(1) Deep Fritz (2741) - Kramnik,V (2807) [C45]
Man vs Machine Manama, Bahrain (3), 08.10.2002
[Karsten Mueller]

This time Deep Fritz avoided the Berlin Wall by opting for the Scotch. But Kramnik has a good anti-computer strategy prepared for that as well. One must agree that his preparation for this encounter is excellent.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Bc5 5.Nxc6 The main continuation. White hopes to thwart the black initiative with bxc6 and then to mobilise his kingside pawn majority.

5...Qf6 6.Qd2 dxc6 7.Nc3 Ne7 Kramnik probably wants to throw Fritz out of its openings book. Did he know at this point that it would later play a2-a3? [ In the world championship match Kasparov-Short the following line was "deebated": 7...Be6 8.Na4 Rd8 9.Bd3 Bd4 10.0-0 Ne7 ( 10...a6 11.Nc3 Ne7 12.Ne2 Bb6 13.Qf4 Ng6 14.Qxf6 gxf6 15.Ng3 h5 16.Be2 h4 17.Nf5 Bxf5 18.exf5 Ne5 19.Re1 Kf8 20.Bf4 Rd4 21.g3 Kg7 22.Rad1 Re4 23.Kg2 hxg3 24.hxg3 Bxf2 25.Kxf2 Rh2+ 26.Kf1 Rexe2 27.Rxe2 Rh1+ 28.Kf2 Rxd1 29.b3 Rd7 30.Rd2 Rxd2+ 31.Bxd2 c5 32.Ke3 c6 33.Ke4 c4 34.b4 b5 35.Bf4 Nd7 36.Kd4 Kf8 37.Bc7 Ke7 38.g4 Kf8 39.Bd6+ Kg7 40.Bc7 Kf8 41.a3 1/2-1/2 Kasparov,G-Short,N/London 1993/CBM 36/[Ftacnik] (41)) 11.c3 b5 12.cxd4 Qxd4 13.Qc2 Qxa4 14.Qxa4 bxa4 15.Bc2 Bc4 16.Re1 Bb5 17.Be3 Nc8 18.Bc5 Nb6 19.Rad1 Rxd1 20.Rxd1 a6 21.f4 Nd7 22.Ba3 h5 23.Kf2 Rh6 24.e5 c5 25.Bf5 Rb6 26.Rd2 g6 27.Bc2 Re6 28.Kg3 Nb6 29.Bxc5 Nc4 30.Rd5 Nxb2 31.f5 Bc6 32.Rd2 gxf5 33.Kf4 Nc4 34.Re2 f6 35.Bxf5 Rxe5 36.Bd3 Bd5 37.Bd4 Rxe2 38.Bxe2 Ke7 39.Bxh5 Bxg2 40.Bd1 a3 41.h4 Bd5 42.h5 Ne5 43.h6 Bxa2 44.Bc5+ Kf7 45.Bc2 Bc4 46.h7 Kg7 47.Bf8+ Kh8 48.Be7 Bd3 49.Bxf6+ Kxh7 50.Bxe5 Bxc2 1/2-1/2 Kasparov,G-Short,N/London 1993/CBM 36/[Ftacnik] (50)]

8.Qf4 Be6 9.Qxf6 [ Naturally Fritz does not fall for 9.Qxc7?? Qxf2+ 10.Kd1 Rd8+-+ ]

9...gxf6 Once again Kramnik has succeeded in reaching a position without queens, one which he understands much better than Fritz. Somehow it all looks so easy when he does it, but if I think of my blitz games against the program, things are very different there.

10.Na4 Bb4+ It is good to provoke ...c3 and weaken the square d3 for White. Apart from that the knight on a4 now looks a little strange.

11.c3 Bd6 12.Be3 b6 13.f4 0-0-0 14.Kf2 c5 15.c4 Nc6 16.Nc3 f5! The position should remain closed.

17.e5 Bf8 introduces the idea of Bg7 and f6

18.b3?! weakens the position more than being useful [ 18.Nd5 was also possible and may have been better suited to Fritz's natural abilities.]

18...Nb4! [This move came after a 30 minute think by Kramnik and was hailed in the press room as pure brilliancy. "It is as though Kramnik was the computer, finding a fantastic resource that no human would ever consider," said one leading GM. Others speculated that Kramnik has learned a lot from his preparation with the computer.] [ After 18...Bg7?! the move 19.Nd5 would have been better, e.g. 19...Bxd5 20.cxd5 Rxd5 21.Bc4 Rd7 22.Rad1 and Fritz would have had a better understanding than in the game.]

19.a3? This doesn't appeal to me at all. The pawns on a3 and b3 are weak, and Black can remove one of the two bishops. [ 19.Rc1 Makes a better impression. White should first try to get the situation under control and then work on the weakness on the black kingside.]

19...Nc2 20.Rc1 Nxe3 21.Kxe3 Bg7! with the idea of playing f6, in order to open the position for the bishop

22.Nd5?! c6! 23.Nf6 Bxf6 24.exf6 Rhe8 Black is much too active. Fritz has neglected its development and does not have the situation under control.

25.Kf3 Rd2 26.h3 A human being would hardly have played this move. But there were hardly any reasonable alternatives. Now Kramnik's fantastic technique comes into play.

26...Bd7 27.g3 Re6 First any potential counterplay with the pawn on f6 is eliminated - exactly what Capablanca would have done in this position.

28.Rb1 Rxf6 29.Be2 Now the bishop has moved, but it still makes a sad impression.

29...Re6 30.Rhe1 Kc7! First bring all your pieces into play, remembering that the king is an important attacking entity in the endgame. Then advance on the queenside, or attack the enemy pawns. This plan cannot be stopped.

31.Bf1 b5!? [ 31...Rxe1 32.Rxe1 Rb2 33.Re3 b5 was also possible, but Kramnik does not want to allow White any counterplay at all. After all he doesn't need to!]

32.Rec1 Kb6 33.b4?! backfires. But White was lost in a higher sense anyway.

33...cxb4 34.axb4 Re4! 35.Rd1 Rxd1 36.Rxd1 Be6! 37.Bd3 Rd4 38.Be2?! [ 38.Ke3 c5 39.bxc5+ Kxc5 40.cxb5 Bc4 41.Bc2 Rxd1 42.Bxd1 Bxb5 should also be winning for Black.]

38...Rxd1 39.c5+ Kb7 40.Bxd1 a5!-+ jetzt ist es aus.

41.bxa5 Ka6 42.Ke3 Kxa5 43.Kd4 b4 44.g4 fxg4 45.hxg4 b3 46.Kc3 Ka4 47.Kb2 f6 48.Bf3 Kb5 49.g5 f5 50.Kc3 Kxc5 51.Be2 A fantastic performance. Once again: bravo Vladimir! [ 51.Be2 Kb6 52.Bd1 Kb5 53.Be2+ Ka4 54.Kb2 Kb4 55.Bf3 c5-+ ] 0-1