|
(875524) Anand,V (2769) - Kramnik,V (2758) [B66]
Corus 2000 Wijk aan Zee (4), 19.01.2000
[Rohde]
1.e4 Anand's standard first move. 1...c5 A welcome relief from the spate of Petroff's which Kramnik used in Las Vegas. 2.Nf3 d6 Kramnik is a great theoretician in the Sveshnikov Sicilian which usually continues with 2 ... Nc6 but he has developed other lines recently. 3.d4 The Open Sicilian. 3...cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 Kramnik sticks with a form of ... Nc6 Sicilians. Here he plays the move order known as the Classical Sicilian. 6.Bg5 The Richter-Rauzer. Anand has tremendous experience on the White side of this variation. 6...e6 7.Qd2 Quick pressure on the d-file is a hallmark of this system. 7...a6 The main alternative to this is 7 ... Be7. 8.0-0-0 Nxd4 Also played and more common at this juncture are 8 ... Bd7 and 8 ... h6. 9.Qxd4 Be7 10.f4 b5 A fairly provocative line. 10 ... O-O takes the game on a more normal track 11.Bxf6 Anand accepts the challenge and starts immediate tactics. 11...gxf6 Black would not have enough compensation in this case after 11 ... Bxf6 12 Qxd6. 12.e5 The point. If White does not act quickly, Black's doubled pawns are not a particular weakness. But Anand wants to force ... d6-d5, and then use his kingside space advantage to launch an attack with moves like Bf1-d3 and Rhf1. This does allow Black's dark-squared bishop to potentially become strong. 12...d5 Kramnik did not like 12 ... fxe5 13 fxe5 d5 as then the f-file is a real target. 13.Kb1 Bb7 Surely on 13 ... f5 White would play for g2-g4 but this may have been better. Black's position is suspicious. 14.f5 There does not seem to be much risk for White in doing this. 14...fxe5 15.Qxe5 Bf6 Black needs to get some activity with this bishop. 16.Qg3 Qe7 Covering up. Black would like to go queenside as soon as possible. 17.fxe6 fxe6 18.Be2 h5 A good defensive move. 18 ... O-O-O first would run into 19 Bg4 with a lot of pressure. 19.Bf3 White is not afraid of 19 ... Bxc3 as afterwards the White queen will be able to settle on e5. 19...0-0-0 20.h4 To fix the pawn on h5 as a long-term weakness. White's initial wave with e4-e5 and f4-f5 has settled and the position is unclear. 20...b4 The position is difficult to play. Black has the two bishops and center pawns which can advance but White will always have tactical chances because of Black's airy king. Kramnik would love to trade queens but there is no way to force this. 21.Ne2 e5 He needs to keep the knight off any good squares such as d4. 22.Nc1 Kb8 Making improvements to his king's position. 23.Nb3 Qc7 This move contains the positional threat of 24 ... e4 which would exchange queens. 24.Bxh5 A little tactic which Anand needed. If 24 ... Rxh5 then 25 Qg6 and White would be doing very well after 25 ... Rxh4 26 Qxf6. The real question is whether Kramnik overlooked 24 Bxh5. Black will have some compensation for the pawn if he plays 24 ... a5 now, looking to march all the way to a3. 24...Rxh5 I kind of liked the pawn sacrifice 24 ... a5 for Black. Now White will not have anything to worry about. 25.Qg6 Rxh4 This way Kramnik gets his pawn back. 26.Qxf6 Rf4 White would be way too active on 26 ... Rxh1 27 Rxh1. 27.Qg6 d4 A brilliant way of dealing with the threat of Rh1-h7, which is now met by 28 ... Be4. 28.Rh7 Black was threatening 28 ... Be4 anyway, so Anand had to take action. 28...Be4 Definitely not 28 ... Qc6 29 Qg7 and White is on top. 29.Qxe4 A neat resource. This is better than 29 Rxc7 Bxg6 and Black preserves the bishop. 29...Rxe4 30.Rxc7 Kxc7 31.Nc5 This move wins back the Exchange. If 31 ... Rg4 32 Ne6+ Kd7 33 Nxd8 Kxd8 34 c3 is a draw. Black should try for more with 31 ... Re3! 31...Re3 Kramnik is playing for a win based on the strength of his e-pawn. 32.Ne6+ Kd7 33.Nxd8 Kxd8 34.Kc1 Now White will always be able to meet ... Re2 with Rd1-d2. 34...Ke7 Getting out of the pin on the d-file. 35.Rd3 Re2 Trading rooks would be weak because of White's outside passed pawn. 36.Rd2 Re1+ In this case, trading rooks would be a draw. 37.Rd1 Re2 38.Rd2 Re4 39.Rd3 Ke6 40.c3 This liquidation which Anand carefully forced earns the draw. 1/2-1/2
|
