Anand - Kramnik; M-tel Masters
                      |
GM
V. Anand (2785) - GM V. Kramnik (2753)
[C42]
Sofia, BUL; (Round #07) /
19,05,2005.
[A.J.G.]
This is one of the worst mistakes
a current World Champion has ever
made.
Many of my fans have already
asked me to post this game on my
website.
1.e4
e5
; 2.Nf3
Nf6
;
The Petroff Defense, a favorite of
Kramnik's for some time now.
What follows now is all book.
3.Nxe5 d6 ; 4.Nf3 Nxe4 ; 5.d4 d5 ; 6.Bd3 Nc6 ; 7.0-0 Be7 ;
8.c4!
Nb4
; 9.Be2
0-0
; 10.Nc3
Bf5
; 11.a3!
Nxc3
; 12.bxc3
Nc6
;
This line is currently becoming the
"Main Line" ... as many masters are
playing it.
Fritz 8.0 confirms that the
first player has a small advantage.
13.Re1
Re8
; 14.cxd5
Qxd5
;
There are 63 games in CB's on-line
{games} database with this position.
15.Bf4
Rac8
; 16.Qc1!?
, (TN)
This move is new to theory ...
whether it is really any good
or not remains to be seen.
[ The move of: 16.Bd3,
"+/=", gives White a small advantage.
See the contest:
Garry Kasparov - Vishy Anand;
ICT / 22nd Super-GM {drawn}
Linares, ESP; 2005. (22 moves.)
]
16...Na5
; ('!?')
This represents a slight 'loosening'
of Black's position, but it is nothing
serious.
Also good for Black were
16...Bd6; or 16...Bg6.
17.c4
Qe4??
; (ugh) {See the diagram, given ... just
below here.}
One of the single worst blunders
I have ever seen by a World Champ.
(Karpov once made a similar mistake
against the U.S. player, GM Larry
Christiansen.)
|
|
[ Probably the move of: >/= 17...Qd8 ; was forced for Black in this position. ]
18.Bd1!
Qd3
; 19.Re3!
Qxc4
; 20.Re5,
("+/-")
Kramnik pondered for over eight
minutes here ... and then resigned.
Generated with ChessBase 8.0
1 - 0
Kramnik's last round game was also a wild and weird ... "blunderfest," ... and ended in another horrible mistake by the Champion.
GM
V. Kramnik (2753) - GM
V. Topalov (2778)
[B80]
Mtel Masters
Sofia, BUL; (Rnd. #10) / 22,05,2005.
1.e4 c5; 2.Nf3 d6; 3.d4 cxd4; 4.Nxd4 Nf6; 5.Nc3 a6;
6.Be3 e6; 7.f3 b5; 8.Qd2 b4; 9.Nce2 e5; 10.Nb3 Nc6;
11.c4 Be7; 12.Ng3 g6;
13.Bd3 Nd7; 14.Rd1 0-0; 15.Qf2 a5; 16.0-0 a4; 17.Nc1 Nc5;
18.Bb1 Qc7; 19.Nce2 Be6;
20.Bh6 Rfe8; 21.Nf5 Bxc4;
22.Ne3 Ba6; 23.f4 exf4; 24.Bxf4 Ne5; 25.Nd5 Qa7; 26.Bxe5 dxe5;
27.Kh1 Bg5;
28.Nxb4 Bc4;
"~" or "=/+"
Thus far the game has been incredibly complex ...
it is not my intent to analyze this whole affair here.
(This has already been creditably done on at least 3-5
other websites.)
Suffice it to say that it has been a 'back-and-forth' struggle, and that Black currently stands (at least) a little better.
29.Rfe1!? Qb7?!; ('?')
Not a good move, 29...Na6! yields a substantial edge to
Black.
30.Nd5?!, ('?')
White returns the favor, if Kramnik wanted a draw, he
could have forced one here.
[ 30.Qxc5 Rac8; 31.Qa5 Ra8; 32.Qc5 Rac8; "=" ]
30...Qxb2?; ('??')
A truly horrible move ... Black leaves the Knight on c5
hanging.
[ Better was the move >/= 30...Rac8; "~" and Black stands no worse. (Maybe "=/+") ]
31.Nc7?; ('??')
Why not just grab the hanging piece on the
c5-square?
(Time was not a big factor,
Kramnik had around 10-15 minutes here ... I watched this game on the Internet.)
[ >/= 31.Qxc5, Bxe2?!; 32.Qf2!, "+/-" ]
31...Ne6; 32.Nxe8 Rxe8; 33.Rf1 Rf8; 34.Nc1???, (HUH???)
How to explain such a blunder? I cannot! Suffice it to
say that even World Champions are human.
In his interviews, Kramnik confirmed that he was tired at the end of this tough
tournament. When you ad this to the fact that
I am sure nerves must have contributed to this blunder
... its not that big a deal. But it is still some of the worst mistakes
that
I have ever seen coming from the reigning World
Champion ... even after a lifetime of studying chess.
34...Qxb1; ("-/+") White resigns.
There is no point in continuing from this
position. [Copyright © A.J. Goldsby, 2005.]
0 - 1
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