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Vladimir Kramnik - Immortal masterpieces
Compiled by Karpova
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Vladimir Kramnik, the 14th Chess Worldchampion (2000 to 2007) belongs to the strongest chessplayers ever.

He is extremely versatile and can either play exciting attacking chess or deep positional chess.

Vladimir Borisovich possesses deep chess understanding and breathtaking technique. Regarding his endgame prowess he can be compared to all-time Greats such as Akiba Rubinstein, Jose Raul Capablanca and Anatoly Karpov.

Volodya's games are also very instructive and that's why my description will point towards the decisive part of the game (e.g. endgame, novelty or attack). Sure, everything is connected to each other and this seldomly so clearly visible as in Kramnik's games where often the opening seems to flow into a slightly better endgame without an interruption.

I for you to enjoy this small collection which gives but a brief summary of Kramnik's fantastic career.

Endgame mastery: N vs N
Topalov vs Kramnik, 2001 
(A17) English, 47 moves, 0-1

Blindfolded attack: Such a beauty, such a beauty
Kramnik vs Topalov, 2003 
(B45) Sicilian, Taimanov, 39 moves, 1-0

Endgame mastery: Facing the Benko gambit - R + 5p vs R + 5p
Kramnik vs Topalov, 2003 
(A58) Benko Gambit, 57 moves, 1-0

Rapid but indistinguishable from Classical - Part 1
Kramnik vs Topalov, 2006 
(D45) Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav, 45 moves, 1-0

Rapid but indistinguishable from Classical - Part 2
Kramnik vs Topalov, 2006 
(D47) Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav, 45 moves, 1-0

Tactics - Against all rules
Kramnik vs Topalov, 2006  
(E10) Queen's Pawn Game, 43 moves, 1-0

Attacking chess: Rxf6 sacrifice for a mating attack
Kramnik vs Leko, 2000 
(B44) Sicilian, 32 moves, 1-0

Positional chess: Capablanca style
Kramnik vs Leko, 2001 
(E42) Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3 c5, 5.Ne2 (Rubinstein), 51 moves, 1-0

Tactics: Brutal mating attack to counter Leko's threats
Leko vs Kramnik, 2004 
(B33) Sicilian, 36 moves, 0-1

Endgame mastery: Sacrificing the Q for B+R and a passed pawn
Leko vs Kramnik, 2004  
(C42) Petrov Defense, 65 moves, 0-1

Attacking chess: Epic king march
Kramnik vs Leko, 2004  
(B12) Caro-Kann Defense, 41 moves, 1-0

Endgame mastery: Superior piece coordintation
Kramnik vs Leko, 2006 
(E32) Nimzo-Indian, Classical, 48 moves, 1-0

Endgame mastery: Pawn majority on the Queen's side
Kramnik vs Leko, 2007 
(E06) Catalan, Closed, 5.Nf3, 62 moves, 1-0

Attacking chess: Queen sacrifice - B + R + passed pawn vs Q
Kramnik vs Anand, 1996 
(A14) English, 41 moves, 1-0

Power of the isolani on d4
Kramnik vs Anand, 1999 
(D27) Queen's Gambit Accepted, Classical, 70 moves, 1-0

Endgame mastery: Rook ending
Kramnik vs Anand, 2001 
(D27) Queen's Gambit Accepted, Classical, 39 moves, 1-0

Defense: Cold blooded and active defense
Anand vs Kramnik, 2004 
(C84) Ruy Lopez, Closed, 60 moves, 1/2-1/2

Endgame mastery: Backward pawn and Bishop pair
Kramnik vs Anand, 2007 
(E06) Catalan, Closed, 5.Nf3, 53 moves, 1-0

Endgame mastery: Rook ending
Shirov vs Kramnik, 2001 
(B12) Caro-Kann Defense, 53 moves, 0-1

Endgame mastery: N vs N ending
Kramnik vs Shirov, 2007 
(E06) Catalan, Closed, 5.Nf3, 51 moves, 1-0

Attacking chess: Pawn avalanche
Kramnik vs Kasparov, 1994 
(E93) King's Indian, Petrosian System, 41 moves, 1-0

Attacking chess: Absolutely stunning!
Kasparov vs Kramnik, 1996 
(D47) Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav, 35 moves, 0-1

Strategy: How to completely outplay your opponent
Kramnik vs Kasparov, 2000 
(D85) Grunfeld, 40 moves, 1-0

Tactics: Outside passed pawns and tied-down black pieces
Kramnik vs Kasparov, 2001 
(D44) Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav, 36 moves, 1-0

Strategy: Paralysing black's pieces
Kramnik vs Morozevich, 2001 
(D12) Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, 38 moves, 1-0

Attacking chess: Tactical slugfest
Kramnik vs Morozevich, 2007 
(E04) Catalan, Open, 5.Nf3, 27 moves, 1-0

Endgame mastery: R+N vs R+N
Kramnik vs Adams, 1996 
(A17) English, 87 moves, 1-0

Endgame mastery: Queen ending
Kramnik vs Adams, 2000 
(E15) Queen's Indian, 49 moves, 1-0

Attacking chess: Queen sacrifice
Ivanchuk vs Kramnik, 1993 
(B57) Sicilian, 33 moves, 0-1

Material imbalance: 2R+2p vs R+B+N
Kramnik vs Ivanchuk, 1995 
(D21) Queen's Gambit Accepted, 50 moves, 1-0

Endgame mastery: N vs B - Exploiting structural weaknesses
Kramnik vs Ivanchuk, 1996 
(A15) English, 47 moves, 1-0

Attacking chess: Mating attack
Ivanchuk vs Kramnik, 1996 
(B62) Sicilian, Richter-Rauzer, 32 moves, 0-1

Strategy: Semi-slav, Botvinnik variation
Kramnik vs Ivanchuk, 1996 
(D44) Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav, 25 moves, 1-0

Strategy: Counter attack
Ivanchuk vs Kramnik, 1997 
(B65) Sicilian, Richter-Rauzer Attack, 7...Be7 Defense, 9...Nxd4, 41 moves, 0-1

Endgame mastery: R vs B+N
Ivanchuk vs Kramnik, 1998 
(C42) Petrov Defense, 58 moves, 0-1

Strategy: Active pieces, exploiting the backrank weakness
Kramnik vs Karpov, 1997 
(E32) Nimzo-Indian, Classical, 35 moves, 1-0

Strategy: Space advantage, King's side attack
Kramnik vs Karpov, 1997 
(A14) English, 39 moves, 1-0

Strategy: Tactics to exploit uncoordinated pieces
Kramnik vs Karpov, 1999 
(D27) Queen's Gambit Accepted, Classical, 32 moves, 1-0

Endgame mastery: B+N vs 2N
Kramnik vs Karpov, 1999 
(D27) Queen's Gambit Accepted, Classical, 68 moves, 1-0

Strategy: Choking your opponent
Kramnik vs Polgar, 1996 
(E97) King's Indian, 44 moves, 1-0

Strategy: Playing against a strong centre
Kramnik vs Polgar, 1997 
(E97) King's Indian, 38 moves, 1-0

Endgame mastery: Opposite coloured bishops, a tough fight
Polgar vs Kramnik, 2003 
(B33) Sicilian, 97 moves, 1/2-1/2

Endgame mastery: 2R vs Q
Polgar vs Kramnik, 2005 
(B33) Sicilian, 59 moves, 1/2-1/2

Defense: Refuting a groundless attack
Kramnik vs Polgar, 2005 
(E32) Nimzo-Indian, Classical, 62 moves, 1-0

Endgame mastery: 2R + 2p vs 2R + B
Kramnik vs Naiditsch, 2007 
(E04) Catalan, Open, 5.Nf3, 47 moves, 1-0

Opening novelty: Didn't help white
Ponomariov vs Kramnik, 2003 
(B31) Sicilian, Rossolimo Variation, 40 moves, 0-1

Defense: Tough and complicated battle
Ponomariov vs Kramnik, 2005 
(B33) Sicilian, 45 moves, 1/2-1/2

Tactics, Endgame mastery: R vs R
Kramnik vs Ponomariov, 2005 
(B17) Caro-Kann, Steinitz Variation, 60 moves, 1-0

Attacking chess: Steamroller
Kramnik vs Radjabov, 2003 
(C11) French, 36 moves, 1-0

Attacking chess: Piece coordination
Kramnik vs E Alekseev, 2007 
(E00) Queen's Pawn Game, 31 moves, 1-0

Strategy: Passed pawn
Kramnik vs Aronian, 2006 
(A15) English, 37 moves, 1-0

Opening novelty, Material imbalance: Q+R+2B vs Q+2R
Kramnik vs Aronian, 2007 
(E15) Queen's Indian, 35 moves, 1-0

Tactics: Knight sacrifice in the endgame
Kramnik vs Gelfand, 2001 
(E06) Catalan, Closed, 5.Nf3, 60 moves, 1-0

Strategy: Passed c-pawn
Kramnik vs Gelfand, 2007 
(D45) Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav, 62 moves, 1-0

Opening novelty: Crushing victory in a rapid game
Kramnik vs Carlsen, 2007 
(D39) Queen's Gambit Declined, Ragozin, Vienna Variation, 24 moves, 1-0

Attacking chess: Trapping the king in the centre
Kramnik vs L Bruzon Batista, 2006 
(D52) Queen's Gambit Declined, 32 moves, 1-0

Attacking chess: Double discovered check
Kramnik vs Sadvakasov, 2001 
(D27) Queen's Gambit Accepted, Classical, 21 moves, 1-0

Strategy: Passed pawns in the middlegame
Bologan vs Kramnik, 2004 
(C67) Ruy Lopez, 38 moves, 0-1

Endgame mastery: Zugzwang
Kramnik vs Z Zhang, 2004 
(A17) English, 78 moves, 1-0

Endgame mastery: Bishops of the same colour
Van Wely vs Kramnik, 1990 
(A90) Dutch, 63 moves, 0-1

Strategy: Positional play against the Sicilian Dragon
Kramnik vs Van Wely, 2004 
(B30) Sicilian, 45 moves, 1-0

Strategy: Sacrificing a pawn to get a passed pawn
Kramnik vs Svidler, 1998 
(D86) Grunfeld, Exchange, 30 moves, 1-0

Strategy: Active rooks against an exposed king
Kramnik vs Svidler, 2005 
(B41) Sicilian, Kan, 28 moves, 1-0

Endgame mastery: Active Queen
Kramnik vs A Kogan, 2005 
(A17) English, 49 moves, 1-0

Strategy: 2R+2B vs 2R+2N
Kramnik vs M Ulybin, 1992 
(E11) Bogo-Indian Defense, 49 moves, 1-0

Strategy: Exploiting weak black squares
Kramnik vs Piket, 1995 
(E06) Catalan, Closed, 5.Nf3, 49 moves, 1-0

Tactics, Endgame mastery: Bishop sacrifice (declined)
Kramnik vs Bareev, 2003 
(B18) Caro-Kann, Classical, 48 moves, 1-0

Attacking chess: Wrecking the king's side pawn formation
Kramnik vs Short, 1995 
(D53) Queen's Gambit Declined, 25 moves, 1-0

Attacking chess: Temporary piece sacrifice
Kramnik vs Beliavsky, 1995 
(A06) Reti Opening, 18 moves, 1-0

Attacking chess: Knight on the sixth rank
Kramnik vs J Nogueiras, 1993 
(D37) Queen's Gambit Declined, 44 moves, 1-0

The power of passed pawns
Kramnik vs Nunn, 1992 
(E81) King's Indian, Samisch, 33 moves, 1-0

Kramnik's tribute to Fischer
Kramnik vs Aronian, 2008 
(D44) Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav, 110 moves, 1-0

A positional killer
Portisch vs Kramnik, 1993 
(D13) Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, Exchange Variation, 42 moves, 0-1

A win, at least!
Kramnik vs Anand, 2008 
(E20) Nimzo-Indian, 29 moves, 1-0

2R vs R+2N
Kramnik vs Short, 2008 
(D07) Queen's Gambit Declined, Chigorin Defense, 47 moves, 1-0

Return of the Petrov
Naiditsch vs Kramnik, 2009 
(C42) Petrov Defense, 27 moves, 0-1

Predator
Kramnik vs Carlsen, 2009 
(D37) Queen's Gambit Declined, 36 moves, 1-0

Too much pressure to take
Carlsen vs Kramnik, 2010 
(E04) Catalan, Open, 5.Nf3, 38 moves, 0-1

Kramnik's KID
J Gustafsson vs Kramnik, 2012 
(E92) King's Indian, 27 moves, 0-1

Na5!
Kramnik vs Aronian, 2012 
(D10) Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, 35 moves, 1-0

Pawn majority in motion
Kramnik vs Svidler, 2013 
(D85) Grunfeld, 40 moves, 1-0

out of world technique
Kramnik vs Vitiugov, 2013 
(A07) King's Indian Attack, 50 moves, 1-0

82 games

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