Polgar, Judit (2700) - Kramnik, Vladimir (2807)
Corus (Wijk aan Zee), 01/19/2003
Round 7 [Rogozenco]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3
Nc6 3.d4 cxd4
4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3
e5
6.Ndb5 d6 7.Bg5
a6 8.Na3 b5
9.Nd5 Be7 10.Bxf6
Bxf6 11.c3 Rb8
12.Nc2 Bg5
13.a3 Not
a bad move, but with precise play Black is able to neutralize White's slight initiative after it.
[13.a4 bxa4 14.Ncb4 is
the only way to fight for advantage]
13...Ne7
[13...a5 14.Bd3
Ne7 15.Nxe7 Qxe7
16.Qe2
[13...
14.Nxe7
[14.Ncb4 was an interesting alternative:
14...Nxd5
15.Nxd5
(15.Qxd5!? Bb7
16.Qd3
(15.exd5 Qb6 16.a4
15...
14...Qxe7!
[14...Bxe7 is also possible, although
so many moves with a single piece - Bf8-e7xf6-g5-e7 - is not attractive.
15.Nb4
Qb6 16.a4
(16.Nd5 Qb7
17.a4 Bd8
18.axb5 axb5)
16...Qb7 17.Qd5
Qxd5 18.exd5
(18.Nxd5 bxa4)]
15.Nb4
[15.a4 Qb7]
15...Qd7!? A safe way to avoid unnecessary
complications.
[15...Qb7 16.Qxd6!? The
queen on d6 and knight b4 look very powerful against Black's king. However, things are far from clear.
For instance:
16...Qxe4+ 17.Be2
Qxg2
(17...Rb7 18.f3!)
18.Rf1 Rb7
19.Nxa6
Rd7! 20.Bxb5
Qe4+]
[15...Bb7 16.Nd5 /+/=]
16.Bd3
[16.a4?! a5
17.Nd5
(17.Bxb5 Rxb5
18.axb5 axb4)
17...bxa4 18.Qc2
(18.Qxa4 Qxa4
19.Rxa4 Rxb2
20.Rxa5 Rb1+)
18...
16...
17.
[18.Bc2]
18...a5 19.Nd5
bxa4 20.Qxa4
Be6
21.Bc4
[21.Qxa5 Bxd5
22.exd5 Qxb2 like
in the game, this is slightly better for Black, but not enough to convert into a full pawn.]
21...Qxb2 22.Ra2
Qb7 23.Qxa5
Qc6 24.Ra4
Ra8
25.Qb5 Qxb5
26.Bxb5 Rxa4
27.Bxa4 Bxd5
28.exd5 Ra8
29.Rb1 g6
30.Bc6 Ra3
31.c4 Rc3
32.g3
[32.Bb5 Bd8]
32...Rxc4 33.Rb8+
Kg7 34.Rb7
Rc3 In
the next part of the game Kramnik tried hardly to convert the extra pawn. Although it might appear that
at some stage he was close to do so, in fact Polgar never had real problems to hold. The very end of
the game is a study-like position.
35.Be8 Rf3
36.Ba4 Ra3
37.Be8 Rf3
38.Ba4 e4
39.Kg2 Ra3
40.Be8 Rf3
41.Ba4 Bd2
42.Rb3 Rf5
43.Bc6 Be1
44.Rb2
Bc3 45.Re2
Bd4 46.Bd7
Re5 47.Bc6
Re7 48.Ra2
Bc5 49.Re2
h5 50.h4 Kf6
51.Ra2 Re5
52.Re2 Kg7
53.f4 Re7
54.Ra2 Kf6
55.Kf1 Kf5
56.Kg2
Kg4 It might seem that Black achieved
something by coming with the king on g4, but White easily drives it back (the path on the light squares
might prove dangerous for Black, imagine a check from c8 now, when after a forces ...f5 White mates with
Ba6-e2).
57.Ba4 Rb7
58.Bd1+ Kf5
59.Re2 e3
60.Kf3 Kf6
61.Rc2 Rb4
62.Be2 Kg7
63.Rc1 Rb2
64.Rd1 Kf6
65.Rd3
Ke7 66.Rd1
Kd8 67.Ra1
Kd7 68.Rd1
Ra2 69.Bb5+
Kc7 70.Be2
f5 71.Rd3
Rd2 72.Rxd2
exd2 73.Bd1
Kb6 74.Ke2
Ka5
75.Bc2
Bg1 76.Kxd2
Bh2 77.g4
Bxf4+ 78.Ke2
hxg4 79.h5
gxh5 80.Bxf5
Kb4 81.Bg6
h4 82.Bf5
g3 83.Kf3
Kc4 84.Bh3
Be5
85.Ke4
Bf6 86.Bf1+
Kc3 87.Bg2
Kc4 88.Bf1+
Kc5 89.Bg2
Be7 90.Bf1
Bd8 91.Bg2
Kc4 92.Bf1+
Kc3 93.Bg2
Kd2 94.Kf3
Kd3
95.Kg4
Ke3 96.Kh3
Bf6 97.Bh1 White
bishop has enough squares on the "long" diagonal, so there is no zugzwang.
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