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Vladimir Kramnik vs Sergey Karjakin
World Championship Candidates (2014), Khanty-Mansiysk RUS, rd 2, Mar-14
Queen's Gambit Accepted: Central Variation. Alekhine System (D20)  ·  1-0

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
a
1
b
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d
e
f
g
h
White to move.
ANALYSIS [x]
Notes by Stockfish 9 v010218 (minimum 6s/ply)better is 13.Qh6 Bd7 14.Qg7 Rf8 15.Qxh7 Bb5 16.Qxg6+ Kd7 17.Ne2 ⩲ +0.98 (25 ply) 13...Nc4 14.Ne2 Nxe3 15.fxe3 O-O 16.Ng3 Bd7 17.Nxe4 a5 = +0.46 (22 ply) ⩲ +1.23 (24 ply)better is 16...Bb5 17.c4 Bxc4 18.Nc3 Qc6 19.Rfc1 Nd5 20.Nxe4 O-O = +0.42 (22 ply) ⩲ +1.04 (20 ply) after 17.Rfc1 O-O-O 18.Bg5 Rdf8 19.Bh6 Rf5 20.Ng3 a6 21.Nxf5 19...Qa4 20.Qxe6+ Kb8 21.Rb1 a5 22.Qb3 Qxb3 23.Rxb3 Rd5 = +0.39 (23 ply) ⩲ +1.44 (22 ply) after 20.Rxc6 bxc6 21.Nxe4 h5 22.Qe2 Qc4 23.Qc2 Qa4 24.Qb2 Qb5 22.Qf7 Rhf8 23.Qxh7 Nxc4 24.Bh6 e3 25.Bxf8 Nd2 26.Rxc6 ⩲ +0.94 (23 ply)= +0.03 (25 ply) 23...Nxe3 24.Nxe4 Qd5 25.Rc5 Qxe4 26.Qxe3 Qxe3 27.fxe3 = 0.00 (25 ply) ⩲ +1.18 (24 ply) 25...Qb2 26.Qf3 Nd5 27.Bc1 Qa2 28.Qh3 Nb6 29.Bg5 Na4 ⩲ +0.69 (24 ply) 26.Ra1 Rd8 27.Qg4 Qc4 28.Qf3 Qb5 29.Qe4 Qb2 30.Rc1 Rd5 ± +2.24 (22 ply) ⩲ +1.37 (23 ply) after 26...Qa2 27.Qf3 Nd5 28.Qd1 Ka8 29.Bd2 Nb6 30.Ra1 Qb2 28...Qe4 29.Nxc6 Qf5 30.Qh4 Nd5 31.Bh6 Qd3 32.Qg4 Nc3 ± +1.64 (23 ply) 29.Bh6 Rb8 30.Qc3 Qd7 31.Nxc6 Rhe8 32.Bg5 Ka8 33.Nxb8 +- +2.89 (24 ply) ⩲ +0.78 (24 ply)better is 31...Kb8 32.Nb3 Nxe3 33.fxe3 Rf8 34.Qe2 Rxe5 35.Nc5 Rxc5 ⩲ +0.79 (23 ply)better is 32.Rc5 Qd7 33.Qe4 c6 34.h3 Rd8 35.Qc2 Rc8 36.Bd2 Nb6 ⩲ +1.46 (24 ply) 32...Ra6 33.Nc6 Qe6 34.Nb4 Ra5 35.f3 Rb5 36.Rc6 Qf7 ⩲ +0.84 (23 ply)better is 33.Rc5 c6 34.Nxc6 Rc8 35.h4 Rbxc6 36.Rxd5 Qb7 37.f3 Re6 ± +1.66 (25 ply) 33...Rd8 34.Rc5 Rd7 35.f4 h5 36.Nc6 Qe6 37.f5 gxf5 ⩲ +1.13 (23 ply)+- +3.46 (26 ply) 37...Qd7 38.Rxg6 c6 39.Rxg4 Nxe3 40.fxe3 Qd5 41.h4 Qxe4 +- +2.54 (22 ply)better is 38.e6 g3 39.hxg3 Kb8 40.Rf7 Qh5 41.e7 Nxe7 42.Qxe7 Rc8 +- +7.57 (26 ply) 38...Qd7 39.e6 Qd6 40.Rf7 Re8 41.Rd7 Qc6 42.Qxd5 Rxe6 +- +4.02 (26 ply)+- +9.88 (23 ply); 39...Qe8 40.Bxd8 Qxd8 41.Qxg4 Ne7 42.Rg7 Kb7 43.Qe6 Qxd4 +- +9.27 (22 ply)1-0

rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1
FEN COPIED

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Given 16 times; par: 60 [what's this?]

Annotations by Stockfish (Computer).      [35437 more games annotated by Stockfish]

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Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 2 OF 2 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Mar-14-14  patcheck: What happens if after 23. Rxc6 black answers 23. ... Nxe3 (instead of 23. bxc6) ?

I think white should'nt play 24. fxe3 because of 24. ... Qxe3 + followed by 25. ... bxc6.

So white best answer seems to me : 24. Nxe4 bxc6 (24. ... Nxf1 ? 25. Qxb3) and now white has two answers : 25. fxe3 or 25. Qxe3. I think 25. fxe3 is better to avoid exchange queens being down an exchange.

But I think that this continuation could be better for black.

And also black could play this way : 23. ... Nxe3 24. Nxe4 Qd3 !? and white has three main continuation I believe : 25. fxe3 / 25 .Qxe3 / 25. R6c1.

So, what do chessgame viewers and computers think about this line ?

Mar-14-14  Refused: <visayanbraindoctor: I meant in general R vs minor piece sac on a Bishop three square. It was a bishop Kramnik took. Not a Knight. <think his repertoire is weak> It was Grischuk who first mentioned this in public, and if he was not being sarcastic, he was most probably referring to Kramnik's Blacks.

<Refused: what he played in that situation against Ivanchuk.>

Ivanchuk actually opened with d4. >

Ah, I knew it was pirc, but I did not remember it started with 1.d4

Kramnik also tried the Pirc or Modern defense against Grischuk in the candidates cycle before that in a must win situation, that might have also been influenced by the fact it was just a blitz game. Though, Kramnik really seems to struggle a bit getting fihgting positions as black. In his younger years he used to play the sicilian quite frequently, but I really can't remember when he last played a sicilian on top level. In that respect Svidler seems a bit better equipped, because he has a wider arsenal of openings. Kramnik is ofc still the better player.

Mar-14-14  fgh: <Kramnik has nothing <useful> if he needs a win with black and is confronted with 1.e4

You can check out last year's candidates tournament, what he played in that situation against Ivanchuk.>

Ivanchuk played 1. d4.

Anyway, I too find it disappointing that Kramnik has nothing aggressive against 1. e4. Although Kramnik has experimented a lot in recent years, he has not experimented with replies to 1. e4. Why not try the Classical French?

Mar-14-14  Fanques Fair: Very nice game. Kramnik can still bite hard .
Mar-14-14  Fanques Fair: It seems 9-... N4d5 could be a better try, to blocade the d4 pawn.
Mar-14-14  cro777: A theoretically important novelty. Kramnik prepared it one year ago (for the 2013 Candidates).

Kramnik: "9.a3 will open a new direction in the theory of this opening".

Queen's Gambit Accepted: 3.e4 Nf6, 6.Bd3 Nc6 7.Be3

(This variation leads to sharp play. The alternative 7.Ne2 leads to the more quiet play).

1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e4 Nf6 4. e5 Nd5 5. Bxc4 Nb6 6. Bd3 Nc6 7. Be3 Nb4 8. Be4 f5


click for larger view

Here, the main line is <9.exf6>. White doesn't continue with the central pawns now that with 8...f5 he has gained a concession from Black (king's weakness), and piece play can become prevalent.

In this game Kramnik introduced <9.a3>, a very interesting new idea which he had already prepared for last year's Candidates' Tournament.

Karjakin said that he had been outplayed basically from the start. Kramnik praised the opponent for finding several computer moves in a row.

Mar-14-14  Ezzy: To answer Makavelli11's question regarding why houdini prefers the excellent 26 Ra1! - it is because it threatens 27 Bd2 and if 27...Qxd4 then 28 Qa3 is a monster move threatening 29 Qxa7+ Kf8 30 Qa8+ Nxa8 31 Rxa8 MATE!!

Kramnik missed this very strong idea of
26 Ra1! and swinging the queen over to a3.

A nice game though by Kramnik and a confident start to the tournament.

Mar-14-14  cro777: The move 9.а3 has never been played on a top level before.

However, there's one game with this move. In the game Michal Jancharski (2335) - Michal Bartel (2273) at the 115th YMCA Masters (Warsaw, Poland 2013) Bartel played 9.a3.


click for larger view

9...fxe4

Karjakin noted he understood Kramnik was prepared for 9...fxe4, however, he still decided to go on with the most principle continuation.

In the aforementioned game Bartel opted for 9...N4d5.

Mar-14-14  Kaspablanca: Kramnik at his best.
Mar-14-14  Whitehat1963: Sorry, but Kramnik just kicked his butt. He was in control the entire way.
Mar-14-14
Premium Chessgames Member
  Check It Out: Kramnik probably scours all the YMCA tournaments for such great novelties.
Mar-14-14  Petrosianic: <Kramnik has nothing <useful> if he needs a win with black and is confronted with 1.e4

You can check out last year's candidates tournament, what he played in that situation against Ivanchuk.>

Yep. He used to have the Sveshnikov. Not sure what happened to that.

Mar-15-14
Premium Chessgames Member
  Check It Out: Fascinating game. Kramnik played with some imagination here.
Mar-15-14  Capoue: what wrong with 24..., Nxe3?
It looks the most natural.
Mar-15-14  positionalgenius: What a game!
Mar-15-14  RookFile: Nice game by Kramnik!
Mar-16-14  SChesshevsky: < cro777: The move 9.à3 has never been played on a top level before. However, there's one game with this move. In the game Michal Jancharski (2335) - Michal Bartel (2273) at the 115th YMCA Masters (Warsaw, Poland 2013) Bartel played 9.a3.>

Thanks for the info. It would seem 9...N4d5 is adequate and maybe better than the game continuation.

I didn't see Jancharski-Bartel 2013 on the site. How did that line play out for the next half-dozen or so moves?

Mar-16-14  cro777: <SChesshevsky: I didn't see Jancharski-Bartel 2013 on the site. How did that line play out for the next half-dozen or so moves?>

Jancharski - Bartel (YMCA Masters Tournament, Warsaw, Poland 2013)

1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e4 Nf6 4. e5 Nd5 5. Bxc4 Nb6 6. Bd3 Nc6 7. Be3 Nb4 8. Be4 f5 9. a3 <The main move here is 9.exf6. In one game 9.Nf3 has also been tried>


click for larger view

9...N4d5 <Karjakin thought 9...fxe4 was the most principled answer> 10. Bd3 Nxe3 11. fxe3 e6 12. Nf3 g5 13. Nc3 g4 14. Nd2 c5 15. Nc4 cxd4 16. Nxb6 Qxb6 17. Bb5+ Kf7 18. exd4 Bh6 19. Qd3 a6 20. Bc4 Qxb2 21. O-O Kg7 22. Ra2 Qb6 23. Kh1 Rd8 24. d5 Qe3 25. Qxe3 Bxe3 26. dxe6 Bd4 27. e7 Re8 28. Nd5 Be6 29. Rd2 Bxe5 30. Re2 Draw

Mar-17-14  Eduardo Bermudez: Game of the highest category !!
Mar-19-14
Premium Chessgames Member
  Natalia Pogonina: Annotations by GM Arkadij Naiditsch:
http://pogonina.com/index.php?optio...
Mar-19-14  haydn20: < Natalia Pogonina: Annotations by GM Arkadij Naiditsch> Thanks for the link! I certainly did not realize the import of the innovation 9. a3!--it really puts all Black's plans into question. Also, some of the fantasy lines after 23. Rxc6! are quite beautiful, and I would never have found them. Finally, AN gives Karjakin great credit for fine defensive play in a nearly hopeless cause. What a difference a tempo can make!
Apr-03-14  Ulhumbrus: After 9 a3 is it necessary for Black to accept a pawn? After 9...Nb4-d5 both of White's bishops are attacked

10...e6 obstructs Black's QB. Instead of this 10...Be6 ( threatening 11...Bc4) 11 b3 Bd7 prepares to develop the bishop on to the square b5

Feb-20-16  Turtle3: awesome game!!!!!
Feb-20-16  morfishine: This one's a Beaut, first class all the way, don't know how I missed it
Mar-10-23
Premium Chessgames Member
  fredthebear: Yes, she's a beauty.

You are missed <morfishine>.

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