[Event "World-ch Kramnik-Kasparov +2-0=13"] [Site "London"] [Date "2000.10.08"] [Round "1"] [White "Kasparov, Garry"] [Black "Kramnik, Vladimir"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [WhiteElo "2849"] [BlackElo "2770"] [Annotator "Wedberg,T"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "C67"] [Opening "Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Berlin Wall"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/wNq0M15o/NbSPjPFy"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 { Nice choice of opening! Hardly expected by Kasparov.The Berlin offers both simplification and reasonable chances if White goes astry. Furthermore it´s an opening less suited for computer analysis, which lately has been Kasparovs preferred battle ground. } 4. O-O Nxe4 5. d4 Nd6 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. dxe5 Nf5 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8 9. Nc3 Bd7!? { As an extra twist Kramnik chooses the latest black try. This move carries an immediate idea. Black wants to bring the K to the Q-side as soon as possible. } 10. b3 (10. h3 h6 11. Bf4 { is another way of developing the B, but } 11... b6 12. a4 a5 13. Rad1 Kc8 14. b3 Bb4 15. Ne4 Be6 16. c4 c5 17. g4 Ne7 18. Ne1 Bd7 19. Ng3 g5 20. Be3 Ng6 21. Nd3 Bc6 { gave Black a reasonable position in 1/2-1/2 Shirov, A-Almasi,Z/Polanica Zdroj 2000/CBM 79 (40) }) 10... h6 11. Bb2 Kc8 12. h3 (12. Rad1) 12... b6 13. Rad1 Ne7! { Black wants to play c5, Bc6 and Kb7, but first he prevents Nd5 from White. } 14. Ne2 Ng6 15. Ne1 { Aiming for f4-f5. But it´s a slow plan and more importantly it´s impossible to realise. The move is a sign that White has nothing from the opening. } 15... h5 { Sometimes this is dubious due to the weakening of g5, but here Black can easily cover g5 with Be7. Kramnik plays it to create a white square blockade on f5. A typical strategy in the Berlin to hem White´s K-side P majority. } 16. Nd3 (16. Nf3 Be7 { works, since } 17. e6?! { fails to } 17... Bxe6 18. Bxg7 Rg8 19. Bb2 Bxh3 $17) (16. f4 Ne7 { /\Nf5, h4 }) 16... c5 17. c4 a5 18. a4 { Else Black plays a4 with counter play on the Q-side. } 18... h4 19. Nc3 Be6 (19... Bc6? 20. f4! Ne7 21. f5 Rh5 22. f6 $36) 20. Nd5 Kb7 21. Ne3 Rh5 { The important square to cover is f5. } 22. Bc3 (22. f4 Ne7) 22... Re8 23. Rd2 Kc8 24. f4 Ne7 25. Nf2 Nf5 { The position is to blocked to give either side any real chances. } 1/2-1/2