Kramnik - Deep Fritz Game 1

Today Kramnik played his first game with white in his 6 game match with Deep Fritz. On move 14 Kramnik could have played an interesting queen sacrifice but clearly preferred a calm positional game. The endgame was not played perfectly by Fritz but Kramnik also did not show his usual best. He seems to have missed a win as the following analysis will show.


(24) GM Kramnik,Vladimir [MAN] (2750) - COMP Deep Fritz 10 [MACHINE] [E03]
RAG World Chess Challenge Bonn GER (1), 25.11.2006

Analysis Rybka 2.2

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 dxc4 5.Qa4+ Nbd7 6.Qxc4 a6 7.Qd3 c5 8.dxc5 Bxc5 9.Nf3 0-0 10.0-0 Qe7 11.Nc3 b6 12.Ne4!? Nxe4 13.Qxe4 Nf6 -0.12/17 14.Qh4 Diagram



[14.Qxa8 Bb7 15.Qxf8+ Kxf8 16.a3 Ne4 (16...a5 17.b4 axb4 18.axb4 Bxb4 19.Ra7 Nd5 20.Ne5 Bd6 21.Bb2+/= ; 16...e5 17.b4 Bd4 18.Ra2 Ne4 19.Rc2 Nd6 20.Nxd4 exd4 21.Bxb7 Qxb7 22.Rd1 Qd5 23.Rd3+/= ) 17.Nd2= ]

14...Bb7 15.Bg5 Rfd8 16.Bxf6 Qxf6 17.Qxf6 gxf6 18.Rfd1 Kf8 19.Ne1 Bxg2 20.Kxg2 f5 21.Rxd8+ Rxd8 22.Nd3 Bd4 23.Rc1 e5 24.Rc2 Rd5?! [24...a5 ]

25.Nb4 Rb5 26.Nxa6 Rxb2 27.Rxb2 Bxb2 28.Nb4 Kg7 it seems white has a winning endgame

29.Nd5 Bd4 30.a4?! Diagram



Rybka does not like this plan and wants to bring its King to the Q-side [30.e3 Bc5 31.Kf3 b5 (31...f6 32.Ke2 e4 33.Kd2 Kf7 34.Kc3 Ke6 35.Kc4+- ) 32.Ke2 e4 33.Kd2 Kg6 34.Kc3 Bd6 35.Kb3 Kg5 36.Nc3 b4 37.Nb5 Bf8 38.h3 h5 39.Nd4 Bd6 40.Kc4 Bf8 41.Nc2+- ]

30...Bc5 31.h3 Diagram



[31.f4!? e4! (31...exf4 32.gxf4 f6 33.e3 Kf7 34.Kf3 Ke6 35.Nc7+ Kd7 36.Nb5 Kc6 37.Ke2 Kd5 38.Kd3 Kc6 39.h3 Kb7 40.Nd4 Ka6 41.Kc4 Ka5 42.Nb3+ Kxa4 43.Nxc5+ bxc5 44.Kxc5+- ) 32.Kf1 f6 33.Ke1 Kf7 34.Kd2 Ke6 35.Nc7+ Kd7 36.Nb5 Kc6 37.Kc3 Bg1 38.Nd4+ Bxd4+ 39.Kxd4 Kd6 40.h3 h5= ]

31...f6 32.f3 Kg6 33.e4 h5!= 34.g4 hxg4 35.hxg4 fxe4 36.fxe4 Kg5 37.Kf3 Kg6 38.Ke2 Kg5 39.Kd3!? last attempt for a win

39...Bg1 [39...Kxg4 40.Nxf6+ Kf3 41.Kc4 Be7 42.Nd7 Kxe4 43.Nxb6 Bd8 44.a5 Kf5= ]

40.Kc4 Bf2 41.Kb5 Kxg4 42.Nxf6+ Kf3 43.Kc6 Bh4 44.Nd7 Kxe4 45.Kxb6 Bf2+ 46.Kc6 Be1 47.Nxe5 1/2-1/2

Tal Memorial: Shirov - Aronian

In the 4th round of the Tal Memorial Aronian may have played the game of the year. In what seemed like a drawn endgame he uncorcked the brilliant Ke8!! which puts white in zugzwang and wins. Shirov failed to equalize in an earlier phase, playing 31.Qb1?! instead of 31.Be5!. Wonderfull chess!!

(15) Shirov,Alexei - Aronian,Levon [C89]
Tal Memorial Moscow RUS (4), 10.11.2006

C89: Closed Ruy Lopez: Marshall Attack

Analysis by Rybka 2.1.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.c3 d5 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Rxe5 c6 12.d4 Bd6 13.Re1 Qh4 14.g3 Qh3 15.Re4 g5 16.Qf1 Qh5 17.Nd2 Bf5 18.f3 Nf6 19.a4 [Theory is 19.Re1 Rae8 20.Rxe8 Rxe8 21.a4 Qg6 ]

19...Nxe4 20.Nxe4 Qg6 21.Nxd6 Qxd6 22.Bxg5 Qg6 23.Qc1 Bd3 Diagram



24.axb5

[Slightly better is 24.Bf4 Rfe8 25.Be5 Bc4 26.Bc2 Bd3 27.Bxd3 Qxd3 28.Qf4 Qg6 29.g4= ]

24...axb5 25.Rxa8 Rxa8 26.Kf2 [26.Bf4 ]

26...Bc4 27.Bxc4 [27.Bc2 Bd3 28.Bd1 ]

27...bxc4 28.g4 Re8 29.Bf4 Qd3 30.Kg3 Qe2 Diagram



31.Qb1?!

[31.Be5! f6 32.Bxf6 Re3 33.Qh1 Qxb2 34.Bg5! Re6
(34...Rd3 35.Qe1 Qb8+ 36.Bf4 Qf8 37.Qe6+ Qf7+/- )
35.Qc1 Qxc1 36.Bxc1 Re2 37.Ba3 Rc2 38.Bb4= ]

31...Qe1+ 32.Qxe1 Rxe1 33.Bd6 Rg1+ 34.Kf2 Rb1 35.Ba3 Kg7 36.Kg3 Kg6 37.h3 h5 38.Kh4 Rg1 39.Bc5 Rg2 40.Ba3 f6 41.gxh5+ Kf5 42.f4 Diagram



42...Rg8?!

[Directly winning was 42...Rf2! 43.h6 Kg6 44.Kg3 Re2 45.h7 Re8-+ 46.Bd6
(46.Kg4 f5+ 47.Kh4 Rh8 )
46...Kf5 47.h4 Rh8 ]

43.Bd6 Ke6 Diagram



44.h6? With hindsight the decisive mistake, although it is very hard to see

[44.Ba3 seems to be holding eg 44...Rg2 45.h6 Kf7 46.Kh5 Rf2 47.h7 Kg7 48.Kg4 Kxh7 49.Kf5 Kg7 50.Ke6 Rxf4 51.Kd6 Rf2 52.Kxc6 Rg2
(52...f5 53.d5 Kf7 54.d6+- ; 52...Rd2 53.d5 Kf7 54.Bc5+-
53.d5 Kf7 54.Bc5 Rg8 and white must have at a draw at least]

44...Kxd6!! Assuming Aronian had already seen the winning continuation, this move is the start of a brilliant idea

45.Kh5 f5 46.h7 Rh8 47.Kg6 Ke7 48.Kg7 Diagram



48...Ke8!! 49.Kg6 [49.Kxh8? Kf8-+ and white is in zugzwang]

49...Kf8 Black simply waits until white is in zugzwang

50.h4 Ke7 51.Kg7 Ke8 52.Kg6 Kf8 53.h5 Ke7 54.Kg7 Ke8 55.Kg6 Kf8 56.h6 Diagram



56...Ke8 [56...Ke7 was also winning]

57.Kf6 Rxh7 58.Kg6 Rf7 and white resigned. After

59.h7 Rf8 60.Kg7 Rh8!! 61.Kg6 Kf8 it is over 0-1

Tal Memorial: Aronian - Morozevich

The Tal memorial is on its way with a tantilizing playing field. One of the most exciting games in the first round was Aronian, who once referred to himself as a cheap tactician, against Morozevich.

(14) Aronian,L (2741) - Morozevich,A (2747) [D27]
Tal Memorial Moscow RUS (1), 06.11.2006

Analysis with Rybka 2.1o 32-bit

D27: Queen's Gambit Accepted

1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 e6 3.c4 dxc4 4.e3 a6 5.a4 Nf6 6.Bxc4 c5 7.0-0 Nc6 8.Qe2 Be7 9.Rd1 Qc7 10.dxc5 0-0 11.b3 e5 12.h3 e4 13.Nd4 Ne5 14.b4 b6 15.Nd2 bxc5 16.bxc5 Bxc5 17.Ba3 Bxa3 18.Rxa3 Ng6 19.Nf1 Qc5 Diagram



Start of an original manouvre in the spirit of Tal. After 16... Ne5 the position is equal

20.Rc3 Qg5 21.Ng3 h5 22.Kh1?! Diagram



[22.Qc2 Bxh3 23.gxh3 h4 24.Bxf7+ Rxf7 25.Rc5+/- With the idea 26.Ne6 after 25...Ne5 or Nd5]

22...Nh4?! [22...h4 23.Nf1 Bd7= ]

23.Qc2 Nxg2 24.Kxg2 Better would have been

[24.Nxe4 Nxe4 25.Qxe4 Bxh3 Diagram



(25...Nh4? 26.Bxf7++- ) 26.Bd3! g6 27.Rg1+/= ]

24...h4 25.Bxf7+ Kxf7 26.Rc5 Bxh3+ 27.Kxh3 Qg4+ 28.Kg2 Diagram



28...hxg3?

[Black can hold with 28...Rfc8! 29.Rc7+ Kg6 30.Rc1 Rxc7 31.Qxc7 hxg3 32.Qxg3+/= ]

29.f3!+- exf3+ 30.Nxf3 Kg8 31.Qa2+ Diagram



[31.Rd4! Would have been faster 31...Qe6 32.Ng5 and the threat of Qc4+ and the open h-file can not be defended eg 32...Qe7 (32...Qe8 33.Qc4+ Rf7 34.Rc7+- ) 33.Rc7 Qxc7 34.Qxc7+- ]

31...Kh8 32.Rc4 Qf5 33.Rf4 Qh7 34.Rh4 Nh5 35.Rd5 Rf5 36.e4 Nf4+ 37.Kxg3 Rh5 38.Rxf4 Rh3+ 39.Kg4 Re8 40.Rdf5 Rg8 41.Qxg8+ Qxg8 42.Rf8 1-0

Cap D'Agde: Radjabov - Karjakin

The final in Cap D'Agde had an exciting finish when 16 year old Karjakin faced 19 year old Radjabov in two rapid games. The first game ended in a draw when Karjakin was unable to break through Radjabov's Sveshnikov. In the second game Radjabov treated Karjakin to a poisoned pawn Najdorf. I was following the game on Playchess and at first thought that Radjabov had been lucky as the engines indicated that black was better. Closer analysis revealed however that black was fighting for a draw at best.

(13) Radjabov,T (2729) - Karjakin,Sergey (2672) [B97]
KO Cap d'Agde FRA (3.2), 02.11.2006

Analysis with Rybka 2.1o 32-bit

B97: Sicilian Najdorf: Poisoned Pawn

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Qb6 8.Qd2 Qxb2 9.Rb1 Qa3 10.e5 dxe5 11.fxe5 Nfd7 12.Ne4 h6 13.Bh4 Qxa2 14.Rd1 Qb2 15.Qe3 Bc5 16.Be2 Nc6 17.c3 Qa3 18.0-0 0-0 19.Nf6+ Diagram



19...Nxf6-+ 20.Bxf6! [20.exf6 Nxd4 21.Rxd4 Bxd4 22.Qxd4 g6 23.Qe3 Kh7-+ is better for black]

20...Nxd4 21.Rxd4 Bxd4 as we will see later this will at best lead to a draw. However black can not afford to play for a win with eg

[21...Bd7?! Diagram



22.Rff4!! Rfc8 23.Rg4 g5 24.Rxg5+ hxg5 25.Qxg5+ Kf8 26.Qg7+ Ke8 27.Qg8+ Bf8 Diagram



28.Bh5!+- ]

22.Qxd4 Diagram



22...gxf6?? the critical mistake

[black has to be satisfied with a draw eg 22...Re8 23.Qg4 (23.Rf3 gxf6 24.Rg3+ Kh7 25.exf6 Qc1+ 26.Bf1 Kh8= ) 23...Qf8 24.Bd3 Bd7 25.Rf3= ;

or 22...Kh7 23.Bd3+ g6 24.h4 b6! (24...h5 25.g4 hxg4 26.Qxg4+- ) 25.Qxb6 Bd7 26.h5 Rac8 27.Qa7 Qc5+ 28.Qxc5 Rxc5 29.Be7 Rxc3 30.Bxf8 Rxd3 31.Rxf7+ Kg8 32.hxg6 Be8 33.Rf6 Bxg6 34.Rxg6+ Kxf8= ]

23.exf6+/- Qa5 24.h4 Diagram



24...Kh7?

[24...e5? looses to 25.Qe3! Rd8 26.Qh6x +-

but more tenacious was 24...Rd8! 25.Qg4+ Kf8 26.Qg7+ Ke8 27.Qg8+ Kd7 28.Rd1+ Kc6 29.Rxd8+/- ]

25.Bd3+ Qf5?

[although the position is lost better was 25...Kh8 26.Qe4 Qf5+/- 27.Qb4 Rg8 28.Bxf5 exf5+- ]

26.Re1 [26.Rf3! ]

26...Rg8 27.Kh2 [27.Qd6! ]

27...a5 [27...Kg6!? 28.Re3! e5 29.Bxf5+ Bxf5 30.Rxe5 Rad8 31.h5+ Kh7+- ]

28.g4 Qxd3 [28...Qg6 29.Re5! ]

29.Qxd3+ Kh8 30.Re5 Rxg4 31.Rh5 Rg6 32.Qd8+ Kh7 33.Qe7 1-0