Author: pavel
Date: 09:44:49 01/03/02
[D]r3k2r/p4ppp/4p3/3qQ3/1pN5/1K6/1P2B1PP/7R b kq - 0 22 Can your program find 22.Be2 ? According to the commentator (Kramnik?) this is a very good move. Here is the game, which has been taken from the CM8k database. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Vladimir Kramnik - Alexei Shirov Linares Spain (5), 2000 "I can't remember making any really serious mistakes in this tournament," said Kramnik after sharing first with Kasparov in a double round robin (ahead of Leko, Khalifman, Anand and Shirov). This game sheds light on a critical variation of the Slav Defense that has baffled theory for decades. After only a dozen moves an ending is reached where Black has three pawns for a piece. "In general I have the feeling that it might be slightly better for White, although close to a draw," noted Kramnik, whose flawless endgame technique helps avenge his loss of a match to Shirov in 1998. 1.Nf3 d5 2.d4 c6 3.c4 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4 Bf5 6.Ne5 Kramnik has used this Krause Attack rather consistently since 1994 and scored good results with it. Two rounds earlier against Anand he tried 6. e3. 6...e6 7.f3 Bb4 8.e4 Bxe4 This piece sac is virtually forced, since White regains the pawn advantageously after 8...Bg6 9. Bxc4. 9.fxe4 Nxe4 10.Bd2 Qxd4 11.Nxe4 Qxe4+ 12.Qe2 Bxd2+ 13.Kxd2 Qd5+ 14.Kc2 Na6 15.Nxc4 b5 More active than 15...Rd8 16. Qe5 Qxe5 17. Nxe5 Nb4 18. Kb3 Nd5 19. Bc4 as in Evans-Kramer, New York 1951. Nowadays, no way has been found for White to show a real advantage after 15...0-0 16. Qe5 Rfb8. 16.axb5 Nb4+ 17.Kc3 cxb5 18.Rd1 Better than 18. Kxb4 bxc4 19. Qxc4 Rb8. 18...Qc5 "This might be called a novelty, though it was played in Topalov-Anand, Dos Hermanas 1997. More usual is 18...bxc4 19. Rxd5 Nxd5 20. Kd2. It's not easy to break Black's position, but it's no fun for him as he is suffering all game long and the best he can hope for is a draw." -- Kramnik 19.Qe5 Nd5+ 20.Rxd5 b4+ White stands well after 20...Qxd5 21. Nd6 Kf8 22.Qxd5 exd5 23. Nxb5. 21.Kb3 Qxd5 22.Be2 "This is a very good move, which set him thinking for a long time. After the game Shirov told me he had not looked at this possibility in his preparation. 22. Qxg7 was possible and does not lose by force or anything, but it is very dangerous for White after 22...Qd1 23. Ka2 Qa4 24. Na3. I think he was mainly expecting 22. Qxd5 exd5 23. Na5 but I did not like the idea that his king might come into the center. I opted for the text since it forces him to castle and remove his king from the center." -- Kramnik 22...0-0 Simply bad is 22...Qxg2? 23. Nd6 Kf8 24. Rf1. 23.Qxd5 exd5 24.Na5 Rfe8 "Black does have a material edge, but it is clear that some of his pawns are going to fall. I still believe that with very accurate play Black must be able to make a draw. But it is an uphill struggle, as witness the fact that Alexei, who is a good player, tried and failed." -- Kramnik 25.Bf3 Rac8 26.Rd1 Re3+ 27.Ka4 b3 28.Rxd5 g6 It's useful to stop back rank mate threats once and for all. 29.Rd7 Rc2 30.Ka3 Kg7 "This position requires deep analysis. There were some alternatives such as 30...a6 which during the game I actually believed to be his best option but still 31. Bd5 Rf2 32. Nc4 Ree2 33. Kxb3 with reasonable winning chances, even though it will not be easy. Also 30...Rxf3 31. gxf3 Rxh2 32. Nxb3 h5 33.Rxa7 h4 34. Rc7 is highly complicated. Too difficult to calculate, and that's why my opponent got into serious time trouble." -- Kramnik 31.Rxa7 h5 32.h3 h4 33.Rb7 Rc5 34.Kb4 Rf5 35.Rc7 g5 36.Nxb3 Rf4+ 37.Rc4 Rxc4+ "A serious mistake in time pressure. But it seems Black is lost anyway, which leaves the question of where exactly he went wrong? Difficult to say, perhaps his position was already very unpleasant right after the opening and it never recovered. Obviously his best chance was 37...Rexf3 38. gxf3 Rxf3 39. Rc3 (the point of 35. Rc7!) Rf2 40. Ka3 f5 41. Nd4 and White should be winning." -- Kramnik 38.Kxc4 f5 39.Nd4 Kf6 40.b4 Re1 "He had probably overlooked that after 40...Ke5 41. Nc2 very nicely traps his rook." -- Kramnik 41.b5 Ke5 42.Nc6+ Kd6 43.b6 Rc1+ 44.Kb5 g4 45.b7 Rb1+ 46.Nb4 Kc7 47.hxg4 fxg4 48.Be4 If 48...Rb2 39. Kc4 h3 50. gxh3 gxh3 51. Kc3 decides the issue (51...Re2 52. Na6). 1-0 1-0 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fritz 7 finds it in 17mins but it doesnt seem to think that its an advantage for white. So I am letting it work on this position for some more time. Pavs.
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