% BOOKTITLE = Kramnik Move By Move
[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "About this publication"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2010.10.23"]

{Vladimir Kramnik is a giant of the chess world. He firmly secured his
legendary status when he won the World Championship in 2000 by defeating the
previously dominant Garry Kasparov - the only player ever to do so in a match.
Kramnik held on to his crown for seven years, and today he remains one of the
World's elite players. --- In this book, former American Open Champion Cyrus
Lakdawala invites you to join him in a study of his favourite Kramnik games.
Lakdawala examines Kramnik's renowned skills in attack and defence, exploiting
imbalances, dynamic elements, accumulating advantages and endgame play, and
shows how we can all improve by learning from Kramnik's masterpieces.} 1. -- {
'Move by Move' provides an ideal platform to study chess. By continually
challenging the reader to answer probing questions throughout the book, the
Move by Move format greatly encourages the learning and practising of vital
skills just as much as the traditional assimilation of knowledge. Carefully
selected questions and answers are designed to keep you actively involved and
allow you to monitor your progress as you learn. This is an excellent way to
improve your chess skills and knowledge.} (1. -- {Cyrus Lakdawala is an
International Master, a former National Open and American Open Champion, and a
six-time State Champion. He has been teaching chess for 30 years.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Foreword"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "John Emms"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2010.10.23"]

{The 'Move by Move' format is designed to be interactive, and is based on
questions asked by both teachers and students. It aims - as much as possible -
to replicate chess lessons. All the way through, readers will be challenged to
answer searching questions and to complete exercises, to test their skills in
key aspects of the game. It's our firm belief that practising your skills like
this is an excellent way to study chess.} 1. -- {Many thanks go to all those
who have been kind enough to offer inspiration, advice and assistance in the
creation of 'Move by Move'. We're really excited by this series and hope that
readers will share our enthusiasm.} (1. -- {John Emms, Everyman Chess.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Introduction"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2010.01.08"]

{The account of a chess player's life is a mosaic of a million moves. In this
book we examine the career of one of the all-time great strategists, Vladimir
Borisovich Kramnik, 14th World Chess Champion. Born to a sculptor father and a
musician mother, Vladimir was destined to become an artist himself, but of the
chessboard. He learned chess at the age of five and was quickly recognized as
an exceptional talent. At age 16 he went on to win the World Under-18
Championship, a foreshadowing of his future World title reign.} 1. -- {
Kramnik's Style: Kramnik plays in a style which sometimes transcends
classification. He often starts in super-stodgy, safe lines, but despite his
reputation, his games are rarely boring. In essence it is a style without a
style. Kramnik is not a standard issue Capablanca- or Ulf Andersson-type
positional player. Kramnik's games seem to contain a strange initiative valve,
which he controls and may turn on at any given point in a game. His forces,
like time, only move in one direction: forward. In essence, he is Botvinnik,
but without a safety filter.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kramnik's Openings/Endings"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

{Kramnik, more than any other world champion, tries to bypass the middlegame
entirely by going straight for the ending, relying on his incredible technique
to squeeze out wins from otherwise drawish landscapes. Here are some of his
instant opening/ending lines in which he specializes:} 1. -- ({a) The Berlin
Lopez:} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Nxe4 5. d4 Nd6 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7.
dxe5 Nf5 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8 {(see Games 15 and 34).}) ({b) The Grünfeld:} 1. d4 Nf6
2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Nf3 c5 8. Be3 Qa5 9.
Qd2 Nc6 10. Rc1 cxd4 11. cxd4 Qxd2+ 12. Kxd2 {(see Game 50).}) ({c) An early
endgame line from the English:} 1. Nf3 c5 2. c4 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. g3 d5 5. d4
cxd4 6. Nxd4 dxc4 7. Nxc6 Qxd1+ 8. Nxd1 bxc6 {(see Game 49).}) ({d) And one
from Queen's Gambit Accepted:} 1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 Nf6 3. c4 c6 4. Nc3 a6 5. e3 e6
6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 c5 8. O-O b5 9. Be2 Bb7 10. dxc5 Qxd1 11. Rxd1 {(see Game
59).}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "World Championship Matches"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2010.01.08"]

{Kasparov, London 2000, 8½-6½: Nobody thought he could do it, but he did -
and with ease, in one of the most shocking world championship match upsets
since Max Euwe took down the alcoholic Alexander Alekhine, who was a mere
shell of his real self, back in 1935. Kramnik won the match, not with the
white pieces, but with Black. He unearthed the rare (perhaps it is more
accurate to say "rare at that time" - now the Berlin Lopez is all the rage!)
Berlin Lopez firewall. We saw the frustrated Kasparov unable to tear it down,
as Kramnik spread draws like cream cheese generously heaped on a bagel. As
White, Kramnik methodically pressured the legend and sailed to plus two, which
actually could have been as many as plus four had not Kasparov demonstrated
incredible defensive technique with some narrow saves. In hindsight, Kramnik's
victory shouldn't have come as such a shock. Previously to the match, Kramnik
had lost only one game out his last 100, all against the elite of the chess
world. Kasparov graciously called Kramnik's play "pragmatic and tenacious".
Thus ended the 15-year reign of a great champion, some consider the greatest
of all time.} 1. -- {Leko, Brissago 2004, 7-7: Kramnik, now the reigning World
Champion, went in the final game a full point down against his challenger, the
unbeatably solid Peter Leko. Kramnik pulled off the impossible. Under
unimaginable strain, the white whale exploded to the surface of the water,
gusted over captain Leko's ship (taking Leko's leg with him!) and thunderously
splashed down again into the endless below. Kramnik took down his challenger
in the tension-filled final game to tie the match and retain his world crown -
and created a masterpiece as well, almost as a whimsical afterthought! After
the game Kramnik said: "I had to give everything, especially at the end, to
win against such an opponent. Peter Leko is an incredible defender. For me it
was more difficult than my match against Kasparov in the year 2000."} (1. -- {
Topalov, Elista 2006, 8½-7½: This was the long awaited unification match
between two world champions, ever since Kasparov split from FIDE back in 1993.
Before this match, most of my chess friends predicted an easy victory for
Topalov (I suspect because they favoured his aggressive style). I suppose the
believer always makes the assumption that the robin sings her song in explicit
praise of the believer's messiah, when in reality, the robin just likes the
sound of her own voice! --- Topalov and Kramnik were born to be each other's
antagonist. Early on, the players surveyed their new surroundings in a posture
of marked defiance. The players circled, strutting about with increasing
bravado and swagger, to intimidate and take in the other's measure and gauge
power. The infamous 'Toiletgate' match was as ugly an episode, filled with
intrigue and paranoia, as the first Spassky-Fischer match, with Topalov's camp
accusing Kramnik of cheating during the match with the help of a secret,
hidden computer in the toilet. (The spoiled kid, not getting what he asked for
in his earlier gift, sometimes refuses to unwrap his new present!) Topalov,
flinging himself with fervour at his opponent, lost two games early on. Then,
with classic Fischer-like paranoia, declared that Kramnik used the toilet
suspiciously often. Topa refused to shake Kramnik's hand before each game as
well. Perhaps it is in a preyless carnivore's voracious nature to desire to
eat everyone else! So the match committee, in somewhat craven fashion, caved
under the pressure and ordered the private toilets locked and forced the use
of shared toilets (thus tacitly agreeing with camp Topa that Kramnik may
indeed be cheating!). King Kram's indignant reaction was similar to when a
line judge at Wimbledon calls "out!" when the ball is clearly in, and gets
dirty looks from the penalized player. The outraged Kramnik responded by
forfeiting a game in protest at the action (just as Fischer did against
Spassky for use of the television cameras) and threatened to forfeit the
entire match as well. It isn't possible to mingle if nobody shows up at your
party! --- Despite the forfeit, the match continued, ending in a 6-6 tie 
(meaning Kramnik actually won without the forfeit!). Then Kramnik once again
demonstrated his nerves were second to no other player by winning the rapid
tie breaks 2½-1½, sending Topa to bed, despite his sleepy, protested
insistence that he be allowed to stay up just a little while longer. Winning
is important; winning when you desperately need to win is even more important.
For the second World Championship match in a row, Kramnik did just that.}) (1.
-- {Anand, Bonn 2007, 4½-6½: Everything that could possibly go wrong went
awry! Kramnik was finally defeated, mainly due to Anand's superior opening
preparation. Kramnik was unable to overcome two early losses, both
disastrously as White, in a hotly contested, ultra-sharp line of the Meran
Semi-Slav. He simply misjudged Anand's phenomenal opening preparation, just as
Kasparov had against Kramnik himself.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "The Misunderstood Champion"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2010.01.09"]

{A few months ago my friend IM Dionisio Aldama and I were waiting around for
the pairings at our weekly Saturday Gambito rapid tournament, and chatting. I
told him I had started a book on Kramnik. "I no like Kramnik!" he said calmly.
"What!?" I replied, appalled, adding with vehemence, "You would do well to
'Yes like Kramnik!'" Dionisio went on to complain that Kramnik, to him,
represented the dull corporate positional interests of the chess world. Of
course, nothing can be further than the truth. Just like Capablanca, Kramnik
carved out a multitude of dazzling games; yet, for some bizarre reason,
neither player is known for his attacking or tactical skills, simply because
his strategic abilities eclipse his other talents. --- Kramnik's light is
difficult to see. One only catches occasional glimpses, as when a sunbeam
shines through a slivered opening on a cloudy day. The important thing to
remember is that the luminosity is always there, even when we can't easily see
it. Observe his hidden power in the following game, which on the surface seems
preordained toward a lifeless draw - yet the facts say otherwise.} 1. -- {One
other thing: Kramnik was actually slightly off form in this game, and yet
managed to put Aronian, ranked number two in the world, through a cruel and
secret (secret only to the observers!) interrogation. There are truths we
never want revealed: I originally utterly misinterpreted this game as a dull,
meaningless draw. Confusion came in powerful waves, as patzer and GM alike
booed and hissed on the internet at this game's external worthlessness. Only
after the game, when Kramnik and Aronian shed light on the reality, did a
glimmer of understanding dawn on the rest of us.} *

[Event "01: Tal Memorial, Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kramnik, V."]
[Black "Aronian, L."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C47"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "80"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. Nxd4 Bb4 6. Nxc6 bxc6 7. Bd3 O-O
8. O-O d5 9. exd5 cxd5 {QUESTION: Isn't this kind of a snoozer position? ---
ANSWER: Normally, yes! Kramnik revives a relict, long considered harmless to
Black. At this point in the game I heard the collective internet groans: "OMG!
Another boring 12-move Kramnik draw coming up!" This line of the Scotch Four
Knights is considered one of the safest and most equal variations White can
play versus 1...e5. After the game Kramnik said: "The computer considers it to
be equal, but when you begin to move pieces, it becomes clear that it is
easier to play with White."} 10. h3 $5 ({QUESTION: What on earth ...? Isn't
White's only prayer for an edge based on the immediate pin with} 10. Bg5 {- ?
--- ANSWER: Well, according to theory, yes; but keep in mind, Kramnik is the
guy who manufactures the theory for the rest of us to purchase and consume! We
see Kramnik reach into his grab-bag of exotic opening ideas and yank out an
ultra-rare line, considered utterly harmless. Yet he manages to nudge the
number two-ranked player in the world to the precipice of defeat with it by
hiding his intent, the way a sculptor refuses to reveal his art until its
completion. When examined in greater detail, it becomes clear it is an
awe-worthy idea, laced with tasteless, odourless poison.}) 10... Re8 11. Qf3 $1
{A new move and a clear improvement over a girls' under-12 French championship
game - a game I am guessing Aronian hadn't exactly dissected with coroner-like
precision in his pre-game prep!} (11. Bg5 c6 12. Na4 {with a (surprise,
surprise!) equal position, L.Susini-L.Kambrath, La Roche sur Yon 2008.}) 11...
c6 12. Bf4 $1 {QUESTION: No pin? --- ANSWER: After the game, Kramnik said the
position resembled certain Petroff lines - an opening he understands deeply -
where Black's equality doesn't materialize so easily.} Bd7 $6 {The parachute
opens properly, but the skydiver lands in a tree and gets tangled, dangling
from his harness. --- QUESTION: I don't get this move. What is Black's idea?
--- ANSWER: Apparently, Kramnik didn't get it either and Aronian didn't
explain. In any case, Aronian seems to be getting slightly confused by
Kramnik's bizarre opening choices.} ({I would think the normal path to
equality would be to eliminate the dark-squared bishops with} 12... Bd6 13.
Rfe1 Be6 14. Ne2 $1 {, but even then I would rather play White's position. In
any case, I will bet Kramnik had some hidden idea here, which may incarnate in
some future game of his.}) 13. a3 $1 {QUESTION: How can this be an exclamation
mark move? Kramnik wastes a tempo and wrecks his queenside pawns. --- ANSWER:
It's another original strategic idea in the position. Kramnik invites broken
queenside pawns in exchange for dark-square control, which haunts Aronian for
the remainder of the game. Also, White can play c3-c4 later on, alleviating
his structural damage somewhat.} ({Aronian expected} 13. Rfe1 Rxe1+ 14. Rxe1
Qf8 (14... d4 15. a3 $1 {doesn't bother White})) 13... Bxc3 $5 {Aronian
perhaps overestimates his play on White's weakened queenside pawns.} ({Simply
retreating with} 13... Bf8 {is safer and possibly better.}) 14. bxc3 Ne4 ({
Kramnik suggested} 14... Qa5 $5 15. c4 Be6 {.}) 15. Rfe1 Qf6 $6 {The queen
raises restive eyes upon c3, her beauty marred and fading due to her
increasing joylessness. Kramnik felt it was better to take on c3.} 16. Bxe4
dxe4 17. Qe3 $1 {The witch crooks her fingers and mutters an incantation, as
bolts of otherworld energy target the dark squares. Soon White's pieces spew
forth in dark-square zeal. "Black's position is already difficult," said
Kramnik after the game. --- QUESTION: What is so difficult about Black's
position? --- It looks like he has an easy draw. --- ANSWER: The position is
deceptive and there is no easy draw here. Behind the enforced quiescence and
behind the lull run multiple, subtle subplots: 1. The balance of power tips
toward White, due to the opposite-coloured bishops. --- 2. Black's bishop, the
loser of the brawl, is made plain by the sight of the angry welt over his left
eye. The bishop is hemmed in by his e4-pawn, without which he would indeed
have an easy draw. --- 3. On the other hand, a terrifying form emerges from f4,
humanoid, yet not quite human. White's bishop reigns prominent. --- 4. Also,
believe it or not, and despite appearances, White has the superior pawn
majority, so don't believe your lying eyes! --- Conclusion: Suddenly, the once
holographic shapes and forms extracted from the nothingness of Kramnik's
imagination begin to materialize, solidify and take form in the real world.}
Be6 18. Rad1 Qf5 ({Both Kramnik and Aronian said the line} 18... Bd5 $5 19. Rd4
Qe6 20. Red1 {is difficult for Black.}) 19. Rd4 f6 {EXERCISE (planning):
Aronian just offered his e-pawn in order to activate his bishop. Would you
take it or not? --- ANSWER: It is better to decline. Kramnik is determined to
smother and subdue the black bishop's scope.} 20. Rb1 $1 ({Black should
probably hold the draw after} 20. Rxe4 Bf7 {.}) 20... Bd5 {The bishop's
arthritic condition afflicts him with painful joints and a limited range of
motion.} 21. c4 $5 {Not bad;} ({but Aronian thought he was close to busted
after} 21. Rdb4 $1 {, when Black senses dark, ethereal forms around him, so
terrible, so unnatural, that they should not be. Black can only passively
await events and may soon drop his a-pawn, allowing White a dangerous passer.})
21... Bf7 {The meek bishop backs off, does what he is told to do and goes
where he is told to go. A beaten dog may still follow the cruel master's
command. In college, my first job was as an inept hotel clerk. When
encountering daily traffic of unruly, spoiled hotel guests, my mouth would
obediently respond: "Thank you Sir, for your constructive criticism! Of course,
Ma'am! Right away, Ma'am!" As a pressure valve, my chafing mind, suffering
from some strange, inward form of Tourette's Syndrome, would add in the dark,
silent realm of thought: "Bugger off (anatomically explicit expletives deleted)
!" --- Black's dreary position reminds me of my similarly uninspiring hotel
career. The players agreed that this was the point where Kramnik missed a
potential win. White's potential for victory depends on his ability to unearth
a unifying, organizing principle. --- EXERCISE (critical position/planning):
His choice: a) 22 Rb7, grab the seventh rank. b) 22 Rd6, pressure Black's weak
c6-pawn. What does your intuition tell you?} 22. Rb7 $6 {After this inaccuracy,
White's game wanes and dims, like a battery-powered light bulb low on energy.}
({ANSWER: b)} 22. Rd6 $1 {put Black under terrible strain, according to
Kramnik and Aronian. For example,} Bxc4 23. Rb7 Be6 24. Rxc6 Bc8 25. Rbc7 {
(the vultures, connoisseurs of human flesh, perch nearby in hope; the rooks
corkscrew their way past Black's defences - saving the game won't be easy from
here)} Be6 26. Rc5 Qg6 27. Rb5 {and finally, Houdini reluctantly agrees that
Black is under tremendous pressure. White threatens to double rooks on the
seventh rank and also to pick off the a-pawn, as the seams in Black's position
lose integrity, fray and come apart.}) 22... Rad8 23. Bd6 $6 {The collective
elects the bishop as their leader, hoping he can succeed where they could not.
But they picked the wrong leader.} ({White's rooks were the key:} 23. Rd6 $1 {
still keeps Black under pressure.}) 23... Rd7 $1 {It feels like Black's
position just exhaled in relief.} ({Kramnik may have counted on the trap} 23...
Bxc4 $2 24. Rxc4 Rxd6 25. Rxg7+ $1 Kxg7 26. Qg3+ {with a clear advantage to
White.}) 24. Rxd7 ({Kramnik said he missed} 24. Rxe4 Qxe4 $1 25. Qxe4 Rxe4 26.
Rxd7 a5 {, when Black should limp to the draw.}) 24... Qxd7 {Now Black should
survive.} 25. Bc5 Qb7 26. Rxe4 ({Kramnik thought} 26. Qb3 $1 {was his last
chance to win.}) 26... Rxe4 27. Qxe4 Qb1+ 28. Kh2 Qb8+ 29. g3 Qa8 $5 {And here
Kramnik probably did not see realistic chances to play for a win any longer.}
30. Bd6 Qe8 31. Qxe8+ {White's queen presses her fists to her mouth in
wordless frustration, sullenly acquiescing to share power with her hateful,
conniving sister. Exchanging queens is equivalent of a draw offer, but there
was nothing better.} Bxe8 {QUESTION: Why are two 2800 players playing out an
obviously drawn position? --- ANSWER: There was a "no draw before move 40"
clause at the Tal Memorial, so the players were forced to endure the
meaningless ritual of the remaining moves.} 32. Kg2 Bg6 33. Kf3 Bxc2 34. Ke3
Kf7 35. Kd4 Ke6 36. Kc5 Bd3 $1 {The last accurate move seals the draw.} 37. Bb8
a6 38. h4 h5 39. Kxc6 Bxc4 40. Kc5 Bb5 1/2-1/2

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Dedication"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[SourceDate "2010.01.09"]

{Many thanks to my editor, Grandmaster John Emms, for his unceasing help and
support, and to Jonathan Tait for the final edit. Thanks to comma ponderer,
Nancy, for her proofreading; and thanks to Timothy for intimidating my
computer into cooperation for the duration of the book. --- May Kramnik's
depth of understanding rub off and increase ours as well.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "1: Kramnik on the Attack"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[SourceDate "2010.01.09"]

{I had the hardest time compiling this chapter, mainly because the cup runneth
over from a glut of incredible attacking games - way too many for one chapter,
or even one book for that matter. So this chapter is one of the largest in the
book, to give Kramnik his attacking due. --- Kramnik is not a name which
normally comes to mind as associated with the word attack, the way Linda
McCartney isn't often associated with her music career. I'm not sure what the
reason for this is. (Well, I do know: it's those drawish and often tedious
Berlin Lopez and Petroff games he steers into so often, which have a way of
soiling his attacking credentials and giving him the reputation of a dullard
strategist!) Kramnik creates so many of his attacks by camouflaging true
intent. He switches suddenly from strategic build-up, only to cash out
mysteriously into a promising attack. He normally earns his attacks the hard
way, incrementally, and very rarely attempts a wild leapfrog over the opposing
barrier, in Morozevich/Nakamura-style. See how many of his surprised opponents
receive discomfiting chastisement in this chapter on their failure to give
proper deference to Kramnik's attacking skills.} *

[Event "02: Kherson"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1991.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Brodsky, M."]
[Black "Kramnik, V."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B33"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "61"]
[EventDate "1991.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 {The young Kramnik
produced many brilliant Pelikans. Today's more cautious Kramnik usually goes
for the Petroff and Berlin Lopez.} 6. Ndb5 d6 ({Your very odd writer
specializes in bizarro un-Pelikan lines like} 6... h6 {(the Ulfie)}) ({and} 
6... Bc5 $5 {(the Today is a Good Day to Die variation).}) 7. Bg5 a6 8. Na3 b5
9. Bxf6 {QUESTION: Is this the sharper line? --- ANSWER: Correct.} ({Later in
the chapter we look at the more strategically controlled} 9. Nd5 {(see Game 7).
}) 9... gxf6 10. Nd5 f5 ({Today, the ultra-sharp} 10... Bg7 {is also played
quite often; e.g.} 11. Bd3 Ne7 12. Nxe7 Qxe7 13. c4 f5 14. O-O O-O 15. Qh5 Rb8
16. exf5 e4 17. Rae1 Bb7 18. Qg4 Rfe8 19. cxb5 d5 20. bxa6 Bc6 {, A.Shirov-Ma.
Carlsen, Wijk aan Zee 2010. --- QUESTION: Shouldn't Black consider resigning,
down three pawns? --- ANSWER: Apparently Black gets full compensation! If you
want to avoid such confusion, then be sensible and switch to the Ulfie and the
Today is a Good Day to Die lines!}) 11. Bd3 {QUESTION: Is the sac on b5 line
sound for White? --- ANSWER: Probably not at the world class level, but at
club level as a surprise weapon - most definitely!} ({Few play the line as
White anymore since Kasparov destroyed Shirov with it a decade ago:} 11. Bxb5
axb5 12. Nxb5 Ra4 $1 13. b4 $6 Qh4 14. O-O Rg8 15. f4 Kd8 $3 16. c3 Ra6 17. a4
fxe4 18. f5 Bb7 {and White, down a piece, soon found himself under attack as
well, A.Shirov-G.Kasparov, Linares 2002.}) 11... Be6 12. Qh5 $5 {The
hyper-aggressive line.} ({After} 12. O-O Bxd5 13. exd5 Ne7 14. c3 Bg7 15. Qh5
e4 16. Bc2 O-O 17. Rae1 Qc8 {, as in A.Shirov-V.Kramnik, Wijk aan Zee 2003,
Black often makes good use of the e5-square.}) 12... Rg8 (12... Bg7 13. O-O f4
14. c4 {scores very well for White, J.R.Koch-G.Kasparov, Evry (simul) 1988.})
13. O-O-O $5 {White decides to increase his lead in development and hand over
g2. --- QUESTION: Is the sac justified? --- ANSWER: Justified or not, it is
the logical progression from 12 Qh5;} ({since the tamer} 13. g3 Rg5 $1 14. Qd1
(14. Qxh7 $6 Nd4 $1 {is risky and probably inferior for White}) 14... Bxd5 15.
exd5 Ne7 16. Nxb5 Qb6 $1 {allows Black to equalize at a minimum, J.Polgar-P.Leko, Budapest 2003.}) 13... Rxg2 14. f4 {QUESTION: Now that I look at the
position again, this looks really dangerous for Black. White has a
considerable development lead and pries open the centre to go after the king.
Is Black in trouble? --- ANSWER: I admit that if you don't play such positions
from either side then the positions which arise feel utterly inscrutable, like
the oscillating spray of subatomic particles seen through an electron
microscope with the eyes of a non-physicist. In such disorienting landscapes,
one gets the feeling there is no sky above and no ground below. White
experiences problems as well: 1. Black owns the bishop pair, which grows in
strength as the position opens. --- 2. White's horribly offside knight on a3
remains out of play for some time to come. --- 3. Matters are not one-sided.
Black attacks as well. --- 4. Black's king is safer than it looks, dead centre
of the board, mainly due to his grip on the dark squares. --- Conclusion: The
position is complex but actually in Black's favour. Houdini assesses it -0.71,
so clearly the computer isn't intimidated by White's threats.} (14. Qf3 Bxd5 $1
15. Qxg2 Bxa2 {gave Black loads of compensation for his minor investment in G.Hof-S.Marez, correspondence 2007. The game continued} 16. b3 $4 {(a misguided
attempt to trap the bishop)} Qa5 17. Kb2 d5 $1 {with a decisive attack for
Black.}) 14... Nd4 $1 {Target: c2.} 15. Ne3 $6 {QUESTION: Why retreat a
centralized piece? --- ANSWER: The knight, capricious as a toddler, changes
his mind and unexpectedly retreats. It becomes increasingly clear that White's
mysterious plan (or lack of one?) of retreat was jotted down hastily in
indecipherable shorthand. Perhaps White intended a double attack: Black's rook
and also f5, since White's knight no longer hangs on d5. The trouble is in
such open positions of tension, any unforced retreat of an already well-placed
piece is generally deemed suspect. After White's last move the effervescence
in his position unexpectedly goes flat.} ({The computers think} 15. Kb1 {is
his best shot to survive.}) 15... Rf2 {Inducing central resolution.} 16. exf5
$2 {White clearly underestimates Black's coming initiative.} ({It was high
time to eliminate his powerful rook with} 16. Rhf1 {. One senses that White
remains oblivious to danger's creep. A man may look straight at his facial
mole each morning in the mirror as he shaves, yet fail to notice the
imperceptible, fatal cancerous growth.}) 16... Bxa2 {The bishop lurches,
jack-knifing to his right.} 17. fxe5 ({Of course, the attempt to trap the
bishop is suicidal for White:} 17. b3 $4 Qa5 18. Kb2 d5 {and Houdini announces
a forced mate in ten moves for Black.}) 17... dxe5 18. Nxb5 {EXERCISE 
(combination alert(s)): White just sac'ed his knight on b5; however, every
gift need not be accepted. --- Black has access to multiple wins. See if you
can find one of them. Kramnik found the flashiest and strongest way. ---
ANSWER: Power in the hands of the untrained isn't real power. Only the wizard
understands how to recite the incantation properly. Black flows with the chaos
rather than attempting to order it.} Bh6 $3 ({ANSWER:} 18... Qb6 $1 19. Nxd4
Bh6 $1 20. Rhe1 exd4 {was also winning.}) 19. Rhe1 ({QUESTION: Okay, I will
ask the obvious: why isn't Black's bishop hanging on h6? --- ANSWER: Black's
brutal point is} 19. Qxh6 $4 Rxc2+ $1 20. Bxc2 ({or} 20. Nxc2 Nb3#) 20... Ne2#
{.}) 19... axb5 20. Bxb5+ Ke7 21. Qh4+ ({Black's bishop remains stable on h6,
as} 21. Qxh6 $4 {is the same song:} Rxc2+ 22. Nxc2 Nb3# {.}) 21... f6 22. Qxf2
{White's coffers swell and grow fat, as his king does just the opposite.
Black's pieces, prehistoric creatures of predation, loom terrifyingly with
claws extended.} Bf7 $1 {Clearance. Threat: ...Ra1+ followed by ...Nxb5+.} 23.
Bd3 Qb6 $1 {White's king has nowhere to run. There is no reasonable defence to
...Ra2.} 24. Be4 Ra2 $1 25. c4 ({QUESTION: Would} 25. c3 {be better? ---
ANSWER: It fails to help White:} Ra1+ 26. Bb1 Ba2 $1 {mates.}) 25... Bxc4 26.
Kb1 {The king hopes to take cover from the gusts and squalls which blow his
way.} Qa5 ({Or} 26... Ra1+ $1 27. Kxa1 Qa6+ 28. Kb1 Ba2+ 29. Kc1 Qc4+ 30. Kd2 (
30. Bc2 Nb3#) 30... Nb3# {.}) 27. Nd5+ {QUESTION: Was there a way out for
White? --- ANSWER: White gets mated in all lines, no matter what he does.} Bxd5
(27... Kf7 $1) (27... Kf8 $1) (27... Kd8 $1) ({and} 27... Kd6 $1 {all force
mate in three moves.}) 28. Qxd4 {The night moth sees the light inside the
house and mindlessly rams the window. Clever, but it fails.} Ra1+ 29. Kc2 Rxd1
$1 30. Qxd1 {EXERCISE (combination alert): Black to play and force mate in
four moves. --- ANSWER: The ancient vampire, eternally a slave to her own dark
cravings, searches the dimly lit streets for a meal.} Qa4+ $1 31. Kc3 {White
walks into a mate in one with 31...Qc4.} ({But after} 31. Kb1 {Black mates
anyway with} Ba2+ 32. Ka1 Bb3+ 33. Kb1 Qa2# {. The town submerges in the flood
and all that can be seen is the tip of the belfry poking above the water.}) 0-1

[Event "03: Tal Memorial, Riga"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1995.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kramnik, V."]
[Black "Ehlvest, J."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D44"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "49"]
[EventDate "1995.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 Nf6 3. c4 c6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Bg5 dxc4 {QUESTION: I know the
Botvinnik line of the Semi-Slav is out of favour right now, but why? ---
ANSWER: I was afraid you would ask this question. There are two kinds of
players in the chess world: booked-up Semi-Slav guys who know the theory to
move 30, and the rest of us who don't! Sometimes there is a good reason a line
falls out of favour. But sometimes it falls victim to the vagaries of fashion.
A line simply goes out of favour because some titan loses with it to another
titan - a fact which has little to no bearing on the average tournament player,
for whom it is probably still fully playable and equally confusing to both
sides. In essence, the Botvinnik Semi-Slav is an ivory tower line. It seems it
is mostly GMs who feel confident enough to deal with the mounds of theory. The
rest of us with non-photographic memories tend to shy away from such
monumental burdens.} ({Instead,} 5... h6 {(the Moscow Variation) is the
current darling of the top-level guys}) ({while} 5... Nbd7 {leads to the
Cambridge Springs or old-school Orthodox Queen's Gambit Declined.}) 6. e4 b5 7.
e5 h6 8. Bh4 g5 9. Nxg5 hxg5 10. Bxg5 Nbd7 11. g3 {So far so book.} (11. exf6 {
usually just transposes after} Bb7 12. g3 c5 {.}) 11... Qa5 $5 {QUESTION: Now
this isn't normal, is it? --- ANSWER: Correct.} ({Ehlvest tries to throw
Kramnik off with an offbeat line:} 11... Rg8 $5 {is another sideline used
mainly as an ambush weapon; e.g.} 12. h4 Rxg5 13. hxg5 Nd5 14. g6 fxg6 15. Qg4
Qe7 {, V.Kramnik-A.Shirov, Monte Carlo (rapid) 2002, looks and feels pretty
unclear. Even the computers hedge their bets and declare the position even.}) (
11... Bb7 12. Bg2 Qb6 13. exf6 O-O-O 14. O-O c5 15. d5 b4 16. Na4 Qb5 17. a3 {
, as in H.Nakamura-J.Smeets, Wijk aan Zee 2011, is depressingly enough the
tabiya "starting" position of the main line. In Capablanca's day, the game
essentially began around move eight. Today, the beginning number usually falls
in the late teens, or even later.}) 12. exf6 Ba6 13. Qf3 Rc8 $5 {Ehlvest
continues to try and lure Kramnik into hidden theoretical backwaters.} ({After
the more thematic} 13... b4 14. Ne4 O-O-O 15. b3 cxb3 16. Bxa6+ Qxa6 17. Qxb3
Qb5 18. Rc1 {, Kasparov proved that Black's king position was a matter of
great concern for his opponent, G.Kasparov-A.Miles, Basel (5th matchgame) 1986.
}) 14. Be2 {QUESTION: This looks very odd.} ({Why didn't White follow through
and fianchetto with} 14. Bg2 {- ? --- ANSWER: In this case White may have
trouble castling after} b4 15. Ne4 c3 $1 {.}) 14... b4 ({Kramnik gave the line
} 14... c5 $2 15. d5 Bb7 16. O-O b4 17. Qe3 $1 {with a powerful and probably
decisive attack.}) 15. Ne4 c5 16. d5 $3 {As we see throughout the book,
Kramnik displays a finely tuned sense of the grand moment - the perfect time
to strike and unlock the beast within.} ({He staggers Ehlvest with a
theoretical novelty and a huge improvement over} 16. dxc5 Nxc5 17. Nxc5 Bxc5
18. O-O Bd4 $1 {, when Black looks active and generates counterplay on b2, I.Sokolov-G.Kamsky, Belgrade 1991.}) 16... exd5 17. Qf5 $1 {I insist. Please
take the knight. There is one set of laws for the poor, and quite another set
for the rich and influential. The queen's arc of raw force produces
uncomfortable heat on d7.} dxe4 ({Ehlvest bites, seeing that there is no help
for him in declining with} 17... Bb7 18. Bg4 $1 Qa4 19. Rd1 d4 20. O-O {, when
White's attack is unstoppable and Black doesn't even have an extra piece to
comfort him in his time of grief.}) 18. O-O-O $1 {How often do you see White
castling queenside in the Botvinnik variation, straight into the teeth of
Black's pawn avalanche? White's attack is faster. --- QUESTION: Isn't it kind
of crazy for White to castle straight into a potential attack when he could
have castled kingside instead? --- ANSWER: I agree that it takes a kind of
confidence level bordering on recklessness to make such a move. The trouble
with castling kingside is that White loses a precious tempo in placing his
rooks on the optimum attacking e1- and d1-squares.} Rc7 19. Bg4 $1 {The bishop
swings right with the effortless grace of the hired killer's blade. White
continues to cherish and polish d7, as if the square were a diamond.} Bb5 ({
QUESTION: Isn't Black's counterattack flaring up after} 19... Qxa2 {- ? ---
ANSWER: Black simply doesn't have the time to get away with it:} 20. Rxd7 $1
Qa1+ 21. Kd2 $1 Qxb2+ 22. Ke3 Qc3+ 23. Kf4 {and the lab rat, through habit and
practice, effortlessly weaves his way through the maze. Black runs out of
checks, as well as luck, as the bloody carcass of his king hangs ominously in
the slaughterhouse. Looking at variations like this, we begin to fathom the
monumental scale of Kramnik's insight behind 16 d5!!.}) 20. Qxe4+ Kd8 21. Bxd7
$1 ({Stronger than} 21. Rhe1 {, which should win as well.}) 21... Bxd7 ({After
} 21... Rxd7 22. Bf4 $1 {, threatening a deadly check on a8, finishes Black
off:} Qa6 23. Qa8+ Qc8 24. Qxa7 {and Black's king has no hope of evading the
crossfire.}) 22. Rhe1 {The e8-square is not as well covered as Black would
like! Mate on the move is threatened.} Bh6 {Plans begin as abstractions. Now
White's plan of clearing the centre at the cost of a piece reached fruition.
Only now can we comprehend the dazzling shock of Kramnik's revelation. It's
time to convert and mathematize the position into a calculation. --- EXERCISE 
(combination alert/calculation): White to play and deliver mate in five moves.
Take your time and try to work this one out all the way to mate in your mind's
eye, without moving the pieces. --- ANSWER: Just play through the remainder of
the game.} 23. Qa8+ Rc8 24. Rxd7+ $1 {The whip spasms and cracks on d7, and
Black's king releases an audible intake of breath as he staggers about.} Kxd7
25. Qd5+ ({The blind king, who pokes and gropes the air with his hands,
finally meets his end:} 25. Qd5+ Kc7 26. Re7+ Kb6 27. Qb7# {.}) 1-0

[Event "04: Dos Hermanas"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1996.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kasparov, G."]
[Black "Kramnik, V."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D48"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "70"]
[EventDate "1996.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nf3 e6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 {The main line
Semi-Slav. --- QUESTION: Why is White so willing to lose a tempo with his
bishop? --- ANSWER: White does indeed lose a tempo after Black takes on c4,
but keep in mind that Black also lost a tempo. --- QUESTION: How did Black
lose the tempo? --- ANSWER: His ...c5 break is absolutely essential; but Black
already expended a tempo on ...c7-c6, so when he plays ...c6-c5, that is the
tempo.} ({In the next game we look at} 6. Qc2 {.}) 6... dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Bd3
Bb7 (8... a6 {is the other main branch.}) 9. O-O (9. e4 b4 10. Na4 c5 11. e5
Nd5 12. O-O (12. Nxc5) ({and} 12. dxc5 {are played as well}) 12... cxd4 13. Re1
g6 14. Bg5 Qa5 15. Nxd4 a6 16. a3 bxa3 17. bxa3 Bg7 {and Black has enough
resources to stay level in this sharp position, M.Illescas Cordoba-V.Kramnik,
Madrid 1993.}) 9... a6 {QUESTION: A bit slow? --- ANSWER: Yes, but necessary
if Black is to engineer his ...c6-c5 break.} 10. e4 c5 11. d5 c4 {Clearing c5
for a bishop or a knight.} ({QUESTION: Shouldn't Black take on d5, if not to
win then at least weaken White's d-pawn? --- ANSWER: Black would be opening
the game prematurely. For example,} 11... exd5 12. exd5 Be7 13. Bxb5 (13. d6 $1
{is also strong}) 13... axb5 14. d6 Bxf3 15. dxe7 Bxd1 {and White regains his
pawn with an endgame attack:} 16. exd8=Q+ Kxd8 (16... Rxd8 17. Re1+ $1 Kf8 18.
Rxd1) 17. Rxd1 {with an edge, V.Malakhatko-M.Lobato Soriano, Coria del Rio
2006.}) 12. Bc2 Qc7 13. Nd4 $5 {Very rare.} ({Normally, if White wants to play
his knight to d4, he tosses in} 13. dxe6 fxe6 {before} 14. Nd4 {.}) 13... Nc5 (
13... e5 $5 {, handing the opponent a passed pawn, doesn't make much sense to
me but has been played by very strong players; e.g.} 14. Nf5 g6 15. Nh6 Nh5 16.
g3 Bc5 17. Qf3 {with an advantage for White, Ma.Carlsen-A.Shirov, Biel 2011.})
14. b4 {Challenging the knight's cozy position on c5.} cxb3 15. axb3 b4 16. Na4
Ncxe4 {QUESTION: Isn't Black just opening lines against his own king? ---
ANSWER: Kramnik has seen that his good piece activity has the indirect benefit
of keeping his king safe.} 17. Bxe4 {A new idea at the time, but giving up the
bishop pair in an open position doesn't look like an improvement. White scores
a dismal 22% from nine games with this position in my database.} ({Kasparov
attempted to improve on} 17. dxe6 Rd8 $1 18. exf7+ Kxf7 {, Y.Yakovich-M.Sorokin, Calcutta 1991, where Black stood at least equal.}) 17... Nxe4 18. dxe6
Bd6 19. exf7+ ({Kramnik suggests} 19. Bb2 $5 {which gives up h2 with check.})
19... Qxf7 $1 {Planning to transfer his queen to assist a kingside attack.} ({
QUESTION: Why not} 19... Kxf7 {- ? Black can castle by hand and he keeps his
bead on the h2-square. --- ANSWER: It isn't so easy to castle by hand after}
20. Qh5+ $1 g6 21. Qh3 {, when suddenly White is the one issuing the threats.})
20. f3 Qh5 21. g3 $5 ({QUESTION: Is his king any safer after} 21. h3 {- ? ---
ANSWER: White's king is safer, but in this line Black gets to entrench his
knight on e4 for good after} Qe5 22. f4 Qf6 {.}) 21... O-O $6 {"Fair is foul
and foul is fair." A move made on a wish, half a prayer and a grin. ---
QUESTION: What are you talking about? Every other annotator gave this move at
least one exclamation mark! --- ANSWER: Life is rarely how it appears. Black's
position radiates a picture of breathtaking beauty, like a tourist brochure.
And just like the brochure, the reality of the actual place rarely matches the
beauty of the advertisement photo. After this game was played, Kramnik's sac
was hailed as pure genius by pundits, but the pronouncement was perhaps a tad
premature and didn't hold up under the silicon gaze. --- Kramnik actually
chose the wrong attacking path - albeit with serious practical chances, since
he managed to toss Kasparov into a dark realm which extended the boundaries of
conjecture and wild-eyed guesses as to the nature of White's best defensive
plan. There is a palpable difference between someone who rings your doorbell
and someone who knocks. The doorbell is impersonal, non-threatening; the knock
is physical, urgent, passionate and even intimidating. In this position,
Kramnik pounds on White's door, bypassing the more polite doorbell entirely.} (
{Correct was} 21... Nxg3 $1 22. hxg3 (22. Re1+ Kf7 {doesn't bother Black})
22... O-O 23. Ra2 $1 Bxg3 24. Rg2 {and it's anybody's game.}) 22. fxe4 Qh3 {
The gangland queen pin reaches a decision, ordering a hit on White's
troublesome king. What she underestimates is just how powerfully protected and
well connected White's king really is. As I mentioned earlier, White should
win - with perfect play. Kramnik, like all skilled predators, exercises
patience. If he waits long enough and remains still, he reasons the prey may
wander by eventually. He tosses in a deceptively quiet move after the sac.
This move was also lavished with exclams, but I think this reflected emotion
more than actual reality. The trouble is White may be winning! ---
Nevertheless, although the computers all dismiss Kramnik's sac and claim White
is winning, we know better. Even if the computer evaluation is correct (and it
is!), a human has a devil of a time defending White here. So practical chances
shouldn't be dismissed.} 23. Nf3 $2 {The creature attempts to grasp the prize
with up-reached fingers but falls short. The defensive task proves even too
difficult for a reigning World Champion.} ({White can consolidate with} 23. Qe2
$1 Rae8 ({or} 23... Bxg3 24. Nf5 $1 Be5 25. Bb2) 24. Rxf8+ Bxf8 25. Be3 Bxe4
26. Qf1 {, when Black's attack fades.}) 23... Bxg3 $1 {"By the pricking of my
thumbs, something wicked this way comes!" Kramnik smudges the position yet
further, like the Kindle reader who turns the electronic pages with greasy
fingers.} 24. Nc5 $2 {Kasparov loses his way once more. --- EXERCISE 
(combination alert): Find a way to fire up Black's attack.} ({He had to try} 
24. Qe2 $1 {again.}) 24... Rxf3 $1 {ANSWER: Destroy the defender of h2.
Kramnik refuses to shut off the faucet and end the steady drip of sacrifices.}
25. Rxf3 $2 {Kasparov reels.} ({Instead, Kramnik suggests the better defence} 
25. Ra2 $1 Rxf1+ 26. Qxf1 Qxf1+ 27. Kxf1 Rc8 28. Be3 Bf4 29. Nxb7 Bxe3 30. Rxa6
{, when Black has the advantage but White may still hold due to the reduced
material.}) 25... Qxh2+ 26. Kf1 {EXERCISE (combination alert): Black has a
deliciously sneaky way of flaring up his attack to winning proportions. How do
we get fresh attackers into the mix? --- ANSWER: Enter stage left.} Bc6 $1 {A
disorienting picture. White is busted, despite his extra rook.} 27. Bg5 ({
Nothing works. For example,} 27. Ra5 Bc7 $1 {regains the rook with a crushing
position, since if White retreats with} 28. Ra1 {then} Bb5+ {is much the same
as the game.}) 27... Bb5+ 28. Nd3 Re8 $1 {Threat: ...Rxe4 followed by ...Qh1+.}
29. Ra2 {EXERCISE (combination alert): Kasparov just walked into a mate in
four moves, which Kramnik also missed! Can you do better than two world
champions?} (29. Rc1 Qh1+ ({not now} 29... Rxe4 $2 30. Rc8+) 30. Ke2 Rxe4+ 31.
Kd2 Qg2+ {is also game over, since the rook on c1 blocks the white king's
escape route.}) 29... Qh1+ {Winning, but mate is a whole lot better!} ({ANSWER:
} 29... Bxd3+ $1 30. Rxd3 Qh1+ 31. Ke2 Qg2+ 32. Ke3 Rxe4# {.}) 30. Ke2 {In the
frigid remains of battle, White's king continues to walk on his own power.}
Rxe4+ 31. Kd2 (31. Be3 Qg2+ 32. Rf2 Qxf2# {delivers a mind-blowing mate! The
treasonous bishop and knight, having sworn fealty oaths to White's king,
suddenly renege on their pledges.}) 31... Qg2+ 32. Kc1 Qxa2 33. Rxg3 Qa1+ 34.
Kc2 Qc3+ 35. Kb1 Rd4 {. The birds continue to pick over the carcass. At this
point, White's king just doesn't give a damn anymore and lays down his weapon
in submission. --- Rarely does one see a sitting world champion get pushed
aside with such disconcerting ease. This game should be viewed as a cautionary
tale: not all unsound attacks are destined to fail. If you don't believe me,
just ask Mikhail Tal.} 0-1

[Event "05: European Cup, Berlin"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1996.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gelfand, B."]
[Black "Kramnik, V."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D45"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "56"]
[EventDate "1996.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nf3 {Gelfand invites a pure Classical Slav.} e6
{At that time Kramnik played Semi-Slav exclusively.} ({These days he is
sometimes willing to chuck the Semi- and enter the Slav with} 4... dxc4 {.}) 5.
e3 Nbd7 6. Qc2 {This is a curious line since White can play it in drab
positional fashion or go psycho. --- QUESTION: How can White possibly go
psycho in such a controlled position? --- ANSWER: With the Shirov/Shabalov
Gambit. Stay tuned!} Bd6 7. g4 $5 {Psycho it is!} Bb4 $5 {Kramnik declines. I
have always felt this was Black's best response, mainly influenced by this
very game. --- QUESTION: Isn't Black's last move wrong on many levels? ---
ANSWER: Black does indeed violate principle (intentionally) by moving the same
piece twice in the opening. Moreover, it looks like ...Bxc3+ is no real threat
since it gives up Black's powerful dark-squared bishop. Still, Black's move
makes sense since it inhibits e3-e4 and also gives Black's f6-knight that
square should White push with g4-g5. Think of it as a kind of bizarro-world
Nimzo-Indian, where Black is down a tempo but White's "free" tempo is the
loosening g2-g4. --- QUESTION: How is it a "gambit" if Black takes on g4?
Doesn't White win his pawn back immediately on g7? --- ANSWER: Strictly
speaking this line isn't really a gambit; it's more of a lashing out.} ({But
there is one line which turns it into a gambit:} 7... Nxg4 8. Rg1 Nxh2 9. Nxh2
Bxh2 {- There. Now it is a real gambit. But White gets a lot of comp here:} 10.
Rxg7 Nf8 11. Rg2 Bd6 12. e4 Ng6 13. Bg5 Be7 14. Bxe7 Qxe7 15. O-O-O dxe4 16.
Nxe4 {and White's open lines and attacking chances give him full compensation
for the pawn, A.Morozevich-V.Kramnik, Tal Memorial, Moscow 2008.}) (7... dxc4 {
often leads to exceptionally sharp, opposite wing attacks; e.g.} 8. Bxc4 e5 9.
g5 Nd5 $1 10. Bd2 ({after} 10. Bxd5 cxd5 11. Nxd5 O-O {Black gets loads of
play for the pawn}) 10... exd4 11. Nxd4 O-O 12. Ne4 Ne5 13. Be2 Bb4 14. O-O-O {
, B.Gelfand-A.Shirov, Monte Carlo (blindfold rapid) 2004.}) 8. Bd2 Qe7 9. a3 ({
Or} 9. g5 Bxc3 10. Bxc3 Ne4 11. Rg1 b6 {(Black's bad bishop isn't really so
bad here)} 12. Bd3 Nxc3 13. Qxc3 dxc4 14. Be4 Bb7 15. Qxc4 O-O 16. O-O-O f5 17.
gxf6 Nxf6 18. Bc2 c5 {and Black may already stand a shade better, M.
Krasenkow-F.Vallejo Pons, European Championship, Saint Vincent 2000.}) 9...
Bxc3 10. Bxc3 b6 $1 (10... Nxg4 $6 {gives White exactly what he wants - open
lines for the pawn. After} 11. Rg1 f5 12. h3 Ngf6 13. Bb4 {Black is on the
defensive.}) 11. Bd3 Ba6 $1 {It is in Black's best interest to swap off his
bishop for one of White's.} 12. Qa4 {This may be the spot where White's
troubles begin.} ({Instead, after} 12. g5 $1 dxc4 13. Be2 Nd5 14. Bd2 O-O 15.
e4 Nc7 16. Bxc4 Bxc4 17. Qxc4 c5 {, he remains approximately equal in a
complex position.}) 12... dxc4 13. Qxa6 cxd3 14. Qxd3 O-O {QUESTION: A bit
dangerous? Black may be castling into a pawn storm. --- ANSWER: I don't think
so. First, Black's king is a million times safer on the kingside than in the
opposite direction. Secondly, Black has access to loads of central counters
with ...c6-c5 and ...e6-e5. I feel Black has more than equalized here, since
White's king looks easier to pry open should he castle queenside.} 15. g5 Nd5
16. Bd2 {Covering the f4-square so he can play e3-e4 next.} f5 $5 ({The
computers like the more natural} 16... e5 $1 {, which gives one pause since
machines are beginning to play more human than a human!}) 17. O-O-O $6 {The
two kings both ride the subway but in opposite directions. Here we go. It
turns into a race, though one in which Black's looks better equipped to open
lines more quickly. Gelfand is stirred into action, hoping to escape the
morass of his current foul living quarters in which his king wallows. But in
doing so he moves into a slum.} ({Of course White can't blindly open lines with
} 17. gxf6 $4 Qxf6 {, since this only opens lines against himself, and leaves
f3 and f2 loose.}) ({QUESTION: You criticized Gelfand for castling long. ---
But what alternative does he have? --- ANSWER: I believe White's best chance
at survival paradoxically lay in castling kingside with} 17. Rc1 c5 18. O-O $1
{.}) 17... c5 18. Kb1 b5 $1 19. Qxb5 $5 {To a hunted man, life is seen mainly
through a rear-view mirror.} ({QUESTION: Isn't it suicide to grab a pawn in
front of your king like this? --- ANSWER: In general it is, but in this case
if White doesn't take it, Black simply keeps pushing it forward. For example,} 
19. e4 {would be based on the principle "counter in the centre when attacked
on the wing"; unfortunately, in this case Black's attack arrives quickly after}
c4 20. Qc2 fxe4 21. Qxe4 c3 $1 22. Bxc3 Nxc3+ 23. bxc3 Nb6 {and White's king
is in grave danger.}) 19... Rab8 20. Qa5 Rb3 21. Ka2 Rfb8 22. Rb1 {Exercise 
(planning): Black's position is the usual story. We all realize he has a
strong attack, yet there are no obvious ways forward. --- Look deeply here and
try to find entry into White's position. --- ANSWER:} e5 $1 {. The key to
White's collapse lies along the a2-g8 diagonal. Black's queen discovers an
unexpected method of entry, as the combustible mixture of hyperactive black
pieces, all aimed at the enemy king, soon erupts into a rolling projectile of
flame which slowly unfurls on the white king's front lawn.} 23. Rhc1 Qe6 24.
Ka1 exd4 25. Rxc5 $5 {Gelfand places his hopes in a desperate exchange sac,
since all other roads lead to a Black victory.} Nxc5 26. Qxc5 {From this
moment on, Kramnik's ethereal attackers appear from nowhere with whiplash
quickness, solidify, inflict damage, and then immediately vaporize and
dematerialize from conventional space into another dimension.} Nc3 $3 27. Nxd4
{EXERCISE (combination alert): Black began an incredible combination with his
previous move. It's up to you to find the remainder.} ({No choice since} 27.
bxc3 Rxb1# {isn't all that hard to work out!}) 27... Rxb2 $1 {ANSWER: White's
king cover, ancient crumbling parchment, fails to adhere and maintain
integrity.} 28. Rxb2 {A deathly ill person is willing to consume any necessary
medicine, no matter how vile the taste.} Qa2+ $1 {Impossible exclams and
double exclams continue to assail White, as the hungry queen punctures the
crust of the hot pie with her thumb to get a taste of the sweetness inside.
How generous of Kramnik, agreeing to fatten Gelfand's bank account
exponentially. White's forces dangle in twisted geometry, every tortured piece
exuding the stench of disharmony.} ({Gelfand resigned here since} 28... Qa2+
29. Rxa2 Rb1# {is mate. --- Amazing! I thought such things only happened to
Counts and Dukes in Morphy's day.}) 0-1

[Event "06: Cap d'Agde (rapid)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2003.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kramnik, V."]
[Black "Polgar, J."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E12"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "75"]
[EventDate "2003.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. a3 {The Petrosian system in the Queen's Indian.
} Bb7 5. Nc3 d5 {GM John Emms writes: "The most solid way to meet the 4 a3
variation. Black immediately stakes a claim for the centre. Play now more
resembles a Queen's Gambit Declined than a Queen's Indian." --- QUESTION: All
true, but didn't White just get tricked into a line of the QGD where his a2-a3
is rendered a lost tempo? --- ANSWER: Unlikely; a2-a3 is nearly always useful
to White, who can later expand with b2-b4.} 6. Qc2 ({I have never understood
the appeal for White of} 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. Qc2 Nxc3 8. bxc3 Be7 9. e4 O-O 10. Bd3
c5 11. O-O Qc7 {. --- QUESTION: Doesn't White now lose a tempo since ...c5xd4
is at least a strategic threat? --- ANSWER: Exactly. White must move his queen
again with} 12. Qe2 {, as in H.Nakamura-S.Karjakin, Medias 2011. This is all
theory and I don't know a thing about it, but it seems to me like White has
landed in a Semi-Tarrasch at least a move down over normal.}) ({Instead,} 6.
Bg5 {, veering toward a QGD-style position, looks a lot more logical. I like
White's game at the end of} Be7 7. Qa4+ c6 8. cxd5 Nxd5 9. Bxe7 Qxe7 10. Nxd5
exd5 11. e3 {, A.Karpov-V.Korchnoi, Vienna 1996.}) 6... c5 {QUESTION: Risky
for Black to open the game so soon? --- ANSWER: Somewhat, but not really.
Black isn't too far behind in development and hopes to open the c-file to
exploit White's queen position on c2.} ({Instead, J.Lautier-A.Karpov,
Groningen 1995, went} 6... dxc4 7. e4 c5 8. d5 $5 {(White offers a pawn,
hoping to exploit his lead in development)} exd5 9. exd5 Bd6 {(which Karpov
prudently declines)} 10. Bxc4 O-O 11. O-O h6 12. Re1 a6 13. a4 {and White's
d5-pawn appears more of a strength than a weakness. Still, Black looks like he
achieved an acceptable position.}) 7. cxd5 exd5 $2 {QUESTION: Why the question
mark? What could be more natural? --- ANSWER: Natural isn't always so
desirable. There are all sorts of "natural" berries and mushrooms in the
forest which, if ingested, will kill you in no time! Black now falls seriously
behind in development after White's shocking next move.} ({Better is} 7... cxd4
8. Nxd4 Nxd5 9. Ndb5 $1 Nc6 10. Nxd5 exd5 11. Bf4 Rc8 {, when Black looks just
fine, A.Dreev-R.Ponomariov, Moscow (rapid) 2002.}) 8. e4 $1 {Kramnik blasts
the game open to his advantage, splattering Black's position with hot cooking
grease.} cxd4 $1 {Polgar minimizes her suffering with the most accurate
defence.} (8... dxe4 $6 9. Bb5+ Bc6 (9... Nbd7 10. Ne5 a6 11. Qb3 $1 Qe7 12.
Nxd7 Nxd7 13. Nd5 $1 {also looks rough for Black}) 10. Ne5 Bxb5 11. Qb3 $1 Qe7
{, A.Ryskin-K.Aseev, Sochi 1993. Now Black is in deep trouble after} 12. Nxb5
$1 {.}) (8... Nxe4 $2 9. Nxe4 dxe4 10. Bb5+ Bc6 11. Qxe4+ Qe7 12. Ne5 $1 {and
once again, Black finds himself in deep trouble, I.Zakharevich-A.Derbenev,
Voronezh 2005.}) 9. Bb5+ Nbd7 (9... Bc6 $2 10. Nxd5 $1 {is even worse for
Black.}) 10. e5 $1 {Kramnik one-track-mindedly pries the game open.} dxc3 $1 {
Once again Polgar finds the narrow path to continued survival after her
unfortunate opening.} (10... Ne4 $2 {leads to immediate disaster after} 11.
Nxe4 dxe4 12. e6 $1 fxe6 13. Ne5 {.}) 11. exf6 Qc7 {QUESTION: If Black is
suffering, then why not grab a pawn on b2? --- ANSWER: Suicide. That would be
like the smallest kid in the class picking a fight with the school bully.} ({
There is no chance of survival after} 11... cxb2 $2 12. Bxb2 gxf6 13. O-O {,
when Black's pair of extra pawns will be of little comfort to her in her grave.
}) 12. Qe2+ {From this moment on, Polgar's king finds no safe haven across the
board.} Kd8 {Black's uninvited king is greeted with accusatory silence from
his comrades.} 13. fxg7 {The sign of a positional player.} ({Kasparov or
Morozevich would probably continue their generosity with} 13. O-O $5 {.}) 13...
Bxg7 14. O-O Re8 15. Bg5+ f6 16. Be3 a6 17. Bxd7 Kxd7 {Black's king awaits in
frozen motion, ready to hightail it and run in any given direction.} 18. Nd4 {
This knight is destined for great things and seeks, with valedictory ambition,
to outdo all the other minor pieces combined.} Re4 {Preventing Qg4+.} 19. bxc3
Qe5 $6 {I am sick and tired of watching horror films and never getting scared.
White's attack somehow has the same effect on Polgar, whose queen brazenly
abandons defence of the critical b6-square in fatigued exasperation. Now is
not the time to try and seize the initiative.} ({Her best shot at survival lay
in} 19... Rae8 {.}) 20. Rfb1 $1 {QUESTION: Isn't this the wrong rook? ---
ANSWER: Quite the opposite. The other rook remains on duty on a1.} b5 21. a4 {
Now we see why Kramnik left his queen's rook where it was.} Bh6 22. axb5 a5 (
22... Bxe3 23. fxe3 Rxe3 24. Qg4+ {is of no help to Black.}) 23. Qf3 (23. b6 $1
{, clearing b5 for the queen, looks very powerful.}) 23... Bxe3 24. fxe3 {The
immediate queen check on h3 is more accurate, since it may cut Black's a8-rook
out of the game.} Rg8 25. Qh3+ Reg4 {The much hoped-for counterattack yields
thin gruel.} 26. Rxa5 {Black's game is a disaster on so many levels: 1. She is
down two pawns. --- 2. White has by far the stronger attack. In fact, Black's
counterattack is virtually nonexistent, and her king, a leaf in a storm,
whirls about without will. --- 3. White's knight towers over Black's
ineffectual remaining minor piece, which remains nothing but a bishop-shaped
absence, an empty presence.} Kd6 27. Ra2 Bc8 28. Qf3 Rh4 29. g3 Re4 30. b6 Rxe3
{EXERCISE (combination alert): How can White finish Black off? --- ANSWER:
Ignore the threat to his queen.} 31. b7 $1 Re1+ ({If Black accepts the queen
she gets mated after} 31... Bxb7 32. Rxb7 $1 Rxf3 33. Ra6+ Kc5 34. Rc6# {Mate!}
) 32. Rxe1 Qxe1+ 33. Kg2 Bxb7 34. Qxf6+ Kc5 {Black's king reminds us of a
long-dead relative from a sepia-stained photograph found in the attic.} 35. Re2
Qb1 36. Ne6+ Kb5 37. Qf7 Ka5 {It's almost mate. Black's king steps up to the
podium, removes a crumpled copy of his resignation speech from his coat pocket,
and begins to address the other pieces.} 38. Qc7+ $1 ({The actress on c7
forgets her lines and refuses the offered rook, and instead ad-libs, going for
mate:} 38. Qc7+ Ka6 39. Nc5+ {, when the knight's tentacles prove to have a
long reach, as they grope at Black's king and force mate.}) 1-0

[Event "07: Monte Carlo (rapid)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2005.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kramnik, V."]
[Black "Van Wely, L."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B33"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "70"]
[EventDate "2005.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

1. e4 {is unusual for Kramnik. He likes to toss it in once in a while to keep
his opponents off balance, or if he has something specially prepared for them
- as in the case of this game.} c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5
6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 8. Na3 b5 9. Nd5 {QUESTION: Is this version the
positional line of the Pelikan? --- ANSWER: Correct. However, this particular
game certainly doesn't bear the "positional" label out.} ({The positions tend
to be sharper and more forcing after} 9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. Nd5 {, which we looked
at in the first game of this chapter.}) 9... Be7 10. Bxf6 Bxf6 11. c3 {White
prepares re-entry for the offside knight via c2.} Bg5 {QUESTION: Doesn't White
just have a long-term edge with his grip on d5? --- ANSWER: It certainly looks
that way, but matters are not so straightforward in the Pelikan. First, White
often has trouble finding a practical application of the admittedly wondrous
d5-square. Second, Black both controls the bishop pair and also the dark
squares.} 12. Nc2 O-O 13. a4 {To weaken Black's a-pawn.} bxa4 14. Rxa4 a5 15.
Bc4 Rb8 16. Ra2 Kh8 {Black prepares an eventual ...f7-f5 break and gets his
king off the diagonal.} 17. Nce3 g6 {QUESTION: Why is Black willing to weaken
his kingside like this? --- ANSWER: He wants to play ...f7-f5 and, on e4xf5,
recapture with his g-pawn, which would control e4. Also, Black would then
open the g-file for his rook, assuming White castles kingside. --- QUESTION:
That looks risky. Wouldn't it be better for Black just to eliminate his bad
bishop by swapping on e3? --- ANSWER: In theory, yes, but your plan is rather
unambitious. Black is also playing for a win and wants to hang on to his
bishop.} ({Let's take a look at your plan:} 17... Bxe3 18. Nxe3 Ne7 19. O-O f5
20. exf5 Bxf5 21. b3 Be4 22. Rd2 Rb6 {left White slightly better since he has
targets on d6 and a5, though Black's game seems quite defendable, R.
Kasimdzhanov-P.Tregubov, Bastia (rapid) 2006.}) 18. h4 $5 {A relatively new
idea at the time. White is willing to give up his h-pawn to attack down the
h-file. Obviously, castling kingside is a lot safer.} Bxh4 {Van Wely is up to
the challenge. --- QUESTION: It looks unbelievably risky to take the h-pawn.
Can Black decline? --- ANSWER: The problem with declining is that White is
going to engineer h4-h5 anyway, so Black reasons why not grab the pawn?} ({
Let's take a look at the declinations:} 18... Bxe3 $6 19. Nxe3 f5 20. h5 Kg7
21. hxg6 hxg6 22. exf5 Bxf5 23. Qd2 {- advantage White, who has multiple pawn
targets to work on, as well as Black's king, I.Denisov-R.Kokshin, Kurgan 2010.}
) (18... Bh6 19. h5 Kg7 20. Qd2 Rh8 21. g3 Bd7 22. f4 {, when Black looks like
he is on the defensive but may still be okay due to his dark-square control, R.Kasimdzhanov-V.Ivanchuk, Tallinn (rapid) 2006.}) 19. g3 Bg5 $5 {QUESTION:
Walking right into the teeth of f2-f4 - ? --- ANSWER: I agree, this is very
risky; but I have the feeling Van Wely actually provokes the move.} ({Kramnik,
playing Black here, tried} 19... Bf6 20. b3 Bg7 21. f4 exf4 22. gxf4 Re8 23.
Qf3 Kg8 24. Rah2 h5 {, when Pono went for it with} 25. Rxh5 $5 gxh5 26. Qxh5
Re6 27. Qh7+ Kf8 28. Rg1 Rg6 29. Rxg6 fxg6 {, R.Ponomariov-V.Kramnik, Wijk aan
Zee 2005. The game eventually ended in a draw after further adventures.}) 20.
f4 {Thematic, but remember: in playing this break White opens the game for
Black's bishop pair and also puts his own king at risk.} ({Instead, F.Amonatov-L.Van Wely, Moscow 2005, continued} 20. b3 Bxe3 21. Nxe3 f5 22. Rd2 f4
23. gxf4 exf4 24. Rxd6 Qc7 25. Nf5 $5 gxf5 26. Rdh6 Rb7 27. Rxh7+ Qxh7 28.
Rxh7+ Rxh7 29. Qd6 Ne7 {and the game soon ended in a chaotic draw. As you can
see, Kramnik isn't the only one with experience in the position.}) 20... exf4
21. gxf4 Bh4+ 22. Kf1 $1 {QUESTION: What is Kramnik's idea? His king sits
exposed and in danger after Black tosses in ...f7-f5. --- ANSWER: By playing
to f1, Kramnik's king doesn't inhibit the swing manoeuvre b2-b3 (or b2-b4) and
Rah2!.} ({Superior to} 22. Kd2 {, as in I.Khairullin-V.Kuznetsov, Nojabrsk
2005.}) 22... f5 $1 {Both sides play for mate.} 23. b4 $1 ({Pushing the b-pawn
two squares is more disruptive to Black's defences than the quieter} 23. b3 {
, as seen in M.Stangl-S.Kindermann, Altensteig 1987.}) 23... fxe4 $1 {Van Wely
finds the only move and strafes White's king and yet, impossibly, the
impregnable wall holds.} (23... axb4 $4 {drops a piece after} 24. Rah2 g5 25.
fxg5 fxe4+ 26. Ke2 {.}) 24. Rah2 {Now Black's bishop at the edge of the world
nearly falls off the overhanging crag.} g5 {Forced. Van Wely strives to slow
down White's initiative, or, failing that, to divert it.} 25. b5 $1 {The lumpy
separate parts congeal into the totality of a clear plan. Now we see why 23
b4! is superior to 23 b3: it chases off Black's knight, which allows White's
queen jump to d4.} Ne5 {All other knight moves lose instantly to Qd4+.} 26. Qd4
{In Kramnik's games, especially as White, one feels a subtle sense of endless
expansion, like a sleeper who emerges from a foetal position in his bed, and
stretches arms and legs luxuriously as he greets the day.} Rb7 ({Maxim Notkin
suggests} 26... Qd7 $5 {, but it is unlikely that Black defends after} 27. Ke2
$1 gxf4 28. Rxh4 fxe3 29. Nxe3 {.}) 27. Rxh4 $1 gxh4 28. Ke2 $1 {A theoretical
novelty (yes, nowadays move 28 is still considered "the opening!") and an
improvement over 28 Ke1 from A.Holmsten-V.Filippov, Polanica Zdroj 1999. ---
QUESTION: I don't understand the difference between the two moves. --- What
has changed with White's king on e2 rather than on e1? --- ANSWER: Kramnik's
move is quite subtle: he pre-empts Black's idea of ...h4-h3 followed by ...
Qh4+.} Re8 ({After} 28... h3 29. fxe5 {there is no check on h4 anymore!
Top-level GM's games are won and lost by such tiny, inconsequential-looking
margins these days.}) 29. fxe5 Rxe5 30. Nf4 $6 {EXERCISE (critical decision):
Kramnik's last move, a single flaw in an other-wise perfect game, allows Van
Wely a window to climb through and get back into the game. We have a decision
to make. Only one of these moves saves Black: a) 30...Qg5, get active. b) 30...
Bd7, counterattack on b5.} ({Houdini points out that} 30. Rf1 $1 {intending
Nf6! is very powerful for White.}) 30... Qg5 $2 {ANSWER: The wrong path. The
assassin approaches from g5, but White's king's guard spots her in the corner
of his eye and stands ready. Now Black's attack manifests in nervous gusts,
like the waning of a once powerful storm.} ({Instead, after} 30... Bd7 $1 {
Black gets back into the game - the point being that d6 isn't really hanging
since the ...Bg4+ discovery would win White's queen.}) 31. Qxd6 $5 {
Threatening a nasty check on f8.} Bg4+ $2 {Black's attack hits bedrock and he
finds himself unable to drill further. Understandably, Van Wely gets bogged
down in the defensive task and picks one of the many ways Black can go wrong.}
({Here} 31... Qxf4 $2 32. Qd8+ Kg7 33. Qg8+ Kh6 34. Rf1 $1 {is also curtains})
({whereas after} 31... Re8 $1 32. Qd4+ Rg7 {Black hangs on.}) 32. Ke1 {
Kramnik's equations hold firm against Black's frantic stabs at refutation.}
Qxf4 ({This loses, as does} 32... Rbe7 33. Nxg4 $1 Qxg4 34. Qf6+ Qg7 35. Rg1 $3
{.}) 33. Qd8+ Kg7 34. Qg8+ {The king and queen, a tongue-tied, shy, courting
couple, walk close but not too close.} Kh6 (34... Kf6 35. Nxg4+ {wins.}) 35.
Rxh4+ {The tarantulas crawl steadily closer to circle their victim.} Rh5 {
Black's defensive resources (or their lack) feed into themselves in an endless
loop, the way a computer infected with a virus acts.} ({Van Wely resigned here,
as after} 35... Rh5 36. Nxg4+ {his king is drawn into the mire with a frantic
gurgling sound. --- How is it possible to play such a brilliant attacking game
without engaging in a single combination (all the combinations are hidden in
the notes!)? Only Kramnik can give us the answer.}) 1-0

[Event "08: Turin Olympiad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2006.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kramnik, V."]
[Black "Bruzon, L."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D52"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "63"]
[EventDate "2006.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 Nf6 3. c4 c6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Bg5 Nbd7 6. e3 Qa5 {The Cambridge
Springs Variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined. --- QUESTION: What is
Black's idea? --- ANSWER: The Cambridge Springs is quite an ambitious line,
since Black hopes to take over the initiative with rapid pressure on c3 after ...Bb4 and ...Ne4, with the added bonus that a knight on e4 simultaneously
attacks White's bishop on g5, not to mention Black's queen on a5 also
indirectly eyeing the g5-square. --- QUESTION: What is the downside to the
line? --- ANSWER: Black moves his knight over and over: g8, e4 (or d5), c3. So
White may be inclined, as in this game, to sacrifice a pawn for a lead in
development.} 7. cxd5 $1 ({White's highest percentage line and probably
superior to} 7. Nd2 Bb4 8. Qc2 O-O) ({or} 7. Bxf6 Nxf6 8. Nd2 {.}) 7... Nxd5 ({
QUESTION: Why can't Black free his game with the natural QGD recapture} 7...
exd5 {- ? --- ANSWER: He can, but Black must be very careful not to end up in
a QGD with a totally misplaced queen on a5. One of White's essential
strategies in the QGD Exchange is to play for a minority attack and engineer
b2-b4. If this is the case, Black may end up losing two tempi. A.Grischuk-M.Godena, European Cup, Saint Vincent 2005, continued} 8. Bd3 Ne4 9. O-O $1 Nxg5
(9... Nxc3 10. Qd2 $1 {regains the piece}) 10. Nxg5 Nf6 11. h3 {and maybe
Black is okay, but his queen still looks misplaced on a5.}) 8. Qd2 {White must
deal with the challenge on c3.} ({QUESTION: Isn't playing the queen to c2 more
accurate? --- ANSWER: The trouble with} 8. Qc2 $2 {is that after} Bb4 9. Rc1 {
Black has} Qxa2 {, when White receives no discernable compensation for the
pawn.}) 8... Bb4 9. Rc1 h6 10. Bh4 O-O {At some point Black must achieve ...c6-c5 or ...e5-e5 or he will stand worse;} ({but the immediate} 10... c5 {is
met by} 11. a3 $1 {(White is happy to hand over the a3-pawn for the bishop
pair and a development lead)} Bxc3 12. bxc3 b6 {(Shirov isn't interested)} 13.
c4 Qxd2+ 14. Nxd2 Ne7 15. Bd3 {and White gets a long-term edge due to the
bishop pair and stronger centre, V.Kramnik-A.Shirov, Shanghai 2010.}) 11. a3 $1
{QUESTION: Is White's sac obligatory? --- ANSWER: No, but it is the logical
extension of the position, since White hopes to punish Black for violating the
principle of moving the same piece more than once in the opening.} ({White can
also play in a more mellow fashion with} 11. Bd3 e5 12. O-O {, as in A.Moiseenko-B.Esen, Khanty-Mansiysk 2011.}) 11... Bxc3 ({Black has no real
choice since} 11... Bd6 {would be an admission that his opening strategy has
failed.}) 12. bxc3 Qxa3 {QUESTION: What, specifically, is White's
compensation? --- ANSWER: It can be aggregated as follows: 1. Bishop pair. ---
2. Dark-square control. --- 3. Central control. --- 4. Slight development lead.
--- 5. Future kingside attacking chances.} 13. e4 Ne7 {Retreating the knight
to f6 would be illogical since White may soon gain another tempo on the knight
with e4-e5.} ({Instead, after} 13... N5b6 14. Bd3 Re8 15. O-O e5 16. Bg3 exd4
17. cxd4 Nf8 18. Rfe1 Be6 19. Ra1 Qe7 20. Qb2 {(Black's queenside pawns are
frozen for now, while White has pressure on both wings)} Bc4 21. Bc2 Ba6 22.
Qc3 Bc4 23. Ra5 $1 f6 24. Nh4 $1 Be6 25. Nf5 Bxf5 26. Rxf5 Rad8 27. f3 {,
Black found himself under heavy pressure in V.Kramnik-E.Lobron, Frankfurt 
(rapid) 1995.}) 14. Bd3 Ng6 15. Bg3 e5 $1 {Bruzon is willing to return the
pawn to free his remaining bishop and break up Kramnik's imposing centre.} 16.
O-O {A new move in the position.} ({Kramnik refrains from} 16. Nxe5 $2 Ndxe5
17. dxe5 Rd8 $1 {(threatening ...Rxd3!, overloading the white queen)} 18. O-O
Qc5 $1 {and Black, who has managed to decimate White's centre, will be up a
pawn after all.}) 16... Re8 17. Rfe1 Qa5 $5 {Bruzon threatens a strategic
cheapo with ...e5xd4 but, in so doing, puts his queen out of play.} ({I would
have dropped back with} 17... Qe7 {.}) 18. Qb2 Qd8 {Black took two moves to
retreat his queen to an inferior square, but at least he brought his queen out
of harm's way, and also cleared the path for his a-pawn to push forward.} 19.
Bb1 $1 {A powerful transference. Kramnik is in no hurry and realizes Black has
great difficulty unravelling: 1. If Black is ever forced into ...e5xd4 c3xd4,
then White has the attacking plan Qc2, e4-e5 and h2-h4-h5. --- 2. The bishop
may later be transferred to a2, where it tickles f7 and also blockades Black's
passed a-pawn should it manage to run up the board.} a5 {Black has a hard time
moving anything since his knights are stuck defending e5, so he hopes to
generate play with his passed a-pawn.} 20. Rcd1 a4 $1 {Ignoring White's
"threat" on e5.} 21. Ba2 $1 {A dual-purpose move, as mentioned above. White
simultaneously attacks and blockades.} ({QUESTION: Why can't Kramnik just take
on e5? --- ANSWER: He refuses to be party to a hasty pawn grab which falls
into Bruzon's strategic trap:} 21. dxe5 $2 Qb6 $1 {and Black regains his pawn
favourably.}) 21... Qe7 22. Qc1 {Kramnik waits to see what Black will do.} Ra5
({He can also just slog forward with} 22... b5 {.}) 23. Qd2 {Kramnik is in no
hurry. He cracks open the cork on the bottle and allows the position to decant
for a while.} exd4 $6 {I'm not sure of the motivation behind Black's last move.
Was it that the tension was unbearable to Bruzon, or was it just blind
ambition where he wasn't satisfied with equality and played for the win? In
any case, Black should do nothing and see how Kramnik planned on making
progress. --- EXERCISE (planning/critical decision): Now we have a choice: a)
Recapture with the pawn, taking control over the centre. --- b) Recapture with
the knight, going for piece play and an attack. --- ANSWER: 'b' - the piece
play plan puts Black's game under heavy strain.} 24. Nxd4 $1 {Now Kramnik
threatens a knight transference to d6 via f5. My old friend, IM Danny Kopec,
and I predicted this recapture while commentating on the game live on ChessFM,
on the Internet Chess Club (although in all likelihood, Danny probably
suggested the move and I just passively went along with it, making sure to
take equal credit!). The knight threatens to head to d6 via f5.} Qc5 ({Instead,
} 24... Nde5 $2 {is just a loss of several tempi after} 25. f4) ({while} 24...
Ndf8 {is met by} 25. Nf5 $1 Qf6 ({the knight can't be touched:} 25... Bxf5 $4
26. exf5 Ne5 27. f4 Qc5+ 28. Bf2 {and Black can resign}) 26. Nd6 Rd8 27. f4 {
with e4-e5 next.}) 25. Bc7 $3 {The bishop dances a curlicue pattern on his
toes. A scheme grows within Kramnik's mind as he sets a cunning trap...} Ra8 $2
{...which Bruzon falls into! --- EXERCISE (combination alert): Kramnik found a
way to obliterate the black king's defences. What would you play here?} ({
Black's only path to continued survival is to hand over the exchange with} 
25... Nf6 {.}) 26. Bxf7+ $1 {ANSWER: I compute, therefore I am. The
long-distance bishop strikes with predatory finality. In this inedible soup of
murky calculations, endless looping variables and fragmented visions of dark
and bright futures, Kramnik extrapolates the essence and unleashes:} Kxf7 27.
Qa2+ {A fearsome avatar arises in the bishop's absence.} Kf8 {The only move.} (
{Others lose at once:} 27... Ke7 $2 28. Qe6+ Kf8 29. Bd6+ {picks off the queen.
}) (27... Kf6 $2 {(the startled king zigzags away in an attempt to outrun his
pursuers)} 28. Bd8+ $3 {(another reason why White's 25th move deserved two
exclams!)} Rxd8 (28... Ke5 {also walks into a mate in five}) 29. Qe6+ Kg5 30.
Nf3+ Kf4 ({or} 30... Kh5 31. g4#) 31. g3+ $1 Kxf3 {(the king falls endlessly
into a damned soul's journey to the bowels of hell)} 32. Rd3+ Qe3 33. Rexe3# {.
}) 28. Ne6+ Rxe6 29. Qxe6 {Now we see Kramnik's incredibly deep idea behind 25
Bc7!!. If his bishop still stood on g3, then Black could block on e5 with his
g6-knight. But now Black is faced with annihilation from a bishop check on d6,
as his scattered defenders bob up and down like trash floating on a polluted
river.} Ne7 ({After} 29... Qg5 30. Rxd7 $1 Bxd7 31. Bd6+ Ne7 32. Qxd7 a3 33. f4
Qf6 34. e5 Qf7 35. Qxb7 {Black can't survive the multiple attacking threats.})
30. Re3 $1 {A new attacker is airlifted in.} ({I wonder if Bruzon had only
counted on} 30. Bd6 $6 Qg5 31. Re3 Ne5 {, when he is busted but at least
continues to resist.}) 30... Ke8 {The d7-knight can't budge a muscle;} ({since
} 30... Ne5 $4 31. Rd8# {is mate!}) 31. Rf3 {Threatening mate in one.} Qh5 32.
Bd6 {The exit wound on d6 reopens;} ({while} 32. Bd6 Qg5 {is met by} 33. Rf7 {
, continuing to stroke the dead cat on e7.}) 1-0

[Event "09: Dortmund"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2009.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Naiditsch, A."]
[Black "Kramnik, V."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C42"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "54"]
[EventDate "2009.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 {Opening choices like the Petroff, along with the Berlin
Lopez, are one of the reasons so many players falsely accuse Kramnik of being
a stodgy positional player.} 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Bd6 ({The
previous year, Naiditsch had burned Kramnik through deeper opening preparation
in the line} 6... Nc6 7. O-O Be7 8. Re1 Bg4 9. c4 Nf6 10. Nc3 Bxf3 11. Qxf3
Nxd4 12. Qd1 Ne6 13. cxd5 Nxd5 14. Bb5+ c6 15. Nxd5 cxb5 16. Bf4 Nxf4 17. Rxe7+
Kf8 18. Re5 Qd6 {, and here Naiditsch had prepared the startling novelty} 19.
Qd2 $5 {which confused Kramnik. The game continued} Ng6 $2 (19... Qxe5 $1 20.
Qb4+ Ke8 21. Re1 Ne2+ 22. Kf1 Rc8 $1 23. f4 Qxd5 24. Rxe2+ Kd7 25. Rd2 Rc5 $1 {
should be okay for Black}) 20. Ree1 $1 {and Black was unable to unravel
effectively, A.Naiditsch-V.Kramnik, Dortmund 2008.}) 7. O-O O-O 8. c4 c6 9. Re1
({White also has} 9. Nc3) (9. cxd5) ({and} 9. Qc2 {.}) 9... Bf5 10. c5 $5 {
Naiditsch hopes to throw Kramnik off with a little-played line. The move looks
like it goes against the natural flow of the position. --- QUESTION: Why don't
you like 10 c5 - ? --- ANSWER: Although the move does have the plus of gaining
queenside space, intuitively it feels like Black is the beneficiary of any
release of central tension. The central stability allowed Kramnik later to
build up a kingside attack. Better to stick with the main lines: 10 Nc3, 10
Qb3 or 10 Qc2. --- QUESTION: What kingside attack? White looks impregnable.
--- ANSWER: For now. If you allow an uncontested piece build-up around your
king - weakened or not - the attacking side has a nasty way of generating a
weak point which didn't previously exist.} Bc7 11. Nc3 Nd7 12. Qc2 {QUESTION:
I don't understand why Kramnik left e4 unprotected. Why didn't White win a
pawn? --- ANSWER: The pawn is held tactically.} ({After} 12. Nxe4 $6 dxe4 13.
Bxe4 Bxe4 14. Rxe4 {Black exploits the pin with} Nxc5 $1 {, when White has
exchanged too many pieces for an isolani position.}) 12... Re8 13. Be3 ({
QUESTION: Now there is no back rank problem. Why not take on e4? --- ANSWER:} 
13. Nxe4 dxe4 14. Bxe4 {is now met by} Qe7 $1 15. Ng5 Nf6 16. f3 h6 17. Bd2
Nxe4 $1 18. Nxe4 ({after} 18. fxe4 $2 Bg6 $1 19. Nf3 Bxe4 {Black gets the
bishop pair and light-square domination}) 18... Qh4 {with Ruy Lopez Marshall
Attack-like compensation for the pawn, B.Socko-P.Skatchkov, Cappelle la Grande
2004.}) 13... h6 14. b4 {White gains ground on the queenside.} Ndf6 15. h3 $6 {
Eliminating ...Ng4 ideas, but allowing Kramnik a sac target on h3. Naiditsch
clearly underestimated the force of Black's coming attack. --- QUESTION: Okay,
so what do you suggest for White in its place?} ({ANSWER: With hindsight White
should probably avoid h2-h3 and play something like} 15. a4 Qd7 16. Rab1 {,
although in that case Black keeps building with 16...Re6. Perhaps the move
which really deserves the "?!" mark is White's tenth.} Re6 {Perhaps the move
which really deserves the "?!" mark is White's tenth move.}) 15... Qd7 $1 16.
Ne2 $5 {He encourages the sac.} ({Baburin suggests} 16. Nd2 {, but then the
sac looks very strong:} Bxh3 $1 17. Ndxe4 dxe4 18. Nxe4 Nd5 $1 19. gxh3 Nxb4 {
, when} 20. Qb1 $2 {is met with} Nxd3 21. Qxd3 Qxh3 {with a winning attack.
Now one feels that tingle of disquiet felt just before a thunderstorm erupts.})
16... Bxh3 $1 {The bishop solemnly places his hand upon the h-pawn's head and
recites a benediction. The moment has arrived, as Black intensifies the heat
from low burn to high.} 17. Ne5 $1 {In a war without meaning, the soldier's
primary mission is self-preservation. White's king views the cheeky bishop's
lunge with open-mouthed incredulity. After the initial shock, White gathers
himself in a final attempt to stabilize his quickly degenerating situation.
Naiditsch probably counted on this tricky zwischenzug, but Black's chances
remain superior.} ({Immediate acceptance loses:} 17. gxh3 $2 Qxh3 {, when
Black's attack grows out of control.}) 17... Bxe5 18. dxe5 Rxe5 19. f3 Rae8 $1
20. Bf4 ({Or} 20. fxe4 Bxg2 $1 21. Kxg2 Rh5 22. Ng3 Qh3+ 23. Kg1 Qxg3+ 24. Qg2
Qxg2+ 25. Kxg2 Nxe4 {- advantage Black, who gets four healthy pawns for the
piece.}) 20... Rh5 $1 {Such strong attacks tend to generate simultaneous waves
of euphoria and panic, since the attacking side is often left with multiple
pieces hanging.} ({Kramnik's move looks more accurate than} 20... Bxg2 $5 21.
Kxg2 Ng5 22. Rh1 Nxf3 23. Bxe5 Nxe5 24. Bf5 {, when White's forces let forth a
ragged cheer since the invading party has been repelled for now.}) 21. fxe4 $2
({He had no choice but to play} 21. Nd4 $1 Rh4 $1 {, when Black's attack rages
on. --- After this text the once luxurious White position transforms into a
slum, stark in its squalor. White's king soon crinkles like a photograph on
fire.}) 21... dxe4 22. Bc4 {EXERCISE (critical decision/combination alert):
How would you continue the attack as Black? --- ANSWER:} Bxg2 $1 {The pawn
cover, far from providing safety, becomes the white king's death shroud as the
bishop strips away the final vestiges of defensive barrier.} 23. Ng3 ({The
bishop can't be touched:} 23. Kxg2 $4 Qh3+ 24. Kg1 Qh1+ 25. Kf2 Qf3+ 26. Kg1
Rh1# {.}) 23... Bf3 $1 24. Qb3 ({Nor is there hope for White after} 24. Nxh5
Nxh5 25. Qh2 Qg4+ 26. Kf2 Nxf4 {. Houdini has Black up by a whopping +12.34!})
24... Rh4 (24... Qh3 $1 {is even more crushing.}) 25. Bd6 Qh3 $1 {The
malicious fallen angel plummets from the heavens above the stratosphere,
determined to harm the world. The f7-pawn is meaningless.} 26. Bxf7+ Kh7 27.
Qb2 {EXERCISE (combination alert): Kramnik's prosaic next move leads to mate
in five moves and prompts White's resignation. --- But look closer. Kramnik
missed a mate in three moves. Can you find the quicker mate a world champion
overlooked?} Ng4 {The aftermath leaves only bloody water as the sharks have
their fill.} ({ANSWER: Kramnik missed a dazzling finish with} 27... Qxg3+ $1
28. Bxg3 Rh1+ 29. Kf2 Ng4# {. White's king spasms like the involuntary
twitching of a newly dead accident victim.}) 0-1

[Event "10: Wijk aan Zee"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Kramnik, V."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C45"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "86"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 {I remember everyone asking why Kasparov never
switched from the Berlin Lopez to the Scotch in his world championship match
against Kramnik. Games like this prove that Kramnik was heavily armed for
Scotch as well.} exd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nxc6 bxc6 6. e5 Qe7 7. Qe2 Nd5 8. c4 Nb6 (
8... Ba6 {is the most popular move here. For example,} 9. Nd2 g6 10. b3 Bg7 11.
Bb2 Nb4 12. O-O-O $5 Nxa2+ 13. Kb1 Nb4 14. Ne4 $1 O-O (14... Bxe5 $4 {loses
instantly to} 15. Bxe5 $1 Qxe5 16. Nf6+) 15. Qf3 Rfe8 16. Nf6+ Bxf6 17. exf6
Qc5 18. h4 {offered White compensation for the pawn, Ma.Carlsen-L.Aronian,
Wijk aan Zee 2011.}) 9. Nc3 Bb7 {Possibly a remnant of match prep against
Kasparov.} (9... Qe6 {is the main line.}) 10. Bd2 ({Deviating from I.Nepomniachtchi-V.Kramnik, Wijk aan Zee 2011 (five rounds earlier in the
tournament), which went} 10. Bf4 g6 11. h4 {(a novelty)} Bg7 12. O-O-O O-O 13.
h5 Rae8 14. Re1 Ba6 $1 15. Qe4 Qc5 16. Bg3 Bxc4 17. hxg6 fxg6 18. Na4 $1 Nxa4
19. Qxc4+ Kh8 {, when Houdini claims that White has full compensation for the
pawn.}) 10... g6 $5 {Very rare. Black normally castles queenside here.} 11. Ne4
({Or} 11. O-O-O Bg7 12. h4 h6 13. f4 O-O-O 14. Ne4 c5 {with an unclear
position, H.Asis Gargatagli-J.Oms Pallisse, Barcelona 2011.}) 11... O-O-O 12.
a4 $5 {A new move in the position. --- QUESTION: White threatens a4-a5 and,
when Black's knight is sent to a8, then a5-a6, winning a piece. Shouldn't
White's last move be given an exclamation mark? --- ANSWER: I'm not so sure.
White does indeed generate serious threats with his last move. But he is also
seriously behind in development at this point, and 12 a4 does nothing to
alleviate the issue.} (12. f4 c5 13. O-O-O {follows a more conventional path,
as in R.Alonso-A.Sidenko, correspondence 2011.}) 12... Ba6 {Negating White's
threat.} ({Black can also try} 12... c5 $5 {, when} 13. a5 Nxc4 14. Qxc4 d5 {
regains the piece while retaining a development lead.}) 13. Qe3 $5 {Shirov
plays the entire opening oddly, with careful uncertainty, as if each move were
some dangerous scientific experiment.} ({He probably didn't like the looks of} 
13. a5 Nxc4 $1 14. Ra4 {, when Black can choose between} Re8 ({and} 14... f5 $5
{, either of which sees White's lag in development intersecting with his
king-safety woes.})) 13... Qxe5 $1 {Kramnik boldly sacs a piece to increase
his lead in development even further. --- QUESTION: Don't you mean sacs a
rook? --- ANSWER: No, it's actually just a piece. Play on to see Kramnik's
trick.} 14. Bc3 Bb4 $1 {Kramnik counted on this diversionary tactic. He sacs a
minor piece, not a full rook.} 15. Bxb4 Rhe8 {QUESTION: What does Black get
for his piece? --- ANSWER: The following: 1. One pawn, plus another one which
hangs on c4 if he wants it. --- 2. A massive lead in development, which may
well lead to a powerful attack. --- 3. A nasty attack on White's e4-knight.
--- Conclusion: Black has full compensation for the sacrificed material.} 16.
f3 d5 17. a5 Nxc4 $1 18. Qxa7 ({After} 18. Bxc4 Bxc4 19. O-O-O dxe4 20. Qxa7
Bd3 $1 {White's king is the one in greater danger.}) 18... Qxb2 $1 {The
a6-bishop's mood hardens into open defiance as he refuses to budge.} 19. Qxa6+
Kd7 20. Rd1 ({Or} 20. Bxc4 Qxa1+ 21. Kf2 Qd4+ $1 22. Kg3 Rxe4 $1 {, when the
rook is untouchable due to a queen check on e3.}) 20... Qxb4+ 21. Kf2 Rxe4 $1
22. fxe4 Qc5+ 23. Ke1 {Both f3 and g3 are suicidal squares for the king.} Qb4+
24. Kf2 Qc5+ 25. Ke1 Nb2 $1 {Nyet! No draw! The knight pops in and introduces
himself to White's rook. There is a Melanie song from Woodstock which goes: "I
never noticed you before today, I'm ashamed to say." --- QUESTION: You gave
Kramnik's last move an exclamation mark. Yet he is down a rook, has no clear
forced win, and still refuses to take the draw. Is his decision to play for
the win logical? --- ANSWER: I believe so, for the following reasons: 1. Black
has a powerful attack despite the reduction of material, since it also means a
reduction in White's defenders. --- 2. White's king is so exposed that it
feels like Kramnik can always bail out with perpetual check later on. --- 3.
White's lag in development continues to fester, like mildew and grime on a
bathroom tile. --- 4. White's rook is in grave danger, and if Kramnik picks it
off in exchange for his knight, he will only be down a piece for many pawns -
which may not even constitute a sacrifice.} 26. exd5 $2 {Shirov, left only
with bad choices, picks the worst of the lot.} ({He probably has a better shot
of saving himself with:} 26. Qe2 Nxd1 27. Qxd1 Re8 28. Be2 Qxa5+ 29. Qd2 Qa1+
30. Qd1 Qxd1+ 31. Kxd1 Rxe4 {, though White probably won't be able to save
himself since Black gets four pawns for the piece.}) (26. Be2 Nxd1 27. Bxd1
dxe4 {and White's king remains in mortal danger.}) 26... Qc3+ $1 27. Rd2 Qc1+
$2 {Winning the rook the wrong way.} ({Instead,} 27... Re8+ $1 28. Be2 Qc1+ 29.
Kf2 Qxd2 {leaves White curiously helpless.}) 28. Ke2 Re8+ 29. Kf3 Qxd2 30.
Qxc6+ Kd8 31. Qf6+ Re7 32. Kg4 $2 {When in the throes of desperation, mixed
with low time on the clock, it is only then when radical notions and plans
blossom forth from our fevered imaginations. White's king moves here and there
with the random gracelessness of a fly in flight. --- EXERCISE (planning):
Shirov just blundered in time trouble. How can Black reignite his attack?} ({
Here White has very real chances to save the game with} 32. Ba6 $1 {, after
which Black's once-powerful initiative slowly dissipates to a trickle, a drip,
and may well go dry soon.}) 32... Nd1 $1 {ANSWER: Add another attacker to the
mix. White now views the approaching knight with wary caution. Inexorably,
Black's attackers edge closer, feeding on the white king's fears. With an
almost imperceptible ambient glow, Black's power remains intact, despite the
recent bruising to his own king's position.} 33. Qh8+ Kd7 34. Bb5+ c6 $1 (34...
Kd6 $4 {walks into} 35. Qd8+ Kc5 36. Qxe7+ Kxb5 {, when White has at least a
draw.}) 35. Bxc6+ Kc7 36. d6+ Qxd6 $6 {This is still winning;} ({but Kramnik
misses the spectacular} 36... Kxc6 $3 37. Qc8+ Kd5 38. dxe7 f5+ 39. Kh3 Qh6+
40. Kg3 Qg5+ 41. Kf3 Qg4# {.}) 37. Rxd1 Qxd1+ 38. Bf3 h5+ 39. Kg3 Qe1+ 40. Kh3
Qe6+ 41. Kh4 ({Understandably, Shirov realized he had no chance in the
technical ending arising after} 41. Kg3 Qe5+ 42. Qxe5+ Rxe5 {.}) 41... g5+ $1 {
Kramnik tosses a hissing canister of tear gas to disperse the remaining
demoralized demonstrators.} 42. Kxg5 Qg6+ 43. Kf4 {EXERCISE: Find one powerful
move and you force White's resignation.} ({If} 43. Kh4 {then} Re4+ $1 {wins on
the spot.}) 43... f6 $1 {(ANSWER). Such a little move, yet it strikes White a
disfiguring blow.} (43... f6 {then} 44. h4 Re8 $1 {ends the game; e.g.} 45.
Bxh5 (45. Qxh5 Re4+ $1 {wins the queen}) 45... Re4+ 46. Kf3 Qf5+ {(the
gathering darkness closes in on White's king as his life gutters out, like a
dying candle)} 47. Kg3 Qf4+ 48. Kh3 Qxh4# {.}) 0-1

[Event "11: Hoogeveen"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kramnik, V."]
[Black "Giri, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E97"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "69"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. d4 O-O 6. Be2 e5 7. O-O Nc6 8. d5
Ne7 9. b4 {A GM must have incredible self-confidence to allow Kramnik his
dreaded Bayonet Attack against the King's Indian. --- QUESTION: What is so
great about the Bayonet Attack? --- ANSWER: I'm not sure it is the opening. It
may be the guy playing the opening! Kasparov utilized the King's Indian as his
main weapon for Black versus queen's pawn openings all throughout the 80's and
90's. Then he suddenly abandoned his beloved KID. --- QUESTION: Why? ---
ANSWER: It is common belief that Kasparov may have lost faith in the opening
due to several stinging losses to Kramnik. --- QUESTION: So are you saying the
line is theoretically shaky for Black? --- ANSWER: Not at all, only hard to
play from a practical standpoint. But times may have changed. GM Alex Baburin
recently pointed out that Kramnik's score as White, including blitz games,
versus Hikaru Nakamura in the King's Indian, is a sorry 1-7 in favour of Naka!
The KID goes in and out of favour at the top over the decades for no apparent
reason. From time to time paranoia arises that the KID has been refuted by
this line or that one! But in reality, there is no - and has never been - any
real existential threat to KID. --- QUESTION: What is the difference between
the Bayonet Attack and the Ne1/Be3 main line? --- ANSWER: I think in the Ne1/Be3 main line, both White and Black's corresponding queenside and kingside
attacks tend to accelerate at alarming rates. In the Bayonet Attack, White
tends not to apply so much queenside pressure and the same holds for Black on
the kingside. The argument tends to take place on common ground, in the centre.
} ({Here is a classic example of what fate can befall White in the Ne1/Be3
mainline King's Indian:} 9. Ne1 Nd7 10. Be3 f5 11. f3 f4 12. Bf2 g5 {(White
tends to run amok on the queenside, all the while facing annihilation on the
kingside)} 13. a4 Ng6 14. Nd3 Nf6 15. c5 h5 16. h3 Rf7 17. c6 a5 18. cxb7 Bxb7
19. b4 Bc8 20. bxa5 Bh6 21. Nb4 g4 22. Nc6 {, V.Korchnoi-G.Kasparov, Amsterdam
1991, when there is good news and bad news: Black is getting crushed on the
queenside; unfortunately, White finds himself getting crushed on the other
wing!}) 9... Nh5 ({Alternatively:} 9... a5 {is also played quite a lot but has
its risks since Black chooses to engage the opponent on White's strong wing:}
10. Ba3 axb4 11. Bxb4 Nd7 12. a4 f5 13. Ng5 Nc5 14. Bxc5 dxc5 15. Bf3 Ra6 16.
a5 Kh8 17. Ne6 Bxe6 18. dxe6 f4 19. Qxd8 Rxd8 20. Rfb1 Rb8 {, when Black found
himself completely on the defensive on the queenside, V.Kramnik-G.Kasparov,
Moscow (blitz, 6th matchgame) 1998.}) (9... Ne8 10. c5 f5 11. Nd2 Nf6 12. a4 g5
13. Nc4 h6 14. f3 f4 15. Ba3 Ng6 {with typical corresponding queenside/kingside attacks, V.Anand-H.Nakamura, London 2011. --- QUESTION: What do the
computers think about such positions? --- ANSWER: In this case Houdini thinks
Black is getting his butt kicked and has White up by +1.29! - but in the real
world, Black still does okay in such violent storms.}) (9... Nd7 10. a4 h6 11.
Ba3 f5 12. c5 Nf6 13. Nd2 {and whose position you prefer probably depends on
your style, S.Karjakin-J.Polgar, Moscow (blitz) 2009.}) 10. g3 {QUESTION:
Weakening all the light squares around his king? --- ANSWER: Yes, but to gain
time by making Black's ...Nh5 look meaningless - although Black, in a
sacrificial fury, sometimes moves the knight to f4 later anyway!} (10. Re1 {is
what Kramnik used to play in the 90's, before switching recently to the older
text move. For example,} f5 11. Ng5 Nf6 12. Bf3 c6 13. Ba3 h6 14. Ne6 Bxe6 15.
dxe6 fxe4 {and Black's central influence counter-balances White's bishop pair,
V.Kramnik-A.Grischuk, Moscow (blitz) 2008. --- QUESTION: Isn't White going to
drop e6 eventually? --- ANSWER: He often does, but in the process Black has
had to relinquish his precious light-squared bishop for the knight, which
always seems to give White great compensation with the open centre.}) 10... f5
11. Ng5 Nf6 12. Bf3 {A rare line, albeit one which Kramnik plays on occasion,
probably designed to throw Giri off his theory. Normally White doesn't mix
g2-g3 with Bf3.} ({Instead,} 12. f3 {is more usual, and is Van Wely's
specialty. The database is permeated with his games from this position. For
example,} f4 13. b5 h6 14. Ne6 Bxe6 15. dxe6 fxg3 16. hxg3 Qc8 17. Nd5 Qxe6 18.
Nxc7 Qh3 19. Rf2 {, L.Van Wely-T.Radjabov, Dresden Olympiad 2008, when Houdini
thinks chances are even after} Rac8 {.}) 12... c6 13. Ba3 {Kramnik had
originally prepared a theoretical novelty here, which he plays against
Grischuk in Chapter Four (see Game 38).} ({Kramnik said he intended} 13. Bg2 $1
{but got his analysis mixed up! Welcome to my world! I do this constantly.})
13... cxd5 14. exd5 $5 {Recapturing with the e-pawn on d5 is almost unheard of
in the Bayonet Attack. --- QUESTION: Why did Kramnik play that way? --- ANSWER:
This may be home prep or an over-the-board impulse buy. In any case, by doing
so, Kramnik accelerates both sides' respective wing attacks.} e4 15. Be2 {
Designed to keep an eye on the c4-, g4- and h5-squares.} Ne8 16. Rc1 h6 ({
Perhaps he should try} 16... Nc7 $5 {.}) 17. Ne6 {Far from graceful, White's
knight pulls an ungainly belly-flop on e6, all in the name of clearing central
lines. White never retreats in such Bayonet positions, even when it means
giving up a pawn.} Bxe6 18. dxe6 Nc7 $6 {Black wants to shed himself of the
encumbrance on e6 as quickly as possible, but he chooses the wrong way. From
this point on, Kramnik makes it look like a forced win for White.} ({Giri had
to try the unnatural} 18... Qc8 {.}) 19. b5 $1 {Target: d6. Kramnik returns to
his construction project anew.} Be5 20. Qb3 $1 Kg7 (20... Nxe6 21. Rfd1 Nd4 {
is met by} 22. Rxd4 Bxd4 23. c5+ d5 (23... Kg7 {would actually transpose to
the game}) 24. Nxd5 $1 Nxd5 25. Rd1 {and Black, a full rook up, is busted!})
21. Rfd1 Nxe6 {White doesn't care. He had always planned on abandoning the
e6-foundling on Black's doorstep.} (21... b6 {fails to halt White's main
intention} 22. c5 $1 {.}) 22. c5 {No sooner had Black sutured the wound on e6,
another one opens on d6, oozing blood.} Nd4 ({Losing, as do all other tries; e.
g.} 22... Qd7 23. cxd6 Nc8 24. Nxe4 $1 fxe4 25. Bg4 Rf5 26. Rd5 $1 Bf6 27. Rxf5
gxf5 28. Bxf5 Kf7 29. Rc7 {and mates.}) 23. Rxd4 $1 Bxd4 24. cxd6 {White's
central initiative has gotten out of control. Houdini assesses this as +2.75 -
dead lost for Black, whose pieces utterly lack coordination.} Ng8 25. Nd5 {No
matter how much Black squirms, the intractable knight refuses to budge one
iota for the remainder of the game.} Kh8 (25... Rc8 {loses instantly to} 26.
Rc7+ $1 Kh8 27. Bb2 $1 {.}) 26. Rc7 Be5 27. Bb2 $5 {Intuitively, Kramnik
decides to remove Black's best king's defender.} (27. Re7 $1 Bg7 28. Nf4 Rf6
29. Rxb7 {was stronger.}) 27... Qxd6 28. Rxb7 g5 29. b6 $1 a5 (29... axb6 $4
30. Rxb6 {disconnects Black's queen from his bishop. But now Black must worry
about White's deeply passed b-pawn.}) 30. Bh5 $1 {The bishop dances a baroque
quadrille to join the party. The number of hostiles swell as attackers seep
through the porous defensive perimeter.} Rab8 31. Ra7 {The rooks pass each
other with mutual nods, followed by mutters of recognition.} Bxb2 {And now the
bishop says hello in polite, demure greeting to his more powerful brother on
b2. It seems the tired sheriff on e5 wants to resign his post but has trouble
removing his badge. Black is almost out of moves.} ({A sample line if Black
refrains from swapping bishops:} 31... Ra8 32. Bf7 $1 Nf6 33. Ba3 Qb8 34. Rxa8
Qxa8 35. b7 Qb8 36. Bxf8 Qxf8 37. Nxf6 {wins.}) 32. Qxb2+ Nf6 {EXERCISE 
(combination alert): Black's troubles continue to collect in a slow drip.
White to play and win. --- ANSWER: Interference.} 33. Bf7 $1 {The bishop
sweeps away Black's remaining piece cohesion, as his forces begin to desert
his king in every direction.} Kg7 34. Rd7 $1 {Kramnik mercilessly assails his
opponent with a spattering of threats, all with a unifying theme: play for
mate.} Qc6 ({Or} 34... Qxd7 35. Qxf6+ Kh7 36. Qg6+ Kh8 37. Qxh6# {.}) 35. Be6+
$1 {All attacking potentials intersect, as the discovered check leeches
whatever blood and life-force that remained in the black king's arteries.} ({
Black resigned, since} 35. Be6+ Kg6 ({while} 35... Kh8 36. Nxf6 Qxe6 {(the
queen wills herself to avert her eyes and look away from the carnage on h7)}
37. Rh7# {is mate}) 36. Ne7+ {forks king and queen.}) 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "2: Kramnik on Defence"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r1bk1b1r/ppp2ppp/2p5/4Pn2/8/5N2/PPP2PPP/RNB2RK1 w - - 0 9"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2010.01.09"]

{In situations under pressure, it is often better to do than to think. Our
survival instinct protects us with greater urgency than the analytical mind,
with all its computations and vacillations. In this chapter Kramnik does just
that. His style of defence is different from most, since he displays a
visceral aversion to any form of passivity - even if his position is passive!
Instead, he opts for revitalized, armed resistance. --- Kramnik has a way of
weaponizing perseverance. When facing multiple threats, his key to survival is
to prioritize, identifying the most to least fatal threats and dealing with
them in that order.} 9. -- {If a position is to be inscribed on Kramnik's
gravestone, it will be this one. The Berlin Lopez opening/ending, along with
his supernatural defensive skills, earned him the world championship when he
upended the great Garry Kasparov in one of the most shocking upsets since Euwe
defeated the alcohol-impaired Alekhine back in 1935. Kramnik took an offbeat
Lopez line and turned it into a template: how not to lose as Black against 1
e4. In game after game Kasparov charged head on against the Berlin Wall, only
to be stymied each time. Basically Kasparov burned out all his Whites without
a single win by his name. Meanwhile, Kramnik methodically notched two wins
from his own Whites. How is it possible to face a player of Kasparov's
ferocity and genius, and survive the match without a single loss?} *

[Event "12: Groningen"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1993.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kramnik, V."]
[Black "Hodgson, Ju"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D17"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "64"]
[EventDate "1993.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 Nf6 3. c4 c6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. Ne5 {The specialty of
the house. Kramnik's success with the 6 Ne5 Slav greatly helped to popularize
the line. --- QUESTION: What is White's main line?} ({ANSWER:} 6. e3 {is still
played more often, but as a long-time Slav guy I am convinced 6 Ne5 is tougher
to deal with. --- QUESTION: What is the main difference between the two
variations? --- ANSWER: White in both versions seeks to advance e4, but goes
about it in different ways. In the 6 e3 lines, White often plays Qe2 and then
e3-e4, while after 6 Ne5, White plays for f2-f3 and e2-e4, or sometimes even
g2-g3, Bg2 and later on e2-e4.}) 6... e6 ({Other ideas are} 6... Na6 $5 {(I
try and revive this funky line in 'The Slav: Move by Move')}) ({and} 6... Nbd7
7. Nxc4 Qc7 ({or} 7... Nb6 {, which I advocate my Slav book}) 8. g3 e5 9. dxe5
Nxe5 10. Bf4 Nfd7 {.}) 7. f3 Bb4 {The piece sac seen in the game was all the
rage for Black back in the 90's, until Kramnik removed some of the fun from it.
} ({On the other hand, I don't believe} 7... c5 {equalizes:} 8. e4 Bg6 (8...
cxd4 9. exf5 Bb4 10. Bxc4 dxc3 {is also played, E.AlekseevWang Yue, Nizhnij
Novgorod 2007}) 9. Be3 cxd4 10. Qxd4 Qxd4 11. Bxd4 Nfd7 12. Nxd7 Nxd7 13. Bxc4
{is an unpleasant ending for Black due to his out-of-play bishop on g6, V.Topalov-V.Anand, World Championship (3rd, 5th and 8th matchgames) Sofia 2010.})
8. e4 Bxe4 {QUESTION: Can Black refuse to sac? --- ANSWER: He just gets a lame
Slav if he backs off.} ({Black scores a dismal 24% after} 8... Bg6 $6 9. Bxc4
Nbd7 10. Nxg6 hxg6 {, as in A.Shirov-Z.Lozano Garnes, Andorra (simul) 2001.
White has both the bishop pair and total control over the centre.}) 9. fxe4
Nxe4 10. Bd2 Qxd4 11. Nxe4 Qxe4+ 12. Qe2 Bxd2+ 13. Kxd2 Qd5+ 14. Kc2 {All book.
We reach the tabiya position of the sac. Kramnik may have proved through his
games that the verdict is an edge for White. --- QUESTION: So is the line
unplayable now? --- ANSWER: I still think it's very playable, especially at a
non-professional level. White's position, despite his extra piece, is hard to
play with his king bouncing around the centre.} Na6 {The hole on b4 beckons.}
15. Nxc4 Ke7 $5 ({Much more common is to castle on either wing:} 15... O-O 16.
Qe5 Rab8 17. a5 f6 18. Qxd5 cxd5 19. Ne3 Rbc8+ 20. Kb1 Nc5 21. Ra3 {, when I
would rather play White but maybe Black has enough for the piece, V.Anand-A.Khalifman, FIDE World Championship, New Delhi 2000.}) (15... O-O-O 16. Qe3 Nc5
17. Be2 $1 Qxg2 $6 {(Black should probably fight the temptation and decline)}
18. Rhg1 Qxh2 19. Rxg7 Rd4 $5 20. Qxd4 $1 Qxe2+ 21. Nd2 Rd8 22. Qxc5 $1 Rxd2+
23. Kb3 Rxb2+ 24. Ka3 {and it's still tricky, but Black doesn't have quite
enough for the rook, V.Kramnik-A.Shirov, Dortmund 1996.}) 16. Qe5 ({QUESTION:
Why not gain a tempo with} 16. Rd1 {- ? --- ANSWER: White falls behind in
development after} Qf5+ 17. Kc3 Rhd8 {.}) 16... Rhd8 17. Be2 {White would love
to get queens off the board, but not at the cost of improving Black's
structure.} f6 18. Qe3 {QUESTION: White's king looks like it is in greater
danger. Why not swap queens? --- ANSWER: Black's attack is not as intimidating
as it first appears. GM Scherbakov writes: "This is a standard approach for
similar positions. White often puts his queen on e5 to decrease Black's
possible initiative with a queen swap, but if the situation requires he can
retreat his queen and play the middlegame. It is usually White who chooses if
the queens stay on because a good endgame for Black usually appears when the
c-pawn takes on d5 to create a strong pawn chain."} ({Kramnik also claims that
the ending is approximately equal after} 18. Qxd5 cxd5 {.}) 18... Nb4+ $6 {If
a small creature moves erratically or suddenly in the forest, it endangers
itself by attracting a predator's attention. --- QUESTION: What predator? Why
the dubious mark for such a natural attacking move? --- ANSWER: The predator
turns out to be White's king! In a few moves Kramnik proves that Black's
knight is somewhat wobbly and unstable on b4. Just watch.} ({Instead, Kramnik
gives} 18... Qf5+ 19. Kc3 Nc7 20. Qg3 Nd5+ 21. Kb3 {and claims just an edge
for White.}) 19. Kb3 $1 {Confidently walking into a pin.} a5 ({Black realizes
that} 19... b5 $2 {works out in White's favour after} 20. axb5 cxb5 21. Kxb4 $1
bxc4 22. Bxc4 {.}) 20. Rad1 Qf5 21. Qc3 $1 {Kramnik concocts machinations
designed to undermine and destabilize Black's knight with Nxa5!.} b5 $6 {
Hodgson feeds his attack's voracious appetite with more fuel. In doing so, he
overestimates Black's chances.} ({He should stay calm and play} 21... Nd5 {.})
22. Nxa5 $1 {White's knight vacates his spot and decides to sell his life
dearly to those who seek his death. Kramnik is unafraid of Black's coming
attacking chances, despite the opening of lines. Soon, Black's much
anticipated counterplay against White's king, so seemingly real, turns out to
be counterfeit. --- QUESTION: Isn't White's king in serious danger? --- ANSWER:
White's fears are greatly diffused through the filter of the bodyguards who
flank him. His king on b3 rests snugly as a marsupial's baby in her pouch.} c5
({Kramnik gives the line} 22... bxa4+ 23. Kxb4 Rdb8+ ({White has no worries
after} 23... Qxa5+ 24. Ka3) 24. Ka3 Rb3+ 25. Nxb3 axb3+ 26. Kxb3 Rb8+ 27. Ka2
Ra8+ 28. Qa3+ Rxa3+ 29. Kxa3 {, when White gets too much for the queen.}) 23.
Bxb5 $1 {Kramnik returns the piece but, in doing so, utterly dislocates
Black's harmony.} Rxa5 ({Certainly not} 23... Rxd1 $4 24. Rxd1 Rxa5 25. Rd7+
Kf8 26. Qg3 $1 {, winning on the spot due to the crushing double attacks on g7
and b8.}) 24. Rhf1 Qh5 {EXERCISE (planning/combination alert): How can White
force a winning endgame? --- ANSWER: Deflection. The assailant pops out of a
shadowed niche in the alley and pulls a weapon in the dark. Black's queen
covering c5 has no choice but to go to e5 and allow a rancid ending.} 25. g4 $1
{Forcing the queen swap. Black's attack proved to be illusion, an empty
container, devoid of substance.} Qe5 {Those on the margins of society strive
to move toward the centre. The black queen's face creases in confusion and
incomprehension at what just transpired.} ({She has no choice but to allow a
highly unfavourable swap since} 25... Qg5 $4 {is met by the shocking} 26. Rf5
$3 {. The crushing interference shot is an instant game-ender.}) 26. Qxe5 fxe5
27. Rxd8 Kxd8 28. Kc4 $1 {He makes it look so easy. Black drops c5, which
gives White two unstoppable queenside passers. White's king emerges from his
rubble strewn home unscathed, as he weaves and oscillates like a skilled boxer
in the ring.} Ke7 29. Kxc5 {The creature casts its terrible shadow upon the
queenside.} Nd5 30. b4 Ra8 31. Bc6 Rc8 32. b5 e4 {. Hodgson resigned,
realizing the futility of playing on against those surging queenside pawns.}
1-0

[Event "13: Novgorod"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1997.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kramnik, V."]
[Black "Kasparov, G."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E97"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "63"]
[EventDate "1997.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Be2 e5 7. O-O Nc6 8. d5
Ne7 9. b4 Nh5 10. Re1 ({Kramnik played} 10. g3 {against Giri in the previous
chapter (see Game 11) and does so again vs. Grischuk in Chapter Four (see Game
38). --- QUESTION: Which line is more popular for White? --- ANSWER: Currently
my database contains more 10 Re1 games and Kramnik has mostly played this move,
but 10 g3 also has its faithful followers. I believe Van Wely plays that line
exclusively. In the end it's just a matter of taste which one you pick.}) 10...
Nf4 ({Kramnik has also faced:} 10... f5 11. Ng5 Nf6 12. Bf3 c6 13. Ba3 h6 14.
Ne6 Bxe6 15. dxe6 fxe4 16. Bxe4 $5 Nxe4 17. Nxe4 d5 18. Nc5 {and the usual
central confusion arises, V.Kramnik-A.Grischuk, Moscow (blitz) 2008.}) (10...
a5 11. bxa5 f5 12. Nd2 Nf6 (12... Nf4 13. Bf1 Rxa5 {almost transposes to the
main game, except that Black has yet to play ...f7-f5}) 13. c5 $5 Rxa5 ({Black
didn't like} 13... dxc5 14. Bc4 Kh8 15. Nb3 {when the queenside is quickly
opened}) 14. cxd6 cxd6 15. a4 {and I prefer White, who again has managed to
open his strong wing, V.Kramnik-I.Smirin, Russia vs. World, Moscow (rapid)
2002.}) 11. Bf1 (11. Bxf4 {is also played but that greatly increases Black's
dark-squared power.}) 11... a5 {QUESTION: Isn't Black violating principle by
engaging his opponent on the weak wing? --- ANSWER: He is, but keep in mind
that the move also freezes White's pawn chain on the queenside. In general, I
agree with you and probably wouldn't play Kasparov's move, but many GMs do, so
the idea must have merit.} 12. bxa5 ({Houdini, currently the strongest program
on the market, suggests the rather stupid move} 12. b5 $2 {, closing off his
own strong wing after} b6 $1 {. If they ever come up with a chess program with
any measure of strategic finesse, my guess is they could take over the world
and enslave humanity.}) 12... Rxa5 13. Nd2 c5 14. a4 Ra6 15. Ra3 g5 $5 {
Radical stuff. Kasparov sends in a hired thug to do his dirty work, as he
offers Kramnik a pawn in exchange for the light squares. --- QUESTION: Is
Kasparov's idea sound? --- ANSWER: With the hindsight of Kramnik's almost
perfect play, the idea is probably dubious. Keep in mind, it would probably
work against a lesser defender.} ({Normal is} 15... Nh5 16. Nb5 Nf6 17. Bb2 Ne8
18. Nf3 h6 19. g3 f5 20. exf5 Nxf5 21. Nd2 {with mutual chances, L.Aronian-T.Radjabov, Sofia 2008.}) ({QUESTION: Isn't} 15... f5 {more thematic for Black
than retreating an already well-posted knight? --- ANSWER: 15...f5 is probably
premature in this position. White can play} 16. g3 Nh5 17. exf5 Nxf5 {, as in
P.Stigar-J.Kristinsson, correspondence 2002. Now if White is brave enough, he
can risk} 18. g4 $5 ({there is nothing wrong with Stigar's} 18. Nde4) 18... Nh4
19. gxh5 Qg5+ 20. Kh1 Rxf2 21. Re2 $1 {, when the computers like White, but
Black of course gets practical chances.}) 16. g3 $1 Nh3+ 17. Bxh3 Bxh3 18. Qh5
{Double attack on the bishop and on g5. Kasparov had obviously assessed this
position as offering compensation for Black due to his light-square control,
which he hoped would be the foundational cause of White's security issues.} Qd7
$1 19. Qxg5 h6 ({Black might have been better off leaving White's queen where
it stood and playing} 19... f5 {immediately.}) 20. Qe3 {The queen returns
quickly with a faint shudder, like a nervous person who accidentally wandered
in and out of a dangerous neighbourhood.} f5 21. Qe2 f4 22. Nb5 Kh7 23. gxf4 $1
{QUESTION: Why did White open his own king position? --- ANSWER: I agree that
23 gxf4 is equal parts ambitious and risky - and very powerful. Kramnik wants
to attack along the g-file and also allow his a3-rook to participate in the
proceedings. In playing his last move, he opens lines for Black as well, and
hands over the e5-square. The course of events confirms his excellent judgment
in the decision.} exf4 24. Kh1 Bg4 25. Nf3 $3 {The integrity of White's
defensive wall holds firm. --- QUESTION: Why walk into a self-pin? --- ANSWER:
Somewhere in the universe there must exist a world where poets rule over
politicians and military leaders. If so, Kramnik belongs there. Externally,
Kramnik's choice looks like a relaxing vacation from common sense. But
examining it more deeply, his move is a computer-like decision played solely
on its merits, with its exterior ugliness utterly discounted.} ({After the
obvious} 25. f3 Bh5 {the problem is that White has nothing to do, whereas
Black keeps building up with moves like ...Ng6 and ...Ne5. Kramnik didn't see
any effective way for Kasparov to exploit the pin, so he self-pinned!}) 25...
Ng6 26. Rg1 {The point: White threatens Ng5+!.} Bxf3+ $6 {The bishop, a priest
in name only, abandons his comrades with heart-wrenching callousness, yet
continues to wear the holy robes despite having lost his faith.} ({Instead,} 
26... Kh8 $6 27. Nc7 $1 Rb6 28. h3 $1 {looks good for White}) ({so, although
it goes against Kasparov's character, grovelling with} 26... Nh4 $1 {may be
Black's best shot at survival. After} 27. Ng5+ hxg5 28. Qxg4 Qxg4 29. Rxg4 Bf6
{White still has many technical obstacles to overcome in converting his extra
pawn.}) 27. Qxf3 Ne5 28. Qh5 $1 Qf7 ({Unfortunately for Kasparov} 28... Nxc4 $4
{fails miserably to} 29. Qg6+ Kg8 30. Rh3 $1 {.}) 29. Qh3 $1 ({Not} 29. Qxf7 $2
Rxf7 30. Rc3 Bf8 {, when White doesn't even manage to keep his extra pawn. ---
Now White's cocky pieces give one another complicitous smirks, as they eye
their vulnerable black counterparts, who feel a palpable sense of unease about
the coming storm. Obviously, Kramnik is no longer thinking about defence.
White's attacking chances are stronger, so he retains the queens on the board.
Suddenly, Black's king shifts uneasily, like the mob boss who knows he is
under FBI surveillance.}) 29... Nxc4 30. Rf3 Be5 {EXERCISE (combination alert):
The attack needs a fresh supply of blood. How would you continue for White?
--- ANSWER: Overload. White's knight races up the board and into the fight
with explosive velocity and zeal.} 31. Nc7 $3 Rxa4 ({Black's queen can't touch
the new recruit:} 31... Qxc7 $4 32. Qxh6+ $1 {(the white queen insists on an
ostentatious demonstration of her utter superiority over her sister)} Kxh6 33.
Rh3# {.}) 32. Bxf4 $1 {The bishop tugs free of his tether on f4.} ({Black has
no realistic hope of defending after} 32. Bxf4 $1 Bxf4 33. Ne6 {, so Kasparov
resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "14: Dortmund"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2000.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kramnik, V."]
[Black "Akopian, V."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D43"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "81"]
[EventDate "2000.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 Nf6 3. c4 c6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Bg5 h6 {The very popular Moscow
variation of the Semi-Slav. --- QUESTION: How does it differ from the
Botvinnik system? --- ANSWER: In two ways: 1. White isn't obliged to enter the
wild complications as in the Botvinnik. He can simply take the f6-knight on
his next move and steer the game into strategic channels. --- 2. In the Moscow,
White is denied his normal pseudo-sac on g5.} 6. Bh4 ({Here is an example of
the strategic version of the Moscow:} 6. Bxf6 Qxf6 7. e3 Nd7 8. Be2 Qd8 9. O-O
Be7 10. Qc2 O-O 11. a3 b6 12. Rfd1 {with a controlled game, V.Kramnik-L.Aronian, Zürich 2012.}) 6... dxc4 7. e4 g5 {As mentioned above, by altering
the move order Black denies all g5 sacrificial possibilities to his opponent.}
8. Bg3 b5 9. Be2 Bb7 {The tabiya position of the Moscow line. I can't help but
think that I would lose effortlessly on either side of the board! --- QUESTION:
What does White exactly get for the pawn? --- ANSWER: 1. Development lead. ---
2. Strong pawn centre. --- 3. Loosened pawns in front of Black's king position.
--- Conclusion: The sum of these factors almost always leads to White having
some kind of attacking chances. --- QUESTION: Full compensation for White? ---
ANSWER: Definitely. Not only does White score a very solid 56%, but the fact
that so many top GMs are eager to take on White's position says a lot.} ({
QUESTION: Is it worthwhile breaking up White's centre with} 9... b4 10. Na4
Nxe4 {, as in K.Sakaev-M.Kobalia, Russian Championship, St Petersburg 1998?
--- ANSWER: I doubt it. Black scores a mere 34% from this position and has
only managed to increase his development deficit.}) 10. h4 ({Alternatively,
White can castle to increase his lead in development and further disrupt
Black's structure:} 10. O-O Nbd7 11. Ne5 Bg7 12. Nxd7 Nxd7 13. Bd6 a6 14. a4 b4
15. Nb1 Nf6 16. e5 Ne4 17. Bxb4 c5 18. Ba3 cxd4 19. Bf3 {with a standard
irrational mess, V.Topalov-B.Gelfand, Monte Carlo (rapid) 2011.}) 10... g4 11.
Ne5 h5 12. O-O {Now f2-f3 to open the f-file is in the air.} Nbd7 ({Once again
} 12... b4 $6 {looks unwise, as after} 13. Na4 Nxe4 14. Bxc4 {Black is
grievously behind in development.}) 13. Qc2 Nxe5 14. Bxe5 Bg7 ({After} 14...
Rg8 15. Rad1 Rg6 16. Bf4 Be7 17. g3 a6 18. b3 cxb3 19. axb3 Bb4 20. Bd3 Qxd4
21. Na2 e5 22. Be3 Qd6 23. Be2 Qe7 24. Nxb4 Qxb4 25. Bc5 {Black stood worse,
despite two extra pawns in K.Sakaev-I.Khenkin, European Cup, Belgrade 1999.})
15. Rad1 O-O 16. Bg3 ({Another Sakaev game went} 16. b3 cxb3 ({better than} 
16... b4 17. Na4 c3 {which seals off Black's ...c6-c5 break}) 17. axb3 Nd7 18.
Bd6 Qxh4 19. Bxf8 Rxf8 20. b4 a6 {, when chances may be dynamically balanced,
K.Sakaev-J.Magem Badals, French Team Championship 2005.}) 16... Nh7 $5 {The
knight crouches low, hoping to remain inconsequential.} ({L.Aronian-V.Anand,
World Championship, Mexico City 2007, deviated here with} 16... Nd7 17. f3 c5
$5 18. dxc5 Qe7 19. Kh1 a6 20. a4 Bc6 21. Nd5 $5 exd5 22. exd5 Be5 23. f4 Bg7
24. dxc6 Nxc5 {and White found himself overextended.}) 17. e5 f5 $1 {A good
decision, fighting back against the cramping effect of the e5-pawn.} 18. exf6 {
This activates Black's pieces but is necessary, as otherwise White
relinquishes control over e4.} Qxf6 19. f3 {I like this thematic move;} ({
though Kramnik felt} 19. b3 {was better.}) 19... Qf5 20. Qd2 Qg6 21. fxg4 hxg4
22. Qe3 Rf5 ({QUESTION: Can't Black gain a tempo with} 22... Bh6 {- ? ---
ANSWER: Not really. After} 23. Bf4 {an exchange of bishops only serves to
weaken Black's king.}) 23. Ne4 c5 $1 {Akopian returns the pawn and hurries to
activate his b7-bishop before White smothers it with Nc5.} 24. Nxc5 Bd5 25. a4
$5 {Logical - but a logical plan without factoring in random variables and
anomalies ceases to be logical.} (25. Be5 {looks better}) ({as does} 25. Nd7 {
, intending Ne5.}) 25... Raf8 $1 {Ignoring White's challenge on b5, Akopian
comes up with a remarkable attacking idea.} 26. axb5 Rf3 $3 {After this
startling shot, Black's pieces soar on currents of power, strafing the open
files in the direction of White's king. The offered rook, a discarded morsel,
isn't so important when Black has in its place the banquet of a king hunt.
According to the computers the position is about even. In real life, White's
position is far more difficult to handle. Kramnik is thrown onto the defensive
where the tiniest slip spells end times for him.} 27. gxf3 gxf3 {Radioactive
dust motes hover over White's kingside, as his seriously exposed king provides
a mesmerizing vista of attacking opportunity for Akopian's forces.} 28. Kh2 Nf6
$2 {Akopian goes astray as the knight agrees to participate with a coy nod.} ({
After} 28... Bh6 $1 {Black gets full compensation for the sacrificed material.}
) 29. Bxf3 $1 Bxf3 30. Qxe6+ $1 {Somehow, Kramnik manages to extract a
defensive unity from the broken bits of chaos strewn about. There is something
terribly off-putting about an opponent who maintains composure, even after
absorbing a punishing blow a few moves earlier.} ({Perhaps Akopian had counted
on} 30. Qxf3 $2 Ng4+ 31. Kh3 Rxf3 32. Rxf3 Ne3 $1 33. Rxe3 Qf5+ $1 34. Kg2 Qc2+
{, when White was unlikely to hold the game.}) 30... Kh8 31. Rxf3 $1 {Kramnik
returns the extra material in exchange for the initiative.} Qc2+ 32. Rf2 Qxd1
33. Kg2 {To sidestep ...Ng4+ tricks.} Qxd4 34. Qe5 $1 {Now White's king
breathes a sigh of ease as he realizes he will live to see tomorrow. Kramnik
induces a favourable ending and also clears e6 for his knight.} Qd5+ {Unnerved
by the disparity of power on the kingside, Akopian gives way to caution and
agrees to swap down into a bad ending.} ({Perhaps he should submit to} 34...
Qg4 35. Rf4 Qg6 36. h5 $1 Qh6 37. Ne6 {, when White's initiative rages on.})
35. Qxd5 Nxd5 36. Rxf8+ Bxf8 37. Na4 $1 {Covering his b2-pawn and preventing
simplification with ...c3. Black has problems: 1. a7 and c4 are weak. --- 2.
White's king reaches the centre faster than Black's.} Bg7 38. Kf3 Nb6 {
EXERCISE (critical decision): If White swaps knights, is the resulting endgame
a win? --- ANSWER: It is!} 39. Nxb6 $1 axb6 40. Ke4 Bxb2 41. Kd5 $1 {Playing
on would be as futile an exercise as one of those Charles Manson parole
hearings.} ({After} 41. Kd5 $1 c3 42. Be5+ Kh7 43. Kc4 $1 {Black drops both
queenside pawns. The villain (the c3-pawn) always got unhooded at the end of
every 'Scooby Doo' episode. Black's dazed bishop stares with the wide-open
eyes of a person in shock, who looks ahead at nothing at all.} ({White must
only avoid} 43. Kc6 $4 Ba1 $1 {, when Black holds the draw.})) 1-0

[Event "15: World Championship, London"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2000.??.??"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Kasparov, G."]
[Black "Kramnik, V."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C67"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "106"]
[EventDate "2000.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Nxe4 5. d4 Nd6 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. dxe5 Nf5
8. Qxd8+ {I don't know if a bad marriage is a better fate than a life spent
alone. In one sweeping move, both white and black kings become single men.
Black's haughty queen, unpractised in the fine art of humility, now receives
her first (and last!) lesson, as she finds herself unceremoniously escorted
from the board.} Kxd8 {This is one of the most subtle and heavily contested
opening/endgame positions on the top-level circuit. Many people, including
your writer, believe Kramnik's impossibly deep understanding of this Berlin
Lopez ending was the core element which allowed him to defeat Garry Kasparov
in their world title match. To this day he continues to weaponize this
position against all comers, utilizing his vast experience and profound
knowledge in the line. Anand once called Kramnik's understanding of the Berlin
Lopez: "simply stunning". --- QUESTION: What is the fundamental battle in this
ending? --- ANSWER: The battlegrounds: 1. White's healthy kingside pawn
majority against Black's crippled queenside majority. If all pieces are
magically swept away, White wins the king and pawn ending. --- 2. Black has
the bishop pair in a partially opened position. --- 3. Black's king lost the
right to castle. This can lead to dysfunctional development and king safety
issues. --- 4. White's e-pawn sits on e5, not e4. This means his central light
squares, especially f5, have been weakened. Black often erects an irritating
blockade on that square.} 9. Nc3 Bd7 {QUESTION: This move looks awfully clumsy.
What is the purpose? --- ANSWER: Actually, virtually every Berlin ending line
looks unplayably artificial for Black. The reality is that the line is very
playable if you understand its secrets. Black plans the cumbersome manoeuvre: ...b7-b6, c8-B-somewhere, ...Kc8 and ...Kb7 which nearly (!) connects his rooks.
--- QUESTION: How can he get away with this plan? --- ANSWER: I don't know. He
just does! The key to the defence is that White, despite his development lead,
actually has an incredibly frustrating time gaining entry into Black's
position.} ({Kramnik has also tried:} 9... h6 10. Rd1+ ({or} 10. h3 Ke8 11. Ne4
c5 12. c3 b6 13. Re1 Be6 14. g4 {and, realizing Black had equality at a
minimum, a disgusted Kasparov offered a draw, G.Kasparov-V.Kramnik, 13th
matchgame, London 2000}) 10... Ke8 11. h3 a5 12. Bf4 Be6 13. g4 Ne7 14. Nd4 Nd5
15. Nce2 Bc5 16. Nxe6 fxe6 17. c4 Nb6 18. b3 a4 19. Bd2 Kf7 20. Bc3 Rhd8 {,
when Kasparov was unable to convert, despite his healthier kingside pawn
majority, G.Kasparov-V.Kramnik, 9th matchgame, London 2000.}) (9... Ke8 10. b3
Bb4 11. Bb2 Bxc3 $1 12. Bxc3 c5 {, D.Howell-V.Kramnik, London 2002.}) ({I have
used Kramnik's plan from this game myself. Believe it or not, the presence of
opposite-coloured bishops greatly favours Black. --- QUESTION: How so? White
looks better. --- ANSWER: Ah! To find out, skip forward to Chapter Four (Game
34), where we cover this blitz (!) game.} 9... Ne7 10. h3 Ng6 11. Bg5+ Ke8 12.
Rad1 Be6 13. Nd4 Bc4 14. Rfe1 Bb4 15. Bd2 Rd8 16. a3 Bxc3 $1 17. Bxc3 Nf4 18.
Kh2 c5 19. Nf5 Rxd1 20. Rxd1 Ne6 21. f3 Bb5 22. Rd2 h5 23. Kg3 Bc6 24. Kf2 {½-½ V.Anand-V.Kramnik, Moscow (human+computer rapid, 2nd matchgame) 2007.})
10. b3 {White prepares to fianchetto, securing e5 and aiming the bishop down
the long diagonal.} (10. h3) ({and} 10. Rd1 {are also commonly played here.})
10... h6 {To halt both Ng5 and Bg5 ideas.} 11. Bb2 Kc8 12. Rad1 {IM Andrew
Martin wrote immediately after this game: "He (Kasparov) will have to find a
better way to play with White as the match wears on."} ({He didn't! Kasparov
had also got depressingly little from} 12. h3 b6 13. Rad1 Ne7 14. Ne2 Ng6 15.
Ne1 h5 16. Nd3 c5 17. c4 a5 18. a4 h4 19. Nc3 Be6 20. Nd5 Kb7 21. Ne3 Rh5 $1 {
- idea: erect a blockade on f5, nullifying White's pawn majority. Kasparov was
unable to make progress and offered a draw in a few moves, G.Kasparov-V.Kramnik, 1st matchgame, London 2000.}) 12... b6 13. Ne2 {The f4-square is the
knight's best post.} c5 14. c4 Bc6 15. Nf4 Kb7 $1 {Nigel Davies and Andrew
Martin wrote that Black's "position has little appeal but it is very difficult
for White to make headway." With hindsight from this match - clearly an
understatement! --- QUESTION: Why not wreck White's kingside pawns by chopping
on f3? --- ANSWER: The move weakens all of Black's light squares, his only
trump.} ({After} 15... Bxf3 16. gxf3 Be7 17. Nd5 a5 18. a4 Rd8 19. Ne3 Nh4 20.
Rxd8+ Bxd8 21. f4 {White retains some pressure.}) 16. Nd5 Ne7 {QUESTION:
Retreating a well-placed piece? --- ANSWER: Some chess players consider
retreat a pejorative term, synonymous with surrender. Such is not always the
case, especially in the Berlin Lopez which is full of slippery retreats on
Black's part. First, Black added pressure to the d5-point; secondly, Black's
knight wasn't all that stable on f5 since it was vulnerable to g2-g4 ideas.}
17. Rfe1 Rg8 $1 {QUESTION: What is the idea behind this mysterious move? ---
ANSWER: Dual purpose, grappling with simultaneous and interlocking issues: 1.
Black reinforces g7. --- 2. Black may try and untangle with ...g7-g5 later on,
so he gets his rook out of the way from e5-e6 shots. Also, as we see in the
game, after ...g7-g5 Black may be able to lift his rook into the game via g6.}
18. Nf4 {Clearly Kasparov is at an impasse for a useful plan.} g5 $1 {
Apparently many of the GMs observing the match were shocked to see this
seemingly weakening move. The idea is to active the g8-rook.} 19. Nh5 Rg6 $1 {
And there we have it. Black, in non-conformist fashion, develops his rook
through the portal of g6.} 20. Nf6 Bg7 21. Rd3 Bxf3 $1 {QUESTION: Hey! I
suggested ...Bxf3 earlier and you criticized it! Now Kramnik plays my idea and
you give him an exclam! Why? --- ANSWER: Timing and context are everything. A
clown at the circus is a comical figure, while a clown in a horror movie is
always sinister - in fact, infallibly evil! When you suggested it earlier the
moment was not yet right. Kramnik takes now in order to clear c6 for his
knight and complete his development.} 22. Rxf3 Bxf6 $1 23. exf6 Nc6 {Suddenly
White's majority is just as crippled as Black's on the other wing and Kramnik
equalizes. The position still remains sharp and unbalanced, due to the bishop
versus knight imbalance. And yes, before you ask, I considered placing this
game in the Imbalances or Endings chapters of the book, but it seemed more
appropriate in this one since Kramnik's defence was even more impressive.} 24.
Rd3 Rf8 25. Re4 Kc8 26. f4 $5 {Ambitious. Kasparov reasons: if half an apple
is rotten, it threatens to spoil the healthy half of the fruit. He desires his
healthy pawn majority back - yet, in playing this move, he greatly increases
Black's piece activity.} gxf4 27. Rxf4 Re8 28. Bc3 Re2 29. Rf2 Re4 30. Rh3 a5
31. Rh5 $5 {Davies and Martin give this an exclam. I'm not so sure. ---
QUESTION: What is the purpose of this move? --- ANSWER: I think Kasparov wants
to prevent ...Ne5 ideas.} ({He refuses to play} 31. a4 $5 {(to prevent Black's
next move in the game), as the position grows increasingly unclear after} Nd4
32. Bd2 Kd7 33. Rxh6 Rxh6 34. Bxh6 Nxb3 {, and which imbalance is the greater?
The weakness of White's queenside pawns or the power of his passed h-pawn? I
don't know the answer. Still, this doesn't looks dissimilar to what White gets
in the actual game.}) 31... a4 $1 {No more crippled queenside pawn majority.}
32. bxa4 $1 {During the varied chapters of this long game, Kasparov had always
obeyed the law - until now. One could rightfully ask Kasparov just what
emotion prompted him to engage in such a blatantly rash action. I am certain
his heart began pounding in his throat as he made this brilliant move, which
shocked onlookers. He is willing to dance on the cusp of overextension in his
attempts to win the game. It soon becomes a race, and who knows who is faster?
--- QUESTION: It looks as if Kasparov starts and flinches at threats, real and
imagined. Why does White have to take on a4 and mess up all his queenside
pawns? --- ANSWER: A person can lose his mind if he thinks too long and too
hard about how utterly messed up our world is. The same rule applies on the
chessboard if you get caught up in the miseries inherent in your own position.}
({If he omits this move and plays} 32. Bd2 {straight away, Black meets it with}
axb3 33. axb3 Nd4 {, and after} 34. Rxh6 Rxh6 35. Bxh6 Nxb3 {White gets a
similar - but more passive - version of the ending he obtains in the game.})
32... Rxc4 {White's queenside pawns begin to fall at a calamitous rate.} 33.
Bd2 {The parties hover over h6, like concerned parents over an injured child.
White's point: he picks off h6 and generates a dangerous, passed h-pawn.} Rxa4
34. Rxh6 {At last, the hated h-pawn is sent to the next world. Fulfilment of a
petty spite brings on such a wonderfully peaceful feeling of contentment,
doesn't it?} Rg8 35. Rh7 Rxa2 36. Rxf7 Ne5 37. Rg7 Rf8 {Three connected
passers versus three connected passers! I beg of you: please don't ask me who
is faster!} 38. h3 $5 {Still playing for the win.} (38. h4 Nd3 39. Re2 Rxf6 40.
Ree7 Rxd2 41. Rxc7+ {is perpetual check.}) 38... c4 39. Re7 Nd3 40. f7 $1 {
White's forces line up to surf the seductive wave around his f-pawn. It
appears that the f-pawn's all-powerful, shimmering luminosity spreads
impossibly in every direction, seemingly engulfing the entire board. However,
mere appearance is all it really is. Kasparov begins a long, forced sequence
which wins a pawn but not the game.} Nxf2 41. Re8+ Kd7 {Everything is under
control.} 42. Rxf8 Ke7 $1 43. Rc8 ({Unfortunately for White, if he plays} 43.
Bh6 $2 {he can never move his rook without dropping his beloved f-pawn in the
process. Black would then simply begin to push his army of passers, starting
with} c5 {. Note that, conversely, White is unable to push his other passers -
weird geometry!}) 43... Kxf7 {Whew! The pawn clearly overstayed its welcome.
White's f-pawn, always under the presumption that he was the star of the show,
now realizes he had been cast merely in a supporting actor's role.} 44. Rxc7+
Ke6 45. Be3 $1 {The point: the double attack wins a pawn. However, it fails to
alter the balance of power one iota! Black's remaining passer remains a grave
danger.} Nd1 46. Bxb6 c3 47. h4 ({Davies and Martin disliked this move and
suggested} 47. Kh2 {. I played out multiple scenarios against Houdini and all
were drawn. But White's practical chances do seem better than after the game
continuation.}) 47... Ra6 $1 {Forcing the draw.} 48. Bd4 ({Or} 48. Bf2 {
(White's harried bishop looks as out of place as an oil spill on the surface
of an otherwise scenic bay)} Ra1 $1 {(the rook feints in one direction, only
to head for another)} 49. Bd4 Ra4 {comes to the same thing. After a short,
fitfully fractured sleep, the bishop is awakened and sent on the run again.})
48... Ra4 $1 49. Bxc3 Nxc3 50. Rxc3 Rxh4 51. Rf3 {QUESTION: Isn't this a win
for White? Black's king is cut off. --- ANSWER: It isn't cut off enough. The
ending is drawn.} Rh5 52. Kf2 ({Nor does the immediate} 52. g4 {work.} Rh4 53.
Rf4 Ke5 {draws.}) 52... Rg5 53. Rf8 {The position is drawn, but a mishap looms,
so let's not botch it! We need to work out the king and pawn endings after an
exchange of rooks. The key issue is when to exchange. --- EXERCISE (critical
decision): Should we go for 53...Rf5+ ? --- Or temporize with 53...Ke5 54 Kf3
and only then 54...Rf5+ ? Be careful. One of the lines loses! --- ANSWER: Know
your basic king and pawn endings! Temporize. After a short but pleasant
daydream, White is tugged back to the harsh glare of the here-and-now.} Ke5 $1
({Now} 53... Ke5 $1 54. Kf3 Rf5+ $1 55. Rxf5+ Kxf5 {is a drawn king and pawn
ending}) ({whereas} 53... Rf5+ $4 {is a disastrous miscalculation for Black:}
54. Rxf5 Kxf5 55. Kf3 $1 Kg5 56. Kg3 $1 {and the strands of the misadventure
thrash Black with the penitent's unforgiving lash - White holds the opposition
and wins the game.}) 1/2-1/2

[Event "16: Sofia"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2005.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kramnik, V."]
[Black "Polgar, J."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E32"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "123"]
[EventDate "2005.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 {Capablanca's line of the Nimzo-Indian.
White refuses to allow any damage to his pawn structure and is willing to lose
time with the queen - in exchange for the bishop pair - to fulfil this aim.}
O-O 5. a3 {He wants the bishop pair.} (5. Nf3) (5. Bg5) ({and} 5. e4 {are also
played here.}) 5... Bxc3+ 6. Qxc3 b6 {QUESTION: What does Black get for
White's bishop pair and space advantage? --- ANSWER: The fundamental
compensation in Nimzos for Black is always a development lead.} ({The text
begins Black's most popular set-up here, but other ideas are possible too:} 
6... d6 7. f3 $5 c5 8. dxc5 dxc5 9. Bg5 h6 10. Bf4 Nc6 11. Rd1 Qa5 12. Bd2 Qa4
$5 13. e3 {was V.Kramnik-V.Ivanchuk, Dresden Olympiad 2008.} ({Kramnik
declined to grab a pawn with} 13. Bxh6 {, as after} e5 $1 {Black's lead in
development grows larger.})) ({QUESTION: Why not gain a tempo on the black
queen with} 6... Ne4 {- ? --- ANSWER: That is a line, but the tempo is
probably not running away.} 7. Qc2 f5 8. Nh3 b6 9. f3 {(this is one problem
with an early ...Ne4; White regains the tempo later on)} Nf6 10. e3 Bb7 11. Be2
d6 12. O-O Qe7 13. b4 a5 14. Bb2 Nbd7 {, Ma.Carlsen-H.Nakamura, Oslo (blitz)
2009, and I prefer White due to the bishop pair and extra space. Still, this
is the kind of position most Nimzophiles are okay with as Black.}) (6... b5 $5
{(offering a pawn to increase his activity)} 7. cxb5 c6 8. Bg5 {wisely
declining;} ({after} 8. bxc6 Nxc6 {Black gets a ferocious development lead})
8... cxb5 9. e3 Bb7 10. Nf3 h6 11. Bh4 a6 12. Bd3 d6 13. O-O Nbd7 {and,
despite White's bishop pair, Black can be satisfied with the result of the
opening, E.L'Ami-H.Nakamura, Wijk aan Zee 2011.}) (6... d5 {is
Morozevich-Kramnik and Carlsen-Kramnik in the next chapter (see Games 29 and
30).}) 7. Nf3 ({We look at} 7. Bg5 {in Chapter Four (see Game 32,
Kramnik-Adams).}) 7... Bb7 8. e3 {QUESTION: Why would White voluntarily lock
in his bishop? --- ANSWER: From b2 White's bishop both aims at Black's king
and inhibits ...e6-e5.} ({Of course} 8. Bg5 {is also played:} d6 9. Nd2 Nbd7
10. f3 Rc8 11. e4 h6 12. Bh4 c5 13. Bd3 cxd4 14. Qxd4 Nc5 15. Be2 e5 $1 {and I
like Black, who has achieved a kind of Taimanov Sicilian sans bad bishop, Ma.Carlsen-S.Karjakin, Tal Memorial, Moscow 2011.}) 8... d6 {QUESTION: Should
Black consider taking the second knight on f3?} ({ANSWER: I certainly wouldn't,
doing so, Black hands over both bishops, strengthens White's centre and also
opens the g-file for an attack:} 8... Bxf3 $6 9. gxf3 d5 10. Bd3 c5 11. dxc5
dxc4 12. Bxc4 bxc5 {, S.Vranesh Fallin-C.Bourgoin, correspondence 2011. Now
White can continue with the plan Rg1, b2-b3 and Bb2 with a strong attack
brewing against g7.}) 9. Be2 Nbd7 10. O-O Ne4 11. Qc2 f5 12. b4 Rf6 {All or
nothing. Polgar plays directly for mate. --- QUESTION: It looks to me like
White is in big trouble. Black builds her kingside attack, while I don't see a
central counter for White. --- ANSWER: Please jump ahead to White's next move!}
({QUESTION: Sorry to keep harping on this point, but how is White okay after
an attacking thrust like} 12... g5 {- ? --- ANSWER: Black is well on his or
her way to overextension after 12...g5?. This actually occurred in C.Lakdawala-C.Milton, San Diego (rapid) 2012. White plays exactly as Kramnik did
in the main game, but gets a steroidal boost since Black has weakened his own
king:} 13. d5 $1 {(oh what joy! I was actually working on Kramnik-Polgar the
very morning I played this game and banged out the move instantly; for once in
my life, thanks to Kramnik, I knew exactly what to do in a chess game - a very
strange sensation for me!)} g4 {consistent and bad;} ({but} 13... e5 {drops a
pawn to} 14. Ne1 $1 g4 15. Bxg4 $1) 14. Nd4 exd5 15. cxd5 Bxd5 16. Bc4 {and
Black's overextended position quickly fell apart.}) 13. d5 $1 {A move which
pops up at Black as if written in bright red marker. Principles followed: 1.
Counter in the centre when attacked on the wing. --- 2. Open the game when you
have the bishop pair.} Rg6 {There are more positional ways to play this but
asking a born attacker to alter course is like trying to debate the wind.
Polgar has a poor lifetime score against Kramnik and, as we all understand,
the desire for revenge is the purest and most sincere of human motivations.} ({
QUESTION: I don't understand Black's last move. First, she can just take the
pawn on d5. Secondly, she can bypass. Aren't those both better than what she
played? --- ANSWER: Let's look:} 13... exd5 14. Bb2 Rg6 15. Rad1 dxc4 16. Bxc4+
Kh8 17. Bd5 $1 c6 {, I.Sokolov-S.Kristjansson, Selfoss 2002, when Black's
structure begins to creak after} 18. Bf7 $1 Rh6 19. Nd4 Qh4 20. h3 {.}) (13...
e5 14. Nh4 $1 {(threatening to undermine the e4-knight by taking on f5 next
move)} g6 15. f3 Ng5 16. f4 Ne4 17. Nf3 {and White is ready to undermine the
diagonal further with Bb2 next, Zhao Xue-M.Lushenkov, Moscow 2006.}) 14. Nd4 $1
Qg5 $1 {A new move at the time and an improvement. If Black's attack misses
then White's central counter will be very tough to deal with.} (14... exd5 15.
f3 Qg5 16. Bd3 {looks better for White, S.Matveeva-A.Maric, Serbian Team
Championship 2003.}) 15. g3 exd5 $6 {Polgar gets distracted from her aim.} ({
Black obtained full compensation for the material after} 15... Ne5 $1 16. Nxe6
Rxe6 17. dxe6 Qg6 $1 {, clearing the way for ...Ng5, Y.Drozdovskij-A.Grischuk,
Odessa (rapid) 2007.}) 16. cxd5 Bxd5 17. Bc4 $1 {A single slash of the knife
isn't enough to pierce Black's tough hide. The bishop strolls by with an air
of disapproval, as White simultaneously removes a dangerous black attacker and
weakens all the light squares on the queenside.} ({QUESTION: Why can't White
just take on c7 immediately with} 17. Qxc7 {- ? --- ANSWER: Black gets
dangerous attacking chances after} Ne5 $1 {, and can keep building with ...Rf8.
Even ...Qh4! is in the air.}) 17... Bxc4 18. Qxc4+ Kh8 19. Qc6 $1 {Picking up
a future tempo.} Rd8 20. Qxc7 Ne5 {Black's attack continues to bubble on a low
boil. She saturates her awareness with valour, preparing to enter the fearful
darkness ahead with a piece sac. --- EXERCISE (planning/critical decision):
Can we get away with 21 f4 - ? If not, come up with an alternative plan for
White. --- ANSWER: Add a defender from the other side. White can get away with
21 f4, but only if he is happy with a draw.} 21. Ra2 $1 {A powerful defensive
move out of thin air.} (21. f4 {isn't all that winning because of} Qxg3+ $3 22.
hxg3 {(after witnessing a trauma, we desperately seek to delete the recurring
after-image from our mind's eye)} Rxg3+ {with perpetual check.}) 21... Rf8 22.
f4 $1 {Now is the time!} Qg4 $1 {Black threatens ...Nxg3!.} 23. Qe7 $1 (23.
fxe5 $4 {is way too greedy. Black wins with} Nxg3 24. Qc6 Nxf1+ 25. Rg2 Qd1 {.}
) 23... Rg8 (23... Rc8 $2 24. Qb7 $1 {only benefits White.}) 24. Rg2 $1 {
Bolting the door firmly shut to all sacs on g3. Kramnik takes all the fun out
of Black's attack.} Nd3 25. Qxa7 $1 {QUESTION: Pawn grabbing while his house
is on fire? --- ANSWER: When a nonchalant move like this is made in the midst
of what appears to be a storm, we should understand that Polgar's attack has
come to an end. There is no good reason to spare the pawn by arbitrarily
granting mercy.} h5 {Throwing everything she has at White, who remains unfazed.
} 26. Qa6 $1 {Another deceptively powerful defensive move: 1. White forces a
swap of a black attacker. --- 2. As if alerted by some unspoken signal,
White's offside but annoying queen prepares to return to her family with Qe2
soon.} Nxc1 27. Rxc1 h4 28. Qe2 $1 {The fat, lazy salmon, exhausted from her
swim upstream, decides to flow down river for a while.} Qxe2 {Polgar finds her
rage tempered by self-preservatory instincts.} (28... Qh3 $2 29. Qh5+ Rh6 30.
Qxf5 {is even worse for Black.}) 29. Rxe2 hxg3 30. Nxf5 gxh2+ 31. Kh1 $1 Rg1+
32. Rxg1 hxg1=Q+ 33. Kxg1 {Time for the technical phase of the game. Recent
events conspire to make Black's life in the ending quite intolerable: 1. White
is up a pawn. --- 2. White has the superior structure. In fact, every
remaining black pawn is an isolani. --- 3. White's king has quick access to
the centre. --- Conclusion: Black is busted.} Ra8 34. Ra2 Nc3 35. Rh2+ Kg8 36.
Rg2 Kf7 37. Nxd6+ Ke6 38. Nc4 b5 39. Na5 $1 {And then there were two... How
incredibly annoying for Polgar. Now she is down two pawns.} Kf6 40. Rd2 g5 41.
Rd3 Ne4 42. fxg5+ Kxg5 43. Kg2 Rf8 44. Rd5+ Kg4 {Black's game, awash in pain,
grows that much more so with each passing move. Now Polgar adopts that very
pain as a catalyst to channel a last-ditch effort against Kramnik's king. ---
EXERCISE: Can we get away with taking on b5 or not? Analyze 45 Rxb5 Rf2+. Is
Black's desperate sac a bluff or not? --- ANSWER: Not!} 45. Rd4 $1 ({Kramnik
avoids the trap} 45. Rxb5 $4 {which indulges in a bit of presumption by
assuming Black's attack was at an end:} Rf2+ 46. Kg1 {and within the misery
lies the kernel of a deep drawing trap. A shadow of agitation looms over
White's defences after} Re2 $3 {. No matter how White squirms, the game ends
in a draw.}) 45... Kf5 {The king swallows his annoyance, issues a
three-quarters mea culpa and retreats.} ({Instead,} 45... Rf2+ $4 {pantomimes
the previous trap with a cheap imitation which fails:} 46. Kg1 Kf3 47. Rxe4 $1
Rg2+ 48. Kf1 Rf2+ 49. Ke1 Re2+ 50. Kd1 {and White escapes the checks.}) 46. Nc6
Rg8+ 47. Kf1 Ra8 48. Ne7+ $1 {Now watch the hypnotic knight circle which
follows.} Ke5 49. Nc6+ Kf5 50. Ne7+ Ke5 51. Ng6+ Kf5 52. Nh4+ Ke5 53. Nf3+ Kf5
54. Nh4+ Ke5 55. Nf3+ Kf5 {By now, Black's king must feel like he has been
caught in a perfect, endless time loop.} 56. Rd5+ $1 Kf6 (56... Kg4 57. Kg2 $1
Rxa3 58. Ne5+ Kf5 59. Nc4+ Ke6 60. Rxb5 {simplifies and wins.}) 57. Rd3 Rh8 58.
Ke2 Ke7 59. Nd4 Rh2+ 60. Kf3 Nd6 61. Rc3 Rh3+ 62. Kg4 ({After} 62. Kg4 Rh1 63.
e4 Re1 64. Nf5+ {the knights exchange pleasantries and part on amiable terms.
The ensuing rook and pawn ending is hopeless for Black.}) 1-0

[Event "17: Yerevan (rapid match)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.??.??"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Kramnik, V."]
[Black "Aronian, L."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C89"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "89"]
[EventDate "2007.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

1. e4 {When Kramnik plays 1 e4, this normally means he is up to something. In
this game he braved the scary theoretical winds of Aronian's Marshall Attack.}
e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. c3 $5 {
Just before the battle, the night feels unnaturally chilly and still.
Acceptance of the gambit takes real courage when taking on the premiere
Black-side advocate in his favourite line.} ({Kramnik avoids the parade of
declining variations:} 8. a4) (8. h3) (8. d4) ({and} 8. d3 {.}) 8... d5 {
QUESTION: Is the Marshall Attack considered sound? --- ANSWER: Maybe a century
from now some computer will refute it, but I doubt it. Ever since Marshall
unsuccessfully attempted (in New York, 1918) to ambush Capablanca with his
amazing attacking idea, the gambit continues to thrive, remaining alive and
well to this day, even at the very top levels.} 9. exd5 Nxd5 10. Nxe5 Nxe5 11.
Rxe5 c6 12. d4 {The main line.} ({QUESTION: Is there a way for White to avoid
Black's auto-pilot attacking set-up with ...Bd6 and ...Qh4 - ? --- ANSWER:
White can avoid that line by playing a quick g2-g3. For example,} 12. g3 Bd6
13. Re1 {(White has prevented ...Qh4 but not queen infiltration itself)} Qd7 $1
{and Black's queen enters the kingside anyway, via the h3 backdoor, J.Polgar-P.Svidler, Wijk aan Zee 2005. Black is supposed to get enough play for the pawn
in this position.}) 12... Bd6 13. Re1 Qh4 14. g3 Qh3 15. Be3 Bg4 16. Qd3 Rae8
17. Nd2 Re6 {This is really the main starting position of the Marshall Attack,
with nearly 2200 games in the database at the time of this writing.} 18. Qf1 {
Slightly unusual.} (18. a4 {is played a lot more often; e.g.} Qh5 19. axb5 axb5
20. Qf1 Bh3 21. Bd1 Qf5 {, P.Leko-V.Kramnik, Monte Carlo (blindfold rapid)
2007. Kramnik went on to win this game. Our hero doesn't always play the
Berlin Lopez!}) 18... Qh5 19. f3 $5 {Kramnik's prep. --- QUESTION: A
theoretical novelty? --- ANSWER: Not a novelty, but a rare, backstreet byway -
at the time only played in a few obscure email games, probably well under
Aronian's radar.} Nxe3 {QUESTION: Did White just overlook loss of material?
--- ANSWER: No, Black's extra piece can't run away. Jump ahead to Kramnik's
next move.} ({V.Anand-V.Ivanchuk, Bilbao 2008, deviated here with} 19... Rf6
20. Qe2 ({but White might try the computer's suggestion of} 20. Qg2 {when
Houdini claims a slight edge}) 20... Bxf3 21. Nxf3 Rxf3 {and Black had no
trouble holding.}) 20. Qf2 $1 {The white queen turns out to be the surly,
uncooperative co-worker whom everyone in the office loathes, as she pulls a
dirty trick to recuperate White's losses.} ({Certainly not} 20. fxg4 $4 Nxf1
21. gxh5 Rxe1 22. Rxe1 Nxd2 {, when Black absconds with an extra piece.}) 20...
Nd5 {QUESTION: Does the sac on g3 work? --- ANSWER: Not yet.} (20... Bxg3 $2
21. Qxg3 $1 ({White avoids the trap} 21. hxg3 $4 Rh6 $1 {instantly ending the
game}) 21... Rg6 22. fxg4 $1 Rxg4 23. Rxe3 {gives White too much material for
the queen.}) 21. fxg4 Qxg4 22. Qf3 Qg5 $6 {A decision he will come to regret.
Aronian downloads his vast Marshall experience into the core mind of the
position and still comes up short. He overestimates his attacking chances by
taking on an isolani to open the f-file. Soon his strategic deficiencies
spread and take root like gangrene.} ({Golubev suggested} 22... Qxf3 23. Nxf3
Rfe8 {, but White may still have a tiny pull after} 24. Rxe6 Rxe6 25. c4 $1 {.}
) 23. Rxe6 (23. Ne4 $2 {walks into a pin with} Qe7 $1 {.}) 23... fxe6 24. Ne4
$1 {Andrei Deviatkin says Kramnik played this move instantly, meaning he was
still in his home prep!} Qg6 {No choice.} (24... Rxf3 $4 {drops a pawn after}
25. Nxg5 {, since} Rf6 $2 ({and} 25... Re3 $2 26. Kf2) 26. Ne4 {make things
even worse}) 25. Qe2 $1 Nf4 $5 {Dialogue and negotiation are next to
impossible when facing a violence-crazed foe. Aronian fires his rifle into the
air, not realizing a weapon is of little use when you lack a concrete target.
--- QUESTION: It looks like Aronian generated enough piece activity to
compensate for his inferior structure - correct? --- ANSWER: I don't think so.
I will bet Kramnik was still in his home prep.} 26. Qc2 Nh3+ $6 {EXERCISE: A
little analytical test for you. --- Should White play his king to g2 or h1?
--- ANSWER:} 27. Kg2 $1 ({If you said h1, you walked into Aronian's cheapo:} 
27. Kh1 $4 Qxe4+ $1 {with a knight fork on f2.}) 27... Qg4 {Black's forces
indolently float and drift at ease, unsuspecting of the coming explosion. I
know you just solved an exercise but there is no time to rest. Here is another
one!} ({The silly} 27... Nf4+ $4 28. Kh1 {leaves two black pieces hanging.}) ({
EXERCISE (combination alert): If White plays} 27... Qg4 28. Nxd6 {, Black gets
a strong attack for the piece after} Nf4+ {. Instead, Kramnik found (or
prepared at home!) an amazing sleight of hand, where he simplifies into a won
ending. Take your time. This one is really difficult. --- ANSWER: The e6-pawn
burns hot as a whistling tea kettle on the boil.}) 28. Bxe6+ $3 Qxe6 29. Qb3 $1
{The deep point: Kramnik takes a swipe at Aronian's attacking dream with a
giant war-cleaver. No matter how Black squirms, he is down material in the
ending.} Nf4+ 30. gxf4 Qxb3 {The frustrated black queen sobs to ease the
pressure of her tortured psyche, as her dream of attack goes up in a haze of
smoke.} 31. axb3 Bxf4 32. Rxa6 Rc8 33. Nc5 $1 {Heading for d3, the knight's
best square.} Kf7 34. Nd3 $1 {Curiously, the bishop finds itself out of viable
squares on an open board.} g5 {QUESTION: This looks like capitulation. Why not
move the bishop? --- ANSWER: It's not so easy to finesse when the raw
materials are a sprawling pile of dysfunction.} ({Black's move is hopeless, as
are the alternatives:} 34... Bb8 35. Rb6 $1 Ke6 36. Nb4 Kd7 37. Rb7+ $1 Bc7 38.
d5 {(the protective barrier splinters and cracks open, as White breaches the
defensive wall)} cxd5 39. Nxd5 {and White wins the king and pawn ending.}) (
34... Bd6 35. d5 $1 {and again Black collapses.}) 35. Nxf4 gxf4 36. Kf3 Ke6 37.
Kxf4 {Pawn number two. The rest is easy for a player of Kramnik's calibre.} Kd6
38. c4 Rf8+ 39. Ke3 Kc7 40. Ra7+ Kb6 41. Rxh7 Rf1 42. Rh6 Kb7 43. Rh5 ({More
careful than the immediate} 43. d5 {.}) 43... Rb1 ({Or} 43... Kb6 44. c5+ Kb7
45. Rh7+ Ka6 46. Rc7 Rf6 47. h4 Ka5 48. Rd7 $1 Kb4 49. Rd6 {and wins.}) 44. Kd3
bxc4+ 45. Kc2 $1 {. This nifty zwischenzug does the job. I'm not sure whether
Kramnik had this position in his home analysis as well!} 1-0

[Event "18: Wijk aan Zee"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kramnik, V."]
[Black "Nakamura, H."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A88"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "87"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

1. d4 f5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 g6 4. c4 Bg7 5. Nc3 O-O 6. Nf3 d6 7. O-O c6 (7... Qe8
) ({and} 7... Nc6 {are the other main lines.}) 8. Rb1 $5 ({Kramnik picks an
offbeat move, avoiding the main continuations} 8. d5) (8. b3) ({and} 8. Qc2 {.}
) 8... Ne4 {QUESTION: What is the purpose of moving the knight twice in the
opening? --- ANSWER: Black threatens to inflict Nimzo-Indian-like damage by
taking on c3.} 9. Qc2 ({QUESTION: Why can't White trade on e4? --- ANSWER:
Black does well after} 9. Nxe4 fxe4 10. Nd2 d5 {. Maybe White is okay but his
game doesn't inspire much confidence; e.g.} 11. e3 Nd7 12. b4 a6 13. Qb3 e6 14.
cxd5 cxd5 {, Bu Xiangzhi-H.Nakamura, Cap d'Agde (rapid) 2010.}) 9... Nxc3 10.
bxc3 $1 {QUESTION: Why the deliberate damage to the structure? --- ANSWER:
First, the open b-file compensates somewhat for the structural damage.} ({
Second,} 10. Qxc3 $6 {is well met by} e5 $1 {.}) 10... e5 11. Rd1 e4 {
Multipurpose: Black gains both time and space.} 12. Ng5 h6 13. Nh3 g5 {
QUESTION: It looks to me like White has been outplayed and pushed into a
corner - correct? --- ANSWER: I don't think so. White still leads in
development, has an open b-file, and is ready to counter in the centre with
f2-f3.} 14. f3 d5 $6 {GM Glenn Flear criticized this move, preferring ...Qe7,
and wrote: "Nakamura keeps going, with the philosophy that space is important,
and the un-doubling of White's pawns less so, but I do feel that this is
over-enthusiastic as his centre soon creaks." --- QUESTION: Do you agree with
Flear's assessment? --- ANSWER: I do. Naka's plan looks like misdirected
energy and a depletion of resources. It also violates the principle: Avoid
confrontation when behind in development.} 15. Nf2 Kh8 16. cxd5 cxd5 17. c4 {
Kramnik sifts the strategic muck, the way a prospector pans for gold, as he
prepares to eviscerate Black's enormous pawn-wall, strata by strata.} ({All
the same,} 17. fxe4 fxe4 18. c4 {may be a more accurate move order.}) 17... e3
$5 {As always, Naka faithfully does his best to confuse the situation.} ({I
doubt Black gets enough compensation after} 17... Nc6 18. e3 exf3 19. Bxf3 f4
20. Bxd5 fxg3 21. hxg3 {.}) 18. Nd3 $1 ({Stronger than} 18. Bxe3 $5 {, which
allows Black to take over the initiative with} f4 19. Bc1 Bf5 {. Then White
can try} 20. Ne4 $5 dxe4 21. fxe4 {and who knows who stands better?}) 18... Nc6
({QUESTION: Doesn't Black get a choking bind after} 18... f4 {- ? --- ANSWER:
Both Kramnik and Nakamura had seen the trick} 19. cxd5 Qxd5 20. gxf4 gxf4 $4
21. Nxf4 $1 {, when Black suddenly finds himself dead busted. The clever} Bf5 {
is met by the counter clever} 22. Ng6+ $1 {.}) 19. Bxe3 Nxd4 {The forces meet
in central disharmony - like a pair of unstable liquids, when mixed together,
creating a combustible potion.} 20. Bxd4 $1 Bxd4+ 21. Kh1 {Black finds himself
lagging in development. Nakamura comes up with a brilliant solution to his
troubles.} f4 $1 {The f-pawn approaches, coolly assessing the situation with a
lack of urgency possessed only by the supremely confident. Naka is willing to
give up a pawn to imprison White's light-squared bishop.} 22. Rb5 Qf6 $1 23.
Rxd5 Be6 $2 {But now Black goes wrong. After the correct 23...Be3! he would
get full compensation for the pawn. --- QUESTION: What is the evaluation then?
--- ANSWER: It's difficult to evaluate the probability of success or failure.
In such cases intuition is both judge and jury. --- EXERCISE (combination
alert): Black miscalculated on his last move. White has a forcing sequence
which nets him a couple of pawns. --- ANSWER: Discovered attack.} 24. Nxf4 $1
gxf4 ({Nakamura now understands that} 24... Bxd5 {fails to} 25. Ng6+ Kg8 26.
Nxf8 Bc6 27. Ne6 $1 {, when White cleverly extricates his wayward knight as
the apparition appears and disappears.}) 25. R5xd4 fxg3 26. hxg3 Rg8 {Kramnik
managed to bleach the life-force from Black's attack, until it morphed into an
anaemic, half-dead creature, incapable of inflicting harm on anyone. We have
all been here. With two extra pawns White is now winning, though Black, in
desperation mode, will do everything he can to attack or generate counterplay.}
27. Rf4 Qg5 28. Rh4 {Reminding Black that his king is exposed as well.} Rg6 29.
Qc3+ Kh7 30. f4 $1 {Black's non-attack is smoke in a strong breeze,
dissipating before it does any damage. Kramnik activates his bishop and forces
simplification.} Qxg3 ({No choice but to swap since} 30... Qe7 $4 {walks into}
31. Be4 {.}) 31. Qxg3 Rxg3 32. Bxb7 Rb8 33. Be4+ Kg7 34. Kh2 $1 {Taking
control of the g-file.} Re3 35. Rg1+ Kf7 36. Bg6+ Ke7 37. Bd3 Rb2 {Threatening
...Rxd3.} 38. Rg2 Rxa2 39. Rxh6 Bf7 40. Rh7 Kf6 {EXERCISE (planning): Come up
with the core of a winning plan for White. --- ANSWER: Push the c-pawn fast
and hard. Black's tangled rooks and king are curiously unable to do anything
about it. From this point, White continues to nurture his passer through
coming tactics, the way a soldier on the battlefield wills himself to carry a
wounded buddy, whose weight grows with each step.} 41. c5 $1 Ra4 (41... Ra1 42.
c6 Rc1 43. Rg5 $1 {(threatening a deadly rook check on f5)} Be8 44. c7 {leaves
Black in zugzwang.}) 42. c6 $1 {The upward trek remains unimpeded and
unchallenged.} Rxf4 43. c7 {The pawn continues to slip by, like rainwater
gushing down a storm drain. Note how Black's rooks are indistinguishable in
their mutual uselessness in halting the advanced pawn.} Re8 {EXERCISE 
(combination alert): Find White's simplifying combination. --- ANSWER: The
rook mutters an oath and ploughs headlong into the bishop.} 44. Rxf7+ $1 ({
Since} 44. Rxf7+ Kxf7 45. Bg6+ Ke7 46. Bxe8 {leaves White a piece up.}) 1-0

[Event "19: Wijk aan Zee"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Carlsen, M."]
[Black "Kramnik, V."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "E04"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "75"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

{This was a high stakes game for both parties, who shared the lead with two
rounds to go. Neither wanted a draw.} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 {
Chutzpah! The World's highest rated player issues a challenge to the world's
leading Catalan expert!} dxc4 5. Bg2 Bb4+ $5 {A fashionable line of the
Catalan. --- QUESTION: What is the purpose of throwing in the check? ---
ANSWER: The main purpose is to lure White's bishop to d2, where it sits
awkwardly and temporarily blocks the white queen's protection of d4.} 6. Bd2 a5
7. Nc3 $5 {A very unusual line. Clearly, Carlsen prepped the move to try and
throw Kramnik off.} ({Perhaps this was a wise choice on Carlsen's part, since
Kramnik understands the ins and outs of} 7. O-O {better than anyone alive}) ({
and} 7. Qc2 Bxd2+ 8. Qxd2 c6 9. a4 b5 10. axb5 cxb5 11. Qg5 O-O 12. Qxb5 Ba6
13. Qa4 {was V.Kramnik-V.Topalov, World Championship, Elista 2006, where
Kramnik endured a tough defence to steal the first game of his match from his
hated rival. In fact, I was going to put this game in this very chapter but,
alas, ran out of room in the book!}) 7... O-O ({QUESTION: Why doesn't Black
immediately attack the d4-pawn with} 7... Nc6 {- ? --- ANSWER: The move is
possible; e.g.} 8. a3 Bxc3 9. bxc3 a4 10. Bg5 Ra6 11. O-O h6 12. Bxf6 Qxf6 13.
Nd2 b5 14. Rb1 Na7 15. Ne4 Qe7 16. Nc5 Rd6 17. f4 {, when White's bind and
central control give him full compensation for the pawn, A.Khalifman-J.Ibarra
Jerez, European Championship, Budva 2009.}) 8. a3 {An almost unknown move.} (8.
O-O {would return to normal paths.}) 8... Be7 ({Taking on c3 gives up the
bishop pair and strengthens White's centre, giving him enough for the pawn; e.g.} 8... Bxc3 9. bxc3 Nbd7 10. Qc2 h6 11. O-O Rb8 {, A.Shimanov-R.Zelcic,
Oberwart 2010.}) 9. Qa4 {White regains his pawn.} c6 10. Qxc4 b5 11. Qb3 $5 {
Carlsen's novelty;} ({slightly more logical than} 11. Qd3 {which walks into
the teeth of Black's bishop after} Ba6 12. Ne4 b4 {, when} 13. Nxf6+ Bxf6 14.
Qc2 bxa3 15. Rxa3 Bb5 16. Bc3 {was about equal, A.Grischuk-L.Aronian, Nice 
(rapid) 2010.}) 11... Ba6 12. Bg5 {QUESTION: Why is White always quick to play
Bg5 and give away the bishop pair by swapping on f6 in the Catalan? --- ANSWER:
Two reasons: 1. The dark-squared bishop tends to be White's worst piece in
open Catalans. There simply is no stable home for it. --- 2. The key fight is
for the c5-square. Generally, Black must achieve the ...c6-c5 break to
equalize. By playing Bg5 and Bxf6 White aims to deflect a black piece - either
e7-bishop or d7-knight - away from c5.} Nbd7 13. Bxf6 gxf6 $5 {QUESTION: You
just said the capture on f6 was to deflect a black bishop or knight away from
the c5-square, yet here Kramnik recaptures with his g-pawn. Why? --- ANSWER:
Kramnik took the nuclear option at a high price.} ({He weakened his king and
rejected:} 13... Nxf6 $2 14. Ne5 $1 {which puts Black under pressure.}) (13...
Bxf6 $1 14. Ne4 Be7 15. Rc1 Qb6 {which looks quite okay for Black.}) 14. Qc2 {
Carlsen's queen immediately turns her displeasured gaze toward Black's
weakened kingside.} b4 15. Na4 Rc8 ({Kramnik suggested} 15... c5 {, when White
still may hold a tiny edge after} 16. dxc5 Rc8 17. axb4 axb4 18. Qd2 {.}) 16.
O-O c5 $6 {Kramnik mistimes his freeing break.} 17. d5 $3 {The wizard of
attack raises his arms. Power begins to crackle and flow, bending and weaving
reality's fabric to his will. Carlsen concocts a powerful pawn sac which
should have yielded him a decisive attack. The idea is to take control over f5.
} exd5 18. Bh3 $2 {QUESTION: What is so wrong with White's last move? It looks
very powerful and thematic to me. --- ANSWER: It's hard to pinpoint the
specific flaw with the move, but it is inaccurate, and one soon senses an
absence in White's attack - of what, I don't know.} ({GM Landa pointed out
that after} 18. Rfd1 $1 {White's pieces breach the defensive line, leaping
over the flimsy barrier with disconcerting ease. For example,} d4 19. Qf5 $1
Re8 ({or} 19... Bd6 20. axb4 Bxe2 21. Nxd4 $1 cxd4 22. Be4 Re8 23. Qxh7+ Kf8
24. Rxd4 {, once again with a nightmarishly strong attack}) 20. Nxd4 $1 cxd4
21. Rxd4 {with numerous threats.}) 18... Bb5 ({I would have broken the pin
immediately with} 18... Rc7 $5 {.}) 19. axb4 axb4 20. Rfd1 d4 21. Bf5 Ne5 $1 {
Kramnik, after weighing cost versus benefit, decides the time is right to
invest. He wisely offers an exchange to rid himself of White's powerful
light-squared bishop.} 22. Bxh7+ $5 {Carlsen bravely allows the opening of the
h-file against his king.} ({The alternative is the greedy} 22. Nxe5 {which
allows Black to feed his initiative after} fxe5 23. Bxc8 Qxc8 24. b3 Qh3 {.})
22... Kg7 23. Nxe5 fxe5 24. Bf5 Rc6 $1 {Here he comes. The rook fulfils both
offensive and defensive functions, as it keeps one surreptitious eye on
Carlsen's king and the other on his own monarch.} 25. Qe4 Rh8 $1 {Aggressive
defence; Kramnik slathers his Attack/Defence with generous servings of pawns,
the way an obese, compulsive eater loads a baked potato with extra butter. ---
QUESTION: Who is attacking and who defends here? --- ANSWER: Both and both! It
feels like both sides are simultaneously being attacked and attacking.} 26.
Qxe5+ Bf6 27. Qe4 Re8 $1 ({Kramnik pointed out the line} 27... c4 $2 28. Qg4+
Kf8 29. Bd7 $1 {, which is in White's favour.}) 28. Qg4+ Kf8 29. Be4 c4 $5 30.
Bxc6 $5 {Wow. It takes guts to grab such an exchange - and also to offer it!
Black is down a full exchange and a pawn, but his pieces all breathe fire.}
Bxc6 31. Qh5 Re5 32. Qh6+ {The funny thing is I think Carlsen is still
attacking - or at least thinks he is!} Ke7 $5 {Kramnik's king decides to enter
the building, despite the black smoke billowing from the windows. --- QUESTION:
Why on earth did he play his king to the centre rather than to g8? --- ANSWER:
I have no idea! Perhaps this is Kramnik's attempt to provoke his hot-headed
opponent into something rash?} 33. e4 $5 {Holy mother of Alekhine! As I was
saying: "something rash". Carlsen is hell-bent on opening lines against
Black's king, whatever the cost.} ({Houdini suggests the calmer} 33. Qf4 Qd5
34. f3 Rxe2 35. Re1 {, but I still prefer Black's position after} d3 {.}) 33...
d3 $1 34. Qe3 $5 (34. Re1 $1 {may be White's best move here.}) 34... Bxe4 $5
35. Nb6 $4 {EXERCISE (combination alert): In this irrational position, Carlsen
let his guard down and allowed a dreadful security lapse, blundering away a
piece. Can you spot the refutation? --- ANSWER: The bishop, after performing a
devotional gesture, shoots to b7, unceremoniously trapping White's knight. The
move probably left Carlsen red-faced and clutching his head. Carlsen's
position is like one of those fairy tales where the magical illusion (of his
attack!) suddenly wears off, as the beautiful young maiden (White's poor
queen!) morphs into her true form - a crone.} ({Houdini gives} 35. Qd2 {with
an edge to Black. Instead, the knight, having wallowed in self-satisfaction on
a4, is rudely yanked from his daydream, back into the merciless waiting arms
of reality.}) 35... Bb7 $1 {Black wins the wayward knight.} 36. Qf4 Qxb6 37.
Qxc4 Re2 $1 {Target: f2. The game is over.} 38. Rf1 ({Before} 38. Rf1 Bd4 {
obliterates White.}) 0-1

[Event "20: Zürich Chess Challenge"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kramnik, V."]
[Black "Aronian, L."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C47"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "83"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 {In the introduction to this book I bemoaned about
people's preconceived notions of Kramnik. Well, listen to this: Dennis
Monokroussos wrote: "Kramnik played 1 e4 for the first time in a long time,
but not as a prelude to anything interesting; rather he trotted out the
disgustingly dull Scotch Four Knights. (The motto of the Scotch Four Knights
player: 'Not everyone is brave enough to play the London System!')." Ouch! I
may have to remove him from my Christmas card list. In one efficient sentence
Dennis dissed: 1. Kramnik, the subject of this book. --- 2. The London System
and the Four Knights. (Correct - I wrote books on both openings.) --- QUESTION:
No one argues the London System isn't boring. But what is so "disgustingly
dull" about the Scotch Four Knights? --- ANSWER: The Scotch Four Knights often
leads to forcing lines which make it very difficult for Black (or White for
that matter!) to win. So, unfortunately, Monokroussos' criticism of the two
opening systems may have been accurate. However, his assessment of Kramnik's
style was not!} Nf6 4. d4 {With his opening choice, Kramnik plunges into the
long ago. This is the kind of position people loved to play a century ago.}
exd4 5. Nxd4 Bc5 $5 ({Aronian probably wanted to get away from the forcing
positions associated with} 5... Bb4 {(which he tested out against Kramnik in
the Introduction - see Game 1).}) 6. Be3 Bb6 ({Time for full disclosure and
confession: my very first rated tournament game went:} 6... O-O $4 7. Nxc6 bxc6
8. Bxc5 {NN-C.Lakdawala, Canadian Open 1972. Not the most auspicious
inauguration to a chess career. I didn't even make it to move ten! Now you
know why your talentless writer plays "disgustingly dull" lines like the
London System!}) 7. Qd2 {Kramnik prepares long castling.} ({Instead:} 7. Be2
O-O 8. O-O Re8 9. Bf3 Ne5 10. Be2 {is indeed, "disgustingly dull!" if Black
tosses in ...d7-d5 next, P.Bontempi-B.Lalic, Porto San Giorgio 2004.}) (7. Nxc6
bxc6 8. e5 Bxe3 9. fxe3 Nd5 10. Nxd5 cxd5 11. Qxd5 Qh4+ 12. Kd1 Rb8 {and Black
gets more than enough compensation for the pawn, H.Hoffmann-E.Van den Doel,
German League 2006.}) 7... O-O ({QUESTION: Can Black chase the bishop with} 
7... Ng4 {- ? --- ANSWER: After} 8. Bg5 f6 9. Nxc6 -- ({, either} 9... bxc6 10.
Bh4) ({, or} 9... dxc6 10. Qxd8+ Kxd8 11. Bh4 {, M.Andres Mendez-A.Sorin,
Argentine Team Championship 2000, may give White a shade of an edge.}) ({.
However, Black can speculate with} 9... Bxf2+ $1 10. Qxf2 dxc6 {; e.g.} 11. Qg3
fxg5 12. h3 Nh6 {and Black looks okay.} (12... --))) 8. O-O-O Re8 9. f3 {No
more ...Ng4.} d5 $1 {Principle: Counter in the centre when attacked on the
wing.} ({QUESTION: What attack? Isn't} 9... d6 {okay for Black? --- ANSWER: I
doubt it. White, with his extra central space, simply looks faster after} 10.
g4 {, B.Reefat-M.Hebden, Dhaka 1995. Now ...d6-d5 is out, since White can toss
in g4-g5.}) 10. exd5 $1 ({A new move and an improvement over} 10. Nxc6 bxc6 11.
Bxb6 ({GM Victor Mikhalevski suggests} 11. g4) 11... axb6 12. Bc4 Be6 {, when
Black stands well, P.Hrvacic-F.Berebora, Split 1998.}) 10... Nxd5 11. Bg5 $1 (
11. Nxc6 bxc6 12. Nxd5 cxd5 13. Bxb6 axb6 14. Bb5 Rf8 {is once again equal,
since White's a2-pawn hangs at the end.}) 11... Nxc3 $5 {QUESTION: What!? ---
ANSWER: Aronian speculates and sacs a tall one, praying the mathematics hold
up to scrutiny. Kramnik can do no more than steel himself for the worst and
commence preparations for the approaching onslaught. --- QUESTION: Is
Aronian's queen sac sound? --- ANSWER: Under the glare of the computer's light
it isn't. But in the human realm Black gets a ferocious initiative for not too
much of an investment, so the answer is yes, the sac is sound!} ({Aronian may
not have liked the looks of} 11... Nde7 12. Nxc6 Qxd2+ 13. Bxd2 {, R.Kolanek-V.Popov, correspondence 2008, although Black looks fine if he recaptures on c6
with his knight.}) ({Or} 11... f6 $5 12. Bc4 $1 Nxd4 13. Bxf6 $1 gxf6 14. Nxd5
{.}) 12. Bxd8 Nxd1 13. Bxc7 $5 {Picking off one more pawn. White also
distracts Black's dark-squared bishop from e3.} ({The alternative is} 13. Bh4
Nxd4 14. Kxd1 {, when White must still endure a long Black initiative if he is
to consolidate.}) 13... Bxc7 $1 {The correct capture. Aronian seizes control
of the dark squares.} ({White's defensive task is easier after} 13... Bxd4 $2
14. Qxd1 {.}) 14. Nxc6 ({Kramnik avoids the trap} 14. Qxd1 $4 Bf4+ $1 15. Kb1
Nxd4 {, when White is unable to recapture the knight due to his loose back
rank.}) 14... Ne3 $1 {Kramnik's position sits on the brink of disaster: 1.
Black's e3-knight is in White's face. --- 2. White's knight on c6 is loose.
--- 3. Black threatens ...Bf4! with scary consequences. --- EXERCISE (critical
decision): What would you play here as White? --- ANSWER: Return some material
to cool off Black's raging initiative.} 15. Bb5 $1 {A brilliant move. White
transforms one advantage into another.} ({If he tries to hang on to everything
with} 15. Nb4 $2 {, then after} Bf4 $1 16. Nd3 Bh6 17. f4 Bf5 18. Kb1 Rac8 {
White can barely move and his position grows increasingly difficult to
navigate.}) 15... bxc6 $6 ({Kramnik's clever point is that the dreaded threat} 
15... Bf4 $2 {doesn't work after} 16. Ne7+ $1 Kf8 17. g3 $1 Bh6 18. f4 $1 {,
when too many recruits in Black's army are left hanging without orders.}) ({
Instead, Aronian had a problem-like way to save himself with} 15... Bf5 $1 16.
Nd4 Bf4 $1 17. g3 Nxc2 18. Qxf4 Nxd4 19. Qxd4 Rac8+ 20. Bc4 b5 21. Kd2 Rxc4 {
, when Black has sufficient counterplay. But of course this is an inhumanly
tricky computer line, to which our species is blind.}) 16. Bxc6 Nc4 $1 {
Opening up f4 for his dark-squared bishop.} ({If} 16... Bf4 $6 {at once, White
plays the nonchalant} 17. Kb1 $1 {and Black lacks a useful discovery.}) 17. Qd4
{Dual purpose: 1. Centralizing the queen. --- 2. Preventing ...Bf4+ tricks.} ({
But Kramnik thought} 17. Qb4 $1 {was more accurate; e.g.} Be6 18. Bxa8 Rxa8 19.
b3 {, when White's queen and two pawns are slightly more valuable than Black's
three minor pieces.}) 17... Be6 18. Bxa8 Bb6 19. Qd3 Rxa8 20. Re1 {Kramnik
finally completes his development.} Rd8 21. Qe4 g5 $2 {Black's activity proves
to be an unsavoury stew, as Aronian indiscriminately bungs in whatever
ingredients are on hand. It has been my observation that moves like this are
only made by patzers or geniuses who short-circuit. Remember Fischer's moronic
29...Bxh2?? in his first match game versus Spassky, which even an 800-rated
player would reject. The rest of us in the middle wouldn't even consider such
a move. After this rash pawn stab, Aronian experiences great difficulties
saving the game. --- QUESTION: What could possibly be Aronian's idea behind
the move? --- ANSWER: It is difficult to discern meaning when the syntax is
off. I have no clue. Ask someone who is a genius! Whatever the idea, it was
both brilliant and totally wrong-headed at the same time, if that makes any
sense to you!} ({The simple} 21... g6 {was Black's best chance.}) 22. c3 Bc5
23. Re2 $5 {Covering the second rank.} h6 24. g3 $1 {Exposing the
vulnerability of Aronian's earlier ...g7-g5?!. The intended source of
counterplay begins to dovetail into a clear strategic burden. White plans
f3-f4 to air out Black's king. Soon Black begins to feel a cloying sense of
despair as his forces scatter in disarray.} a5 25. f4 $1 {Suddenly Black's
pieces begin to destabilize from their once anchored central perches.} a4 26.
f5 Bd5 27. Qd3 Bb6 28. b3 $1 {Opening a second front: two queenside passers.}
axb3 29. axb3 Na5 {One senses a lack of an organizing cohesiveness in Black's
camp, as his pieces dance about, each doing his or her own thing. --- EXERCISE
(combination alert(s): White has two different paths to victory. Both are
quite difficult to find. Give it a shot and see what you come up with. ---
ANSWER: Deflection/simplification. The black rook's head snaps back as Kramnik
engages the taser and the voltage flows.} 30. Re8+ $3 ({ANSWER #2: The
computer points out that} 30. Qb5 $3 {also wins, but in an insanely more
complicated way:} Nxb3+ ({or} 30... Bc7 31. Re8+ $1) 31. Kc2 Nc5 ({if} 31...
Bc5 32. Re5 $1) ({or} 31... Rd6 32. Qe8+ Kh7 33. Re6) 32. Re8+ ({not} 32. Qxb6
$2 Bb3+ $1) 32... Rxe8 33. Qxe8+ Kh7 34. Qb5 Ba7 35. Qa5 {and Black loses
material.}) 30... Rxe8 {The slippery canned peach slides down Black's gullet,
even before he has a chance to chew.} 31. Qxd5 {Black is busted: 1. His
powerful bishop pair has been disbanded. --- 2. White's king suddenly looks
quite safe. --- 3. Those two connected passed pawns on the queenside begin to
roll.} Rd8 32. Qb5 Rd6 33. Kc2 Kg7 $6 (33... Bd8 {was Black's last chance to
put up a defensive wall on the queenside. His only prayer is to sac a piece
for both white passers, which won't be so easy since Kramnik will do
everything in his power to avoid it.}) 34. b4 Nb7 35. c4 {A table for two
please, with a view of the ocean. The conjoined pawns, an impenetrable knot,
begin to roll queenward, leaving Black hopelessly uncoordinated. Kramnik
concludes with mercilessly chill finality.} Rf6 36. g4 $1 {The deeply
entrenched f5-pawn tangles and entwines the activity from Black's game, the
way a boa constrictor wraps around its prey.} Nd8 37. c5 Bc7 38. Qd7 $1 {
Black's pieces are in a sorry mess, failing to find kinship amongst themselves.
} Nc6 39. b5 $1 Na7 {The knight convulses in its madness.} 40. Qxc7 Nxb5 41.
Qe5 $1 {Black's forces are a picture of despair: 1. The eternally pinned
rook's struggles prove futile, as he lies down in submission in exhausted
stupor. --- 2. The black king's body begins to decompose on g7. --- 3. The
ostracized knight stands away from the group, ill at ease.} ({The computer, of
course, has to ruin our joy by finding the incredibly flashy} 41. Qd7 $3 Rc6
42. f6+ $1 {which wins even more quickly.}) 41... Na7 42. Kd3 {Black is
eternally pinned and hopelessly tied up. --- QUESTION: How does White break
the blockade on c6?} ({ANSWER: It's easier than it looks since Black's rook is
frozen on f6. For example,} 42. Kd3 Nc6 43. Qb2 Na7 44. Kd4 $1 Nc6+ {(Black
can't touch the rook)} 45. Kc4 Ne7 46. Qa1 Nc6 47. Kb5 Ne7 48. Qe5 Ng8 (48...
Nc6 49. Qxf6+ $1) ({and} 48... Nc8 49. Qc7 {both win}) 49. c6 {and the pawn
promotes.}) 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "3: Riding the Dynamic Element"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2010.01.09"]

{In my Capablanca book, the chapters were ordered the following way: Attack,
Defence, Exploiting Imbalances, Accumulating Advantages, and Endings. When
researching Kramnik's games, I found that a percentage of his best games
failed to fit snugly into any of the above categories. A new category, the
Dynamic Element, needed inclusion. --- Boris Spassky explained it in a 2000
interview with Alex Baburin: "Nowadays the dynamic element is more important
in chess - players more often sacrifice material to obtain dynamic
compensation. Of course, such players were in my generation too..." (Spassky,
for example!) "...but fewer players played like that. The game was slower then.
"} 1. -- {In this chapter we examine how Kramnik seizes and holds onto the
initiative. His basic instinct: disrupt and interrupt as he grabs the
initiative, often in mysterious ways, or allows a deliberate weakening of his
position if allowed initiative as compensation. In this chapter the air over
the battlefield buzzes with projectiles, but sails in one direction: toward
Kramnik's opponents!} *

[Event "21: Linares"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1998.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kramnik, V."]
[Black "Svidler, P."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E05"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "57"]
[EventDate "1998.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. d4 Be7 {This was Black's most popular plan at
the time the game was played.} ({Today, GMs trend toward the more dynamic line
} 4... dxc4 5. Bg2 Bb4+ {, as seen in Carlsen-Kramnik from last chapter (Game
19).}) 5. Bg2 O-O 6. O-O dxc4 7. Qc2 (7. Ne5 {is also played here.}) ({
QUESTION: What is the difference between} 7. Qa4 {and the move Kramnik played
in the game? --- ANSWER: 7 Qa4 simply transposes if Black responds with} a6 8.
Qxc4 b5 {. But it also offers Black the option of playing 7...Bd7, so perhaps
the move Kramnik played in the game is the most accurate since it decreases
Black's choices in the position. These transpositions can be confusing, but it
stands to reason: if a=b+c, then a=c+b as well!}) 7... a6 8. Qxc4 b5 9. Qc2 Bb7
{QUESTION: What is the overall theme for both sides? --- ANSWER: ...c7-c5 or
not ...c7-c5!. If Black achieves his break, he tends to equalize without much
sweat. If White manages to bind Black and prevent ...c7-c5, Black is in danger
of a squeeze.} 10. Bf4 (10. Bg5) ({and} 10. Bd2 {are also played.}) 10... Nd5 {
QUESTION: Doesn't this move gain a tempo? --- ANSWER: Not if White refuses to
move his bishop from f4. --- QUESTION: But wouldn't Black then get both the
bishop pair and hurt White's pawn structure? --- ANSWER: First, White often
deliberately trades off his dark-squared bishop for a black knight in these
Catalan structures. Second, by recapturing the knight on f4 with g3xf4, White
strengthens his structure, since he now gains a firm grip on e5.} ({Maybe
Black's best shot at equality is} 10... Nc6 $5 11. Rd1 Nb4 12. Qc1 Rc8 {, as
in V.Korchnoi-V.Kramnik, Dos Hermanas 1999.}) 11. Nc3 Nxf4 12. gxf4 {Despite
appearances, this structure is actually advantageous to White since he still
controls c5 and has increased his grip on e5.} Nd7 ({QUESTION: Why can't Black
free himself with the immediate} 12... c5 {- ? --- ANSWER: It's a trap!} 13.
dxc5 Bxc5 $4 {loses to} 14. Ng5 {with a deadly double attack on the mating
square at h7 and Black's hanging bishop on b7. Note how handy that f4-pawn can
be.}) 13. Rfd1 {Once again discouraging ...c7-c5.} ({QUESTION: Does White's
trap still work after} 13. Ng5 {- ? --- ANSWER: Not really. White does win the
exchange but Black gets two healthy pawns for it, with dynamic equality after}
Bxg5 14. Bxb7 Bxf4 15. Bxa8 Qh4 16. Rfd1 Qxh2+ 17. Kf1 Rxa8 18. Qe4 {.}) 13...
Bxf3 $6 {QUESTION: Why dubious? Undoubtedly, Svidler hoped to exploit the
drawing potential of the opposite-coloured bishops. --- ANSWER: The trouble is
that White's light-squared bishop is much stronger than Black's dark-squared
counterpart. Also, c6 is weak and, in time, the mould and mildew continue to
spread on that square.} ({Better is} 13... Qc8 14. Ne4 c5 15. dxc5 Nxc5 16.
Nxc5 Qxc5 17. Qxc5 Bxc5 18. Rac1 Rfc8 19. Ne5 Bxg2 20. Kxg2 {, Z.Ribli-A.Karpov, Amsterdam 1980, though even then White still holds a microbe of an
advantage due to his control over c6. In fact, Karpov, in his prime, failed to
hold the draw in this game.}) 14. Bxf3 Rb8 15. e3 ({Sneakier than} 15. Ne4 {,
V.Smyslov-L.Barczay, European Team Championship, Kapfenberg 1970.}) 15... Nf6 (
{QUESTION: Can't Black power in} 15... c5 {now? --- ANSWER: It fails
tactically to} 16. dxc5 Bxc5 17. Ne4 Rc8 18. Rac1 Qe7 19. Rxd7 $1 Qxd7 20. Nxc5
{with a winning position for White, whose two minor pieces dominate Black's
meagre remainder.}) 16. Rac1 {It is becoming increasingly clear that Black is
unable to engineer ...c7-c5.} Qd6 {Black wants to cover c6, but in doing so
his queen becomes vulnerable on d6.} ({Admittedly the ultra passive} 16... Rb6
{isn't very tempting.}) 17. Ne2 $5 ({Also very tempting was} 17. Ne4 Nxe4 18.
Bxe4 f5 19. Bg2 Bd8 20. Qb3 {(threat: Rc6)} Rb6 21. d5 exd5 22. Rxd5 Qe6 23.
Qd3 {with strategic domination. --- QUESTION: Why would Kramnik reject this
line? --- ANSWER: Undoubtedly he wanted to retain knights on the board to
reduce Black's drawing power of opposite-coloured bishops. By playing to e2,
the knight supports d4 and f4, enabling his next move.}) 17... Rfc8 18. e4 $1 {
Threatening to fork queen and knight next move, and also reminding Black that
the structure remains of an unfixed nature. --- QUESTION: But doesn't this
move loosen White's once stable central structure? --- ANSWER: It does.
Kramnik realizes that Black's game lacks the dynamic factor, and that his
position feels and tastes like a mushy bowl of lukewarm gruel. Structure plays
only a minor role here since Black's pieces are too passively placed to
exploit White's weakening.} Qd7 {EXERCISE (planning): White can grab the
initiative if you find the correct plan. --- ANSWER: Strike in the middle,
where Black is not ready for a fight.} 19. d5 $1 {From this moment on, Kramnik
never gives Svidler a moment of peace.} exd5 ({Or} 19... Rb6 20. dxe6 Qxe6 21.
e5 Ne8 22. Nd4 Qg6+ 23. Qxg6 Rxg6+ 24. Kf1 c5 25. Nf5 Bf8 26. Rd7 {with
domination.}) 20. e5 Ne8 21. Rxd5 Qh3 22. Bg2 Qh4 {EXERCISE (planning): Once
again, find a way to increase White's piece activity and initiative. ---
ANSWER: The conductor points his baton at the knight, singling him out as the
soloist. White sacs an f-pawn, in return for accumulating ferocious central
piece activity as a dividend.} 23. Nd4 $1 {Now f5 and c6 beckon alluringly.}
Qxf4 24. Nc6 {The knight turns his head in accusatory glances at the loose
b8-rook and Black's hanging bishop on e7.} Bh4 {The hunting party is destined
to return empty handed.} 25. Rcd1 $1 {No thanks. White's knight is worth more
than Black's useless b8-rook.} Rb6 {Black's claustrophobic rook finds another
nook to hide from his pursuer.} 26. R5d4 $1 {Kramnik's forces pirouette across
the board with balletic grace. Now White's rooks arrive at the party.} Rxc6 {
Black's rook doubles over in pain but puts on a brave face, raising an arm to
signal to the other pieces that he is okay - when in fact, he is anything but
okay. --- QUESTION: Why did Black suddenly give up the exchange? --- ANSWER:
In such positions the defender is left with the dismal choice: neither or nor.}
({He had to give up some material, since on} 26... Qh6 {White has} 27. Qf5 $1
Ra8 28. Rf4 $1 {which wins on the spot.}) 27. Bxc6 Qxe5 {White can't take the
loose bishop since Black would respond with ...Qg5+ picking up the rook. But
the cheapskate baker who dusts his insipid wares with merely hints of powdered
sugar fails much to improve the taste of his product. --- EXERCISE 
(combination alert): Find one clever in-between move and suddenly the sequence
works. How? --- ANSWER: Double attack. White severs the umbilical cord to
Black's ...Qg5+ resource. The inclusion of this miniscule addendum is all it
takes to push Black over the brink. White's bishop hits Black's c8-rook, but
simultaneously covers the g4-square. So suddenly Black's two pieces hang and
there is no answer to the threats.} 28. Bd7 $1 Rd8 29. Rxh4 1-0

[Event "22: Zürich (rapid)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2001.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kramnik, V."]
[Black "Kasparov, G."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D26"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "71"]
[EventDate "2001.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. e3 $5 {The players were tied for
first and Kramnik was happy to continue sharing the lead with a draw. However,
the newly dethroned ex-champ had more ambitious plans. Kramnik backs down from
a theoretical challenge and decides to enter a Queen's Gambit Accepted line
known to be equal.} ({Perhaps he wasn't ready to challenge Kasparov in the
ultra-sharp Vienna line which runs} 5. e4 Bb4 6. Bg5 c5 7. Bxc4 cxd4 8. Nxd4
Bxc3+ 9. bxc3 Qa5 10. Bb5+ Bd7 11. Bxf6 gxf6 12. Qb3 {, as seen mostly
recently in V.Ivanchuk-A.Morozevich, Jurmala (rapid) 2012. --- QUESTION: Who
stands better here? --- ANSWER: The answer depends on who you ask. An
attacking player will say White, while the positional player may prefer Black.
Essentially, in the Vienna White's superior piece activity and attacking
chances are believed to compensate for his structural deficiencies. Personally,
I have never felt comfortable with White, and tend to chicken out like Kramnik
and enter the QGA.}) 5... a6 6. Bxc4 b5 7. Bd3 c5 (7... Bb7 8. O-O Nbd7 9. e4
b4 10. e5 bxc3 11. exf6 Qxf6 12. bxc3 Bxf3 13. Qxf3 Qxf3 14. gxf3 {leads to an
unbalanced ending, D.Andreikin-R.Ponomariov, Moscow (blitz) 2010.}) 8. a4 {
Principle: Create confrontation when leading in development.} b4 ({QUESTION:
This leads to a hole on c4. Why not go} 8... c4 {and play for queenside versus
central pawn majority? --- ANSWER: In this case Black's majority quickly gets
destabilized and broken up after} 9. Be2 b4 10. Nb1 Qc7 11. Qc2 {, J.De Souza
Mendes-J.Lacerda Guimaraes, Brazilian Championship, Rio de Janeiro 1930.}) 9.
Ne4 Nbd7 {QUESTION: This position looks familiar to me. Why? I don't play the
QGA! --- ANSWER: The reason the position looks familiar to you may be that it
also arises from the Semi-Slav Meran move order: 1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3 Nf3 Nf6 4
Nc3 e6 5 e3 Nbd7 6 Bd3 dxc4 7 Bxc4 b5 8 Bd3 a6 9 a4 b4 10 Ne4 c5 reaching an
identical position.} 10. Nxf6+ Nxf6 ({QUESTION: Should Black consider
recapturing with the pawn to utilize the open g-file for the attack? ---
ANSWER: The move is very rare but may be playable. The drawback is that
Black's king now lacks a safe haven across the board. For example,} 10... gxf6
11. O-O Bb7 12. Qe2 Bd6 13. Rd1 Rg8 {, D.Sanzhaev-V.Shinkevich, Togliatti 2011,
when I prefer White after} 14. g3 {, intending e3-e4 next move.}) 11. O-O Bb7
12. dxc5 Bxc5 {Kasparov equalizes with ease, still harbouring ambitions
further than a humble draw.} 13. Qe2 Qd5 $5 14. Rd1 Qh5 15. h3 ({QUESTION: Why
waste time with 15 h3 - ? Just play} 15. e4 {instead. --- ANSWER: Kramnik must
have feared} Ng4 {. Now the computer line runs} 16. Bb5+ $1 Kf8 17. Rd7 axb5
18. Rxb7 bxa4 19. Bg5 $1 {, claiming that White's fantastic piece activity
more than compensates him for his material deficit. So you may be correct!})
15... Rd8 16. Nd4 {An admission of opening failure.} ({Kramnik probably
rejected} 16. b3 {fearing} Ne4 {, but White looks slightly better after} 17.
Bb2 Nc3 18. Bxc3 bxc3 19. Rac1 Bxf3 20. Qxf3 Qxf3 21. gxf3 Bb4 22. Bxa6 {. A
pawn is a pawn!}) 16... Qd5 $6 {A theoretical novelty, but not a particularly
great one. Black's queen moves back and forth in aimless patterns, the way a
small child uses meaningless motion to dispel boredom.} ({Kasparov mistakenly
avoids the ending after} 16... Qxe2 $1 17. Bxe2 {which may even give Black an
edge. White's pieces look quite passive.}) 17. Nf3 Ke7 $5 {No draw.} ({Once
again, Kasparov rejects any overtures for peace negotiations, which can be
achieved with} 17... Qh5 {. GM Scherbakov makes an interesting psychological
point - White doesn't have to take the draw by repetition: "Yet, it's unclear
if White should agree to a draw here - he may gain a slight psychological
advantage by refusing the repetition, showing that it is he who is playing for
the win." I agree. Even a non-doing implies action.}) 18. e4 $3 {After this
startling move, White's initiative swells like a sail in a strong gust. ---
QUESTION: What? It looks to me as though White just gave up a pawn without the
slightest trace of compensation. --- ANSWER: I admit the move appears as
incongruous as a poet who happens to look like a wrestler. Kramnik, the world
champion at the time, tired of playing second fiddle to Kasparov, decides to
show the ex-champ that he too can play for the win. White speculates with a
deep pawn sacrifice to bring his remaining forces out.} Nxe4 19. Be3 Bxe3 20.
Qxe3 Qc5 21. Qe1 $1 {Oh no you don't. Queens remain on the board now.} Nf6 22.
Rac1 Qb6 23. Ne5 {The bats flutter from their cave after sunset. This is the
position Kramnik envisioned when he sac'ed the pawn on his 18th move. ---
QUESTION: What on earth did he get for his sac? All I see is White down a pawn
for nothing. --- ANSWER: There are hidden, ominous signs in the position, as
if written by a finger on wet sand. White's compensation: 1. His pieces are
suddenly far more active than Black's. --- 2. White's knight, posted
beautifully on e5, eyes both the c4- and c6-squares. --- 3. Black has trouble
developing his h8-rook. --- Conclusion: White receives full compensation for
the pawn, plus the psychological boost of throwing his ambitious opponent
suddenly on the defensive.} Rd4 $2 {Kasparov finds himself thrown off balance
by the sudden psychological shift in the nature of the position and just
blunders. --- EXERCISE (combination alert(s)): We have two ways to try to take
advantage as White. One is relatively straightforward; the other is incredibly
complex. See if you can come up with either answer.} (23... a5 {was necessary.}
) 24. Bxa6 $1 {(ANSWER). Imaginative and profound. For a long time to come,
Kramnik's idea behind the sac remains opaque, hidden behind frosted glass. He
decides to double down with an incredibly deep sac. And why not? He holds all
four aces and finds himself awash in chips. Kramnik's move would probably get
two exclams if he didn't have a simpler, alternative win.} ({ANSWER #2:} 24.
Nc4 $1 {is much simpler and even stronger, when Black must hand over the
exchange by taking on c4. --- QUESTION: Why give up the exchange? What is
wrong with} Qc5 {- ? --- ANSWER: White has the trick} 25. Ne3 $1 Qb6 26. Nf5+ {
, forking.}) 24... Rxd1 (24... Bxa6 $4 25. Nc6+ {wins on the spot.}) 25. Rxd1
Bxa6 26. Qxb4+ $1 {The exclamation mark at the end of a shocking sentence!
Quite suddenly, Black's game is enveloped by a tsunami of angry white pieces.}
Qxb4 27. Nc6+ Kf8 ({The Kasparovs of the world don't walk into} 27... Ke8 $4
28. Rd8# {.}) 28. Rd8+ $1 Ne8 29. Nxb4 {This is the position Kramnik assessed
when he played 24 Bxa6!. --- QUESTION: I understand that Black is tied up, but
he still has a piece for two pawns. Doesn't he stand better? --- ANSWER: White
stands better for the following reasons: 1. As you mentioned, Black is badly
tied up. His army suffers from an unfair division of labour. Black's
overworked bishop is left to do all the heavy lifting while the lazy king,
knight and rook do nothing, considering themselves in purely supervisory roles.
--- 2. Black's bishop is attacked but apparently there is no safe haven for it.
--- 3. White's a-pawn is ready to march toward the promotion square. ---
Conclusion: Black fights for his life.} Be2 {The exhausted bishop hopes to
outpace his pursuers, but only manages to do so with unsteady, faltering steps.
} ({Black has several ways to lose, but line 'c' may be Black's best from a
host of unsavoury choices:} 29... Bb7 $2 30. a5 Ke7 31. Rb8 Bd5 32. a6 Rf8 33.
a7 Nc7 34. Nxd5+ exd5 35. b4 d4 36. b5 d3 37. Kf1 Na8 38. Ke1 g6 39. Rxa8 $1
Rxa8 40. b6 {wins.}) (29... Ke7 $2 30. Nc6+ Kf6 31. b4 Be2 32. b5 {and Black
is busted.}) (29... Bc4 30. a5 Ke7 31. Rc8 Bb5 32. a6 Bxa6 33. Nxa6 Rf8 {and
Black continues to struggle to hold the draw.}) 30. f3 $1 ({Kramnik correctly
rejects the ending after} 30. a5 g5 31. a6 Kg7 32. a7 $1 Nc7 33. Rb8 Bc4 34. b3
$1 Bxb3 (34... Be2 35. f3 Na8 36. Kf2 Bd1 37. Na6 {wins}) 35. Na6 $1 Nxa6 36.
Rxh8 Bd5 37. a8=Q Bxa8 38. Rxa8 Nc7 {and Black holds the draw with a pawn for
the exchange, and all the pawns on the same side of the board.}) 30... h5 $6 {
EXERCISE (combination alert): We are nearly there. One light nudge is all that
is required to toss the e2-bishop off the precipice. But how? --- ANSWER:
White issues a subsidiary command to his b-pawn: forward!} (30... e5 {was
better.}) 31. b3 $1 Rh6 32. Kf2 {White's pieces share a mean-spirited laugh at
the e2-bishop's expense, who awaits his fate helplessly as he is trapped on a
wide-open board.} Rg6 33. Kxe2 {And so the gallant bishop meets an unfortunate
end. With the passage of time his very existence may be forgotten by his
uncaring comrades.} Rxg2+ 34. Kd3 {Black has no chance against the united
might of the two connected passed pawns.} Rg3 35. a5 Rxf3+ 36. Kc4 1-0

[Event "23: Eurotel Trophy, Prague (rapid)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2002.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hracek, Z."]
[Black "Kramnik, V."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C65"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "46"]
[EventDate "2002.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 ({Understandably, Hracek isn't too keen
on testing King Kram The First in the Berlin Lopez ending after} 4. O-O Nxe4 5.
-- (5. d4 Nd6 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. dxe5 Nf5 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8 {(seen in Games 15 and 34)
. I think this is the worst possible way to challenge Kramnik - that is, in a
position he understands better than anyone else in the world. If Kasparov
banged his head against a wall in their world championship match, it is very
likely everyone else will do so as well.}) ({. QUESTION: Let's say White is a
much lower-rated player who is after a draw. Is there a way for White to
vacuum the life out of the position in the Berlin Lopez? --- ANSWER: The
following line is White's best shot, if boredom is the ultimate goal:} 5. Re1
Nd6 6. Nxe5 Be7 7. Bf1 {, as in V.Ivanchuk-L.Aronian, Sao Paulo/Bilbao 2011.
This is a very hard position to lose with either side, though it can be done!}
(7. --))) 4... Bc5 (4... d6 5. O-O Be7 (5... g6 {is also played here}) 6. Re1
O-O 7. c3 a6 8. Ba4 b5 9. Bc2 {V.Ivanchuk-Ma.Carlsen, Medias 2011, is equal,
since White's pawn on d3 (rather than on d4) gives him a more passive version
of a Closed Lopez.}) 5. O-O ({Or} 5. Bxc6 dxc6 6. Be3 (6. Nxe5 $4 Qd4 $1 {
double attacks and wins: White can regain his lost piece but is completely
busted after, for example,} 7. Be3 Qxe5 8. d4 Bb4+ 9. c3 Qxe4 10. cxb4 Bg4 11.
Qb3 Qxg2) 6... Bd6 {(Black doesn't want to take on e3 and open the f-file)} 7.
h3 Be6 8. Nbd2 h6 9. d4 exd4 10. Nxd4 Qe7 11. Qf3 O-O 12. O-O Rfe8 13. Rfe1
Rad8 14. c3 Bc8 {and Black equalized, I.Nepomniachtchi-V.Kramnik,
Khanty-Mansiysk Olympiad 2010.}) 5... d6 (5... Nd4 $5 {is also played here.
--- QUESTION: What is the point? --- ANSWER: Early swaps tend to ease Black's
defence; e.g.} 6. Nxd4 Bxd4 7. c3 Bb6 8. Nd2 c6 9. Ba4 O-O 10. Nc4 Bc7 11. Ne3
d5 {equalized comfortably in V.Anand-V.Kramnik, Moscow (rapid) 2011.}) 6. c3
O-O {Black reaches a book position virtually a full move up. --- QUESTION: How
so? --- ANSWER: GM Paul Motwani points out that 7 d4 "would leave White a
tempo down compared with the line 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 Nf6 4 0-0 Bc5 5 c3
0-0 6 d4 of the Classical Berlin Defence".} 7. Nbd2 a6 8. Bxc6 $5 {Ambitious.}
({White can also opt for the slightly lame d2-d3 Closed Lopez with} 8. Ba4 b5
9. Bc2 {, J.Polgar-E.Bacrot, Rishon Le Ziyyon (blitz) 2006.}) 8... bxc6 9. Nc4
({QUESTION: Why not gain a tempo with} 9. d4 {- ? --- ANSWER: White's e-pawn
may become a cause for concern after} exd4 10. cxd4 Bb6 {, intending ...Bg4
and ...Re8. If White pushes it to e5, then he weakens himself on the light
squares.}) 9... h6 {Just so he doesn't have to worry about Bg5.} 10. b4 {Black
has the bishop pair. The principle is: Exchange one of your opponent's bishops
if possible.} ({So White should consider} 10. Be3 {on this move or the next.})
10... Ba7 11. Qe2 ({Again,} 11. Be3 {looks best.}) 11... c5 12. Na5 {Off on an
adventure.} ({Once more White rejects the strategy of swapping off that
dark-squared bishop with} 12. bxc5 Bxc5 13. Be3 {.}) 12... cxb4 ({QUESTION:
Why didn't Kramnik cover the c6 invasion square with} 12... Bd7 {- ? ---
ANSWER: It fails tactically to} 13. bxc5 Bxc5 14. Nb7 $1 {, followed by Nxc5,
with damage to Black's pawn structure.}) 13. cxb4 {Hracek yet again spurns the
swap of the a7-bishop as if it were a leper.} ({Here} 13. Nc6 Qd7 14. Nxa7 Rxa7
{is equal.}) 13... Bd7 14. Bd2 {Hracek has taken his sweet time about playing 
(or not playing) Be3.} ({It may be late now:} 14. Be3 c5 15. Nc4 cxb4 16. Bxa7
Rxa7 17. Nxd6 Be6 {and I prefer Black, with his queenside pawn majority and
nice-looking bishop. --- QUESTION: Why does White continue to ignore every
opportunity to exchange off Black's dark-squared bishop? --- ANSWER: I don't
know! No matter how much our inner voice of common sense begs us to reconsider,
we still sometimes refuse to listen. I suppose the human race, in order to
remain healthy, must allow a fraction of the population in opposition to the
norm. The subversive will (Hracek's continual refusal to swap off Kramnik's
powerful bishop!) may be an ugly yet necessary ingredient for evolutionary
progress.}) 14... Rb8 15. a3 c5 16. h3 cxb4 17. Bxb4 $2 {The wrong recapture.
Now Kramnik unleashes his pieces in a position pregnant with intimation of
dark menace.} Nh5 $1 {Black's position begins to pulsate with untapped
possibility. He threatens to plant his knight on g3 (which picks off the
exchange) or f4 (which accelerates all kinds of attacking possibilities). From
this point until the moment White resigns, every single Black move contains
some kind of threat.} 18. Qd2 $6 (18. Bxd6 Qxa5 19. Nxe5 Rb5 {should be in
Black's favour but was still better than what White got in the game.}) 18...
Qf6 $1 {No rest for White. Black threatens to chop h3 with his bishop.} 19. Kh2
Nf4 {Threat: ...Nxh3. The knight slides to f4 with the easy familiarity of
slipping on a favourite t-shirt.} 20. Ng1 $2 (20. Nc4 Qg6 21. Ne1 {,
unpleasant as it appears, was White's last shot at trying to hold the game.})
20... Qg6 {Threatening mate in one. Kramnik continues to prod, threaten and
probe, asking questions without a question mark at the end - as if he already
knows the answer.} 21. f3 (21. g3 {fails to} Nxh3 $1 22. Nxh3 Qh5 {.}) 21...
Be3 $1 {Deflection! It's not an easy thing to disavow a long-cherished but
negative philosophy, since in doing so we expose our own past errors for all
the world to witness. I am certain Hracek, who had multiple opportunities to
eliminate Black's dark-squared bishop earlier in the game, now was racked with
regret for his decision to allow the beast to live on.} 22. Qc2 {The
beleaguered queen gracelessly shuffles sideways, like a crab along the beach,
attempting to dodge an incoming wave. Of course White rejects Kramnik's
"offer" of the poisoned bishop, the way a pawn broker, with a smirk, declines
to buy a cheap piece of jewellery.} Rfc8 23. Nc4 {In times of long drought,
every farmer - religious or not - pleads to the almighty for rain. White has
been dancing around the barrage of Kramnik's threats. --- EXERCISE 
(combination alert): Now it's time for the game ender. Find one powerful move
and White collapses. --- ANSWER: Having been bullied and beaten up as a child,
I can testify from personal experience (and I believe Hracek understands this
as well!), that the pain from loss of self-respect exceeds physical pain.} d5
$1 {QUESTION: I don't see why White resigned! Can you explain?} ({ANSWER:} 
23... d5 $1 24. exd5 Rxc4 $1 {is overload! The eighth threat in a row. At long
last, the urgency of White's plight comes to roost. This time White has no
answer since he is unable to recapture, either with queen or pawn, because
Black's pinning queen on g6 blocks the line of the d3-pawn's fire, and White's
queen is tied down to the mate threat on g2. Now everything fits as it should,
like the correct answer to a once-difficult maths problem.}) 0-1

[Event "24: Leon (human+computer rapid)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2002.??.??"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Kramnik, V."]
[Black "Anand, V."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D27"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "73"]
[EventDate "2002.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

{QUESTION: What is the point of a game where both sides have access to a
powerful chess engine? --- ANSWER: In such cases the computer efficiently
takes care of the tactics. Neither side will hang a queen. So understanding of
strategic elements takes precedence. The power of the computer must be guided
efficiently, otherwise calculation power fails to have the desired effect.
Corporations are capable of replacing one worker with another (or even with a
machine) in all job categories but one: the artist, who is unique to himself
or herself. In this case it is up to the players to imprint their own
individual personality and style on the impersonal - i.e. their computers;
non-sentient inert matter which happens to play good chess!} 1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 e6
3. c4 dxc4 {QUESTION: This can't be correct, can it? Black plays the Queen's
Gambit Accepted with ...e7-e6 first? --- ANSWER: It's actually a playable move
order.} 4. e3 ({QUESTION: Why hold back when he has the immediate} 4. e4 {- ?
--- ANSWER: Apparently Black is okay there. For example,} b5 5. a4 c6 6. axb5 (
{or} 6. b3 Nf6 7. e5 Nd5 8. bxc4 bxc4 9. Bxc4 {, when White has more space but
Black looks okay with his grip on d5, A.Ledger-I.Karkanaque, European Cup,
Plovdiv 2010}) 6... cxb5 7. b3 Bb7 8. bxc4 Bxe4 9. cxb5 {and White has a tiny
edge at most, F.Vallejo Pons-G.Kasparov, Linares 2005.}) 4... c5 5. Bxc4 Nf6 6.
O-O a6 7. Bb3 ({Other lines are} 7. a4) ({and} 7. Qe2) ({while in Chapter Five
we examine Kramnik's handling of the ending after} 7. dxc5 {(see Game 43).})
7... cxd4 ({QUESTION: What is the point of Kramnik's 7 Bb3 - ? His bishop
isn't even under attack, yet he moves it. --- ANSWER: I think this is actually
one of White's more dangerous lines versus the QGA. 7 Bb3 is a useful move:
the bishop gets out of the way of ...b7-b5 which normally arrives with tempo.
White can now meet} 7... b5 {with} 8. a4 b4 (8... c4 9. Bc2 {is also slightly
better for White}) 9. Nbd2 Bb7 {and then} 10. e4 $5 {(a dangerous pawn sac,
whichever one Black takes)} cxd4 ({after} 10... Nxe4 $2 11. Nxe4 Bxe4 12. Re1
Bd5 13. Bg5 {Black falls too far behind in development}) 11. e5 Nd5 12. Nc4 {
, G.Kasparov-J.Piket, Tilburg 1997, when White's e5-pawn gives him attacking
chances. He can even regain his sac'ed pawn if he wants it back.}) 8. exd4 {We
reach a classical isolani position. --- QUESTION: What are the typical
strategies of an isolani position? --- ANSWER: The answer requires an entire
book! Here is the CliffsNotes version: 1. Black seeks exchanges. --- 2. Black
strives to blockade the square in front of the isolani, in this case d5. --- 3.
White avoids exchanges since he normally stands worse in most endings due to
his weakened d-pawn and d5-square. --- 4. White uses the isolani as a central
hook for Ne5 and possibly even a piece later on c5. The pawn gives him a
central space advantage which can often be translated into some form of attack.
} Nc6 9. Nc3 Be7 10. Bg5 O-O 11. Qd2 $5 {A relatively new idea which has
become popular over the last dozen years or so. --- QUESTION: Where will
White's queen be going from d2? --- ANSWER: Over to the kingside via f4. ---
QUESTION: What are other set-ups for White? --- ANSWER: There are two other
set-ups: 1. a2-a3, Qd3, Bc2, and rooks on e1 and d1. White aligns queen and
bishop to the h7-battery, which eventually provokes a weakness with ...g7-g6.
--- 2. Be3, Qe2 and rooks on d1, and e1 or c1. White basically holds tight to
his isolani and plays more positionally with moves like Ne5 later on.} Na5 ({Or
} 11... Nd5 12. Nxd5 exd5 13. Bxe7 Nxe7 14. Rfe1 Qd6 15. Rac1 Bg4 16. Ne5 Bf5 {
, P.Leko-A.Karpov, Miskolc (rapid) 2006, and now White gets a developmental
edge after} 17. Qf4 {.}) 12. Bc2 b5 ({QUESTION: Won't} 12... Nc4 {cause White
problems? --- ANSWER: White looks good after} 13. Qe2 $1 {.} -- ({. In E.Bacrot-R.Antoniewski, Warsaw (rapid) 2011, Black saw nothing better to do than
retreat with} 13... Nb6 14. Qd3 g6 15. Bb3 {, when White has a clear advantage.
}) ({. QUESTION: Isn't White's b-pawn loose in this line? --- ANSWER: It is
defended tactically:} 13... Nxb2 $4 14. Bc1 $1 {- nobody bothered to tell the
wayward, trapped knight that White's "sac" of the b-pawn had quotation marks
flanking it.}) ({. QUESTION: What if Black supports the knight on c4 with} 
13... b5 {- ? --- ANSWER: That also fails to tactics:} 14. Bxf6 $1 gxf6 15. Qe4
f5 16. Qxa8 Qc7 {(threatening to trap the queen with ...Bc5 and ...Ra8)} 17.
Be4 $1 fxe4 18. Qxe4 {leaves White up an exchange.} (18. --))) 13. Rad1 Nc4 {
Now he plays the move, but White's queen wants to be chased to the kingside
anyway.} 14. Qf4 Ra7 $5 {Intending ...Rd7.} ({QUESTION: Why can't Black chop
on b2 this time? --- ANSWER: The b-pawn continues to be protected by strange
forces in this line:} 14... Nxb2 $6 15. Rb1 Nc4 16. Bxf6 $1 {(Roberta Flack
would agree: the annoying Qe4! theme, which simultaneously threatens mate on
h7 and Black's rook on a8, is killing Anand/comp softly with her song!)} gxf6
17. Qe4 f5 18. Qxa8 {and White's queen isn't going to be trapped since she
always receives help with the bailout trick Nxb5! later on.}) 15. Ne5 Rc7 {As
a long-time meditator, by now my powers of clairvoyance allow me to read your
mind.} ({Black still can't take on b2:} 15... Nxb2 $4 16. Nc6 Nxd1 (16... Qb6
$2 17. Nxe7+ Rxe7 18. Bxf6 gxf6 19. Ne4 {is crushing}) 17. Rxd1 $1 Rc7 ({or} 
17... Qc7 $2 18. Nxe7+ Qxe7 19. Qh4 h6 20. Ne4) 18. Nxd8 Rxc3 19. Bxh7+ $1 Kxh7
20. Nc6 $1 {as after} Rxc6 21. Bxf6 Bxf6 {White has that same Qe4 tactic once
again. Black doesn't get enough for the lost queen.}) 16. Nxc4 bxc4 $1 {
QUESTION: An unnatural recapture? --- ANSWER: Anand and his computer correctly
reject the obvious move.} ({They probably fretted over the line} 16... Rxc4 17.
Qh4 $1 g6 ({or} 17... h6 18. Bxh6 gxh6 19. Rd3) 18. Ne4 $1 Nd5 19. Bb3 f6 20.
Bh6 f5 21. Ng5 {, when White applies strong pressure on the kingside and
centre.}) 17. Bxf6 $1 Bxf6 18. d5 $1 {Black's pieces are slightly out of synch
and have trouble dealing with this central pawn thrust.} e5 $6 {The lid just
won't fit the jar, no matter how much Anand turns it. Cyborg team Anand/comp
underestimates the force of White's passed d-pawn.} ({Instead, after} 18...
exd5 $1 19. Rxd5 $1 Rd7 20. Rfd1 Bxc3 21. Rxd7 Bxd7 22. bxc3 Qc8 {Black's
pieces are passive but he may well be able to hold the position.}) ({Not} 18...
Bxc3 $6 {due to the in-between move} 19. d6 $1 {and White stands better.}) 19.
Qf3 Rb7 20. Qe4 g6 21. Qxc4 Rxb2 22. Bb3 $1 {Threat: Na4!.} Bg5 23. d6 $1 {The
blue whale slowly rises to the surface to expel stale old air from its lungs
and exchange it for fresh reserves.} Be6 24. Qa4 ({White can also offer the
exchange with} 24. Qxa6 $1 {since if Black bites with} Bg4 $6 25. Ne4 $1 Bxd1
26. Rxd1 {, it is unlikely he can ever shake the death-bind.}) 24... Bxb3 25.
axb3 Qb6 26. Qg4 $1 {A double attack: threatening Black's bishop as well as
the Na4 fork.} Bf4 ({Black's best shot at saving the game may be} 26... Rxb3 $1
27. Qxg5 Rxc3 28. Qxe5 Rc6 29. Qe7 Qd8 30. Rfe1 {- at least White's pawn
hasn't yet reached d7 here.}) 27. Nd5 $1 ({Terminator Kram/comp is/are
unlikely to fall for the human cheapo} 27. Na4 $2 Qb4 $1 {and Black's
discovery threat ...Bxh2+ may yet save him/it.}) 27... Qd8 ({If Black gets
cute with} 27... Qxd6 $4 28. Nxf4 Qb4 {, White has the counter-cute unpin trick
} 29. Nd5 $1 {.}) 28. Nxf4 {Kramnik discards the unnecessary in his position,
like ground coffee bean sediment at the bottom of his cup. He deletes the
superfluous, while fleshing out the parts of his position which require
addition, constantly revising and editing throughout, with the care of a
master-crafts-man/machine. It is well known that the most favourable position
for a deeply entrenched passed pawn is one in which only the major pieces
remain.} exf4 29. d7 {Nobody enters a life of incarceration of his own free
will. The priestess on d8 frowns in disapproval as the d-pawn carelessly
parades into the sacred inner precinct of Black's temple with muddy feet.
White's monster d-pawn chokes the life out of his opponent's game, until the
flow of Black's past counterplay grows sluggish and comes to an absolute
standstill.} Rxb3 30. Qxf4 Rb8 31. Rfe1 Qb6 {Kramnik has his opponent(s)
completely tied up. But now what? A good position and a winning plan are
entirely different things. --- EXERCISE (planning): A powerful plan remains
hidden, floating at ease in the amniotic fluid of the position. How can White
make progress and give it birth? --- ANSWER: Open a second front: to Black's
king.} 32. h4 $1 {The threat to continue pushing to h6 forces Black to weaken
his kingside. Suddenly, Black's king, the neurotic Woody Allen character,
exists in a state of chronic infirmity, which in turn eats away at
self-assurance as he starts at all sudden noises.} h5 33. Rd6 Qc5 34. Qf6 Qf5 {
Desperation. Now Black's pawns are dominoes, ready to fall.} ({QUESTION: How
will White win if Black remains passive with} 34... Rbd8 {- ? --- ANSWER:
White's ominous build-up allows him to go directly after Black's king:} 35. Re7
$1 {(threatening Rxf7!)} Qc4 36. Kh2 a5 37. f4 $1 {(securing White's king from
all perpetual check attempts)} a4 38. Qe5 $1 {(threat: Rxg6+!)} Kh7 39. Qg5 $1
{(threatening to take on g6)} Qc2 40. Rf6 $1 {(the queen and rooks weave their
way in, the way a finger traces a complex route to a destination on a map)} Kg7
41. Qe5 Kg8 {- Have you ever seen the 60's movie On The Beach? WWIII breaks
out and the U.S. and Soviets exchange a massive barrage of nukes as most of
the world is annihilated, with only Australia still standing. Only days remain
before the inevitable winds bring radiation, sickness and death to all. Well,
Black's king is Australia, awaiting end times. -} 42. Rexf7 $1 {(before a
cruel action is committed, the cruel idea always precedes it)} Rxf7 43. Qe8+ $1
{mates quickly.}) 35. Qxf5 $1 ({Both Kramnik and his computer easily see
through the trap} 35. d8=Q $4 Rbxd8 $1 36. Qxf5 gxf5 {which probably allows
Black to draw.}) 35... gxf5 36. Rxa6 {Black's kingside is a dismal picture.}
Rfd8 37. Rd6 {. Anand/comp resigned since he/they would drop more pawns soon.}
1-0

[Event "25: Linares"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2003.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ponomariov, R."]
[Black "Kramnik, V."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B31"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "80"]
[EventDate "2003.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 {Kramnik has little respect for the Rossolimo
Variation, claiming easy equality for Black. --- QUESTION: Do you believe him?
--- ANSWER: I'm not so sure this is accurate, since my database has White
scoring 57%, slightly over average. There is nothing wrong with the opening
and Kramnik's opinion may be biased, due to how well he scores against it - an
impressive 62% as Black, according to my database. --- QUESTION: What is
White's idea behind the Rossolimo? --- ANSWER: It's a safe line which avoids
the scary monolith of Open Sicilian theory. Think of it as the Ruy Lopez (or
maybe the Exchange Ruy) of the Sicilian. White often exchanges on c6 and takes
on the knight versus bishop imbalance, mixed with his slightly superior centre.
Or White can play for the Lopez plan c2-c3 and d2-d4.} g6 (3... e6) ({and} 3...
d6 {are the other main lines.}) 4. Bxc6 {QUESTION: Shouldn't he wait until ...a7-a6 to take the knight? --- ANSWER: Then White will be waiting a long time
since Black will never play ...a7-a6. Essentially, not swapping on c6 is the
c2-c3 plan.} ({In Chapter Five, we see Kramnik's handling of this line against
Rozentalis:} 4. O-O Bg7 5. c3 Nf6 6. Re1 {(White can also push his e-pawn)} O-O
7. d4 d5 $1 {(see Game 42).}) 4... dxc6 5. h3 ({QUESTION: Why does White
bother to prevent ...Bg4, since after h2-h3 he would eliminate Black's bishop
pair? --- ANSWER: Allowing ...Bg4 get rid of the bishop pair, but it also has
a way of sucking some of the vitality out of the position. For example,} 5. d3
Bg7 6. O-O {(last chance for h2-h3)} Bg4 7. h3 Bxf3 8. Qxf3 Nf6 9. a4 Nd7 10.
Nd2 O-O 11. Qe2 e5 12. b3 Re8 13. Nc4 Nf8 14. Be3 Ne6 15. a5 Qc7 16. Rfd1 {and
Black equalizes, since he controls both d3-d4 and f2-f4 breaks, I.Smirin-V.Kramnik, Moscow (rapid) 1995.}) 5... Bg7 ({Black can even play} 5... e5 6. d3 (
{after} 6. Nxe5 $6 Qd4 {Black regains the lost pawn and probably stands better
already}) 6... f6 {, as in N.Short-V.Ivanchuk, Reggio Emilia 2010/11. Black
may have a harder time developing in this set-up but it remains playable for
him. --- QUESTION: Why? --- ANSWER: In this version Black's knight is deprived
of its best square: f6. In the game version Black is able to play the
manoeuvre ...Nf6-d7 and use the e5-square if White has not played f2-f4; or
continue with ...Nf8-e6, posting the knight on its optimum square.}) 6. d3 Nf6
7. Nc3 Nd7 8. Be3 e5 9. Qd2 h6 {QUESTION: Why this move? Now he can't castle.
--- ANSWER: Kramnik wants to prevent Bh6. Also, Black's king is not yet
committed to kingside castling, and it gives him the option of a pawn storm
later on.} ({He can also allow Bh6, as in S.Karjakin-Z.Hracek, Khanty-Mansiysk
Olympiad 2010:} 9... Qe7 10. Bh6 Bxh6 11. Qxh6 f6 12. Nd2 b6 13. O-O-O Ba6 14.
g3 O-O-O 15. f4 {which looks okay for Black, but White is the only one doing
something in this position.}) 10. O-O ({QUESTION: Can White get away with
castling opposite wings? --- ANSWER: He can, but remember, Black hasn't
committed to castling yet. For example,} 10. O-O-O Qe7 11. h4 Nf8 12. h5 g5 13.
Nh2 Ne6 14. g3 Bd7 15. Ne2 b6 16. f4 exf4 17. gxf4 gxf4 18. Nxf4 Ng5 19. Qg2
O-O-O {and White failed to achieve anything from his kingside demonstration, W.Kruszynski-E.Pigusov, Berlin 1994.}) 10... Qe7 11. a3 {QUESTION: What is
White's idea behind this move? --- ANSWER: White often plays for b2-b4 in
these lines. --- QUESTION: But doesn't that allow Black to undouble his pawns?
--- ANSWER: True, but the doubled pawns aren't so bad for Black, as they help
him retain a grip on d4. Also, after the structure changes with b2-b4, ...
c5xb4, a3xb4, White gets an open a-file to pressure a7.} Nf8 {Headed for the
e6 prime property.} 12. b4 $1 Ne6 ({Not} 12... cxb4 $2 13. axb4 Qxb4 $2 14.
Bxa7 $1 {, when Black must lose material because of the discovered attack
threat Bc5!.}) 13. Na4 $1 {Pono hammers away at c5, urging Black to exchange
on b4.} b6 $1 {Nyet! Kramnik refuses to comply.} 14. Nh2 $5 {A novelty, though
I'm not so sure it's an improvement. --- QUESTION: Isn't the move strong?
White preps the f2-f4 break. --- ANSWER: He never gets this break in. If this
is the case, then why misplace his knight? White's move has another strong
feature to it: he is able meet ...f7-f5 with f2-f3, maintaining his centre and
not opening the g-file for Black.} f5 15. f3 f4 16. Bf2 h5 {Imprisoning
White's h2-knight for now.} 17. bxc5 b5 18. Nb2 {Now both white knights are
poorly placed.} g5 19. d4 $6 {Premature. --- QUESTION: Why? White follows the
principle "counter in the centre when attacked on the wing". --- ANSWER: True,
but Pono's move looks like an overreaction since he gives away too much to do
so. The principles are generalities which work most of the time - not 100% of
the time.} ({White should go for} 19. a4 a6 20. axb5 cxb5 21. c4 Bb7 22. Qb4
Qd7 {, when Black gets compensation for the pawn.}) 19... exd4 20. Nd3 Nxc5 21.
Nxc5 Qxc5 22. Rfd1 Be6 23. Qb4 $5 ({White should now resign himself to an
inferior ending after} 23. Bxd4 Bxd4+ 24. Qxd4 Qxd4+ 25. Rxd4 Ke7 {.}) ({
EXERCISE (critical decision): White offers an exchange sac in the line} 23. Qb4
Qxb4 24. axb4 d3 {. If you were Black, would you accept the offer? --- ANSWER:
In such situations cool-minded realism trumps a passionate outcry.}) 23... Qb6
$3 {Initiative is more important than material.} ({If Black accepts with} 23...
Qxb4 24. axb4 d3 25. cxd3 Bxa1 26. Rxa1 Rd8 27. d4 Rh7 {, he emerges a full
exchange up, but conversion of the material advantage will be a chore, despite
the computer's gloomy forecast for White. As anyone who has struggled with a
weight problem understands, an excess of a thing can be just as detrimental as
deprivation.}) 24. a4 ({It's too late for} 24. Bxd4 $2 {since Black takes over
after} c5 $3 25. Bxc5 a5 $1 26. Bxb6 axb4 27. Bd4 Bxd4+ 28. Rxd4 bxa3 {.})
24... c5 $1 25. Qxb5+ Qxb5 26. axb5 Kf7 {This is the ending Kramnik envisioned
when he declined Pono's sac. Black holds clear advantage due to the following
factors: 1. Bishop pair. --- 2. Superior piece activity. --- 3. Dangerous
central pawns. --- 4. White's humble knight continues to live a life of
austere self-deprivation on h2.} 27. Ra5 Rhb8 28. Nf1 {Heart-warming stuff. At
long last, the knight returns. Just as in most Dickens novels, at the end the
much-tormented orphan finds himself happily reunited with loving, long-lost
relatives, to live happily ever after. This happens here - except for the
"happily ever after" part!} Be5 29. Rda1 $2 {Too late. When my wife, Nancy,
and I agree to meet somewhere, the same process repeats every time: I arrive
five minutes early; she gets there 15 minutes late. "Sorry I'm late!" she
always says, flashing her most charming smile. But I always get an awful
feeling she isn't sorry at all, and harbour dark suspicions she may in fact be
conducting some mad-scientist-like, twisted psychological experiment in
achieving social dominance in marriage! --- EXERCISE (combination alert):
White just miscalculated. Black to play and win. --- ANSWER:} d3 $1 30. Rxa7+ {
And now the shocker which turns White's world upside down and backwards.} Kf6
$3 {It never occurs to the schizophrenic that the world around him hasn't in
fact gone mad. Instead, his own brain simply ceded control to the crazed
ramblings of the subconscious mind. Pono probably overlooked this killer
zwischenzug. Black gives up a rook but gets a new queen in return.} 31. Rxa8 (
31. c3 Rxa7 32. Rxa7 Rxb5 {is equally hopeless for White.}) 31... Rxa8 32. Rxa8
{No choice. The dinner left too long on the stove sits in charred ruins and
Pono can no longer go back and unburn it.} dxc2 {A picture of helplessness.
White's extra rook doesn't do him much good.} 33. Rf8+ Kg6 (33... Bf7 34. b6
c1=Q 35. b7 Qb1 {also does the trick.}) 34. Re8 Kf7 35. Rf8+ Kg6 36. Re8 Bc4 $1
{One bishop steps aside for his soon-to-be martyred brother, who willingly
sacrifices his life in the blissful knowledge of his own future canonization.}
37. Rxe5 c1=Q 38. Rxc5 Qxf1+ 39. Kh2 Qxf2 40. Rxc4 {The multi-billionaire
heiress, one-percenter black queen laughs in a vulgar display of ostentation
at those less fortunate than her (White's rook!), as she lights up her cigar
with a hundred dollar bill. The post-apocalypse world looks a lot different.
Can there be a grander canyon between the two sides? White's unfortunate rook
is the domesticated pet, released into the forest by an uncaring owner, with
slim chances of survival. Still, White hopes to quickly adapt to his new,
ruthless environment by erecting a rook versus queen fortress. --- EXERCISE 
(combination alert): You can end that dream. Black to play and force mate. ---
ANSWER: Suddenly White's once pristine kingside pawns look like a patch of
grass trampled by unruly children on the school playground.} g4 $1 ({Since} 
40... g4 41. hxg4 hxg4 42. Rc8 (42. fxg4 f3 {mates}) 42... Qg3+ 43. Kg1 Qe1+
44. Kh2 g3+ 45. Kh3 Qh1+ 46. Kg4 {(the captain turned off the "fasten
seatbelts" sign and passengers may now move about the cabin freely)} Qh5+ 47.
Kxf4 {("five, six, seven, eight; open up the pearly gates!" - White's king, in
his present state, isn't sure if he is dead or alive)} Qg5# {is mate.}) 0-1

[Event "26: Turin Olympiad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2006.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kramnik, V."]
[Black "Naiditsch, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E04"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "65"]
[EventDate "2006.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

1. Nf3 {Kramnik's old favourite. Today, he plays 1 d4 more often.} Nf6 2. c4 c5
3. g3 d5 4. d4 {A logical move and I believe White's best shot at an edge
against Black's system. --- QUESTION: Best on what basis? --- ANSWER: White
utilizes his slight lead in development to open the game.} ({Instead,} 4. cxd5
Nxd5 5. Bg2 Nc6 6. Nc3 Nc7 7. O-O e5 {is a Rubinstein English where Black
essentially plays a reversed Maróczy Bind. I have played this position from
White's side and can testify that winning isn't easy against Black's space
advantage and inherent solidity.}) 4... cxd4 ({Kramnik faced} 4... dxc4 {twice
and both times achieved a developmental edge:} 5. Qa4+ Bd7 6. Qxc4 Bc6 7. dxc5
({or later} 7. Bg2 $5 cxd4 8. O-O Qd5 9. Na3 {, V.Kramnik-P.Leko, Frankfurt
rapid 2000}) 7... Bd5 8. Qa4+ Bc6 9. Qc4 Bd5 10. Qc2 e6 11. Bg2 Be4 12. Qc4 Bd5
13. Qh4 Bxc5 14. Nc3 Bc6 15. O-O {, V.Kramnik-G.Kasparov, Linares 2000.}) 5.
Bg2 $5 {Principle: Don't be the one to break the central tension.} ({After} 5.
cxd5 Qxd5 6. Qxd4 Nc6 7. Qxd5 Nxd5 {Black has equalized since White must take
time out to deal with ...Nb4, Jo.Horvath-M.Palac, Pozega 2000.}) 5... e6 ({
QUESTION: Doesn't Black get the initiative after} 5... Nc6 6. Nxd4 e5 7. Nxc6
bxc6 {- ? --- ANSWER: In this case White gets a Grünfeld a full move up - a
scary proposition for Black, since an extra tempo asserts itself in such sharp,
open positions.}) 6. O-O dxc4 {QUESTION: I understand that White has a big
development lead. But at the moment he is down two pawns and is likely to
remain down one. A correct assessment? --- ANSWER: Don't underestimate the
dynamic factor - White's massive lead in development. I really don't see a way
Black can hang on to either pawn. I would assess this at "+=", a slight edge
for White.} 7. Nxd4 Nd5 $2 {QUESTION: What is the point of the knight move?
--- ANSWER: Naiditsch is a GM whose rating nears the towering 2700 mark, but
his idea - lord only knows what? - is lost on me too. --- QUESTION: What
should Black play instead?} ({ANSWER: How about developing something -
anything? For example,} 7... Bc5 8. Qa4+ Qd7 $1 9. Nb5 O-O 10. Qxc4 Qe7 {and
Black looks okay, L.Polugaevsky-L.Ljubojevic, Amsterdam 1981.}) 8. Qa4+ Nd7 (
8... Bd7 9. Qxc4 {leaves Black wondering just why he put his knight on d5 in
the first place.}) 9. Qxc4 N7b6 10. Qb3 Bd7 (10... Bc5 {may be wiser, in order
to castle soon.}) 11. Nc3 Bc5 $6 ({He has to try} 11... Nxc3 12. Qxc3 Rc8 13.
Qd3 {, though Black's position remains uncomfortable, since defence of b7 is a
problem.}) 12. Nxd5 Nxd5 $2 {Naiditsch oversteps his boundaries and soon feels
the ground crumble beneath his feet.} ({Black's last move is an error, but
it's understandable that Naiditsch wants to avoid the technical position} 12...
Bxd4 13. Be3 $1 Bxe3 14. Nxe3 Bc6 15. Rfd1 Qc7 16. Rac1 O-O 17. Qa3 Rfc8 18.
Bxc6 bxc6 {, when Black can only look forward to a long, difficult defence
ahead of him.}) 13. Nf5 $1 O-O {EXERCISE (combination alert): Kramnik warms up,
like a concert pianist who performs imaginary scales in the air before a
performance. White has a shot. Do you see it? --- ANSWER: Double attack.
Kramnik unexpectedly grabs the g-pawn by the throat, digging away at Black's
foundation, the way a shovel scoops up soft soil.} ({Instead,} 13... exf5 14.
Qxd5 {drops material}) ({and} 13... Qf6 14. Qxb7 {doesn't look like much fun
for Black either.}) 14. Nxg7 $1 Nf6 $1 {Black's best practical chance. He
tries to trap White's knight. --- QUESTION: What double attack? Why can't
Black just take the knight?} ({ANSWER: After} 14... Kxg7 $2 15. Bxd5 $1 exd5
16. Qc3+ {the double attack regains the piece with an extra pawn and crushing
position to boot.}) 15. Bh6 {QUESTION: Is White in trouble now? His knight
seems to be stuck where it is. --- ANSWER: It may appear that way but looks
are deceiving. White's knight slinks down and tries mightily to negate his own
presence, like a wanted criminal in a coffee shop who observes a pair of
police officers enter for breakfast. Meanwhile, White's obstinate bishop
attaches himself firmly to his buddy on g7, the way a clam clamps on to the
hull of a sunken ship. Kramnik seems to have worked out the details perfectly.}
Qe7 (15... Ng4 $2 {fails to} 16. Nh5 $1 Nxh6 17. Qc3 $1 {, regaining the piece
with the same c5/g7, dirty double attack trick.}) 16. Qf3 $1 {Preventing ...Ng4.} Bc6 17. Qf4 Kh8 $1 {Clearing g8 for his knight. The path from
destitution to wealth and power is difficult to cross without treachery or
dishonour, but Naiditsch does his very best, defending well after his opening
fiasco.} ({He avoids the cheapo} 17... Bxg2 $4 18. Nf5 $1 {and it's mate or
Black's queen.}) 18. Bxc6 bxc6 19. Rac1 Bd6 20. Qh4 $1 {Threat: Bg5!.} Ng8 {
The knight tries to peer inside but the frosted windows obscure the view.
Black's new-found activity isn't exactly a wellspring of initiative gushing
forth. I suppose something is better than nothing. In desperately bad
positions, free will is but an illusion for the defending side.} 21. Qxe7 Bxe7
{Both white pieces hang, but Kramnik has everything under control.} 22. Nxe6 $1
{Reminding Black that the weak do well not to make demands on the powerful.
Kramnik continues to dole out tickets and fines. Everyone hates the parking
meter officer, but why? She is just doing her job.} Nxh6 23. Nxf8 Bxf8 24. Rxc6
{It's not freedom when the tiger breaks free of the net, only to be entangled
in another one soon after. A rook and three pawns are too much for Black's
puny knight and bishop team. --- QUESTION: What is White's plan? --- ANSWER:
Multifarious: 1. Black's a-pawn is a target. --- 2. White can organize attacks
along the seventh rank. --- 3. White owns pawn majorities on both wings and
attempts to engage them at some point. --- 4. White should seek to swap off
Black's lone rook, his single prayer for counterplay.} Rd8 25. Rfc1 Rd7 26.
R1c2 Nf5 27. e3 a5 28. Ra6 Rd5 29. e4 Rd1+ 30. Kg2 Nd4 31. Rc7 Nb5 32. Rb7 $1 {
Forcing Black's knight into a deadly pin. Kramnik is an energy vampire, with a
nasty habit of soaking up the opponent's extraneous piece activity.} Nd6 33.
Rd7 $1 ({White threatens e4-e5,} 33. Rd7 Re1 34. Rdxd6 {is utterly hopeless
for Black.}) 1-0

[Event "27: Tal Memorial, Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kramnik, V."]
[Black "Alekseev, E."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A60"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "61"]
[EventDate "2007.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 {QUESTION: It's not a Catalan yet, is it? --- ANSWER:
With this move order White eliminates the Nimzo-Indian and Queen's Indian.
Black has a choice of a ...d7-d5 structure, leading to a Catalan, or ...c7-c5
which could turn into a Benoni, or else ...Bb4+ with a Bogo-Indian.} c5 {Black
needs great confidence in his theoretical preparation to challenge Kramnik in
his beloved Catalan.} 4. d5 ({QUESTION: White doesn't strictly have to enter a
Benoni here does he? --- ANSWER: White can still dodge the Benoni with} 4. Nf3
{, but Black scores quite well from the following position:} cxd4 5. Nxd4 d5 6.
Bg2 e5 7. Nf3 d4 $1 8. O-O ({the naive} 8. Nxe5 $4 {drops a piece to} Qa5+)
8... Nc6 9. e3 Be7 10. exd4 exd4 {, when Black gets a kind of favourable
Tarrasch Queen's Gambit. The isolated d-pawn probably constitutes a strength
more than a weakness, D.Andreikin-E.Tomashevsky, Biel 2010.}) 4... exd5 5. cxd5
b5 $5 {QUESTION: Did Black just take advantage of White's failure to play Nc3
- ? --- ANSWER: Well, he is trying, but matters are not so simple since Black
loses time and loosens his position as well.} ({Perhaps he should settle for
the mundane} 5... d6 6. Nc3 {and just play a standard g3-Benoni.}) 6. e4 $5 {
QUESTION: Giving away an important central pawn? --- ANSWER: The wind
unexpectedly changes direction. Kramnik wilfully crosses the line between
Benoni dogma to open heresy. This is an old Gennadi Sosonko idea; White gets
compensation.} ({Alternatively:} 6. Nd2 $5 Nxd5 7. Bg2 Nc7 8. Bxa8 Nxa8 9. b4
$5 c4 10. a4 Bxb4 11. Qc2 Bb7 12. Ngf3 a6 13. axb5 axb5 14. Qb2 Qf6 15. Qxb4
Qxa1 16. O-O Qa6 17. Bb2 f6 18. Ba3 {was V.Kramnik-L.Aronian, Yerevan (rapid,
5th matchgame) 2007, when White got ferocious compensation for his sacrificed
material. GM Alex Baburin speculated that Alekseev may have prepared a
variation in this very line for Kramnik, but Kramnik ambushed him first with
the old/new Sosonko idea.}) (6. Bg2 {is the main line; for example,} d6 7. b4
$5 Na6 (7... cxb4 8. a3 {gives White compensation, G.Agzamov-A.Chernin, USSR
Championship, Riga 1985}) 8. bxc5 Nxc5 9. Nf3 g6 10. O-O Bg7 11. Nd4 O-O 12.
Nc3 a6 13. Nc6 Qc7 14. Be3 Bb7 15. Bd4 Rfe8 16. a4 $1 bxa4 17. Bxc5 dxc5 18.
Qxa4 {and White's superior structure gave him the better game, G.Kasparov-V.Korchnoi, London (11th matchgame) 1983.}) 6... Nxe4 {Black bites.} 7. Qe2 Qe7
8. Bg2 Nd6 $5 ({More normal is} 8... f5 {, seeking to entrench the knight on
e4 for as long as possible; e.g.} 9. Nh3 b4 10. Be3 g6 11. Qc2 d6 12. O-O Bg7
13. Nd2 {and White's big development lead gives him clear compensation for the
pawn, A.Iljushin-D.Khismatullin, Russian Team Championship 2010.}) 9. Be3 b4 $6
{This looks overly ambitious.} ({If Black is destined to suffer, then he needs
to be paid for it and should keep his extra pawn with} 9... Na6 10. Nc3 b4 11.
Na4 Bb7 12. Nh3 {, although White once again gets decent compensation for the
pawn, K.Sasikiran-D.Bocharov, Russian Team Championship 2012.}) 10. Bxc5 Qxe2+
11. Nxe2 Na6 {Black's idea behind returning the pawn: he hopes to gain a tempo
on White's bishop. But Kramnik has no plans to retreat.} 12. Bxd6 $1 ({A new
idea in the position and I believe an improvement over the original} 12. Bd4
Nf5 13. O-O Bc5 {, G.Sosonko-F.Olafsson, Wijk aan Zee 1977, which allows Black
to hit back at the bishop. Kramnik's move has the appearance of an indefinably
odd decision but, interpreted from the context of a broader aerial view, is
one that makes perfect sense: White saves time since he didn't back off with
his bishop.}) 12... Bxd6 13. Nd2 {Now it is Black's dark-squared bishop which
is exposed, enabling White to gain more time with Nc4 or Ne4.} Rb8 14. Nc4 Be7
15. d6 $1 {For now, White decides to park his rage on d6, where it continues
to fester. --- QUESTION: Risky? White's advanced d-pawn may become a target if
more pieces come off the board. --- ANSWER: The decision is reached, and the
consequences are final and far reaching: no middle ground, no limbo, no bardo
for White. Heaven or hell is the only possible destination. Kramnik gains more
space and clears d5 for his pieces.} Bf6 16. Nf4 Nc5 17. O-O Ba6 $5 ({QUESTION:
This looks risky. Shouldn't Black castle first? --- ANSWER: It doesn't really
matter since} 17... O-O 18. Nd5 Ba6 19. Nxf6+ gxf6 20. Bd5 {transposes to the
game.}) 18. Nd5 $1 {Power positional play at its very best. Kramnik disdains
Black's threat. After a short but tension-dense pause, the hostilities flair
up again.} O-O ({After} 18... Bxc4 19. Nxf6+ gxf6 20. Rfc1 {White regains his
piece with structural interest.}) 19. Nxf6+ gxf6 20. Bd5 {The human move.} ({
The computers prefer weird stuff like} 20. Rfd1 $5 Bxc4 21. Rdc1 $1 {,
although it's not as strong as in the previous note since Black has the extra
move ...0-0.}) 20... Na4 $6 {Black goes pawn hunting and loses the initiative
for good. Soon, the war he began arrives at his own front yard.} ({Better to
stay humble with} 20... Rfe8 {.}) 21. Rfc1 $1 Rfe8 (21... Bxc4 22. Rxc4 Nxb2
23. Rg4+ $1 Kh8 24. Rb1 Nd3 25. Rd4 Ne5 26. Rdxb4 {favourably regains the pawn.
}) 22. Ne3 $1 {Kramnik offers his b-pawn. For this, he shuts out Black's
e8-rook and plans entry via c7.} Rb6 (22... Nxb2 23. Rc7 Red8 24. a3 $1 bxa3
25. Rxa3 {also puts Black under tremendous strain.}) 23. Rc7 Rxd6 {Removal of
the intruder listed high in Black's long list of defensive priorities. Well,
it turns out you were right. Kramnik did drop his advanced d-pawn. However, a
good servant understands when he is needed and when he is not. The frantic
activity of White's forces still give him a winning position.} 24. Rd1 $1 {
Threat: Bxf7+!.} Kh8 (24... Kf8 {drops an exchange to} 25. Nf5 Nxb2 26. Nxd6
Nxd1 27. Nxe8 {.}) 25. Nf5 Rb6 26. Bxf7 Nxb2 27. Rdxd7 {The rooks, in porcine
fervour, feed at the trough along the seventh rank. For those with patience,
who are willing to wait long enough and place implicit trust in the power of
piece activity over mere material, the future becomes the present. Those angry
rooks await with arms folded. Just like that, Black is done for. Rather than
answering questions, Kramnik asks a new one: how will Black defend his king?}
Re1+ 28. Kg2 Bf1+ 29. Kf3 Be2+ {Alekseev makes a final, frantic lunge at
Kramnik's king.} 30. Kf4 $1 {La, la la, la la. White's king daydreams on his
pleasant Sunday afternoon stroll in the park.} Rb8 {Is it really necessary to
fasten your seatbelt if the plane is in a nosedive? --- EXERCISE (combination
alert): Black just covered his first rank but it does him no good since White
delivers mate in five moves. How? --- ANSWER: Dual purpose: cover d3 and set
up unstoppable threats along the seventh rank. The dying black king's lips
move as he tries to impart one last statement, yet no sound emerges.} (30...
Nd3+ {fails to} 31. Rxd3 $1 {with a back rank mate threat.}) 31. Bc4 $1 1-0

[Event "28: Nice (rapid)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kramnik, V."]
[Black "Topalov, V."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E94"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "65"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Be2 e5 7. O-O Na6 {
QUESTION: Doesn't this decentralizing move violate principle? --- ANSWER: Yes,
but the move is an exception to the normal rule since the post is only
temporary. Black's knight has access to all sorts of good squares, such as c5,
or even b4 and c7, depending on how White sets up. The idea is to avoid the
theoretical monolith stemming from 7...Nc6, from which my database announces
nearly 34,000 games. I remember being surprised by 7...Na6, by a master way
back in the 1980's. I thought his move was outrageous and expected to crush
him. Unfortunately, I underestimated his opening and went on to lose in
confused fashion. So I learned then not to underrate the move.} 8. Be3 {
White's best shot at an edge is to retain the central pawn tension for as long
as possible.} Ng4 9. Bg5 Qe8 {QUESTION: An unnatural move? --- ANSWER: This
bizarre move is now quite normal in the position.} ({Instead,} 9... f6 10. Bc1
(10. Bh4 {is also played here}) 10... Kh8 11. h3 Nh6 12. dxe5 fxe5 13. Be3 Nf7
14. Qd2 Nc5 {was A.Karpov-G.Kasparov, World Championship (7th matchgame), New
York 1990, when I prefer White slightly after} 15. b4 Ne6 16. Rfd1 {.}) 10. Re1
exd4 11. Nd5 ({V.Anand-J.Polgar, Leon (human+computer rapid) 2000, saw} 11.
Nxd4 Qe5 12. Nf3 Qc5 13. Bh4 Ne5 14. Nxe5 dxe5 15. Rc1 Be6 16. Nd5 f6 17. a3 c6
18. b4 Qd4 19. Qxd4 exd4 20. Nf4 Bf7 21. Bg3 Rfe8 22. Bf1 Rac8 23. Nd3 {and
again I prefer White, who managed to blockade Black's passed d-pawn.}) 11... d3
({It would be a short game if Black played} 11... Qxe4 $4 12. Bd3 {.}) 12. Bxd3
c6 {QUESTION: Why can't Black take on b2? --- ANSWER: He doesn't have the time.
} ({His dark squares grow grievously weak after} 12... Bxb2 $2 13. e5 $1 {.})
13. Ne7+ Kh8 14. Nxc8 {White picks up the bishop pair.} Rxc8 15. Bf1 Nc5 ({
QUESTION: Can he grab b2 now? --- ANSWER: He can, but Kramnik would
undoubtedly give up the exchange for a huge initiative once again with} 15...
Bxb2 16. Rb1 Bc3 17. Rxb7 $1 Bxe1 18. Nxe1 $1 {.}) 16. Qxd6 $1 Nxe4 {Double
attack: Black simultaneously attacks f2 and White's queen. The over-exuberant
e4-knight rushes out into the street and looks for someone - anyone - to high
five. But he may be celebrating prematurely, since he is pinned.} 17. Qa3 f5 {
QUESTION: Isn't f2 hanging? --- ANSWER: It is defended tactically.} ({Black
drops a piece after} 17... Ngxf2 $2 18. h3 $1 {(eliminating the knight's exit
route)} Qd7 19. Bh4 Nxh3+ 20. gxh3 {and Black doesn't get enough for the piece.
}) 18. h3 Ne5 19. Bf4 $1 {QUESTION: Whose position do you prefer? --- ANSWER:
White stands better for the following reasons: 1. Bishop pair in an open
position. --- 2. The pinned e4-knight gums up the works, like the slow moving
supermarket cashier trainee who takes forever with each customer before you in
line. --- 3. a7 is hanging. --- 4. Black's dream of kingside or central
counterplay is an arid desert where life of any sort never takes root.} Nd7 {
Black loses the initiative after this unforced retreat;} ({but good
alternatives are hard to find:} 19... Nxf3+ $4 {drops a piece to} 20. gxf3 {.})
(19... b5 20. cxb5 cxb5 21. Qxa7 Nc4 22. a4 bxa4 23. Rxa4 Nxb2 24. Rb4 {, when
White has the initiative and Black's offside knight on b2 is in some danger as
well.}) (19... a6 20. Rad1 Nf7 {(what else?)} 21. Qb4 b5 22. Qa3 {and Black
remains under strategic pressure.}) 20. Qxa7 $6 (20. Rad1 $1 {keeps Black
twisting in the breeze.}) 20... Bxb2 $6 {He decides to ski the slopes,
ignoring the prominent avalanche warning sign up ahead. After this move Topa
submits to endless defensive drudgery without complaint.} ({He should go for} 
20... Ra8 $1 21. Qxb7 (21. Qe3 Bxb2 {also looks okay for Black}) 21... Ndc5 22.
Qb4 Ra4 $1 23. Qb6 Ra6 24. Qc7 Ne6 25. Qb7 N6c5 $1 {with a draw by repetition.}
) 21. Rab1 Bg7 22. Qxb7 Ndc5 23. Qb6 Rf7 24. Ng5 $1 Rb7 {Farmer Topa plucks
the withered turnip from his dying field and thinks: "will this drought ever
end?" We are at a crossroads: should White sac his queen here by taking on b7?
We can decline - reasoning that, just because a novelist writes a revolver
into the hands of a character, it need never be fired). Or we can take a
chance and sac - thinking that we carry regret for actions not taken when we
should have, if only we had the courage. --- EXERCISE (critical decision):
Would you sac or not? --- ANSWER: The queen sac is completely sound.} 25. Qxb7
$1 {GM Baburin writes: "One should not call this a sacrifice, as for a queen
White will have a rook, bishop and pawn." And a strong initiative, I might add.
} Nxb7 26. Rxb7 Kg8 $2 {EXERCISE (planning): Find one powerful move and you
open the spigot, as White's pieces pour out against Black's king. --- ANSWER:
Clearance - free the light-squared bishop of his constraints by clearing c4.
Black's position collapses quickly with the addition of the new attacker, as
Kramnik's vacuum irretrievably sucks all life energy out of Black's game.} (
26... c5 {was called for. --- Black's defenders are pilings on an old dock,
worn away by the ocean's pounding and by time. There lies a path where White's
piece activity grows exponentially.}) 27. c5 $1 h6 28. Bc4+ Kh8 {EXERCISE 
(combination alert): Sometimes you simply get an intuition that the disparate
elements in one side's position are subtly out of whack. White has a
mind-bending shot - a shot we all dream about. Do you see it? --- ANSWER:
Overload. Neither Black's queen nor bishop can touch White's intruder.} 29. Be5
$3 hxg5 30. Bxg7+ Kh7 31. Bf8+ $1 Kh8 32. Be7 $1 Rb8 {EXERCISE (combination
alert): The black king's corpse, icy to the touch, is ready for the forensic
examination to determine cause of death. --- ANSWER: Removal of defender:
White clears f6 for his bishop to deliver checkmate.} 33. Rxe4 $1 1-0

[Event "29: Tal Memorial, Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2009.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Morozevich, A."]
[Black "Kramnik, V."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "E36"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "90"]
[EventDate "2009.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 {A bold choice, since Morozevich boasts a nearly
70% score with the Capablanca line of the Nimzo-Indian.} 4. Qc2 O-O 5. a3 Bxc3+
6. Qxc3 d5 {A painter needs more than just one colour to work the canvas. 6...
d5 is a no-nonsense move; Black stakes a claim in the centre.} ({In the
previous chapter we looked at} 6... b6 {(see Game 16).}) 7. Nf3 {QUESTION:
Does White stand better? He has the bishop pair and Black has a bad remaining
bishop. --- ANSWER: Actually, it's quite difficult for White to claim even a
small edge. First, Black receives compensation for giving away the bishop with
his lead in development. Second, Black's remaining bishop can easily enter the
game via a queenside fianchetto.} ({In the next game Carlsen tries} 7. e3 {.})
({Instead, V.Ivanchuk-V.Kramnik, Monte Carlo (rapid) 2011, saw} 7. Bg5 dxc4 8.
Qxc4 b6 9. Rd1 Ba6 10. Qc2 h6 11. Bh4 Nbd7 12. e4 Bxf1 13. Kxf1 Qc8 14. Ne2 Qb7
15. f3 c5 16. Kf2 Rac8 {and Black harmoniously completed his development and
equalized.}) 7... dxc4 {Now after White recaptures with the queen, ...b7-b6
and ...Ba6 will soon pick up a tempo.} ({Black can also try} 7... Ne4 8. Qc2 b6
9. g3 Ba6 10. cxd5 exd5 11. Bg2 c5 12. dxc5 bxc5 13. O-O {, A.Kharlov-L.D.Nisipeanu, FIDE World Championship, Tripoli 2004. White gets the bishop pair
and hopes to apply pressure upon Black's hanging pawns, while Black controls
more central territory and his pieces remain quite active.}) 8. Qxc4 ({
QUESTION: Why can't White postpone capture and play} 8. e3 {, intending to
take on c4 with his bishop. --- ANSWER: Believe it or not, I don't see a
single game with your suggestion in my database. I think the reason is that
Black can force a favourable Noteboom variation with} b5 $1 9. a4 c6 10. axb5
cxb5 11. b3 a5 $1 12. bxc4 b4 {, when Black is ahead in development, compared
to the normal Noteboom line.}) 8... b6 {One small change and Black's bad
bishop is no longer bad.} 9. Bf4 (9. Bg5 {is the safer alternative.}) 9... Ba6
10. Qc2 $6 {Moro inexplicably puts his plans on hold, like a bookmark inserted
between pages. If I remember my cartoon lore correctly, the main reason Wile E.Coyote failed repeatedly in his dream to trap or kill the roadrunner was
overly ornate planning, which always involved complex schematic charts and
graphs. It seems to me Moro is guilty of the same transgression here: why
attack c7 if not to take it? GM John Emms writes: "Perhaps an important moment
from a theoretical point of view. But if White isn't going to take on c7, my
feeling is the bishop should be on g5 rather than f4." I suppose an unmade
promise can never be broken.} ({QUESTION: What happens if White does go pawn
hunting on c7? --- ANSWER: White falls considerably behind in development and
Black gets full compensation; e.g.} 10. Qxc7 Qd5 {, Y.Pelletier-E.Bacrot,
Basel 2011. Black has also exchanged queens here, but it seems more logical to
me to keep queens on the board if you lead in development.}) 10... Nbd7 11. e4
({Others:} 11. Rd1 Qc8 12. g3 c5 {and Black equalized, M.Gurevich-M.Adams,
Khanty-Mansiysk 2007.}) (11. Bxc7 $6 {doesn't make as much sense since White
could have taken the pawn last move; e.g.} Qc8 12. Rc1 Qb7 13. Bf4 Rfc8 {and
White's development lags dangerously behind, T.Likavsky-A.Delchev, European
Cup, Fügen 2006.}) 11... Bxf1 12. Kxf1 c5 $1 {Surprisingly, this rather
natural move was a theoretical novelty at the time. It is in Black's best
interest to open the position while White's king lags behind in the centre.} ({
Kramnik's move is far more potent than} 12... Qc8 13. Rc1 Qb7 14. Qc6 {, V.Calugaru-J.Leroy, correspondence 2007.}) 13. Bd6 Re8 14. e5 ({After} 14. dxc5
$6 Nxc5 15. Bxc5 Rc8 16. b4 bxc5 17. b5 c4 {White is in deep trouble.}) 14...
Nd5 15. h4 $5 {Stylistic preferences aside, Moro continues to fight the
currents in opposition to the natural flow. Attacking from a position of
inferiority is a sure recipe for failure. --- QUESTION: Then what would you
suggest?} ({ANSWER: Perhaps White should try and complete development with} 15.
g3 {.}) 15... cxd4 16. Ng5 $5 ({Or} 16. Nxd4 Nc5 17. Bxc5 Rc8 18. b4 bxc5 19.
bxc5 Qc7 20. Rh3 Qxe5 {and Black clearly stands better since he threatens both
the d4-knight and also ...Rxc5!.}) 16... f5 17. Qc4 {Threat: Nxe6!.} Qc8 $1 ({
Not} 17... Rc8 $6 18. Qxd4 {and White threatens Nxe6! once again.}) 18. Qxd4
Nc5 19. Rd1 {Renewing the Nxe6! threat. Now Kramnik's knights put on a show
and completely take over the game.} Nb3 $1 20. Qd3 Nc1 $1 {Kramnik extracts
the essence of the position and distils poison in a few deadly drops by taking
control over e2 and d3.} 21. Qb5 $6 {This allows the black queen to infiltrate.
} ({He had to try} 21. Qf3 {.}) 21... Qc2 $1 22. Rxd5 {QUESTION: Did Black
just blunder horribly? If he takes the d5-rook he gets smothered mated. ---
ANSWER: Kramnik foresaw Moro's last move. Let's do an exercise: EXERCISE 
(combination alert): Black can't touch the rook... yet. Find one powerful move
and the rook is indeed his for the taking. --- ANSWER: Zwischenzug/deflection.}
a6 $1 {This sneaky in-between move throws White's tactic off balance.} 23. Qxb6
Qc4+ 24. Kg1 exd5 $1 {Creating a passed d-pawn.} 25. g3 h6 26. Nf3 ({QUESTION:
Can White sac his knight here with} 26. Qb7 {- ? --- ANSWER: It doesn't work
but it may be a terrific practical try, since Black must find a series of
strong moves to win:} hxg5 27. e6 {(it looks like Black is in danger - both
Qf7+ and Be5 hang in the air - but Black is first)} Ne2+ $1 28. Kh2 Rxe6 $3 29.
Qxa8+ Kh7 30. hxg5 Qe4 $1 ({the greedy} 30... Rxd6 $4 {fails to} 31. Kg2+ Kg6
32. Qe8+) 31. Qb8 Qf3 32. Rf1 Rg6 $1 {(with the terminal threat of ...Rxg5
followed by ...Rh5 mate)} 33. Bf4 Nxg3 $3 34. Bxg3 Rxg5 35. Kg1 f4 {and White
gets crushed.}) 26... f4 $1 {White's king is in greater danger than Black's.}
27. g4 Qe4 (27... Qe2 $1 {(target: f2) was more accurate, when} 28. Kg2 Nd3 29.
Rf1 Rac8 30. g5 Rc2 {is decisive.}) 28. Kg2 Nd3 29. Qb3 Qc4 30. Qb7 {EXERCISE 
(combination alert): White's last move wasn't the best. Find a way for Black's
attack to crash through. --- ANSWER: The heartless monarch's tax collector
strips the peasants of the few remaining coins they have in their possession.
Suddenly White's kingside is nothing more than an abandoned home, with all
sense of human warmth vacated as well.} (30. Qd1 {is also busted after} Rac8
31. Qd2 Qe4 {, though it has the virtue of not allowing Kramnik a killing
combination.}) 30... Nxf2 $1 31. Kxf2 Qc2+ 32. Kg1 Qd1+ 33. Kf2 (33. Kg2 Qe2+ {
is also totally hopeless.}) 33... Qxh1 {White's forlorn king sits alone,
reminding us of that Van Gogh self-portrait - the one with the bandaged head
just after he cut off his ear.} 34. e6 {Threat: Be5.} Rac8 $1 {A reminder to
White that Kramnik's threats take precedence.} 35. Qf7+ Kh8 36. Bc5 $1 {Moro
finds a clever interference trick to remain alive.} ({If White insists on
attack, he is too slow after} 36. Be5 $4 Rc2+ 37. Nd2 Rxd2# {.}) 36... Qc1 37.
b4 Qc2+ 38. Kg1 Qe2 $1 39. Nd4 Qxg4+ 40. Kf2 {The king arrives on f2, sweating
profusely and with laboured breathing.} Qxh4+ 41. Ke2 f3+ $1 42. Kxf3 {White's
king continues to pace his cage aimlessly but safely, for now. The Beatles
expressed the king's sentiments when they sang "I get high with a little help
from my friends!" --- EXERCISE (combination alert): Magically, Moro managed to
keep Kramnik's rooks at bay - until now. How can Black release one of his
rooks into the attack? --- ANSWER: Deflection. The non-spatio-temporal
malevolent un-entity, without name or form, arises outside the continuum of
space and time on f8, confident in the knowledge that nothing whatsoever in
the universe can threaten or harm it. It strikes at White's heart, so that its
equally evil twin on c8 is freed from stasis to terrorize the universe.} Rf8 $3
43. Bxf8 Rc3+ {A phone call received very late at night is generally the
harbinger of bad news.} 44. Kg2 Qg3+ (44... Qh3+ {was one move quicker.}) 45.
Kf1 Rc1+ ({Due to} 45... Rc1+ 46. Ke2 Qe1+ 47. Kf3 Rc3+ 48. Kg4 Qg3+ 49. Kf5
Qg5# {. White's king, a fleeting thing, arrives and passes away, the way a
bird hops onto a branch of a tree outside your window, sings her song, and
then flies off to who-knows-where, never to be seen or listened to again.}) 0-1

[Event "30: Tal Memorial, Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Carlsen, M."]
[Black "Kramnik, V."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "E36"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "46"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 O-O 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. Qxc3 d5 {Just like the
previous game, Black plays classically and stakes out a central claim.} 7. e3 {
QUESTION: Why lock in the bishop? --- ANSWER: Remember the Kramnik-Polgar
Nimzo from last chapter (Game 16)? The bishop is well placed on b2, where it
discourages both ...c7-c5 and ...e6-e5 breaks.} ({We looked at} 7. Nf3 {in the
previous game.}) 7... b6 8. cxd5 $6 {After this move White fights for equality,
since he allows Black an effective ...Ba6! manoeuvre.} ({Carlsen should stick
to his previous play with} 8. Nf3 Bb7 9. b3 $1 {, if he is to have any chance
at an edge, Ma.Carlsen-E.Bacrot, Dortmund 2009.}) 8... exd5 ({Changing it up
from} 8... Nxd5 9. Qc2 Ba6 10. Bxa6 Nxa6 11. e4 Ne7 12. Bg5 $5 {this looks too
ambitious;} ({the calmer} 12. Nf3 {at least keeps quick castling an option})
12... h6 13. Bxe7 Qxe7 14. Qc6 $6 e5 {, when White found himself seriously
behind in development, Ma.Carlsen-V.Kramnik, Moscow (rapid) 2011.}) 9. Bd3 $6 {
This may be inaccurate too, since it loses a tempo.} ({Better is} 9. Nf3 Ne4
10. Qc2 {, T.Vasilevich-L.Galojan, European Cup, Plovdiv 2010; though even
then, I don't much care for White's game.}) 9... Ba6 $1 {Principle: When the
opponent has the bishop pair, eliminate it. --- QUESTION: Isn't it somewhat
redundant to continue to repeat the same principles over and over in the book?
ANSWER: I'm afraid you just opened the door to a lengthy story/explanation. I
had a French teacher in seventh grade who repeated everything in a singsong
voice, at least twice: "Bonjour! Bonjour! Je m'appelle Monsieur Bernier! Je
m'appelle Monsieur Bernier!" At the time I found this annoying. Today, nearly
four decades later, I still remember Mr. Bernier's lessons and can still
conjugate French verbs like nobody's business! The moral: repetition, annoying
though it is, still works!} 10. Bxa6 Nxa6 {Black's lead in development remains
intact.} 11. Qd3 Qc8 12. Ne2 c5 13. b3 cxd4 {QUESTION: Why did Kramnik
deliberately take on an isolani? ANSWER: To activate his a6-knight via c5.
} ({He can also imbalance the game further with} 13... c4 $5 14. bxc4 dxc4 15.
Qc2 b5 {, when it's unclear whose supermajority will be the more effective.})
14. Qxd4 $6 {I believe the universe blesses everyone with a special and often
hidden talent. My chess superpower is the gifted faculty of a deep
understanding of knowing just when to grovel! My intuition tells me White's
last move may be misplaced bravery. Carlsen mistakenly takes up the challenge,
allowing Black activity in exchange for a superior structure. He hoped to tame,
domesticate and leash Black's surging activity flow but soon discovers that
such a hope is unlikely on a raw, wild force. He should consider the safer,
duller and, most importantly, equal 14 exd4!, denying Black's pieces c5.} ({
QUESTION: Why not recapture on d4 with his knight? ANSWER: Black's
development lead allows him tricks:} 14. Nxd4 $6 Nc5 15. Qb5 a6 $1 16. Qe2 Nxb3
$1 {wins a pawn.}) 14... Nc5 15. Qd1 Qa6 $1 {The angry goddess looms over the
light squares as her probing morphs, taking shape in the form of a caustic
agent, whose slow drip erodes the foundations of White's position.} 16. Nf4 $5
{It gets harder and harder to discern a single saving line for White, through
the fog of variations and their sidelines. Carlsen's nervous knight refuses to
make eye contact with Black's queen, as he reluctantly agrees to leave his
king to face the central headwinds. EXERCISE (planning): There are
multiple paths to try and exploit Black's lead in development. Let's see if
you can find one of them. ANSWER: Overload. The d-pawn, made brave by
alcohol, picks a bar fight with a larger opponent. Principle: Open the game
when ahead in development. Black's activity spikes exponentially, as his
pieces transform into swirling devils of malevolence.} ({He was unwilling to
fork over a pawn in order to castle and grovel for a draw with} 16. O-O Nxb3 $1
17. Qxb3 Qxe2 18. Bb2 Qc4 19. Qd1 Ne4 {.}) 16... d4 $1 ({ANSWER #2:} 16... Rfe8
$1 17. b4 Na4 18. Ne2 d4 $1 19. Nxd4 Qc4 $1 {is also very strong.}) 17. b4 $1 {
The entrenched knight must be ejected soon. White hopes to repel the salvo.
But how long can he keep it up?} dxe3 $1 (17... Rad8 $1 {is strong as well,
and would probably transpose to the game position at some point.}) 18. bxc5
Qa5+ $1 ({GM Sakaev suggested} 18... Rad8 $1 19. Qc2 g5 $1 {(Black demands
tribute from the conquered territories)} 20. Nh3 Qa5+ 21. Kf1 Qb5+ $1 22. Ke1
exf2+ 23. Kxf2 {(the defensive barrier collapses, now hollow as an old skull
on the forest floor; White's king, now blistered by fire, continues his
useless evasions)} Ng4+ 24. Kg3 Rd3+ $1 25. Kxg4 {(White's pieces listen in
silent sympathy to their king's pitiful pleas, but are powerless to alter the
inevitable execution date)} Qd7+ $1 26. Kh5 (26. Kxg5 h6+ $1 {also does the job
}) 26... Qf5 $1 {(Black uncloaks his weapon, thrusting its power in the
direction of the white king, who continues to flee in a delirium - this in
turn forces White to give up his queen)} 27. Qxd3 $1 Qxd3 28. Bxg5 h6 $1 29.
Bf4 Kh7 $1 30. Kh4 Qd8+ 31. Kh5 Qd5+ 32. Kh4 Rg8 33. g4 Qg2 34. Bg3 f5 35. Nf2
Qf3 {, when Black's queen kisses her forefinger and then tenderly touches the
dead white king's lips.}) 19. Kf1 Rad8 20. Qc2 Qb5+ 21. Ke1 {Black is a piece
down but also looks like he has a powerful attack. Black can go for it with 21.
..g5, or he can check on a5 and force perpetual check. EXERCISE 
(critical decision): Would you play for the win or pocket the draw against the
number one ranked player in the world?} (21. Kg1 $4 Qxc5 $1 {overloads the
back rank and wins.}) 21... Qa5+ {Sometimes the decision to agree to a draw is
in itself a blunder. Kramnik underestimates his own latent power.} ({ANSWER:
He should go for it with} 21... g5 $1 {, since if White tries to hang on to
his extra piece with} 22. Nh3 $2 ({instead, he must grin and bear it,
returning the piece with} 22. fxe3 $1 gxf4 {, though his odds of survival
don't look so hot here either}) {, he simply transposes to Sakaev's winning
line (} 22... exf2+ 23. Kxf2 Ng4+ 24. Kf3 Rd3+ {etc).}) 22. Kf1 Qb5+ 23. Ke1
Qa5+ $2 {. The two most awful words in the chess lexicon: "If only..." Here we
see a rare example of Kramnik uncharacteristically underestimating the latent
power behind his own attack and initiative. His worst move of the game was in
actually agreeing to the draw in a probably winning position, when Carlsen's
open wounds congeal and heal as quickly as eggs tossed in a hot frying pan.
Clearly, Black should have refused to attend the unilateral disarmament talks.}
({It isn't too late to say "Request denied!" and play} 23... g5 $1 {, brushing
aside the draw offer with polite disinterest.}) 1/2-1/2

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "4: Exploiting Imbalances"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2010.01.10"]

{All the great strategic players are, by default, also masters of exploiting
imbalances. Compare the first two games in this chapter. In the first, against
Shaked, Kramnik makes it look like a disadvantage to hold the bishop pair
versus his knight and bishop; in the second, against Adams, Kramnik pulls off
the opposite, making it look like a forced win when he has the bishop pair
versus Adams' bishop and knight. Kramnik's infallible strategic intuition
lovingly moulds the shape of the position - whatever it is - to suit his and
not the opponent's imbalance. --- Sometimes Kramnik's decisions look like they
could only spring forth from the mind of a genius or someone deemed clinically
insane. Just take a look at his infinitely odd decision to surrender the
bishop pair to take on the opposite-coloured bishops versus Howell. The
pay-off became apparent some twenty moves later!} 1. -- {Somehow the coalition
of his opponent's forces always begins to fray at the edges and move out of
synch with the requirements of the position, as the freeways of their
counterplay get blocked up with extraneous gunk. How do we develop such
super-attuned intuition? The only way is to play over (and over) the games of
the great strategic giants, until the subtle imprints appear in our minds and
such intuition becomes ours as well.} *

[Event "31: Tilburg"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1997.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shaked, T."]
[Black "Kramnik, V."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "E46"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "70"]
[EventDate "1997.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Nge2 {QUESTION: Why is White
willing to block his f1-bishop with the knight? --- ANSWER: White wants to
play a2-a3 and recapture on c3 with his e2-knight. I agree the move looks a
bit clumsy, yet it makes sense if you factor in that e2 isn't necessarily the
knight's final destination.} d5 6. a3 Be7 {Black doesn't want to hand over his
good bishop without any return, and so agrees to lose a bit of time himself
and retreat. --- QUESTION: Are we now in a kind of Queen's Gambit Declined?
--- ANSWER: In essence we now have a QGD, yes, albeit with two strange twists:
1. White is a tempo up on normal QGD lines, but it's not that great a tempo
since his free move is a2-a3. --- 2. White's e2-knight is somewhat misplaced,
blocking in his light-squared bishop. --- Conclusion: Probably a fair business
transaction occurred and the position is in the range of level.} 7. cxd5 {The
main move.} ({Others:} 7. Nf4 c6 8. Bd3 dxc4 9. Bxc4 Nbd7 10. Qc2 e5 {, when
Black took advantage of the knight's position on f4 and equalized, A.Shirov-V.Kramnik, Dortmund 1998.}) (7. Ng3 c5 8. dxc5 dxc4 9. Qc2 Qa5 10. Bxc4 Qxc5 11.
Bd3 Nbd7 {and I prefer White but it looks close to even, M.Bluvshtein-D.
Andreikin, Moscow 2011.}) 7... Nxd5 {QUESTION: Why recapture with the knight?
--- ANSWER: I guess Kramnik wanted to give the game a QGD Semi-Tarrasch feel.
Also, every exchange helps Black free his position.} ({I agree that} 7... exd5
{is more natural, but it's not necessarily better; e.g.} 8. b4 c6 9. Ng3 b5 $5
10. Bd2 Nbd7 11. a4 {(otherwise Black gets time for ...Nb6 and ...Nc4)} Bxb4
12. axb5 c5 13. Qb3 {with mutual chances, F.Caruana-S.Karjakin, Wijk aan Zee
2012.}) 8. g3 {White finds a way to develop his light-squared bishop without
moving his e2-knight.} (8. Qc2) ({and} 8. Bd2 {are also played here.}) 8...
Nxc3 ({GM Chris Ward suggests} 8... b6 $5 {, challenging the h1-a8 diagonal;
for example,} 9. Bg2 Bb7 10. O-O Nxc3 11. Nxc3 Bxg2 12. Kxg2 c5 {and Black
looks fine, Z.Gyimesi-P.Lukacs, Budapest 1996.}) 9. Nxc3 ({QUESTION: Why not
recapture with the pawn to strengthen his centre? --- ANSWER: In that case} 9.
bxc3 $6 Qd5 $1 {is awkward for White, who is forced to move his rook and lose
kingside castling rights.}) 9... c5 10. d5 $5 ({Having lived a safe life of
uneventful sameness, White, in a combative mood, soon gets transported to a
scary new life of danger. Tal Shaked is a brave man. He faces an opponent
nearly 300 points higher rated, yet refuses to grovel (which I would have done
in a heartbeat!) with the shameless} 10. dxc5 {, entering the milquetoast
ending} Qxd1+ 11. Kxd1 Bxc5 {, D.Siedentopf-R.Slobodjan, European Championship,
Dresden 2007, when Kramnik would have a devil of a time defeating a
lower-rated GM. In this game White, a 2178 rated player, held the draw against
his 2525 rated opponent.}) 10... Bf6 $1 {QUESTION: Why do you feel Kramnik's
10...Bf6! is an improvement? --- ANSWER: Please see Black's next move!} ({A
new move and an improvement over} 10... exd5 11. Nxd5 Be6 12. Bg2 {, S.Guliev-Y.Balashov, St Petersburg 1994.}) 11. Bg2 Bxc3+ $1 {The point. Black
initiates multiple imbalances: 1. He is willing to give up the bishop pair.
--- 2. Which in turn, inflicted damage to White's structure. --- 3. We arrive
at a kingside pawn majority versus a queenside one for Black. --- QUESTION:
Isn't White's bishop pair a potent force in such an open position? --- ANSWER:
This position may be an exception. The uniting of separate powers doesn't
necessarily create an even more powerful end product. To prove my point, I
call to your attention Sonny and Cher, whose vile warblings disturbed my
tranquillity each Sunday evening, all through the late 1960's.} 12. bxc3 exd5
13. Qxd5 {I don't like the position White gets in the game.} ({Perhaps he
should try something wacky such as} 13. Bxd5 $5 Nd7 14. O-O Nf6 15. c4 $5 Nxd5
16. cxd5 {, although I get the feeling that Black's bishop outguns his
counterpart on White's side.}) 13... Qe7 $1 {Ensuring that he gains a tempo on
the white queen later on with either ...Rd8 or ...Be6. The boundary between
Kramnik's desire for swaps - which helps him exploit White's pawn weaknesses -
and the fulfilment of the desire begin to fade away as he correctly resists
the temptation.} 14. Rb1 $6 {Ward didn't like this move, calling it "a luxury".
Kramnik takes advantage of the inaccuracy in just a few moves.} Nc6 15. O-O Be6
16. Qh5 Rad8 17. e4 {White logically begins to push his kingside pawn majority,
hoping to muster an attack with f2-f4 soon.} Ba2 $1 {An innocuous-looking yet
potent jab, which makes life awkward for White's ambitious rook.} 18. Ra1 ({
QUESTION: Why abandon the file? Doesn't} 18. Rb2 {regain the tempo? --- ANSWER:
Not after} Bc4 19. Re1 Ne5 $1 {, when White must suddenly deal with the threat
of ...Nd3.}) 18... Bc4 19. Re1 Ne5 {Again, d3 is a big square for the knight.}
20. Be3 g6 $1 21. Qh4 $5 {The misbehaving nine-year-old, having been banished
to the principal's office, slowly begins to turn the doorknob, fully aware of
the terror that awaits him on the other side. Shaked probably didn't make such
a radical decision lightly.} ({QUESTION: It looks crazy to purposefully allow
such structural damage. Why not} 21. Qg5 {- ? --- ANSWER: I agree that those
ugly pawns now jut out at you like roaches feeding in the sugar jar. White's
game lies somewhere in the twilight between uncomfortable and intolerable
after the swap; but keep in mind that Houdini actually likes Shaked's move.
White's queen looks unpleasantly claustrophobic after} f6 22. Qh4 Bb5 $1 {,
making rook for the knight on c4.}) 21... Qxh4 22. gxh4 b6 {Let's take
inventory: 1. The home owner passed away and his garden, previously so
meticulously cared for, now lies in abandoned, overgrown ruins. Black seeks to
fill the vacuum on the queenside, which calls to him enticingly. White carries
the burden of four target isolanis. --- 2. White's position is riddled with
light-square holes, such as on c4 and d3. --- 3. Black's bishop and knight
more than hold their own against White's ineffective bishop pair. --- 4. More
than anything else, the lack of an active plan for White is the undefined
absence in his otherwise barely tenable position. --- Conclusion: White is in
deep trouble.} 23. Bh6 Rfe8 24. h3 f6 25. Rad1 Bb5 26. Rxd8 {QUESTION: Isn't
White guilty of violating the principle "Don't be the one to break the tension
if you don't need to"?} ({ANSWER: White's destiny is to lose control over the
d-file whether he stands his ground or not. For example, after} 26. Kh2 Ba4 $1
{White must give way and abandon control over the d-file, since} 27. Rd5 $4 {
loses instantly to} Rxd5 28. exd5 Nf3+ {.}) 26... Rxd8 27. Kh2 Bc6 28. Kg3 Rd3+
$1 {Luring White's rook to e3.} 29. Re3 Rd1 $1 {Now ...Nc4 is in the air.
White has no good way of protecting his a-pawn.} 30. Re2 Ra1 31. Rd2 Nf7 $1 {
Dual purpose: 1. Black seals all entry points into his position along the
d-file. --- 2. Black gains a tempo and ejects White's dark-squared bishop.} 32.
Be3 {The bishop has no choice but to nod in desultory consent and back off.}
Rxa3 {Black, having monetized previous investments, now accrues an extra
passed a-pawn, while White continues to nurse further debt via another
weakness on c3.} 33. Rc2 Ne5 34. f3 $6 {Black views his bounteous position the
way a gardener gazes adoringly at her fruits and vegetables, all raised in
abundant sunshine and love. --- EXERCISE (combination alert): White just
blundered away his c3-pawn. Work out the correct sequence to win it. ---
ANSWER: Step 1: The bishop angrily pokes the rook in the back with his finger.}
Ba4 $1 35. Rc1 Nd3 $1 {. Step 2: Not exactly a civil greeting: chase the rook
again, this time for good.} 0-1

[Event "32: Linares"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1999.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kramnik, V."]
[Black "Adams, M."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E32"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "75"]
[EventDate "1999.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 O-O 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. Qxc3 b6 7. Bg5 ({A
change of pace from} 7. Nf3 {which we looked at in Chapter Two (see Game 16).
--- QUESTION: What are the differences between pinning and keeping the
dark-squared bishop inside the pawn chain? --- ANSWER: 1. The pin limits
Black's f6-knight. --- 2. Omitting Nf3 allows White to play f2-f3, which
covers the sensitive e4-square. --- 3. In the pin line White's bishop and
queen on c3 can be vulnerable to future ...Ne4 or ...Nd5 tricks. --- 4. In the
non-pin lines, White's bishop usually ends up on b2, taking direct aim at
Black's king and inhibiting Black's ...e6-e5 break. --- Conclusion: One line
isn't better or worse than the other. It's simply a matter of style.}) 7... Bb7
8. f3 {Covering the e4-square. --- QUESTION: What are the main dangers for
White here? --- ANSWER: White's main and constant worry in this line of the
Nimzo is his lag in development. If the centre opens too quickly, matters may
sour quickly.} h6 9. Bh4 d5 {At last, Black challenges White's central
dominance.} 10. e3 Nbd7 11. cxd5 {White's main line.} ({He can also maintain
the central tension; for example,} 11. Nh3 c5 12. cxd5 cxd4 13. Qxd4 e5 14. Qd1
Bxd5 15. Bb5 Be6 16. Nf2 Nc5 17. O-O Nb3 18. Qxd8 Raxd8 19. Rad1 {and despite
White's bishop pair, Kramnik maintained the balance due to that pesky knight
on b3, E.Bareev-V.Kramnik, Novgorod 1997.}) 11... Nxd5 {This leads to an
ending where the experts are divided on whether White truly maintains an
advantage with the bishop pair.} ({QUESTION: Isn't the pawn recapture tempting
for Black, now that he has a target on e3? --- ANSWER: That is a riskier
option, since e3 isn't as weak as it looks. White can easily defend it with
Bf2 (as well as other pieces); e.g.} 11... exd5 12. Bd3 c5 13. Bf5 Qc7 14. Nh3
g6 15. Bxd7 $1 Nxd7 16. O-O {and I prefer White, whose bishop feels more
potent than his black counterpart on b7, G.Kasparov-J.Hjartarson, Madrid 
(rapid) 1988.}) 12. Bxd8 Nxc3 13. Bh4 Nd5 14. Bf2 c5 {The two sides have
mutually contradictory dreams for their imbalances. White just wants to catch
up in development and make use of his bishop pair; Black does everything he
can to prevent this from happening. The text is Black's main move here, but
having studied games from this line, I'm not sure he fully equalizes. White's
bishop pair always seems to make Black strain for equality. --- QUESTION: Then
what line do you suggest for Black?} ({ANSWER: It seems to me that the
secondary line} 14... f5 $1 {, which inhibits White's e3-e4 expansion, is
Black's best shot and should be promoted as the main line. G.Kasparov-V.Kramnik, Moscow (blitz, 20th matchgame) 1998, continued} 15. Bb5 c6 16. Bd3 c5
17. Ne2 Rac8 18. O-O cxd4 19. Nxd4 Ne5 20. Be2 {, when Black's activity should
ensure equality after} Kf7 $1 {.}) 15. Bb5 {No one can fault a move if it
develops with tempo.} ({QUESTION: Isn't} 15. e4 {even stronger? We gain a
tempo there as well. --- ANSWER: That move is also played, but I don't trust
it to yield an advantage since White provides a target to open the position on
e4. --- QUESTION: How so? e4 is a rock. --- ANSWER: Not if Black finds a way
to chip away at it with the ...f7-f5 break. For example,} Nf4 16. Be3 Ng6 17.
Ne2 {and now Kramnik disrupted White's powerful centre with} f5 $1 {, E.Bareev-V.Kramnik, Wijk aan Zee 2004.}) 15... N5f6 ({Also possible is} 15...
Rfd8 16. e4 -- (16... Ne7 17. Ne2 Bc6 $1 18. Ba6 {, G.Kasparov-V.Kramnik,
Moscow (blitz, 16th matchgame) 1998. Black is okay after} Ba4 $1 {, taking
control over d1 and clearing c6 for his knight.}) ({. From the other side,
Kasparov achieved a draw with the pawn sac} 16... Nc7 $5 17. Bxd7 Rxd7 18. dxc5
f5 $1 {(Black trusts in his massive development lead)} 19. cxb6 axb6 {and now
Kramnik, perhaps wisely, refused to tempt fate and simply returned the
material with} 20. Ne2 $5 fxe4 21. fxe4 Bxe4 22. O-O Rd2 23. Nc3 Bb7 24. b4 {
, reaching an equal position, V.Kramnik-G.Kasparov, World Championship (8th
matchgame), London 2000.} (24. --))) 16. Ne2 a6 17. Ba4 cxd4 {Adams aims to
break up White's central control.} ({QUESTION: Can Black play for a queenside
majority with} 17... b5 18. Bc2 c4 {- ? --- ANSWER: That is a possible plan,
but White still holds an edge due to his bishop pair. And remember, White owns
a majority too.}) 18. Nxd4 Nc5 19. Bc2 e5 $6 {At last, some motion. The spoon
stirs the sedentary sugar at the bottom of the cup of tea. Adams, in inversion
to the normal requirements of his meek position, decides to bully the white
knight by issuing a wordless message, conveyed through his belligerent last
move. But in doing so, Black damages his own position by misguidedly
attempting to seize the initiative too early, sending White's knight to a
towering square.} ({Better to remain humble and only a touch worse after} 19...
Rac8 {.}) 20. Nf5 Rfd8 21. Bh4 $1 Nd3+ $6 {Natural but incorrect.} (21... h5 {
looks like a superior, damage-control move.}) 22. Ke2 $1 {Great judgment.
Kramnik temporarily gives up a pawn rather than the bishop pair. It isn't
really a pawn sac since he wins back two of them in return.} Nxb2 23. Rhb1 Nc4
24. Bd3 $1 Nd6 {EXERCISE (combination alert): White, down one pawn at the
moment, has the opportunity to pick up two pawns. --- ANSWER: Overload. One
down, one to go.} 25. Nxh6+ $1 Kf8 {The king moves aside, head dipped in
fatigue.} 26. Bxf6 {Giving up the bishop pair, but inflicting damage in doing
so.} gxf6 27. Rxb6 {There goes the other one. Not only is Kramnik a pawn up
now, he also has Black squirming in a bind. Adams' hope for counterplay, which
previously felt so solid and real, turns out to be the apparition of a
long-passed memory.} Bc8 28. Rc1 Be6 29. Rcc6 Ke7 30. e4 $1 ({Stronger than} 
30. Rxa6 Rxa6 31. Rxa6 f5 $1 {, when White suddenly experiences difficulties
in extricating his wayward knight from h6.}) 30... Nb5 $1 31. Ke3 $1 Nxa3 {So
Black regains his lost pawn, but in doing so his knight spends time in the
internment camp on a3. Black's forces are badly out of harmony, much like the
vague feeling of unease a marathon runner gets when he begins the run with a
tiny pebble ensconced in his shoe.} 32. Nf5+ Kf8 (32... Bxf5 33. exf5 Nb5 34.
Rb7+ $1 Rd7 (34... Ke8 35. Bxb5 axb5 36. Rxf6 {is also completely hopeless for
Black}) 35. Rxd7+ Kxd7 36. Rxa6 $1 {wins.}) 33. Bxa6 {Not only is Black down a
pawn again, his knight still lingers in danger on a3.} Rd1 34. Be2 Ra1 35. Rb2
$1 Rd8 {The gears turn a notch forward with a click. Kramnik utilizes another
trump: his extra passed h-pawn.} 36. h4 $1 {Making good use of the pawn
imbalance on the kingside. The h-pawn crawls forward the way a young plant's
tendrils move in the direction of sunlight.} Nb1 {Black's knight and rook,
although in close proximity, lack interaction. They are a long-married couple
who, through the passage of time, drifted apart and now eat their meals
together, yet in complete silence.} 37. Kf2 $1 {Black is nearly in zugzwang.}
Nd2 $2 {Black's dishevelled knight shuffles out of his hovel, sporting three
days of unshaven facial hair growth. --- EXERCISE (combination alert): Adams'
position was lost in any case, but he blundered on his last move. White to
play and win material. --- ANSWER: Overload/back rank.} 38. Rd6 $1 {. In a
flash of motion, Black spies the silhouette of the assassin on d6. White's
rook on d6 strives but fails to hide a tiny smile which suddenly forms on his
lips. Meanwhile White's b2-rook glares at the hanging knight on d2 with the
stern expression of one of those odd, stone-faced rock gods on Easter Island.}
1-0

[Event "33: Dortmund"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2001.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kramnik, V."]
[Black "Morozevich, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D12"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "75"]
[EventDate "2001.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 Bf5 {It isn't so easy to equalize with the
Reversed London set-up.} ({The Reversed Torre is a better shot at equality, so
I normally play the bishop to g4 in this position. For example,} 4... Bg4 5.
Nc3 e6 6. Qb3 Qb6 7. c5 Qc7 8. Bd2 $5 Nbd7 9. Rc1 Bxf3 $5 10. gxf3 e5 11. Bh3
Be7 {with a sharp, unbalanced game, R.De Guzman-C.Lakdawala San Francisco 
(rapid) 2010, though I prefer Black's position since White's structural
problems feel like a concern when compared to his bishop pair.}) ({On the
other hand, I don't trust} 4... e6 5. Nbd2 c5 $5 {for Black, who tries to take
advantage of White's passive move order by going into a Zukertort Colle a full
move down. --- QUESTION: Is it the end of the world to be down a move in a
Colle? --- ANSWER: In my opinion the tempo matters. The Colle and its cousin,
the London System, tend to be scapegoated as second rate, milquetoast openings,
when in reality, they are not. The normal Colle is a Semi-Slav a move up (in
this case two moves up!), so it deserves a lot more respect than it gets in
the chess world. For example, after} 6. b3 Nc6 7. Bb2 cxd4 8. exd4 Be7 9. Rc1
O-O 10. Bd3 Bd7 11. O-O {White got a favourable hanging pawns position, mainly
since he is a move up on normal, G.Kasparov-Comp Deep Blue, Philadelphia (6th
matchgame) 1996.}) 5. Nc3 a6 $5 {QUESTION: Why ...a7-a6 - ? --- ANSWER: This
is called the Chebanenko Slav, a bit of a funky one with Black's bishop on f5
rather than the traditional g4-square. I think Moro's move, although played at
the highest levels, is on the cusp of a "?!" mark since it doesn't fit well
into his set-up. --- QUESTION: What is the usual line here?} ({ANSWER: Play
usually runs} 5... e6 6. Nh4 $1 {, but then White milks an edge due to his
possession of the bishop pair; for example,} Bg6 7. Nxg6 hxg6 8. Bd3 Nbd7 9.
O-O Bd6 10. h3 dxc4 11. Bxc4 O-O 12. Qc2 Qe7 13. Rd1 Rac8 14. Bd2 Nb6 15. Bf1
e5 16. dxe5 Bxe5 17. Rac1 {and the bishops still gives White a slight but
enduring advantage, Ma.Carlsen-B.Gelfand, Wijk aan Zee 2012.}) 6. Bd3 {
QUESTION: Swapping off his good bishop for Black's bad bishop? --- ANSWER: Yes,
but keep in mind two points: 1. Black's bad bishop is no longer so bad on f5.
--- 2. White's bad bishop won't be so bad after he achieves e3-e4.} ({Usually
White preserves his light-squared bishop with} 6. Be2 {, after which Ma.Carlsen-V.Bologan, Astana 2012, continued} h6 $5 {(wasting more time but
ensuring that his bishop won't be forced off by Nh4)} 7. Qb3 Ra7 {(this odd
move is actually standard in the Chebanenko)} 8. cxd5 cxd5 9. Bd2 e6 10. Ne5 $1
Bd6 $2 (10... Nbd7 {was necessary}) 11. Qa4+ $1 {and Black's position sours
quickly since Nb5 becomes a big problem. Bologan decided to shank a pawn with}
Nc6 12. Nxc6 bxc6 13. Qxc6+ Qd7 14. Qxd7+ Kxd7 15. Na4 {, but a clean pawn
down against the premier technical endgame player in the world is not a good
place to be. Needless to say, Bologan was unable to hold the game. ---
QUESTION: Are you saying you rate Carlsen above Kramnik, the hero of our book,
in the ending? --- ANSWER: Yes, my feeling is Kramnik is the second best
endgame player in the world. Please stop asking questions which may adversely
affect sales!}) 6... Bxd3 7. Qxd3 e6 8. O-O Be7 9. e4 {This would be
considered quite a harmless line for White, had Black omitted his not terribly
useful ...a7-a6 and had swapped it for a developing move. White has a tiny
space advantage, though nothing for Black to worry about just yet, who still
looks quite solid.} O-O $1 ({Other moves:} 9... b5 {(seeking to resolve the
central tension)} 10. cxd5 cxd5 11. e5 Nfd7 12. Ne2 Nc6 13. Bd2 Rc8 14. Rfc1
Nb6 15. b3 Ba3 16. Rc2 Nb4 17. Bxb4 Bxb4 18. Rxc8 Nxc8 19. a4 {, when White's
space, development lead and queenside confrontation gives him an edge, I.Nikolaidis-J.Smeets, European Team Championship, Porto Carras 2011.}) (9...
dxe4 10. Nxe4 Nbd7 11. Bf4 Nxe4 12. Qxe4 O-O 13. Rfd1 Re8 14. Rd3 $1 {- from
the third rank the rook can harass Black in both directions, and White's
greater space again provides a small edge, K.Sakaev-K.Bryzgalin, Taganrog 2011.
}) 10. Rd1 {QUESTION: Why not keep pushing the e-pawn? --- ANSWER: That would
suit Black fine. Black doesn't mind a4-e5 at all, since that would fix another
pawn on the same colour as White's remaining bishop.} ({Black looks good after
} 10. e5 $6 {(tossing in 10 cxd5 first just gives Black a nice Advance French
position)} dxc4 $1 {(clearing d5)} 11. Qxc4 Nd5 {with equality.}) 10... b5 11.
c5 $1 {Grabbing more space. --- QUESTION: Isn't White in danger of ending up
with a bad bishop and a hole on d5? --- ANSWER: All true, but this is where
Kramnik's remarkable strategic intuition infallibly arrives at the best
decision. White correctly judges that his extra space means more than the two
potential problems you listed.} dxe4 (11... b4 12. e5 bxc3 13. exf6 Bxf6 14.
Qxc3 {retains White's advantages.}) 12. Nxe4 Nxe4 ({After} 12... Nd5 13. Bg5 $1
f6 14. Bd2 {White stands better due to his space and Black's backward e-pawn.})
13. Qxe4 Qd5 $6 {Moro bows to reality's appeal and decides to defend an
inferior ending, but I think his move is an overreaction.} ({QUESTION: Why
can't Black win a pawn with} 13... Bxc5 {- ? --- ANSWER: White wins it back
after} 14. Ng5 $1 g6 15. Qh4 h5 16. g4 $1 Be7 17. gxh5 Bxg5 18. Bxg5 Qd5 19.
hxg6 fxg6 20. Rd3 $1 {and gains a strong attack.}) ({QUESTION: Then do you
have a defensive suggestion for Black? --- ANSWER: 1} 13... Nd7 $1 {looks best.
The c6-pawn isn't really hanging due to tricks on c5. Black can play for ...Rc8 ...Nf6 and ...Nd5, when White should only have the tiniest of edges.}) 14.
Qxd5 cxd5 $5 {Moro builds his house, as if casually erected with chance
material he found lying around in the vicinity. Now we get a new imbalance:
opposite side pawn majorities, with White getting a bonus passed c-pawn.} ({
Nevertheless, Moro's decision here isn't an error since} 14... exd5 15. Re1 Bf6
16. a4 {would keep him on the defensive as well.}) 15. Bf4 Nc6 ({Moro may have
worried about the line} 15... Rc8 16. Bxb8 $1 Raxb8 {and didn't want White to
remove a natural blockader of c6.}) 16. Ne5 $1 {Principle: Destroy a passed
pawn's blockaders.} Nb8 $5 {Creative, but it fails to solve Black's
difficulties.} ({Perhaps Moro should have gone with the ho hum} 16... Nxe5 17.
Bxe5 f6 18. Bg3 Kf7 {, even if White retains pressure here as well. He can
lift his rook or rooks to the third rank and also create problems with} 19. a4
{.}) 17. Rd3 $1 {Rooks, like owls, snakes and vampires, are nocturnal
creatures. Once it gets dim outside and queens come off the board, they begin
to prowl about.} Rc8 18. Re1 Bf6 {Moro hovers in that mysterious nether-realm
between a concrete plan and an incomplete concept. He finds himself awash in
too many overlapping pseudo-plans and partial concepts which fail to cohere to
a single core element. One senses he can't quite put his finger on how to
break free of White's bind. He chases that first, essential, life-giving gasp
of air, like a potential drowning victim who manages to break the surface of
the water after long, panicked submersion.} ({Here} 18... Ra7 {may be better,
though even then} 19. g4 $1 {continues to increase White's space and pressure
upon Black's game.}) 19. Ng4 Nc6 $5 ({It's understandable that Moro doesn't
care for a second humiliating retreat in} 19... Bd8 {, when White can
establish a bind with} 20. Bxb8 $1 Raxb8 21. f4 $1 {.}) 20. Nxf6+ gxf6 {A new
imbalance: bishop versus knight. --- QUESTION: Isn't the knight a superior
piece since White's c- and d-pawns are fixed on dark squares? --- ANSWER:
White's bishop is superior since it has a target on f6 and the kingside dark
squares in general.} 21. Bg3 $1 {Ready to transfer to h4.} Kg7 22. Bh4 Ne7 (
22... f5 23. Rg3+ Kh6 24. Bf6 Rg8 25. Rxg8 Rxg8 26. Re3 $1 {prevents ...Rg6
and leaves Black tied up.}) 23. g4 $1 Ng6 24. Bg3 a5 25. Bd6 h5 $5 {Moro tries
to muck things up and cause trouble on the kingside. His aim is to lure
White's pawn to h5 and then take control of f5 for his knight.} 26. gxh5 $1 {
Kramnik has seen deeper.} Nh4 27. Rg3+ Kh6 {EXERCISE (critical decision):
Evaluate the exchange sac 28 Be7 Nf5 29 Bxf6 Nxg3. Would you do it if you were
White? --- ANSWER: It works. Black's flow of counterplay suddenly clots after
the sacrifice. The power snakes up through the coil until the pent-up energy
is released directly on f6.} 28. Be7 $3 {Brilliantly evaluated, as the ants
get into the fruit bowl. Kramnik walks into the threatened fork but gets a
winning position at the end of it.} ({Moro probably had counted on} 28. Rh3
Rg8+ 29. Kf1 Nf5 30. Bf4+ Kh7 {, when Black's counterplay suddenly flares up.})
28... Nf5 {Black fires his crossbow but the arrow sings over the head of the
intended victim.} 29. Bxf6 {Kramnik transfers his bishop to f6 as lovingly as
a mother who lifts her sleeping infant into the crib.} Nxg3 {A revolver is a
harmless instrument if you have already fired the final bullet.} 30. fxg3 $1 {
The correct recapture, which ensures a favourable new imbalance: another
passed pawn.} Rg8 31. Kg2 Kxh5 32. h3 $1 {Preventing any ...Rg4 and ...Re4
ideas.} Kg6 33. Rf1 {Black's rooks are utterly useless.} Kh7 34. g4 {With the
simple plan of advancing his kingside pawns. The blacksmith uses the bellows
to fan the blaze. His strong arms never tire.} b4 35. Kg3 b3 36. a3 {Not so
fast, my friend! White of course refuses to open queenside lines for Black's
rooks.} Rac8 37. h4 Rg6 38. h5 {Black's lifeless position - a loathsome sight
- looks like a windshield, sticky and splattered with insects after a long
drive in the country. Previously, the war was an abstract concept, far off and
somehow unreal. Now Black's deprivations increase and commodities grow scarce,
as the war comes to his doorstep. Moro decides to lay down his burden and die
peacefully, like an old man, after a hard, inconsequential life.} ({QUESTION:
I understand that Black has a terrible, passive position. But how does White
win if Black simply remains passive? --- ANSWER: Let's play out a possible
scenario:} 38. h5 Rgg8 39. g5 a4 40. Kg4 Rce8 41. Be5 Re7 42. Rf6 $1 {
(threatening mate in one)} Rg7 43. Rh6+ Kg8 44. Bxg7 Kxg7 45. Kf4 {is utterly
hopeless for Black.}) 1-0

[Event "34: London (blitz match)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2002.??.??"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Howell, D."]
[Black "Kramnik, V."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C67"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "126"]
[EventDate "2002.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Nxe4 5. d4 Nd6 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. dxe5 Nf5
8. Qxd8+ Kxd8 9. Nc3 Ke8 {Challenging cosmic Berlin overlord, King Kram, in
his favourite line is an offence normally punishable by death. --- QUESTION:
Is a blitz game really as worthy as an annotated slow game? --- ANSWER:
Actually, believe it or not, blitz and rapid games can be more instructive,
since they often exude a clearer flow than games from the torturously slow
time controls, which sometimes come off with a disembodied feel of fits and
starts. The reason: in rapid and blitz, we don't have enough time to overthink
the positions and often pick the simplest (and often best!) moves. This game
is one of the clearest examples of how to exploit an imbalance on one colour -
and Kramnik manages to accomplish that in just five minutes, proving that a
blitz game from a world champion can be more instructive than a slow game
played by a lesser player (the rest of humanity!). --- QUESTION: Why move the
king if White didn't give check? --- ANSWER: It's only a matter of time until
White does put a rook on d1, so there is no harm in moving the king early. In
this case Black's king remains in the centre, rather than heading for c8 as we
saw in Chapter Two (Game 15). On e8 the king helps cover sensitive
infiltration points like d7 and f7, but also obstructs Black's development.}
10. b3 ({After} 10. h3 h5 11. Rd1 Be7 12. Bg5 Be6 13. b3 h4 14. Kf1 a5 15. a4
Rh5 $1 {Black equalized, V.Ivanchuk-S.Karjakin, Wijk aan Zee 2012.}) 10... Bb4
11. Bb2 {Natural, but I don't like it. White's best chance for an edge is to
move his knight to e4 or e2.} Bxc3 $1 {QUESTION: Shouldn't this move be
penalized with a "?!" instead? Black hands over his single trump, the bishop
pair. --- ANSWER: True, but he gains something quite hidden: favourable
opposite-coloured bishops. --- QUESTION: How does this benefit Black? ---
ANSWER: White's queenside pawns are placed on light squares, the same colour
as Kramnik's remaining bishop. He will later go on to exploit this fact in
vivid fashion.} 12. Bxc3 c5 {Taking control over d4.} 13. Rad1 h6 {Now his
bishop can rest on e6 without harassment.} 14. h3 Be6 15. Bb2 b6 16. Rd2 Ne7 $1
{Heading for c6, the knight's optimum post.} 17. c4 {With hindsight, perhaps
White should avoid this move which fixes all his pawns on the same colour as
Black's remaining bishop - a fact that later haunts Howell.} Nc6 18. Bc3 Ke7
19. Rfd1 a5 $1 {Inducing more fixed pawns on the light squares.} 20. a4 $5 {
Forcing an opponent into a disadvantageous negotiation is often the precursor
to his future surrender. Now b3 is a perpetual endgame target. Maybe White
should have avoided the move, although that would have opened up an entirely
new set of problems by allowing ...a5-a4.} Rad8 21. Rxd8 Rxd8 22. Rxd8 Kxd8 23.
Kf1 $6 (23. g4 $1 {was necessary to keep Black's bishop at bay.}) 23... Bf5 $1
{Hello there! Black's bishop targets b3 and haunts White for the remainder of
the game.} 24. Ne1 {EXERCISE (planning): Find a good plan which improves
Black's position. --- ANSWER:} g5 $1 {Artificially isolating e5. Now Black
threatens to bring his king to e6 and pick off the pawn.} 25. Ke2 Ke7 26. Ke3
Ke6 27. f4 g4 $1 {As the two armies collide and mesh, embroiled in a confused
ganglion in the middle, Kramnik studiously continues his research on the
pathway of converting base metal into gold. Sometimes a tangled geometric form,
if rotated at just the right angle, suddenly takes on a clearly identifiable
pattern. (Anyone who attempted Rubik's cube as a kid knows exactly what I am
talking about.) After this seemingly imperceptible shift, the pattern comes
into clear focus and in precise alignment. Understanding dawns as a new
imbalance comes to the forefront: Black's king infiltrates the kingside light
squares via f5 and White's position grows steadily worse without him seeming
to make any meaningful mistakes. Such is Kramnik's magic.} 28. hxg4 Bxg4 29.
Nf3 Bf5 30. Nd2 Ne7 31. Kf3 {Idea: g2-g4.} h5 {Oh, no you don't!} 32. Ne4 Bg4+
$1 {This cunning move breaches the defences by aiming straight for White's
structural underbelly: b3.} 33. Kf2 Nf5 $6 {Safeguarding f7 against Ng5+, but
apparently this isn't necessary.} ({The immediate} 33... Bd1 {works out well
for Black.}) 34. Ng5+ Ke7 35. Ne4 $2 ({He should block the bishop out with} 35.
Nf3 $1 {, when Black would have a much harder time extracting a win.}) 35...
Bd1 $1 36. Nd2 Ke6 37. Ke1 Bc2 $1 {Black's bishop shakes in silent, malicious
mirth at White's misfortune, as he harpoons and then tethers White's knight to
the defence of b3. No path exists for White's king to expel the unbidden
intruder, as Black's bishop holds snug, everlasting vigil on c2.} 38. Ke2 Nh4
39. g3 Ng6 $1 {Clearing f5 for king infiltration. White's relief is clearly
built upon sand, as a new strategic threat arises.} 40. Kf3 Bd1+ 41. Ke4 Bc2+
42. Kf3 Kf5 {Despite temporarily occluded vision, Black's king gropes his way
through the maze, nearing the exit to White's side of the board with each step.
} 43. Nf1 $6 {Complete desperation. The knight intercedes but fails to prevent
the inevitable. White plunges forward and speculates with this regrouping, not
because his "sac" looks so promising, but more because of an absence of
reasonable options. His queenside gets dismantled and annihilated no matter
which way he plays it. So the young, future-GM Howell reluctantly agrees to
the coming ritual mutilation of his queenside as the gateway to adulthood.} ({
Playing the waiting game is also hopeless; for example,} 43. Bb2 Nf8 44. Ba1
Ne6 45. Bb2 Bd1+ $1 46. Kf2 h4 $1 47. gxh4 Kxf4 48. Bc3 Bc2 49. h5 Kg5 {and
wins.}) 43... Bd1+ $1 {Zwischenzug! The messianic bishop perseveres. A person
is willing to undertake great hardship if he believes he does holy work.} ({
Kramnik obviously isn't going to fall for the cheapo} 43... Bxb3 $4 44. Ne3+
Ke6 45. f5+ {.}) 44. Kf2 Bxb3 45. Ne3+ Ke4 46. f5 ({Or} 46. Nd5 Kd3 47. Ba1
Kxc4 48. Nxc7 Ne7 {and White can resign.}) 46... Nxe5 {The slaughterhouse
gutters clog and overflow with the warm, cloying blood of the newly dead, as
White's pawns hang from their hooks in eviscerated ruin. It isn't easy to
produce a strategic masterpiece in a five-minute game, yet Kramnik manages to
pull it off.} 47. Bxe5 Kxe5 48. Nd5 Bxc4 49. Nxc7 Bb3 50. Na8 Bxa4 51. Nxb6 Bb5
52. Ke3 a4 53. Kd2 Kxf5 54. Kc3 Kg4 55. Nd5 Kxg3 56. Nf6 h4 57. Ne4+ Kg2 58.
Nxc5 h3 59. Ne4 h2 60. Nd2 h1=Q 61. Kb4 Qe1 62. Kxb5 Qxd2 63. Kxa4 f5 0-1

[Event "35: Linares"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2003.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kramnik, V."]
[Black "Radjabov, T."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C11"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "71"]
[EventDate "2003.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

1. e4 {As I mentioned earlier in the book, whenever Kramnik opens with 1 e4,
he usually has some theoretical ambush ready for his opponent.} e6 2. d4 d5 3.
Nc3 Nf6 {The Classical French.} 4. e5 (4. Bg5 {is also very popular here.})
4... Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. Be3 cxd4 ({Radjabov defeated Kasparov earlier
in the tournament with} 7... a6 {but avoided it here, logically anticipating
that Kramnik had some dirty prep waiting for him. G.Kasparov-T.Radjabov,
Linares 2003, continued} 8. Qd2 b5 9. a3 Qb6 10. Ne2 $5 c4 $5 {(very rare;
Black almost never releases the central tension like this in French)} 11. g4 $1
{(now that the pressure is off his centre, Kasparov launches kingside play)} h5
12. gxh5 Rxh5 13. Ng3 Rh8 14. f5 $1 {and Kasparov clearly came out of the
opening on top, though he lost the game in the end.}) 8. Nxd4 Bc5 9. Qd2 O-O
10. O-O-O {Our first major imbalances: 1. Opposite wing attacks. --- 2.
White's e5-point gives him a space advantage. --- QUESTION: It seems to me
this is risky for White, since he castles into an open c-file. Correct? ---
ANSWER: Well, the truth is, it's risky for both sides in any opposite wing
castling situation. It's true that Black has the open c-file, but White's
extra space is a factor which nourishes all attacks.} a6 11. Qf2 $5 {A
sideline. --- QUESTION: What is White's point? --- ANSWER: He wants to play
Bd3, but to do so immediately hangs d4. So he switches his queen to f2 to
enable the plan.} (11. h4 {is the main line; for example,} Nxd4 12. Bxd4 b5 13.
Rh3 b4 14. Na4 Bxd4 15. Qxd4 f6 16. Qxb4 fxe5 17. Qd6 Qf6 18. f5 $3 Qh6+ 19.
Kb1 Rxf5 20. Rf3 Rxf3 21. gxf3 Qf6 22. Bh3 Kf7 23. c4 $1 {and White had a
powerful initiative for the pawn, G.Kasparov-N.Short, Amsterdam 1994.}) 11...
Nxd4 {Black seeks to reduce the pressure through exchanges.} 12. Bxd4 Qc7 13.
Bd3 b5 $6 {A natural move but an inaccuracy.} ({QUESTION: What other move does
Black have then? --- ANSWER: GM Neil McDonald suggested} 13... Bxd4 $1 {,
"dragging the white queen to the centre and only after} 14. Qxd4 {should he
start his counterplay with} b5 {."}) 14. Qh4 $1 {Kramnik immediately takes
advantage of Radja's lapse, and forces a weakness around the black king's
perimeter.} h6 (14... f5 15. Ne2 {, intending g2-g4, soon opens the g-file.})
15. Ne2 f6 {QUESTION: Why does Black voluntarily weaken his kingside? ---
ANSWER: He needs counterplay along the f-file. If he refuses to take action,
then Kramnik simply pries him open with g2-g4-g5.} 16. Qg4 $1 {Provoking ...
f6-f5.} Bxd4 ({Complying with} 16... f5 {looks quite rough for Black after} 17.
Qg6 Qb6 18. Bxc5 Nxc5 19. g4 {, whose counterplay arrives too slowly.}) 17.
Nxd4 Nc5 18. Qg6 $1 {The prima ballerina scoops up the roses tossed to her on
stage by the audience after her performance. Kramnik forces one favourable
imbalance or another: a) Good knight versus bad bishop. --- b) Black plays ...
f6-f5 and allows the line opening g2-g4!.} Nxd3+ {Acquiescing to the inferior
minor piece.} ({Once again if} 18... f5 {then} 19. g4 $1 {.}) 19. Rxd3 {A new
imbalance in White's favour: good knight versus bad bishop.} Qc4 $2 {Sending
the queen on a fool's errand. The queen reinvents herself in Madonna-like
fashion, by taking on the persona of an attacker. Perhaps Black should
consider abbreviating the conversation on the queenside and look to his own
king.} ({QUESTION: Why not just take on e5? --- ANSWER: White picks off a pawn
after} 19... fxe5 20. Nxe6 Bxe6 21. Qxe6+ Kh7 22. Qxe5 Qc4 23. b3 Qxf4+ 24.
Qxf4 Rxf4 25. Rxd5 {.}) ({Instead,} 19... Qf7 20. Qxf7+ Kxf7 21. Re1 {may well
be Black's best hope, though it isn't a very tempting option against one of
the greatest technical players of his generation.}) 20. Rhd1 $1 {Welcome!
Please, be my guest. Come into a2. Black's troop morale suddenly spirals into
the gutter, since taking a2 isn't an option after all.} Ra7 ({QUESTION: Okay,
I give up. Why didn't Black take on a2 if he bothered to attack it last move?
--- ANSWER: The point is Black shouldn't have attacked it in the first place
if he couldn't take it. Here is why:} 20... Qxa2 $2 21. Ra3 $1 Qc4 22. Rc3 $1
Qa2 23. Rg3 $1 ({not} 23. Rc7 $2 Qa1+ 24. Kd2 Qa5+ {and White must mea culpa
the rook back with} 25. Rc3) 23... Qa1+ 24. Kd2 Qa5+ 25. Ke2 Rf7 26. exf6 {
yields White a powerful attack.}) 21. Kb1 Qc7 {An admission that his 19th move
was a waste of time.} 22. f5 $1 {The joyful, advanced pawns are coins tossed
high in the air by a man who just struck it rich.} Qb6 {Clearly matters
degenerated for Black far worse than a mere bad bishop or space issues. His
king now grows fearful of the new, more terrible imbalance: the ominous
build-up around him. Find one powerful move and misfortune falls upon Black
with stuttering frequency. --- EXERCISE (planning): How should White proceed
with his attack? --- ANSWER: Target h6.} ({Black's horrible non-options:} 22...
Qxe5 {drops an exchange to} 23. Nc6 {.}) (22... Qf7 23. Qxf7+ Raxf7 24. fxe6
Re7 25. exf6 Rxf6 26. Re1 {and now, if Black decides to regain his pawn with}
Bxe6 27. Rde3 Kf7 {, his bishop is glued to e6 in an eternal pin. White can
march his king up somehow on the queenside and transpose to a winning king and
pawn ending.}) 23. Rh3 $1 {White's attack is now out of control.} fxe5 24. Rxh6
$1 Rf6 ({Nor will Black survive} 24... exd4 25. Qh7+ Kf7 26. f6 $1 {.}) 25.
Qe8+ Rf8 {White's pieces flow, each move modelled by the move preceding it.
Black's king sits alone, lost in thought, an old man on the park bench
reflecting on his life, now oblivious to the passage of time. --- EXERCISE 
(combination alert): If you find a little trick, you take Black's king for a
joy-ride up the board. How do we begin the process? --- ANSWER: Deflection.
The temporary rook sacrifice severs the lonely king's thin thread to life with
a razor.} 26. Rh8+ $1 {Black's king is the squash ball; White's attackers are
racket and wall.} Kxh8 27. Qxf8+ Kh7 28. Nf3 $1 {Game over. The knight reaches
g5 as the old black king approaches fate with slow, palsied steps.} Qc7 29.
fxe6 e4 30. Ng5+ Kh6 31. h4 Kh5 {The wobbly king, having indulged in too many
drinks at the bar, now eyes the karaoke machine on h5 and tries his hand as a
lounge singer.} 32. Qf5 {There are a million other wins here.} g6 33. g4+ Kxh4
34. Rh1+ Kg3 {The penitent appears before the magistrate, having already made
a de facto admission of guilt from the fact that he sits on g3.} 35. Rg1+ Kh4
36. Qf6 {. Black's king, licked by searing pain, finally lies down to die,
with no more fight left in him.} 1-0

[Event "36: Wijk aan Zee"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kramnik, V."]
[Black "Anand, V."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E05"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "105"]
[EventDate "2007.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. O-O dxc4 7. Qc2 a6 8. Qxc4
b5 9. Qc2 Bb7 10. Bd2 {QUESTION: This move seems awfully passive. What is
White's point? --- ANSWER: Black always strives for the ...c7-c5 break. If he
plays ...Nd7 in preparation, then White plans to slip in the annoying Ba5!.
White's move also accomplishes a couple of other things: he opens up options
for b2-b4, with an eternal clamp over Black's ...c7-c5, and also clears c1 for
a rook.} Ra7 ({Alternatives are} 10... Be4) (10... Nc6) ({and} 10... Nbd7 {.
--- QUESTION: Now I accuse Black of the same passivity. Why develop the rook
to a7? --- ANSWER: There are two ideas behind the move: 1. Black plans to meet
Rc1 with ...Be4, covering the sensitive c7-point. --- 2. Black clears a8 for
his queen, to exert pressure down the a8-h1 diagonal.}) 11. Rc1 Be4 12. Qb3 Nc6
{Preventing Ba5 but at the obvious cost of blocking the ...c7-c5 break.} ({
Instead, B.Gelfand-P.Harikrishna, Bermuda 2005, saw} 12... Nbd7 13. Ba5 Qb8 14.
Qe3 {and again Black has yet to achieve the freeing ...c7-c5.}) 13. e3 Qa8 $1 {
Dual purpose: 1. Black adds force to his control over e4 and the h1-a8
diagonal in general. --- 2. Black clears the way for ...Rc8.} 14. Qd1 ({
QUESTION: Can White pick off Black's powerful light-squared bishop now, or at
least chase it away with} 14. Nc3 {- ? --- ANSWER: The bishop remains on the
long diagonal after the in-between move} Na5 15. Qd1 Bb7 {.}) 14... Nb8 $5 {
Steinitz and Petrosian would be impressed. The sand-coloured flounder lies on
the sea floor on b8, camouflaged and invisible to predators. --- QUESTION: Why
undevelop? --- ANSWER: Black's knight, having completed its job of provoking
e3, now clears the way for the ...c7-c5 break.} 15. Ba5 Rc8 ({QUESTION: Is
White's last move pointless? Black can repeat the position after} 15... Nc6 {
. --- ANSWER: It doesn't repeat the position. White would then gain a tempo
with} 16. Be1 $1 {, clearing the path for Nbd2 and Nb3.}) 16. a3 {Discouraging
...b5-b4.} Bd6 17. Nbd2 Bd5 18. Qf1 {To unpin his f3-knight, while the queen
removes herself from the d-file in case the centre opens.} Nbd7 19. b4 $1 {
QUESTION: I realize White just slammed the door shut on ...c7-c5, possibly for
good, but he voluntarily imprisoned his own bishop on a5 in the process. Was
this wise? --- ANSWER: This is where strategic intuition comes in. Kramnik
reasons that the bishop gets self-trapped, yet remains active. As the game
goes on, he is proven correct in this decision.} e5 $5 {White clamped down on
the c5-break, so Anand goes for the e5-break instead. Unfortunately, it fails
to help and possibly even makes Black's position worse, since White soon
achieves the superior pawn majority. --- QUESTION: What is the alternative?
--- ANSWER: To remain passive - but this just isn't in Anand's nature. My son
drives his Honda Civic as if it were a Maserati. If I owned a Maserati, I
would probably drive it like a Honda Civic! It's difficult to change one's
inner nature. We are who we are.} ({QUESTION: Wouldn't} 19... Nb8 {, intending
...Nc6 next, make White pay for his last move? --- ANSWER: In that case
Kramnik foresaw the trick} 20. Bb6 $1 Rb7 21. Bc5 {, when White retains a mild
bind, while rerouting his formally imprisoned bishop.}) 20. dxe5 Bxe5 $5 {
Anand will later regret this risky decision to hand Kramnik the bishop pair.
In doing so, two imbalances arise: 1. Two bishops versus bishop and knight.
--- 2. Kingside versus an inferior queenside majority.} ({QUESTION: Why did he
give up the bishop pair? It seems like he has a perfectly good position if he
recaptures with the knight. --- ANSWER: Black's position remains somewhat
passive at the end of the line} 20... Nxe5 21. Nxe5 Bxe5 22. Ra2 $1 {. So
Anand chose the riskier, but more active route.}) 21. Nxe5 Nxe5 ({QUESTION:
Shouldn't he swap on g2? It follows the principle of eliminating one of the
opponent's bishops when he has the bishop pair. --- ANSWER: It follows the
principle but is incorrect, since Black gets clamped after} 21... Bxg2 $6 22.
Qxg2 Qxg2+ 23. Kxg2 Nxe5 24. Bb6 $1 Rb7 25. Bd4 Nfd7 26. f4 {, when Black
rapidly loses ground and must nurse a chronic ailment on the c-file as well.})
22. f3 $1 {Dual purpose: 1. Principle: Don't allow an exchange of bishops if
you own the bishop pair. --- 2. White prepares to gain ground by activating
his majority with e3-e4.} Nc4 23. Nxc4 Bxc4 24. Qf2 Re8 ({He still can't break
with} 24... c5 $4 {due to} 25. Bb6 {, when White's crafty a5-bishop merely
played stupid to catch Black with his guard down.}) 25. e4 {Black's majority
remains in stasis due to his inability to engineer ...c7-c5.} c6 {To allow the
sleeping a7-rook into the game. The obvious trouble is that the move is also a
big concession, allowing White's once imprisoned bishop to return to society.}
26. Rd1 {A new imbalance: White's dark-squared bishop - not so out of play -
controls d8, meaning that Black has difficulties challenging the d-file.} Rd7
27. Rxd7 Nxd7 28. Rd1 Qb7 29. Rd6 f6 ({Houdini gives} 29... f5 {, but Black
looks poorly placed after the simple} 30. Qd4 {.}) 30. f4 Re6 31. Rd2 Re7 32.
Qd4 Nf8 33. Qd8 Rd7 $1 {Principle: When under pressure, ease your pain by
forcing exchanges. Anand defends well, remaining stirred, not shaken. Finally,
the armies merge and collide in osmosis at the point where the river meets the
ocean, and the fresh and salt water converge.} 34. Rxd7 Qxd7 35. Qxd7 Nxd7 36.
e5 $1 {The rich loathe paying taxes even more than the middle class or poor.
In this case Kramnik is willing to sac a pawn temporarily in order to activate
his light-squared bishop, who suddenly pops out like a paper cut-out doll in a
children's book.} ({White's move may be even stronger than} 36. Bh3 Nf8 37. Bc8
Bd3 38. e5 fxe5 39. fxe5 Bc4 {, when White wins a pawn but Black manages to
erect a blockade on the light squares.}) 36... fxe5 37. Bxc6 Nf6 38. Bb7 $1 {
Avoiding Anand's trap.} ({Black should draw after} 38. fxe5 $2 Bd5 $1 {.})
38... exf4 39. gxf4 Nd5 40. Kf2 Nxf4 41. Ke3 g5 ({Konstantin Landa suggested
the superior} 41... Ne2 $1 42. Bxa6 ({not} 42. Bf3 $2 Nc3 43. Kd4 Nb1 {with a
probable draw}) 42... Kf7 {, although White still has a shot at winning after}
43. Kd2 $1 {intending a3-a4.}) 42. Bxa6 Kf7 {EXERCISE (combination alert):
White to play and win a pawn. --- ANSWER: Pin. Kramnik methodically continues
to debone the chicken on b5.} 43. a4 $1 {In a bizarre twist of fate, the
players switched pawn majorities! White's tethered bishops suddenly break free,
overpowering their overseer on b5 and strangling him with his own whip. Now
White's queenside pawn majority, coupled with his bishop pair, is decisive.}
Ke7 44. Bxb5 Bxb5 45. axb5 Kd7 46. Ke4 {New imbalances: 1. Superior bishop
versus ungainly knight. --- 2. King position for White. Black's kingside pawns
are in grave danger. If he can manage to swap off his two for White's one on
the kingside, he draws - but he simply can't manage this feat. Kramnik's
technique is just scarily good.} Ne2 {The vagrant knight, despite bleeding
from multiple cuts and abrasions received in battle, fights on oblivious to
the pain. He continues to loiter just outside the kingside, hoping for a way
to eliminate White's h-pawn when there is none to be found.} 47. Bb6 g4 48. Bf2
$1 {Nyet! Of course Kramnik prevents ...g4-g3.} Nc3+ 49. Kf5 Nxb5 {Anand
fights on with noble but, in the end, hopeless valour. The underdog tortoise,
unfazed, plods on hoping to catch sight of the rabbit. Unfortunately, in this
particular children's story, the rabbit wins the race. Black's knight is no
match for White's sweeping bishop, who plays important roles on both sides of
the board.} 50. Kxg4 Ke6 51. Kg5 Kf7 {Black's king hides in the closet and
strives to quiet his ragged breath as he listens for the intruder's footsteps
coming from f5.} 52. Kf5 $1 {It's all over. The b-pawn costs Black a knight
and, to add insult, White remains with the correct colour h-pawn and bishop.}
Ke7 53. Bc5+ {. If Black's king heads queenside, he loses his h-pawn; if he
goes the other way he loses his knight.} 1-0

[Event "37: Nice (blindfold rapid)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2009.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kramnik, V."]
[Black "Leko, P."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D43"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "71"]
[EventDate "2009.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

{It's a bit depressing to reflect upon the fact that Kramnik and Leko play
better blindfolded than most IMs do sighted.} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4.
Nc3 c6 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bh4 dxc4 7. e4 g5 8. Bg3 b5 9. Be2 Bb7 10. O-O {Imbalance
number one: White sheds a pawn for a development lead, central control and
attacking chances. To players who don't know or play this position, this line
of the Semi-Slav may seem like an alien message sent to earth, there only for
the government experts to decrypt and interpret.} ({Kramnik deviated from} 10.
h4 {which he played against Akopian in Chapter Two (see Game 14).}) 10... Nbd7
11. Ne5 {QUESTION: Why does White move the same piece twice in the opening?
--- ANSWER: This is White's main line. He clears the way for his f-pawn to
move forward and also covers against ...Nh5.} ({QUESTION: If White leads in
development, then shouldn't he be looking to create trouble in the centre with
} 11. d5 {- ? --- ANSWER: That is a secondary line. Black's position is solid
enough to withstand such a direct assault. For example,} cxd5 12. exd5 Nxd5 13.
Nxb5 a6 14. Nbd4 $5 ({or} 14. Nd6+ Bxd6 15. Bxd6 Qb6 16. Ba3 Nf4 {and Black's
pieces are tremendously active, K.Koczo-V.Erdos, Budapest 2004}) 14... Bg7 15.
Bxc4 O-O {, when Black's control over d5 compensates him for his slightly
loose kingside structure, A.Shirov-V.Kramnik, Frankfurt (rapid) 1996.}) 11...
Bg7 12. Nxd7 ({Kramnik refuses to speculate with the sharp line} 12. Nxf7 $5
Kxf7 13. e5 Nd5 14. Ne4 Ke7 15. Nd6 Qb6 16. Bg4 {, even if White's attack
compensates for his piece investment, V.Topalov-V.Kramnik, Wijk aan Zee 2008.})
12... Nxd7 13. Bd6 {We reach a sharp, theoretically disputed position where,
so far, Black has been holding up well.} a6 ({Other moves:} 13... Bf8 14. Bxf8
Rxf8 15. e5 Qb6 16. Ne4 O-O-O 17. Nd6+ Kb8 18. b3 c3 19. a4 f6 20. axb5 Nxe5 $1
{is okay for Black, S.Ernst-A.Giri, Dutch Championship, Boxtel 2011.}) (13...
e5 $6 14. Bg4 $1 exd4 15. e5 $1 {and e5-e6! is a scary threat. Black seems to
be in big trouble; White's attack and initiative are worth more than a piece,
E.Najer-V.Shinkevich, Moscow 2010.}) 14. a4 e5 15. Re1 $5 ({Deviating from his
previous games in this line:} 15. Bg4 exd4 16. e5 $1 {(as mentioned in the
previous note, White's attack is ferocious)} c5 $1 {(Black declines the offer)}
17. Re1 Nxe5 18. Bxe5 O-O 19. Bxg7 Kxg7 20. Ne2 f5 21. Bh5 f4 {, when Black's
wall of pawns compensated for the piece, V.Kramnik-L.Aronian, Wijk aan Zee
2008.}) (15. d5 c5 16. b4 $1 Qb6 17. bxc5 Nxc5 18. Bxc5 Qxc5 19. axb5 axb5 20.
Rxa8+ Bxa8 21. Qa1 O-O 22. Qa5 Rb8 23. Rb1 {and Black's b-pawn falls, after
which he fights for equality, V.Kramnik-S.Karjakin, Nice (blindfold rapid)
2008.}) 15... Qf6 {Double attack on d6 and d4.} 16. Ba3 (16. dxe5 Nxe5 {only
helps Black, who threatens ...Rd8.}) 16... Bf8 ({QUESTION: Can't Black get
away with} 16... exd4 {, planning to castle queenside? --- ANSWER: I don't
think he will make it that far:} 17. e5 $1 Qg6 (17... Nxe5 18. Qxd4 Rd8 19. Qa7
Rd7 20. Bg4 {wins}) 18. e6 $1 {and Black is in deep trouble since he can't
take the e-pawn either way.}) 17. Bg4 Rd8 18. axb5 axb5 19. Bxf8 Kxf8 20. Bxd7
{Imbalance number two: knight versus bishop. In this game White's knight
proves to be a better attacker than the bishop is a defender.} Rxd7 21. dxe5
Qe6 $1 ({If Black swaps queens with} 21... Rxd1 22. exf6 Rxe1+ 23. Rxe1 {, he
has a hard time developing his rook.}) 22. Qh5 Qxe5 {EXERCISE (planning):
Black is up a pawn and looks to be consolidating next move with ...Kg7. We
can't let him do that. White utilizes his only trump in the position, his
development lead, to launch an attack. Find the attacking plan. --- ANSWER:
Open lines and create confrontation while ahead in development. After
Kramnik's move the assault is renewed with élan.} 23. f4 $1 {Black can't see
the enemy yet feels his presence, the way you can't see the fly in the room
yet hear the incessant buzzing.} Qxf4 ({QUESTION: Why must Black accept the
offer. Why not refuse with} 23... Qe7 {- ? --- ANSWER: White pries Black open
and attacks anyway after} 24. e5 gxf4 25. e6 fxe6 26. Qe5 Rh7 27. Ne4 $1 {.})
24. Rf1 Qe5 $5 ({QUESTION: Why does Leko allow Kramnik to double rooks with
tempo? --- ANSWER: He wants his queen near his king on e6. Instead, Black may
yet hold on after} 24... Qc7 25. Rf6 b4 26. Rxh6 $1 Rg8 27. Na4 {, but the
odds are against him doing so.}) 25. Rf5 Qe6 26. Raf1 Kg7 $2 {While in public,
a wanted criminal must strive to act naturally and avoid undue motion which
hints at the furtive. --- EXERCISE (planning): Black's last was a mistake
which allowed White's attack to take seed and grow. How would you accomplish
this feat?} ({Leko may have survived after the correct} 26... Rh7 $1 {.}) 27.
Ne2 $2 {Kramnik brings his knight into the game but the wrong way.} ({ANSWER:} 
27. e5 $1 {was correct, after which Black's defences grow lifeless and wither
like brown winter's grass. For example,} Qg6 (27... c5 {, hoping to keep the
knight out of e4, fails to} 28. Rf6 Qe8 29. h4 $1 {and White reaches his goal
through a twisting tunnel of secret conduits hidden in the walls:} gxh4 30.
Qg4+ {wins}) 28. Qe2 Rf8 29. Ne4 {, when White's attack is out of control.})
27... Rf8 ({The computers like} 27... c5 {.}) 28. Ng3 {The homing pigeon flies
directly to her destination: the kingside light squares e4, f5 and h5. Note
the gigantic activity discrepancy: 1. Knight versus a bishop that remains
sealed in the air-tight container on b7. --- 2. White's rooks press hard down
the open f-file, while Black's are destined to remain in positions of humble
servitude.} c5 $2 (28... Qg6 {was his last chance.}) 29. Rf6 $1 {The rooks
raise their glasses and toast Black's queen across the table. Good judgment:
White's queen and knight team easily run down Black's king.} Qxf6 30. Rxf6 Kxf6
31. Qxh6+ Ke7 32. Nf5+ Ke8 {The frightened king curls up like a slug.} 33. Nd6+
Ke7 34. e5 {Threatening mate in one.} Rg8 35. Qf6+ Kf8 {The trembling,
purse-snatching, black king runs down the street with the outraged cries of
the police and the well-dressed white queen behind him. --- EXERCISE 
(combination alert): One strong move and you push Black off the edge. How? ---
ANSWER: Pin/overload.} 36. e6 $1 {. Police investigators always research the
victim's phone records. Who a person associates with tells a lot about them.
In this case, Black's king's demise must be directly attributed to the
sluggish black rooks, who wilfully shirked community participation.} 1-0

[Event "38: Tal Memorial, Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kramnik, V."]
[Black "Grischuk, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E97"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "57"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. d4 O-O 6. Be2 e5 7. O-O Nc6 8. d5
Ne7 9. b4 {The battle begins. The world's leading exponent of the 9 b4 bayonet
King's Indian challenges the leading KID player of his time.} Nh5 10. g3 f5 11.
Ng5 Nf6 12. Bf3 c6 13. Bg2 $1 {The bishop's gyrations prove to be no more than
a nervous twitch. 13 Bg2 was a new move in this position. The will to train
and prepare takes precedence over the will to win over the board.} ({If you
recall, Kramnik played} 13. Ba3 {in Chapter One (see Game 11). Kramnik
confessed that he simply forgot his prep against Giri and had intended his
novelty 13 Bg2! instead. In this game he remembers.}) 13... h6 {QUESTION: What
is White's idea?} ({ANSWER: Kramnik explained after the game in the press
conference: if Black plays} 13... cxd5 14. exd5 $1 {then ...e5-e4 doesn't
arrive with tempo.}) 14. Ne6 Bxe6 15. dxe6 Nxe4 ({QUESTION: Can Black try} 
15... f4 {- ? --- ANSWER: White won't take it. Instead, he simply piles on the
weak d6-pawn by} 16. Qd3 $1 {with a clear advantage.}) 16. Nxe4 fxe4 {Black is
all set for White to recapture on e4. He will then play ...d6-d5 with tempo.
But Kramnik's shocking next move throws Grischuk off.} 17. b5 $1 Rf6 ({
QUESTION: Why not} 17... cxb5 {followed by ...d6-d5 when White recaptures? ---
ANSWER: White has no intention of recapturing. He continues} 18. Rb1 $1 b6 (
18... bxc4 $2 {fails to} 19. Rxb7 d5 20. Rd7 Qe8 21. Ba3 Bf6 22. Bxe7 Bxe7 23.
Qxd5) 19. cxb5 d5 20. Ba3 $1 Bf6 21. Qb3 $1 {, applying unbelievable pressure
upon Black's centre.}) ({QUESTION: What about the plan of planting a knight on
d4, starting with} 17... Nf5 {- ? --- ANSWER: Black still looks like he will
be under some pressure in the following opposite-coloured bishops position:}
18. Bxe4 Qe8 19. bxc6 bxc6 20. Rb1 Nd4 21. Be3 Rc8 22. Bxd4 exd4 23. Re1 $1 {
, when White has the superior bishop, and his e-pawn is still alive and well. (
} Qxe6 $4 24. Bd5 $1 {wins the queen.)}) 18. Bxe4 Rxe6 ({QUESTION: Why isn't
Black going for} 18... d5 {- ? --- ANSWER: White Ba3! theme repeats. For
example,} 19. cxd5 cxd5 20. Ba3 $1 Rxe6 21. Bxe7 Rxe7 22. Bxd5+ Kh7 23. Be4
Qxd1 24. Rfxd1 {and I don't think Black will hold this ending, despite the
opposite-coloured bishops.}) 19. Qa4 $5 {Kramnik said: "White has a strong
initiative. It is unpleasant to play with Black."} d5 20. Rd1 Kh7 ({GM Mikhail
Golubev suggests} 20... d4 {. I'm not a big fan of Black's game after} 21. Ba3
{, but his suggestion may still be Black's best hope.}) 21. cxd5 cxd5 22. Qb3
$1 {Now d5 has Kramnik's undivided attention. Black's pieces, those outside
the law and the dispossessed, gather round but are unable or unwilling to help
out in the defence of the d-pawn.} ({Grischuk says he expected} 22. Ba3 $6 Qe8
23. Bxe7 dxe4 24. Bc5 a6 $1 {, when Black generates counterplay.}) 22... Rb6 $2
{The mad rook isn't listening to anyone but the voices in his head.
Challenging White on the queenside is a bit like the CEO of Cadbury Chocolate
leading the national fight against tooth decay. Grischuk, not liking the
directional course of recent events, hopes to confuse the issue, the way a
defence attorney obfuscates when trying to defend an obviously guilty client.}
({Kramnik thought the text was a decisive error and suggested} 22... Qd7 {,
but even then White applies pressure after} 23. Ba3 d4 24. Rac1 {.}) 23. a4 $1
a6 {The puppy bites playfully at the intruder's ankle, which in no way stops
or slows him down.} 24. Ba3 {Black finds it impossible to flee from the
jurisdiction of White's all-powerful bishops, who lay in wait like jealous
rivals, plotting and watching an enemy from the shadows.} axb5 25. Bxe7 Qxe7
26. Rxd5 {Spasibo - thanks! The opposite-coloured bishops and control over e4
spell doom for Black. Kramnik relegates the enemy bishop to languish on the
lower levels of the bureaucracy, devoid of influence on the position.} b4 ({
Kramnik said} 26... Qe6 $2 {fails to} 27. a5 $1 {.}) 27. a5 Qf7 {The old queen
shakes her fist at the defilers of her position with impotent rage. She fails
to understand that revolution and overthrow are best left for the young and
angry.} 28. h4 $1 {Threat: h4-h5. Old domestication fades, by now a dim memory,
as the pawn goes feral in search of prey.} h5 {Black's last move was
technically a blunder - though (c'est la vie) not really since everything else
lost as well. One senses a dangerous disturbance coming, even if for the
moment it remains hidden. --- EXERCISE (combination alert): How can White
punch through the final barrier and force aside Black's final remnants of
resistance? --- ANSWER: Triple attack. 1) Qxh5+; 2) a5xb6; and 3) Rd7. ---
Kramnik's pieces suddenly well up and burp forth in ferocious activity, like a
recently backed up drain spewing forth old ooze, long held prisoner in the
pipes.} 29. Qd1 $1 ({Since} 29. Qd1 $1 Rf6 30. Rd7 Qe6 31. Rxb7 {is completely
hopeless for Black.}) 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "5: Accumulating Advantages"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.10"]

{For the last two decades, my wife Nancy and I, when walking our dogs, go by
the house of some odd ex-hippy neighbours. We call them "The Vans", mainly
because this family owns six rusted Volkswagen Vans, three bizarrely painted
Beatles Yellow Submarine yellow, plus one each white, blue and green as
emergency backup vans, just in case something goes wrong with the yellows. For
two decades I always announced "Hi!" or raised a friendly arm in greeting.
They always ignored us. We may as well have been residents of another
dimension, unseen and unheard. For years, Nancy kept inquiring: "Why do you
bother saying hello?" My determined response: "Mark my words woman. They will
love us, whether they want to or not! I will bring them to their knees!" Well,
I'm happy to finally report victory for House Lakdawala (under my visionary
leadership) in our protracted greeting/non-greeting war. Just last month,
father, mother, son and daughter "Van" finally capitulated by waving back at
us. The moral: dogged persistence pays off for those with patience. ---
Kramnik's games in this chapter are reminiscent of our great triumph over "The
Vans". Almost imperceptibly, Kramnik chips gradually away, increasing his
strategic portfolio with this gain and that, until the accumulated weight
forces collapse on opponents who never really feel threatened, until it is too
late.} *

[Event "39: Gelendzhik"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1987.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kramnik, V."]
[Black "Chumachenko, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B21"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "63"]
[EventDate "1987.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

1. e4 c5 2. f4 {QUESTION: Have we transposed to some kind of Reversed Dutch?
--- ANSWER: You can look at it that way. Technically this is an offbeat line
of the Grand Prix Sicilian.} b6 {A passive but playable reaction. --- QUESTION:
How should Black set up against this line?} ({ANSWER: Most of the top players
tend to favour the pawn sac} 2... d5 {, intending} 3. exd5 Nf6 $1 4. Bb5+ (4.
c4 e6 5. dxe6 Bxe6 6. Nf3 Nc6 {, A.Rosich Valles-G.Kasparov, Barcelona simul
1988, gives Black tremendous play for the bargain price of a pawn: he leads in
development and owns a juicy hole on d4}) 4... Bd7 5. Bxd7+ Qxd7 6. c4 e6 7.
Qe2 Bd6 8. d3 O-O 9. dxe6 fxe6 {, when Black's massive development lead, and
targets on d4 and f4 offered him excellent compensation, N.Short-G.Kasparov,
Paris (rapid) 1990.}) 3. c4 $5 {Kramnik wants to get back to a Maróczy
Bind-style Sicilian.} Bb7 ({Houdini suggests the inhuman} 3... e5 $5 4. d3 Nc6
5. Nf3 Bd6 {, though Black's position strikes me as artificial and overly
computery after the simple} 6. f5 {.}) 4. Nc3 e6 ({QUESTION: Can Black goad
White forward with} 4... Nf6 {- ? --- ANSWER: It doesn't look so good for
Black after} 5. e5 $1 Ne4 $2 {, as White quickly exploits the unwise knight
with} 6. Qf3 $1 ({GM Paul Motwani gives} 6. Nb1 {an exclamation mark but I'm
not so sure about it; e.g.} e6 7. Nf3 g5 $1 8. d3 g4 9. dxe4 gxf3 10. Qxf3 Nc6
{and Black gets some compensation for the pawn}) 6... Nd6 7. Qh3 Nc8 8. Bd3 e6
9. Nf3 d6 10. O-O {, when I don't trust Black's tangled position.}) ({Another
option is} 4... Nc6 5. Nf3 Nd4 $5 {(to mess up White's plans of transposing
into an Open Sicilian)} 6. d3 e6 7. Be3 Nxf3+ 8. Qxf3 Ne7 {intending ...Nc6.
Now if White insists upon an Open structure, his centre may come under fire
after} 9. d4 $5 cxd4 10. Bxd4 Nf5 11. Bf2 Bb4 12. Bd3 Nd6 {, when ...f7-f5 is
in the air.}) 5. Nf3 d6 6. d4 cxd4 7. Nxd4 {The sight of Kramnik on the white
side of an Open Sicilian always strikes one as anomalous. As it happens, I
utilize the Kramnik opening game-plan too: I generally open with the "safety
first" 1 d4! or 1 Nf3! in four out of five games, but then cunningly toss in
the dubious but fun 1 e4?! (the question mark is an objective evaluation - the
exclam is for the excellent practical chances White gets!) in the fifth game
just to keep my opponents guessing. The really sad, strange part of it is that
my score with 1 e4?! is actually higher than with 1 d4! and 1 Nf3!. And yet,
for some neurotic, Charlie Brown-like reason, I never muster the courage to
reverse the ratio, but continue to play 1 e4?! in only 20% of my games! On the
other hand, Kramnik recently said that in his heart he wanted to play 1 e4
versus Kasparov in their 2000 World Championship match, but found the
theoretical challenge too daunting and played it safe with 1 d4 instead -
which as we all know now, worked out just fine!} Nf6 8. Bd3 Nbd7 9. Qe2 {To
cover against ...Nc5.} Be7 10. O-O ({QUESTION: Isn't} 10. e5 {crushing? ---
ANSWER: It's too early. Black has} dxe5 11. fxe5 Nc5 $1 {and White suddenly
finds himself overextended.}) 10... O-O 11. Kh1 {QUESTION: Is such a move
really necessary? Black already played ...b7-b6, so White doesn't have to
worry about ...Qb6. --- ANSWER: The move is necessary. The trouble is that if
White tries to save a tempo and avoid Kh1, then he has trouble playing for
e4-e5 tricks, because this opens the c5-square for Black's dark-squared bishop.
} Qc7 $6 {It turns out he never gets time for ...a7-a6 later on, so the queen
move leads to a tempo loss.} ({The immediate} 11... a6 {was required.}) 12. f5
$1 {QUESTION: Giving up the e5-square? --- ANSWER: It is committal but strong.
White hands over control of e5, correctly judging that his space advantage and
attacking chances more than compensate.} e5 $6 {By closing the centre, Black
eliminates his source of counterplay as well.} ({It was crucial to maintain
the central tension and risk} 12... Nc5 $1 13. fxe6 fxe6 14. Bc2 Qd7 15. Bd2 $1
(15. b4 $6 Ncxe4 $1 {exploits the back rank}) 15... a5 16. Ndb5 {. I still
dislike Black's position, which is under pressure, but it's better than what
he got in the game.}) 13. Ndb5 Qd8 14. Nd5 $1 Nxd5 {EXERCISE (planning): Which
way should White recapture? --- If he takes with his c-pawn he gets a bind. If
he captures with his e-pawn he clears e4 for his pieces. --- ANSWER: Clearing
e4 for his knight offers White a potent attack.} (14... a6 15. Nbc3 {didn't
look terribly tempting for Black either, yet might again be more accurate than
the game continuation.}) 15. exd5 $1 a6 {Chasing the white knight exactly
where it wants to go can't be so great, but I am out of defensive suggestions
for Black, who may be strategically lost here, despite the computer's cheerful
assessment.} ({QUESTION: What happens if Black tries to muck things up in the
centre with} 15... Nc5 16. Bc2 a6 17. Nc3 b5 $5 {- ? --- ANSWER: White simply
ignores the provocation and proceeds toward Black's king with} 18. Rf3 $1 {,
threatening to clear the way by f5-f6! next move, followed by a bishop sac on
h7. I played around with the computer in this line and White got a crushing
attack each time. Here is one brutal example:} Re8 19. Rh3 Nd7 20. f6 $1 Nxf6
21. Bxh7+ $1 Kf8 ({or} 21... Nxh7 22. Qh5) 22. Bf5 Ng8 23. Rh8 Bf6 24. Bh7 Ke7
25. c5 $1 dxc5 26. Be3 Rc8 27. Rd1 $1 {and Black gets obliterated.}) ({
QUESTION: Why not just play the knight to f6? --- ANSWER: On f6 the knight is
vulnerable to g2-g4-g5. Still, I agree that your suggestion may be Black's
best survival shot in the position:} 15... Nf6 $1 16. g4 $1 h6 17. Nc3 Nh7 18.
Be3 {and although Black lacks counterplay, White's slow build-up toward a
kingside break won't be so easy here. He may even decide to switch over to the
queenside in search of gains.}) 16. Nc3 Bf6 (16... Nc5 17. Bc2 b5 18. Rf3 $1 {
is the same old story.}) 17. Be3 $1 {Planning to eliminate Black's knight if
it dares to step to c5.} Rc8 18. Ne4 Nc5 19. Bxc5 $1 {The bishop greets the
knight with 99% welcome and 1% ill will. Kramnik's sigil: the formation of an
attack, purely achieved through superior strategic build-up. Now White's
knight rules from e4 and his pieces work in harmony, at familiar ease, like
people in a small town who have known one another their entire lives. ---
QUESTION: I don't see why. Didn't Kramnik just give away all his dark squares?
Black can establish a blockade with ...h7-h6. --- ANSWER: Well, that is
exactly what he tried in the game, but Kramnik blew him away anyway! I agree
that it requires astonishing strategic prescience to see that he is indeed
destined to smash through the dark-squared blockade attempt.} bxc5 20. Qd2 $1 {
Here comes g2-g4-g5.} Rb8 21. a3 $5 {The positional player's disease: he gets
seduced away from the kingside attack by the promise of safer, queenside
speculation. Kramnik contemplates possible queenside manoeuvres with b2-b4,
but he probably would be better off omitting such distractions.} a5 22. g4 $1 {
He changes his mind and returns to the attack.} h6 {Black believes he speaks
the language of evasion and stealth. He erected an iron-clad dark-square
blockade. Or did he...? Matters are not so simple. Complex plots and subplots
bubble just below the surface of the pot. --- EXERCISE (planning): How can
White obliterate the blockade and smash through on the kingside? --- ANSWER:
Deflection. Kramnik gathers fragmentary bits of data and synthesizes his
findings into a cohesive plan. His move wins by force - and yet Houdini,
blissfully ignorant, claims the game is dead equal here.} 23. h4 $3 {The
unbeliever isn't swayed by the priest's benediction upon the h4-square. The
visual power of such a move has a way of chiselling itself into the recesses
of our minds.} Bxh4 {The bishop tiptoes in but soon finds White's angry queen
waiting for him with hands on hips. Have you ever had a dream so disorienting
and so alien that you felt it was someone else's? Black's king may be in the
throes of just such a dream.} 24. f6 $1 {Vlad the Impaler strikes. He squeezes
the wet dish-rag and wrings the dirty water out.} Bc8 ({Motwani points out
that, if} 24... g5 {, "then White's queen would rapidly find her way to the
h7-square after a few preparatory moves such as Bc2, Qd3 and Nxg5". Not to
mention plans like Rf3, Rh3, Rxh4 and Qxh6.}) 25. Qh2 Rb3 $2 {Now he gets
slaughtered.} ({He had to try} 25... g5 $1 {(the correct timing)} 26. Qe2 $1
Qd7 27. Rg1 Re8 28. Raf1 Rb3 29. Nd2 $1 Rxd3 30. Qxd3 {, when White still has
some work ahead of him.}) 26. Bc2 $1 {Reminding Black that King Kram will have
it all his way.} ({Not} 26. Qxh4 $2 Rxd3 {, when g4-g5 is unplayable due to ...Rh3+.}) 26... Rxb2 27. Qxh4 Rxc2 28. g5 $1 {Malicious, vexed spirits circle
Black's king. Now Black merely receives an inferior, truncated version of his
original intent. No more rook check on h3 in this line.} Qd7 {Black's queen is
one of those annoying people who first announces what she will do rather than
go ahead and just do it. For Black, there is good news and bad news. The good
news is he saves himself from mate; the bad news: he must play an endgame a
rook down, which isn't all that much better than getting mated! In such
mathematized positions, it is permissible to declare absolute statements of
right and wrong, so I will: Black is done for!} 29. fxg7 Qh3+ (29... Kxg7 30.
Qxh6+ {mates next move, as Black's king stares at the sky into nothing, with
the unblinking eyes of the deceased.}) 30. Qxh3 Bxh3 31. gxf8=Q+ Kxf8 32. Rf2
1-0

[Event "40: World Junior Ch., Guarapuava"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1991.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Polgar, Zso"]
[Black "Kramnik, V."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B33"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "90"]
[EventDate "1991.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

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. Bxf6 ({This line tends to produce sharper positions than reached by} 
9. Nd5 Be7 10. Bxf6 Bxf6 {which we examined in Chapter One (see Game 7).}) 9...
gxf6 10. Nd5 f5 {It is imperative that Black achieve this freeing move before
White has a chance to establish any kind of bind on f5.} ({The main
alternative is} 10... Bg7 {, by which Black defers the ...f7-f5 break; for
example,} 11. Bd3 Ne7 12. Nxe7 Qxe7 13. O-O O-O 14. c4 f5 15. Qf3 Qb7 16. Qe2
b4 17. Nc2 f4 18. b3 Be6 {looked dynamically balanced, H.Nakamura-T.Radjabov,
Wijk aan Zee 2012.}) 11. Bd3 {The main line.} (11. c3) (11. exf5) ({and even
the crazy} 11. Bxb5 {are also played here.}) 11... Be6 {QUESTION: Isn't it
more important for Black to get castled as quickly as possible? --- ANSWER:
Kramnik's move is the best one in the position. He prevents e4xf5 and
threatens to plug d5 with a pawn by taking White's knight on that square.} 12.
c3 Bg7 {QUESTION: If the goal is to take on d5, then why doesn't Black get on
with it and do so immediately?} ({ANSWER: The pesky tactics get in the way. It
may be too early to take, since} 12... Bxd5 $6 13. exd5 Ne7 14. Nxb5 {wins a
pawn - though, oddly enough, Black actually has a pretty respectable score
from this position. This may just be a statistical anomaly, or perhaps Black
gets some compensation from White's lost time in grabbing the pawn.
Nevertheless, I would be happy to grab such a pawn, even with the mediocre
stats for White!}) 13. O-O Bxd5 {As intended, Kramnik fills the d5-hole in
with a white pawn.} 14. exd5 Ne7 15. Qh5 e4 {Black opens up the e5-square for
his knight or bishop.} 16. Bc2 Qa5 ({In a later game Kramnik diverged here with
} 16... O-O 17. Rae1 Qc8 18. Bb3 a5 $5 19. Qg5 ({if} 19. Nxb5 {, then} a4 20.
Bd1 Qc5 21. Be2 Nxd5 {, intending} 22. Qxf5 Nxc3 $1) 19... Qb7 20. f3 h6 21.
Qg3 a4 22. Bc2 b4 23. Nc4 Qxd5 24. fxe4 Qxc4 25. exf5 {, reaching an unclear
mess, A.Shirov-V.Kramnik, Wijk aan Zee 2003.}) 17. Rae1 Ra7 18. Kh1 {EXERCISE 
(combination alert): White is all set to play f2-f3 and go after Black's king.
But Black has play too. He can win a pawn here, not so much out of greed, but
more to gain a strategic advantage. How? --- ANSWER: Overload. Nothing is
sacrosanct to the mind of the heretic. Black gives away his pride and joy to
play for the superior minor piece.} Bxc3 $1 19. bxc3 Qxa3 {Kramnik banks on
the fact that his knight will be better than White's bishop.} 20. Bb3 Qb2 21.
f3 $1 Rg8 22. g3 f4 $1 23. fxe4 fxg3 $1 24. Rxf7 {White continues to inflict
damaging gashes and striations to Black's king cover, as the loose pawns ooze
out like the entrails of a morally wounded gunshot victim. However,
appearances deceive. Black is still okay.} Kd8 {If you can't castle, then run!}
25. Qh6 $1 {White's queen hovers menacingly over d6 and f8 with unspeakable,
unspoken threats.} Qxc3 26. Rf8+ $2 {After this move White's position soon
manifests as a shredded, besmirched memory of its former glory.} ({Instead,} 
26. Qxd6+ $1 {leads to perpetual check after} Ke8 27. Rxe7+ Rxe7 28. Qb8+ Kd7
29. Qb7+ Kd8 {.}) 26... Rxf8 27. Qxf8+ Kd7 28. Rf1 Qe3 $1 {Forcing the queens
off the board. Suddenly, the hostile's numbers dwindle until they lose all
semblance of an intimidating force.} 29. Qf4 Qxf4 30. Rxf4 gxh2 {QUESTION: Are
Black's advantages enough for a win? --- ANSWER: It won't be easy, but I think
so: 1. The knight may reach the powerful e5-square. --- 2. Black holds
ownership of a fast queenside pawn majority. --- 3. White's king is out of the
loop, with no viable land routes and no short cuts to the queenside. He must
endure the long sea voyage.} 31. Bd1 Kc7 $1 32. Rf7 Kb6 33. Rxh7 Rc7 34. Kxh2
$6 {EXERCISE (combination alert): At long last White re-establishes material
equality. Or did she...? --- ANSWER: If you lack sufficient military might to
overcome an enemy, then do the next best thing: Strike at the opponent
economically.} Nxd5 $1 {The beggar dares to break the white rook's gaze, as
Black's rook and knight meet, exchange secret passwords, then go their
separate ways. After this startling turn of events, the intended prey suddenly
turns upon and attacks the stalking predator.} 35. Rxc7 $2 ({White has a
better shot at holding the game after} 35. Rh6 $1 Nc3 36. Rxd6+ Rc6 $1 37. Rd2
Nxe4 {, but would probably still lose, mainly because her king is a million
miles away from the action.}) 35... Nxc7 {White is busted: 1. Black is up a
pawn. --- 2. White's king is off somewhere trying to find himself. --- 3. The
a2- and e4-pawns are a coagulate of ugly polyps, both threatened with surgical
removal. --- 4. Black's nimble knight remains the superior minor piece.} 36.
Kg3 Kc5 37. Kf4 Kd4 38. Kf5 b4 39. Ba4 a5 40. Bc6 Kc5 41. Bd7 Nb5 42. e5 $1 {
So close; Polgar (a non-Judit version!) eliminates one of her weaknesses.} dxe5
43. Kxe5 Nc3 44. Be6 {EXERCISE (combination alert): Put White away. --- ANSWER:
White's bishop, all alone, is helpless against the two connected passers.} Nxa2
$1 {On a breezy autumn day, the tree cherishes its lone, solitary leaf,
clinging to life, determined not to join its brethren on the ground cover
below.} 45. Bxa2 {White's actors recite their lines, but where is the
audience? Perhaps it is a poorly attended play?} a4 {. The pawns swarm the
lone bishop like paparazzi giving chase to Kim Kardashian.} 0-1

[Event "41: European Team Ch., Debrecen"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1992.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kramnik, V."]
[Black "Lputian, S."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D37"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "51"]
[EventDate "1992.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Be7 5. Bf4 O-O 6. e3 c6 {The ultra-passive,
ultra-solid, old-school Orthodox Queen's Gambit Declined. I just finished a
book on Capablanca, in which there are a load of games from this position. ---
QUESTION: What do you suggest as a more dynamic option?} ({ANSWER: These days
most GMs prefer} 6... c5 {. Black willingly takes on an isolani to free his
game. The positions can get incredibly sharp, and even opposite wings castling
may arise; for example,} 7. dxc5 Bxc5 8. Qc2 Nc6 9. a3 Qa5 10. O-O-O $5 Be7 11.
h4 $5 {, when all hell breaks loose, G.Kasparov-R.Vaganian, Novgorod 1995.}) 7.
Qc2 Nbd7 8. h3 {To preserve his bishop from ...Nh5.} a6 9. Rd1 {QUESTION: What
is White waiting for? Why not the more natural Bd3 - ? --- ANSWER: Then Black
would play ...d5xc4, gaining a tempo. Kramnik stalls the bishop development,
hoping to outwait Black. --- QUESTION: Why did White play his rook to d1 and
not to c1, where it would be on an open file? --- ANSWER: Because d1 is a more
subtle square for the rook. It discourages ...c6-c5, since that move would
open the rook's gaze on Black's queen on d8.} h6 10. a3 {Both sides stubbornly
wait for the other.} dxc4 $6 {Lputian loses patience and hands Kramnik a tempo.
} ({He should stubbornly continue stalling with} 10... Re8 $5 {.}) 11. Bxc4 Nd5
{Black seeks freedom through exchanges.} ({QUESTION: Why not gain the tempo
back with} 11... b5 {- ? --- ANSWER: White stands clearly better after} 12. Ba2
Bb7 13. e4 Re8 14. Bb1 $1 Nf8 15. b4 $1 {, L.Psakhis-E.Pigusov, Novosibirsk
1993.}) 12. O-O $1 {A brilliant strategic decision. What happens if a
religion's god gets bored, and packs up and leaves his worshippers? In a new
period of adjustment, White must now learn to live without his f4-bishop/god,
and his blessings and wrathful curses. --- QUESTION: Earlier you said White
played h2-h3 to preserve his bishop. --- Now he calmly allows Black to swap
off his knight for that same bishop, damaging his pawn structure to boot. Why?
--- ANSWER: Kramnik's move may seem like an erratic decision or even mad logic,
but somehow he makes it work. Let's collect the raw data and build a composite
sketch of White's hidden compensation from the transaction: 1. The newly
altered structure puts Black in a vice grip on e5. --- 2. Black's knight was a
defender of his king, who just got a little less safe with its departure. ---
3. White opened the e-file for his rook. --- 4. Black will have a painfully
difficult time activating his pug-ugly light-squared bishop.} ({I will bet
virtually every other GM in the world would have played the standard} 12. Bh2 {
at this point.}) 12... Nxf4 {Who could resist such temptation?} ({With the
advantage of hindsight, maybe} 12... Nxc3 {should be considered.}) 13. exf4 Qc7
14. Ne5 Nf6 ({QUESTION: Why can't Black just break free now with} 14... c5 {-
? --- ANSWER: Perhaps he should have gone for it. Nevertheless, White's pieces
generate tremendous activity after} 15. d5 $1 Nxe5 16. fxe5 Qxe5 17. Rfe1 Qc7
18. dxe6 Bxe6 19. Bxe6 fxe6 20. Rxe6 {, when the knight is eager to jump onto
the d5 (or even e4) square next.}) 15. Ba2 $1 {A queen/bishop battery to h7 is
in the air.} Bd7 {The crippled bishop hobbles forward a single square, with
nowhere appealing to travel after that.} 16. Bb1 Be8 $2 {If one member rows
off rhythm, the entire boat loses the race. --- EXERCISE (combination alert):
Black's last move was an error. Kramnik finds an explosive idea, inciting a
harsh chain of events which sink Black's position. Let's see if you can find
it. --- ANSWER: Breaking Black's iron blockade looks to be a vast undertaking,
yet through a quirk of strange geometry, Kramnik impossibly strikes at the
most heavily protected sanctuary on the board: d5.} ({He has to play something
like} 16... Rfd8 {, although Black's position still looks quite miserable
after the scary} 17. g4 $1 {.}) 17. d5 $3 Rd8 {No choice. Lputian realizes he
just wandered into a minefield.} ({He has no chance but to keep perfectly
still, since motion in any direction is fatal:} 17... cxd5 $4 {loses on the
spot to the crushing overload shot} 18. Nxd5 $1) ({and} 17... exd5 $4 {loses
the same way.}) 18. Rfe1 $1 {Arriving at a new level of sangfroid. It takes
staggering self-assurance to play such a move and not break the tension.} Kh8 {
Black outguns his opponent 4:2 in his coverage of d5 - and yet, unbelievably,
he still can't move a muscle to take it.} 19. dxe6 Rxd1 20. Rxd1 fxe6 21. Ne4
$1 {Threatening to remove the sole defender of the mate square, h7. Kramnik
gets the all-clear signal to launch a direct assault on Black's once safe king.
The ramifications: White's last move contradicts and debunks the theory of the
black king's absolute safety.} g6 {Black weakens further to fence in his king,
hoping to protect the grazing lamb from the wolf.} 22. Nc5 $1 {Double attack
on e6 and g6. White's game flows like a poem. We get the palpable feeling that
with each move Black's pieces somehow diminish, while Kramnik's gather power.}
Bxc5 (22... Qc8 23. Nxg6+ $1 Bxg6 24. Qxg6 Bxc5 25. Qxh6+ Kg8 {(the escaped
prisoner squats in the dark sewer, hoping to elude the guards above)} 26. Qg5+
$1 Kh8 27. Qxc5 {leaves White two pawns up with a crushing position.}) 23. Qxc5
Rg8 ({Or} 23... Qg7 24. Rd6 Bf7 25. Qa7 {and Black collapses.}) 24. Ba2 $1 {
Dance! Kramnik unexpectedly switches targets.} Kg7 ({The alternatives are just
as hopeless:} 24... Bf7 25. Qd6 $1 {and the overload trick wins material}) ({
while after} 24... Nd5 25. Bxd5 $1 exd5 {White exploits a pin with} 26. Rxd5 $1
{.}) 25. Bxe6 Rf8 {Within the vivid mandala of torment, Black's game reminds
us of the Edvard Munch painting of that famously anguished figure clutching
his head. --- EXERCISE (combination alert): Black's haunted castle has many
entrances but few exits. White can end the game in style. How? --- ANSWER:
Interference/zwischenzug. Kramnik's last move seals the stone lid of Black's
sarcophagus.} 26. Nd7 $1 ({After} 26. Nd7 $1 Nxd7 {(Black is unable to master
the compulsion to strangle the smirking d7-knight)} 27. Rxd7+ $1 Qxd7 (27...
Bxd7 28. Qe7+ {mates}) 28. Bxd7 Bxd7 29. Qd4+ {, the remaining corpses are
carelessly tossed in a trench, left to rot.}) 1-0

[Event "42: German League"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1994.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Rozentalis, E."]
[Black "Kramnik, V."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B31"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "74"]
[EventDate "1993.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 g6 4. O-O Bg7 5. c3 {QUESTION: Why isn't White
taking Black's knight? --- ANSWER: This is the older handling of Rossolimo.
White plays as if in a Closed Lopez, slowly building his centre with c2-c3 and
d2-d4. --- QUESTION: What is Black's best plan? --- ANSWER: A quick ...d7-d5!
to challenge White's centre gives Black dynamic equality. --- QUESTION: Do you
think White has a better shot at an edge in this line or the other one, where
he takes immediately on c6? --- ANSWER: I think the other line, with an early
Bxc6, is more dangerous. In fact, I actually prefer Black's game if we follow
theory in the c2-c3 version.} Nf6 ({QUESTION: If you say the position is a bit
like a Closed Ruy Lopez, wouldn't} 5... e5 {be more in the spirit of the
position? --- ANSWER: That move is also playable. The problem is that the
position won't be closed for long once White plays} 6. d4 $1 cxd4 7. cxd4 exd4
8. Bf4 {, Z.Jovanovic-Z.Kozul, Croatian Championship, Zagreb 2004. This
position is supposed to be okay for Black too, but I don't trust it: White's
dark-squared bishop will soon land on d6.}) 6. Re1 O-O 7. d4 d5 $1 ({More
combative than} 7... cxd4 8. cxd4 d5 9. e5 Ne4 10. Nc3 {, G.Kasparov-A.Shirov,
Linares 2002, which is also okay for Black.}) 8. e5 ({After} 8. exd5 Qxd5 9. c4
Qd6 10. d5 (10. dxc5 Qxd1 11. Rxd1 Ne4 {is at least equal}) 10... Nd4 $1 11.
Nxd4 cxd4 12. Nd2 (12. Qxd4 $2 Ng4 $1 13. Qf4 Qxf4 14. Bxf4 Bxb2 {wins material
}) 12... a6 13. Ba4 b5 $1 14. Bb3 Bb7 {, Black managed to dismantle White's
centre. Channel 4 Viewers-G.Kasparov, London 1993.}) 8... Ne4 9. h3 {Guarding
his sensitive d4-point from ...Bg4 and ...Bxf3. The trouble is that the move
is really slow. --- QUESTION: Does it make sense to take on c6 and damage
Black's structure? --- ANSWER: Not at this stage.} ({Black easily dissolves
the pawn weakness and keeps the bishop pair after} 9. Bxc6 bxc6 10. Nbd2 cxd4
11. cxd4 c5 $1 {. If White continues} 12. Nxe4 $6 ({whereas} 12. dxc5 Nxc5 13.
Nb3 Nxb3 14. Qxb3 d4 $1 {is equal, A.Grischuk-P.Leko, Dubai (rapid) 2002})
12... dxe4 13. Rxe4 Bb7 {, he ends up fighting for equality despite his extra
pawn.}) 9... Qb6 $1 10. Ba4 {It makes no sense to chop on c6 now, giving away
the bishop pair and light squares for nothing.} Bf5 (10... Be6 $5 {also looks
playable, M.Holzhaeuer-A.Engelhart, Illertissen 2005.}) 11. Na3 {White finds
himself contorting to develop.} cxd4 12. cxd4 f6 {Chipping away at the white
centre.} ({Black can also proceed in Advance French style with something like} 
12... Rac8 13. Nc2 Bd7 14. Ne3 e6 {.}) 13. Bb3 Rad8 14. exf6 ({QUESTION: Did
White just miss a combination:} 14. g4 $1 Be6 15. Rxe4 $1 {- ? --- ANSWER: The
variation you give is exactly correct, but you are under the assumption that
the end position is good for White. It isn't! Black stands clearly better here,
because after} dxe4 16. Bxe6+ Kh8 {White must return the piece with an
overextended game. If he tries to hang on to his material by} 17. Nh2 $4 {, he
gets slaughtered after} Nxd4 {with unanswerable threats.}) 14... exf6 15. Nc2
$5 ({Perhaps White has arrived at the stage where he should be looking for
equality, say with something like} 15. Nh4 Qxd4 16. Qxd4 Nxd4 17. Nxf5 gxf5 $1
18. Bd1 f4 $1 19. Bxf4 f5 {, when Black's powerful centralization compensates
for White's not-so-impressive bishop pair.}) 15... Rfe8 16. Bf4 {A natural
move, but Kramnik quickly turns this piece into a target.} ({Then again,} 16.
Ne3 {is simply met by} Be6 {and White's queenside remains undeveloped.}) 16...
Be6 17. Re2 {White's opening has been a fiasco, reminiscent of Colin Powell's
UN address on the "proof" of Iraq's WMDs. Externally, White looks okay, but
this is a deception. Black's threats may seem far off, like dark rain clouds
which promise a storm - but not right now. Well, in fact "now" arrived and
looks impatient. Black utilizes his trumps: flexible kingside pawns, coupled
with pressure on d4 and on the queenside.} g5 $1 {Black's serve. White can do
nothing but defend for the remainder of the game.} 18. Bh2 f5 $1 19. Qe1 ({
White's game sours quickly after} 19. Ne5 f4 $1 {(seizing control over e5)} 20.
Nxc6 bxc6 {.}) 19... Bf7 $1 20. Rd1 $6 {Passive.} ({He had to try and break
free of the bind with the risky} 20. Ne3 {.}) 20... f4 $1 {The recipe calls
for overnight marinating of that poor guy on h2, who stands out like a beetle
in a bowl of vanilla ice cream. The docile, neutered bishop, frosted in place
on h2, is unable to take even a single step, and no longer represents a force
in the battle for control over e5.} 21. g3 $1 {White composes himself and
begins to fight back. --- QUESTION: Risky? --- ANSWER: There is no such thing
as risky when on the cusp of busted. Devoid of real choice, White weakens,
since he must find a way to activate the h2-bishop.} fxg3 22. fxg3 Rf8 23. Kg2
Na5 $1 {The knight savours her new, elevated social status on a5.} 24. Qb4 Qxb4
25. Nxb4 Nxb3 26. axb3 Rd6 $1 {Target: b3.} ({Here} 26... g4 $1 27. hxg4 Be6 {
was also strong.}) 27. Nd3 Rb6 28. b4 Rc8 {The sounds of industry and the
pounding rhythm of White's machinery grow dim and silent, as his factories are
boarded up and closed for good. Black built up multiple strategic trumps: 1.
He owns the bishop pair. --- 2. He controls the light squares. --- 3. He has a
pick of numerous pawn targets, like b4 and d4. --- 4. He controls the open
c-file and his pieces are more active than White's.} 29. Nfe5 Be8 $1 {A move
which if not evoking pandemonium from White, then at least the downgraded
status of unease. One can see the faint outline of the creature emerging from
the forest, moving in the direction of the town. Black's unopposed
light-squared bishop looks for fresh feeding grounds on the queenside.} 30. g4
Ba4 31. Ra1 Bb5 32. Rd1 (32. Rxa7 $4 {hangs a piece to} Bxe5 $1 {.}) 32... Bf8
$1 {Threat: ...Bxb4.} 33. Rde1 Bd6 $1 {Once again threatening to take on e5,
winning material. I'm beginning to wonder whether this game should have been
placed in the Riding the Dynamic Element chapter!} 34. Re3 {White's troops
await instruction but receive none, since nothing helps at this stage.} (34.
Rd1 {is met by} Bxb4 $1 {.}) 34... Rc2+ {Add control over the seventh rank to
Black's long list of accumulated advantages.} 35. Kg1 {Cornered and with
dwindling ammunition, it's only a matter of attrition before White cracks. The
queenside topsoil, leeched of all nutrients, is deemed insufficient for plant
growth. --- EXERCISE (combination alert): Black to play and win material. ---
ANSWER: The pair of wobbly b-pawns marks the spot of the soft underbelly. It
is there that Kramnik slowly inserts his blade and twists. Now White must
undertake a trail of two steps to try and survive: Step 1: Pray. --- Step 2: I
lied. There is no Step 2! Please return to Step 1!} ({Challenging the second
rank is not an option:} 35. R3e2 $4 Rxe2+ 36. Rxe2 Bxe5 $1 {pulls the same old
dirty trick.}) 35... Bxd3 $1 36. Rxd3 Rxb2 37. Rc1 R6xb4 0-1

[Event "43: World Championship, London"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2000.??.??"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Kramnik, V."]
[Black "Kasparov, G."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "D27"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "147"]
[EventDate "2000.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nf3 e6 4. e3 c5 5. Bxc4 a6 6. O-O Nf6 7. dxc5 {Kramnik
dips the blade in poison, so that the tiniest cut induces death. --- QUESTION:
What are you talking about? This looks wimpy. Is Kramnik just overtly playing
for the draw? --- ANSWER: Not with the white pieces in a match. Memorize the
following equation: subtle does not necessarily equal drawish! There is a
difference between playing for a draw and playing safely for the win. Kramnik,
a master of queenless middlegames, steers his tactically all-powerful opponent
into purely sedate channels, where Kram's own strategic prowess and endgame
skills shine, while Kasparov's strengths diminish.} Qxd1 8. Rxd1 Bxc5 9. Nbd2
Nbd7 10. Be2 {Getting out of the path of ...b7-b5 and clearing c4 for a knight.
} b6 $5 ({QUESTION: Why on earth would Black refrain from} 10... b5 {- ? ---
ANSWER: Black's main motivation is to avoid weakening a5 and c5. After} 11. a4
bxa4 12. Nc4 Bb7 13. Rxa4 {, Black's a-pawn is slightly weaker than White's
b-pawn, A.Grigoryan-K.Grigoryan, Armenian Championship, Yerevan 2012. ---
QUESTION: So what? Isn't this easily holdable for Black? --- ANSWER: If you
don't believe the position is winnable for White, then skip forward to the
next chapter and take a look at the final game in the book. Kramnik reaches
just such a position and goes on to take down a 2700 player!}) 11. Nb3 {
Probably intended to dodge Kasparov's opening preparation.} ({Kramnik was
successful with} 11. Nc4 Bb7 12. b3 Ke7 13. Bb2 Rhd8 14. Ne1 $1 {(intending
Nd3)} b5 15. Na5 {in V.Kramnik-A.Karpov, Frankfurt (rapid) 1999, where White
achieved a small but nagging edge.}) 11... Be7 12. Nfd4 Bb7 13. f3 $1 {Denying
Black's pieces access to e4 and intending to expand with e3-e4.} O-O 14. e4
Rfc8 {QUESTION: Wouldn't the other rook be a better choice? --- ANSWER: I like
Kasparov's move. The fight takes place on the queenside, so he transfers his
rooks to that sector. Black also gives himself the option of centralizing his
king with ...Kf8.} 15. Be3 Kf8 16. Nd2 {Eyeing c4.} Ne5 17. N4b3 $1 {
Multipurpose: 1. White takes control over c5. --- 2. White clears a path to b6,
hoping to provoke the weakening ...b6-b5, which, if played, allows his knight
easy access to a5.} Rc6 18. Rac1 Rac8 19. Rxc6 Rxc6 20. g4 $1 {QUESTION: This
looks completely wrong. Why is White suddenly getting ambitious now, when he
played so lamely in the opening? --- ANSWER: First, I don't agree that Kramnik
played "lamely" in the opening, since he now holds an edge. Second, this isn't
necessarily a mating attack as much as a daring expansion plan. Kramnik makes
trouble on the other side of the board, having tied Black down somewhat on the
queenside. Sometimes a plan of limited ambition (as in White's case) is
superior to an overly ambitious one. Who is the more effective thief? The
super-villain who schemes to appropriate a nuclear warhead from a military
instillation in order to sell it to a terrorist group, or the heroin-addicted
street thug who snatches a purse from a little old lady? The latter's chances
of success look better.} h6 ({QUESTION: I don't understand why Black remains
passive. Shouldn't he counterattack with} 20... Rc2 {- ? --- ANSWER: The
trouble is that b2 isn't hanging! Black loses a pawn after} 21. Bxb6 {since,
if he continues with his plan, he loses material after} Rxb2 $4 22. Bd4 $1
Nxf3+ 23. Bxf3 Rxa2 {, when two pawns for the piece are not enough.}) 21. h4
Bc8 22. g5 hxg5 23. hxg5 Nfd7 24. f4 Ng6 25. Nf3 $1 {Ignoring Black's
threatened c2 invasion and fighting for control over the key e5- and
h4-squares.} Rc2 $2 {Understandably, Kasparov, by now itching for counterplay,
makes this tempting move - but he should probably refrain and remain passive.}
26. Bxa6 $1 Bxa6 27. Rxd7 Rxb2 28. Ra7 $1 Bb5 29. f5 $1 {The millipede
extending from e4 to g5 continues to twist and turn.} exf5 30. exf5 {Out of
nowhere, Kasparov finds himself in deep trouble. Kramnik promises the black
knight heaven, but only if he is good and recites his prayers daily.} Re2 (
30... Nh8 $2 {is met by} 31. Ra8+ Be8 32. Ne5 $1 {(threatening a deadly check
on d7)} Rb1+ 33. Kf2 Rd1 34. Bd4 $1 Bxg5 35. Ke2 Rb1 36. Bxb6 {, when Black
soon loses a piece.}) 31. Nfd4 $1 Re1+ (31... Rxe3 $4 32. Nxb5 {wins a piece,
since moving the knight would fail to 33 Ra8+.}) 32. Kf2 Rf1+ 33. Kg2 $1 Nh4+
34. Kh3 Rh1+ {Black's anger may be very real, yet this looks like misplaced
retribution. Then again, I have no better suggestions. Like a hungry infant,
Kasparov's forces continue to suckle at the teat of fictional piece activity,
despite dire signs that the imaginary milk fails to nourish.} 35. Kg4 Be8 36.
Bf2 $1 Ng2 37. Ra8 $6 ({Kramnik misses an immediate win with} 37. f6 $3 {
(clearing f5)} gxf6 38. Nf5 Bb4 39. Bxb6 {and if} fxg5 $2 {then} 40. a3 $1 {
(running the bishop off the diagonal)} Bc3 41. Bc5+ Kg8 42. Ra8 {wins.}) 37...
Rf1 38. Kf3 Nh4+ $2 {Kasparov loses his way in the heavy fog.} ({The saving
grace idea} 38... Nf4 $1 {may yet save Black. For example,} 39. Nd2 Rd1 40. Nc4
Nd5 41. Nb5 $1 Bb4 42. a3 Ke7 43. Ra7+ Kf8 44. axb4 Bxb5 45. Nxb6 Nxb6 46. Bxb6
{and Black may hold the game due to the opposite-coloured bishops, though even
here it's not so easy: White's king roams free, while his kingside pawns
continue to hem in Black's king.}) 39. Ke2 Rh1 {EXERCISE (combination alert):
Black's immobilized machine of pieces jams from rust and lack of use. White
can force the win of material. How? --- ANSWER: All of Black's sorrows collect
in a pool on e8. He is curiously helpless against Nc7.} 40. Nb5 $1 {The knight
howls into b5 and nothing in the world can stop it from reaching its
destination.} Bxg5 {At this point Kasparov must be thinking: "If this is a
dream, then may I please, please wake up!"} 41. Nc7 Ke7 42. Nxe8 Nxf5 43. Bxb6
Kd7 44. a4 {Kramnik accumulates wealth with the voracious acquisition skills
of a robber baron. It should be easy now: White is up a piece for one pawn and
his passer looks fast to boot. From this point, most players playing Black
would be fighting that awful feeling inside when doubt and dread uncoil and
you begin to second-guess all your decisions. But not Kasparov, who fights
back with the energy of the virtuous, innocently condemned.} Rh3 45. Nc5+ Kc6
46. a5 Re3+ 47. Kd1 Re7 48. Rc8+ Kb5 49. Ne4 $1 Rxe4 50. Rc5+ Ka6 51. Nc7+ Kb7
52. Rxf5 Be3 $1 {His best chance.} (52... Bf6 $2 {is met by} 53. Rb5 $1 {,
when Black can do nothing about the forward march of the a-pawn.}) 53. Bxe3 {
This allows Kasparov some drawing chances. Perhaps the simple 53 Nb5! should
be preferred.} (53. Nb5 $1 {should be preferred.}) 53... Rxe3 54. Rxf7 $6 {The
doctor's prescription must fit the illness. All that matters is that White
promote his a-pawn. Believe it or not, taking f7 is a waste of time.} ({White
should immediately coordinate his forces with} 54. Nd5 $1 Ra3 55. Nb4 f6 56.
Kc2 Kc7 57. a6 Kb6 58. Kb2 Ra4 59. Kb3 Ra1 60. Rd5 Rb1+ 61. Ka3 Ra1+ 62. Kb2
Ra4 63. Kb3 Ra1 64. Rd7 Rb1+ 65. Ka3 Ra1+ 66. Kb2 Ra4 67. Kb3 Ra1 {(White
gains a tempo every fourth move)} 68. Rb7+ Kc5 69. Na2 $1 {and the pawn
promotes.}) 54... Re5 55. a6+ $2 {Kramnik unwisely dives into the shallow
river, without first checking the depth. After this move the position may be
drawn.} ({Instead,} 55. Nd5+ $1 Ka6 56. Nb4+ $1 Kb5 57. Rf4 g5 58. Rg4 Rf5 59.
a6 {consolidates.}) 55... Kb6 56. Rxg7 {If Black can eliminate White's
remaining pawn, the game is drawn. Black can do just that with 56...Rc5. Is
this the seed of much needed hope, or does White have some hidden response to
deal with the move? --- EXERCISE (critical decision): Would you play 56...Rc5
- or not?} Ra5 $1 ({ANSWER: No. It's a trap!} 56... Rc5 $4 {loses on the spot
to} 57. a7 $1 Kxa7 58. Ne6+ {.}) 57. Kd2 {White can no longer win since his
rook, knight and pawn are eternally shackled to each other.} Ra1 58. Kc2 Rh1 $2
{Which way is North? In desperate, mutual time pressure, the needles of both
players' compasses go haywire due to some mysterious magnetic disturbance. ---
EXERCISE (combination alert): How can White exploit the error and win?} ({After
} 58... Ra5 $1 {White can't make progress, whereas Kasparov just removed his
rook from the drawing formation.}) 59. Kb2 $2 {Swim too close to your drowning
enemy and he may pull you under with him. Kramnik blunders right back! In time
pressure, accuracy and nuance tend to take a temporary leave of absence.} ({
ANSWER: The win was his after} 59. Rg8 $1 {(this move is as obligatory as a
school uniform: White must wear it, like it or not)} Rh7 60. Rb8+ $1 {-
Kramnik said he saw to this point but thought} Ka7 $4 {saved Black. If he had
time to calculate one ply further, he would have seen that} 61. Rb7# {is mate!}
) 59... Rh8 $1 {Back to a draw again! Nothing can be done against the coming ...Rc8, which forces the win of White's remaining pawn.} 60. Kb3 Rc8 $1 61. a7
Kxa7 {Black eliminates the fossilized remains of an epochs-dead predator, so
fearsome when alive, now nothing more than a museum curio for bored school
children to examine. --- QUESTION: Does White get any practical chances with
rook and knight versus rook? --- ANSWER: Certainly not at world championship
level. In the futile remainder, nothing moves. Even time stands still.} 62. Kb4
Kb6 63. Nd5+ Ka6 64. Rg6+ Kb7 65. Kb5 Rc1 66. Rg2 Kc8 67. Rg7 Kd8 68. Nf6 Rc7
69. Rg5 Rf7 70. Nd5 Kd7 71. Rg6 Rf1 72. Kc5 Rc1+ 73. Kd4 Rd1+ 74. Ke5 1/2-1/2

[Event "44: Monte Carlo (rapid)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2002.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Leko, P."]
[Black "Kramnik, V."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C95"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "74"]
[EventDate "2002.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 {QUESTION: Doesn't Kramnik always play 3...Nf6
against the Ruy Lopez? --- ANSWER: Not always; but it is a mild surprise for
Kramnik to pull the switch from his beloved Berlin Defence.} 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O
Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 O-O 9. h3 Nb8 {The Breyer Variation. I remember
during the first Fischer-Spassky match, my dad and I would go over the games
from the Montreal Gazette. When we saw Spassky's first Breyer Lopez, we were
totally befuddled - it was like my father and I were lifelong blind people,
and Spassky and Fischer were teachers who tried to explain to us the concept
of the colour red - and rather naively attributed the bizarre knight retreat
to Spassky's fear of Fischer! --- QUESTION: I was actually wondering the same
thing: why does the knight go back home in the Breyer? --- ANSWER: At some
point, Black wants to push forward his c-pawn. By retreating the knight to b8,
Black accomplishes this task and redeploys it on the flexible d7-square. ---
QUESTION: But two full tempi to accomplish the goal? --- ANSWER: Amazing as it
seems, Black has the time to pull it off, since the position remains closed.
In closed positions the principle is: Quality usurps quantity when it comes to
development.} 10. d4 Nbd7 11. Nbd2 Bb7 ({Black must be a bit careful about his
move order. For example, the innocent-looking} 11... Re8 $4 {loses to} 12.
Bxf7+ $1 {, as after} Kxf7 13. Ng5+ Kg8 14. Ne6 {Black's embarrassed queen has
no place to go. Apparently Boris Spassky allowed this trap as Black in his
1993 match against Judit Polgar - and Polgar failed to play 12 Bxf7+!, so
there may be hope for the rest of us!}) 12. Bc2 {QUESTION: Why does the bishop
retreat? --- ANSWER: White wants to build up for a kingside attack with the
stock manoeuvre Nf1 and Ng3, so he first reinforces his e-pawn.} Re8 13. b3 ({
Other moves:} 13. a4 Bf8 14. Bd3 c6 15. b4 Rc8 16. axb5 cxb5 17. Bb2 d5 $1 {
with huge complications, V.Anand-Ma.Carlsen, London 2010.}) (13. Nf1 {(in my
opinion, White's best chance for an edge)} Bf8 14. Ng3 g6 15. Bg5 h6 16. Bd2 {
, J.Polgar-B.Avrukh, Natanya (rapid) 2009. White generally tries to force some
kind of kingside pawn concession with Qc1 next.}) 13... Bf8 14. d5 {The main
theoretical move, but I don't trust it. --- QUESTION: Why not? White locks
down some central space. --- ANSWER: But also allows Black immediate action
against White's centre with ...c7-c6.} ({Instead, retaining central tension
with} 14. Bb2 {is an alternative; e.g.} g6 15. a4 Bg7 16. Bd3 c6 17. Qc2 Rc8 {
, even if Black still emerges from the opening with a decent position, L.D.Nisipeanu-D.Campora, Decameron 2003.}) 14... c6 15. c4 Nb6 {Kramnik hits
White's chain at its base.} 16. Bd3 {A theoretical novelty, but not an
earth-shattering one. The map ends here and walking any further means
proceeding into uncharted zones.} ({Previously White had played} 16. Bb2 Nfd7
17. dxc6 Bxc6 18. cxb5 axb5 19. Nf1 Nc5 20. Ng3 f6 $1 {, when Black is ready
for the freeing ...d6-d5 break, J.Klovans-E.Geller, USSR Spartakiad, Moscow
1979.}) 16... Nfd7 17. Ba3 $6 {I've had a very difficult time pinpointing just
where it is that Leko goes wrong. This may be the point. White later ends up
losing two tempi when he retreats back to c1. --- QUESTION: What is the
alternative? Black will then play a knight to c5.} ({ANSWER: Just allow it,
but make certain Black can't undermine the centre with a quick ...f7-f5. I
think} 17. Nf1 bxc4 18. bxc4 Nc5 19. Ne3 {is White's best.}) 17... cxd5 18.
cxd5 f5 $1 {Kramnik continues to corrode White's space plus, even if doing so
puts his king at risk.} 19. exf5 Nxd5 20. Ne4 {A sharp position arises, but
one which should swing in Black's favour. Black's long-term chances are due to
his central majority, while White should be looking toward the enemy king. In
the coming moves, Kramnik finds ways to subordinate Leko's dynamic potential
so that his static factors dominate. The middle of the board is the black hole
factor, which for now lies just outside the influence of White and Black camps
- unterritory, for anyone's taking.} N7f6 21. Nfg5 {Going after the sensitive
e6-square.} Nf4 $1 {We are reminded of the Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young song
Wooden Ships: "I can see by your coat, my friend, you're from the other side."
Unexpectedly, the returns on White's strategic investments begin to slow.
Kramnik covers the threatened invasion square, and also eyes both White's
powerful light-squared bishop and the potential kingside sac squares g2 and h3.
} 22. Bc1 ({QUESTION: This looks passive. Shouldn't White try to retain his
bishop with} 22. Bc2 {- ? --- ANSWER: In that case Black takes over the
initiative with} Nxe4 23. Bxe4 d5 {(two white pieces are hanging, so his next
move is forced)} 24. f6 Qxf6 25. Nxh7 Qh4 $1 26. Nxf8 dxe4 {and White is
busted.}) 22... Nxd3 23. Qxd3 Nxe4 {Deflecting White's knight from g5.} 24.
Nxe4 d5 {Black's advantages: 1. The bishop pair in an open position. --- 2. A
powerful, rolling pawn centre. --- 3. The superior pawn structure. --- 4. Most
importantly, the initiative.} 25. Ng3 {An admission of failure. --- QUESTION:
Shouldn't he be heading for the hole on e6?} ({ANSWER: After} 25. Ng5 $2 {
Black can completely destabilize White's position with a powerful series of
moves, starting with} Qf6 26. Ne6 e4 27. Qb1 d4 $1 {. Now if White goes for it
with} 28. Nc7 $2 {he gets crushed by} e3 $1 {, when} 29. fxe3 (29. Nxe8 Qg5 {
is also slaughter}) 29... Qc6 $1 {wins the knight.}) 25... e4 26. Qd2 (26. Qd4
Bd6 $1 27. Bb2 Be5 28. Qd2 d4 $1 {breaks the blockade; if White insists on
taking on e4, he drops the exchange after} 29. Nxe4 Bxe4 30. Rxe4 Bh2+ 31. Kxh2
Rxe4 32. f3 Re5 {and has to fight for the draw. This line may be White's best
though.}) 26... d4 27. Bb2 Bc5 28. Rac1 Bb6 29. Qf4 {Leko fishes for tricks
around the black king.} Qd5 $1 {Black's powerful centralization, along with
his other advantages, ensure that White's attack will be a non-starter.} 30.
Rc2 e3 $1 {If friction took material form, it would look like g2. Kramnik
senses the ripe moment for punitive action.} 31. fxe3 Rac8 $1 {Hoping to
deflect the protector of g2.} 32. Rd2 {EXERCISE (combination alert): 32...Ba5
favours Black, but look around: he has something much stronger. --- ANSWER:
Offer a queen instead!} Rxe3 $3 33. Rxe3 dxe3 34. Re2 $2 {White's rook
mistakenly spurns the black queen's tainted love, as the reeling Leko now
overlooks Kramnik's next shot.} ({Unpleasant as it was, he had to accept the
offer with} 34. Rxd5 $1 e2+ {(the mob boss on b6 issues a menacing warning to
White's king in a sibilant whisper, just outside the hearing of the other
pieces)} 35. Kh2 e1=Q {- the point: the double attack on d5, plus the mate
threat on g1 force White into} 36. Rd4 {. This in turn allows Black the shot}
Bxg2 $1 37. Qd2 {(not much choice)} Qxd2 38. Rxd2 Bf3 {, when the powerful
bishop pair offers Black a clear advantage in the ending. Still, this path is
much better than the way Leko picked.}) 34... Rc2 $3 {Another staggering blow.
Black's rook, formally a contented janitor with a 170 IQ, decides to raise his
sights and look for a new job at the university. Kramnik's field of unending
threats blossom like wildflowers. White's rook, with trembling lips, sounds
the alarm, all the while pointing wildly at the intruder on c2. Black's
once-hidden but deeply influential bishop on b6 now protrudes like a six-inch
nail in the wall.} 35. Qg4 ({The rook is not so hanging:} 35. Rxc2 $4 {is a
brain-curdling blunder, since} e2+ {mates next move.}) ({Instead,} 35. Qe5 Qxe5
36. Bxe5 Rxa2 $1 {also finishes White off}) ({while} 35. Qb8+ Kf7 36. Qh8 Rxb2
$1 {is the same old deflection story.}) 35... Rxb2 $1 {Clearly White's rook
suffers from some type of neurological disorder. There we have it again: the
story of the frozen rook, paralyzed in place on e2.} 36. f6 {EXERCISE 
(combination alert): The simple 36...g6 wins. But wait. Black also has a
breathtaking finish, which Kramnik missed. Can you spot it?} g6 {The practical
move. Kramnik misses the pretty finish.} ({ANSWER: White's conventional human
weapons are clearly worthless, as the alien-made death ray from d5 incinerates
the entire white army in a matter of seconds:} 36... Qxg2+ $3 37. Rxg2 e2+ 38.
Kh2 {(the pulverized king, now insensate to pain itself, only ponders escape)}
Bg1+ $3 {(deflection - the cowled monk, having taken a vow of silence, now
ignores it and comes to say "hello!")} 39. Kh1 Bxg2+ 40. Kxg2 e1=Q+ {mating.})
37. f7+ Qxf7 0-1

[Event "45: Wijk aan Zee"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kramnik, V."]
[Black "Shirov, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A16"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "68"]
[EventDate "2007.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

1. Nf3 {Kramnik's old favourite first move.} Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Qa4+ {
The Neo-Grünfeld. --- QUESTION: What is "neo" about it?} ({ANSWER: Here} 4. d4
{just transposes to the Grünfeld proper. In the Neo-Grünfeld, White holds back
on d2-d4 and can later play his pawn to d3 with a safer English-like structure.
}) ({Another option is} 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 (5. Qa4+) ({and} 5. g3 {are also
played}) 5... Nxc3 {, and now on multiple occasions, when I only needed a draw
to win a tournament, I have played the dirty trick} 6. dxc3 $5 Qxd1+ 7. Kxd1 {
, when the endgame is next to impossible for Black to win.}) 4... Bd7 5. Qb3
dxc4 {QUESTION: Can White get away with taking on b7 to damage Black's pawn
structure?} 6. Qxc4 ({ANSWER: Database search on} 6. Qxb7 {: zero games found!
The implication is that the line is horrible for White. Let's look:} Nc6 $1 {
(White's wayward queen lacks escape squares)} 7. Nb5 Nd5 8. Nbd4 Ncb4 $1 9. a3
Rb8 10. Qxa7 Ra8 $1 11. Qb7 ({after} 11. Qc5 $2 e5 12. Qxc4 exd4 13. Nxd4 Nb6 {
Black emerges with an extra piece}) 11... Bg7 12. Rb1 c5 13. axb4 Nxb4 $1 {is
hopeless for White.}) 6... Bg7 7. e4 c6 ({More usual is} 7... O-O 8. e5 Ng4 ({
after} 8... Be6 9. exf6 $5 Bxc4 10. fxg7 Bxf1 11. gxf8=Q+ Kxf8 12. Kxf1 Qd3+
13. Kg1 Nc6 14. h4 {, I think White's material outweighs Black's bind}) 9. d4
Be6 10. d5 Bf5 11. Bf4 Nd7 12. Qe2 f6 {with a totally irrational position, yet
one senses a White advantage embedded within the chaos, A.Goldin-V.Mikhalevski,
Rishon Le Ziyyon 1997/98.}) 8. d4 b5 $5 {QUESTION: ...b7-b5 is normally
associated with an opening like Semi-Slav, yet here Black makes the same move
in a Grünfeld structure. Is it playable? --- ANSWER: I would say it's playable
but inadvisable. Shirov clearly looks to make trouble, pushing random buttons,
cranking gears and pulling strange levers, in the hope of igniting the motor
of a yet non-existent initiative. I don't see any tangible gain from Black's
queenside space, but the weakening involved with his move looks very real. ---
QUESTION: If you don't like Black's move then why don't you give it a "?!"
mark? --- ANSWER: I may not like it due to stylistic bias. A man has the right
to provoke a drunken bar fight as long as he is willing to face the
consequences with the bail bondsman the next day. In a chess game one isn't
necessarily obligated to play the absolutely correct move at every turn. Carl
Jung once theorized that if a person strove fanatically to reach the perfect
good in every life decision, then the "shadow within" - everything negative -
also grew in power. I have no idea if this theory is true or not, but Shirov
certainly veers far clear of the perfect good in his decision!} 9. Qb3 a5 10.
e5 a4 11. Qd1 Nd5 12. Nxd5 cxd5 {Black's position looks like a slightly
inferior Rossolimo Sicilian. White controls more central space, whereas
Black's queenside demonstration fails to impress, and c5 remains a potentially
occupiable hole for White's pieces.} 13. Be2 Nc6 14. O-O O-O 15. Be3 Na5 16. b3
{Nyet, buddy boy! The knight is denied entry to c4.} axb3 17. axb3 Qb6 18. Ne1
$1 {It feels like nothing much is happening, but we sense hidden motion in
White's game, the way a pregnant woman places her hand on her belly to feel
the moving baby. Kramnik immediately zones in on Black's weak point: c5.} b4 $6
{Lose your equanimity in any given position and you are in danger of adopting
a rash course of action. --- QUESTION: Why don't you like the move? --- ANSWER:
Black's last move is dubious on several counts: 1. Black plugs the hole on b4
with a pawn, rather than a piece. --- 2. Black does nothing to prevent Nd3.
--- 3. Black's b-pawn may later turn into a target.} ({QUESTION: What move do
you suggest? --- ANSWER:} 18... Nc6 {pins White down to his b-pawn and keeps
an eye on b4.}) 19. Nd3 Bb5 20. Nc5 Nb7 21. Rxa8 Rxa8 22. Bxb5 Qxb5 {QUESTION:
Isn't Black better after the text? White is now stuck with a bad bishop. ---
ANSWER: The position is deceptive and remains in White's favour. His space,
control over c5, and the weakness of b4 give him the edge.} (22... Nxc5 $2 {
drops a pawn to} 23. dxc5 Qxb5 24. Qxd5 {.}) 23. Qd3 $1 Qc6 $5 ({QUESTION:
Doesn't swapping queens give Black an easy draw? --- ANSWER: A draw maybe.
Easy, no! While your suggestion may well be Black's best shot at a draw, he
still struggles in the line} 23... Qxd3 24. Nxd3 Ra3 25. Nxb4 e6 26. Nc6 Rxb3
27. Ra1 h6 28. Ra8+ Kh7 29. Kf1 {. Here Black's knight is awkwardly posted
with no easy outs, White owns space and f7 remains weak. White can also try
and expand on the kingside. I realize Black may be close to a draw, but keep
in mind that "close" doesn't mean a whole lot if you still lose the game.}) 24.
Na4 $1 {Blocking the a-file and retaining the superior knight.} Nd8 25. Rc1 {
White takes control of the only fully open file on the board.} Qb7 26. Qc2 f6
27. f4 {One can only stand back and marvel at the ease with which Kramnik
accrues territory to glorify his domain.} Bh6 28. g3 fxe5 {This only ends up
helping White. The seed of Black's much desired counterplay is just not
discernable.} 29. dxe5 Ne6 30. Qc6 {The c6-square serves as the host body for
White's parasitic infestation. Kramnik allowed his opponent to wallow and
percolate long enough, and now takes action. The ending will be very difficult
for Black to save, due to his numerous pawn weaknesses.} Qxc6 31. Rxc6 Kf7 32.
Kf2 Rb8 33. Ke2 Bf8 {Black's "good" bishop remains a prisoner, entrapped and
pickled in brine, while White's not-so-"bad" bishop rules with freedom and
ease of movement.} 34. Kd3 {Despite a receding hairline, the white king walks
with the bouncing steps of a younger man. White continues to find fuel to
stoke his engine of pressure, and now a new potential arises: king position.
Kramnik effortlessly reconfigures the strategic threads into an intricate
lattice of perfect increase.} Rb7 $4 {Shirov, now struggling, hopes for some
time to regain composure before facing the next wave. Black's rook unknowingly
draws closer to the source of dark power, as if to an altar in an ancient,
malevolent god's hidden jungle temple. The punitive landscape of the queenside
is completely unforgiving if Black takes a single misstep - and he just took a
big one!} ({EXERCISE (combination alert): Shirov cracked in a difficult ending.
After making his last move he resigned even before Kramnik could reply. Do you
see the reason for Black's sudden resignation? --- ANSWER: White steals a
piece with} 34... Rb7 $4 35. Rxe6 $1 {(in the inspirational words of Richard
Nixon: "I am not a crook!")} Kxe6 36. Nc5+ {. After the short skirmish,
Black's unfortunate rook lies on the bloody ground, unmoving.}) 1-0

[Event "46: Nice (rapid)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Leko, P."]
[Black "Kramnik, V."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A29"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "76"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. g3 d5 {QUESTION: Can Black get away with
playing against a line as sharp as the Dragon a full move down? --- ANSWER:
Oddly enough he can, as long as Black himself plays a careful, conservative
game and avoids some of the sharper lines in reverse.} 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. Bg2 Nb6
({QUESTION: Why the unforced knight retreat, rather than continue to develop
with something solid like} 6... Be7 {- ? --- ANSWER: Be careful. This is a
well-known Dragon trap in reverse. After} 7. Nxe5 $1 Nxc3 8. Bxc6+ bxc6 9. dxc3
{Black loses a pawn and gets his structure damaged as well.}) 7. O-O Be7 8. a3
O-O ({QUESTION: Shouldn't Black halt White's attempted expansion with} 8... a5
{- ? --- ANSWER: That is also possible. The other philosophy is to just avoid ...a7-a5, because it gives White something to grasp hold of later on the
queenside. The pawn itself may become a target, as in the following game:} 9.
d3 O-O 10. Be3 Be6 11. Rc1 a4 $5 12. Bxb6 cxb6 13. Nxa4 e4 14. Ne1 Nd4 15. Nc3
{, when Black has some but perhaps not enough compensation for the pawn, I.Nepomniachtchi-D.Bocharov, Apatity (rapid) 2011.}) 9. b4 Be6 10. Rb1 ({
QUESTION: Doesn't} 10. b5 {simply win a pawn? --- ANSWER: You have to keep
going with the analysis:} Nd4 11. Nxe5 $4 Bb3 12. Qe1 Nc2 {and it is Black who
wins.}) 10... f6 11. d3 Nd4 12. Nd2 ({QUESTION: Can White just swap away the
pesky black knight on d4? --- ANSWER: The trouble then is that Black's new
d-pawn cramps White and may even allow Black counterplay on e2. For example,} 
12. Nxd4 exd4 13. Ne4 Bd5 14. Bb2 f5 15. Nd2 Bxg2 16. Kxg2 {and Black
equalized, mainly thanks to the cramping influence of the d4-pawn, D.Navara-V.Topalov, Wijk aan Zee 2012.}) 12... c6 13. Nde4 Bf7 $5 {So that Nc5 will not
arrive with tempo.} ({Other moves:} 13... Rf7 14. Bd2 Nd5 15. e3 Nxc3 16. Nxc3
Nf5 17. Qc2 Bf8 18. Rfd1 a5 19. Na4 axb4 20. Bxb4 {, when White has a tiny
queenside edge, due to the potential for a queenside minority attack, L.Aronian-S.Karjakin, Nice (rapid) 2008.}) (13... Nd5 14. e3 Nxc3 15. Nxc3 Nf5
16. Qc2 Rc8 17. Rd1 Qd7 18. d4 exd4 19. exd4 Bd6 20. Ne4 Rcd8 21. Bb2 {and
again I prefer White, who has access to c5 with his knight, L.Aronian-V.Topalov, Morelia/Linares 2008.}) (13... Bg4 14. Be3 Nd7 15. Qd2 Kh8 16. h3 Bh5
17. f4 f5 18. Ng5 h6 19. Nf3 Nxf3+ 20. Bxf3 Qe8 {looks balanced, Kir.Georgiev-A.Kharlov, Yugoslav Team Championship 1996.}) 14. Be3 $6 ({Better to
go for} 14. Nc5 {and possibly follow with e2-e3, M.Narciso Dublan-J.De la
Villa Garcia, Spanish Team Championship 2010. The text is a theoretical
novelty, but not a good one. Leko's move surpasses the cusp of dubious and
makes little sense. --- QUESTION: Why not? --- ANSWER: White's idea must be to
take on d4, which only assists Black in multiple ways: 1. Black gets the
bishop pair. --- 2. After the recapture ...e5xd4, Black grabs space, takes
control over c3 and makes White's e2-pawn insecure.}) 14... a5 $1 15. Nc5 axb4
16. axb4 Ra3 ({Kramnik doesn't play moves like} 16... Qc7 {if he has more
aggressive alternatives.}) 17. N3e4 Qc7 18. Bxd4 $6 {White hopes to refine his
idea formed on the 14th move but only succeeds in contaminating it further.
Now Black's influence bleeds over to c3. Leko's move is a perfectly logical
extension of his novelty, but if this is so, then his novelty wasn't so great!
This move just helps Black in the ways mentioned above.} exd4 {When a
low-level underling unexpectedly receives promotion, his former boss always
feels resentment upon viewing the enforced equality of his new, sudden
colleague. Now Black's once humble e-pawn is destined for a sparkling career.}
19. Bh3 $5 {QUESTION: What is White's idea behind this strange move? ---
ANSWER: I think Leko played it for multiple reasons: 1. White must inhibit ...f6-f5,
since if his e4-knight is ejected Black may take over the game with a ...Nd5-c3 infiltration plan. --- 2. White may also have dreams of Nc5-e6 later
on in the game, but this plan just never comes to fruition.} Rfa8 $1 {Kramnik
correctly assesses that his weak e6-square is in reality not such a concern.}
20. Qc1 {QUESTION: Isn't the moment ripe for invasion to e6?} ({ANSWER: The
knight gets to e6, but I fail to see what he achieves there:} 20. Ne6 Qe5 21.
N6c5 ({or} 21. f4 Qh5 22. Nf2 Nd5) 21... Nd5 {is terrible for White since his
c3-square remains tender, and I'm not sure just what he is doing.}) 20... Nd5 {
The position is ripe for invasion of c3.} 21. Qb2 Nc3 $6 {Too soon.} ({Black
can build up further with} 21... g6 $1 {, intending ...f6-f5 and only then ...Nc3.}) 22. Nxc3 $6 {Leko willingly enters dangerous territory, allowing Black
a powerful passed c-pawn.} ({White's best defensive hope is to hand over a
pawn with} 22. Ra1 $1 Nxe2+ 23. Kg2 Rxa1 24. Rxa1 Rxa1 25. Qxa1 {, when Black
will have a hard time hanging on to his gains.}) 22... dxc3 {This pawn is
destined to be the cause of White's future distress.} 23. Qc2 Qe5 {Intending ...Ra2.} 24. Rfc1 b5 {Threatening to take on c5.} 25. Ne4 Ba2 $5 {Kramnik
resolves to punish the leaders of the insurgency by going after b4.} ({Perhaps
he wasn't satisfied with his advantage after} 25... R8a4 26. Nxc3 Rxb4 {.}) 26.
Ra1 Bxb4 $5 {The mysterious stranger on b4 draws hostile stares as he walks
into the bar only frequented by locals. Kramnik, in order to hang on to his
c3-pawn, allowed Leko a little combination. White must not waste this
opportunity. --- EXERCISE (combination alert): White has one - and only one -
chance to strike. How can he pick up material? --- ANSWER: Deflection. A
merchant views the entire world as potential customers. Leko's payment: two
bishops for his rook.} 27. Rxa2 $1 {Gain of material is still an afterthought.
Raw survival continues to be Leko's prime directive.} Rxa2 28. Qb3+ {Double
attack.} Kh8 29. Qxb4 c2 {The oracle prophesied that he (c2) was the One!
Leko's combination didn't come without a price: Black's deeply embedded pawn
now reaches c2, to tie White's forces down.} 30. Bf1 $2 {White sounds the
retreat, but to where? How can an army retreat when there is no place to back
up? Some religions stress their disjointed apartness from non-believers by
dressing and acting differently from the societal norm. In this case the
bishop comes across as oddly "other" in his strange mannerisms and aloof
behaviour on f1. It seems that the effects of the previous combinational
communion have had little effect on White's cramped pieces, who continue to
feel uncleansed.} ({Instead, White generates much needed counterplay after the
correct} 30. Kg2 $1 Rb2 ({while} 30... Qb2 31. Qxb2 Rxb2 32. Be6 b4 33. Kf3 {
gives White good chances to blockade the black pawns}) 31. Qd2 f5 32. Ng5 Qf6
33. e4 {.}) 30... Qb2 $1 {Kramnik's queen asserts herself. This is her
queendom - hers and hers alone!} 31. Qxb2 Rxb2 32. Nd2 ({If} 32. d4 {, then} g5
$1 ({not yet} 32... Ra1 $4 {due to the weakness of the back rank}) 33. e3 (33.
Nd2 Rd8 34. e3 c5 $1 {is no better}) 33... Ra1 $3 {and Black forces a new
queen.}) 32... c5 {Marching forward in lockstep.} 33. f4 c4 $1 34. Nf3 (34.
dxc4 $4 Rd8 35. Nf3 Rd1 {ends the fight.}) 34... b4 $1 {Kramnik methodically
lays tracks toward the final destination: promotion to a new queen.} 35. dxc4
Rd8 $1 36. Ne1 b3 {Black's queenside passers enter a dark place where monsters
are born.} 37. Kf2 Rd1 38. Nd3 {White's knight tries desperately to
self-suture the multiple wounds, despite his own debilitating injury. ---
EXERCISE (combination alert(s)): Find a way to force Black's pawns through the
flimsy blockade. There are a million ways to win. See if you can find the
flashiest! --- ANSWER: Elimination of a key defender/destruction of a blockade.
White's lab experiment goes horribly awry. Black's two passers now transform
into something so aberrantly alien that they cease to be human.} Rxd3 $1 {
White resigns since ...Rb1 is next.} ({Of course there is absolutely nothing
wrong with the equally crushing (but mundane!)} 38... Rxc1 $1 39. Nxc1 Rb1) ({
or the just as crushing (and mundane!)} 38... Rb1 $1 {.}) 0-1

[Event "47: World Championship, Bonn"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "10"]
[White "Kramnik, V."]
[Black "Anand, V."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E20"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "57"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Nf3 c5 5. g3 {QUESTION: Is this still a
Nimzo-Indian? --- ANSWER: This is a line of the Nimzo which may transpose to a
line of the English Opening. Kasparov favoured this variation for a while, but
the current state of theory says Black should equalize.} cxd4 6. Nxd4 O-O 7.
Bg2 d5 ({QUESTION: Isn't White afraid of those doubled, isolated pawns if
Black trades on c3? --- ANSWER: No. After} 7... Bxc3+ $6 8. bxc3 {White gets
huge compensation on the dark squares, which Black just gave away, and also
pressure along his two open files. A.Miles-D.Velimirovic, Amsterdam 1976,
continued} Qa5 9. Qb3 Nc6 10. O-O Re8 11. Nb5 d5 12. Qa3 {. Now Black, under
heavy positional pressure, decided to hand over the exchange with} Bd7 $5 {and
obtained some counterplay after} 13. Qxa5 ({but declining with} 13. Nd6 $1 {
puts Black under the gun}) 13... Nxa5 14. Nc7 Nxc4 {.}) 8. cxd5 Nxd5 9. Qb3 (9.
Bd2 {was Kasparov's specialty; e.g.} Nxc3 10. bxc3 Be7 11. Rb1 e5 $6 (11... Nd7
{prevented White's shot}) 12. Rxb7 $1 exd4 13. Rb3 Be6 14. Bxa8 Na6 15. Bf3
Bxb3 16. Qxb3 {, when White's bishop pair gave him a clear advantage in the
open position, G.Kasparov-V.Anand, Wijk aan Zee (blitz) 1999.}) 9... Qa5 10.
Bd2 Nc6 11. Nxc6 bxc6 12. O-O Bxc3 {QUESTION: Why does Black surrender the
bishop pair?} ({ANSWER: There is no real choice, since White threatens Nxd5
followed by Ne7+ and Nxc6. The trouble is that Black has no good waiting move;
for example,} 12... Rb8 $2 13. Nxd5 cxd5 14. a3 $1 {wins material, S.Atalik-A.Stein, Berkley 2005.}) 13. bxc3 Ba6 14. Rfd1 $1 Qc5 ({QUESTION: Why can't
Black take on e2? After} 14... Bxe2 15. c4 Bxd1 16. Rxd1 Qb6 17. cxd5 cxd5 {he
seems to get a lot of material for his two pieces. --- ANSWER: You calculated
the line perfectly but may be misassessing. White's bishops are worth more
than Black's rook and two pawns.}) 15. e4 Bc4 {Deviating from a past victory,
possibly fearing Kramnik's preparation.} ({Anand won a beautiful game with} 
15... Nb6 16. Be3 Qh5 17. Rd6 $6 Nc4 18. Rxc6 Nxe3 19. Rxa6 $2 Rab8 20. Qa4 Rb2
$1 21. Re1 {. --- EXERCISE (combination alert): How did Anand end the game
with a single, mind-bending move? --- ANSWER: Overload/weak back rank:} Qe2 $3
{0-1 E.Bacrot-V.Anand, Bastia (rapid) 2001.}) 16. Qa4 Nb6 17. Qb4 Qh5 {The
players reach a well-known position, which is thought to be alright for Black.}
(17... Qxb4 $6 18. cxb4 {makes no sense, since it fixes White's pawn weakness.}
) 18. Re1 $5 {Kramnik's new move.} ({Previously White had just developed his
c1-bishop:} 18. Be3 Be2 19. Rd2 Rab8 20. Bxb6 axb6 21. Qd6 Bf3 22. Qxc6 Bxg2
23. Kxg2 Qe5 {, when White's extra pawn proved too difficult to convert to a
win, G.Kasparov-V.Anand, Wijk aan Zee 2000.}) (18. Bf4 c5 19. Qb2 Rad8 20. Rxd8
Rxd8 21. f3 f5 $5 22. exf5 Qxf5 23. Re1 Qd5 24. Qa3 Qc6 25. Qxa7 Ra8 26. Qe7
Nd5 27. Qd6 Qxd6 28. Bxd6 Nxc3 29. Bxc5 Rxa2 {and White's bishop pair didn't
mean much here, E.Bacrot-Ma.Carlsen, Biel 2008.}) 18... c5 ({QUESTION: Can
Black play to swap off a pair of bishops with} 18... Be2 {, intending to go to
f3 next move? --- ANSWER: White can deny this plan if he responds with} 19. h3
$1 {, since if Black insists on} Bf3 $4 {, he loses a piece to the
interference shot} 20. g4 $1 {.}) 19. Qa5 $1 {White's queen exerts maximum
pressure from a5. Black must watch over both c5 and a7.} Rfc8 20. Be3 Be2 $1 {
Dual purpose: 1. Black hopes to swap off a pair of bishops with your
above-mentioned plan of ...Bf3. --- 2. Black clears c4 for his knight.} 21. Bf4
$5 e5 {With his last move Anand's queen loses communication with his queenside
pawns.} ({I'm not sure White has much after the correct} 21... Bf3 $1 22. Qa6
Bxg2 23. Kxg2 {and only now} e5 24. Be3 Qg6 25. f3 Qe6 $1 {, taking control
over c4.}) 22. Be3 $1 {The bishop quicksteps in and out. Suddenly, Black's
queenside is under assault.} ({Perhaps Anand had only counted on} 22. Bxe5 Nc4
23. Qa6 Qxe5 24. Rxe2 Qxc3 {, when Black looks okay.}) 22... Bg4 $5 ({Black
also stands worse in the line} 22... Nc4 23. Qa6 Nxe3 24. Rxe2 Nxg2 25. Kxg2 {
, when White continues to press on the queenside. For example, after} Qg6 26.
Qc4 Rab8 27. Rd1 {White can use d5 effectively for his rooks.}) 23. Qa6 $1 {
Deceptively powerful. A rule of war: never display your strengths to your
enemy if you can help it. Kramnik's position mysteriously continues to creep
improvement. Now all who dare to enter the queen's orbit are vacuumed into her
black hole of power. Threats soon begin to rain in staccato percussion. ---
QUESTION: Wasn't c5 hanging?} ({ANSWER: Black's counterplay flares up after
the mercenary grab} 23. Bxc5 $2 Nc4 24. Qb5 Nd2 $1 {with all sorts of
counterplay on the f3-square.}) 23... f6 $6 {Anand's game veers left, with the
spasmodic, diagonally agitated motion of a school of fish that just spotted a
predator. This logical advance, which prepares the queen's return to the
beleaguered queenside via ...Qf7, turns out to be too slow.} ({Instead, Black
should stay passive with} 23... Be6 24. Bf1 Nd7 {, when his position is only
slightly worse.}) 24. a4 $1 {The a-pawn soon becomes a force on the queenside.}
Qf7 25. Bf1 {Black is doing everything according to his plans, but his
position gets worse and worse!} Be6 26. Rab1 c4 $2 {Anand, under heavy
positional pressure, inexplicably plugs his one strong square with a pawn -
strategic suicide.} ({The trouble is that the intended} 26... Bc4 $4 {loses on
the spot to} 27. Bxc4 Qxc4 ({nor is} 27... Nxc4 28. Rb7 {of any help}) 28. Rxb6
$1 {, picking off a full piece. The golem on c4, unable to maintain her form
from fading magic, de-solidifies and crumbles in a heap of clay and stone.}) ({
QUESTION: Well then, what do you suggest? --- ANSWER: Black's position may be
unsalvageable. His best may lie in} 26... f5 27. a5 f4 28. Bd2 $1 ({even
stronger than} 28. Bxf4 $1 {which wins a clean pawn}) 28... Nd7 29. Rb7 {and
White's unrelenting pressure continues.}) 27. a5 {The magma flows down and
enfolds the old, the infirm, and the young of the town, who fail to outrun
death.} Na4 {Black's pieces panic and swell toward the exits. He bids the
knight "Godspeed", which is of little comfort to someone on a suicide mission.
This knight is destined to lie in its corner, shuddering like a grievously
injured animal.} (27... Nd7 28. Rb7 {is also totally hopeless.}) 28. Rb7 Qe8 {
The queenside - which was once a thriving, prosperous city - is now nothing
more than a depopulated, uninhabitable (for Black!) wasteland. The stockpiles
of food and water dwindle during the long siege, as Black's position swims in
an oppressive anaesthesia of drained fatigue. --- EXERCISE (planning/
combination alert): Find one powerful move and Black collapses. --- ANSWER:
Double attack. The queen seizes power, reinstating herself as the central seat
of authority.} 29. Qd6 $1 ({White threatens Re7, as well as mortally
endangering Black's now stranded knight. For example,} 29. Qd6 $1 Bf7 {(the
thief flees as the gendarmes approach)} 30. Qb4 {(the fallen knight stares at
his tormentor in bleak discomfort)} Qc6 31. Rd1 $1 {(threat: Rd6)} Rd8 32.
Rxd8+ Rxd8 33. Rxa7 h6 34. a6 Rc8 35. Qb7 {is completely resignable for Black.}
) 1-0

[Event "48: Wijk aan Zee"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kramnik, V."]
[Black "Van Wely, L."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E92"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "111"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

{I read that there was a Canadian TV show called Endgame, in which the
fictional hero, an agoraphobic former Russian World Chess Champion, Arkady
Balagan (apparently based on Kasparov's personality!), after witnessing his
fiancée being gunned down in front of him - much like Peter Parker (aka
Spiderman) and Bruce Wayne (aka Batman) - transferred his rage and profound
analytical chess skills to solving unsolvable crimes. --- QUESTION: That's
great, but what does it have to do with this game, or Kramnik? --- ANSWER: In
one episode Balagan plays an internet blitz game with the white pieces and
defeats another GM in brilliant positional style. Apparently, our Kramnik-Van
Wely game is the fictional Balagan blitz win on the show!} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6
3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Be2 O-O 6. Nf3 e5 7. Be3 {The Gligoric Variation of the
King's Indian - and as in all King's Indians, the players' world views
contrast sharply in their visions and hope for derivatives. --- QUESTION: What
is White's idea behind maintaining the tension? --- ANSWER: In such KID
situations, Black is normally unable to launch an effective attack on the
kingside as long as central tension remains.} c6 ({The main line runs} 7... Ng4
8. Bg5 f6 9. Bh4 Nc6 10. d5 Ne7 11. Nd2 Nh6 12. f3 c5 13. Rb1 {with play quite
similar to the current game.}) 8. d5 Ng4 9. Bg5 f6 10. Bh4 c5 {Black closes
the queenside as much as possible and hopes to take the fight to the kingside.
--- QUESTION: With the queenside closed, isn't Black better now? --- ANSWER:
No; ...c6-c5 fails to close the queenside completely. White eventually plays
for b2-b4 and attempts to break in down the b-file.} 11. O-O {QUESTION: Rather
committal, isn't it? --- ANSWER: Agreed. Kramnik obviously has faith in
White's defensive chances on the kingside.} ({I would veer toward stalling
castling, to keep Black guessing on the whereabouts of my king, with something
like} 11. Nd2 h5 12. Nf1 Nh6 13. f3 Nf7 14. Bd3 Na6 15. a3 Bh6 16. Qc2 Kg7 17.
Bf2 Bd7 18. h4 Qe7 19. Ng3 {, B.Damljanovic-N.Mamedov, Sarajevo 2010.}) 11...
Nh6 ({The main alternative is} 11... h5 {, when L.Aronian-V.Ivanchuk, Linares
2009, continued} 12. Ne1 Nh6 13. f3 Nf7 14. Rb1 Bh6 15. Bf2 Na6 16. a3 b6 17.
b4 f5 18. exf5 gxf5 19. f4 $5 Bxf4 20. Bxh5 Bd7 21. Rb3 $1 {and I prefer
White's chances, with the rook ready to swing to the kingside.}) 12. a3 {
Preparing the b2-b4 break.} Na6 $6 {In a vivid transgressing of that which is
sacred - "thou shalt not move a knight to the edge of the board!" - Van Wely
relegates his piece to an unhappy posting, which Kramnik later exploits, since
the wayward knight is unable to participate in Black's usual kingside assault.}
({More natural is} 12... Nd7 {, A.Huzman-E.Miroshnichenko, European
Championship, Ohrid 2001.}) 13. Ne1 {QUESTION: Why retreat the knight? ---
ANSWER: Dual purpose: 1. White plans Nd3 to prepare his b2-b4 break and exert
pressure on c5. --- 2. White clears the way for either f2-f3 or f2-f4.} Qe7 14.
Nd3 g5 15. Bg3 f5 16. f3 f4 17. Bf2 Rf6 {Van Wely plays directly for mate on
the kingside.} 18. b4 b6 19. bxc5 bxc5 ({QUESTION: What do you think about the
recapture away from the centre with} 19... dxc5 {- ? I realize Black gives
White a passed d-pawn, but has he bought himself time by keeping the queenside
closed? --- ANSWER: An interesting idea. That would be a new move in the
position. I don't completely trust it but perhaps it's playable. I took White
versus Houdini:} 20. Nb5 Rg6 21. h3 Nf7 22. a4 h5 23. Be1 $1 {(intending Nf2;
Black must act immediately)} g4 24. hxg4 hxg4 25. fxg4 {and I prefer White,
though an attacker may have faith in Black's kingside chances.}) 20. Rb1 Nf7
21. Qa4 $1 {Kramnik finds the tender spot in Black's position: c6. He
continues to probe and investigate in search of the elusive hidden flaw in
Black's camp.} Nd8 {QUESTION: Has Black given up on his kingside assault? ---
ANSWER: He had no real choice and pays for his earlier 12...Na6?! decision.
White threatened Qc6 and the a6-knight has no real hope of participation, so
Van Wely endeavours to create a fortress on the queenside.} ({QUESTION: Why is
Qc6 a threat? Black can respond with ...Nc7, when everything holds together
nicely. --- ANSWER: You need to visualize the position just one ply deeper:} 
21... h5 $4 {(say)} 22. Qc6 Nc7 23. Nb5 $1 {wins material.}) 22. Rb2 h5 23.
Rfb1 Rg6 {The rook regards himself as the leading man in the film, yet lacks
an essential something: no charm, no menace, no sex appeal, no screen presence.
Black's hoped-for kingside attack never comes to fruition.} 24. h3 Bf6 ({
QUESTION: What is he waiting for and why all this exquisite nuance? Shouldn't
Black go for it with} 24... g4 {- ? --- Perhaps a thug is required here more
than a poet. --- ANSWER: White's defences hold after} 25. fxg4 hxg4 26. hxg4
Bf6 27. Nb5 {, because if Black proceeds with his thematic move} Bh4 $2 {, he
walks into a devastating counterattack:} 28. Bxh4 Qxh4 29. Nxd6 $1 Rxd6 30.
Qe8+ Kh7 31. Qxe5 Rh6 32. Qxf4 {and White's king remains remarkably unfazed,
whereas Black has no chance against White's central passers.}) 25. Kf1 $1 {
Just in case. Kramnik edges his king closer to the safety of the centre!} Qd7 {
Van Wely has clearly given up playing for mate and simply tries to plug all
access squares on the queenside. --- QUESTION: Why doesn't Black toss in ...g5-g4 at some point and go for mate? --- ANSWER: Sometimes an absence of
something - the deliberate not-doing by an opponent - actually provides us
with valuable information. In this case, Black's normal kingside attack isn't
going to materialize, otherwise Van Wely would indeed have played ...g5-g4
long ago.} 26. Bd1 $5 {Remarkable sangfroid. I would have jumped at any
opportunity to swap queens.} g4 $5 {Van Wely finally urges the reluctant pawn
forward one square.} 27. fxg4 hxg4 28. hxg4 Qxa4 {Otherwise he can't regain g4.
} 29. Bxa4 Bxg4 30. Bb5 $1 Nc7 31. Bc6 $1 Rc8 ({I doubt Black can hold the
game after} 31... Nxc6 32. dxc6 {, because of White's portfolio of advantages:
1. He controls the open b-file with invasion access to b7 and b8. --- 2. His
c6-pawn, far from a weakness, poses an existential threat to Black's survival.
--- 3. White controls the powerful d5-square. When he plants a knight there,
Black can't afford to swap and re-establish White's pawn structure. ---
Conclusion: Black is in deep trouble in the ending.}) 32. Rb8 {In the words of
Trinity, when she and Neo attempt to infiltrate the military installation of
the Matrix: "We're in!"} Rxb8 33. Rxb8 Kh7 34. Ba4 Rg7 35. Bd1 $1 {Offering to
swap off Black's best minor piece.} Na6 ({QUESTION: Why not just retreat the
bishop to d7? --- ANSWER: White's position improves after} 35... Bd7 36. a4 Kg6
37. Nb5 $1 Nxb5 38. cxb5 $1 {, intending Nb2-c4 and a4-a5, creating a deadly
passed pawn.}) 36. Ra8 {Preventing ...Nc7.} Bxd1 37. Nxd1 {Add one more
advantage to White's ledger: good bishop versus bad bishop.} Rb7 38. Nc3 Nc7
39. Rc8 Nf7 $6 {Researchers of the human brain recently discovered a new form
of intelligence (and stupidity!) in the form of "risk intelligence". They say
people with otherwise high IQs are still capable of making boneheadedly dumb
decisions when it comes to taking or avoiding risk (my lifelong problem,
except without the high IQ part!). Indulge in too big a risk and you endanger
everything; avoid risk altogether and you lose opportunity. Let's test your
risk IQ (but I warn you, this test is not so easy!) --- EXERCISE (critical
decision): Would you sac a piece for two pawns on c5, or is Black's epidermis
too tough for the blunt needle to pierce? --- If you decide to sac, then with
which piece? --- ANSWER: The root tenet of the anarchist: destabilize society,
whatever the cost. The bishop sac is totally sound.} (39... Ne8 $1 {was a
tougher defence to crack.}) 40. Bxc5 $1 {Kramnik pounds and shapes the pawn
structure to his liking;} ({whereas after} 40. Nxc5 $6 dxc5 41. Bxc5 Bd8 $1 {
, Black holds everything together.}) 40... dxc5 41. Nxc5 {Overloading Black's
rook. His next move is forced.} Nd6 $1 42. Nxb7 Nxc8 43. c5 {The position
Kramnik foresaw when he sac'ed. White's two passers outweigh Black's extra
piece.} Na6 44. Ke2 Kg6 45. Kd3 ({Krasenkow frowns upon this move and offers} 
45. Nb5 $1 {instead. He quotes Shereshevsky: "Centralization of the king in
the endgame is almost never wrong. However, it can be ill-timed." Such is the
case here.}) 45... Be7 46. Na4 Kg5 $1 {Destination: g2. In pioneer days, a man
could travel much more quickly by himself than with a large wagon train of
settlers. Van Wely makes a race of it.} 47. Kc4 {Now d5-d6 is coming. This
induces Black's desperado.} Bxc5 $6 ({Instead:} 47... Kg4 $2 48. d6 Nxc5 49.
Kxc5 Kg3 50. dxe7 Nxe7 51. Nb2 Kxg2 52. Nd3 f3 53. Nxe5 $1 f2 54. Ng4 $1 {wins.
}) (47... Nxc5 $1 {is Black's best shot; for example,} 48. Naxc5 Kh4 49. a4 $1
Kg3 50. Nd3 Kxg2 51. Nxe5 {and here Krasenkow's analysis runs} Nb6+ $1 52. Kb5
({not} 52. Kd4 $2 Bf6) 52... f3 53. Nd3 Nd7 $1 54. d6 Bg5 55. Ne1+ ({or} 55.
Nbc5 Ne5 $1) 55... Kg3 56. Nxf3 Kxf3 57. Kc6 Ne5+ 58. Kd5 Bf4 59. Nc5 Ng4 $1
60. d7 Bc7 61. Nb7 Kf4 {, when Kramnik's war effort dwindles from lull to
complete stagnation. Proof that powerful logic sometimes churns out an
incomprehensible conclusion. Whew! Black (barely!) hangs on for the draw. Of
course, such lines are only seen through the omniscient eyes of the computers.}
) 48. Naxc5 Nxc5 49. Kxc5 Kg4 50. d6 Nb6 51. Kc6 Kg3 52. Nc5 $1 {It becomes
quite clear that Kramnik acquired access to alien magic. White is faster by a
single tempo. Kramnik worked out the math perfectly, as his knight veers this
way and prances that way, obviously late for an appointment. The parties
eagerly race toward a head-on collision on freeway f1.} Kxg2 53. d7 $1 Nxd7 54.
Nxd7 f3 55. Nxe5 f2 {EXERCISE (combination alert): Looks can be deceiving. How
do we halt Black's queening dream and win the game? --- ANSWER: The sniper
draws a bead on his target's forehead in the crosshairs of his rifle. He
understands this is his one and only chance. If he misses, the war is over and
the other side wins.} 56. Ng4 $1 ({The fork threat on e3 wins the game, no
matter which way Black promotes:} 56. Ng4 $1 -- (56... f1=Q 57. Ne3+ Kf3 58.
Nxf1 Kxe4 59. a4 {wins.}) (56... f1=N 57. e5 Ng3 58. e6 Nf5 59. Ne3+ $1 {
(deflection - heroes are always eager to die gloriously for their cause; here
the dark chimera strikes, leaving the stricken town folk to stare in
open-mouthed incomprehension)} Nxe3 60. e7 {promotes.} (60. --))) 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "6: Kramnik on Endings"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

{Not since Capablanca has a world champion relied so heavily on his endgame
skills as Kramnik. But while the freewheeling Capa basically winged it and
just landed in endings, come what may, Kramnik has blurred the traditional
boundary of opening, middlegame and ending by embracing his bypassed
middlegame philosophy one step further. His method is more systematized and
home prepared. He is the only world champion who has knowingly schemed to set
up a portion of his opening repertoire to circumvent the middlegame completely
and plunge immediately into the ending. His opponents - all armed with complex
theoretical novelties in the King's Indian on the 27th move and the Sicilian
Dragon on the 25th move - are rendered harmless, suddenly transported in
disorienting fashion to a drugged, sedate kingdom in which Kramnik rules. It
is as if a wizard casts an incantation which stupefies and puts to sleep the
invading - and now loitering! - enemy front line.} 1. -- {The following are
just a few variations within Kramnik's no middlegame arsenal:} (1. Nf3 c5 2. c4
Nf6 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. g3 d5 5. d4 cxd4 6. Nxd4 dxc4 7. Nxc6 Qxd1+ 8. Nxd1 bxc6 {.
This is his English Opening against Timman from the first game of this chapter.
We are only on the eighth move!}) (1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5.
e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Nf3 c5 8. Be3 Qa5 9. Qd2 Nc6 10. Rc1 cxd4 11. cxd4 Qxd2+
12. Kxd2 {. And here we have a Grünfeld versus Van Wely - move 12!}) (1. Nf3 d5
2. d4 Nf6 3. c4 c6 4. Nc3 a6 5. e3 e6 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 c5 8. O-O b5 9. Be2
Bb7 10. dxc5 Qxd1 11. Rxd1 {. And this is a Queen's Gambit Accepted versus
Tomashevsky - the endgame with which Kramnik also tormented Kasparov in their
world title match - and it's only move 11!}) (1. -- {There is no need to show
you another diagram of the starting position of the Berlin Ruy Lopez; the
opening/ending which Kramnik weaponized specifically for use against Kasparov;
the ending which was responsible for making Kramnik World Champion.}) *

[Event "49: Wijk aan Zee"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1999.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kramnik, V."]
[Black "Timman, J."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A35"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "81"]
[EventDate "1999.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

1. Nf3 c5 2. c4 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. g3 d5 5. d4 cxd4 6. Nxd4 dxc4 7. Nxc6 Qxd1+
8. Nxd1 bxc6 {QUESTION: Who do you think stands better in this ending? ---
ANSWER: I prefer White due to his structural superiority. Black merely has a
temporary extra pawn which White should soon regain.} 9. Bg2 Nd5 10. Ne3 e6 11.
Nxc4 {White recoups his investment losses while still enjoying the superior
pawn structure.} Ba6 12. Na5 $1 ({A theoretical novelty (in the opening/
ending!?) and an improvement over Kramnik's earlier games (from both sides!)
which had seen} 12. b3 Bb4+ 13. Bd2 Ke7 14. Rc1 Rhc8 ({or} 14... Rac8) 15.
Bxb4+ Nxb4 16. a3 Nd5 {, as in V.Kramnik-J.Polgar, Tilburg 1997.}) 12... Bc5 $1
13. Bd2 $1 {QUESTION: Why did White decline the offer of c6? --- ANSWER: The
pressure on Black's c-pawn isn't running away.} ({White falls too far behind
in development if he indulges in the immediate pawn grab:} 13. Nxc6 $6 Rc8 14.
Ne5 O-O 15. Be4 Rfd8 16. Bd3 Bxd3 17. Nxd3 Nb4 $1 {, when White has nothing
better than to give back the pawn and suffer a possibly inferior ending.})
13... O-O 14. Rc1 {Timman probably felt his strong piece activity and lead in
development made up for his weak c6-pawn.} Bd4 15. b4 $1 {Nailing the weak
point to c6.} Bb5 16. Nxc6 {Now is the time to take.} Bb2 17. Rc5 Bxc6 18. Rxc6
Rac8 {QUESTION: Is Black just busted? White not only won a pawn, he also
picked up the bishop pair. --- ANSWER: White stands better but must still
overcome his original problem: a lag in development. Black plans to infiltrate
to c2.} 19. Rxc8 Rxc8 20. Bxd5 $1 {QUESTION: Doesn't this exchange greatly
increase Black's drawing chances due to the opposite-coloured bishops? ---
ANSWER: GM Tony Kosten writes: "A GM touch, swapping one advantage (the
powerful light-squared bishop) for another (the IQP)."} ({The swap is the best
chance to win and certainly better than} 20. O-O $6 Nc3 {, when White must
chop the knight anyway but without the advantage of inflicting Black with an
isolani on d5. --- Nevertheless, it's hard to believe Kramnik converted this
position. It's as if he untethered chess laws from their normal functions and
moved them to another dimension where they don't apply.}) 20... exd5 {EXERCISE
(planning): White's inactive rook is the umbilicus from which Black's
life-force flows. How to cut the cord and activate White's rook? --- ANSWER:
Kramnik refuses to resign himself to the fact that his activity dysfunction is
the new status quo.} 21. f4 $3 {QUESTION: This looks like a random move. What
is its purpose? --- ANSWER: Dual purpose: 1. White solves the problem of rook
development with the manoeuvre Rf1-f3. --- 2. White, rather than castling,
keeps his king fighting and in the centre.} ({QUESTION: Why not just castle?
--- ANSWER: Black should draw after} 21. O-O f6 22. Rd1 Rc4 23. Bf4 d4 24. Bd6
Kf7 25. Rd3 Rc2 26. Kf1 Ke6 27. Bc5 a5 $1 28. Bxd4 Bxd4 29. Rxd4 Rxa2 30. bxa5
Rxa5 {with a four versus three rook and pawn ending in which Black has
excellent drawing chances.}) 21... Ba3 22. Rf1 $1 {With a four versus three
rook and pawn ending in which Black has excellent drawing chances.} Rc4 ({
QUESTION: Why doesn't Black simply infiltrate to c2? --- ANSWER: White regains
his lost pawn in the following way:} 22... Rc2 {(the war party is destined to
return home empty handed, with nothing to show for their efforts but new scars
and new stories)} 23. Rf3 Rxa2 24. Rd3 {, picking up d5 in exchange for a2 and
completing his development as well.}) 23. Rf3 $1 {The rook spirals into the
air, sucked up by the tornado's force.} Bxb4 24. Bxb4 Rxb4 25. Ra3 {Black
regained his lost pawn but not equality. Kramnik foresaw this position when he
played 21 f4!!. The indelibly coded instructions in our DNA are essential to
the survival of our species: fight or flight? --- EXERCISE (critical decision):
Should Black turn passive and hang on to a7, or just let the pawn go and keep
his rook active? --- ANSWER: The black rook decides now is not the time for
sentimentality. He abandons his brother to die on a7 in order to save himself.}
h5 $1 {Timman correctly followed the golden rule of all rook and pawn endings:
Keep your rook active at all costs, even if it means giving up a pawn.} ({
Instead, after} 25... Rb7 $2 26. Ra5 Rd7 {, White simply walks his king to d4
with a winning position; for example,} 27. Kd2 f6 28. Kd3 Kf7 29. Kd4 Ke6 30.
g4 g6 31. e3 h5 32. h3 hxg4 33. hxg4 Rb7 34. Ra6+ Rb6 35. Rxa7 {and Black
won't hold the ending.}) 26. Rxa7 Rb2 27. a4 $6 ({The immediate} 27. f5 $1 {is
more accurate.}) 27... Ra2 $6 ({Black should play} 27... g6 $1 {to prevent
White's next move, when he has reasonable drawing chances.}) 28. f5 $1 {Now he
sees it. Black can no longer jump-start his king into the ending.} Ra1+ 29. Kf2
d4 30. a5 f6 31. Kf3 Kh7 32. a6 Kh6 33. h4 $1 {The black king, who moves with
the exhausted effort of a man who just woke up, finds himself in limbo - no
man's land. Once in, there is no out.} g6 34. fxg6 Kxg6 35. Ra8 Ra2 36. Kf4 Kf7
(36... Kg7 37. a7 Ra1 38. Ke4 {is also hopeless.}) 37. a7 Kg7 38. Kf5 Ra5+ {
Black's rook slashes out into the darkness, striking nothing but the
ever-present emptiness.} 39. Ke4 Ra4 40. Kd5 {The white king strolls alone
through the once industrious back streets and lanes, now gone silent and
abandoned.} Ra1 (40... Kh7 {fails to alter anything:} 41. Kc5 Kg7 42. Kb6 Rb4+
43. Ka5 Rb2 44. Re8 Ra2+ 45. Kb6 {and the a-pawn soon costs Black a rook.}) 41.
Kxd4 {. Black's broken-down army remains, but without anyone left to issue
orders.} 1-0

[Event "50: Wijk aan Zee"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2001.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kramnik, V."]
[Black "Van Wely, L."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D85"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "65"]
[EventDate "2001.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Nf3 c5 8.
Be3 Qa5 9. Qd2 Nc6 10. Rc1 cxd4 11. cxd4 Qxd2+ 12. Kxd2 {Here we have a
classic battle of White's central and kingside majority versus Black's
queenside majority. --- QUESTION: It seems a bit early for White's king to be
roaming around in the middle. Is there danger of a sudden mating attack? ---
ANSWER: It's possible, but not likely since White controls the centre, which
in turn offers him greater king security.} O-O 13. d5 Rd8 14. Ke1 $1 Na5 ({The
earlier game V.Kramnik-P.Leko, Budapest (rapid, 1st matchgame) 2001, had seen} 
14... Ne5 15. Nxe5 Bxe5 16. f4 Bd6 17. Kf2 e5 18. Bc5 $3 {(a deep pawn sac)}
Bxc5+ 19. Rxc5 exf4 20. Kf3 Bd7 ({Black can't hang on to his early gains with} 
20... g5 $6 21. h4 h6 22. hxg5 hxg5 23. Rh5 f6 24. e5 $1 {when he is in deep
trouble}) 21. Bd3 Rac8 22. Rhc1 g5 23. Rc7 Rxc7 24. Rxc7 Ba4 (24... Bc8 25. Bc4
{continues to exert heavy pressure on Black's position}) 25. Kg4 $1 h6 26. Rxb7
Rd7 27. Rb4 Bd1+ 28. Kf5 {, when Leko was unable to save himself against
Kramnik's roaming king and powerful d-pawn.}) 15. Bg5 {This annoying move is
standard operating procedure in such Grünfeld endings.} Bd7 {No need to defend
the pawn just yet.} 16. Bd3 Rdc8 ({Perhaps Black should consider the exchange
sac, starting with} 16... f5 $1 17. e5 Be8 18. d6 exd6 19. Bxd8 Rxd8 20. exd6
Bf8 21. Ke2 Bxd6 {, when his bishop pair and extra pawn should fully
compensate him for the slight material deficit.}) 17. Ke2 e6 18. Be3 $1 {A
theoretical novelty, probably prepared (but never used) against Kasparov in
their world championship match.} ({Neil McDonald points out that Kramnik's
move gains a tempo on the line} 18. Bd2 exd5 $1 19. exd5 (19. Bxa5 $2 dxe4 {
regains the piece with clear advantage}) 19... Re8+ 20. Be3 {, V.Chekhov-Wl.Schmidt, Prague 1989.}) 18... exd5 19. exd5 b6 $5 {This looks passive, since
it cedes temporary control over the c-file.} ({Perhaps it is better to advance
the pawn a bit further; i.e.} 19... b5 20. Nd2 a6 {with an eye on the
c4-square, as in the later game L.Van Wely-E.Sutovsky, Amsterdam 2001.}) 20.
Ba6 $1 Rd8 21. Rhd1 Bc8 22. Bxc8 Raxc8 23. Rxc8 $1 {QUESTION: Earlier you said
White took control over the c-file, and now he gives it away. Why? --- ANSWER:
Kramnik's rather simple plan: promote his d-pawn. So in giving away the c-file
he actually misplaces Black's rook, which needs to keep watch over White's
soon-to-be surging passer. Compare this game to Kramnik-Anand from Chapter
Three (Game 24), where Kramnik was successful with exactly the same plan.} Rxc8
24. Nd4 Bf8 $6 ({Black's best defensive plan is probably to chop the powerful
knight and then bring his king up quickly to help stop the d-pawn; i.e.} 24...
Bxd4 $1 25. Rxd4 f6 {and I don't think Black is any worse;} ({as long as he
doesn't go psycho with the pawn grab} 25... Rc2+ $2 26. Kd3 Rxa2 $4 27. d6 Nb7
28. d7 {and White wins.})) 25. Nb5 a6 {EXERCISE (combination alert): Black's
a-pawn moves with the urgent panic that follows a collapsing plan. White has a
little tactical trick which improves his position. What is it? --- ANSWER:
Ignore the threat to the knight.} 26. d6 $3 {The d-pawn secretes upheaval as
he oozes through the pores in Black's position. As all Star Trek fans
understand, the heavy price one pays in joining the Borg Collective is the
leeching of one's individuality, in exchange for absolute efficiency. In this
case, every white piece dissolves its own identity to become a mindless
servant of the surging d-pawn.} Rc2+ {QUESTION: Your suggested "combination"
comes across as a failed stage effect in a low-budget play. Black gets two
pieces for a rook and a pawn, which is not such a bad deal, is it?} ({ANSWER:
The trouble is that if we keep analyzing, we find the bishop and knight unable
to deal with White's soon-to-be-passed a-pawn. For example,} 26... axb5 $2 27.
d7 Rd8 {(the exhausted defenders retreat further under the angry gaze of the
invading d-pawn)} 28. Bxb6 Nc6 29. Bxd8 Nxd8 30. Rd5 $1 {(dual threats: Rxb5
and, more importantly, Re5! followed by Re8)} Bg7 31. Rxb5 Kf8 32. a4 Ke7 33.
Kd3 $3 {(to prevent ...Bd4)} Kxd7 34. a5 Kc6 35. a6 $1 Bd4 $1 36. Rb8 $1 ({not
} 36. Kxd4 $4 Kxb5 37. a7 Nc6+ {and Black wins}) 36... Ne6 37. Rb7 Bb6 38. Rxf7
Nc7 39. Rxh7 Nxa6 40. Rh6 Bxf2 41. Rxg6+ {, when White's rook and pawn pair
secure the win.}) 27. Kd3 Rxa2 $2 {The emboldened rook inches across to grab a
worthless pawn.} ({Instead, he had to focus on halting the threat on the
d-file with} 27... Rc6 $1 28. d7 Be7 29. Nc3 Nb7 30. Nd5 Bd8 {, when Black
sweats under the glaring lights of the interrogation, yet refuses to crack.})
28. d7 {T minus one. Fear and anxiety swell, as the enemy nears. I find the
admirably brutish, one-track mindedness of Kramnik's play quite inspiring.} Nb7
29. Nc3 Rb2 30. Nd5 Rb5 {Black's rook, as if running in water, finds he can't
keep pace with White's d-pawn and is unable to get back in time.} 31. Kc2 $1 {
Threat: Bxb6, taking control over the queening square.} Bc5 {The bishop
intercedes but fails to stop the inevitable.} 32. Bh6 $1 {Black's defences, by
now stretched, prodded and teased, finally reach their terminus of tolerance
and snap, as threats sail out with lazy ease from Kramnik's side and soon
detonate along the Southern borders of the board. Nothing can be done about
the dual threats of 33 Nf6+ (followed by 34 d8Q) and 33 Nc7.} f6 33. Nc7 $1 {
. At last, on d8 we see the blooming flower of the coming explosion, which
arrives with the careless, oblivious savagery of a baby playing with her
blocks.} 1-0

[Event "51: Dortmund"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2001.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Topalov, V."]
[Black "Kramnik, V."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A17"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "94"]
[EventDate "2001.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qb3 c5 5. g3 Nc6 6. a3 Ba5 7. Bg2 O-O 8. O-O
d5 9. d3 h6 10. Bf4 Re8 11. Na4 b6 12. Ne5 Bd7 13. e3 g5 14. Nxc6 Bxc6 15. Be5
Ng4 16. Bc3 Bxc3 17. Nxc3 dxc4 18. dxc4 Bxg2 19. Kxg2 Qe7 20. Ne4 f5 21. h3 Ne5
22. Qc3 Nd7 23. Nd2 Rad8 24. Rad1 Nf6 25. Nf3 Rxd1 26. Rxd1 e5 27. Qc2 e4 28.
Ng1 Rd8 29. Ne2 Rxd1 $1 30. Qxd1 Qd7 31. Qxd7 Nxd7 {QUESTION: Isn't this a
dead draw? The pawn structure is completely level. --- ANSWER: Well, not 100%
level. Black still has a space advantage. This in turn gives him a secondary
advantage: he can rush his king to the centre while White's king cannot. ---
QUESTION: But enough to win? --- ANSWER: Enough to hold an edge.} 32. b3 Ne5
33. Nc3 Kf7 34. g4 $1 {Topalov immediately undermines Black's centre and, with
it, his space advantage.} fxg4 $1 ({QUESTION: Why didn't Kramnik maintain his
space advantage by simply playing} 34... Ke6 {- ? --- ANSWER: That was an
option and he still held an edge there, but instead, Kramnik opts to go for an
outside passed pawn, made that much more dangerous since it is a knight ending,
which most closely resembles a king and pawn ending.}) 35. hxg4 Nxg4 36. Nxe4
Ke6 {One imperceptible change can turn a loss into a draw or vice versa. ---
EXERCISE (critical decision): White has a choice: a) 37 Kg3, improving king
position. --- b) 37 Nc3, counterattack by repositioning the knight to go after
Black's queenside pawns with Nb5 next.} 37. Nc3 $2 {The knight draws his
weapon but then notices his hands begin to shake. It's a near-impossible thing
to save an addict from craving-infested want. Topalov's instinct toward
aggressive counterattack steers him down the wrong path. Soon he realizes the
hostile knight's complicity in his downfall is beyond debate. The
counterattack attempt is ineffective.} ({ANSWER: Instead, he should calmly
strengthen his king's position with} 37. Kg3 $1 Ne5 38. f4 gxf4+ 39. exf4 Nc6
40. Kg4 Nd4 41. b4 cxb4 42. axb4 a5 43. c5 axb4 44. cxb6 {and the game is
drawn.}) 37... Ne5 $1 38. f4 gxf4 39. exf4 Nc6 {Securing a7.} 40. Nb5 h5 41.
Kg3 {Moments of stillness can be unnerving. It looks like Black's king
position plus outside passed h-pawn may be enough to win. But saying so is
just an abstraction. --- EXERCISE (planning): Find a concrete plan for Black
to move closer to the goal. --- ANSWER:} a5 $1 {The cunning pawn push breaches
the defences, as another wave follows, variegated by multidirectional menace:
1. Black evades Nxa7. --- 2. Black prevents b3-b4 and fixes a pawn target on
b3. --- 3. Black frees his own knight for ...Nd4 to go after White's pawns.}
42. Nc7+ Kf5 43. Nd5 Nd4 44. Kh4 {The white king finds himself wedged in the
corner, propped up through force of will alone.} ({The alternative} 44. Nxb6
Nxb3 45. Nd7 h4+ $1 {(the authorities haul White's king away, who all the
while protests his innocence)} 46. Kxh4 Kxf4 {is similar to the game
continuation. Black's king is first in the race toward the queenside pawns.})
44... Nxb3 45. Kxh5 Nd2 46. Nxb6 Kxf4 {A miniscule alteration has fatal
consequences in such delicate endings. --- EXERCISE (critical decision): White
can play his knight to a4 or to d7. One of them draws; the other loses. Which
move does your intuition point to?} 47. Na4 $2 {The knight, sodden in his own
blood, ignores the pain and fear, continuing his hopeless fight to win a
single black pawn. The critical difference is the positioning of the two kings.
White's, now bereft of his former glory, can do no more than watch helplessly
as Black's king overruns the queenside.} ({ANSWER: White can save himself with
} 47. Nd7 $3 Nb3 48. Kg6 Ke4 49. Kf6 Kd4 50. Ne5 $1 ({not} 50. Nb6 $2 Nd2)
50... Kc3 ({or} 50... a4 51. Nd7 $1 Kxc4 52. Nb6+ Kb5 ({while after} 52... Kd4
$1 53. Nxa4 c4 54. Kf5 Nc1 55. Kf4 Nd3+ 56. Kf3 Nb2 57. Nb6 c3 58. Ke2 {, the
white king returns just in time}) 53. Nd5 {and Black cannot make progress}) 51.
Ke6 a4 {(fixing the target on a3)} 52. Kd5 Kb2 53. Nd3+ Kxa3 {(this looks lost
for White since he can't touch c5, but he now has an amazing resource)} 54. Kc6
$3 ({after} 54. Nxc5 $4 Nxc5 55. Kxc5 Kb3 {White loses the queening race})
54... Ka2 55. Kb5 a3 56. Ka4 $1 {(zugzwang; Black must give way)} Nd4 57. Nxc5
Kb2 58. Nd3+ {with a draw.}) 47... Ne4 {Dismissing the threat with brusque
efficiency. White's fallen king inclines his head, indicating his willingness
to negotiate a surrender.} ({Despite the simplification, White is helpless;
for example,} 47... Ne4 48. Nb6 Ke5 49. Kg4 Kd4 50. a4 Nd6 51. Kf4 Nxc4 {
(shards of rubble fall in pyroclastic flow, as White's pawns begin to crumble)}
52. Nc8 Nb2 53. Na7 {(continuing the decaying orbit around Black's pawns in
hopeless rotation)} Kd5 $1 {wins the final white pawn while retaining both of
his own.}) 0-1

[Event "52: Wijk aan Zee"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2003.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kramnik, V."]
[Black "Krasenkow, M."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C54"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "159"]
[EventDate "2003.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3 a6 6. Bb3 O-O 7. O-O d5 8. exd5
Nxd5 9. h3 Nb6 10. Re1 h6 11. Nbd2 Qxd3 12. Nxe5 Qg3 $1 13. Qf3 Qxf3 14. Ndxf3
{QUESTION: Completely even? --- ANSWER: Believe it or not, Black is in trouble.
White's pieces exert pressure on f7 and, strangely enough, there isn't much
Black can do about it.} Ne7 $6 {EXERCISE (combination alert): Black should
have traded knights on his last move. Kramnik has a cute trick which exploits
the omission. What would you play here?} 15. Nd3 {Kramnik goes for the more
subtle, positional route. He chooses structure over material gains, which
still leaves White in command strategically, but it is much simpler just to
pick off a pawn.} ({ANSWER:} 15. Nxf7 $1 Rxf7 16. Rxe7 $1 {(this is the move
which is hard to see; White eliminates ...Nd5 blocks)} Bxe7 17. Ne5 Kf8 18.
Nxf7 {.}) 15... Bd6 16. Bf4 $1 {Eliminating Black's most efficient piece.} Ng6
$1 {No choice;} ({since} 16... Bxf4 $2 {fails to} 17. Nxf4 Nc6 18. Ng6 $1 Rd8
19. Ne7+ $1 Kf8 {(forced)} 20. Nxc6 bxc6 21. Ne5 Be6 22. Bxe6 fxe6 23. Nxc6 {
, when Black is down a pawn, with a train-wreck of a structure.}) 17. Bxd6 {
Dual purpose: 1. Black is stuck with a weak, isolated d-pawn. --- 2. White
seizes control over a newly formed hole on d4.} cxd6 18. Re4 $1 {Black must
now watch out for transfers to d4 or b4.} a5 {QUESTION: Didn't he just create
a fresh hole on b5? --- ANSWER: Black did, yet his move looks justified. He
desperately needs some activity and correctly allows a slight weakening to get
it.} 19. Rd4 {Target: d6.} Rd8 20. Rd1 d5 21. Nc5 Ne7 22. a4 Re8 23. R4d2 Nd7 {
The annoying, unwelcome guest must be evicted.} 24. Nxd7 Bxd7 {EXERCISE 
(combination alert): White enjoys a very pleasant strategic advantage if he
simply plants his knight on d4. But look around. White has something even
better. --- ANSWER: Pin/seventh rank infiltration.} 25. c4 $1 dxc4 26. Rxd7
cxb3 27. Rxb7 Rab8 28. Rdd7 {Either b3 or f7 will soon fall.} Nc6 $5 ({I would
have gone for} 28... Rxb7 29. Rxb7 Nc6 30. Rxb3 Re4 31. Rc3 Nd4 32. Nxd4 Rxd4
33. b3 {with reasonable drawing chances.}) 29. Rxf7 Rxb7 30. Rxb7 Re4 31. Rxb3
Rxa4 32. Rb6 Rc4 ({QUESTION: Can't Black get basically the same drawish ending
if he swaps knights with} 32... Nd4 {- ? --- ANSWER: In that scenario White
won't swap knights.}) 33. g3 a4 34. h4 Nd4 35. Ne5 $1 {The rook and pawn
endings are much harder to win.} Rc5 36. Rb8+ Kh7 37. Nd7 $1 Rb5 38. Ra8 Ne2+
39. Kg2 Rxb2 {EXERCISE (planning): Of course Kramnik can just take on a4 and
try his luck in a three versus two ending on the kingside. Instead, he set his
sights on Krasenkow's king. How? --- ANSWER: Imprison the black king.} 40. h5
$1 {The point of White's play. Even with the reduced material Black's king is
in trouble.} Nc3 41. Ne5 {Threat: Ng6 and Rh8 mate!} Rb5 42. f4 Ne4 43. g4 $1 {
Renewing the Ng6 threat.} Nf6 44. Ng6 Ng8 {Black's knight has been forced into
indentured servitude on g8.} 45. Nf8+ Kh8 46. Ng6+ Kh7 47. Kf3 $5 {White's
rook, with immense distaste, only picks up Black's a-pawn (later on) with his
fingertips and at arm's length, as if carrying a vomit-soiled rag. Kramnik
displays an almost spiritual contempt for all things material, continuing to
refuse the offer of a4, which a more crude, worldly player like me would have
snatched in a heartbeat!} Rb3+ 48. Ke4 a3 49. Nf8+ Kh8 50. Ng6+ Kh7 51. g5 $1 {
Cutting off f6 for Black's pieces and also adding another attacker into the
mix. --- QUESTION: But isn't there also the danger of swapping off too many
pawns? --- ANSWER: Very correct. Kramnik has factored that in and sees the
swap as his only way to play for the win.} hxg5 52. fxg5 Rb4+ 53. Kf5 Rb5+ 54.
Kg4 Rb4+ 55. Kf5 Rb5+ 56. Kg4 {QUESTION: Why does Kramnik indulge in all these
random, meaningless repetitions? --- ANSWER: They are not so random. It is a
standard trick for the superior side to burn moves to gain time on the clock.
Also, I think such repetitions inflict subtle psychological damage to the
defender, who must dance around to his opponent's irrational whims!} Rb4+ 57.
Nf4 a2 (57... Rb3 $4 {walks into a mate after} 58. g6+ Kh8 59. Ne6 Rb4+ 60. Kf3
Rb3+ 61. Ke4 Rb4+ 62. Kd3 Rb5 63. Kc4 Rxh5 64. Nd8 $1 {, when nothing can be
done about the coming knight check on f7.}) 58. Rxa2 {At last. One more item
into the paper shredder.} Ne7 59. Ra8 Ng8 60. Ra7 {Kramnik logically targets
g7;} ({missing a study-like win after} 60. g6+ $1 Kh8 61. h6 $3 {, when
Black's resistance dissolves as quickly as a teaspoon of sugar in a steaming
hot cup of black coffee:} gxh6 62. Ra7 h5+ 63. Kg5 Rb5+ 64. Kh4 $1 Nf6 65. Rf7
Rb6 66. Kg5 Ng4 67. Rf5 $1 Kg8 68. Nxh5 Rb4 69. Rf7 Rb6 70. Rc7 $1 {(threat:
Rc8 mate - Black's forces tangle in a cobwebbed landscape of disarray and
inefficiency)} Rb8 71. Kxg4 {mates in at most seven moves.}) 60... Kh8 61. Ra8
Kh7 62. Rf8 (62. g6+ $1 {still wins by transposing to the previous note.})
62... Kh8 63. Kf3 Rb3+ 64. Ke4 Rb4+ 65. Ke5 Rb5+ 66. Nd5 $6 {The beginning of
an incorrect plan. Kramnik now sees the above idea but in an incorrect
sequence. The addition of this move dilutes White's attack, until it levels
off to a mere residue of its original potency.} Ra5 67. Rd8 Kh7 68. g6+ $6 Kh8
{He places his king into a storage unit - a hibernation - mainly to conserve
his depleted energy stores.} 69. h6 {This looks like a killing shot, but
Krasenkow is ready with an amazing defence.} Ra7 $3 {Krasenkow sets up a
devilishly insidious trap, all the while severing the causal link to his
present and future suffering.} (69... gxh6 $2 70. Rd7 $1 {is an instant
game-ender.}) 70. Ne3 $1 {Kramnik deftly sidesteps the trap.} (70. h7 $4 {
walks into Krasenkow's dirty stalemate scheme:} Re7+ 71. Kf5 Re5+ $1 {and
draws as the mad rook will not be denied.}) 70... gxh6 71. Nf5 Ra5+ $4 {
QUESTION: Aren't both sides making a lot of errors? --- ANSWER: This ending
shows how such seemingly simple positions are, in reality, not so simple to
work out over the board. Confusion comes in waves so powerful that neither
side can be confident enough to parse the core mysteries of the position to
perfection. I believe it was the poet Sylvia Plath who once wrote that
perfection isn't such a great thing because it is unable to procreate.} ({Here
} 71... Ra1 $1 {, getting ready to bombard White's king with checks, would
have saved the game.}) 72. Kf4 Ra4+ 73. Kf3 Ra3+ 74. Kg4 Ra4+ 75. Kh5 {No more
checks.} Ra7 76. Rf8 $1 Rb7 {EXERCISE (calculation): Does 77 Rf7 work for
White?} 77. Kh4 $5 {Black's fire-stained wall remains erect, a dull reminder
of what could have been an incandescent explosion, if only White had lit the
fuse. Luckily for Kramnik, he doesn't throw away his win after this move.} ({
ANSWER: It works!} 77. Rf7 $3 Rxf7 78. gxf7 Nf6+ 79. Kg6 Nd7 80. Kxh6 Nf8 81.
Nh4 $1 {is zugzwang! The stinging blow knocks Black's king down and sends him
sprawling over the pavement and onto his back. The knight swivels right,
circumventing all resistance, as White mates next move. The black king finds
himself encircled by hostiles with no place to hide or run.}) 77... Rb4+ 78.
Kg3 Rb6 (78... Rb3+ 79. Kg4 Rb4+ 80. Kh5 Rb7 {returns to the 76...Rb7 position
above,} ({while} 80... Rb1 81. Rf7 Rh1+ 82. Nh4 $1 {also wins, as White's
delegates conspire in illicit congress around Black's king.})) 79. Ne7 $1 {In
the end, Black was unable to escape the gravitational pull of the vortex on g8.
} Kg7 {EXERCISE (combination alert): White can take the g8-knight. Do you see
anything better? --- ANSWER: Mate in two moves!} 80. Rf7+ $1 1-0

[Event "53: Wijk aan Zee"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2004.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kramnik, V."]
[Black "Zhang Zhong"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A17"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "155"]
[EventDate "2004.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 O-O 5. a3 Bxc3 6. Qxc3 b6 7. e3 Bb7 8.
Be2 d6 9. O-O Nbd7 10. b4 c5 11. Bb2 Re8 12. d4 Ne4 13. Qb3 Rb8 14. Rad1 Qc7
15. Nd2 Nef6 16. Rc1 a5 17. Rfd1 e5 18. Bf1 axb4 19. axb4 h6 20. Ba1 Rec8 21.
Bb2 Re8 22. dxc5 dxc5 23. Nb1 $1 cxb4 24. Qxb4 Nc5 25. Nc3 Rbd8 26. Rb1 Bc6 27.
Ba1 Rxd1 28. Rxd1 Rd8 29. Nb5 Bxb5 30. Bxe5 Qxe5 31. Rxd8+ Be8 32. Qxb6 Qe7 33.
Rc8 Nfd7 34. Qc7 Kf8 35. g3 Ne6 36. Qc6 g6 37. Bh3 f5 38. Bg2 Kg7 39. Bd5 Nec5
40. Qa8 Bf7 41. Qa1+ Qf6 42. Qa7 Qa6 43. Qxa6 Nxa6 44. f3 {QUESTION: How would
you assess this position? --- ANSWER: Advantage White. His rook and two pawns
outweigh Black's knights. --- QUESTION: Why doesn't the knight pair constitute
equality? --- ANSWER: Technically, a pair of minor pieces is roughly the
equivalent of a rook and two pawns, but not here. Black's main problem is lack
of viable targets. White already has a passed c-pawn and he soon begins to
move his kingside pawn majority forward to create a second passer.} Nac5 45.
Kf2 Kf6 46. Rc6+ Be6 {QUESTION: Why did Black self-pin? --- ANSWER: He wants
to put his king on e5 and so needs to block out White's rook, which prevents
this along the sixth rank.} 47. Ke2 Ke5 48. f4+ {QUESTION: Should White be
concerned about the newly formed hole on e4? --- ANSWER: No. Black has no real
way to exploit it.} Kf6 49. Kd2 Ke7 50. Bf3 Nb3+ $5 ({It's hard to know
whether Black should just tuck himself in and wait with} 50... Na4 51. Kc2 Ndc5
52. Rc7+ Bd7 53. Bc6 $1 Nb6 (53... Kd6 $4 54. Rxd7+ $1 {wins}) 54. Bxd7 Nbxd7
55. Kc3 {I don't have great faith in Black's drawing chances.}) 51. Kc3 Na5 $1
{Black deliberately "falls" for a combination, correctly discerning that the
ensuing ending is his best shot to hold the game.} ({Clearly Zhang lacked
faith in the integrity of Black's blockading potential after} 51... Nbc5 {.})
52. Ra6 ({Not} 52. Rc7 $2 Kd8 {, when White unceremoniously tosses away his
precious c-pawn.}) 52... Nxc4 {EXERCISE (combination alert): Here is an easy
one. White to play and win material. --- ANSWER: Removal of defender.} 53.
Rxe6+ $1 Kxe6 54. Kxc4 {Nevertheless, this isn't going to be simple. Four
versus three on the same side, with bishop over knight, is a monumental
technical task.} g5 55. Bd5+ Kf6 {QUESTION: Why doesn't Black challenge the
white's king entry by posting his king to d6 instead?} ({ANSWER: The trouble
is that f5 then becomes a source of concern for Black; for example,} 55... Kd6
56. Kd4 Nf6 57. Bb7 $1 {, when Bc8 is in the air.}) 56. Bc6 Nf8 57. Kd5 Ng6 58.
Kd6 Ne7 59. Bb7 Ng6 60. Bf3 Nf8 {White's bishop is unable to enforce zugzwang
by himself. Zhang's defensive plan is just to wait and shuffle his knight back
and forth. This in turn forces Kramnik to push forward on the kingside.} 61.
Bd5 Ng6 62. Bc6 Nf8 63. Bd7 Ng6 64. h3 h5 $1 {Very alert. At first we see just
a ripple of motion from Black, and then comes mass exodus, like bats flushed
from the church steeple tower. Zhang goes after both the apex and base of the
isosceles triangle on f4 and g3, remaining flexible and seizing his chance to
swap more pawns. --- QUESTION: Why can't he continue to just shuffle?} ({
ANSWER: Zugzwang. For example, after} 64... Nf8 $2 65. h4 $1 gxh4 66. gxh4 Ng6
67. h5 {, Black loses use of the g6-square and will soon be in zugzwang:} Nf8
68. Bc8 Nh7 69. Be6 Nf8 70. Bd5 Nh7 71. Kd7 $1 Kg7 72. Ke7 Nf6 73. Bf3 Nh7 (
73... Ng4 {loses ignominiously to} 74. e4) 74. Ke6 {and White picks off the
second pawn and wins.}) 65. fxg5+ $1 ({Not} 65. Be8 $2 {, when} h4 $1 {holds
the draw.}) 65... Kxg5 66. h4+ $1 Kg4 {Black's king reaches the limits of his
curiosity and decides to peer over White's wall. He defends excellently and
should be rewarded with a hard earned draw. White has too few pawns remaining.}
({Remarkably, Black has another method of holding the game with} 66... Kf6 {,
which appears to lose to} 67. Be8 {, but watch Black's knight:} Ne5 {(threat: ...Nc4+ to pick off e3)} 68. Kd5 Ng4 69. Kd4 {(it looks like the end of the
line for Black, but this is an illusion)} Nh2 $1 70. Bxh5 Nf1 {, though Black
hasn't yet achieved his goal because of} 71. e4 $1 fxe4 $1 ({not} 71... Nxg3 $2
72. e5+ Kg7 73. Bf3 {and wins}) 72. g4 {with connected passed pawns. But Black
is still not dead:} Ng3 $1 73. g5+ Kf5 74. Bd1 Kf4 $1 75. g6 Nf5+ 76. Kc5 Ke5
77. h5 Kf6 {, when nothing stops ...Nh4 and ...Nxg6 with a draw.}) 67. e4 Kxg3
68. exf5 {The beautiful mystery in the Mona Lisa's smile lies buried in its
ambiguity, much like this position. --- EXERCISE (critical decision): Would
you play your knight to f8 or h8? --- One draws; the other loses. What does
your intuition tell you?} Nh8 $2 {Unnatural and bad. If you thought this was a
trick question and chose to get clever by heading into the corner, then I
offer a piece of advice. Extremes tend toward the harmful: on the one hand, a
person starves to death; on the other, he succumbs to an obesity-related
illness. Here decentralization loses, as the combined might of king and bishop
overpower their inefficient counterparts.} ({ANSWER: Instead, Black achieves a
study-like draw with} 68... Nf8 $1 69. f6 ({if} 69. Ke7 Nh7 70. Kf7 Kxh4 71.
Kg7 Ng5 72. f6 {, then} Kg3 $1 73. Kh6 Kf4 {holds the draw}) 69... Kxh4 70. f7
Kg5 71. Ke7 Ng6+ 72. Ke8 Kf6 73. Bc6 Kg7 74. Be4 Nf8 75. Bc2 h4 76. Bf5 $1 {
(now Black can't move his knight, so he must toss his final pawn)} h3 77. Bxh3
Nh7 78. Ke7 Nf8 79. Bf5 {. --- QUESTION: Zugzwang? --- ANSWER: No!} Kh8 $1 {. 
How annoying. The stalemate saves Black. His knight hopes to attract the white
king's attention the way a bored, misbehaving child would get her parent's
notice.}) 69. Ke7 Kxh4 70. Kf6 $1 {The faithful continue to rebuild their
f-pawn god's temple, stopping occasionally to rest, kneel and pray. White's
last move highlights Black's incorrect decision to send his knight into the
corner. From this point on, Kramnik completes the parametric equation with
perfect accuracy. The black knight is boxed in and is likely to live out his
days within the mathematical prison on the first rank. Each module of White's
position sits in perfect harmony, in the creation of a greater whole.} Kg4 71.
Kg7 Kg5 72. f6 $1 ({Not} 72. Kxh8 $4 Kf6 {and draws, as Black simply pushes
his h-pawn forward.}) 72... h4 73. Bc8 Kh5 $1 74. Bf5 $1 ({Kramnik is not
going to fall for the cheapo} 74. Kxh8 $4 Kg6 {. Instead, the stern bishop
doles out penance, even for the most insignificant infractions.}) 74... Kg5 75.
Be6 $1 {Zugzwang!} Ng6 {Finally, the knight belches forth from the depths,
like a bubble of swamp gas rising up and erupting on the surface of slimy,
stinking water.} 76. f7 Nf4 77. Bc8 Nh5+ (77... Ng6 78. Bd7 $1 Kh5 79. Bf5 $1 {
ends resistance.}) 78. Kh7 ({After} 78. Kh7 Nf6+ 79. Kh8 {, the knight, alone,
out of place and so far from home, is the single black ant living among the
colony of hostile red ants. White's bishop and king throw glances laced with
poisonous significance the knight's way in silent warning: "Don't come any
closer." The mixed-up defenders, tissue paper tossed in a bonfire, have no
effect in halting the f-pawn's upcoming promotion.}) 1-0

[Event "54: World Championship, Brissago"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2004.??.??"]
[Round "14"]
[White "Kramnik, V."]
[Black "Leko, P."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B12"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "81"]
[EventDate "2004.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

{This was the final game of the match, with Kramnik in the most nightmarish
scenario imaginable: one point down and having to win to retain the World
Championship. And against one of the most solid, difficult to defeat opponents
since Emanuel Lasker faced Carl Schlechter. Talk about pressure!} 1. e4 c6 2.
d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. h4 h6 5. g4 Bd7 6. Nd2 c5 7. dxc5 e6 8. Nb3 Bxc5 9. Nxc5
Qa5+ 10. c3 Qxc5 11. Nf3 Ne7 12. Bd3 Nbc6 13. Be3 Qa5 14. Qd2 Ng6 15. Bd4 Nxd4
16. cxd4 Qxd2+ 17. Kxd2 {QUESTION: It seems to me that White's structure fits
with an attack, whereas in an endgame he is in danger of overextension. Do you
agree with this assessment? --- ANSWER: I don't think so. As a long-time
French player, I know a bad French ending when I see one. Not only does White
have extra space in the centre and on the kingside, Black must also deal with
a bad remaining bishop, hemmed in by his own pawns. Having said that, I must
add that such positions are not so easy to win as White. --- QUESTION: Why
not? --- ANSWER: Black may be cramped and carry the burden of a bad bishop,
but he has no real weaknesses, so White still has a lot of work ahead. ---
QUESTION: What would be Black's best defensive set-up? --- ANSWER: Most
experienced French players would go for something like ...Ne7-c6, ...Ke7 and ..
.Rac8, when at least Black connects his rooks to challenge for the c-file.} Nf4
$6 {Threatening not to take White's bishop, since that would accentuate
Black's remaining bishop's rottenness, versus a rather limber white knight. If
that is the case, then we ask: why play the knight to f4?} 18. Rac1 h5 $6 ({
After the game Leko thought he could save the game with} 18... Nxd3 {. ---
QUESTION: Do you agree with this assessment? --- ANSWER: I don't. It took me
decades to figure out that one shouldn't believe in something on the sole
basis that you desperately want to believe in it. GM Shipov suggested the
continuation} 19. Kxd3 Bb5+ 20. Ke3 Kd7 21. h5 $1 Rac8 22. Nh4 Rxc1 23. Rxc1
Rc8 24. Rxc8 Kxc8 25. f4 $1 Kd7 26. f5 {, claiming good winning chances for
White. I agree. White's kingside space and superior minor piece give him every
chance to score the full point.}) 19. Rhg1 $1 Bc6 (19... Nh3 20. Rg2 Nf4 21.
Rg3 {doesn't get Black anywhere.}) 20. gxh5 $1 Nxh5 21. b4 $1 {Increasing his
spatial gains all across the board.} a6 22. a4 $1 Kd8 ({Kasparov claimed that
Black's best shot to hold the game was to grab a4 with} 22... Bxa4 23. Rc7 Bb5
$1 {, but after} 24. Bb1 $1 {Black's position still looks quite grim to me.})
23. Ng5 Be8 {The tormented soul is consigned to the fires of hell for
everlasting eternity.} 24. b5 Nf4 {Attacking h4.} (24... axb5 25. Bxb5 $1 {
also puts Black under enormous strain.}) 25. b6 $1 {Hey, I said "attacking
h4"! Kramnik brushes aside and ignores the flea bite on h4 with dry disdain,
as he generates the crushing strategic threat of Rc7. Black is well on his way
toward absolute asphyxiation.} Nxd3 {Leko wrinkles his nose in disgust at the
foul stench permeating from e8, as he acquiesces to bad bishop versus good
knight.} 26. Kxd3 Rc8 $1 {The only move.} ({Not} 26... Rxh4 $2 27. Rc7 Rc8 28.
Nxf7+ Bxf7 29. Rxf7 {and Black can resign.}) 27. Rxc8+ Kxc8 28. Rc1+ Bc6 {Leko
furiously plugs the dyke. The destitute bishop for so long needed a job but
was too proud to beg for one. Finally, he achieves gainful employment as a
security officer, who prevents rook infiltration to c7. Unfortunately, this is
only for show. Black manages to prettify his defences without actually
altering them in any meaningful way.} 29. Nxf7 Rxh4 30. Nd6+ Kd8 31. Rg1 $1 {
Kramnik faces intractable resistance on the queenside, so he switches to
another front.} Rh3+ 32. Ke2 Ra3 {Black's rook politely steps aside, making an
"after you" motion with his hands, as he allows White's rook into g7. ---
QUESTION: This looks like suicide. Why can't Black just remain passive and
cover g7?} ({ANSWER: Passive defence loses as well:} 32... Rh7 33. a5 Kd7 34.
Rg3 Kd8 35. Rf3 $1 {(threatening to infiltrate at f7)} g6 36. Rf6 {wins.}) 33.
Rxg7 {The rook mouths a silent "thank you!" as he blows a kiss to the g-pawn
from across the room.} Rxa4 {EXERCISE (planning/combination alert): We all
smell a winning idea here for White, the way a dog senses a bone near by. But
what is it?} {Exercise (planning/combination alert): We all smell a winning
idea here for White, the way a dog senses a near-by bone. But what is it? ---
ANSWER: The optimist who dreams of paradise is a fool, since he is already
there. White's d-pawn doesn't matter. Instead, he plays for f2-f4-f5!, which
frees the path for the e5-pawn to enter the attack.} 34. f4 $3 Ra2+ ({After} 
34... Rxd4 $2 35. f5 $1 exf5 36. e6 Re4+ 37. Nxe4 dxe4 38. Rc7 $3 {Black has
no reasonable defence to Rxc6!, which wins the queening race.}) 35. Kf3 Ra3+
36. Kg4 $1 {Kramnik's king isn't merely running away from checks, he actively
participates in the coming mating attack.} Rd3 37. f5 $1 {Anyway, even with
check.} Rxd4+ 38. Kg5 exf5 39. Kf6 $1 {The non-conformist king has a charming
way of stressing out the orthodoxy and the powers that be on Black's side.
Déjà vu. Do you remember Capablanca's famous rook and pawn ending win against
Tartakower at New York 1924? In that game Capa also shunned the capture of an
f-pawn, leaving it to shield the king, with (weirdly enough on the same move)
39 Kf6!.} Rg4 40. Rc7 {White's threats: 1. e5-e6 and e6-e7 (or Rc8) mate. ---
2. Nf7+ and Re7 mate.} Rh4 {EXERCISE (combination alert): White has a way to
force mate in three moves. How did Kramnik finish the game and retain his
world title? --- ANSWER:} 41. Nf7+ $1 ({The knight steps on the back of the
black king's cape with blithe disregard for court etiquette, and} 41. Nf7+ Ke8
42. Rc8+ Kd7 43. Rd8# {is mate.}) 1-0

[Event "55: World Ch. (rapid playoff), Elista"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2006.??.??"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Kramnik, V."]
[Black "Topalov, V."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D47"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "89"]
[EventDate "2006.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

{Déjà vu again. Kramnik, under no less pressure than in the previous game, now
faced Topalov in a rapid playoff for the world title. Once more he proved that
his nerves were stronger than his opponent's.} 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4.
Nc3 e6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Be2 Bb7 9. O-O Be7 10. e4 b4 11. e5
bxc3 12. exf6 Bxf6 13. bxc3 c5 14. dxc5 Nxc5 15. Bb5+ Kf8 16. Qxd8+ Rxd8 {
QUESTION: Is Kramnik in big trouble? He landed in an ending, saddled with a
weak isolani on c3. Black also threatens ...Bxf3. --- ANSWER: Believe it or
not, Black has yet to equalize, despite his superior structure. White's lead
in development matters. Black is uncastled and his h8-rook remains out of the
picture for quite a while to come.} 17. Ba3 Rc8 $1 ({More accurate than} 17...
Be7 $6 18. Ne5 $1 {, when White is ready to invade c6.}) 18. Nd4 ({GM
Scherbakov thought} 18. Rab1 $1 {, intending Bd7!, put more pressure on Black.}
) 18... Be7 19. Rfd1 $6 ({Again, perhaps} 19. Rab1 $1 {is better.}) 19... a6 $6
({Topalov may have snatched the world title had he found} 19... Ne4 $1 20. Bb4
({perhaps Topalov rejected 19...Ne4 because of} 20. Nxe6+ {(??)} fxe6 21. Bxe7+
Kxe7 22. Rd7+ {, but then it is Black who wins after} Kf6 23. Rxb7 Nd6 $1)
20... Nxc3 21. Nxe6+ fxe6 22. Bxe7+ Kxe7 23. Rd7+ Kf6 24. Rxb7 Rb8 25. Rxb8
Rxb8 26. Bc4 Rb4 27. Bb3 Ne2+ 28. Kf1 Nd4 29. Bd1 Rb2 {, when it is White who
is tied up and fighting for the draw.}) 20. Bf1 {Now White is okay.} Na4 $5 {
Typically, Topalov goes for the target on c3.} ({Perhaps he would have been
better served if he played} 20... g6 {to complete his development.}) 21. Rab1
Be4 $6 {Another inaccuracy gives White the better chances.} (21... Bd5 $1 {was
safer.}) 22. Rb3 Bxa3 ({QUESTION: Doesn't} 22... Bd5 {tie White up? --- ANSWER:
White has the resource} 23. c4 $1 {, after which he stands better.}) 23. Rxa3
Nc5 24. Nb3 {Target: a6.} Ke7 $1 {Topalov takes a defiant stance to confront
the intruder. He isn't so worried about handing over a6, as he can calmly
complete his development and target c3.} ({Instead,} 24... Nxb3 $6 {is weak,
as after} 25. axb3 {the c3-pawn isn't hanging due to a rook check on d8.}) 25.
Rd4 Bg6 26. c4 $1 {Securing his c-pawn.} Rc6 $6 {Losing time and also his
a-pawn.} ({Black holds the draw after} 26... Nxb3 $1 27. axb3 Rhd8 $1 28. Rxd8
Kxd8 $1 29. Rxa6 Rb8 30. Ra3 Bc2 {.}) 27. Nxc5 Rxc5 28. Rxa6 {The hungry pig,
who isn't picky about what he eats, roots around in the soil for grubs.} Rb8 {
Topalov is a natural optimist, and I am willing to bet he liked his position
here. Black is ready to generate serious threats along White's first and
second ranks. However, Kramnik assessed the ending more accurately, realizing
that he can defend against the threats while still retaining his extra
material.} 29. Rd1 $1 {It is critical not to allow ...Rb1.} Rb2 {Everyone in
the room goes quiet, as the outlaw enters the saloon.} 30. Ra7+ Kf6 31. Ra1 $1
{Principle: Place your rooks behind your passed pawn. Even as tied up as White
is, Black can't make headway, and soon White begins to unravel.} Rf5 {Inducing
a weakness.} (31... Bb1 {is answered by} 32. Ra3 $1 {, intending Rb3!.}) 32. f3
Re5 $1 {Kramnik plays a dangerous game by allowing Black's pieces to roam
about, free from constraint. Black threatens to increase the pressure to
stranglehold levels with the manoeuvre ...Bb1! followed by ...Re1!. ---
EXERCISE (planning): It's easy to lose one's way within the subterranean
catacombs of plans and non-plans. Find a way to disrupt Black's intention. ---
ANSWER:} 33. Ra3 $1 Rc2 {Black takes the slow, careful steps of a trespasser,
always keeping an eye out for the occupant.} ({Now if Black blindly proceeds
with his plan he loses:} 33... Bb1 $4 34. Rb3 $1 Rxb3 35. axb3 {, when the
pawns hug and exchange handshakes as White's two passed pawns win the game.}) (
{If instead} 33... Bc2 {(to stop Rb3) then} 34. Rc3 Ba4 35. c5 $1 {and White
takes over the initiative.}) 34. Rb3 Ra5 35. a4 {The ant begins the journey,
hoping to scale the mountain. Kramnik managed a Houdini-like (I mean both the
escape artist and also the computer!) unravelling. Move by move, Black's
options and his former initiative continue to narrow.} Ke7 {Black's king, like
a nervous person who worked late and now enters the darkened parking lot,
fumbles with his keys as he scampers to his car. Topa's king rushes to the
queenside to assist the hoped-for blockade.} 36. Rb5 Ra7 37. a5 {The once
humble a-pawn surges forward.} Kd6 38. a6 {If only Black could get his bishop
in play in time by ...f7-f6 and ...Be8-c6.} Kc7 39. c5 {Threat: Rab1, followed
by Rb7. The infestation of creepy-crawly white pawns continues unabated.} Rc3
$1 {EXERCISE (planning): White would like to double rooks on the b-file and
then play Rb7+. How can he accomplish this monumental ambition without
dropping either of his queenside pawns? --- ANSWER: Overprotect c5.} 40. Raa5
$3 {White's rook approaches with insincere nonchalance. Now Black can't deal
with the threat of Rb6!, Rab5 and Rb7+.} Rc1 41. Rb3 $1 {Oh, no you don't!
Kramnik disallows the ...Bd3 cheapo.} Kc6 42. Rb6+ Kc7 43. Kf2 Rc2+ 44. Ke3
Rxc5 $4 {In time pressure, Topa took what he believed to be the short cut to
the draw. Unfortunately, it turns out that his trajectory happens to be the
long cut. --- EXERCISE (combination alert): Black just launched a dreadfully
incorrect combination. Kramnik found the refutation which won him the match
and the world championship. Do you see the move? --- ANSWER: Champagne glasses
clink in unison, as White's pieces toast their rook for his valour. Meanwhile,
the surprised black king erupts in a gargled outcry, remarkably similar to the
sound of a recently unclogged drain.} 45. Rb7+ $1 ({After} 45. Rb7+ $1 Rxb7 46.
Rxc5+ {(zwischenzug)} Kb6 47. axb7 {White wins a rook.}) 1-0

[Event "56: Baku (rapid)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kamsky, G."]
[Black "Kramnik, V."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A45"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "98"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Bf4 c5 $1 3. d5 b5 $5 4. a4 Bb7 5. axb5 Nxd5 6. Bg3 g6 7. e4 Nb6
8. Nd2 $6 Bg7 9. c3 O-O 10. Ngf3 d6 11. Bd3 a6 12. O-O axb5 13. Rxa8 Nxa8 14.
Bxb5 Qb6 15. Qe2 Bc6 16. Bxc6 Nxc6 17. Rb1 Nc7 18. h4 Ra8 19. Qc4 Qb5 20. Qxb5
Nxb5 {QUESTION: How would you assess this position? --- ANSWER: Advantage
Black. The pawn constellation looks quite a bit like a Benko Gambit, but
without having given up a pawn.} 21. Bf4 {EXERCISE (planning): How can Black
increase his edge? --- ANSWER: Swap a wing pawn for a central pawn.} f5 $1 22.
g3 Ra4 $1 {Adding a little nudge to e4.} 23. exf5 gxf5 {Now Black is ready to
roll his central pawns.} 24. Nf1 e5 25. Bd2 d5 $6 {Believe it or not, this
move may be premature, since Black is unable to stabilize his centre.} ({With
hindsight, it was better to play} 25... h6 {first.}) 26. Ne3 Ne7 {Black is
about to play ...d5-d4 with a close to winning position. Kamsky, by now
saturated with the odd hybrid of despair and desperation, comes up with an
amazing idea.} 27. c4 $3 {Kamsky puts two and two together and, oddly enough,
comes up with the number five. He gives up a pawn to break up Black's monster
centre. I always get nervous whenever I concoct some zany plan, which my
logical mind ruthlessly dissects and rejects. But then this dark, insane voice
in my head whispers: "Go for it. It will work!" Well, in this instance, Kamsky
listened to his dark voice and, for once, the normally loony voice spoke the
truth! His idea, crazy as it looks, was absolutely sound and should have saved
the game.} dxc4 28. b3 $1 {Suddenly, Kamsky's pieces burst forth in incredible
activity.} cxb3 29. Rxb3 Nd4 30. Rb8+ Kf7 31. Ng5+ {White holds the initiative.
} Kg6 32. Rb6+ Bf6 {EXERCISE (combination alert/critical decision): White's
pieces savour their brand new, elevated social status. Analyze 33 Nxh7. Does
it work?} 33. Kg2 $2 {Kamsky protects against a ghost threat on f3. Now his
brilliant idea becomes fragmented.} ({ANSWER: He should complete the thought
with} 33. Nxh7 $1 Kxh7 34. Rxf6 Nf3+ 35. Kg2 Nxd2 36. Rf7+ $1 {- the point;
White regains the lost piece.}) 33... Nec6 34. Nd5 ({GM Eric Prié claims an
advantage for White after} 34. Ne6 {, giving the move two exclams, but Houdini
says otherwise after} h5 {and declares the game dead even.}) 34... Bd8 $1 35.
Rb1 (35. Rb7 {is met by} Ra7 {.}) 35... h6 36. h5+ $5 ({Kamsky figures he has
nothing to lose, since} 36. Nh3 {looks quite dismal.}) 36... Kxh5 37. Nf7 Bg5
38. Bxg5 hxg5 39. Nd6 g4 $1 {The f3-square is a big one for Black's knight.}
40. Rc1 Nb4 $1 41. Ne3 {In time pressure, when logic reaches a cul de sac and
we lack the leisure to calculate out an exact line, we have no recourse but to
take the dreaded "educated guess", which is just a fancy term for eeny meeny
miny, mo! --- EXERCISE (planning/critical decision): Black has two ways to
play: a) 41...Kg6, consolidate. --- b) 41...Ra2, sac f5 and go for f2. --- One
of the methods wins. Which one would you play?} (41. Rxc5 $4 Ra1 $1 {leaves
White unable to find a reasonable defence to ...Nf3 and ...Rg1 mate.}) 41...
Kg6 $6 {ANSWER: Kramnik uncharacteristically underestimated the dynamic
potential of his position.} ({He should go for it with} 41... Ra2 $1 42. Ndxf5
Nd3 43. Rf1 Nxf5 44. Nxf5 {, when White must give up a piece to halt the
surging c-pawn after} c4 45. Ne3 c3 {.}) 42. Rxc5 $6 (42. Nb7 {was his final
prayer.}) 42... Nd3 43. Rc8 ({After} 43. Rc3 Ne1+ 44. Kh1 Ra1 45. Nf1 Ra7 $3 {
, a mysterious figure, a dark mote, appears on the outskirts and soon melts
into the horizon. The rook's energy flows radially, reaching every corner of
his world. There is no good defence to ...Rh7+.}) 43... Ne1+ {One can only
admire the multi-tasking black pieces who, despite their busy schedules, still
find the time to hunt vampires after work. Now Black's two knights, rook, and
his hook on f3 condemn White's king. In time pressure we just know in our gut
that we are on the right track. The details can be put on hold, as long as we
head in the correct overall direction.} 44. Kh1 Ra1 {The rook shoots a
meaningful glance at White's king and awaits a decision.} 45. Nf1 Nd3 46. Kg2
Ra2 {The barbarian horde pounds at the gate of the city and f2 falls. White
can resign.} 47. Ne3 Rxf2+ 48. Kh1 Nf3 {The impounded king remains locked in
the warehouse on h1, hoping to score some much needed Prozac very soon.} 49.
Ndxf5 {Well, why not?} Rh2# {. White's king claims he isn't crying, citing a
lame excuse about just having cut up an onion for the spaghetti sauce.} 0-1

[Event "57: London"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Short, N."]
[Black "Kramnik, V."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C48"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "86"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. Nc3 Nd4 ({Kramnik's win in this game can be
compared with Capa's, since the theme is identical - exploitation of a
hemmed-in bishop:} 4... Bb4 5. O-O O-O 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. d3 Bd6 8. Bg5 h6 9. Bh4
c5 10. Nd5 $2 g5 $1 11. Nxf6+ Qxf6 12. Bg3 Bg4 13. h3 Bxf3 14. Qxf3 Qxf3 15.
gxf3 f6 {(Short's light-squared bishop in the main game looks even worse than
Winter's unfortunate bishop here)} 16. Kg2 a5 17. a4 Kf7 18. Rh1 Ke6 19. h4
Rfb8 20. hxg5 hxg5 21. b3 c6 22. Ra2 b5 23. Rha1 c4 24. axb5 cxb3 25. cxb3 Rxb5
26. Ra4 Rxb3 27. d4 Rb5 28. Rc4 Rb4 29. Rxc6 Rxd4 {0-1 W.Winter-J.R.Capablanca,
Hastings 1919. I annotate this game in 'The Four Knights: Move by Move'.}) 5.
Nxd4 exd4 6. e5 dxc3 7. exf6 Qxf6 8. dxc3 Bc5 9. Qe2+ Qe6 10. O-O O-O 11. Qf3
d6 12. Bg5 Qf5 $3 {A curving finger beckons White's bishop to e7. --- QUESTION:
Something is not quite right, like the college student who texts his mom to
wish her a happy Mother's Day, rather than take the effort to call. Did
Kramnik just drop a full exchange? --- ANSWER: To a very small child, money is
just paper and nothing more. Kramnik sac'ed the exchange - he didn't drop it.
--- QUESTION: For what compensation? His "sac" looks like one part bluster and
nine parts bluff. --- ANSWER: Strangely enough, Black gets compensation with
the following: 1. White's disfigured, doubled f-pawns and isolated h-pawn. ---
2. When White takes the exchange on f8, his bishop has trouble returning,
since Be7 is met by ...f5-f6!, continuing to imprison it (a theme Short was
unfortunately unable to evade anyway later in the game!) --- 3. White's rooks
just don't work well in the resulting position. --- Conclusion: I think Black
stands equal at a minimum after the acceptance.} 13. Be7 $5 {The bishop, full
of feral insinuation, cautiously approaches e7, though he knows something is
wrong. It is too easy. But who could resist? Short gets ambitious and pounces,
as his haughty bishop, annoyed by Black's refusal to show deference, decides
upon punitive action against Black's f8-rook. Personally, I have grave doubts
about the move. In fact, I think White is the one fighting for the draw.} ({A
more cowardly-inclined man like me would undoubtedly go for} 13. Qxf5 Bxf5 14.
Bd3 {, when the position really is boring and drawish.}) 13... Qxf3 14. gxf3 a6
15. Ba4 $6 {Nothing is more painful than unrequited love.} ({Short continues
to refuse the offer, but immediate acceptance is the most accurate, and the
only path to equality:} 15. Bxf8 $1 axb5 16. Be7 f6 $1 17. Rfe1 Bd7 18. Re2 Kf7
19. Rae1 Re8 {and how does White make progress? Of course I concede that Black
shouldn't have any winning chances in this position either.}) 15... b5 16. b4
$2 {The losing move.} ({It was his last chance for} 16. Bxf8 bxa4 17. Be7 f6
18. Rfe1 Bd7 19. Re2 Kf7 20. Rae1 Bb5 $1 21. Re6 {, when Kramnik could play
for the win with} Bc6 $1 22. Kg2 Bd5 23. R6e2 Bxa2 $1 {as White is totally
tied down to his trapped bishop.}) 16... Re8 $1 17. Rfe1 ({If} 17. bxc5 Rxe7
18. cxd6 {then} Re6 19. Bb3 Rg6+ 20. Kh1 Bb7 $1 {, winning.}) 17... Bb6 18. Bb3
Bb7 {Targeting f3.} 19. Kg2 {EXERCISE (planning): Not all deadly shots arrive
in sacrificial splendour. Find one poisonous move for Black and you
essentially end White's hopes. --- ANSWER: Entomb White's light-squared bishop
alive.} d5 $3 {The d-pawn pays its respects and tosses a flower into the
b3-bishop's grave. One is reminded of the Eagles' song Hotel California: "You
can check out any time you like, but you can never leave." --- QUESTION: But
didn't he just free White's e7-bishop? --- ANSWER: He did, but the parole was
granted only on condition of exchange for his brother's life on b3. White's
light-squared bishop will never see the light of day again.} 20. Re5 c6 $1 {
That's it. Game over. White's b3-bishop ends his existence in Sunny von Bülow
fashion, in a coma from which he never arises. White can do nothing but wait
and deface Black's impenetrable wall with graffiti.} 21. Rae1 Bc7 22. R5e2 Bc8
23. a4 {Of course Black isn't going to take. The bishop continues to sit in
his corner with the utter disempowerment of a misbehaving school kid, facing
down the stern principal's glare.} Bd7 24. Bh4 Rxe2 25. Rxe2 Re8 26. Rxe8+ Bxe8
27. Bg3 Bd8 {Of course Black declines to straighten out White's broken pawns.}
28. Be5 f6 29. Bb8 Bg6 30. axb5 axb5 31. Kf1 Kf7 32. Ke2 Ke6 33. Ke3 Bb6+ 34.
Ke2 Bh5 35. Ba2 {White's unbishop on a2 is dead-weight, a time-traveller
caught in an anomalous loop, who materializes in a glimmer and then fades to
invisibility once again. --- EXERCISE (planning): How can Black exploit this
factor in concrete fashion to carve out the win? --- ANSWER: Create
confrontation and open the kingside, where White remains a piece down in the
fight.} g5 $1 36. Bb3 f5 37. Ba2 f4 38. Bb3 Kf5 {Black's king remains
completely safe on light squares.} 39. Bd6 g4 $1 40. Kf1 g3 $5 {QUESTION: Why
not just take on f3?} ({ANSWER: Kramnik's move is perhaps simpler. He was
probably worried that Short would set up some kind of impenetrable fortress,
and wanted to open the kingside. Nevertheless,} 40... gxf3 {should also win;
for example:} 41. Ke1 Bd8 $1 {(targets: c3 and f2)} 42. Bc5 Bf6 43. Bd4 (43.
Kd2 Kg4 $1 {and the white h-pawn falls}) 43... Bg6 $1 {(zugzwang)} 44. Bxf6
Kxf6 45. Kd1 Kg5 46. Ke1 Kh4 47. Kf1 Bf5 $1 48. Kg1 Bh3 $1 {(now White's king
is unable to participate in the defence of his queenside)} 49. Ba2 Kg5 50. Bb3
Kf5 51. Ba2 Ke4 52. Bb3 h6 53. Ba2 d4 54. cxd4 Kxd4 55. Bf7 Bf5 $1 {(having
done his job on h3, the bishop tells White's king, "You are free to leave.")}
56. Be8 Be4 57. Kf1 Kc3 {and, finally, Black wins.}) 41. fxg3 fxg3 42. Bxg3
Bxf3 43. Ba2 Be3 $1 {White faces twin enemies.} ({Had Short not resigned here,
the game might have finished} 43... Be3 $1 44. Bb3 Bf4 $1 {(eliminating
White's only functional piece)} 45. Kf2 Ke4 {(threat: ...Bd2!)} 46. Bxf4 Kxf4
47. Ba2 h5 48. Bb3 Be4 $1 {(zugzwang to the unfortunate white bishop)} 49. Ke2
Kg4 50. Kf2 Kh3 51. Kg1 h4 52. Ba2 {(the infirm old man on a2 thinks of all
the people in his life he loved, all dead now, and of happier times of youth
and freedom)} Bxc2 53. Kh1 Kg4 54. Kg2 Kf4 55. Kh3 Ke3 56. Kxh4 Kd2 57. Kg5
Kxc3 {(the scissors easily slice through the paper)} 58. h4 Kxb4 59. h5 Ka3 {
and Black wins easily.}) 0-1

[Event "58: Dortmund"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gustafsson, J."]
[Black "Kramnik, V."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "E94"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "54"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 {QUESTION: Why is Kramnik playing a
King's Indian? I'm not sure that I ever remember a game of his on the black
side. --- ANSWER: Clearly Kramnik's opening choice is something of a stylistic
mongrel. He simply experiments with the KID (though almost certainly with a
line prepared). Perhaps what emboldened Kramnik was the fact that his opponent,
Gustafsson, is considerably lower rated (at a mere 2629!).} 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Be2
e5 7. Be3 c6 8. O-O exd4 9. Nxd4 Re8 10. f3 d5 11. cxd5 Nxd5 12. Nxd5 cxd5 13.
Rc1 a5 14. Qb3 a4 15. Qxd5 Qxd5 16. exd5 a3 17. b3 Nc6 18. Nc2 {QUESTION: This
looks a lot like Kramnik-Van Wely, from earlier in this chapter (see Game 50)
- only worse, since Black is a pawn down this time. Surely Kramnik is in
trouble, correct? --- ANSWER: Actually not. His piece activity and pressure
down the e-file miraculously compensate for the missing pawn. The overarching
narrative of the position is that Black's seemingly unsustainable, temporary
initiative is about to flicker out and die, leaving him a pawn down. Let's do
an exercise and discuss this further. --- EXERCISE (planning/critical decision)
: Would you consider giving up the exchange on e3 in incandescent hostility,
to give Black's initiative life? --- ANSWER: The exchange sac works, spreading
confusion like melting butter on a bagel. The sea rises and falls in violent
swells, as cruise-liner passenger Gustafsson finds he is unable to keep his
food down, despite the inviting bounty before him on his plate. Initiative
plus dark squares are at least worth an exchange. In fact, after the sac, it
is White who must find an impossibly difficult path to the draw.} Rxe3 $3 {The
deranged rook goes non-linear on White. --- QUESTION: Is this sound? I
understand that such sacs are standard issue in ...e5xd4 King's Indian lines,
but from my experience this sac only occurs when queens remain on the board.
In this case, not only have queens come off but Black is down a pawn as well
as the exchange. --- ANSWER: As it turns out, the position is something of an
anomaly and Kramnik's sac is absolutely sound. His ferocious piece activity,
coupled with threats against a2, see to it that he is the only one with
chances to win.} 19. Nxe3 Nb4 {In reality, Black's exchange sac created mild
ripples of discrepancy rather than the loud splash he envisioned. White still
has a miraculous method of saving himself. --- EXERCISE (critical decision):
White repelled the first wave at heavy cost since a2 falls, as well as his
dark squares. --- Would you play 20 Rc4, which covers the sensitive d4-point,
or should White go for a counterattack with 20 Rc7 instead?} 20. Rc4 $2 {
Gustafsson seeks perfection but misses. He logically covers against ...Bd4 by
handing over his a-pawn. But now Black's soon-to-be-passed a-pawn grows out of
control.} ({ANSWER: GM Alejandro Ramirez gave the following forced line as
White's narrow pathway to a draw:} 20. Rc7 $3 {(on the surface it looks like
this haughty manoeuvre is nothing more than an annoying affectation rather
than a tangibly real move of power)} Bd4 21. Re7 $1 Nxd5 22. Re8+ Kg7 23. Kh1
$1 Nxe3 24. Rc1 Nd5 25. Rcxc8 Rxc8 26. Rxc8 Nc3 27. Rxc3 $1 Bxc3 {with a dead
draw. Ramirez added: "This is the computer line. Good luck finding that."})
20... Nxa2 21. Ra4 $2 ({QUESTION: Can White erect a blockade on a1, starting
with} 21. Nc2 {- ? --- ANSWER: I think your plan is White's last hope of
saving the game. After} Nc3 22. Bd3 a2 23. Ra1 {White remains under pressure,
but at least the computers don't point out some forced loss.}) 21... Rxa4 22.
bxa4 {White's pieces exchange exasperated looks as they see Black's obnoxious,
braying bishop approaching d4.} Bd4 {Kramnik doubles down on his
"your-dark-squares-suck!" message. By now the course of the dark-square
illness grows irreversible, as the bishop jams a stick into the crocodile's
open jaws, rendering the creature on e3 helpless. White's obviously guilty
pinned knight squirms under the pitiless gaze of the jury. In comparison, just
look at White's useless counterpart on e2, blending into the room, present yet
absent, as if old familiar furniture.} 23. Kf2 {They say the need for
inordinately long periods of sleep is a tell-tale sign of depression. Here,
White's king has great difficulty rousing himself out of bed from g1 in order
to go to work, defending his pinned e3-knight. White's position has only
minutes of life before he succumbs. --- EXERCISE (combination alert): Find one
strong move and White's game collapses. --- ANSWER: Double attack: d5 and c2.}
Nb4 $1 24. Rc1 a2 $1 {No need to bother moving the c8-bishop! Kramnik finally
punts the pawn forward a single, deadly square. Once again, White's pieces
brace themselves as they prepare to endure yet another tediously lengthy
sermon from the all-powerful dark-squared cardinal.} 25. Rxc8+ Kg7 26. Rc1 Nxd5
$1 {Black's bishop knight and a-pawn synchronize to represent a single mind
occupying three separate bodies.} ({Of course the cheapo offer to rush to
promotion with} 26... a1=Q $4 27. Rxa1 Bxa1 28. d6 {, after which only White
can win, is rejected with derision from Black.}) 27. Rd1 Nxe3 0-1

[Event "59: Tal Memorial, Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kramnik, V."]
[Black "Tomashevsky, E."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D27"]
[Annotator "Cyrus Lakdawala"]
[PlyCount "165"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.01.13"]

1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 Nf6 3. c4 c6 4. Nc3 a6 5. e3 e6 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 c5 8. O-O
b5 9. Be2 Bb7 10. dxc5 Qxd1 11. Rxd1 {QUESTION: I take it that anyone who so
cavalierly hands his opponent such trivially easy equality with the white
pieces must have enormous faith in his technical skills in the endgame? ---
ANSWER: Correct! Kramnik, like Capablanca before him, is under the correct
assumption that he can win even the most equal ending, and against a 2700+
rated opponent to boot! I watched this game live and just couldn't believe he
managed to win from nothing. Then again, I would remind you of the QGA
Kramnik-Kasparov from previous chapter (Game 43). Black shouldn't expect an
easy draw if Kasparov had monumental difficulties in making one too. Basically,
if you play this way as White, you refuse to enter the zoo of opening theory,
weed out the dead ends and narrow them down to a few easily digestible ideas
and plans. The play becomes more intuitive and less mathematical.} Bxc5 12. Nd2
$1 {QUESTION: Why retreat an already developed knight? --- ANSWER:
Multipurpose: 1. White transfers his knight to b3 to eye Black's most
vulnerable squares: c5 and a5. --- 2. White clears the path for f2-f3 and
e3-e4, seizing central space and taking control over d5.} O-O 13. Nb3 Bb4 14.
Bd2 Nbd7 15. a3 Nc5 $1 {Tomashevsky very cleverly hopes to eliminate the
b3-knight.} (15... Be7 16. Na5 {is good for White.}) 16. Nc1 $1 {Not only
avoiding the swap, but ensuring the bishop pair as well.} Bxc3 17. Bxc3 Rfc8
18. Bd4 Bd5 $1 19. f3 Bc4 $1 {Principle: Eliminate the opponent's bishop pair
if possible.} 20. Kf2 Bxe2 21. Kxe2 Nd5 22. Rd2 f6 23. Bxc5 {QUESTION: Why
give away his only imbalance advantage? --- ANSWER: Because it wasn't an
advantage. Black's powerful c5-knight was every bit as strong as White's
bishop. Tomashevsky has defended well, and yet I still prefer White, due to
his centralized king.} Rxc5 24. Nd3 Rc7 25. a4 $1 bxa4 26. Rxa4 {Now Black's
a-pawn is microscopically weaker than its white counterpart on b2.} Kf7 27. Ra5
$1 {Intending Nc5.} Raa7 $6 (27... Rc6 {was better.}) 28. Nc5 Nb4 29. Rd6 $1 {
Kramnik continues to make progress.} Rc8 30. f4 $1 {Planning to push forward
on the kingside eventually, while also leaving his king an escape hatch on f3
in case Black infiltrates with a rook to c2.} Rac7 31. Nxe6 Rc2+ 32. Kf3 Rxb2
33. Nd4 Rc7 34. Rb6 $1 {Threat: Raxa6! - the a-pawn is a goner.} Nd3 $1 {
QUESTION: Why give away his a-pawn?} ({ANSWER: He decides that} 34... Ra7 $6
35. g4 $1 {is just too passive and so correctly hands over the pawn.}) 35. Rxb2
Nxb2 36. Rxa6 {The new landscape: four versus three, all on the same side,
with a rook and knight each - impossibly hard to win for White. Yet Kramnik
does just that against a near-world class player.} Nc4 37. g4 Nd2+ 38. Ke2 Ne4
39. h4 Rb7 {He isn't really threatening to play to b2, since his own second
rank must be defended.} 40. g5 Kg6 41. Kf3 Re7 42. h5+ $6 {Kramnik gets fancy
when he doesn't have to.} ({He mistakenly rejects the line} 42. Re6 $1 Rxe6 43.
f5+ $1 Kh5 44. fxe6 Nd6 45. gxf6 gxf6 46. Kf4 Kg6 47. Nf5 $3 Ne8 48. e4 {,
when Black can barely move and is busted.}) 42... Kxh5 43. Nf5 Nd2+ 44. Ke2 Rd7
45. gxf6 gxf6 46. Rxf6 ({The computer points out the amazing line} 46. Nd6 Kg4
$3 47. Kxd2 Kf3 48. f5 h5 $1 {, when Black's surging h-pawn allows him to draw,
despite White's full extra piece.}) 46... Kg4 47. Nh6+ Kg3 48. Rf8 Ne4 49. Rg8+
Kh3 50. Ng4 $1 {Intending Nf2+. If White can remove the knights, the rook and
pawn ending is a win for him.} Kh4 51. Ne5 Ra7 52. Nf3+ Kh5 53. Kd3 Nf2+ 54.
Kd4 Ra4+ 55. Kd5 Ra5+ 56. Ke6 Ng4 57. e4 Ra6+ 58. Ke7 Ra7+ 59. Kd6 {EXERCISE 
(combination alert): This one is mindbendingly difficult. Black missed a
stalemating trick which draws.} Ra6+ ({ANSWER: It would be unfair to hand
Tomashevsky a "?!" mark for this move, since, to draw, he had to find the
inhumanly difficult} 59... Nf6 $1 60. Rg5+ Kh6 61. Ke5 {and now the impossible}
Nxe4 $3 62. Kxe4 Ra4+ {, when White's king has no place to hide and, no matter
how he squirms, it's a draw. For example,} 63. Ke5 ({or} 63. Kf5 Rxf4+ $1 64.
Kxf4 {stalemate!}) 63... Re4+ $1 {(do you remember the mentally-challenged,
sheltered innocent, Chauncey Gardiner who could do no wrong? - the Peter
Sellers character from the movie Being There reminds us of Black's rook, who
is apparently protected by unseen forces despite his obliviousness to the
dangers all around him)} 64. Kd5 Rxf4 65. Rg3 {is drawn.}) 60. Kc7 h6 61. e5
Nf6 $1 62. Rd8 Kg4 63. Nd4 Ra7+ 64. Kd6 Ne4+ 65. Kd5 Nc3+ 66. Kc4 Kxf4 67. e6
Rc7+ 68. Kd3 Ke5 $2 {Externally, Black's drawing plan looks solid. But if we
go deeper and examine the fringes, nooks and crags we spot a problem, like a
ring of mould around the circumference of a cheese wheel. --- EXERCISE 
(combination alert): Black, on the threshold of a draw, stumbled and allowed
Kramnik to win. How did White accomplish the goal to score the full point? ---
ANSWER: Step 1: Lure Black's knight to d5.} ({Instead,} 68... Na4 $1 {still
easily holds the draw, as the internal politics continue to thwart and make
powerless Black's dreams of promotion.}) 69. Rd7 $1 Nd5 ({After} 69... Rc8 70.
e7 Nd5 71. Nc6+ $1 Ke6 72. Rxd5 $1 {both rook and knight hang, yet Black is
unable to digest either piece.}) 70. e7 $1 {Step 2: Overload. White's last
move short-circuits the defensive line. Black's cats continue to misbehave, so
Kramnik emerges with the dreaded, disciplinary spray-bottle.} Rc3+ 71. Kd2 Rc8
{Step 3: Overload again! Reinforce e7. Black's rook, whose eyes had yet to
adjust to the dark, fails to spot the lurking intruder on c6.} 72. Nc6+ $1 Ke6
{Step 4: Removal of the defender.} 73. Rxd5 $1 Rxc6 $1 {By far his best
practical chance - but not against Kramnik!} (73... Kxd5 74. Nd8 $1 {would be
Step 5: Interference. The knight's eyes are searchlights which illuminate the
pawn's path to e8.}) 74. e8=Q+ {The queen, new in the neighbourhood, just nods
and smiles in lieu of "hello!"} Kxd5 {We arrive at the dreaded queen versus
rook ending, not so easy to win. --- QUESTION: Can Black actually hold the
draw? --- ANSWER: Against someone like Kramnik there is no chance to achieve a
draw. But from a practical standpoint, the rook holds the draw all the time
when the participants are lower rated. In fact, I believe there was a GM vs.
GM game played in the last few years (I don't recall the names) where GM (y)
was left red-faced when he reached the 50-move mark without checkmating or
winning GM (z)'s remaining rook! Once I had the rook side and, if memory
serves, my lucky bugger of an opponent won my rook 48 moves later, just two
moves short of the draw.} 75. Kd3 Re6 76. Qb5+ Kd6 77. Kd4 {Of course the
first goal is to narrow the confines of Black's king.} Ke7 78. Qf5 $1 Rf6 79.
Qh7+ Kf8 $5 {Tomashevsky goes for a sixth rank fortress strategy. The
computers say this is okay.} ({The alternative would be to remain central and
play} 79... Ke6 {.}) 80. Ke5 Ra6 {Divide and conquer, like slices on a pizza!}
81. Qb7 Rg6 82. Qh7 Ra6 83. Qd3 $1 {Admittedly anti-climatic. Tomashevsky
either flagged, or just decided to save energy and resign now. --- QUESTION:
How does White proceed? His king is cut off from the sixth rank. --- ANSWER:
This is one of those endings which is really hard to explain. There seems to
be no logical step-by-step path to achieve the goal, yet the people who know
how to mate with king and queen are unable to explain how they did it! It
reminds me of an Oscar Wilde quip: "Nothing worth learning can ever be taught."
} ({Let's allow Houdini to show us the technique. Keep in mind there are
myriad ways of how both Black and White may proceed:} 83. Qd3 $1 Ra7 84. Qd6+
Kg7 85. Ke6 Kh7 86. Qd3+ Kg8 87. Qg6+ Rg7 88. Qxh6 Re7+ $1 {(circumstances get
awkward for the murderer; the body he dumped in the lake earlier now bobs to
the surface in a state of decay on e7, yet still remains clearly identifiable.
Do you think computers dream? Watch out for stalemate cheapos!)} 89. Kd6 {
(Nyet! No stalemate for you today, buddy! The circuitous route via the back
streets and alleys becomes necessary, since a direct path to Black's king is
unavailable)} Rg7 90. Qf6 Kh7 91. Qh4+ Kg8 92. Ke6 Rg6+ 93. Kf5 Rg7 94. Qc4+
Kh7 95. Qd4 $1 Rf7+ 96. Ke6 Kg8 97. Qd5 $1 {(everyone agrees: the most
nauseating aspect of young lovers is when they complete each others' sentences
- White's king and queen are just such an obnoxious couple; meanwhile, Black's
king and rook look like a couple out to dinner, only to finalize their
upcoming divorce)} Rg7 98. Kf6+ Kh7 99. Qh1+ Kg8 100. Qh5 Rg1 101. Qe8+ Kh7
102. Qe4+ Kh8 103. Qa8+ Kh7 104. Qa7+ {picks off the rook. Black's king
seethes with unfulfilled, impotent dreams of vengeance, as he is forced to pay
homage to the woman who murdered his family.}) 1-0

