament of miscalculating.

14

cxd4

Or 1 4 . . . iLe6 1 5 1hd l cxd4 1 6 exd4 .

15 16

exd4 'ii b 3? !

lLlb6

Overlooking Black' s reply. After the simple 1 6 :fe I White has an obvious advantage, e.g. 1 6 . . . iLb4 ( I 6 . . . iLd6 ! ) 1 7 a3 iLxc3 1 8 'i'xc3 'it'd7 1 9 �4 ! and things are not easy for Black.

16 17

a5 ! h3

After 1 7 a4 .i.. b 4 Black counterplay, e.g. 1 8 l:ae 1 .i.. d 7 !

17

gams

a4

1 7 . . . iLe6? was significantly worse: 1 8 nae I ! a4 1 9 'i'd 1 followed by iLc2 and 'i'd3 .

19

�e6?!

Too passive. The critical l ine was undoubtedly 1 9 . . . .i.. f6 20 �e5 (after 20 .:tad I l:te8 ! it is not clear what White' s next move should be) 20 . . . .i.. x e5 2 1 dxe5 . Now 2 1 . . . Vfle7 does not bring any j oy in view of 22 'i'e2 ! l:ae8 23 f4 f6 24 Wit5 ! , when 2 4 . . . fxe5 25 fxe5 'i'xe5 ? loses to 2 6 l:txf8+ �xf8 2 7 l:tfl + �g8 2 8 Wt7+ �h8 29 Wf8+, but 2 1 . . . d4 ! ? 22 ttJe4 :e8 comes into consideration. If Black did not want all these complications, then all the same 1 9 . . . l:tc8 would have been better than the move p layed.

20 21

l:ael

22 23

.:it.xd6 :e3

.:it.d6

'iW d2 ! W e7 Also rather dangerous is 2 1 . . . iLxg3 22 fxg3 lLld7 (22 . . . lLlc8 23 l:te5 ! ?) 23 nf4 ! ? lLlf6 2 4 l:efl with the unequivocal threat of 25 l:txf6 gxf6 26 1it'xh6.

W'xd6 l:ae8

Of course, 23 . . . ttJc4? 24 .i..xc4 dxc4 25 d5 was unsatisfactory for Black, but also 23 . . . :fe8 is met by 24 :fe 1 l:txe3 25

208

Kramnik: my life and games

'ii'xe3 ! �f8 (the white queen cannot be allowed onto the h2-b8 diagonal : 25 . . . .. f8 26 'iff4 ! ) 26 ttJb5 ! ? 'ii'd 7 (or 26 . . . �xb5 2 7 �xb5 with the unpleasant threat o f 2 8 'ii'e 8+) 27 'ii' d2 ! , and White begins to break through (27 . . . l:te8 ? 2 8 'ifb4+ �g8 29 l:xe8+ "xe8 30 tZJc7 ) .

24

:tfel

'ii'b 8?!

24 . . . ':xe3 25 'i'xe3 'i'b8 was preferable, although here too after 26 'ii' D ! (with the idea of answering 26 . . . l:te8 with 27 l:xe8+ 'ii' x e8 2 8 'ii' f4 ! ) Black ' s defence is not at all easy .

This standard procedure (the exchange of a ' bad' bishop, but one that is defending many of its pawns) was underestimated by my opponent. Now it is no longer apparent how he can avoid loss of material .

27 28

tt:Jxe3

:xe3 ttJf6

2 8 . . . 'ii'a 7 is met by the tactical blow 29 ttJxd5 , while after 28 . . . ttJb6 29 ttJg4 ! on top of everything Black unexpectedly also has problems with his king.

29

�xa4

I have to admit that I did not expect this to happen so quickly . . .

29 30 31

'ii'x a4 'ii' d l

�xa4 :e8

Since all endings are now easily won, White' s plan is clear - to exchange all the pieces .

31 32 33

25

. .: - ttJg4

hxg4

:e4 tt:Jxg4 :f4

This does not change much, but from the practical viewpoint it is the correct decision - in the queen ending there are no chances .

ttJd l !

White begins breaking up the opponent ' s position on the queens ide, and also does not allow him advantageously to defuse the unpleasant tension on the e-file - after 25 . . . l:txe3 26 ttJxe3 followed by ttJf5 or ttJg4, the white knight becomes menacingly active.

25

'

34 35

g3 'ii' b 3?

:f6

g6?

A move that is hard to explain - at least, for a primitive player such as myself. On noticing (after lengthy reflection) that White wants to play ""4, I would have preferred to retrace my steps - 25 . . . 'ii'd 6 .

26

Wb4

ttJd7?

Vadim, fearing the worst, was clearly rattled. The only possibility of defending was 26 . . . 'ii'd 8, whereas after 26 . . . l:txe3 2 7 ttJxe3 'i'd8 2 8 ttJg4 ! h5 29 tDe5 B lack' s position would have presented a quite pitiful spectacle.

27

�b5 !

Careless. After 35 l:te5 l:td6 3 6 'ii'e2 even my technique would have been good enough to win.

35

'ii' d 8?

35 . . . 'ii'c 8 ! 36 'ii' d ! (36 'ii'xd5 ? 'ii'c 2 ! - a move which neither of us saw) 3 6 . . . l:tc6

209

Selected games would have made it more difficult to convert the extra pawn, although with correct play by White (about the l ikelihood of which, however, 1 have serious doubts) it was unlikely to affect the result.

36 37 38 39 40 41

Wxb7 :e8+ 'iix b6 �g2 �h2 'iWc7 !

:b6 �xe8 �el + 'iife4+ �g7

1 ttJf3 d5 2 d4 ttJf6 3 c4 e6 4 ttJc3 i.. e 7 5 i.. g5 h6 6 i.. h 4 0-0 7 e3 b6 8 �d3 i.. b 7 9 0-0 ttJbd7 1 0 'iWe2 c5 11 i.. g3 ttJe4 1 1 . . .dxc4 is also quite good.

12

cxd5

13

l:.adl

exd5

Now after 4 1 . . . 'ii'xd4 there follows 42 �c3 , while if 4 1 . . .'ii'e 2 42 'ii'e S+, or 4 1 . . .'ii' f3 42 'ii' f4 . Black resigns. This game, which was certainly not of very high quality, was my best achievement in this tournament .

No. I S 8

Kramnik-Yusupov Dortmund 1 998 Queen ' s Gambit

The first thing is chess On this occasion the spectators at the traditional tournament had their attention divided : the football World Cup was in progress, and in the Opera Hall where the players were playing, a number of television monitors had been set up . Now and then the participants would also take a look at the play of their ' rivals ' . Just occasional l y . ' I arrived in Dortmund feel ing rather tired after my match with Shirov . In addition, before the tournament I was slightly unwell, and I did not have the feeling that 1 was in my best form. Jump ing ahead, 1 shou ld mention that the tournament confirmed thi s . Nevertheless 1 managed to take first place on the tie­ break . 1 say managed, because I enjoyed a definite dose of good fortune ' I should mention the game with Yusupov : very tense and interesting, where we both played fairly wel l . ' (Kramnik)

. The most popu lar move, although 1 3 -:fd l also has its advantages .

13

ttJxg3

1 3 . . . ttJdf6 is sounder, and although White' s attempts to gain an advantage have sometimes succeeded, 1 think that with accurate play B lack shou ld be able to equalise.

14

hxg3

a6

Of course, the threat of �a6 is rather unpleasant, but even so this way of parrying it seems to me to be too slow. Perhaps 14 . . . c4 ! ? should have been tried.

15

dxc5

The pressure on the dS pawn in combination with the threats on the b I -h7 diagonal secure White the initiative.

15

bxc5

I S . . . ttJxcS ? is bad in view of 1 6 �c4, but I S . . . �xcS also does not solve all Black ' s problems : after 1 6 �c2 ttJf6 he has to reckon with both 1 7 e4 and 1 7 �b3 .

16

�bl

16 e 4 d4 17 ttJ b 1 fol lowed by ttJ b I -d2c4 would have given White a slight but enduring advantage, but the move played seemed to me more interesting.

16

ttJb6

210

Kramnik: my l�fe and games

Weaker is 1 6 . . . ttJf6 ? ! 1 7 e4 ( 1 7 ttJxd5 ! ? ttJxd5 1 8 e4) 1 7 . . . d4 1 8 e5 with the initiative .

17

a4 !

Creating the potential threat of a4-a5, and also vacating a2 for the bishop . 1 7 �c2 g6 1 8 ttJxd5 ! ? was possible, but after both 1 8 . . . �xd5 1 9 e4 �xe4 20 'ji'xe4 'iic 7 and 1 8 . . . ttJxd5 ! ? 19 e4 ttJb4 20 ':xd8 ttJxc2 Black has good chances of defending.

17

�f6

After 1 7 . . . a5 1 8 'ii'c 2 g6 1 9 �a2 White' s pressure becomes threatening ( 1 9 . . . �f6 20 e4 ! ?) .

18

'i'c2

As my likeable opponent admitted after the game, here the thought occurred to him that he had probably not played the opening very well, if already on the 1 8th move he had to parry a threat of mate in one move .

g6

18

23 . . . exf3 24 �xg6 fxg6 25 �xg6+ �h8 26 :d7) 2 3 exd5 with a very dangerous initiative. And although I saw that after

ttJc4

19

I could transpose into this variation by 20 e4 ! �xc3 (20 . . . d4 2 1 ttJa4; 20 . . . '�xa5 2 1 ttJxd5 �xd5 22 l:.xd5 ) 2 1 'ili'xc3, I was nevertheless tempted by

20

ttJxd5

although to be honest, I somewhat over­ estimated my chances in the position arising after the 24th move.

ttJxb2

20

Or 20 . . . �xd5 2 1 e4 .

21 22 23

ttJxf6+ l:d2 gxf3

'ii'x f6 .ii. x f3

White ' s advantage is too insignificant after 23 �xb2 'ii'x b2 24 llxb2 �d5 25 :tc l .

23

.:tab8

Of courSe;� .not, ,23 . . . c4 ?? 24 'ii'x b2 c3 25 'i'a l ! But now, surprisingly enough, White is unable to gain any significant advantage after 24 �xc5 l:tb5 ! (24 . . .'i'xf3 25 �d4 1 ) 2 5 'ii'd4 (25 �c7 'ii'x f3 with the threat of . . . l:.h5 ) 25 . . .'�xd4 26 l:txd4 :txa5, and although after 2 7 iLe4 Black still has to work for the draw, this did not satisfy me .

24 25

f4 e4

c4

The advance of the pawns looks very threatening, but with a series of precise moves my opponent consolidates his position.

19

a5

More vigorous than 1 9 iLa2 �xc3 20 'iix c3 ttJxa4 (20 . . . c4 2 1 a5 ttJd7 22 b3) 2 1 �c2 ttJb6 22 �xc5, although this too gives White a clear advantage . But now after the natural 1 9 . . . iLxc3 I had in mind the following variations : 20 �xc3 ! ttJc4 (20 . . . ttJd7 2 1 �a2 c4 22 b3 or 22 e4 1 ? ) 2 1 e4 ! (2 1 iLa2 �xa5 22 �xa5 ttJxa5 23 iLxd5 is hardly good enough for a win) 2 1 . . .�xa5 22 �c l ! h I ':xf8, and despite White' s two extra pawns, without his king the ending is unpromising for him. An unclear position arises after 2 5 c5 ! ?

25 26

l:Ie5 :tdl !

An important prophylactic move. Bad is 26 lDd2 'iif5 27 'i'xf5 ':'xf5 , when the pawn pair c4-d5 is rather weak, as

31

.1i.h6?

Here Kasparov should have prepared a counter exchange sacrifice - 3 1 . . . ne8, when 3 2 a4? l:texe6 33 dxe6 ':'xe6 is bad for White. He is forced to retreat 3 2 lDf4, with the following branches :

217

Selected games

(a) 32 . . . l:tc4 3 3 d6 and now : (a l ) 3 3 . . . : xc4 34 d7 A e7 3 5 ttJd5 � d8 36 ttJxf6+ � xf6 37 d8 'j1f+ � xd8 38 : xd8+ C:; f7 3 9 l:t d7+ � e6 (39 . . . C:; f6 ! ?) 40 lhb7 :a4 4 1 l:.h 7 l:t xa2 42 l:. xh5 with the advantagc: (a2) 33 . . . : fxf4 ! 34 gxf4 l: xc4 35 d7 j. e7 36 d8 'ii'+ A xd8 37 l hd8+ b 4

30

.el !

Not allowing the black bishop to go via e3 to c5 .

30

�g7!

There is no time for 3 0 . . .•xb2 3 1 :b l .e5 32 tiJb6 ! and ttJc4 . Black has to play energetically, otherwise White himself wil l begin an attack with �a3 , tiJc4 and �b4 .

31

d5 !

Complicating the position still further.

32

'iii> a4?

It is hard to believe that this active move, allowing the white queen or bishop to invade at b4, is the decisive mistake. The saving line, again suggested by Fritz, was the inhuman 32 exd5 .d6+ 3 3 �c4 ! ( 3 3 ttJc5 �d4 ! ; 3 3 �a4? �d7+ 34 tiJxd7 b5+! 35 �xb5 axb5+ 36 �xb5 .xd7+) 33 . . .•f4+ 34 �c5 , and now Black can give perpetual check by 34 . . .•d6+, where­ as attempts to play for a win are not without danger: (a) 34 . . . �e5 , when White has 35 ttJc4 ! �d6+ 3 6 'iii> b 6 �c7+ 3 7 c;i;>a7 �b8+ 3 8 �a8, and his king, deep i n the enemy rear, feels quite comfortable; (b) 34 . . . �d7 is parried by the only, but perfectly adequate 35 a4 ! ! (3 5 ttJc4? is bad in view of th� virtually forced 3 5 . . . :c8+ 3 6 �b4 b5 '37 ��&'l :xc7 38 d6+ 'iii> f8 39 dxc7 bxc4 40 c8'i'+ i.xc8 4 1 �xc4 .d6+ 42 �a5 'i'c7+ 43 �b4 'ifb6+ 44 �a3 .d6+ 45 �a4 - 45 'ifb4 �xb2+ - 45 . . . �d7+ 4 6 a5 �f6, mating) 3 5 . . . �xb2 3 6 :b 1 (the play i s even more complicated after 3 6 :ta2 ! ?) 3 6 . . . b3 + 3 7 i.b4 .d6+ 38 �c4 with a completely unclear position.

32 33

tiJxd7

�d7+ b5+!

A very important intermediate check .

34

�b4

�xd7

Including the bishop in the attack .

35

31

tiJb6

White loses in spectacular fashion after 3 1 i.b6? .xb2 ! 32 'Wi'xg3 (or 32 :b l .xa2 3 3 'Wi'xg3 i.d7) 3 2 . . . i.c3 + ! 3 3 c;i;>c4 �d7 34 ttJc7 �d2 ! ! with irresistible threats : if 35 tiJxd2 there follows 35 . . . �b5+ 36 tiJxb5 axb5 mate (suggested by the program Fritz3) . On the other hand, he could have considered 3 1 :b I ! ? �d7 32 tiJb6 �c6 33 �a3 tiJxe4 34 ttJc4 'ifb5 3 5 tiJb6 'i'e5 ( 35 . . .•f5 ! ? is risky) 3 6 ttJc4 .

�b6

227

Selected games Making way for the king. No better is 3 5 ttJc 5 + �c6 3 6 exd5 + "xd5 3 7 �e4 ( 3 7 "xg3 "d4+) 3 7 . . . tLlxe4 3 8 "xe4 �f8 ! 3 9 "xd5+ exd5 and 40 . . . �xc5 .

38

�c5?

The decisive mistake. After 38 c4? ! tiJe4 ! ! 3 9 exf7+ �xf7 4 0 ':'c l (the knight is immune on account of mate) 40 . . . 'i'xa2 "xb2? 4 1 .:.a l 'ii'b 2 (4 1 . . . �c3+ 42 "xc3 tLlxc3 43 35 Time trouble and . . . a pity ! Much ':'xa2 tLlxa2+ 44 �a3 bxc4 is also good enough to win) 42 ':'c 1 .i.f8+ 43 c5 a5+ 44 cleaner was 35 . . . tLlxe4 ! ! 36 �xe4 "xb2 ! ( 3 6 . . . .. xe4+ 3 7 "xe4 dxe4, leaves Black .i.xa5 .i.xc5+ 45 ':'xc5 tLlxc5 Black is with the advantage - five( ! ) passed pawns, close to a win. It was essential to continue 38 �xb5+! but there is still much play to come), with, axb5 3 9 exf7+ �xf7 40 'i'xg3 'i'c3+ ! 4 1 for example, the fol lowing fantastic finish : 'i'xc3 �xc3+ 42 �xb5 �xa l 43 tLlxa l 3 7 ':'b l (if 3 7 c4, then 3 7 . . . bxc4 ! 3 8 l:.b l h5 ! , and something of a textbook ending is �f8+ 3 9 �c5 i.xc5+ 40 �xc5 ':'c8+ 4 1 reached. White does not manage to retain �b6 - mate follows after 4 1 b4 ':'b8+ 42 his pawns and begin advancing them : 44 �c5 ':'b5 - 4 1 . . . "a3 , and White cannot a4 h4 45 a5 h3 46 .i.g 1 ':'b8+ 4 7 �c6 ':'b 1 , save his king) 3 7 . . . .:.c8 ! ! 3 8 �c5 ( 3 8 ':'xb2 or 44 c4 h4 45 tLlc2 h3 46 .i.g 1 ':'b8+ and l:tc4+ and 39 . . . :a4 mate ! ) 38 . . . �c3 + ! 3 9 47 . . . ':'b 1 . He must immediately bring his 'i'xc3 a5+ . knight into play : 44 tLlb3 ! h4 (44 . . . ':'xc2 36 exd5 45 a4 ! h4 46 ttJc5 h3 47 �c7 h2 48 .i.xh2 36 "xg3 ? allows 36 . . . �c3+ 37 �c5 "a3 mate, but better was 36 �xb5+ ! ? . ':'xh2 49 a5 with a draw, or 45 . . . .:.b2 46 �b4' h4 47 a5 h3 48 �c7 h2 49 .i.xh2 axb5 3 7 'i'xg3 ':c8 3 8 ':'fl �e8 3 9 'ii' f3 ':'xh2 50 a6) 45 tt:Jd4 g5 ! ? (45 . . . h3 46 tLlf3 ) f5 ! 40 exf5 "xa2 4 1 �xb5 ':'c3 42 "£2 46 tLlf3 �g6 - Black ' s advantage may not ':'xc2 43 "e3 ':'e2, and although Black is be sufficient for a win. Although there is not in danger of losing, it is not so clear. one trap that White must avoid : 47 �e3 ? 36 ':'c8! 37 ':'c3 48 �xg5 h3 ! and Black wins . dxe6+ After making his move, Topalov gave At first sight White even seems to be me a puzzled look, as if to say that it was wmmng . . . time for me to res ign (White threatens 3 9 37 �e8 ! exf7+ etc . ) . But Veselin had in fact If 3 7 . . . fxe6 3 8 �xb5+! axb5 3 9 ':'d l + ! �e7 4 0 'i'xg3 ':'c4+ 4 1 �xb5 with a overlooked a couple of checks . 38 �c3+! powerful counterattack. Therefore the 39 'i'xc3 a5+! black king runs away from the rook check 40 �xb5 'i'xc3 at d l . White resigns: 4 1 exf7+ �xf7 42 .i.c4+ �e8 !

No. 1 64

Kramnik-Topalov A msterdam 1 996 English Opening

' Russians don't retreat ! ' ' My thirteenth move i n this game was made quite m accordance with

228

Kramnik: my l�re and games

grandmaster Alexander Ivanov ! On one occasion he played 4:Jf3 -g5 and in reply to . . . h7-h6 gave up his knight for the f7 pawn, without the slightest justification, with the words : ""Russians don 't retreat ! " But in this particular case the pawn sacrifice was sufficiently justified, and besides, I am not yet so old as to take my knight back to f3 . . . ' (Kramnik) 4:Jf3 I do not think that this move came as a surprise to my opponent, since at that time, in games with a ' normal ' time control, I only used to open in this way .

1

1 2 3 4 5 6

4:Jf6 c5 e6 b6 .tb7 d6

c4 4:Jc3 g3 kg2 0-0

The only way of ' punishing' Black is not to allow him the possibility of ex­ changing on d4 . After 1 0 e3 4:Je4 ! White ' s opening advantage would be lost.

10 11

exd5 4:Jh4

The most critical decision. The alter­ native was 1 1 .cxd5 , planning 4:Jf3-d2-c4 .

' 1 1 . - -. . ";'

g6

This weakening of the castled position is practically forced, unless Black wants to allow the white knight to comfortably establish itself at f5 .

12

cxd5

4:Je8

The most logical plan : the knight goes to c7 to create counterplay on the queens ide, and the bishop to f6 for the defence of the kingside .

13 7

b3 ! ?

Taking account of Topalov ' s lack of any great practical experience in this variation, I decided on a rather rare continuation. The usual 7 d4 or 7 :e I is more often played.

7 8 9

4:Jbd7 1i.e7 O-O?!

1i.b2 d4

A bold and risky decision . Obviously Veselin was not satisfied with passive defence in the variation 9 . cxd4 1 0 4:Jxd4 jLxg2 I I �xg2 'fic7 1 2 e3 a6 1 3 f4 1 followed by 'fif3 and g3 -g4-g5 . . .

10

d5 !

f4 !

4:Jc7

I think that Black should have accepted the challenge - 1 3 . . . jLxh4 1 4 gxh4 'Yixh4, although White would have gained sufficient compensation : 1 5 'iWd2 'jIe7 1 6 e4 f6 1 7 l:.ae I 4:Jg7 1 8 jLh3 with the initiative . Now, however, he creates un­ hindered a strong and mobile pawn centre.

14 15

e4 e5

b5

This advance could also have been deferred - 1 5 4:Jf3 I ?, but I decided that it could not be bad.

15

f5!

Depriving the white pieces (in particular the knight) of the very important e4 square . It becomes evident that the sole target of

Selected games Black ' s counterplay is the d5 paV\TI. and that it is not so easy for me to suppress it. For examp le. 1 6 lIf2 4.Jb6 1 7 lId2 b4 1 8 4.Je2 c4 etc . After some refl ection I found the key to this pos ition .

I.

�

I. .

, ' .i. . � .i. , , � � , " � l2J � � l2J .i, � � .i, 'iV g � g

16 a4 ! There was an opportun ity to try and . . gi ve mate - 1 6 4.Je4 I ') ') fxe4 I 7 4.Jxg6 hxg6 1 8 �g4. but I decided to defer this aim to a more convenient moment : fi rstlv. I was not convinced about the success of such an enterprise. and secondly. I did not like the reply 1 6 . . . dxe5 . 16 b4 1 6 . . . a6 ') was comp letely bad : 1 7 a5 1 (depriving the black knight of the important b6 square) 1 7 . . . b4 1 8 4.Ja4 4.Jb5 1 9 e6 4.Jf6 20 4.Jb6. and there is simply noth ing that Black can move. 17 tLJb5 tLJxb5 18 �b6 axb5

229

Intending to at least gain a pawn to compensate for his sufferings . After 1 8 . . . 4.Jb6 1 9 �e2 1 White wou ld have securely supported his d5 outpost with his queen ' s rook . 19 :el ! �xb5 After 1 9 . . . dxe5 20 fxe5 c4+ 2 1 �h I ' c3 22 �c I the pawn pair in the centre is very dangerous. whi l e 1 9 . . . c4+ 20 �d4 �xb5 2 1 bxe4 �xc4 2 2 lIc I �b5 23 exd6 1 �f6 ( 2 3 . . . �xd6 24 %te6 with the threat of 2 5 4.Jxg6) leaves White with numerous possib ilities. for examp le 24 lIc7 1 ') 20 1i.fl ! Activating the bishop w ith gain of tempo. White had no reason to hurry : 20 exd6') 1 �f6 1 would have given B lack some counter-chances . 20 �b6 21 1i.c4 �d8 The only sensible move i n this position . exd6 ! ? 22 The u nhurried 2 2 4.J f3 was also good. but I dec ided that the moment had arrived . 22 1i.f6 22 . . . �xd6 was certainlv bad i n view of 2 3 lIe6 4.Jf6 (after 2 3 . �. 4.Jb6 the \vhite kn ight. which for a long time has been sleeping on the edge of the board, wou ld have woken up - 24 4.Jxg6 1 ) 24 �e5 '. and the blockade at d6 col lapses - 24 . . . 4.Je8 2 5 4.Jxg6 1 . or 24 . . . �xe5 25 fxc5 4.Jxd5 2 6 :td6 . �d2 23 I f 2 3 �c5 Black can begin the manoeuvre . . . 4.Jd7-b6-c8 ; in addition, I wanted to leave the e-file open for the invasion of mv rook. 23 �xb2 Or 2 3 . . . 4.Jb6 24 lIe6 �c8 (24 . . . �xb2 25 �xb2 �xd5 26 4.Jxg6 and wins) 2 5 �xf6 lIxf6 26 :tae l l �xe6 2 7 dxe6 4.Jxc4 2 8 bxc4. and the white pawns arc i rresistible . �f6 24 'it'xb2 �f2 ! 25 Attacking the c5 pawn. wh ich In the given case is very important . 25 tLJb6

230

Kramnik: my l�fe and games

After 25 . . . :fe8 26 litxe8+ lhe8 2 7 ':xa 7 White has the advantage .

26

:adl

Not allowing Black counterplay after 26 'i'xc5 l:ac8 .

31 32 33

�xg2 �e2

l:txg2+ it'c2+

This is why the white queen had to go to b5 . The remainder is clear.

26

:fe8 ! ?

A reasonable practical chance, given White' s shortage of time : I had about five minutes left. After 26 . . . tUxc4 2 7 bxc4 'i'xd6 Black would have got rid of the annoying d6 pawn, but would have encountered another dilemma: 28 l:te6 �c7 29 'i'e3 1:f7 (parrying the threat of 3 0 l:e7) 3 0 tUD ! , and White' s attack I S irresistible.

27 28

l:1xe8+ 'i'xc5

:xe8 �c3?!

Black burns all h i s boats behind him. However, the strongest move 2 8 . . . :td8 would also not have left him any real hopes of saving the game - 29 'iii'xb4 ! 'i'xd6 3 0 'tWxd6 :'xd6 3 1 tUg2 ! �g7 3 2 tUe3 , and White must gradually win .

29

tUg2 !

With this inclusion of the knight in the defence, Black ' s aggression is nipped III the bud.

29

:e2

29 . . . 'i'c2 would have been met by the simple 30 :te l lhe I + 3 1 tUxe I 'ii'd 2 3 2 tU D 'i'd l + 3 3 �g2 .

30 31

d7! �b5 !

tUxd7

There are simultaneously three black pieces en prise I

33 34 35 36

tUb6 �g7 �c6

I still had about two minutes left, which in such a position is more than sufficient .

Black resigns . No. 1 65

Topalov-Kramnik Linares 1 99 7 Queen ' s Gambit

' I nhuman move' "To this day I regret somewhat that in this particular tournament I did not take first place - my form was quite sufficient both to aspire to and count on it. The fact is that I arrived in Linares in that state which is very hard to express in words, but which will be very familiar to all professional chess players : my brain was working excellently, I felt enthusiastic, all my ideas worked out, and winning positions were won ! This is why it was especially annoying that in the last two games my reserves of strength ran low. Well, I received an "order" - on what I should be working . . . As confirmation of what has

23 1

Selected games been said, I can offer the following game. Veselin did not play it too well, but even so the battle proved to be very interesting. '

7 8 9

0-0 e4

9 10

dxe5

�e7 0-0

(Kramnik) To this it can be added that when, on returning home, Vladimir showed this game to his colleagues, Alexander Khalif­ man had this to say about Black ' s decis ive rej oinder: ' An inhuman move ! '

1

d4

d5

In Las Palmas two months earlier I had played the King ' s Indian against the Bulgarian grandmaster, and none too successfully. And so here I chose my well­ tested opening.

2 3 4 5

c4 ttJf3 ttJc3 g3

c6 ttJf6 e6

A rare, and at the same time critical, gambit move. B lack is practically obl iged to take the pawn on c4, otherwise he will simply stand worse.

5 6

Ji.g2

ttJbd7 dxc4

Now B lack has adequate chances, in view of the position of the white knight at c3 . Here it would be better placed at b I , which would afford White certain additional possibilities .

7

a4

More or less radical ly preventing . . . b7b5, which Black could have played, for example, in reply to 7 0-0 . A couple of years before someone had played this against me in the Bundesliga, and I sud­ denly sensed that Topalov' s preparations were aimed at this very game, which I had . . . forgotten ! I recalled that at some point my bishop had gone to b4, preventing e2-e4, and after spending a great deal of time I ' calculated ' that theory apparently recommends a more restrained development of the bishop . Alas, there are now so many side varia­ tions that it is very, very difficult to remember them all .

e5 ttJg4

If Black can capture on e5 , he will stand better, but to do this is not so simple .

11 12 13 14

�f4 e6 'i'e2 ttJd4

.a5 fxe6 ttJge5

After exchanging twice on e5 White would have regained his pawn, but without his dark-square bishop he cannot hope for anything. Therefore he continues on his gambit course, especially since all this had already been played before . But I, by this time, was a full forty minutes behind on the clock . . .

14

ttJd3 !

In the game Gelfand-Timman (Tilburg 1 990) B lack played 1 4 . . . ttJb6 1 5 .li.d2 .li.b4

232

Kramnik: my l�fe and games

with very compl icated play, and he went on to win, although in the course of the struggle his position looked suspicious. I realised that I had to seek something new, and it would appear that I managed to find a fairly decent move. Without the e6 pawn my light-square bishop comes into play and. more important, my knight IS excellently placed in enemy territory .

15 16

tZJxe6 i.e7

:f6

Topalov had already caught up with me on the clock, which is not surprising, since he also had to calculate the variation 1 6 tZJc7 tZJxf4 1 7 'ii' x c4+ c;i>h8 1 8 tZJxa8 tZJe5 1 9 'i'b3 tZJxg2 20 �g2 tZJf3 and convince himself that Black has a very strong initiative . The return of the knight also has to be evaluated : 1 6 tZJg5 :'xf4 1 7 gxf4 .ltxg5 1 8 fx.g5 'ii'xg5 1 9 f4 ! tZJxf4, and if now 20 •xc4+, then Black is alright : 20 . . . xa3, when White still has to work very hard for his win. In the ending with three rooks Black has practically no chances of resisting. 30 thO � a5 . . .

31

:tf4 ! ?

l: d3+

Kramnik: my l�fe and games

248 32

�b2

No. I n

3 2 . J:r. e3 1 ') should have been considered, in order to advance the e-pawn and prevent the white rook from defending its last pa�n along the fourth rank . 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40

:el �b3 �c2 �d3 :fe4 :' xe6 : l e3 :3e4

:h2+ l: h3+ l:h2+

Kram nik-Top alov

Novgorod 1 997 King ' s Indian Defence (notes by Dolmatov) Indicator of competitive form

The first game of any event is very impor­ tant for a player' s subsequent tournament fate. It entails a great deal of nervous energy. On the one hand, it is desirable to win, but on the other hand, no one wants to begin a tournament with a loss. What degree of risk is acceptable? Here, on top of everything, this was a game between the two youngest participants, the most promising players in the world, and so there was no doubting IS crucial importance. 1 tbf3 tbf6 Z-c4·�6 3 tbc3 .:tg7 4 e4 d6 5 d4 0-0 6 .:te2 e5 7 0-0 tba6 8 .:te3 tbg4 9 .:tg5 f6

41

�c4!

: g3

Even the capture of the last white pawn does not help, since then, exploiting mating threats, White reduces the b lack pa� mass on the queenside : 4 1 . . . �xa4 42 l::. e l l::. a 3 (42 . . . l::. h4+ 43 l::. 6e4) 43 I:. e7 a6 44 : b l �a5 45 1I b7. 42 43 44

:h6 l:hh7 :'b7

a6 l: g5

This attack on the vu lnerable b6 pav.TI ties down the opponent ' s forces . 44 45 46 47 48 49

: h5 : h4+ l:e6 : b4 �d5 :d4+ ':c6 :' b4 �e5 l:tb8 Black resigns

He is in zugzwang : 49 . . . : b l 50 ll xc5+ xa4 5 1 ll c6 etc .

10

.:t e l

White has another, seemingly more promising possibility : 1 0 .:t h4, but it leads to excessively complicated play, which did not come into Kramnik' s plans in the first round. 10 11 12

h3 dxe5

�h8 tbh6 dxe5

The seventh game of the Karpov­ Kasparov match (New York/Lyon 1 990)

Selected games

went 1 2 . . . fxe5 1 3 ii. e3 0,f7 1 4 'iWd2 0,c5 I S 0,g5 0,xg5 1 6 ii. xg5 ii. f6 I 7 ii. e3 ttJc6 1 8 ii.g4 with slightly the better game for White. 13

�xd8

White has to hurrY- with this move, as after 1 3 ii. e3 0,f7 1 4 � xd8 Black acquires an additional and interesting possibility 1 4 . . . 0,xd8 . 13 14 15 16

:xd8 Ji.e6 0,n c6 ? !

.:it.e3 a3 b4

I f 1 6 . . f5 Topalov was concerned about 1 7 c5 ! 'J. but 1 6 . . . ii. h6 ! 'J came into consideration. when neither 1 7 b5 ii. xe3 1 8 bxa6 ii. b6 1 9 axb7 :tab8 20 : ab l 0,d6 nor 1 7 c5 ii. xe3 1 8 fxe3 c6 is dangerous for Black. White wou ld probably have had to fight for the initiative with 1 7 0,d5 ! ? ii. xe3 1 8 fxe3 17 18 19

:fd l :xdl tUd2

:xd I + Cfjc7 Ji.f8

1 9 .. ii. h6, trying to get rid of the 'bad ' bishop. did not work on account of 20 ii. xh6 0,xh6 2 I 0,b3 b6 22 : d6 with a powerfu l initiative. I think that. when Topalov made his 1 9th move. he overlooked the opponent' s strong reply.

Z

i i_ i

J..

*

� i J.. i i i � � � � � CD iL CD iL � � :. � 20

:bl !

A brill iant positional decision. Firstly, it defends against 20 . . . a5. secondly. it plans the pawn advance a3 -a4-a5. and finally. it

249

prepares 2 1 0,b3. when in reply to the almost obligatory 2 L . b6 White can begin an attack on the queens ide with 22 c5 . In general, an excellent ' mysterious ' rook move . 20

b6 ? !

A n unsuccessful attempt . 20 . . . f5 was essential, in order after 2 1 exf5 gxf5 22 f4 ii. h6 to try and divert White from his play on the queens ide, although here too he would retain an appreciable advantage with 23 g3 followed by 'it>f2 . 21 22

c5 a4

b5 bxa4

Extremely risky . More circumspect \vas 22 . . . a6 23 0,b3 ii. xb3 24 l hb3 ii. h6 25 ii. xh6 0,xh6 26 :a3 , although here too after both 26 . . . 0,f7 27 ii. g4 and 26 . . . rt;g7 27 axb5 axb5 28 : xa8 0,xa8 29 0, xb5 cxb5 30 ii. xb5 Black ' s position is unenviable. 23

0,xa4

23 24 25 26 27

exf5 0,c4 Ji.d2 Cfja5

f5 gxf5 0,d5 e4 :c8

28 29

Ji.a6 Cfjc3

:c7 Cfjxc3

30 31 32

Ji.xc3+ Ji.d2 :cl

kg7 Ji.a2

32 33

Cfjc4 !

23 0,c4') was dubious on account of 23 . . . 0, b5 24 0, xa4 ii. xc4 25 ii. xc4 0Ja 3 26 : c I 0, xc4 27 : xc4 : b8 with equal ity, but 23 ii. c4 also came into consideration.

2 7 . . . 0,e5 is dangerous on account of 28 ii. a6. Bad was 29 . . ii. g7 30 0,c2 with the idea of 3 1 0, f4 .

32 : d I was perhaps even better. not fearing the pin 3 2 . . . : d7 on account of 3 3 ii. c8 : d3 34 rt; fl ii. h6 3 5 e I . Ji.e5

3 3 ii. c4 was weaker in view of 3 3 . . . ii. xc4 34 0,xc4 rt;g8 35 0,xe5 0,xe5 36 ii. f4 0,d3 .

Kramnik: my life and games

250

I. iL

.t 33 34 35 36

, .. �

K , 8 8 t2J .:

,

*' ,

�

88 rt;

ii.xc4 b5 ii.xb5

8

�xc4 'iit g 7 cxb5 ii.d4 ? !

Black should have switched to passive defence by 36 . . J:t e7 37 c6 ii. c7. 37 38

c6 :dl

'iit f6 .i.e5?

39 40

Ji.a5 1i.c4

l:te7 f4

.

The final mistake in the game. 38 . . . 'ite5 did not work because of 39 g3 ' Only with 3 8 . . J:t c8 could Black have still tried to hold on.

Black would also have lost 40 . . .'�J d6 4 1 ii. d8 ttJxc4 42 l::t d 7 . 41

the truth . Reflecting on the reasons for this phenomenon, I compiled the following list: Reason No. 1 : image proj ection (an attempt to create the impression that the opponent was doomed in the given game even before the first move); No. 2 : unrecognised genius complex (a stubborn unwillingness to acknowledge one' s own mistakes or to point them out); NO. 3 : " high degree of professionalism" (an unwillingness to waste one' s precious time and effort on such a '1rifling matter" as a game commentary); No. 4 : anything else. ' It seems to me that reason N O . 3 occurs much more often than the rest. Unfortunately, the conviction " Plato is dear to me, but dearer still is the truth" is increasingly rare in our time, which is rapidly progressing in the direction of total pragmatism . ', ' 'The point" (jf this unusual introduction will become clear from the second part of the notes to this game. ' (Kramnik) Part 1

after

:d7 Black resigns

1 ttJO c5 2 c4 ttJf6 3 ttJc3 ttJc6 4 g3 d5 5 d4 cxd4 6 tDxd4 dxc4 7 ttJxc6 W'xd l + 8 ttJxd l bxc6 9 �g2 ttJd5 1 0 tZJe3 e6 1 1 ttJxc4 .1i.a6 1 2 ttJa5 !

Playing through such a game provides enormous aesthetic pleasure. White ' s play was exceptionally consistent .

No. 1 73

Kram nik-Timman

Wijk aan Zee 1 999 English Opening I n the mystification genre

' I have often begun noticing that the commentaries of certain well-known (and not so well-known) players would be correctly characterised as "frankly hack­ work " , by no means aimed at searching for

It is surprising, but this natural move is a new one. In my computer database I found about 3 5 games where this position had occurred, and all the players, as if

25 1

Selected games

hypnotised, played 1 2 b3 (see also game No. 1 7S ) . Meanwhile, after 1 2 ttJa5 1 Black faces serious problems . . . 12

.:tc5 ! ?

F or those wishing t o improve o n (or worsen?) Timman' s play, I can suggest two other sensible moves: 1 2 . . . .:tb4+ and 1 2 . . . ttJb4. 13 14 15

.:td2 :' c t b4 !

0-0 .:td4

After 1 5 l hc6 � b5 1 6 ]:t c2 : fcS or 1 5 b3 c5 1 6 e3 � b2 1 7 l:t c2 �a3 Black gains reasonable counterplay. .:tb5

15

Jan sacrifices a pawn (strictiy speaking, he did this back on his 1 2th move) in the hope of creating counterplay on the c-file, sufficient for a draw. 16 17

ttJxc6 : c5 ! ?

.:tb2

White could also have picked u p a second pawn : 1 7 l:t c2 .:t a3 I S .:t xd5 exd5 1 9 ttJe7+ � hS 20 ttJxd5 , but after 20 . . . l:tac8 it would be very difficu lt to convert the material advantage. 17

�xc6

It is doubtful whether 1 7 . . . a6 was any stronger, as White has a pleasant choice between I S .:t xd5 exd5 1 9 ttJe7+ c;t> hS 20 ttJxd5 and I S O-O ! ? .:t xe2 1 9 l:[ b l .:t f6 20 a4, with good winning chances in both cases . 18

,

19

:xc6

.I

:::: , .� .

:xc8

I cannot avoid boasting about the fact that here I calculated a variation some 1 01 5 moves ahead (often a calculation of even five moves ahead is a task beyond my powers) . Other continuations allow Black sufficient counterplay : 1 9 l:ta6 l:t fdS ! , or 1 9 � xd5 exd5 2 0 l:t a6 l:t c2 2 1 � d 1 l:t fcS 22 l:t xa7 .:t d4 23 l:ta4 l:t b2 . 19 20

.:txd5

:txc8

The immediate 20 f4 is met bv 20 . . . ttJb6 1 , when the knight becomes ve ry active. 20 21

f4 !

ex d5

The only move that leaves White with any real chances of winning . Let us con­ sider the alternatives : 2 1 e3 .:t a3 22 � e2 :t c2 23 � d3 : xa2 24 .:t c3 ! ? .:t b2 ! with equality, or 2 1 0-0 :' c2 22 l:[ d I d4 23 .:t e3 g6 24 � xd4 .:t xd4 25 l:t xd4 l:t xa2 26 e3 a5 "�l.lld I am not yet strong enough to win such an ending against a strong grandmaster. 21

.:ta3

Or 2 1 . . . ':' c2 22 � d 1 l: c4 23 ':'fl . 22

.:O !

:'c4

23 24

:f3 .ii. x b4

.ii. x b4 :xb4

25

:t a3 !

After 22 .. .l:t c2 23 : f3 l: xa2 24 lit d3 White wil l be a healthy pawn to the good.

: ac8

I• ' A '

The point o f White 's plan . Jan clearly underestimated how difficult the resulting rook ending would be (to be fair, I should mention that he hardly had any better

252

Kramnik: my life and games

option) . After 25 l:t b3 ? Black is able to draw the pawn ending : 25 . . . 1:txb3 26 axb3 � f8 27 � d2 � e7 28 W c3 a5 ! 25

problematic in view of zugzwang. Now, however, it is all over.

h5 !

A player of Timman ' s calibre required only a couple of minutes to realise that Black has to give up a pawn immediately . Significantly weaker was 25 . . . l:. b7? 2 6 J1 a5 l:td7 ( 2 6 . . . d4 2 7 � d2) 2 7 � d2 � f8 2 8 � d3 � e7 29 � d4 � e6 3 0 g4, when the pawn has to be given up under much worse circumstances. It was this variation that I worked out when I played 1 9 : xc8 (if you don 't praise yourself. no one will ) . 26

:xa7

An extra pawn by no means always guarantees a win in a rook ending, but in the given case, despite all Jan ' s efforts, he is unable to save the game. 26 27

a4

l:b2 :ta2

The only sensible move . 28

f5 !

A very important move, cramping the black king. Now Black loses after 28 . . . f6 (28 . . . h4 ? ! 29 gxh4 ) 29 a5 �h7 3 0 a6 �h6 3 1 h4 g6 32 fxg6 � xg6 33 .:ta8 c:Ji;g7 34 a7 (see the note to White ' s 4 1 st move) . Therefore m y opponent tries to stir up trouble, but White is on the alert. 28 29

'itf2

': a 1 +

36

'iii f7

Or 3 6 . . . l:a4 3 7 c:Ji; e4 :t a2 3 8 �d3 and WIns . 37 38

a7 c:Ji;f5

�g7

Black is in zugzwang, and is forced to allow the e nemy Icing into his position . 38 39 40

�e4 �d5

l: a5+ :a4 l:I.al

The d-pawn cannot be held, as if 40 . . . � h7 there follows 4 1 c:Ji; c5 with the threat of 42 � b6, and the black rook is forced off the fourth rank. 41

�xd4

Black resigns

It was not yet too late to blunder away a pa\\n : 29 xd7 f5 49 e5 1 ) 46 'it>d6 �d l + (46 . . . �a l 47 �c8 1 �a6+ 48 �c6 �xa7 49 �c7+ ) 4 7 'it>e6 �a l 48 �d8 1 �a6+ 49 �d6 �xa7 5 0 �d7+ �xd7 5 1 'it>xd7 f5 5 2 e5 1 A very i nteresting ending. in which B lack defended very resource­ fully. but White was accu rate from beginning to end .

Part 2 I will begin with the fact that I must disil lusion those who have examined this game. fully believing the comments . Because the second hal f of the first part is . . . a parody. I chose this genre. one that is not very traditional for chess commentaries. for the reasons exp lained i n the i ntroduction. Now. however. ' Iet ' s be serious ' . and try to del ve into the subtleties of the rook ending. \\ ithout paying attention to the result of the game .

Posi tion alier 26 Rxa 7 26 . . . :b2 Serious consideration shou ld have been given to the attempt to exchange pawns by 26 . . . h4 I ') 27 'it>f2 hxg 3 + 28 hxg3 g6 . The drawback to this exchange is that Wh ite begins advanc ing his kingside pa\\TIs : 29 'it>f3 1 'it>g7 30 g4 'it>f6 ( 3 0 �b2 3 I g5 I '» 3 I �a6+ 'it>e 7. It is hard to say whether White ' s advantage is sufficient for a win. Interest ing. for examp le. is 3 2 �a3 1 ')

253

�b2 3 3 �e3 + 'it>d6 ( 3 3 . . 'it>f6'l ! is passive : 34 g5+ 'it>g7 3 5 a3 ) 3 4 a3 . 27 a4 Initial ly I considered this move to be a serious m istake. but now I no longer think so. Even so. it was probably worth playing 2 7 f5 ' - although here too B lack retains good drawing chances : 27 . . . h4 1 (the only move) 2 8 g4 1 ( 2 8 gxh4 �b4 or 2 8 'it> f2 hxg3+ 29 hxg3 f6 3 0 a4 'it>h7 3 1 a5 �a2 3 2 'it>e3 �a4 33 a6 �h6 is not good enough to win) 28 . . . �b 1+ 29 'it>f2 �h I 3 0 �g2 �e l 3 1 �e7 ( 3 1 �a8+ 'it>h7 3 2 �e8 'it>h6 I ') : 3 1 �f3 �h l ) 3 1 . . . �a l l 32 'it>h3 lha2 33 �xh4 (or 33 �e8+ �h7 3 4 g5 f6 1 ? 35 g6+ �h6 36 �xh4 �a4+ 37 �g3 'it>g5 with a probable draw: 34 �xh4 f6 3 5 'it>h5 d 4 3 6 h 4 �a5 3 7 � e 7 �d5 also leads to equal ity) 3 3 . . . d4 ( 3 3 . . . �f8 1 ? 34 �e3 d4 3 5 �e4 f6) 34 h 3 . and desp ite the fact that Wh ite retains practical winning chances, a draw is the most l ikely outcome . . 21 . . . :a2? A blunder. Essential was 27 . . . g6 1 ( now or never), after wh ich there are no real winning chances (White is short of one tempo) : 28 a5 �a2 29 a6 �g7 3 0 �a8 �f6 3 1 a 7 ( 3 1 h 3 �f5 3 2 e 3 �e4 1 ) 3 1 . . . �f5 3 2 h3 ( 3 2 e3 �g4 ! ) 3 2 . . . h4 ! (otherwise e2-e 3 . and the march of the white king decides) 33 gxh4 xf4 34 �d l . and now the simplest is 34 . . . f5 1 3 5 c I f6 3 6 b I �a5 3 7 b2 �g 7 with a draw . Perhaps it is better not to force events. but to play 29 f2. but even here after 29 . . . �g 7 or 29 . . . �a3 1 '? Black should be able to hold on . 29 � f2 ? ! I f this does not throw away the \\'in, then at the least it makes it much more difficult. ' B lundering away a pawn ' wou ld have won easily - 2 9 d2 1 �fl 3 0 a 5 �xf5 3 1 �d7 1 :f6 (no better is 3 1 . . . d4 3 2 a6 �a5 3 3 a7 h7 34 ':xf7) 3 2 ':xd5 g6 33 ':d3 1 ':a6 3 4 ':a3 . The strange thi ng is that I saw this variation during the game, but on the threshold of time trouble I wanted to p lay ' more safe ly ' . 31 . . . 'lth7 3 1 . . .':a3 + fails to save Black after 32 'it>e4 ':e3+ 33 �xd4 ':xe2 3 4 a6 l::t x h2 35 ':c7 ':a2 36 a7 h7 3 7 c5 h6

254

Kramnik: my l�fe and games

3 8 � b6 'it>g5 39 l:. xg7+ c5 l:.g7 48 � xd4 � xh4 49 e5 �g5 Black gains a study-like draw (pointed out by GM Alexander Baburin) . However, White retains some practical winning chances after 39 � fl l ? �h2 40 � f2 d3 4 1 l:t d8 r ha 7 42 ': xd3 . 36 . . . �fi?! At this point we both considered Black ' s position to be com­ pletely hopeless, and it was only a few davs later that I discovered that after 36� . . �g7! things are not so simple: (a) 3 7 a7 � h7 38 � f5 �g7 and the white king cannot escape from its 'cage ' . In the end a win was found, but would I have been able to do this at the board?

'it> f3 �g7 4 1 g4 l:.a3+ 42 � f4 l:. a4) 40 . . . l:ta4 1 (after 40 . . . hxg4? 4 1 � xg4 White wins easily by advancing his infantryman to h6 and then picking up both the opponent' s pawns) 4 1 g5 ! (but not 4 1 gxh5 ? d3+ 42 e4 d2 43 l:. d8 l:. xa7 44 l:. xd2 .:t a l l 45 � f5 - 45 l:. f2 l:.a5 ! ? 46 'it>g4 :I e5 - 45 . . . l:. fl + 46 'it e6 l:. f4 with a draw) 4 1 . . .d3+ 42 e4 d2 43 l:t d8 fxg5+ 44 � xg5 ! (44 hxg5 ? l ha7 45 l: xd2 l:. t7+ 46 � e5 �g6) 44 . . . l:. xa7 45 l:.xd2 �g7 (45 . . . l:.a5+ 46 l:. d5 l:a4 47 ': d7+ and wins) 46 � xh5 : e7 47 l:. e2 %it e5+ 48 �g4 � f6 49 � f4 : h5 50 e5+ � e6 5 1 �g4 ! l:.h8 5 2 h5 and White wins; (b) however, White also wins by 3 7 � e4 ': xe2+ 3 8 � xd4 l:. e6 (or 3 8 . . . l:. a2 39 � c5 l:. a3 40 � b5 ! ? l:. xg3 4 1 l:. c8 l:.a3 42 l:. c4) 39 � d5 l:t b6 ( 3 9 . . . l:. e5+ also fails to save the game: 40 � c6 l:. a5 4 1 � b6 l:.a3 42 l:. b8 l:. b3+ 43 � c7 l:. c3+ 44 � b7 l:. b3+ 45 � a8 ': xg3 4B l'l7 Aa3 47 l:. b5 �g6 48 � b7 and wins) 40 � c5 l:. e6 4 1 � b5 ! l:. e5+ 42 � c6 l:. e6+ 43 � d7 :I b6 (43 . . . l:. e3 44 l:. b8 l: a3 45 l:t b6 l hg3 46 � c7 l:.a3 47 � b7 �g6 48 a7 l: xa7+ 49 � xa7 � f5 5 0 l:. b4) 44 � c7 l:t e6 45 a7 l:t e7+ (45 . . . l:. a6 46 W b7) 46 � d6 l:. b7 47 l:.g8+ . After all that has been said, it becomes clear that the play of both players in this game was far from ideal . N evertheless, I gained great pleasure from analysing this genuinely very complicated rook ending . . .

From the O pe n i ng i nto the Endgame No. 1 74 Kramnik-Nunn Olympiad, Manila 1 992 King's Indian Defence

A new ' K' on Olympus And so, 39 � f4 (or immediately 39 g4 l:t a5+ 40 � f4 l:. a4) 3 9 . . . � h7 40 g4 ! (40

' On 25th June, during the O lympiad, Vlad­ imir celebrated his 1 7th birthday. For those who are interested in astrology, I should

Selected games

add that by the Chinese Calendar he was born in the Year of the Cat, like Karpov and Kasparov - a third " K"' had appeared on the chess Olympus. You do not need an oracle to predict great chess achievements by the future hero of the nineties . ' Kramnik has a good chess " touch" . His playing style is based on the strict harmony of strategy and tactics . He already has his own view on practically every opening, and he is literally overflowing with new ideas . In addition, it is good that he also feels at home among people, and he has numerous friends among his contempor­ aries . We await with impatience his future tournaments and victories . Here is an example of his brilliant style. ' (Grand­ master Yurt Razuvaev)

1 tLJf6 d4 2 g6 c4 3 .:tg7 tLJc3 d6 4 e4 5 0-0 f3 6 c5 .:te3 7 dxc5 An earlier game of mine went 7 tLJge2 tLJc6 8 dS tLJeS 9 tLJg3 e6 1 0 .i. e2 exdS I I cxdS a6 1 2 0-0 bS with chances for both sides (Kramnik-Har Zvi, Oakham 1 992). 7 dxc5 8 'tixd8 :xd8 9 tLJc6 .:itxc5 10 j,a3 a5 11 :dl

2SS

11 .:te6 For the pawn Black has fully completed his development, whereas all White ' s kingside pieces are still dozing, but . . . A few rounds earlier, in a game with Nenashev (Uzbekistan), my opponent tried I I . . . l hd 1 + 1 2 � xd I tLJb4 1 3 tLJge2 b6 and . . . failed to equalise. 12 tLJd5 .:itxd5 cxd5 tLJb4 13 14 �b5 tLJc2+

15 �f2! � After I S e2 Black achieves the desired counterplay : I S . . . tLJxa3 1 6 bxa3 :ac8 1 7 tLJh3 .i. h6, and the c-file is i n his possessIOn. 15 tLJxa3 16 bxa3 e6? 1 6 . . J:tac8 1 7 tLJe2 :t c2 was better. 17 d6 e5 The only move, otherwise White himself p lays e4-eS . �f8 18 tLJe2 d7 19 .:txa3 ? ! This capture should have been deferred by one move, by interposing the check 1 9 . . . .i. cS+ , in order to prevent White from playing g2-g4 . After 20 �g3 .i. xa3 2 1 l: d3 .i. cs 22 a4 b6 23 l:[ hd l l: a7 24 � h3 hS ' it is not so easy to breach B lack ' s defences. 20 g4 ! A new move at such a late stage of the battle. Right up to this point we had been repeating the game Van der Sterren-Shirov (Kerteminde 1 99 1 ), which continued 20

256

Kramnik: my l�fe and games

l:d3 ? ! .ltc5 + 2 1 �g3 �f8 22 l:tc I b6 and Black gained a draw . When we looked at this game together, Shirov mentioned the possib i l ity of 2 0 g4 ! This probes the main weakness in Black' s position - the e5 pawn, which White can attack with g4-g5 and l:.d5 .

25

f4 !

With the i dea of preventing the black knight from coming i nto p lay in the variation 25 . . . exf4 26 litd5 ! After 26 . . . f6 2 7 ttJxf4 ttJxg5 2 8 c;i(e3 c;i( g7 29 l':t g I despite Black ' s extra pawn his position is cheerless . Nevertheless, this was his best chance.

25 26

:d5

l:a5? f6

Thi s loses by force, but it is already hard to offer Black any good advice.

I: il.. ;A' �

�

: �, '

20 21

h4

h6 a4 ! ?

I f White himself p lays a2-a4 , Black wi l l be u nable t o breath . Nunn seeks counter­ chances with his customary resourcefu lness .

22

':d3

After 22 g5 White wou ld have had to reckon with 22 . . . l1a5 .

22

�b2!

The best practical chance. After 22 . . . .ltc5 + 23 �g2 :a5 24 l':tb I b6 2 5 g5 hxg5 26 hxg5 ttJh7 27 l:td5 ttJxg5 28 litxe5 ttJe6 2 9 .i.c6 it is very hard for Black to hold the position .

23

g5 !

Played after 40 minutes ' thought . Initial ly I was inclined towards 2 3 l':tb I a3 24 l:tbd 1 :a5 25 litb3, but this would have brought Wh ite only an insignificant advantage. I realised that for the moment the black pieces were not in their opti mal positions, and that this was the time for decisive action .

23 24

hxg5

hxg5 ttJh7

24 . . . l:ta5 2 5 gxf6 l':txb5 26 l':thd l ! i s bad for Black; if 26 . . . l:b6, then 27 l':td6 .

27 28 29

l:xh7! gxf6 e5

�xh7 exf4

The white pawns are now irrepressible.

29 30 31 32 33

ttJxf4 :xe5 �xd7

�h6 �xe5 :xd7 :xe5

f7 In view of the simple 3 3 . . . �g7 34 f8.+ �xf8 35 ttJxg6+ Black resigned .

No. 1 75

Kramnik-Damlj anovic Olympiad. Moscow 1 994 Queen ' s Gambit

Plan in action It is rightl y said that the most difficult thing i n chess is winning a won position. I n this game the dilemma appeared to be

257

Selected games solved easily and simply, but only because at the board Kramnik found an extremely accurate arrangement of the white forces .

1 d4 d5 2 tUrJ tUf6 3 e4 dxe4 4 tUe3 e6 5 a4 .:iLg4 6 tUe5 .:ii, h 5 7 rJ tUfd7 8 tUxe4 e5 9 tUe4 .:iLb4+ 1 0 .:iLd2 �e7 1 1 �xb4 'tlHxb4+ 1 2 �d2 'tlHxd2+ 1 3 �xd2 exd4 1 4 !Lled6+ �e7 1 5 !Llf5+ wf6 1 6 !Llxd4 :d8 1 7 e4

E_ i i

ttJ ttJ �

� :

i

E -

�

cJ;;

i i i .t �

�� � :

This ending had already occu rred in practice. White has somewhat the better prospects thanks to his slight territorial advantage in the centre . Black faces problems bringing his bishop at h5 into play. and his dec ision to simplify the posit ion does not change its evaluation.

17 18 19 20 21 22 23

�c3

�xd4 �e3 .:iLe2 :'xa l b4

!Lle5 :xd4 !Llb3+ !Llxal �e7 �d7 f6

White ' s main idea is to attack the b 7 and c6 pa\\TIS \\ ith ttJaS . with the intent ion after . . . .l:tb8 of exp loiting the geometric placing of k i ng and rook by �a6 ' . transposing into a favourable ending with rook and pa\\TI against two m i nor piece s . B u t for the moment i t would appear t o b e rather early for this. a s after 24 4:JaS .l:tb8 the k i ng succeeds in reaching c 7 after 25 �a6 bxa6 2 6 ttJxc6+ Kd6 2 7 ttJxb 8 ttJxb8 2 8 .l:td l + �c7 with a probable draw .

K

i i __ i i ··· · i ,,.

Therefore . . .

24 25

:dl ! ? �a5 !

tZJb6 !Llxa4+

Black decides once and for all to be done with the prob lem of his b7 pawn. but in so doing he acqu i res other pawn weak­ nesses on the queenside. I f 2 5 . . . .l:tb8, then 26 �a6 was now possible, and after 26 . : . tbxa4+ the most accurate is 27 �b3 ! ttJc5 + 2 8 bxc5 bxa6+ 29 �c3 �e8 3 0 .l:td6 .l:tc8 ( 3 0 . . . .l:tb5 3 1 ttJxc6+ �xc6 32 .l:txc6 �d7 33 .l:td6+ �c7 3 4 �c4 .l:ta5 35 �d5 leads to a difficult rook ending) 3 1 f4, and it is verv hard for Black to defend. whereas after 2 7 �c2 c5 28 iLxb7 �e8 29 ttJc6+ �xc6 3 0 �xc6 .l:txb4 3 1 .l:td7+ �f8 3 2 .l:txa7 ttJb6 with correct defence h e shou ld be able to save the game.

26 27 28

K i ttJ _i �

e .t i i ,. �

cJ;; :

29

!Llb6 lH7+

�b3 tZJxb7 We3

..ita6

�

�

��

258

Kramnik: my life and games

A useful manoeuvre, as after 29 tt:x:5 :c8 30 :ta l :c7 B lack succeeds in defending his weaknesses . By that time I had discovered the correct piece set-up. It consists in playing the knight to d4, the bishop to b3, the rook to a5 and the e4-e5 breakthrough, when White begins carrying out his plan . Perhaps Black could have hindered somewhat its implementation, had he not marked time in the next few moves, but he was not able to prevent it completely.

29 30 31 32 33

:al f4 ttJc5 ttJb3

.li.e8 ttJd7 ttJb6? ! ttJd7

The final stroke, creating complete harmony in the actions of the white pieces . Now any tactical chance for the opponent involving . . . c6-c5 is ruled out, and the further strengthening of the position is possible both by h2-h4-h5 -h6, and by 3 8 :c5 with the threat of answering 3 8 . . . �d6 with 39 e5+ fxe5 40 fxe5+ �c7 4 1 ttJxc6 .i.xc6 42 b5 . Black' s position seems hopeless, and his following time trouble move merely hastens the end .

37 38 39

ttJd4 .i.c4 !

35 36

':b7

.i.b3

It appears that everything is ready for 3 6 e5 , but then B lack unexpectedly frees himself: 36 . . . c5 ! 37 bxc5 ttJa4+.

36

37

.li.d7

':a5 !

No. 1 76

Gulko-- K ramnik Novgorod 1 995

g6 ttJb6

Initially I was planning to play my bishop to b3 via d3 and c2, but why not exploit in passing a tactical opportunity? after all, the bishop is immune in view of the intermediate capture on a 7 .

ttJa8 :c7 ttJb6

Here my opponent did not manage to press his clock in time . . .

This is stronger than 33 .i.c4 ttJxc5 34 bxc5 :b7 35 e5 , and besides, White has no reason to deviate from his overall plan .

33 34 35

.li.a4 ':c5

'

English Opening

You live and learn This will never be proved, but from a num­ ber of minor chess and other indications, one gained the impression : while moving confidently towards to the top of the world rating list, Kramnik quite consciously - or intuitively? - continued to learn. In par­ ticular, from his own experience. He was constantly expanding his range : no, not only and not so much opening variations, but rather middlegame set-ups which he had not previously played. Instructive is the given game against an opponent who became USSR Champion almost in the year that Vladimir was born. Black voluntarily went into a slightly inferior ending of middlegame character, in order to endeavour in it to seize the initiative. That is, in one sitting to test himself in the most varied roles : defender, ' midfielder' , and finally, out-and-out attacker.

1 2

c4 ttJc3

e5 ttJf6

259

Selected games

3 4 5 6 7

ttJO

g3 d4 tiJxd4 ttJxc6

ttJ c6

g6 exd4 .i.g7 dxc6

A rarely employed continuation. The usual reply 7 . . . bxc6 leads, according to theory, to a slight advantage for White . The move played leads by force to an ending, which seems slightly worse for Black. But it seems to me that the resulting posItIOn, rather interesting with complicated and unusual play, fully justifies my choice.

8

'i'xd8+

9

e4

Up to this point Gulko has played logically and perfectly correctly, but here 1 6 .:tc2 was stronger with the same idea of doubling on the d-file. On c2 and d 1 the rooks would have been better placed and less l iable to attack by the black pie'ces .

16

17

.i.g4 ! ?

The other bishop move seemed less good to me: 9 . . . �e6 I 0 �e3 ttJd7 1 1 0-0-0 �c8 1 2 f4 with a marked spatial advantage for White.

.i.e2 �xe2 0 ii.g5+ l:.ac1 After 1 4 . . . f5 ) I 1 5 .:thd 1

�xe2 :e8 ttJd7 �c8 a5

fxe4 1 6 ttJxe4 �xb2 1 7 .:te2 with the threat of 1 8 .:tcd2 Black' s position is very dangerous . '

15 16

':hdl :d2

:a5

�xd8

For the moment White avoids deciding where to develop his queen ' s bishop : 9 iH4 �e6 1 0 0-0-0+ �c8 I I e4 ttJg4 was quite good for Black.

10 11 12 13 14

.i.e3

White has a slight advantage . True, it is hard to exploit, since he has no realistic plan to play for a win.

18

9

ttJf8

1 6 . . . l:a5 ? 1 7 .:tcd l ! was bad for Black, and 1 6 . . . ttJe5 1 7 .:tcd l b6 1 8 c5 ! �b7 1 9 �f4 was little better.

a4

a3?

I think that this is a serious positional mistake. Against the sole plus of this move - the black pawn at a4 is fixed - there are two minuses : the chronic weakness of the b2 pawn (which is emphasised by the bishop at g7) and the b3 square, which I promptly exploit. Had the white rooks been at c2 and d 1 , 1 8 �d4 would have looked quite good, but here this is answered by 1 8 . . . �h6 ! ? 1 9 f4 g5 . 18 ttJe6

19

�f2

White would have lost a pawn after 1 9 f4? ttJc5 20 .i.. x c5 .:txc5 2 1 ttJxa4 .:txe4+ 22 �d3 .:td4+, while if 1 9 h4 Black has the unpleasant 1 9 . . . f5 ! I think it was here that my opponent offered a draw. I have no real advantage, but that day I was in a fighting mood. The peace negotiations were curtailed, my

260

Kramnik: my life and games

opponent grew nervous, and he made a mistake with his very next move .

" X , fj,

19 20

fj,

E

•

'A' . � ., ,

, fj, ctJ :

fj, � fj, fj, : cj;; fj, gS ! ?

::ted1 ?

This leads by force to a better ending for Black. White ' s problem is that it is hard for him to find any concrete plan . In this respect thi ngs are slightly easier for Black : he is aiming for . . . f7 -f5 . Therefore the prophylactic 20 'it>g2 ! was correct removing the king from the f-file in good time. Then it is not easy for Black to strengthen his position� possibly he wou ld have had to do something l ike 20 " . J.e5 ! ? ( i n principle. 20 . f5 is also possible) 2 1 4Je2 4Jc5 with chances for both sides . Now. however, I was able to carry out my plan unhindered. and in addition White ' s pawns on the queens ide were badly comprom ised.

20 21 22 23

exfS bxc3 :d7

28

.ii. b 6? !

Over-active. 2 8 ii.f2 ! was better, since unattractive was 28 c5 ? lhe3 29 cxd6 cxd6 30 ':xd6 lhc3 3 1 l:tdd7 l:tb5 with a quick win.

28 29 30

.ii. d4

30 31 32

eS �f2

:1xf7

Apparentiy 'thc-" decis ive error: 3 0 ii.f2 wou ld have maintained some chances . Now my knight reaches c4, and the game can no longer be saved.

4Jd6 tLJe4 !

The rook ending after 3 2 f5 4Je3 + 3 3 ii.xe3 lhe3 3 4 �g2 lhc3 3 5 l:. fl 'ili>d7 i s hopeless for White .

fS .:ixe3 :xfS

After 2 3 g4 :f7 24 �g3 :efS my opponent wou ld have had to switch to passive defence .

23 24 2S 26 27

.l:h7 f4

hS g4 4JgS tLJe4+ tLJd6 !

This move gave me pleasure. The coordination of the white pieces is disrupted.

32

bS !

Another very precise move, effectively deciding the outcome - White no longer has any real istic defence . In addition

26 1

Selected games Gulko \\ as short of time and at the fi nish he did not put up any particular resi stancc . 33 cxb6 No better was 3 3 :!a I :!£'8 34 �c2 �d7 35 �d3 :!f5 36 �e4 �c6 37 :!a2 :!d5 . aftcr \\ hich Wh ite is forced to makc fatal conccssions : in particular the manoeu vrc tLlc4-a5 -b3xc5 i s threatcncd . 33 cxb6 b5 �f6 34 .:tJxa3 35 ':d4 ::ific7 ': d6 36 'Llc4 �e5 37 ::ifid7 ':e6+ 38 White resigns

No. l 7 7 Kram n i k-L autier Horgen 1 995 English Opening

Different strengths of the bishops · It is imposs ible evcn to u ndcrstand at ".. hat point Black madc a mistake. It is qu itc possible that there was not one. and that Lautier' s defeat was mcrely thc consc­ qu ence of an unpleasant position. which was simply vcry hard to defend For the reason that my opponent did not makc any bad overs ights. this gamc gave mc satisfaction It is not cverv dav that one is ablc to win so c1canly ' (Krammk)

c5 .:tJf3 1 'Llf6 2 c4 .:tJc6 .:tJc3 3 d5 g3 4 5 d4 Now th is pos ition i s qu itc fashionablc . Earl icr 5 cxd5 tLlxd5 6 �g2 tLlc 7 was normally p layed: therc was very much theory fol lowing th is. but White was not ablc to demonstrate an�thing in particular. e6 5 The variation 5 cxd4 6 tLlxd4 dxc4 7 tLlxc6 'ti'xd I + 8 ctJxd I bxc6 9 �g2 is sti l l

quitc popu lar. b u t comp letc cquality for Black has not vet bccn fou nd. . cxd5 6 'Llxd5 7 �g2 Now 7 . . . �e7 is cons idcrcd the mall1 theoret ical move . I have p layed thi s pos i ­ tion several ti mes both with White. and with B lack. and I am very fam i l iar with it.

7 cxd4 Lautier beg i ns a s i mp l i fy i ng operation that is known i n theory, according to which White gains a slight advantagc in the endgamc. 8 .{Jxd4 .:tJxc3 9 bxc3 'Llxd4 10 'ti'xd4 Unfortunately. it is not possiblc to keep the queens on by 1 0 cxd4 on accou nt of l O . . . �b4+. w.vxd4 10 11 cxd4

� "

1.

. 1. .I ' " , 8

� g 11

..t

8 � � iL 8 g cJ;; �d6

262

Kramnik: my l�re and games

1 1 . . . .lt b4+ is usual, as was played, for example, by my opponent in game NO. 5 3 . Here I thought for half an hour and found what was probably the correct plan, revealing the negative aspects of Black ' s set-up . 0-0 :b8 12 Although this move is logically linked with the preceding one, there was no need to hurry with it. 1 2 . . . 0-0 was more flexible. Then if 1 3 e4 Black could have replied 1 3 . . . e5 1 4 d5 f5 or 1 3 . . . l: d8 . 13 e4 It unexpectedly transpires that it is not so easy for Black to complete his development. White' s idea is to break through with his rook on the c-file, against which it is no simple matter to defend. 13 0-0 Played after a long think . 1 3 . . . b6 1 4 .lt b2 .ltb7 would also not have given equality after 1 5 l: ac 1 with the threat of e4-e5 and l: c7, and the attempt to prevent this by 1 5 . . . � d7 would have unexpectedly led to an attack on the king - 1 6 d5 ! , e.g. 16 . . . exd5 1 7 exd5 f6 1 8 .lt h3+ or 16 . . . e5 1 7 f4 with the advantage.

14 e5 A fairly simple decision. It is clear that Black cannot hold the c-file, but he has no obvious weaknesses, and his position is hard to breach, provided, however, that he defends accurately. Thus for tactical reasons 1 4 . . . .lt c7 does not work (of course, it would not be bad to place this bishop at

b6 and then develop the other at d7) in view of 1 5 .lta3 : d8 1 6 l:ac 1 .lt b6 ( l 6 . . . : d7 1 7 : xc7 l: xc7 1 8 � d6) 1 7 .lt d6, practically paralysing Black. 14 �e7 15 .i.e3 �d7 After 1 5 . . . b6 16 : fc 1 .lt d8 White has the very strong manoeuvre .lt e3 -d2 -b4-d6, after which it is probable that loss of material for Black is inevitable. :fc8 :fc 1 16 :xc8+ �xc8 17 �f8 18 :c1 For want of something better, the black king heads for the centre .

19 �h3 Here I had a choice between two very tempting continuations, and even now I cannot say which of them is stronger. In the game I 'automatically' advanced my pa\\l1 from d4 to d6, but I could also have played 1 9 d5 , forcing events . Black is obliged to take - 1 9 . . . exd5 20 � xd5 .lt e6 2 1 � xe6 fx.e6 22 : c7 . Here he retains drawing chances, although the position is certainly highly unpleasant (for example, 22 . . . .lt d8 does not work : 2 3 l: d7 .lt b6 24 .lt xb6 axb6 25 .l:. d6) . But intuition suggests that to all appearances I was right to give preference to 1 9 .lt h3 . 19 �e8 d5 �d7 20 d6 21 As yet there is no forced win - 2 1 .lt xa 7 :t a8 or 2 1 l: c7 .lt d8 - and so White has to

Selected games

be content with a small, but also significant achievement . �d8 21 b6 �g2 22 l:c8 f4 23 �f2 :xc1 24 .:ixc 1 25

And so, an opening with four bish