How Equal is Equal? Continued...
We promised you Kramnik this week, so here is Kramnik with his weapon of mass destruction: deadly precision in the endgame. Looking at the same opening, the same dull symmetrical position, many people would think a draw was inevitable, but these results beg to differ.
So here is our instructive endgame tutorial by Vladimir Kramnik against Peter Leko. Kramnik does get a sound middle game position, but the amazing ease with which each he converts that into a win is what is truly awesome.
Kramnik, V. (2770) vs. Leko, P. (2743)
RWE Gas Match | Budapest HUN | Round 9| 7 Jan 2001 | ECO: E42 | 1-0
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 c5 5. Nge2 cxd4 6. exd4 O-O 7. a3 Be7 8. Nf4 d5 9. cxd5 Nxd5 10. Ncxd5 exd5 11. Bd3 Nc6 12. O-O Bg5 13. Re1 Bxf4 14. Bxf4 Qf6 15. Be5 Nxe5 ( 15... Qg5 ) 16. Rxe5 Be6 17. Qd2 Rad8 18. Rae1 h6]] 19. R1e3 Bd7 20. h3 Qd6 ( 20... Bc6 21. Qa5 a6 22. Qb6 Qd6 ( 22... Rfe8 23. Rxe8+ Rxe8 24. Rxe8+ Bxe8 25. Qxb7 Qxd4 26. Bxa6 ) 23. g3 ) 21. Qa5 Qb6 22. Qxb6 axb6 23. Be2 Be6 24. f4 g6 25. Bd3 Bc8 26. Re7 Kg7 27. Bb5 Kf6 28. Rc7 Rd6 29. Rec3 Rdd8 30. Re3 Rd6 31. a4 Rdd8 32. Kf2 Rd6 33. g4 Rdd8 34. Kg3 g5 ( 34... Kg7 35. h4 Kf6 36. g5+ Kg7 37. Ree7 h5 38. Kf2 Kg8 39. Ke3 Kg7 40. Kd2 Kg8 41. b3 Kg7 ( 41... Rd6 42. Bd7 Bxd7 43. Rexd7 Re6 44. Re7 ) 42. Bd7 Bxd7 43. Rexd7 Rde8 44. Re7 Rxe7 45. Rxe7 Rb8 46. Rd7 ) 35. f5 h5 36. Ree7 hxg4 37. hxg4 Kg7 38. Kf3 Kf6 39. Ke3 Kg7 40. Kd3 Kf6 41. Kc3 Kg7 42. Kb4 Kf6 43. Ka3 Kg7 44. b4 Kf6 45. a5 bxa5 46. bxa5 Kg7 47. Kb4 Kf6 48. Kc5 Kg7 49. Be2 Rde8 50. Rxe8 Rxe8 51. Bf3
Kramnik, V. (2770) vs. Leko, P. (2743)
RWE Gas Match | Budapest HUN | Round 9| 7 Jan 2001 | ECO: E42 | 1-0
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 c5 5. Nge2 cxd4 6. exd4 O-O 7. a3 Be7 8. Nf4 d5 9. cxd5 Nxd5 10. Ncxd5 exd5 11. Bd3 Nc6 12. O-O Bg5 13. Re1 Bxf4 14. Bxf4 Qf6 15. Be5 Nxe5 ( 15... Qg5 ) 16. Rxe5 Be6 17. Qd2 Rad8 18. Rae1 [[h6 19. R1e3 Bd7 20. h3 Qd6 ( 20... Bc6 21. Qa5 a6 22. Qb6 Qd6 ( 22... Rfe8 23. Rxe8+ Rxe8 24. Rxe8+ Bxe8 25. Qxb7 Qxd4 26. Bxa6 ) 23. g3 ) 21. Qa5 Qb6 22. Qxb6 axb6 23. Be2 Be6 24. f4 g6 25. Bd3 Bc8 26. Re7 Kg7 27. Bb5 Kf6]] 28. Rc7 Rd6 29. Rec3 Rdd8 30. Re3 Rd6 31. a4 Rdd8 32. Kf2 Rd6 33. g4 Rdd8 34. Kg3 g5 ( 34... Kg7 35. h4 Kf6 36. g5+ Kg7 37. Ree7 h5 38. Kf2 Kg8 39. Ke3 Kg7 40. Kd2 Kg8 41. b3 Kg7 ( 41... Rd6 42. Bd7 Bxd7 43. Rexd7 Re6 44. Re7 ) 42. Bd7 Bxd7 43. Rexd7 Rde8 44. Re7 Rxe7 45. Rxe7 Rb8 46. Rd7 ) 35. f5 h5 36. Ree7 hxg4 37. hxg4 Kg7 38. Kf3 Kf6 39. Ke3 Kg7 40. Kd3 Kf6 41. Kc3 Kg7 42. Kb4 Kf6 43. Ka3 Kg7 44. b4 Kf6 45. a5 bxa5 46. bxa5 Kg7 47. Kb4 Kf6 48. Kc5 Kg7 49. Be2 Rde8 50. Rxe8 Rxe8 51. Bf3
Now things look even more difficult for black, but to Leko's credit he is still holding on to his position. Again, I would strongly recommend our users pause and think of a concrete plan before seeing how Kramnik implemented his ideas.
Kramnik, V. (2770) vs. Leko, P. (2743)
RWE Gas Match | Budapest HUN | Round 9| 7 Jan 2001 | ECO: E42 | 1-0
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 c5 5. Nge2 cxd4 6. exd4 O-O 7. a3 Be7 8. Nf4 d5 9. cxd5 Nxd5 10. Ncxd5 exd5 11. Bd3 Nc6 12. O-O Bg5 13. Re1 Bxf4 14. Bxf4 Qf6 15. Be5 Nxe5 ( 15... Qg5 ) 16. Rxe5 Be6 17. Qd2 Rad8 18. Rae1 h6 19. R1e3 Bd7 20. h3 Qd6 ( 20... Bc6 21. Qa5 a6 22. Qb6 Qd6 ( 22... Rfe8 23. Rxe8+ Rxe8 24. Rxe8+ Bxe8 25. Qxb7 Qxd4 26. Bxa6 ) 23. g3 ) 21. Qa5 Qb6 22. Qxb6 axb6 23. Be2 Be6 24. f4 g6 25. Bd3 Bc8 26. Re7 Kg7 27. Bb5 [[Kf6 28. Rc7 Rd6 29. Rec3 Rdd8 30. Re3 Rd6 31. a4 Rdd8 32. Kf2 Rd6 33. g4 Rdd8 34. Kg3 g5 ( 34... Kg7 35. h4 Kf6 36. g5+ Kg7 37. Ree7 h5 38. Kf2 Kg8 39. Ke3 Kg7 40. Kd2 Kg8 41. b3 Kg7 ( 41... Rd6 42. Bd7 Bxd7 43. Rexd7 Re6 44. Re7 ) 42. Bd7 Bxd7 43. Rexd7 Rde8 44. Re7 Rxe7 45. Rxe7 Rb8 46. Rd7 ) 35. f5 h5 36. Ree7 hxg4 37. hxg4 Kg7 38. Kf3 Kf6 39. Ke3 Kg7 40. Kd3 Kf6 41. Kc3 Kg7 42. Kb4 Kf6 43. Ka3 Kg7 44. b4 Kf6 45. a5 bxa5 46. bxa5 Kg7 47. Kb4 Kf6 48. Kc5 Kg7 49. Be2 Rde8 50. Rxe8 Rxe8 51. Bf3
A simple plan that looks like a sure thing in retrospect. Expand on the king side; completely destroy any possibilities for black's already weak bishop; open up the queen side and finally march on with your king. When I tried giving this position to some of my students I realized that I heard this plan only in bits and pieces. Everyone had one or even two of the right ideas, but getting all those ideas together and in a linear way is the key. I am sure it sounds like an easy thing now that you have seen the game, but it is a very impressive display of chess understanding from Kramnik.
Our second game is an equally instructive game by Armenian Grandmaster Sargissian Gabriel against an equally strong Grandmaster Sergey Tiviakov.
Sargissian, G. (2614) vs. Tiviakov, S. (2593)
FIDE WCh KO | Tripoli LBA | Round 1.5| 20 Jun 2004 | ECO: E42 | 1-0
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 c5 5. Nge2 cxd4 6. exd4 O-O 7. a3 Be7 8. Nf4 d5 9. cxd5 Nxd5 10. Ncxd5 exd5 11. Be2 Nc6 12. O-O Bg5 13. Bf3 Bxf4 14. Bxf4 Bf5 15. Qd2 Qd7 16. h3 Rfe8 17. Rfe1 h6 18. Rac1 a6 19. Bg3 Rac8 20. Qf4 Rxe1+ 21. Rxe1 Be6 22. Qd2 Ne7 23. Bf4 Nf5 24. Bg4 Rc4 25. Be5 Rc6 ( 25... f6 26. Bf4 Nxd4?? ( 26... Rxd4?? 27. Bxf5 Rxd2 28. Bxe6+ ) 27. b3! Nxb3 28. Bxe6+ Qxe6 29. Rxe6 Nxd2 30. Bxd2 ) 26. Bd1 Nd6 27. Bxd6! Rxd6 28. Bf3 Rc6 29. Rc1 Qc7 30. Rxc6 Qxc6 ( 30... bxc6?! ) 31. h4 Qd6 32. g3 Kf8 33. Qc3 Ke7 34. Kf1 Kd7 35. Ke1 Kd8 36. Kd2]] Kd7 37. b4 Qc6 38. Qc5 Qd6 ( 38... b6 39. Qc3 Qxc3+ 40. Kxc3 Kc6 41. Be2 a5 ) 39. Be2 g5 40. hxg5 hxg5 41. a4 Qc7 42. a5 Qd6 43. Kc3 Qc7 44. Kd2 Qd6 45. b5 axb5 46. Bxb5+ Ke7 47. Kc3 Bf5 48. Kb4 Be6 49. Ba4 Bf5 50. Bb3 Be4 51. Qxd6+ Kxd6 52. Kb5 Bf5 53. Kb6 Bc8 54. Ba4 f6 55. Bb5 f5 56. f4 gxf4 57. gxf4
Now that you have given the endgame some good thought, let us go through the game and see white's simple idea and the ease of his execution.
Sargissian, G. (2614) vs. Tiviakov, S. (2593)
FIDE WCh KO | Tripoli LBA | Round 1.5| 20 Jun 2004 | ECO: E42 | 1-0
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 c5 5. Nge2 cxd4 6. exd4 O-O 7. a3 Be7 8. Nf4 d5 9. cxd5 Nxd5 10. Ncxd5 exd5 11. Be2 Nc6 12. O-O Bg5 13. Bf3 Bxf4 14. Bxf4 Bf5 15. Qd2 Qd7 16. h3 Rfe8 17. Rfe1 h6 18. Rac1 a6 19. Bg3 Rac8 20. Qf4 Rxe1+ 21. Rxe1 Be6 22. Qd2 Ne7 23. Bf4 Nf5 24. Bg4 Rc4 25. Be5 Rc6 ( 25... f6 26. Bf4 Nxd4?? ( 26... Rxd4?? 27. Bxf5 Rxd2 28. Bxe6+ ) 27. b3! Nxb3 28. Bxe6+ Qxe6 29. Rxe6 Nxd2 30. Bxd2 ) 26. Bd1 Nd6 27. Bxd6! Rxd6 28. Bf3 Rc6 29. Rc1 Qc7 30. Rxc6 Qxc6 ( 30... bxc6?! ) 31. h4 Qd6 32. g3 Kf8 33. Qc3 Ke7 34. Kf1 Kd7 35. Ke1 Kd8 [[36. Kd2 Kd7 37. b4 Qc6 38. Qc5 Qd6 ( 38... b6 39. Qc3 Qxc3+ 40. Kxc3 Kc6 41. Be2 a5 ) 39. Be2 g5 40. hxg5 hxg5 41. a4 Qc7 42. a5 Qd6 43. Kc3 Qc7 44. Kd2 Qd6 45. b5 axb5 46. Bxb5+ Ke7 47. Kc3 Bf5 48. Kb4 Be6 49. Ba4 Bf5 50. Bb3 Be4 51. Qxd6+ Kxd6 52. Kb5 Bf5 53. Kb6 Bc8 54. Ba4 f6 55. Bb5 f5 56. f4 gxf4 57. gxf4
I had a few comments in the last article about how one player was lower rated and sometimes was unnecessarily passive in such positions. However, in these two games you will see that both black players were extremely strong Grandmasters, who still played passively at critical times to get into trouble. Constant fear of having to play the best possible defense can do strange things to even the most powerful human minds. That is the specialty of such openings: it always looks like there is nothing left for a fight, but a tiny advantage lingers on for eternity!
» posted in Opening Theory
Good material for training. I like it.
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