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 O-O 17.O-O Bd7 18.b4 axb4 19.Nxb4 Rfc8 20.c4+ / = 1/2-1/2 Kasparov,G-Kramnik,V/Frankfurt (rapid) 2000 (35)]
[13...O-O must be enough for equality as well.]
14.Nxe7
[14.Ncb4 was an interesting alternative:
14...Nxd5 15.Nxd5
(15.Qxd5!? With the ideaBb7 16.Qd3 O-O 17.Be2 f5 18.Bf3)
(15.exd5 Qb6 16.a4 O-O 17.axb5 axb5 18.g3 e4 19.Bg2 Bd7 20.O-O (20.h4!?) 20...e3 21.fxe3 Bxe3+ 22.Kh1 f5 23.Nc6 Rbe8 24.Bf3 g5 25.b4 g4Initiative 1/2-1/2 Lanka,Z-Jelen,I/Ljubljana 1994 (31))
15...O-O 16.Bd3!? Be6 17.Bc2]
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.a4Initiative
(16.Nd5 Qb7 17.a4 Bd8 18.axb5 axb5=)
16...Qb7 17.Qd5 Qxd5 18.exd5Initiative
(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 With the idea19.Nxa6 Rd7! 20.Bxb5 Qe4+Unclear position]
[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...O-O- / +]
16...O-O



17.O-O Qb7 18.a4
[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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