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Viswanathan Anand vs Vladimir Kramnik
London Chess Classic (2011), London ENG, rd 6, Dec-09
Queen's Gambit Declined: Harrwitz Attack. Two Knights Defense (D37)  ·  1/2-1/2

ANALYSIS [x]

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Kibitzer's Corner
Dec-09-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  Penguincw: Interesting exchange sac by Anand. This is much more exciting than the last time I watched an Anand-Kramnik game live (Anand vs Kramnik, 2011).
Dec-09-11  Ulhumbrus: Given that on 30 Nxe5 Black equalizes with the counter sacrifice 30...Bxe4!! this suggests 30 Ke3 delaying the capture Nxe5 but also preventing the counter-sacrifice 30...Bxe4.

On 30 Ke3 Re8 31 Nc7 forks the Rooks

On 30 Ke3 Nd7 31 b4 gets ready for Nb5-c6 and in reply to 31...Ba6, 32 b5.

Dec-10-11  visayanbraindoctor: I thought that Anand obtained a nearly overwhelming position after his exchange 'sacrifice', which was not really a sacrifice but a fair exchange of N + P + P vs R.

30...Bxe4!! bailed Kramnik out.

Both players seem in form in this game.

Dec-10-11  VaselineTopLove: Anand's play seems more confident and lively when he plays against Kramnik.
Dec-10-11  Albertan: Anand draws with Kramnik in Chess Classics :http://sports.ndtv.com/othersports/...

London Classic Rd6: All games drawn after hard fights:http://chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp...

Dec-10-11  Ulhumbrus: <visayanbraindoctor> I was going to say something similar. After Anand offered the exchange sacrifice 25 axb5!! - a sacrifice which Kramnik had not considered - it may have crossed Kramnik's mind that Anand had offered the kind of exchange sacrifice which Kramnik himself liked to offer, and that Anand was using Kramnik's own weapons against him. Following this however the counter - sacrifice 30...Bxe4!! saved Black's game.

Both Anand and Kramnik showed their strength in this game.

Dec-13-11  Reisswolf: Neither Stockfish 2.1.1 nor Houdini 1.5a seems to think that Kramnik's 30..Bxe4 was necessary. Stockfish recommends 30..Rab8, while Houdini 1.5a recommends 30..Nd7 (which happens to be Stockfish's second choice).

What are these powerful engines missing?

Dec-13-11  lost in space: <<What are these powerful engines missing?>>

That humans are playing and there is sometimes no need to go very high risk as a draw is good enough

Dec-13-11  Reisswolf: I get that. But it just seemed from some of the other postings that by counter-sacrificing the bishop, Kramnik avoided some specific overwhelming threat, not just a generally unfavourable position which would require very precise moves. (Incidentally, both the engines evaluate the position before Kramnik's 30..Bxe4 as almost dead equal.)
Dec-13-11  polarmis: <Reisswolf>, the sac wasn't necessary, but it was a clear-cut way to force a quick draw. Otherwise Anand could probably have tortured Kramnik for another 50 moves - although given his play of late he might have settled for finding a repetition in 5 :)
Dec-31-11  Ulhumbrus: <Reisswolf:...What are these powerful engines missing?> Perhaps, as <Polarmis> has suggested, that some positions are more difficult for human players to play than others, even if the computer evaluation of these positions may be the same.
Jan-08-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  Penguincw: Maybe they could play on a little longer.

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