Game five

Kramnik,V (2772) - Anand,V (2783) [D49]WCh Bonn GER (5), 17.10.2008

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4 b5 8.Bd3 a6 9.e4 c5 10.e5 cxd4 11.Nxb5 axb5 12.exf6 gxf6 13.0-0 Qb6 14.Qe2 Bb7!?


So far we have repeated game 3. Anand must clearly feel confident with this opening willing to repeat his shocking novelty from game
14...b4 15.Rd1 Bc5 16.Bf4 Bb7 17.Be4 One idea with Anand giving away the b5 pawn is it misplaces white's white squared bishop. In this game white is able to neutralise the pressure on his king by playing Be4 and trading black's strong piece.
17. ....Ba6 18.Qd2 Rd8 19.Rac1 e5 20.Bg3 Bb7 21.Bxb7 Qxb7 22.Qh6 Qd5 23.Bh4 Rg8 24.Qxh7 Ke7 25.Bg3 Rg4 26.Nh4 Qe4 27.Qh6 Rg5 28.Re1 Qg4 29.Nf3 Qh5 30.Qxh5 Rxh5 31.Nd2 Ra8 32.Ne4 Ra5 33.Rc4 Ke6 34.Nxc5+ Nxc5 35.Rxd4 Rxa2 36.Rxb4 Nd3 37.Rb6+ Kf5 38.Rb1 Rh8 39.h3 Nc5 40.Re1 Rd8 41.Bh4 Ne6 42.Re3 Rd1+ 43.Kh2 Raa1 44.Rf3+ Nf4 45.Rxf6+ Ke4 46.Re3+ Kd5 47.Rf5 Ng6 48.Bg5 1-0 Tkachiev,V-Pavasovic,D/Rabac 2004/
15.Bxb5 Rg8
Anand once again comes with the first new move. In game 3 he played Bd6 which stopped Bf4, Rg8 allows white's bishop to gain this good square so what does Anand have in mind.
16.Bf4 Bd6
Anand plays Bd6 anyway
17.Bg3
17.Bxd6 Qxd6 18.Rfd1 Qd5 Black's king is always stuck in the center but the pressure against white's king is also very strong.
17...f5
Now the bishop on g3 can be harrassed by f4
18.Rfc1
After a 40+ minute think Kramnik comes up with this As in game three black has won the opening battle and Anand has a healthy time advantage. The position still remains incredibly complex. [18.Nxd4 Rxg3! 19.hxg3 Qxd4 20.Rfd1 Qb6
18...f4 19.Bh4 Be7 20.a4
A predictable but good move. White has the long term advantage of connected passed pawns on the Q-side. a4 protects the bishop leaving the queen free to roam and starts the pawn on its mission to the 8th rank.
20.Bxe7 Kxe7 21.a4 Ke7
How to play black's position is not immediately clear to me Vishy shows why he is the current World Champ.



Anand's style is well suited to this position.
20.Bxe7 Kxe7 21.a4 21...Qd6 22.b4 Rg7 (22...Qxb4 23.Rc7; 22...Kf8 23.Qh5 Rg7 24.Qh6 Kg8 25.f3 d3 26.Bxd7 Qxd7 27.Qxf4 Qd8) 23.a5 Kf8 24.a6 Bd5 25.Bc4 Nb6 26.Bxd5
22.Ra3
Developing white's last piece.
22.b4 Rg5 23.Nf3 Bxf3 24.Qxf3 Rag8 25.Bf1 (25.g3 fxg3 26.hxg3 d3 27.Kf1 Rf5 28.Qg2 Ne5=) 25...Qxb4 26.Qxf4 Qd6; 22.Kf1 This is also an option to get off the g-file but it is not clear f1 is a safer square than g1.
22...Rac8
22...Qd6 23.Nf5+ +-
23.Rxc8
23.Rd1 Qc5 24.Bxd7 .Kxd7 25.Rad3 Qg5 26.Rxd4+ Ke8 27.g3
23...Rxc8 24.Ra1 Qc5 25.Qg4
25.Rd1 Ne5 26.b4 Qc2 27.Rxd4 Qxe2 28.Bxe2 Rc2 29.Bf1 Ra2=
25...Qe5
25...Qc1+? 26.Rxc1 Rxc1+ 27.Bf1 Ba6 28.h3 Rxf1+ 29.Kh2±;
25...Qc2 26.Qxf4 d3 27.Nf5+ exf5 28.Re1+ Kd8 (28...Kf8 29.Bxd7 d2 30.Qd6+ Kg7 31.Rf1 Rc5 32.Qg3+ Kf8 33.Qb8+ Kg7=) 29.Qxf5 Bc6 30.Bxd3 Qxa4 31.Qxf7 Kc7 32.Qxh7 Qb4=
26.Nf3 Qf6 27.Re1
27.Nxd4 Qxd4 28.Rd1 Nf6 29.Rxd4 Nxg4 30.Rd7+ Kf6 31.Rxb7 Rc1+ 32.Bf1 Ne3 -+
27...Rc5 28.b4 Rc3
28...Ne5 29.Nxe5 Rxe5 30.Rxe5 Qxe5 31.Qh4+ Kf8 32.Qd8+ Kg7 33.Bf1=


29.Nxd4?
As in game three Kramnik makes a disastrous mistake. Blunders in game three and this game came about the same time 5am NZ time?! Before the match Kramnik made a point that with all the preparation and planning you still have to make good moves on the board and to play well in all aspects of the game. Kramnik is struggling.
At the moment before 29. Nxd4 the game is still very much in the balance.
29.Nd2 h6
A) 30.Qe2? f3 31.Nxf3 (31.gxf3? Rc2 32.Qd1 Qg5+ 33.Kf1 Rxd2 34.Qxd2) 31...Rxf3 32.Bxd7 d3 33.Qd2 Kxd7 34.Rd1 (34.gxf3 Qg6+ 35.Kf1 Bxf3 36.Re3 Qg2+ 37.Ke1 Qh1#) 34...Ke8-+;
B) 30.a5 30...Qg5 31.Qxg5+ hxg5 32.f3 Black's pieces are still very active and white's Q-side pawns are not yet dangerous.
29...Qxd4 30.Rd1 Nf6 31.Rxd4 Nxg4 32.Rd7+ Kf6 33.Rxb7 Rc1+ 34.Bf1 Ne3!


35.fxe3 fxe3

0-1

Ian Rogers in the opening press conference asked Is their something about your opponent that has annoyed you over the last year or two? Kramnik was first to answer with that he had found his opponents level of play particularly annoying. I think now he must be more annoyed than ever.
Anand leads 3.5 to 1.5