Game three

Kramnik,V (2772) - Anand,V (2783) [D49]WCh Bonn GER (3), 17.10.2008

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 dxc4

The Meran v ariation. Both Kramnik and Anand have played this with both colours.

7.Bxc4 b5 8.Bd3

Kramnik chose 8.Be2 for the 4th playoff game against Topalov in their World Championship match. The result was an excellent victory and one that effectively earned him the title of Unified World Champion. the game continued 8. ... Bb7 9.0-0 Be7 10.e4 b4 11.e5 bxc3 12.exf6 Bxf6 13.bxc3 c5 14.dxc5 Nxc5 15.Bb5+ Kf8 16.Qxd8+ Rxd8 17.Ba3 Rc8 18.Nd4 Be7 19.Rfd1 a6 20.Bf1 Na4 21.Rab1 Be4 22.Rb3 Bxa3 23.Rxa3 Nc5 24.Nb3 Ke7 25.Rd4 Bg6 26.c4 Rc6 27.Nxc5 Rxc5 28.Rxa6 Rb8 29.Rd1 Rb2 30.Ra7+ Kf6 31.Ra1 Rf5 32.f3 Re5 33.Ra3 Rc2 34.Rb3 Ra5 35.a4 Ke7 36.Rb5 Ra7 37.a5 Kd6 38.a6 Kc7 39.c5 Rc3 40.Raa5 Rc1 41.Rb3 Kc6 42.Rb6+ Kc7 43.Kf2 Rc2+ 44.Ke3 Rxc5?? 45.Rb7+ 1-0 Kramnik,V-Topalov,V/Elista 2006

8...a6

Their have been many master games played in this opening and theory has been well explored. 8....Bb7 is considered a somewhat safer move. 8...Bb7 9.0-0 a6 10.e4 c5 11.d5 c4

(11...Qc7 12.Qe2 c4 13.Bc2 Bd6 14.dxe6 fxe6 15.Nd4 Nc5 16.f4 e5 17.Nf5 0-0 18.Nxd6 Qxd6 19.fxe5 Qxe5 20.Rf5 Qc7 21.a4 Nd3 22.Bxd3 cxd3 23.Qxd3 Ng4 24.Qg3 Qb6+ 25.Kf1 Bxe4 26.Rf4 Bd3+ 27.Ne2 Rae8 28.Rxf8+ Rxf8+ 29.Ke1 Bxe2 30.Kxe2 Qe6+ 31.Be3 Qc4+ 32.Kd2 Nf6 0-1 Goldenberg,I-Chandler,M/Sydney 2007 )

12.Bc2 Qc7 13.dxe6 fxe6 14.Nd4 Nc5 15.Be3 e5 16.Nf5 g6 17.Nh6 Bg7 18.Qf3 Ne6 19.Qh3 Bc8 20.Qh4 Qe7 21.Rfe1 Nd5 22.Qxe7+ Nxe7 23.Nd5 Bb7 24.Ng4 Nd4 25.Bd1 Nxd5 26.exd5 0-0-0 27.Bg5 Rxd5 28.b3 c3 29.Ne3 Rc5 30.Rc1 Rc7 31.b4 Kb8 32.h3 h6 33.Bh4 Nf5 34.Nxf5 gxf5 35.Bc2 Rc4 36.Be7 e4 37.Bb3 Rd4 38.Bc5 Rd3 39.Be6 Bc8 40.Bb3 Re8 41.Bf7 Re5 42.Be3 Re7 43.Bg6 Be6 44.h4 Bxa2 45.Bxf5 Bd5 46.Bc5 Re8 47.f3 Kb7 48.fxe4 Bc6 49.Kf2 Rd2+ 50.Ke3 Be5 51.Kf3 Red8 52.Re3 Rg8 53.g4 Rh2 54.h5 Rd8 55.g5 Rxh5 56.Be7 Re8 57.Kg4 Rh2 58.Bf6 Rg2+ 59.Kh3 Rh2+ 60.Kg4 Rg2+ 61.Kh3 game drawn- Morozevich,A-Anand,V/Mexico City 2007/

9.e4 c5 10.e5 cxd4 11.Nxb5 axb5

11...Nxe5 12.Nxe5 axb5 13.Bxb5+ Bd7 14.Nxd7 Qa5+ 15.Bd2 Qxb5 16.Nxf8 Rxf8 17.a4 Qc4 18.b3 Qd3 19.Qf3 Qe4+ 20.Qxe4 Nxe4 21.b4 Ke7 22.f3 Nc3 23.Bxc3 dxc3 24.Ke2 Rfd8 25.Rhd1 c2 26.Rdc1 Rd4 27.Rxc2 Rxb4 28.a5 -game drawn Kramnik,V-Kasparov,G/Wijk aan Zee 1999/

12.exf6 gxf6 13.0-0

White could possible take the pawn at d4 instead of 13.0-0 but it is extremely dangerous. 13...Qb6 14.Qe2

14.Be4 Bb7 15.Bxb7 Qxb7 16.Nxd4 Rg8 17.f3 Ne5 18.Qe2 Bc5 19.Be3 Rd8 20.Rad1 Nc4 21.Bf2 Qb6 22.b3 Bxd4 23.bxc4 bxc4 24.Rc1 Bxf2+ 25.Rxf2 Rg5 26.Qxc4 Rgd5 27.Qc6+ Qxc6 28.Rxc6 Rd1+ 29.Rf1 R1d2 30.Rf2 Rd1+ - Kamsky,G-Kramnik,V/Linares 1994/

14...Bb7

The "Team Anand" novelty. The main moves in this position are

14...b4 15.Rd1 Bc5?! 16.a4 bxa3 17.bxa3 Bb7 18.Be4 Ba6 19.Qe1 Rd8 20.Bd2 Qd6 21.Ba5 Rb8 22.Bb4 d3 23.Qc3 Ke7 24.Qd4 Bxd4 25.Bxd6+ Kxd6 26.Nxd4 Nc5 27.Bf3 Rhc8 28.Rac1 Na4 29.h3 Nc3 30.Rd2 Ke5 31.Nc6+ Rxc6 32.Bxc6 Ne2+ 33.Rxe2+ dxe2 34.Bf3 Kd4 35.Re1 Rb2 36.Bh5 Kd3 37.f4 Ke3 38.Bxf7 Bd3 0-1 Lautier,J-Acs,P/Plovdiv 2003/;

14...Ba6 15.Rd1 Bc5 16.a3 Bb7 17.Bxb5 Rg8 18.b4 Be7 19.Rxd4 Qxd4 20.Nxd4 Bxg2 21.Qe3 Bh3+ 22.Kh1 Bg2+ 23.Kg1 Bh3+ 24.Qg3 Rxg3+ 25.hxg3 Bxb4 26.Bb2 Bc5 27.a4 e5 28.Nc6 Kf8 29.a5 Nb8 30.Rc1 Bd6 31.Nxb8 Rxb8 32.a6 Rxb5 33.a7 Ra5 34.Ra1 Rxa7 35.Rxa7 Kg7 36.Kh2 Be6 37.Ra8 Bc5 38.Kg1 h5 39.Bc1 Kg6 40.Rh8 Bg4 41.Kg2 Kg7 42.Rb8 Be6 43.Rb5 Bd4 44.Rb8 -game drawn Gelfand,B-Shirov,A/Linares 1997/

15.Bxb5 Bd6 16.Rd1 Rg8

Black has pawn weaknesses but active pieces for compensation. The King safety of each side will play an important part as the game proceeds.

17.g3 Rg4 18.Bf4!

Kramnik took 40 minutes over 18.Bf4.

18. b4 looks interesting because 18...Bxb4 is ill advised because 19.Rb1 Bc6 (19...Qd6 20.h3 Re4 21.Qb2 Bc5 22.Bxd7+ Qxd7 23.Qxb7 Qxb7 24.Rxb7 Rxa2+-) 20.Rxb4 d3 21.Qe3 Qxe3 22.Bxe3 Bxf3 23.Rxd3 Rxb4 24.Bxd7+ Kd8 (24...Kf8 25.Bc5+ winning ) 25.Bc6+ Kc8 26.Bxf3 Rxa2 Quite a complex line but white has excellent winning chances.

B) 18...Ba6 19.Bxd7+ Kxd7 20.Ne5+ Bxe5 21.Qxg4 Bb7 22.Bb2 Qc6 The position looks unclear.

18...Bxf4 19.Nxd4 h5

20.Nxe6!

Kramnik is playing inspired chess and not really typical of his style. In his match with Topalov and Kasparov he played alot more reservedly, perhaps he has a different strategy for Anand. 20...fxe6 21.Rxd7 Kf8 22.Qd3 Rg7

22...Bc8 This seems to force white's hand. 23.Rd8+ Kg7 24.Rxc8 Bxg3

A) 25.Kh1 Rxc8 26.Qd7+ Kg6 27.Bd3+ f5 28.Qxc8 Bxh2 29.Be2 (29.Kxh2 Qxf2+ 30.Kh1 Qg2#)29...Rh4 30.Qg8+ Kh6 31.Qh8+ Kg6=;

B) 25.Rxa8 Qxf2+ 26.Kh1 Qxh2#;

Black cannot save the pice by 22...Be5 because 23.Qh7 and mate is coming.

23.Rxg7 Kxg7 24.gxf4 Rd8

Anand has returned the piece and is two pawns down. His iniative is quite strong however and white's King comes under very strong pressure.

25.Qe2 Kh6

The invasion down the g-file is unstoppable.

26.Kf1 Rg8 27.a4 Bg2+ 28.Ke1 Bh3! 29.Ra3

29.Rd1 Rg1+ 30.Kd2 Rg2 and f2 will fall and the rook gains the ideal position along the 2nd rank. 29...Rg1+ 30.Kd2 Qd4+ 31.Kc2 Bg4 32.f3 Bf5+

33.Bd3??

In time pressure Kramnik makes a fatal mistake.

33.Kb3! It appears white has enough compensation to hold the draw after this. 33...Rc1 34.a5 Rc2 35.Qxc2 Bxc2+ 36.Kxc2 Qc5+ 37.Kb1 Qxb5 38.a6 Qb8 39.a7 Qa8 40.b4 Kg6 41.b5 Kf5 42.b6 Kxf4 43.Ka1 Qc6 44.a8Q Qc1+ 45.Ka2 Qc2+=

33...Bh3

Anand misses the quicker win but still finds a move that will result in Kramnik's resignation. [33...Bxd3+ 34.Rxd3 Qc4+ 35.Rc3 (35.Kd2 Qc1#) 35...Qxe2+-+]

34.a5 Rg2 35.a6 Rxe2+ 36.Bxe2 Bf5+ 37.Kb3 Qe3+ 38.Ka2 Qxe2 39.a7 Qc4+ 40.Ka1 Qf1+ 41.Ka2 Bb1+ and Kramnik resigned

The game might end like this

41...Bb1+ 42.Kb3 Qd3+ 43.Ka4 Qd4+

A) 44.Kb3 Bd3 45.Ka2 (45.Ra4 Bc2+ 46.Kxc2 Qxa4+; 45.Ra5 Qc4+ 46.Ka3 Bc2 47.a8Q Qb3#) 45...Bc4+ 46.b3 Qd2+ 47.Ka1 Qc1+ 48.Ka2 Qc2+ 49.Ka1 Bd3 50.a8Q Qb1#;

B) 44.b4 44...Qd7+ 45.b5 Bc2+ 46.Kb4 Qd4+ 47.Ka5 Qxa7+ 48.Kb4 Qd4+ 49.Ka5 Qc5 50.Ra2 Qa7+ 51.Kb4 Qxa2

0-1

Anand now takes the lead with an important victory with the black pieces. At the press conference he was apparently unfazed by his win. Their is still 9 more games to get through but this has to be a major blow for Kramnik.

Will Anand go for the kill with white in game four or perhaps try and sit on this win and just play more solidly than he did in game two. I would be tempted to put the boot in while you can because to draw 9 games in a row against one of the great match players of all time is no easy task.