1.e4
e5
2.Nf3
Nf6
3.Nxe5
d6
4.Nf3
Nxe4
5.d4
d5
6.Bd3
Nc6
7.0-0
Be7
8.c4
Nb4
9.Be2
0-0
10.Nc3
Bf5
11.a3
Nxc3
12.bxc3
Nc6
13.Re1
Re8
14.cxd5
Qxd5
15.Bf4
Rac8
16.h3
Be4
17.Qc1N
A new move in a very well-known position.
17...Na5
A natural rejoinder, threatening the fork but also to park the knight on the great c4 square. Now 18.Nd2 looks obvious, when the obvious rejoinder 18...Bxg2 leads to very sharp play that seems to favor White. Anand found a different idea.
18.Qe3
[18.Nd2
Bxg2
(The solid 18...Bd6
looks better. 19.Bxd6
cxd6
20.Nxe4
Rxe4
21.Bf3
Rxe1+
22.Qxe1
Qb3
and White doesn't seem to have anything. So perhaps this was why Anand chose 18.Qe3.) 19.Bg4
f5
(19...Bf6!?
Calling White's bluff. 20.Bxc8
(20.Rb1
; 20.f3
Ra8
21.Kxg2
h5
and now it's White's bishop that gets trapped. 22.Bxc7
hxg4
23.hxg4+/=
) 20...Rxc8
21.Re3
c5
again Black has some compensation, but it's not obviously enough.) 20.Re5
fxg4
21.Rxd5
Bxd5
22.hxg4
c5
obviously favors White. Black might have enough activity to draw, but it's not going to be quick or easy.]
18...Bf8?!
[18...Bf6??
is a blunder that shows the point behind Kramnik's move. 19.Bd3
and the bishop can't be taken because 20.Qxe8+ forces mate next move.; 18...Bd6
is possible though, as is the immediate retreat; 18...Bf5
, with a likely transposition with 18...Bd6 after 19.Ne5
Bd6
We might see this position get tested in the future, when one possible continuation is (19...c5
looks possible too.) 20.Qg3
f6
21.Ng4
Bg6
22.Ne3
Bxf4
23.Qxf4
Qd6
with a position that still seems on the traditional border between White's being slightly better and Black equalizing.]
19.c4
Qd8
20.Ne5
Bf5
21.Qc3
b6
White is looking very comfortable here.
22.Rad1
[22.c5
may improve, so that on 22...f6
White has 23.Nc4
, with a superior position following 23...Nxc4
24.Bxc4+
Kh8
25.Ba6
Ra8
26.Rxe8
Qxe8
27.c6+/-
(27.Bxc7?!
Qc6
) ]
22...Qf6
[22...f6+/=
isn't appealing, but it might be best anyway.]
23.Qg3
[23.c5+/-
Bxh3?!
24.Qg3
Bf5
25.Bg5
Qe6
26.Bh5
Bg6
27.Bg4+/-
Bf5?
28.d5+-
]
23...Nc6
Very natural, trying to bring the knight back with the rest of the army, though it was performing a function hitting the c-pawn.
24.Ng4
Qg6
25.d5
[25.Bxc7
h5
(25...Bxg4
26.Bxg4
Rxe1+
27.Rxe1
f5
28.Bf3
Nxd4
29.Bd5++/-
White's strong Bd5 gives him a serious edge.) 26.Ne3
Rxe3
27.fxe3
Rxc7
28.Qxc7
Bd6
Was a line Anand mentioned in the post-game press conference (at least the snippet I caught), but he was concerned that Black's counterplay would be serious. In fact, Black is losing after 29.Bxh5!
(29.Qxc6
Bh2+
30.Kxh2
Qxc6
was given by Anand as a possibility, and he felt, rightly, that White is better here. It's true, but he's not yet winning or even close to winning.) 29...Bxc7
30.Bxg6
Bxg6
as White has too many pawns for them to all be safely blockaded.]
25...Na5
[25...Bc2
26.Rd2
(26.Rc1
Nd4=
(26...Na5?
27.Bxc7+/-
is the game.) ) 26...Na5
27.Rxc2
(27.Bxc7
Nxc4=
) 27...Qxc2
28.Nh6+
Kh8
29.Nxf7+
Kg8
is nowhere near as favorable for White as the game version - that's because Black still has his c-pawn and there's no passed d-pawn to worry about.]
26.Bxc7
Bc2?!
[26...Bc5+/=
keeps the game alive.]
27.Rc1
Nb3?
28.Rxc2+-
White is winning now, thanks in large part to his passed d-pawn.
28...Qxc2
29.Nh6+
Kh8
30.Nxf7+
Kg8
31.Nh6+
Kh8
32.Nf7+
Just repeating moves to gain time on the clock.
32...Kg8
33.Nh6+
This is not a threefold repetition of the position, as some online kibitzers and possibly even Kramnik thought for a moment, because the first time around Black still had a pawn on f7.
33...Kh8
34.Be5!
Qg6
[34...Qd2
35.Nf7+
Kg8
36.Bc3+-
holds everything.]
35.Bg4
[35.Qxg6
hxg6
36.d6
Rxe5
(36...Nc5
37.Bg4
) 37.Nf7+
Kg8
38.Nxe5
Bxd6
39.Nxg6
should be winning, but there's still some work, as White's queenside pawns are weak, there's no kingside passer and won't be for some time, and there are opposite-colored bishops.; 35.Qf4
is another possibility, going for a middlegame decision rather than a technical ending.]
35...Rxc4?!
[35...Rcd8
was the last chance to fight. White is much better after 36.Qxb3
(36.Nf5
might be even better.) 36...Qxh6
37.Be6
, but it's not yet trivial.]
36.Qxb3
Rxe5
37.Rxe5
Rc1+
38.Kh2
Bd6
39.f4
[39.Qe3
does the job too.]
39...Bxe5
40.fxe5
gxh6
[40...Qxh6
41.Qf3
is crushing; but 40...Qe4
offers a moment's excitement before grim reality sets back in. 41.Nf7+
Kg8
42.e6
Qf4+
43.Qg3
Rh1+
There's the excitement... 44.Kxh1
Qxg3
45.d6
...and here comes the grim reality. Black has nothing in his power to stop the d-pawn's advance, and fishing for perpetual doesn't work either: 45...Qxa3
46.d7
Qc1+
47.Kh2
Qf4+
48.Kg1
Qe3+
49.Kf1
Qf4+
50.Bf3
Qc4+
51.Kf2
Qh4+
52.Kg1
Qd4+
53.Kh2
Qf4+
54.g3
Qd2+
55.Bg2+-
and done.]
41.Qe3
That'll do it. Recentralizing the queen takes f4 under control, so there won't be any dreams of a perpetual (or more), hits the rook and supports the advance of the e-pawn. Black makes a few more moves, but in vain.
41...Qb1
42.d6
Rh1+
43.Kg3
Re1
44.Qf4
Rf1
45.Bf3
The "attack" is over, and now White can savor the position and all his threats: Qf8#, d7, e6, Qf6+ followed by Bd5+, etc. 1-0