if 52 Rxd6 Rb4 53 Bb5 Rxb5+ 54 Kxb5 Kxd6 55 Kxa5 Kxd5, and although White wins the race for Queen, the c pawn and King hold out because of the stalemate on h1.

Why is his reputation shot? Is there a specific win that he missed?

Why is his reputation shot?>

The position reached after 1.c4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Nf3 Nf6 is the Symmetrical English, Four Knights Variation. Then after 4.e3 e5 5.d4 we reach the present game. So yes, that would be a reasonable name for this opening. For games like this where ChessGames.com puts up the game before any moves have been played, it initially describes it as A00 (Uncommon Opening), since no one knows what opening will actually be played.

And indeed , after white grabbed the pawn 24. Nxe4 (but what else ?) , the following exchanges outlinied the drawish position with blocking monster on d6 .

This post is in response to his e-mail, it may also help other players as well.

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This is the position after fifty hard-fought moves.

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White: Kc5, Bd3, Rb3; WP's - a4, b2, d5, & f3.

Black: Kc7, Nd6, Rh4; BP's - a5, b7, & f6.

White played the natural and aggressive: 51.Rb6 ('!') here.

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Black looks to be in BIG trouble, natural (retreating) moves will get him into big trouble, for example: 51...Ne8; 52.Re6 Kd8; 53.Bg6 Nc7; 54.Rxf6, and White should win handily.

Instead Black played: 51...RxP/a4! (Maybe - '!!')

This yields this position:

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This prompted my student, (Who was watching this game live on the Internet.); to write: "Didn't Black just hang his Knight on d6? This is easy stuff, even I can see that Rxd6 wins for White." (Another Internet student went on analyze some lines ... one critical variation involves a "Pawn race.")

OK David, let me walk you through this.

Kramnik played 52.b3! (Also b4 was good as well.) But let's examine what happens if White grabs the "free" Knight.

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But let's examine what happens if White had taken the "free Knight."

Let's pretend for a minute that White had taken the Knight: 51.RxN/d6!?and then Black played: 51...Rb4! This would have given us this position:

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Let's pretend (for a moment) that anything is possible ... Rooks can jump over Pawns. (This is not a legal move, I know, but let's just do it to illustrate a point.)

So ... 52.R/d6-h6, going to an ideal square.

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Black would respond: 52...b6#. (Mate!)

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It is PRECISELY this threat that eliminates an "EASY WINS" for White, OK?

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Now back to the game analysis:

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We are analyzing the POSSIBLE 52.RxN/d6!?

Play could continue:
52...Rb4!; 53.Bb5,
White tries to blcok the b-file.

(The line of: 53.Rxf6 b6+; 54.Rxb6 Rxb6; 55.Bb5, "=" yields an unclear position, but is also a draw. )

53...Rxb5+!; 54.Kxb5 Kxd6; 55.Kxa5 Kxd5; 56.Kb6 Kd4; 57.Kxb7 f5; 58.b4 f4; 59.b5 Ke3; 60.b6 Kxf3; 61.Kc6 Kg2; 62.b7 f3; 63.b8Q f2; 64.Qg8+ Kh1; 65.Qc4 Kg1; 66.Qg4+ Kh1; 67.Qf3+ Kg1; 68.Qg3+,

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(68.Qg4+!?)

68...Kh1!; 69.Qxf2, Draw. (Stalemate.)

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You are welcome!! :)