WMD: This game is included in the Kramnik/Damsky book Kramnik: My Life and Games.17.'Up till now the two players' clocks had largely measured only the time necessary for the physical completion of the moves. Here White deviates from 17.dxe6, the theoretical move at the time.'
17...e5 'Black replied very quickly, but somehow strangely, killing all his own play. Now White's d5 pawn is very strong. I have no doubt that Ivanchuk realised that 17...Qa6 was preferable (incidentally, usually Black plays this a move earlier), but he was evidently afraid of some tactical tricks after 18.dxe6.'
20...Ba6? 'I think this is the decisive mistake. Black's position is difficult, and 20...Kb8 should have been tried, in order to play the rook to c8, thereby defending the key c5 pawn and threatening a possible ...Nxf6. Now he will no longer have time to achieve this set-up.'
23.Nxc5! 'This wins by force, as in the variation 23...Qxc5 24.Qxc5 Nxc5 25.axb4 c3 26.bxc5 Bxf1 27.Kxf1 cxb2 28.Rb1 the white pawns advance irresistibly and quickly to the queening square.'
24...Nb7 'After other knight moves there follows 25.b5, and if the bishop retreats, then mate in a few moves. And in the variation 24...Nb3 25.b5! Nxa1 26.Rxa1 Re8 27.Rxa6 Qd7 for the exchange White has both a pawn, and a a very strong attack - 28.b6. In short, the position is completely won.'
Kibitzing
sac: 9.Nxg5
(eval 4.18; depth 14 ply; 1000M nodes)