Kramnik,Vladimir (2772) - Anand,Viswanathan (2783)
Slav defence [D49] World Championship Bonn (3), 2008
[Notes by Viswanathan Anand]

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.e4 c5 10.e5 cxd4 11.Nxb5 axb5 12.exf6 gxf6 13.0-0 Qb6 14.Qe2 After 14.Be4 Bb7 15.Bxb7 Qxb7 16.Nxd4 Rg8 Black has good counterplay, and this ended as a draw in Kamsky-Kramnik, Linares 1994. 14...Bb7!? 15.Bxb5! Bd6!? 16.Rd1 16.Nxd4!? already has to taken seriously here, and it is actually been played in Döppner-Voigt, Germany1992. Black, however, saves himself with a classical tactical stroke: 16...Qxd4 (16...Rg8 17.g3! is the computer improvement on the above-mentioned game.) 17.Rd1 Bxh2+! (17...Qc5? 18.Be3 Qc7 19.Rac1 Qb8 20.Bxd7+ Kxd7 21.Qb5+ Ke7 22.Rxd6! wins immediately.) 18.Kxh2 Qh4+ 19.Kg1 Bxg2! 20.Bxd7+ Ke7 21.Kxg2 Rhg8+ usually black just mates in such scenarios, here black has to find a perpetual: 22.Kf3 Qh5+ 23.Ke3 Qc5+ 24.Kd2 Rad8! 25.Rf1 (25.Qf1 Rxd7+ 26.Ke1 Rxd1+ 27.Kxd1 Qh5+ 28.Ke1 Qh2) 25...Rxd7+ 26.Ke1 Rc8! 27.Qe3 Qa5+ 28.Bd2 Rxd2 29.Qxd2 Qe5+ 30.Qe2 Qa5+ This is the line given by the computers, leading to a draw by perpetual. 16...Rg8 17.g3! Rg4! Technically speaking this is the novelty: D'Israel-Gerbelli,Americana 2000, mentioned in Informant 79, countiuned 17...Bc5 18.b4 and condemned the text-move. 18.Bf4 However, the Informant's recommendation of 18.Nd2 falls short due to 18...Ke7!! Suddenly Black's dream comes true, and the manages to amass all his potential energy for an assault on the white king: 19.Bxd7 (19.Qxg4 Qxb5 is just bad for white.) 19...Rag8! 20.Bb5 (20.Qb5 Qc7 just intensifies the pressure against g3.) 20...d3!? The most solid. (20...Rxg3+ 21.hxg3 (21.fxg3? d3+ 22.Qf2 Bc5 illustrates why Black has to take with the rook and not the bishop)) 21...Rxg3+ 22.Kf1 Bg2+ 23.Ke1 Re3!! this amazing move keeps Black afloat 24.fxe3 Bg3+ 25.Qf2 Bxf2+ 26.Kxf2 dxe3+ 27.Kxg2 Qxb5 and the computers again say: draw! There's a perpetual coming up.) 21.Qxd3 Rxg3+ 22.hxg3 Rxg3+ 23.Kf1 Rxd3 24.Bxd3 Qd4! 25.Nc4 Bb4 26.a3 Bg2+! 27.Kxg2 Qg4+ forcing perpetual. 18...Bxf4 19.Nxd4!? 19.Rxd4 is also very complicated. 19...h5 19...Rg6!? 20.a4!? Maybe this cool computer-move is what Kramnik was planning on? (20.Bxd7+?! Kxd7 21.Nxe6+ Bd6! 22.Nf4 Rg5 is just much better for Black.; 20.Nxe6 fxe6 21.Rxd7 Kf8 22.Bd3 Be5 23.Bxg6 hxg6 24.Qc4 Ke8 25.Rh7 Bd4! this amazing move seems to hold the balance 26.Rxb7 Bxf2+ 27.Kf1 Qxb7 28.Qxe6+ Kf8 29.Qxf6+ Kg8 30.Qxg6+ Kh8 31.Qf6+ Kg8 32.Qg5+ Kh8, and despite the fact that White can check with his qeen on whatever square he wants, no progress seems possible: 33.Qe5+ Kh7 34.Kxf2 Rf8+ 35.Kg1 Qb6+ 36.Kg2 Rf2+ 37.Kh3 Qh6+ 38.Kg4 Qg6+ with a perpetual.) 20.Nxe6 fxe6 21.Rxd7 Kf8 22.Qd3 Played instantly, and obviously this is what Kramnik intended when he sacrificed the piece on move 19. White covers g3 and threatens to invade on h7, so immediate action is required.

22...Rg7!? Here 22...Bc8? loses to 23.Rh7. And 22...f5? loses to 23.Qc3. After 22...Bxg3!? This seems to be just a forced draw 23.hxg3 h4! 24.Rd6 (24.Kf1? hxg3 25.fxg3 Rg5! wins for black.) 24...Qc5 25.b4 Qe5 26.Rd8+ Rxd8 27.Qxd8+ Kg7 28.Qe7+ Kh6 29.Qf8+ Rg7 30.Qh8+ Rh7 31.Qf8+ with a perpetual. 23.Rxg7 Kxg7 24.gxf4 Rd8! 25.Qe2 Also possible was 25.Qb3!? Kh6 26.a4 (26.Kf1? Bd5 27.Bc4 Bxc4+ 28.Qxc4 Rd2 and f2 collapses.) 26...Rg8+ 27.Kf1 Rg2 28.Qe3 Qxe3 29.fxe3 Rxh2 and the black h-pawn is just as dangerous as the white a- and b-pawns. 25...Kh6 A very interesting and unbalanced position has arisen. White has two extra, and passed, pawns, but his kingside is permanently damaged and open to a direct mating attack. 26.Kf1 Rg8 27.a4! A good multi-purpose move, making sure the bishop and the pawn defend each other in the upcoming complications. Wrong was 27.f5? Bg2+! 28.Ke1 Bc6! 29.Qd2+ Kh7 30.Bxc6 Qxc6 31.Ke2 Qb5+ 32.Kf3 Rg4 33.Re1 Qc6+ 34.Ke2 Qc4+ 35.Kf3 (35.Kd1 Rd4 36.fxe6 Rxd2+ 37.Kxd2 Qb4+ 38.Kd1 Qd4+) 35...Rd4 and wins. 27...Bg2+ 28.Ke1 Bh3! 28...Bc6 is enough for a draw. 29.Ra3? Unfortunately for White, his previosus move allows this possibility. He would have been off ignoring it by playing 29.Rd1! Bf5!? An amazing move. White is ok, but would you be able to calmly play Qf1 or h3, as he is practically in a state of zugzwang, a primare point being 30.Qe3? Rg1+ 31.Bf1 Qa6! 29...Rg1+ 30.Kd2 Qd4+ 31.Kc2

31...Bg4? Despite being 75 minutes ahead on the clock, by now I had caught up. I wanted to provoke f3. The correct way to continue was 31...Bf5+! 32.Rd3! a) 32.Kb3 Rc1! 33.a5 (33.Ra2 Bc2+! 34.Qxc2 Rxc2 35.Kxc2 Qxf2+ 36.Kb3 Qe3+ 37.Kc2 Qxf4 38.a5 Qxh2+-) 33...Qd5+! This move wins, but there are a lot of incredibly difficult moves in the winning line. 34.Bc4 a1) 34.Ka4 Bc2+ 35.Kb4 (35.b3 Bxb3+ 36.Rxb3 Qd4+ 37.Rb4 Qa1+) 35...Qd6+ 36.Kc4 Bd1+; a2) 34.Kb4 Qc5+ 35.Ka4 (35.Kb3 Bc2+ 36.Ka2 Qd5+ 37.Bc4 Qh1 38.Qxc2 Rxc2) 35...Bc2+ 36.b3 Bxb3+; 34...Qb7+ 35.Ka4 (35.Bb5 Bc2+ 36.Ka2 Qh1 mates.) 35...Rc2!! This quite move is the point 36.Ba6 Qd7+ 37.Qb5 Rc4+ 38.Kb3 Qd3+ 39.Ka2 Qb1+ 40.Kb3 Rc2 41.Ra2 Be4!! 42.Bb7 Qd1 43.Ka3 Bxb7 44.Qxb7 Rc4 45.b3 Qd6+ 46.Kb2 Qd2+ 47.Ka3 Qxa5+ 48.Kb2 Qc3+ 49.Ka3 Rc5 and finally all white resistance is broken.; b) 32.Bd3 Rg2!? 33.Bxf5 Rxf2 34.Bd3 Rxe2+ 35.Bxe2 Qe4+ 36.Bd3 Qxf4 37.a5 Qxh2+ 38.Kb1 h4 39.a6 Qg1+ 40.Ka2 Qa7 and despite the mess, blacks pawns should prevail.; 32...Rg4!? This could be best 33.Kb3 Bxd3 34.Qxd3 Qxf2 keeps winning chances for black. 32.f3? Returning the favour. 32.Rd3! was a golden opportunity, as black has nothing more than: 32...Bf5 33.Kb3 Bxd3 34.Qxd3 Qxf2 35.Qd8! securing a perpetual. 32...Bf5+ 33.Bd3 Bh3?! Played instantly since this was my reason for provoking f3, but there was a stronger move: 33...Bxd3+! this wins the house instantly. 34.Rxd3 (34.Qxd3 Rg2+) 34...Qc4+. 34.a5 The alternatives were 34.Qe4 Rg2+ 35.Kd1 Qg1+ 36.Qe1 Qxh2! and Rg1 cant be stopped, winning instantly. 34.Qd2 Rg2 35.Be2 Bf5+ 36.Kc1 Qg1+ 37.Qd1 Qxh2 38.Kd2 h4! 39.a5 Qxf4+ 40.Kc3 h3 41.a6 h2 42.a7 Rxe2 43.Qxe2 h1Q 44.a8Q Qc7+! This wins, but also the only move which doesn’t lose! 45.Kb4 Qb6+ 46.Ka4 Qh4+! 34...Rg2 35.a6 Rxe2+ 36.Bxe2 Bf5+ 37.Kb3 Or 37.Bd3 Bxd3+ 38.Rxd3 Qc4+ and wins. Or 37.Kc1 Qxf4+ 38.Kd1 Qd4+ 39.Kc1 Qe5! and wins. 37...Qe3+ 38.Ka2 Qxe2 39.a7 Qc4+ 40.Ka1 Qf1+ 41.Ka2 Bb1+ And now 42.Kb3 Qxf3+ is simple enough, so White resigned. 0-1