World Chess Championship R05

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Pein on Bonn

Kramnik,V (2772) - Anand,V (2783) [D49]
WCh Bonn GER (5), 20.10.2008 [Annotations by IM Malcolm Pein]

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4 b5. The sharp Meran again. Vishy is not afraid of what Kramnik might have come up with. 8.Bd3 a6 9.e4 c5 10.e5 cxd4 11.Nxb5 axb5 12.exf6 gxf6 13.0-0 Qb6 14.Qe2 Kramnik's analysis clearly came up with an improvement on game three but he is in for a surprise. 14...Bb7. Repeating the novelty in game three. 15.Bxb5

15...Rg8N. Vishy gets his novelty in first! 15...Bd6 Game three. 16.Bf4. Played quickly, and at this point Kramnik dispensed with his jacket. 16...Bd6. Also played quickly. Now Kramnik has a problem, Vishy has shown he has two ways to play this position and he is still in his preparation. Once again Kramnik has been out-prepared. Although he gets a perfectly good position, Kramnik used 45 minutes on move 18 and was soon in time pressure. 17.Bg3 f5! Seeking to prise open the g file. 17...Bxg3 18.hxg3 has the opposite effect.

18.Rfc1. After the game Kramnik said he preferred this to 18.Rd1 because he was already concerned about the possibility of Qc5-d5. I think he may also have reasonably assumed that Vishy had prepared for 18.Rd1. 18...f4. In the VIP room Yusupov, Norwood and Pein (in pecking order) were having fun with 18...Ke7 19.Nxd4 Qxd4 20.Rd1 Rxg3 21.Rxd4 Rxg2+ 22.Kf1 Rag8 23.Qd2 Bf3 but 24.Ke1! spoilt all the fun. 19.Bh4 Be7 20.a4 Bxh4 21.Nxh4. Now Qd6 to try and play Qd5 was possible but Ke7 has to be played at some point. Suddenly Kramnik has to reckon with Rxg2+. However he is still absolutely fine. 21...Ke7

22.Ra3. Not 22.b4 Rxg2+! 23.Nxg2 Rg8 24.f3 d3+ 25.Qf2 Bxf3 26.Qxb6 Rxg2+ 27.Kf1 Nxb6 28.Bxd3 Nd5 With threats of Nxb4 Rxh2 and Ne3; However 22.Qh5 Qd6 (22...Nf6 23.Qe5!) 23.Bxd7 Qxd7 24.f3 suggested by the computers is hard to refute. f3 looks anti positional but Qe5 is coming. Indeed the human 24.Qe5 in this line is not bad. I can't wholly trust this but 22.Qh5 crudely threatens Bxd7 One interesting line is 24...Rac8 25.Rxc8 Rxc8 26.Re1 Rc2 27.Qg5+ Kf8 28.Nf5 exf5 29.Qf6 Kg8 30.Re7 Rc1+ 31.Kf2 Rc2+ 32.Ke1 Rc1+ 33.Kd2+/-. 22...Rac8 23.Rxc8 Rxc8 24.Ra1 Qc5 25.Qg4 Qe5! Strongly centralising. 26.Nf3

26...Qf6! 26...Bxf3 27.Qxf3+/= Nf6 28.Bd3. 27.Re1. 27.Bxd7 Kxd7 28.Nxd4 Ke7! with compensation in the form of a beautiful bishop 29.Rd1 Rc4 30.Ne2 Rxa4; 27.Rd1 Ne5 28.Nxe5 Qxe5 29.Qh4+ Qf6 30.Qxf6+ Kxf6 is better for Black has Rxd4 loses to Rc1+ and Black plays e6-e5 and Rc2. 27...Rc5. 27...Nf8!? Yusupov. 28.b4?! Rc3. Now Black is better. Kramnik is losing control and misses a tactic. 29.Nxd4?? Qxd4 30.Rd1 Nf6 31.Rxd4 Nxg4 32.Rd7+ Kf6 33.Rxb7 Rc1+ 34.Bf1 Ne3!! 35.fxe3 fxe3

Vishy has outprepared Vlad again and he is playing more quickly and accurately. Kramnik was asked the screamingly obvious question: "Is your position critica" he said "it could be better". His calm and polite demeanour at the press conference did him great credit. 0-1. [Click to replay]