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Game index
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Game 9 BGN World Championship
Summary: Kasparov is playing
this match without White! He obtains a slight advantage
regularly, but positions arise that do not fit his style. Kramnik
easily draws, playing with Black. Today the Berlin Defense passed
the test for the third time. White’s play might be
criticized on a couple of occasions, but, generally, he didn’t
have much of an edge.
Kasparov,G. - Kramnik,V. [C67]
Game 9, 22.10.2000
This is now the second half of the match. Kramnik is leading, and
he demonstrates his bullet-proof style. The champion should act
more energetically...
1.e4!
After a week’s preparation, Gary recovers with his favorite
move.
1...e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6!
Vladimir keeps to the opening he chose for this match. And this
is correct, his opponent must first refute it -- if he can...
4.0-0
Honestly, many of us expected Gary to step aside already here
with 4.d4 -- sharper positions arise in this line. Look how the
first world champion was defeated: 4...exd4 5.e5 Ne4 6.Nxd4 Be7 7.0-0
Nxd4 8.Qxd4 Nc5 9.f4 b6 (a trap!) 10.f5 (White seemingly gets
caught...) 10...Nb3 11.Qe4 Nxa1 12.f6! Bc5+ 13.Kh1 Rb8 14.e6!
After 14.e6! (var.)
What a position! 14...Rg8? 15.Qxh7 Rf8 16.exf7+ Rxf7 17.Re1+ Be7
18.Qg8+ Rf8 19.f7# - checkmate!- Bird - Steinitz/London m2/1866]
But let us leave the romantics and return to the quite boring
endgame...
4...Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.Nc3 h6!
Vladimir is first to step aside. Previously in this match, he
played Bd7, evacuating the King to b7. Now, after
10.Rd1+
Black has to leave his king in the center.
10...Ke8
After 10...Ke8
And this is all right! The black king is safe, covered by the
white e5-pawn.
11.h3
Preparing for g2-g4.
11...a5
Occupying more room on the Q-side is good for Black.
12.Bf4
The immediate 12.g4 has also been played.
12...Be6 13.g4 Ne7 14.Nd4!
White is disturbing the black light-squared bishop.
14...Nd5 15.Nce2 Bc5
A novelty. This time, Kramnik decides to develop his h8-rook in
the usual way and he develops his f8-bishop first. Black did not
equalize after 15...h5 16.Nxe6 fxe6 17.c4! Nb6 18.b3 hxg4 19.hxg4
a4 20.Kg2 Be7 21.Nc3 in the game Galkin,A-Yarovik,Y/Novgorod 1999/1-0
(41)
16.Nxe6!
It is not clear in such positions what side benefits from which
exchange. White can sustain the tension by 16.Bg3, but apparently
Gary apprehended that the black e6-bishop would avoid being
traded off in this case: 16...Bd7!?, with the idea of h7-h5.
16...fxe6 17.c4!
White is grabbing space!
17...Nb6
Of course, Black cannot capture the f4-bishop, because the white
rook penetrates to c7 in this case. And after 17...Nb4 unpleasant
for Black is the simple 18.a3; 17...Ne7 is too passive
18.b3
Restricting the black b6-knight. White gains nothing after 18.Nd4
Kf7!
18...a4!
After 18...a4!
But now Black creates tension on the Q-side! Kasparov finds an
unobvious move here...
19.Bd2!?
The bishop is transferred to c3. Other moves that come to mind
are 19.Kg2 or 19.Bg3.
19...Kf7!
Black would simply lose time with 19...Rf8 20.Nf4 Kf7 21.Bc3, and
Black must put his rook on d8 all the same.
20.Bc3
Of course, while the black knight is on b6, White should not even
consider the b3-b4 advance.
20...Rhd8
After 20...Rhd8
An important moment. Black inevitably intrudes into White’s
camp via the a- or d- file. But it is for White to decide which
of the files to yield.
21.Rxd8
Gary decides to let the black rook come to d3, in order to drive
it away later. It is not clear, how can White obtain advantage
after yielding the a-file: 21.Kg2 Rxd1 22.Rxd1 axb3 23.axb3
A) worse is 23...Ra2 24.Rd2 Ra3 25.Nc1! (with the idea of Rd2-a2)
25...Na4! (to White’s benefit is 25...Nxc4 26.Rd7+ Kg6 27.Rxc7)
26.Bd4 Bb4 27.Ra2! with obvious advantage for White;
B) 23...Ra3! 24.Nc1 Na4 (24...Nxc4? 25.Rd7+) 25.Bd4 (25.Be1 Nb6
26.f4 Ra1) 25...Bxd4 26.Rxd4 Nb6 (26...Nc5 27.b4) 27.f4 Ke7 (27...Ra1?!
28.Nd3 Rd1 29.Kf3 c5 30.Rd8 Ke7 31.Ke2!) 28.Rd2 Ra1 29.Nd3 Nd7!,
with counterplay for Black. Of course, these variations are not
obligatory.
21...Rxd8 22.Kg2 Rd3!
After 22...Rd3!
The d3-rook is utterly unpleasant for White here!
23.Rc1
Deserving serious attention is 23.h4!?, followed by Rc1 and Nf4.
23...Ba3 (23...g5?! 24.Rh1; 23...g6 24.Rc1!) 24.Rh1! and the
white rook comes into play via the h3-square. I think I don’t
have to prove that the rook exchange is to White’s benefit,
it is obvious...
Now Black can play
23...g5!
Taking the f4-square under his control. Failing is 23...Ba3 24.Nf4!,
and now 24...Rxh3? fails to 25.Rc2 Rh4 26.f3+-
24.Rc2
After 24.f4 unpleasant for White is 24...Re3 25.Rc2 Nd7. Failing
is the energetic 24.h4 gxh4! 25.Nf4 (25.Rh1 h3+!) 25...Rd7 26.Rh1
due to 26...Bd4! Deserving attention is the attempt to develop
the white rook by 24.Rh1. For example, 24...Be7 25.h4 gxh4 26.Rh3
Rxh3 (26...Rd1 27.Rf3+ Ke8 28.Nf4 Kd7 29.Rd3+!) 27.Kxh3 axb3 28.axb3
Nd7 29.f4 Nc5 30.Nc1 with the idea of Bc3-e1xh4. However, I would
not insist that White has the advantage here.
24...axb3
Suggesting itself is 24...Rd1 in order to avoid the rook’s
exchange: 25.Rd2 Rb1 26.Rb2 Rd1, but one should reckon with the
possibility of 25.f4!? in this case. After the immediate 24...Nd7
Kramnik, apparently, appreheded the reply 25.bxa4!? - do you
remember Kaparov’s similar move in game 3?
25.axb3 Nd7!
Vladimir pressures the e5-pawn, preventing Rc2-d2. Finally, the
black rook resides on d3!
26.Ra2
White seemingly took the initiative. His rook is ready to intrude
on a7. However...
26...Be7!
After 26...Be7!
Black lets the white rook walk where it wants! His knight goes to
c5 instead.
Vasily Vasilievich Smyslow proposed 26...Bf8 with the same idea,
in order to pressure the white e5-pawn by Bf8-g7. Black is all
right also in this case.
27.Ra7
In case of 27.b4 c5! 28.b5 Nb6 29.Ra7 Nxc4 30.Rxb7 Bd8 Black is
not worse at least. If 27.f3, with the idea of making the black
knight’s lunge to c5 useless in view of b3-b4, then 27...b5!,
with the unpleasant threat of b5-b4.
27...Nc5 28.f3
Also drawing is the variation 28.b4 Ne4 29.Ba1 Bxb4 30.Rxb7 Ba5
31.Bd4 Nd2 32.c5 Nf3 33.Ra7 Nh4+ 34.Kh2 Nf3+
28...Nxb3 29.Rxb7 Nc1!
It is not too late to make a mistake: 29...Re3? 30.Kf2 Bc5 31.Bb4!,
and Black is in trouble.
30.Nxc1 Rxc3
After 30...Rxc3
And the draw was agreed. Really, the position is equal. For
example:
31.Ne2 31...Rc2 32.Kf1 Rxc4 33.Rxc7 Ke8 or 31.Nb3 Ke8 32.Na5 Bc5!
and neither side prevails.
1/2-1/2