One of the talking
points of 2005 has been the strange loss of form by world champion
Vladimir Kramnik (30), of Russia. Kramnik has lost game after game
since his epic world championship match against Hungarian Peter Leko
which ended in a tie last October. His play has been punctuated by
embarrassing blunders, a loss of his renowned sense of danger, and
perhaps worst, on several occasions he has been outplayed. Chess fans
around the globe must be hoping he does not have serious health
problems and will soon regain his form. Today’s game features
Israeli grandmaster Emil Sutovsky with the white pieces against
Kramnik in a game played last week in Dortmund, Germany.
1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 Nf6 4 d3 — White sidesteps the main variations of Kramnik’s favoured “Berlin Wall” Defence arising after 4 0-0 Nxe4, 5 d4 Nd6, 6 Bxc6 dxc6, 7 dxe5 Nf5, 8 Qxd8+ Kxd8.
4 — d6 5 0-0 g6 6 d4 Bd7 7 Re1 Bg7 8 d5 Ne7 9 Bxd7+ Nxd7 10 Be3!? — The game has transposed from a Steinitz Defence to the Ruy Lopez. Kramnik thought for nearly half an hour over his reply to White’s new idea.
10 — f5 11 Ng5 Nf8 12 exf5 gxf5 13 f4 Qd7 14 c4 Neg6 15 Nc3 h6 16 Nf3 e4 17 Nd4 h5 Black’s position looks decidedly rickety but 18 Qh5 was an unpleasant threat.
18 Ncb5! — White threatens a knight fork after 19 Nxf5 Qxf5, 20 Nxc7+ so Black elects to move his king.
18 — Kf7!? 19 Ne6!? Nxe6 20 dxe6+ Kxe6 21 Qd5+ Ke7 22 c5 c6 23 cxd6+!? — This piece sacrifice seems risky but White obtains a dangerous attack.
23 — Kf8 24 Qb3
cxb5 25 Rac1 Qf7 White wins after 25 Qxd6?, 26 Red1 Qf6, 27 Rc7 b6,
28 Rd6.
26 Qxb5 a6 27 Qb6 Kg8 28 Red1 Kh7?
This loses. Black
could probably survive by evacuating his queen from the seventh rank
with 28 — Qe6!
29 Rc7 Qf8 30 Bd4 Rg8 31 Qxb7 e3
Or 31 —
Rb8, 32 Bxg7! Rxb7, 33 Bxf8+ Rxc7, 34 dxc7 Rxf8, 35 Rd8 and wins.
32
Rf7 Rb8 33 Qd7 Rd8 34 Qxf5 —
White threatens 35 Qxh5 mate.
34 — Qxf7 35 Qxf7 Rxd6 36 Kf1 Nxf4 37 Qf5+ Rg6 38 Qxf4! —
White simplifies into a winning ending.
38 — Rf8 39
Qxf8 Bxf8 40 Bxe3 Re6 41 Kf2 Kg6 42 Rd5 Be7 43 Bc5 Bf6 44 b3 Be5 45
g3 h4 46 gxh4 Bxh2 47 h5+ Kh7 48 Kf3 Be5 49 Rd7+ Kh6 50 Kg4 Bg7 51
Rd6
1-0
Problem: White to
play and win.
Solution: 1 Rd8+ Kh7, 2 Rh8+!! Kxh8, 3 Qxh6+ and 4 Qxg7#.