Kramnik, Vladimir (2785) - Alekseev, Evgeny (2716)
Moscow Tal Memorial 2nd (Moscow), 11/16/2007
Round 6 [Marin,M]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4
e6 3.g3 c5
4.d5 exd5 5.cxd5
b5 Recently,
this move has been submitted to intense theoretical and practical disputes at top level. It also makes
up part of Alekseev's main repertoire, which also includes the Blumenfeld Gambit.
6.e4!? Another
surprise for Black, although this time the idea is not new, but just well-forgotten. Several decades
ago, the outstanding Catalan specialist Genna Sosonko repeatedly played like this. Apart from attacking
the b5-pawn, White threatens to win even more space in the centre with the brutal e5.
[6.Nd2!? Nxd5 7.Bg2
Nc7 8.Bxa8 Nxa8
9.b4 c4 10.a4 Kramnik,V
(2772)-Aronian,L (2759)/Yerevan 2007/CBM 118 (1/2-1/2, 47)]
[6.Nf3!? d6 7.e4!? Gelfand,B
(2733)-Aronian,L (2750)/Mexico City 2007/CBM 120/[Marin,M] (1-0, 48)]
[6.Bg2 d6 7.Nf3
Bb7]
6...Nxe4 The most principled reaction.
[6...Qe7?! looks unnatural and is probably
bad.
7.Bg2 d6
8.Ne2 g6 9.
(10...dxe5? 11.d6)
11.Nec3
[6...Bb7 keeps the enemy centre under control,
but places the bishop on a passive square. However, things are not that clear here.
7.Bg2
d6 8.a4?! Possibly
not the best. After the structural modifications on the queenside, the b7-bishop will revive on a6. White
should have continued the development of his kingside.
8...b4
9.Nd2 g6 10.Nc4
Ba6 11.Qc2 Bg7
12.Nf3
(14.Nxd6 Qe7 15.N2c4
Nxd5)
14...Nb6 15.Re1
Ng4 16.Ne3 Ne5
17.Bf1 c4 Manor,I
(2510)-Greenfeld,A (2560)/Rishon Le Ziyyon 1996/CBM 053 (1-0, 60)]
7.Qe2 Qe7 Black
has been forced to block the natural development of his kingside, but this is only the start of the "intrigue".
White's development is not that impressive yet either.
8.Bg2
Nd6 This
looks perfectly logical. The knight retreats to a stable blocking square without creating any weakness
in the own camp. However, there are certain drawbacks to this move. The knight blocks its own d-pawn,
too, which causes Black serious problems regarding the natural development of the queenside (...d6, ...Nd7,
etc.).
[8...f5 weakens the black kingside, but
offers Black certain stability in the centre. In practice, Sosonko has failed to prove an advantage for
White.
9.d6!? might be the
only way to cause some disharmony in Black's camp.
(This was aimed to be an improvement over an earlier game that continued with
9.Nh3
b4 10.d6 Qxd6
11.f3 Ba6
12.Qe3 Nc6
13.fxe4
(9.Nc3 Nxc3
10.bxc3 Qxe2+
11.Nxe2 Na6
12.
9.Be3 White develops a piece and prevents
the exchange of queens at the same time. (this would ease Black's defence, by enabling the development
of the kingside with ...Be7, etc.)
9...b4 To
my mind, a slightly cooperative move. Black prepares the development of his queen's bishop on an active
diagonal (a6-f1), but returns the small material advantage without any fight and, more seriously, does
not improve the situation of the queen's knight. Remember? Knights should generally be developed before
bishops...
[9...c4 is not entirely satisfactory either.
10.Nc3
a6
(10...b4 11.Nb5!?
Nxb5 12.d6)
11.
(11.Bc5 Ligterink)]
[However, 9...Na6 looks
like the best practical chance.]
10.Bxc5 Qxe2+
11.Nxe2 White has rees tablished the
material equality, maintaining his considerable advantage of space and a slight advance in development.
Black mainly relies on certain stability on dark squares.
11...Na6
12.Bxd6! The
best way to maintain the initiative.
[In the previous game that had reached this position, White preserved the bishop from
exchange with
12.Bd4 , allowing
Black to activate his play with
12...Nf5 13.
12...Bxd6 13.Nd2 It
appears that the dark-squared bishop is exposed and will cause Black additional loss of time before reaching
a stable position.
13...Rb8 14.Nc4
Be7 15.d6
Bf6 16.Nf4
Nc5 17.
White's position looks
very active, but he has to choose the best way to maintain his advantage in space.
18.Nd5!?
[It is not easy to refrain from
18.Rfe1+ .
Kramnik probably disliked the fact that after
18...Ne6 ,
the threat against the c4-knight would become real. However, after
19.Ne5
Rb6 20.Rad1 White
would maintain his domination. It remains an open question whether objectively speaking his position
is better here than in the game, but from a practical point of view it might be more difficult to maintain
stability here. Black has no weaknesses and the d6-pawn needs permanent care.]
18...
[18...Bxc4 19.Nxf6+
gxf6 20.Rfc1
Nd3 21.Rxc4
Nxb2 22.Re4+
Kd8 23.Rb1
Nd3 24.Rd4 White
will win his pawn back, maintaining the better structure, the more active minor piece and a huge advantage
in space.]
19.Nxf6+ gxf6
20.Bd5 This
is the position Kramnik had been aiming for. White has ruined Black's kingside structure, while the queenside
could become vulnerable, too. Black's main trump remains the stability of his minor pieces and certain
vulnerability of the d6-pawn. However, this latter aspect is double-edged. In order to win this pawn,
Black would need to worsen the cooperation between his pieces (for instance, to disconnect his rook for
several moves).
20...Na4?! Black
moves again with an already well-placed piece. The threat against the b2-pawn is illusory.
[He should have continued his development with
20...Rfe8 ,
threatening to generate some counterplay along the e-file and, eventually, the second rank.]
21.Rfc1
Rfe8?! Too
late. The e-file will not be available for this rook anymore.
[21...Bxc4!? 22.Rxc4
Rb5
(22...Nxb2 23.Rg4+
Kh8 24.Rb1
Nd3 25.Rd4
Ne5 26.Rdxb4)
23.Rg4+ Kh8
24.Bb3 Nc5!? would
keep Black's position together.
(24...Nxb2? 25.Rb1
Nd3 26.Bc4
Ne5 27.Bxb5
Nxg4 28.Bxd7)]
22.Ne3! This
move was not possible one move earlier. We can conclude that 20...Na4 has just helped White improve the
placement of his pieces, by removing the rook from a vulnerable square.
22...Rb6
23.Rc7 Rxd6 Black
has eventually won this pawn, but the rook is miserably placed.
24.Rd1
Kh8
25.Nf5 Rb6
26.Bxf7 Nxb2
27.Rdxd7 White's
attack is decisive now. Black's counterplay has not sufficient power.
27...Re1+
28.Kg2 Bf1+
29.Kf3 Be2+
30.Kf4 Rb8
[30...Nd3+ 31.Rxd3!
Bxd3 32.Rc8+]
31.Bc4!
[31.Bc4! Bxc4
32.Rxh7+ Kg8
33.Rcg7+ Kf8
34.Rh8+ Bg8
35.Rhxg8#]
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