Vladimir Kramnik has found a good strategy with the white pieces against Deep Fritz. It is one he also has used in his regular games with good success. Once again in game two he exchanged queens quickly and set up a closed position with just two open files, both of which were easy to control. This minimised the danger of tactical surprises by the computer and retains the chance of winning the endgame with his fantastic technique. Bravo Vladimir!
1.d4
d5
2.c4
dxc4
3.Nf3
Nf6
4.e3
e6
5.Bxc4
c5
6.0-0
a6
7.dxc5
Qxd1
8.Rxd1
Looks unambitious, but Kramnik know how to keep increasing the +/= in such positions.
8...Bxc5
9.Kf1!?
Did Kramnik want to throw Fritz out of its openings book? [ Here are some of the games Kramnik has played against his opponents: 9.Nbd2
b6
10.Be2
Nbd7
11.Nc4
( 11.Nb3
Be7
12.Nfd4
Bb7
13.f3
0-0
14.e4
Rfc8
15.Be3
Kf8
16.Nd2
Ne5
17.N4b3
Rc6
18.Rac1
Rac8
19.Rxc6
Rxc6
20.g4
h6
21.h4
Bc8
22.g5
hxg5
23.hxg5
Nfd7
24.f4
Ng6
25.Nf3
Rc2
26.Bxa6
Bxa6
27.Rxd7
Rxb2
28.Ra7
Bb5
29.f5
exf5
30.exf5
Re2
31.Nfd4
Re1+
32.Kf2
Rf1+
33.Kg2
Nh4+
34.Kh3
Rh1+
35.Kg4
Be8
36.Bf2
Ng2
37.Ra8
Rf1
38.Kf3
Nh4+
39.Ke2
Rh1
40.Nb5
Bxg5
41.Nc7
Ke7
42.Nxe8
Nxf5
43.Bxb6
Kd7
44.a4
Rh3
45.Nc5+
Kc6
46.a5
Re3+
47.Kd1
Re7
48.Rc8+
Kb5
49.Ne4
Rxe4
50.Rc5+
Ka6
51.Nc7+
Kb7
52.Rxf5
Be3
53.Bxe3
Rxe3
54.Rxf7
Re5
55.a6+
Kb6
56.Rxg7
Ra5
57.Kd2
Ra1
58.Kc2
Rh1
59.Kb2
Rh8
60.Kb3
Rc8
61.a7
Kxa7
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 Kramnik,V-Kasparov,G/London ENG 2000/The Week in Chess 310 (74)) 11...Bb7
12.b3
Ke7?!
( 12...0-0
13.Bb2
Bd5
14.Rac1
Rfc8
15.Nfe5
b5
16.Nxd7
Nxd7
17.Nd2
Bb4
18.Nb1
Nb6
19.f3
Rxc1
20.Rxc1
Rc8
21.Rxc8+
Nxc8
22.Ba3
Bxa3
23.Nxa3
b4
24.Nc2
a5
25.Ba6
Nb6
26.e4
Bc6
27.Kf2
1/2-1/2 Kramnik,V-Lautier,J/Monte Carlo 1997/EXP 57 (27)) 13.Bb2
Rhd8
14.Ne1
b5
15.Na5
Be4
16.Bf3
Bxf3
17.gxf3
Rdc8
18.Nd3
Rab8
19.Nxc5
Rxc5
20.Rac1
Ke8
21.Bd4
Rxc1
22.Rxc1
Ra8
23.Kf1
e5
24.Bb2
Nd5
25.Rd1
Ne7
26.Nb7
Nc8
27.Rc1
f6
28.Ba3
a5
29.Rc7
b4
30.Bc1
Na7
31.Nd6+
Kd8
32.Rb7
Nc8
33.Nc4
a4
34.Bd2
axb3
35.axb3
Ra7
36.Rxa7
Nxa7
37.Bxb4
Kc7
38.Ke2
Kc6
39.Kd3
g6
40.Be7
Nc8
41.Bd8
Kb5
42.Kc3
Na7
43.Nd6+
Kc6
44.Ne4
f5
45.Ng5
h5
46.e4
Nb5+
47.Kc4
Nd4
48.b4
Nb5
49.Be7
Nd4
50.f4
Nb5
51.exf5
gxf5
52.Nf7
exf4
1-0 Kramnik,V-Karpov,A/Frankfurt 1999/CBM 72/ (52)]
9...b5
10.Be2
Bb7
11.Nbd2
Nbd7
12.Nb3
Bf8?!
This move is not exactly convincing. In any case a human being would hardly have played it.
13.a4!
A typical strategy to fight for squares on the queenside and to create weaknesses in the opponent's position.
13...b4
14.Nfd2
Kramnik mobilises his knight to occupy the square c4, which he has just secured. From here it can keep a dangerous watch on the black position.
14...Bd5
15.f3
Bd6
16.g3
e5
17.e4
Be6
18.Nc4
Bc7
19.Be3
a5
This kind of move is never pleasant, because the square b5 and the pawn on a5 become very weak. But there was no real alternative. White has achieved a nicely dominating position, the kind that is very comfortable against a computer because Black has hardly any counterplay. Black would like to complete his development by castling and then mobilise his kingside rook. It is for this reason that Kramnik executes the following manoeuvre. He is determined to keep the initiative.
20.Nc5
[ 20.Rac1!?
]
20...Nxc5
21.Bxc5
Nd7
22.Nd6+
Kf8
[ 22...Ke7?
23.Nf5+
Kf6
24.Be7+
Kg6
25.Rac1+/-
]
23.Bf2
Bxd6
Deep Fritz gives up the pair of bishops in order to release some of the pressure. But Kramnik gets a permanent advantage. [ 23...Ke7
24.Nf5++/=
]
24.Rxd6
Ke7
25.Rad1
Rhc8
26.Bb5
Nc5
looks like a tactical blunder. But we must remember that Black is a computer that will never overlook something as shallow as this.
27.Bc6
Bc4+!
[Kramnik confessed later that he had completely overlooked this move and was horrified because he though he was lost. "But after a few seconds I saw a way to force the draw with perpetual check, and so I calmed down and started to look for a way to win." He found it in a very subtle rook endgame.] [ 27...Ra6??
28.Bxc5
Raxc6
29.Rxc6++-
with check; 27...Rxc6?
28.Rxc6
Nxa4
29.Rd2+/-
]
28.Ke1
Nd3+
29.R1xd3
Bxd3
30.Bc5!
[ 30.Rxd3??
Rxc6-+
]
30...Bc4
[ 30...Bc2
31.Kd2
Bxa4??
is refuted by 32.Rd5+
Kf6
33.Bxa4+-
]
31.Rd4+
Kf6
32.Rxc4
Rxc6
33.Be7+
Kxe7
34.Rxc6
The resulting rook endgame is better for White because the black rook is tied to the passive defence of the a-pawn. One of the main principles of rook endings is activity. The rook is useless if it is engaged in passive defensive tasks.
34...Kd7
[ 34...Rd8
35.Ke2
doesn't help]
35.Rc5
f6?
After this Black is condemned to passivity. Maxim Notkin proved in Chess Today No. 699 that [ 35...Rc8
is better because after 36.Rxa5 Rc2 36.Rxc8 is a draw. The point, however, is so deep that even Deep Fritz would have difficulty finding it. This is the main line continuation of Notkin's analysis: 36.Rxc8
Kxc8
37.Kd2
Kd7
38.Kd3
Kd6
39.Kc4
Kc6
Black has the opposition and White cannot win the tempo battle: 40.h4
g6
41.g4
h5
42.g5
Kd6
43.Kb5
f6
44.gxf6
g5
45.hxg5
Ke6
46.Kxa5
h4=
and the final queen endgame is drawn.]
36.Kd2
Kd6
37.Rd5+
Kc6
38.Kd3
g6?!
In the next phase Deep Fritz only weakens its own position. [ 38...Ra7
seems to me to be tougher.]
39.Kc4
g5
40.h3
h6
41.h4
gxh4
42.gxh4
Ra7
43.h5
Kramnik has all the time in the world to improve his position before resorting to Rd8. In such positions it is wise to restrain oneself and first maximise the strength of one's position.
43...Ra8
Now Kramnik embarks on a manoeuvre in order to force Fritz to move. He could achieve this with b3, but that gives up a possible waiting move later on. Kramnik really plays this endgame superbly. Rubenstein or Capablanca would have loved to watch it!
44.Rc5+
[ 44.Kd3
with the plan Ke3 and f4 was also a possibility.]
44...Kb6
45.Rb5+
[ Naturally not 45.Kd5??
Rd8+
46.Kc4
Rd4+-+
]
45...Kc6
46.Rd5
Zugzwang
46...Kc7?!
[ 46...Ra7
47.Rd8
Rc7
48.Rf8
Kd6+
sollte zwar auch verloren sein, ist aber aktiver und daher unangenehmer. should also be lost for Black, but it is more active and less pleasant for Kramnik.]
47.Kb5
b3
48.Rd3
Ra7
49.Rxb3
Rb7+
50.Kc4
Ra7
[ The pawn ending after 50...Rxb3
51.Kxb3
Kb6
52.Kc4
Kc6
53.b4+-
is lost because of the distant white passed pawn]
51.Rb5
Ra8
52.Kd5
Ra6
53.Rc5+
Kd7
54.b3
Rd6+
[ 54...Ra7
55.Rb5
Ke7
56.Kc6
Ra8
57.Kb7
Rd8
58.Rxa5+-
]
55.Kc4
Rd4+
56.Kc3
Rd1
57.Rd5+
[ 57.Rd5+
the transition into the pawn ending is the simplest way to victory, for example 57...Rxd5
58.exd5
Kd6
59.b4
axb4+
60.Kxb4
Kxd5
61.Kb5
Kd6
( 61...f5
62.a5
e4
63.fxe4+
fxe4
64.a6
e3
65.a7
e2
66.a8Q++-
) 62.a5
f5
63.a6
Kc7
64.Kc5
e4
65.fxe4
fxe4
66.Kd4
Kb6
67.Kxe4
Kxa6
68.Kf5
Kb6
69.Kg6
Kc7
70.Kxh6
Kd7
71.Kg7+-
Thus far Kramnik has succeeded in keeping the match in calm waters. We will have to wait and see if Fritz will be able to stir up a storm in its next white game.] 1-0