[Event "World-ch Kramnik-Kasparov +2-0=13"] [Site "London"] [Date "2000.10.12"] [Round "3"] [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"] [StudyName "Kramnik-kasparov 2000"] [ChapterName "Kasparov, Garry - Kramnik, Vladimir"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/wNq0M15o/qMeWMpmJ"] [Orientation "white"] 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 Bd7 { Kramnik shows confidence in his new weapon. The question is what Kasparovs sessions in front of the computer has unearthed. } 10. b3 h6 11. Bb2 Kc8 12. Rad1 { A refinement over game 1, where h3 first was played. } 12... b6 $146 { Black goes for his main plan of creating a fox-hole for his K on b7. } (12... a5 13. h3 b6 14. a4 Bb4 15. Ne2 Re8 16. Nf4 g6 17. g4 Ng7 18. Rd3 Ne6 19. Nxe6 Bxe6 20. Nd4 $14 { 1-0 Shirov,A-Krasenkow,M/Polanica Zdroj 2000/CBM 79 no vc (27) }) (12... Ne7!? { to meet Ne2 with Ng6 has yet to be tested. }) 13. Ne2 c5 14. c4 { In the more dynamic lines with a subsequent e6 this is just a lost tempo, so White could try to do without this move. } (14. Nf4!? Bc6 (14... c4?! 15. bxc4 $16) 15. Nd5 (15. Rfe1 Bxf3 16. gxf3 Be7 17. e6 Bd6 $13) 15... Ne7 (15... Nd4 16. Nxd4 Bxd5 17. Ne2 Bc6 18. f4 $36) (15... Kb7 16. Rfe1 Ne7 (16... Re8 17. c4 Ne7 18. e6 $16) (16... Rd8 17. c4 Ne7 18. Ne3 Rxd1 (18... Re8!?) 19. Rxd1 $14) 17. Nxe7 Bxe7 18. e6 $36) 16. Nxe7+ (16. c4 Kb7 { is the game. }) 16... Bxe7 17. e6!? Bxf3 (17... fxe6 18. Rfe1 $36) 18. gxf3 fxe6 19. Rfe1 Bf6 20. Bxf6 gxf6 21. Rxe6 $14) 14... Bc6 15. Nf4!? { Kasparov has achieved a more active setup than in game 1. But Black is still without any real weaknesses. Whites main idea is to try to push e6 at the right moment. } 15... Kb7 (15... Bxf3!? { strengthens the position of Nf5 by taking away the possibility g4, but it gives up some white square control. } 16. gxf3 Be7 (16... c6 17. Rfe1 $14) 17. e6 (17. Nd5 Re8 18. Ne3 Nh4 19. f4 g6 20. Rd3 Kb7 21. Rfd1 Rad8) 17... Bd6!? 18. Rd5 Nd4 (18... fxe6 19. Nxe6 Re8 20. Nxc7 Kxc7 21. Rxf5 $14) 19. Bxd4 Bxf4 (19... cxd4 20. Rxd4 g5 21. Nh5 $14) 20. Rf5 cxd4 21. Rxf4 fxe6 22. Rxd4 Rf8 23. Re1 Rxf3 24. Rxe6 Rf7) 16. Nd5 (16. Rfe1 { has been suggested as an improvement, but } 16... Bxf3!? 17. gxf3 Be7 { seems OK for Black } 18. Rd7 (18. e6 Bd6 19. Nh5 (19. Rd5? Nh4 $17) 19... fxe6 20. Rxe6 Rhe8 $132) 18... Rad8 19. e6 fxe6 20. Rxd8 Bxd8 21. Nxe6 Bf6) 16... Ne7 17. Rfe1 Rg8!? { Prophylaxis against a later e6 by White. Kramnik has chosen to play in a very restrained fashion, reminicent of the the way Wilhelm Steinitz used to play. His basic idea was that without weaknesses you can always defend. } (17... Bxd5?! 18. cxd5 Rd8 19. d6 cxd6 20. exd6 Nc6 21. d7 Kc7 22. Be5+ $16) (17... Rd8 18. Ne3 Re8 19. e6!? fxe6 20. Ne5 $36) 18. Nf4 (18. e6 { The logical follow up to the previous play, but it doesn´t seem to deliver anything. } 18... fxe6 19. Nxe7 (19. Rxe6 Rd8 $132) 19... Bxe7 20. Rxe6 (20. Ne5 Bf6 21. Nxc6 Bxb2 22. Rxe6 Rae8 23. Rde1 Rxe6 24. Rxe6 Rf8 $13) 20... Bxf3 21. gxf3 Bd6) 18... g5! { Black activates his R and stops White´s intended push with the e-P. } 19. Nh5 Rg6 20. Nf6 Bg7 { Black is slowly getting his pieces out. The worst seems to be over for him. } 21. Rd3 Bxf3 { Clearing c6 for the N. } 22. Rxf3 Bxf6 23. exf6 Nc6 24. Rd3 Rf8 25. Re4 Kc8 { Now Black is ready for positive action, like starting to exchange R:s, so the pressure is on White to do something. } 26. f4?! (26. h4 Nd4 27. Bxd4 cxd4 28. Rdxd4 Rxf6 29. hxg5 hxg5 { With a very slight advantage for White. Ulf Andersson would be very happy with White here. Even though a draw is the likely result. }) 26... gxf4 27. Rxf4 Re8 $132 { Now it´s an open game. The N is in no way inferior to the B. } 28. Bc3 Re2 29. Rf2 Re4 30. Rh3 a5 31. Rh5 (31. Bd2?! Ne5) 31... a4 32. bxa4!? { Active play, but also a sign that White is under pressure. The situation is clearly dangerous for White when he loses his Q-side P:s. } 32... Rxc4 33. Bd2 Rxa4 34. Rxh6 Rg8 (34... Rxh6!? 35. Bxh6 c4 $132) 35. Rh7 Rxa2 36. Rxf7 Ne5 37. Rg7 Rf8 38. h3 c4 (38... Nd3 39. f7 Kd7 (39... Nxf2 40. Rg8 Kd7 41. Rxf8 Ke7 42. Rd8 $16) 40. Rg8 Ra1+ 41. Kh2 Nxf2 42. Rxf8 Ke7 43. Rc8 $14) 39. Re7 Nd3 40. f7 Nxf2 41. Re8+ Kd7 42. Rxf8 Ke7 43. Rc8 (43. Rd8 Kxf7 44. Kxf2 c3) 43... Kxf7 44. Rxc7+ Ke6 45. Be3 Nd1 46. Bxb6 $14 c3 47. h4?! (47. Kh2) 47... Ra6 48. Bd4 Ra4 49. Bxc3 Nxc3 50. Rxc3 Rxh4 51. Rf3 Rh5 52. Kf2 Rg5 53. Rf8 Ke5 { 1/2-1/2 The game is a draw. } 54. Kf3 Rf5+ 55. Rxf5+ Kxf5 56. Kg3 Kg5 57. Kh3 Kh5 1/2-1/2