Author: John Merlino
Date: 14:17:49 10/23/02
Go up one level in this thread
On October 23, 2002 at 10:43:52, José Antônio Fabiano Mendes wrote: > Kramnik vs Topalov, Novgorod, 1997 >[D]r4b1k/ppn2n1p/2p1bpp1/4p3/1PP1P3/P1N1B2P/3NBPP1/3R2K1 w >Black wants to play a5 opening the diagonal for his dark >square Bishop, and possibly the a-file for the rook. How does >Kramnik parry this threat? He found the beautiful prophylactive >move 1.Rb1!!, which not only prevents 1...a5, but also prepares a White >queenside offensive by a3-a4-a5. As the author points out, “1. Rb1 is the >kind of move that is quite logical, but nevertheless difficult to find >particularly during a game --- and when the Rook occupies the only open file.” >Obviously flummoxed by this disruption of his plan, Topalov responded with >1...b6?! When 2. c5! b5 (2...bxc5 3. bxc5 gives White the d-file) and 3. a4 >proved difficult to meet. >It takes deep positional understanding to realize that the d-file is of no real >value because all the entry squares are guarded by the Black pieces. >1. Rb1! is the kind of move played in a game that seems to be an effortless >victory for White. Usually in these types of games the winner stymies >his opponent’s plans causing him to make second-rate moves. >Of course, in order to find 1. Rb1 Kramnik had to realize >that a5 was a threat. >Source ==> http://www.chesscafe.com/REVIEWS/books.HTM Chessmaster 9000, on a P4-2.66, does not see it after more than one hour, and sticks with Nb3 after 3 seconds: Time Depth Score Positions Moves 0:00 1/3 0.50 1216 1.Nb3 b6 2.Bd3 Nd6 0:00 1/4 0.50 5637 1.Nb3 b6 2.Bd3 Nd6 0:00 1/4 0.52 12594 1.Nf3 a5 2.Rb1 axb4 3.axb4 0:00 1/5 0.41 16312 1.Nf3 Nd6 2.c5 Nc4 3.Bc1 b5 0:00 1/5 0.43 34263 1.Bd3 b6 2.c5 Rd8 3.Nf3 Bb3 0:00 1/6 0.43 46231 1.Bd3 b6 2.c5 Rd8 3.Nf3 Bb3 0:00 1/7 0.32 127060 1.Bd3 a5 2.c5 axb4 3.axb4 Ra3 4.Rc1 Kg8 0:02 1/8 0.30 432467 1.Bd3 Bh6 2.Bc5 b6 3.Be7 Kg7 4.b5 c5 5.Nf3 0:03 1/8 0.39 591755 1.Nb3 b6 2.h4 Be7 3.h5 Nd6 4.Nd2 f5 5.hxg6 hxg6 0:06 1/9 0.31 1179227 1.Nb3 b6 2.Kh2 Nd6 3.Nd2 Rd8 4.c5 bxc5 5.Bxc5 0:12 2/10 0.33 2481574 1.Nb3 b6 2.Kh2 Nd6 3.Nd2 b5 4.c5 Nf7 5.Nf3 a5 0:39 3/11 0.30 8334131 1.Nb3 b6 2.Kh2 Bd6 3.g3 Rd8 4.f3 Nb5 5.Nxb5 cxb5 6.Nd2 Ng5 1:32 4/12 0.30 19992813 1.Nb3 b6 2.Kh2 Rd8 3.Rxd8 Nxd8 4.g3 Kg7 5.Nd2 Bd6 6.f3 Bd7 7.f4 exf4 8.gxf4 5:46 5/13 0.23 76393696 1.Nb3 b6 2.Kh2 Ne8 3.g3 Bg7 4.Nd2 Rd8 5.c5 b5 6.a4 bxa4 7.Nxa4 f5 8.Nc3 18:00 6/14 0.27 246075335 1.Nb3 b6 2.Kh2 Ne8 3.g3 Bg7 4.Nd2 Rd8 5.c5 Bh6 6.f4 exf4 7.Bxf4 Bxf4 8.gxf4 bxc5 9.bxc5 1:17:07 7/15 0.14 1070145263 1.Nb3 b6 2.h4 Ne8 3.g3 f5 4.Nd2 Rd8 5.exf5 gxf5 6.c5 bxc5 7.bxc5 Nf6 8.Rb1 Bh6 jm
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