Kramnik crowned king

Vladimir Kramnik wins the FIDE World Cup final at Tromso

By Malcolm Pein, Chess correspondent

3:56PM BST 04 Sep 2013

Comment

Vladimir Kramnik won the FIDE World Cup, completing victory over Dmitry Andreikin with a draw in the fourth game of the final at Tromso. Kramnik prevailed 2.5-1.5.

Kramnik only played the World Cup because he was forced to by FIDE. He had already qualified for the 2014 WCC Candidates on rating.

Under the circumstances, and given that the knockout system with no rest days is entirely unsuited to a relative veteran, one might have expected a lack of motivation, but Kramnik demonstrated that he is a class above much of the world’s elite.

Position after 34.gxf5; one possibility is 34...Nc5 with a mighty passed pawn and Nd3 to follow

D. Andreikin - V. Kramnik
Symmetrical English

1.c4 c5 2.g3 g6 3.Bg2 Bg7 4.Nc3 Nc6 5.a3 b6 6.d3 Bb7 7.Bd2 Nf6 8.Nh3 (Leaving the g2–b7 diagonal open so that b2–b4 may be played in one move) 8...0–0 9.0–0 e6 10.b4 d6 11.b5 Na5 12.e4 d5 13.cxd5 exd5 14.e5 Ne8 15.f4 Nc7 16.Rb1 f6 17.exf6 Qxf6 (Black is at least equal with a pawn centre and activity. Only the Na5 is a problem) 18.Ne2 Rae8 19.g4!? d4 20.Ng3 Bxg2 21.Kxg2 Nd5 22.f5 Qe5 23.Nf4 c4 24.Qf3 Ne3+ 25.Bxe3 dxe3 26.d4?! Qd6!? 27.Ne4?! Qxd4 28.Ng5 e2(28...Qd2+ 29.Qe2 gxf5 is also winning and 29.Ne2 gxf5 30.Rbd1 fxg4! 31.Qxg4 Rxf1 32.Rxd2 exd2 33.Ne6 Rf7 is easy to calculate for a computer. Kramnik’s move is the human choice, simplifying while retaining the advantage) 29.Nxe2 Qd2 30.Ne4 Qc2 31.N4g3 Nb3 32.Rbd1 Kh8 33.Qf2 gxf5 34.gxf5 draw (See board above).

A terrible blunder produced this miniature from the 14th Karpov Poikovsky in Siberia. I have said it before and I’ll say it again; loose pieces drop off!

I. Cheparinov – E. Inarkiev

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Bb7 5.Bg2 c5 6.0–0 cxd4 7.Qxd4 Nc6 8.Qf4 d6 9.Rd1 Be7 10.b3 Qc7 11.Nc3 a6 12.Ba3 Ne5 13.Ng5 Bxg2 14.Kxg2 0–0 15.Nge4 Nxe4 16.Nxe4 Ng6 17.Qf3 ??

Black to play and win