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Vladimir Kramnik vs Viswanathan Anand
Corus Group A (2007), Wijk aan Zee NED, rd 6, Jan-19
Catalan Opening: Closed Variation (E06)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

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Given 29 times; par: 92 [what's this?]

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Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 14 OF 14 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Jan-20-07  dehanne: In the video Kramnik doesn't even consider 22...Bc4 which is much better for black according to the Chessbase analysis.

He only looks at 22...Nc6?! which is just as dubious as 22...Nc4.

Jan-20-07  PinkPanther: Nope, still dubious.
Jan-20-07  WarmasterKron: <Phoenix> If it weren't for garbage openings, I'd have nothing to play!
Jan-22-07  Stevens: a few people watching the live game wanted 36.Bh3 instead of 36.e5. In the video analysis from chessvibes Kramnik gives the following as his reason for playing the latter.

36. Bh3 Nf8
37. Bc8 Bd3
38. e5 fxe
39. fxe Kf7
40. Kf2 Be4
41. Ke3 Bd5
42. Bxa6

"and i'm not sure i can win this"

Jan-29-07  positionalgenius: I really thought anand would draw this. A nice positional masterpiece by kramnik.
Jun-21-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  Open Defence: geez Vlad's DSB has been like a big pawn for most of the game but ends up being the decisive piece.. wow!
Jun-29-07  Jaymthetactician: I like the Catalin, it's a great opening for white, the QID is a great system for black, I like the systems where black play's ...Nf6 ...e6 ...b6 ... Ba6 (or Bb7) and ...c6 lines as black for some reason. Sometimes ...d6 w/ ...c5 is played which is fine too. The queens indian formation, as white or black, is a very fine opening with alot of potential :D
Jun-30-07  Jaymthetactician: And on stuff being considered "Dubious" all it means is that whoever played the dubious opening will have to fight harder for the draw provided the oppenent play's the best moves :D

I like 36.e5! Anyone with a basic chess understanding should see this move as when you have the bishop pair you should strive to open the position even at the cost of your pawn structure. At move 39 it's whites 3 pawn islands vs. blacks two. Yet white is still better as even after 40...Nxf4 41.Ke3,g5 it's obvious that the better king position and bishop pair are decisive. I think everyone who studies chess should look at this game.

Aug-03-07  alexandrovm: wow! ...And black should resign...
Aug-20-07  sanyas: Black's position after 14...Nb8 is ugly, to say the least, and remains so right until 26..Rd7. Everybody is waiting for c5, but it never comes. Even the pressure along the long diagonal comes to naught after 22.f3, and the blockade of the c-file becomes irrelevant thanks to the d-file which Black himself opened. But the ending is a masterpiece.
Aug-20-07  sanyas: Actually, Black's position could have exploded into devastating life. It was only Kramnik's fine prophylactic play which kept him locked up, eg. 18.Qf1!
Jan-04-08  shintaro go: Looking forward to another systematic demolition of Anand in this year's Corus
Jan-30-08  dazone3: <dehanne: In the video Kramnik doesn't even consider 22...Bc4 which is much better for black according to the Chessbase analysis.>

This game is investigated in Neil McDonald's "The Giants of Strategy" (which is a wonderful book). After 22...♗c4, a likely line is 23. f4! ♗xf1
24. ♗xa8 ♘c4
25. ♘xc4 ♗xc4
26. ♗c6
and black's position is still terrible, probably worse than in the actual game.

Mar-03-08  dramas79: What a squeeze! Anand did not have any counterplay. Amazing game by Kramnik.
Mar-09-08  positionalgenius: Another top-class game from kramnik
Mar-15-08  Piti: This is one of the best games I have ever seen.
Jul-20-08  ravel5184: That Black Queen looked like a Pawn on b7!
Jul-20-08  KamikazeAttack: Great game.

But I dont see Kramnik using the Catalan in Bonn, it has been overused and I doubt if there are any more potent ideas left, besides Anand will be ever ready for it.

Look for a new weapon from Kramnik.

Sep-19-08  Piti: Kramnik at his best!
Sep-19-08  Brown: <PinkPanther> I think your posts have great insight, yet many would disagree about your opinion about the KID, including the top GMs who play Radjubov.

BTW, why not 16...c5 for black? Why does Anand play Bd6 instead, preventing himself from playing c5 do to the now hanging bishop?

Sep-19-08  Brown: 16..c5 17.Bb6 Rd7
Jan-09-11  notyetagm: Kramnik vs Anand, 2007

43 ?


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43 a2-a4! <pin: a6-c4>


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Game Collection: BACKWARD PIN: APPLIED BALEFUL INFLUENCE (ESS) 43 a2-a4! White a6-bishop pins Black b5-pawn to Black c4-bishop

Jul-16-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  LoveThatJoker: Guess-the-Move Final Score:

Kramnik vs Anand, 2007.
YOU ARE PLAYING THE ROLE OF KRAMNIK.
Your score: 92 (par = 89)

LTJ

Mar-21-18  Saniyat24: Vladimir's two bishops...!
Jun-24-21  Whitehat1963: Good high-level look at the Opening of the Day.
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