A World Championship Preview by GM Raymond Keene, OBE
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GM Raymond
Keene, OBE
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Anand - Kramnik
2008 World Chess Championship
Bonn Germany, October 14 - November 2
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On October 14 the most important event of the year commences in Bonn,
the 12-game World Championship match between defending champion
Viswanathan Anand and the former champion Vladimir Kramnik.
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The match will consist of 12 games and there will be a
rapidplay shootout if the score is 6-6. Here I shall be giving
earlier games between the two. What are the respective chances of
the two grandmasters, the reigning and former champions, who will be
fighting for the crown over the next few weeks? |
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Kamnik has a special place in chess history, as a result of
defeating Kasparov at their match in London eight years ago. This feat
probably ranks as the highest rating performance in any world championship
match ever staged. Since then Kramnik retained his title by drawing
against Leko in 2004. Meanwhile, the reunification match against
Topalov in 2006 ended with a clear Kramnik victory, the match only seeming
at all close due to a Kramnik default on principle over unfounded
allegations of cheating from his rival's camp.
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Kramnik-Kasparov, London 2000
| |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
|
Total |
| Kasparov G |
= |
0 |
= |
= |
= |
= |
= |
= |
= |
0 |
= |
= |
= |
= |
= |
|
6.5 |
| Kramnik V |
= |
1 |
= |
= |
= |
= |
= |
= |
= |
1 |
= |
= |
= |
= |
= |
|
8.5 |
|
|
Leko-Kramnik, Brissago, 2004
|
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
|
Score |
|
Kramnik |
1 |
½ |
½ |
½ |
0 |
½ |
½ |
0 |
½ |
½ |
½ |
½ |
½ |
1 |
|
7 |
|
Leko |
0 |
½ |
½ |
½ |
1 |
½ |
½ |
1 |
½ |
½ |
½ |
½ |
½ |
0 |
|
7 |
|
 |
|
 |
Topalov-Kramnik,
Elista 2006
| |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
|
13 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
|
Total |
| Kramnik,V |
1 |
1 |
= |
= |
(0) |
= |
= |
0 |
0 |
1 |
= |
= |
|
= |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
8.5 |
| Topalov,V |
0 |
0 |
= |
= |
(1) |
= |
= |
1 |
1 |
0 |
= |
= |
|
= |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
7.5 |
|
Nevertheless, although on occasion an impressive performer
in tournaments, this was not Kramnik's forte, and in 2007 he lost out to
Anand in the World Championship tournament in Mexico.
|
 |
World Chess Championship, Mexico City, 2007
| |
|
01 |
02 |
03 |
04 |
05 |
06 |
07 |
08 |
|
Tot |
| 01 |
Anand,V |
xx |
= = |
= = |
= = |
1 = |
= 1 |
1 = |
1 = |
|
9.0 |
| 02 |
Kramnik,V |
= = |
xx |
= = |
= 1 |
= = |
1 0 |
= 1 |
= = |
|
8.0 |
| 03 |
Gelfand,B |
= = |
= = |
xx |
= = |
= = |
1 = |
1 1 |
= 0 |
|
8.0 |
| 04 |
Leko,P |
= = |
= 0 |
= = |
xx |
= = |
= 1 |
0 = |
= 1 |
|
7.0 |
| 05 |
Svidler,P |
0 = |
= = |
= = |
= = |
xx |
0 = |
= = |
= 1 |
|
6.5 |
| 06 |
Morozevich,A |
= 0 |
0 1 |
0 = |
= 0 |
1 = |
xx |
= = |
0 1 |
|
6.0 |
| 07 |
Aronian,L |
0 = |
= 0 |
0 0 |
1 = |
= = |
= = |
xx |
= 1 |
|
6.0 |
| 08 |
Grischuk,A |
0 = |
= = |
= 1 |
= 0 |
= 0 |
1 0 |
= 0 |
xx |
|
5.5 |
|
 Traditionally
the World Championship is decided by a match, the crowds flocking to see the
tragic heroes on the world stage, not the chorus. Anand doubtless
considers himself the legitimate world champion, as the outcome of the
Mexico tournament , while Kramnik may well believe that the hallowed match
title is on loan to a usurper. Suffice it to say that, commencing with
Bonn, FIDE, the world chess federation, appears to be steering a sensible
future course towards the reinstatement of matches - mano-a-mano - as the
primary mode for deciding the championship.
Anand leads Kramnik in the latest rankings, and he possesses
a quick, fluent and easy style which does not place a great strain on his
reserves of energy. On the other hand, Kramnik is ahead by 6 games to
4 over their lifetime of rated games against each other and, what is worse,
the Russian has won four of their last five encounters in classical chess.
|
 Even
more ominous for the Indian champion, twice declared
Sportsman-of-the-Year in his home country, was his disastrous score in
the Bilbao super-tournament held in Spain in September. Anand
came last, on his own, without winning a single game. This was
an unparalleled setback for a world champion - none of that select
group had ever previously suffered such a humiliating setback.
This notwithstanding, Anand's powers of recuperation
are considerable and his chances in Bonn certainly cannot be written
off. After due consideration I feel that Kramnik will be
favourite to win if he can clinch matters by game 12. After
that, should scores be level, rapidplay games take precedence, an area
in which the quick-witted Anand is liable to more effective.
The world chess title has been reunified after a
period of turbulence lasting for almost a decade and a half.
While Kasparov and Kramnik were contesting traditional title matches,
the World Chess Federation, FIDE, was pursuing the chimera of a
quasi-open knockout tournament. This produced champions of the
ilk of Khalifman, Ponomariov and Khasimdzanov. |
GM Keene's account of
the story
within the story, and analysis of
all the games, to be published soon
after the conclusion of the match!
Look for it in
The Chessville Chess Store,
soon after the match concludes. |
As I have noted already - the lesson
has now been learnt that fans want to see the tragic heroes in action, not
the chorus. It is encouraging news that Anand and Kramnik will be
contesting a traditional match and it is hoped that this format will be
continued for the future, which, as indicated before, I believe it will.
Anand - Kramnik
Tilburg 1998
Petroff Defence
1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nf6
       
  
     
In the hands of Petrosian, the Petroff might have been
considered a drawing weapon but others, such as Pillsbury, Marshall,
Yusupov and now Kramnik, have added it to their arsenal of
counter-attacking devices.
3 Nxe5 d6 4 Nf3 Nxe4 5 d4 d5 6 Bd3 Nc6 7 0-0 Be7 8
Re1 Bg4 9 c3 f5 10 Qb3 0-0 11 Nbd2 Na5 12 Qa4 Nc6 13 Bb5 Nxd2 14 Nxd2
Qd6 15 h3
The first deviation from the game Anand - Yusupov,
Linares 1993 which continued 15 Nb3 Bh4 16 Rf1 f4 with a quick draw.
The point of White’s innovation is to drive Black’s light squared
bishop away from the defence of e6 whilst simultaneously removing
White’s h-pawn as a possible target to combinations based on ...
Be7-h4 followed by ... Bxf2+ and ... Qxh2.
15 ... Bh5 16 Nb3 Bh4 17 Nc5
Under the improved circumstances Black can no longer
play ... f4 and give automatic protection to e6. Meanwhile, White
threatens both Re6 and Nxb7. For these reasons, Black immediately
resorts to desperate measures.
17 ... Bxf2+ 18 Kxf2 Qh2 19 Bxc6 bxc6 20 Qxc6 f4 21
Qxd5+ Kh8 22 Qxh5 f3
Black’s attack is full of enterprise but does not look
sound. After White’s next move, surrendering the queen, White is
left with a huge material advantage.
23 Qxf3 Rxf3+ 24 Kxf3 Rf8+ 25 Ke2 Qxg2+ 26 Kd3
Qxh3+ 27 Kc2 Qg2+ 28 Bd2 Qg6+ 29 Re4
White’s material advantage of rook plus bishop and
knight against the black queen is overwhelming. What is worse,
any attempt by Black to advance his kingside pawns will merely expose
his own king.
29 ... h5 30 Rae1 Re8 31 Kc1 Rxe4 32 Nxe4 h4 33 Ng5
Qh5 34 Re3
Tempting is 34 .. . Qxg5 35 Re8+
34 ... Kg8 35 c4
Black resigns.
1-0
There is nothing left that Black can do.
Kramnik-Anand
Dortmund 2001
Queen’s Gambit Accepted
1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 Nf3 e6 4 e3 Nf6 5 Bxc4 c5 6 0-0
a6 7 Bb3 cxd4 8 exd4 Nc6 9 Nc3 Be7 10 Bg5 0-0 11 Qd2 Na5 12 Bc2
It is important to preserve the attacking bishop.
12 ... b5 13 Qf4 Ra7
A strange move especially prepared by Anand for this
game. 13...Bb7 is normal.
14 Rad1 Bb7 15 d5
A powerful pawn sacrifice which underscores Black’s
lack of protective material in the vicinity of his king.
15 ... Bxd5 16 Nxd5
16 ... exd5
This appears to be the critical mistake. The
best defence is 16 ... Nxd5 17 Rxd5 exd5 (if 17 ... Qxd5 18 Qh4
wins) 18 Bxh7+ Kxh7 19 Qh4+ Kg8 (if 19 ... Kg6 20 Ne5+ Kf5 21
Qg4+ Kxe5 22 Bf4+ Kd4 23 Bd6+ Kd3 24 Rd1+ Kc2 25 Qe2 is mate or 19 ...
Kg6 20 Ne5+ Kf5 21 Qg4+ Kxe5 22 Bf4+ Kf6 23 Re1 with mate next move)
20 Bxe7 Qxe7 (otherwise Ng5 mates) 21 Ng5 Qxg5 22 Qxg5 Rd7.
This is a difficult endgame. Black can double rooks and try to
power forward with his passed d-pawn. Meanwhile White can seek
to savage the black kingside with an advance of his h-pawn.
17 Qh4 h5
If 17 ... h6 18 Bxh6 wins.
18 Rfe1 Nc6 19 g4
A violent battering ram destroys the vestiges of
Black’s defences.
19 ... Qd6 20 gxh5 Qb4 21 h6 Qxh4 22 Nxh4 Ne4 23
hxg7 Rc8 24 Bxe7 Nxe7 25 Bxe4 dxe4 26 Rxe4
A pawn up, the world champion wraps up the game with
impeccable technical virtuosity.
26 ... Kxg7 27 Rd6 Rc5 28 Rg4+ Kh7 29 Nf3 Ng6 30
Ng5+ Kg7 31 Nxf7 Rxf7 32 Rdxg6+ Kh7 33 R6g5 Rxg5 34 Rxg5 Rc7 35 a3 b4
36 axb4 Rc1+ 37 Kg2 Rb1 38 Ra5 Rxb2 39 Ra4 Black resigns 1-0
The World Championship match can be followed by accessing
www.uep-worldchess.com.
Now
Available
GRANDMASTER BREAKS THE CODE
IN MYSTERY OF HIDDEN GRAVE
A chess
grandmaster has cracked an intellectual puzzle in an attempt to help police
solve a murder mystery.
The Masquerade-like conundrum was drawn up in a police station cell by a man
who says he knows the spot where a woman’s body is buried in a shallow
grave. Raymond Keene, a former British chess champion and a chess
correspondent of The Times stayed awake until 4.30am yesterday studying the
man’s scribblings on two sheets of paper after he was called in by police
desperate to end the six-month mystery. Overnight Keene deduced that
the body of Therese Terry, a 43-year-old divorcee from Preston, Lancashire
was buried near Limerick, Ireland...
Learn More!
Return to Keene On Chess
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