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Vladimir Kramnik vs Viswanathan Anand
"Crème de la Kram" (game of the day Feb-21-2016)
Dortmund Sparkassen (2001), Dortmund GER, rd 9, Jul-21
Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense. Main Lines (D27)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

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Kibitzer's Corner
Jan-19-05  MidnightDuffer: An ending to pawnder! <snicker>

A rough mathematic check shows in the database; Anand's played the Queen's Gambit accepted about 61 times as Black and has lost only about 6 of those times; 3 of those to Kramnik.

Mar-25-05  Karpova: 39.ra4! winning due to the fact that a rook ending without the black a- and white b-pawn is a theoretical draw.

kramnik's faultless play is very impressive

Mar-25-05  amuralid: 1999 - 2001 were Kramnik's best years.
Mar-26-05  Karpova: <amuralid>
i agree with you. many of his best games were played during this period. his victories over topalov, morozevich, kasparov, anand, etc. are wonderful. but 2004 should be included. he won linares, scored three superb victories over leko.
Nov-02-05  aw1988: I don't know necessarily 1999-2001; he's had some great games in 2002-4 (some in 05, but we all know about his recent form), and earlier years too.
Jul-25-07  refutor: keene spoke highly of kramnik's 15.d5! and likened it favourably to Petrosian vs Spassky, 1971
Jul-25-07  mynameisrandy: Was 12...b5 the mistake that put Anand in hot water?
Oct-06-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  ToTheDeath: Pretty game- nearly flawless technique. Black is simply lost after 15. d5.

15... exd5 16. Qh4 h6 17. Bxh6 is a disaster, as is 15... Nxd5 16. Bxh7+! Kxh7 17. Qh4+ Kg8 18. Rxd5

Oct-06-08  Woody Wood Pusher: Wow Fritz really knows when to push that d-pawn. I expect Drawnik was glad he was in the bathroom when he received Fritz's suggestion, what a genius!
Jun-25-12  LoveThatJoker: Happy Birthday, WC Kramnik!

Guess-the-Move Final Score:

Kramnik vs Anand, 2001.
YOU ARE PLAYING THE ROLE OF KRAMNIK.
Your score: 70 (par = 68)

LTJ

Feb-21-16
Premium Chessgames Member
  An Englishman: Good Evening: Does anyone know how much of Kramnik's play consisted of opening preparation? In particular, did he find 15.d5 over the board, or had he prepared the line beforehand?
Feb-21-16  morfishine: <An Englishman> Every GM game is a result of preparation
Feb-21-16  psmith: Frankly I would like to see <Woody Wood Pusher>s obnoxious comment deleted. Great game.
Feb-21-16  JohnBoy: The claim that 12...b5 was a blunder needs support. 13.Qf4 is sweet, but why not 13...Bb7?
Feb-21-16
Premium Chessgames Member
  AylerKupp: <An Englishman> The d5 push is pretty much essential in games when White has an IQP in order to have any winning chances, even it involves a temporary pawn sac. The key, of course, is knowing <when> to play it. But I'm pretty sure that Kramnik was calculating the <when> even before he got the IQP, just as I"m sure that Anand was calculating the consequences of White's d5 prior to each of his moves. He just couldn't do anything about it.

But Anand was not wise playing the QGA against Kramnik, regardless of his record with it against other players. You don't tug Superman's cape.

Feb-22-16
Premium Chessgames Member
  kevin86: The bp+rp is usually drawn, but the other two pawns make it a easy win.
Feb-03-18
Premium Chessgames Member
  plang: Played in the penultimate (9th) round. Certainly one of the worst tournaments of Anand's career as he finished last (6th) with a winless -4. Kramnik entered the round 1/2 point behind Topalov; the win brought him even and they ended up tying for first. In his match with Kasparov Kramnik had played 7 cxd and 7 a4; here, needing a win, he played the sharper 7 Bb3. Kramnik had had several previous successes with 10 Re1 (including against Anand at Dos Hermanas 1999); here he varied with 10 Bg5. 13..Bb7 had been played in the second game of the second round match of the 2000 World Championship tournament between Tkachiev and Lesiege (Tkachiev with White won); 13..Ra7 was new. 14..Rc7 would have been a more consistent continuation. Black doesn't have time for 27..Rc2 28 Rg4+..Kh7 29 Rf6..Ng6 (29..Ng8 30 Rf5) 30 Nf5..Rxb2 31 h4. Also 33..Rc1+ 34 Kg2..Kh6 35 f3..Rc2+ 36 Kg3..Rxb2 37 f4 would not have helped Black.

Voted the best game in Informant 82.

Apr-24-18  Mike1809: Simple question. Why the rush to play 7. Bb3. I know this is standard, but I don't get the full reasoning.
Apr-24-18  Count Wedgemore: <Mike1809: Why the rush to play 7.Bb3>

One of the reasons for 7.Bb3 is not to lose tempo by having to move the bishop after black plays ...b5, which he/she usually does, eventually. Another positive aspect of having already moved the bishop is that ...b5 can sometimes be met with a4.

Jan-06-22  nummerzwei: In his notes, Ivan Sokolov refers to White's queen development with 11.Qd2 and 13.Qf4 as <a quite fresh idea>. In this particular position, that may have been the case; the same setup was already seen in Szabo vs Unzicker, 1954. That game may have inspired Kramnik - or Tkachiev, who introduced 11.Qd2 in Tkachiev vs A Lesiege, 2000.
Jul-19-22
Premium Chessgames Member
  offramp: Anand and Kramnik were so close in talent. This one of Kramnik's best games. Beating Anand is always hard.
Mar-28-23
Premium Chessgames Member
  kingscrusher: <amuralid> Yes it seems like that according to Chessmetrics:

http://chessmetrics.com/cm/CM2/Play...

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