I looked at this shortly after noon yesterday, but I never got back to it. (I also looked at it for about 10-15 minutes last night.)

My first thought, was "Oh no, Vlatko Kovacevic getting hammered?!?!???" Then I realized that this was not the case. (Wrong player.)

My first try at a solution was 36...Re8; ('?!') that old ... "threaten to threaten" philosophy. (I am not sure if I can hammer a win out of that or not.) The second thing that I looked at was 36...Rb1!?; this probably also will win ... but there is something better. (What Kramnik played.)

A suggestion to the operators of this site, they come up with a tier of awards for kibitzers. <RandomVisitor> needs to be inducted into the kibitzer "Hall of Fame." Also worthy of recognition - for the depth and consideration of their posts - are <YouRang> and <patzer2>.

(1) Others are far more worthy than I -- <al wazir> and <jahhaj> come to mind, but there are others.

(2) I can't imagine that <chesssgames.com> would be interested in administering something like a 'kibitzing hall of fame', where the criteria is so subjective and debatable.

A nice effort by a young (15 or 16) Vladimir Kramik. 1.e4 c5; 2.Nf3 Nc6; 3.d4 cxd4; 4.Nxd4 Nf6; 5.Nc3 e5; 6.Ndb5 d6; 7.Bg5 a6; 8.Na3 b5; 9.Bxf6 gxf6; 10.Nd5 f5;
This is a well known line of the Sveshnikov Sicilian. (Book runs so deep, I am not sure when it stopped ... and it would be hard to determine just how far the "book" of 1991 extended, anyway.)

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Many good books have been written on this opening ... see "Chess Cafe" (the official book-seller for U.S. Chess); for info.

[ For more analysis, please see MCO-14, page # 337, all columns and lines. (Esp. column # 03.) ]

Now Bd3 is a topical line ...
11.c3 Bg7; 12.exf5 Bxf5; 13.Nc2 Be6; 14.Nce3 Ne7; 15.g3 Nxd5; 16.Nxd5 0-0; 17.Bg2 a5; 18.0-0 Rb8; 19.a3, ('!?' ... hmmm) To slow down/prevent ...b5-b4.

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(But maybe not sharp enough?)

Now 20.Qh5 is a thought ...
20.Qd2!? Kh8; 21.Rfd1 e4; 22.f3, (Dubious concept?) Somehow, I doubt that White should be trying to open up the game at this point.

[Maybe just 22.Qe3 , here. ]

Now Black gets rid of the monster on d5, its a good investment ... not all opposite-colored Bishop endgames are drawn. (Especially those with "heavies" still on the board.) 22...Bxd5!; 23.Qxd5 Be5;
A practical solution. (To defending the button on d6.)

24.Rd2?!, (An error?)
A bad and inaccurate move. (Tempting fate.)

[Better was: >/= 24.fxe4 f4!, " " with comp. ]

24...exf3;
This is nice, but Pawn to e3, (or even 24...f4); looked more dangerous (for White).

25.Bxf3 Qg5; 26.Re1 Qf6!?; 27.Ree2 Rg8; 28.Kf1, D. Putting the King into the corner looked like the most practical way to handle this position.

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Now the pendulum slowly begins to swing over to favoring Kramnik's side of the chess board.

[ >/= 28.Kh1, (DIH) ]

Over the next few moves, Black ignores the idea of ...f5-f4. (For whatever reason.) 28...Rg5; 29.Qc6 Rf8; 30.Qb6 h5!!; Diagram?
Black is willing to expose his own King ... to attack his counterpart. (Brave chess.)

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Now Black has the idea of ...h4; (to open lines); and it is almost impossible for White to stop it.

31.Rf2!?, (hmmm) D?
Looks doubtful. (Although, at the time, I am sure pointing a Rook indirectly at the Black Queen must have been a very tempting idea.)

32.Be4?, ("E" ... for effort?)
This is bad ... after about 20+ minutes of analysis I am forced to concur with Fritz's idea of 32.QxP/b5. (Or 32.Bd5.)

[32.Ke2!?, (DIH) ]

32...h4!; (Pawn lever.)
Now is the correct time for Black to begin his assault.

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This is the current situation on the chess board.

Now it is White to move here.
33.gxh4??, (Urgh!!!) Diag?
Simple suicide ... anything had to be better. (If I had to guess, I would say that White was in bad time pressure, and this was the main cause of this stupid move.)

[Much better was: >/= 33.Bd5 hxg3; 34.hxg3 Bxg3; 35.Qd4+ Be5; 36.Rh2+, D?
when Black might still be better ... but at least White has a little play. ]

The next few moves are all best/forced ... Black just tracks down the White King ... and does it mostly with check.
33...Rg1+; 34.Ke2 Qg4+; 35.Bf3 Qc4+; 36.Rd3 Bxc3!; A fine shot ... but a little too obvious to rate a double exclam. (I also looked at 36...Re8?! and also 36...Rb1!?)

[I first looked at the continuation that began with ...Re8 here. (It wins, but is not as nearly as good as what Kramnik played.)

For example: </= 36...Re8?!; 37.Qc6 Re6; 38.Qxc4 bxc4; 39.Re3 f4; 40.Re4 d5; " " winning.

***
The second line that I looked at was the following: (</=) 36...Rb1!?; 37.Qe3 Rxb2+; 38.Kf1 f4; 39.Qe4 Rb1+; 40.Kg2 Rg8+; " " Diag? with mate to follow. ]

37.bxc3,
Nothing saves White here, however Fritz 'thinks' that 37.Rf1 was the best defense. (As first pointed out by several other kibitzers.)

[Of course not: ‹37.Qc6?? Re1#]

37...Re8+;
White gives up the ghost. At first, I thought the "knock-out blow" (after 38.Kd2) was 38...Qf4+; then I fired up Fritz and found the simple 38...Qa2#.

(RandomVisitor did his normal - good - job of pointing out all the juicy stuff, and ... also stealing my thunder.)

This page was originally intended as an analysis the oage for this game ... but I sure got tired of having to keep breaking up one post into two, then two into four ... (PS -- Additionally, I had a big computer crash.)

[White must play give-away to survive.

For example: 37...Re8+; 38.Be4 Rxe4+; 39.Qe3 Rxe3+; 40.Kxe3 Qe4+; 41.Kd2 Qe1+; (" ") with a quick mate from here. ]

You have a great web page! Although it is sometimes a little difficult to navigate, the games you post and the analysis is very nice (may be a little bit overdone, with all opening possibilities mentioned as well).

I really enjoy reading your match-analyses which are obviously written with much love for the game.