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Vladimir
Kramnik (b.1975-) is a player with a striking original talent and he would
go down in history as the nemesis of Kasparov whom he beat in the World
championship match without conceding a single loss.
In terms of style he is the heir of former
world champions, Petrosian and Karpov. He is a virtuoso of positional
play and endgame technique. He does not seek kingside attack and combinative
play like Kasparov and Shirov, but exerts tactical control once he has the
upper hand in the position. His Achilles’ heel is his handling of
irrational positions. Sometimes he loses his bearings in those
positions.
This CD offers a comprehensive view of
Kramnik’s career so far. The distribution of material here follows the
standard Informant format:
CLOSE-UP
Foreword
Bio & Facts
Tournaments
GAMES
843 published games, 391 annotated by Kramnik
White/Black repertoire trees
Stats
CREATIVITY
Best games
5 golden games
100 best games
Chess Informant Jury
Most important theoretical novelties
Novelties
Chess Informant Jury
Theoretical surveys (C42, D85, E04)
PLAY LIKE KRAMNIK
Combinations
Excellent moves
Attack
Storming initiative
Defense
Endings
Rare Blunders & Misconceptions
In 4 different formats (Chess Informant Expert, PGN, ChessBase and
Chess Assistant)
The section
Close-up offers biographical data and tournament crosstables. Kramnik
won the World Junior Championship in 1991. He became a GM in 1992 when
he was seventeen- years-old. He had the best individual result, 8.5
points out of 9 rounds in the Manila Olympiad. He became a world
championship candidate in 1994 only to be beaten by Gelfand ( 4½-3½).
He received a further setback when he lost to Shirov (3½5½).
Unfortunately, no sponsors could be found for Kasparov –Shirov match.
So it was an irony of fate that Kramnik became the world championship
challenger to Kasparov in 2000.
He beat Garry with the score of 8½-6½
(2 wins, 12 draws and no loss!). The rest is history.
Since his
debut in the international arena Kramnik has won a number of elite
competitions including Linares, Wijk-aan –Zee and Melody Amber tournaments.
In the main
section there are 843 published games (1988-2006) of which 391 are annotated
by Kramnik. Here a comparison with the other two Informant CDs on
Kasparov and
Anand is inevitable.
Kasparov invariably offers very detailed annotations. He has few peers
in sheer depth of analysis. Anand focuses only on the critical points
of the game, and from this point of view his annotations are lucid and
illuminating. Kramnik, however, is not always forthcoming in his
annotations, especially, in the opening phase of the game.
The next
section Creativity has a selection of games including 6 golden games,
100 Best games and games selected by the Informant Jury. They are
supplemented by an analysis of opening novelties and the games in which they
were produced.
The last
section Play like Kramnik includes positions with
standard themes like attack, defence and endings.
This CD is
worth viewing, especially, on account of the Anand-Kramnik World Championship
Match this month (October 2008).
The following
game from the CD is a miniature in which Kramnik outwits Ivanchuk:
Vladimir Kramnik –
Vassily Ivanchuk
Dortmund 1997
Queen’s Gambit Declined
(D45)
(Notes based on Kramnik’s annotations in the Informant CD)
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4
Ever ready for an English Opening, a Kramnik favourite.
2...c6
But Ivanchuk is not interested.
The opening transposes to Queen's Gambit Declined in stead.
3.Nc3 d5 4.d4 e6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Qc2 b6 7.Bd3 Bb7 8.0–0 Be7 9.b3 Rc8
10.Bb2 c5
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
Not 10...dxc4? 11.bxc4 c5 12.d5 !
10...0–0 may be better as after 11.Rad1 White may have only a slight
plus.
11.cxd5! cxd4?
Black hopes to exploit the pin on c-file. But the ensuing
tactics prove him wrong.
If
11...Nxd5 12.Nxd5 cxd4 13.Qe2 Bxd5 14.Nxd4 0–0 15.Ba6±
So
11...exd5 was mandatory even if White has some pressure after 12.Bf5.
12.dxe6 dxc3 13.exd7+ Nxd7
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
Not 13...Qxd7? 14.Bf5+-
14.Bxc3 Bb4
If
14...Bf6? 15.Bxf6 Qxf6 16.Qe2 and White is a pawn up with a superior
position.
15.Bc4 Bxf3
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
Black has to seek complications.
Other alternatives allow White to consolidate his position.
15...Bxc3? 16.Qxc3 0–0 (16...b5? 17.Qxg7) 17.Qd4±
16.gxf3
Not 16.Bxb4? Qg5 17.g3 b5.
16...Bxc3 17.Qxc3 Qg5+
The pin with 17...b5? does not work on account of 18.Qxg7.
18.Kh1 b5
Doesn't White lose a piece?
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
19.Qa5!
No. This cross pin destroys Black's hopes.
19...Rxc4 20.bxc4 Qh5 21.Rg1 Qxf3+ 22.Rg2+- is hopeless for Black.
1–0
The next
game shows Kramnik emerging victorious from a lost position.
Viswanathan Anand –
Vladimir Kramnik
Mainz (m/3-rapid) 2001
Ruy Lopez Berlin Defence
(C67)
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
The same Berlin wall that frustrated Kasparov's efforts to win with
White in the World Championship Match 2000.
4.0–0 Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.Nc3 h6
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
In
later games Kramnik saved a tempo with 9...Bd7 10.b3 Kc8=
10.h3 Bd7 11.b3 Kc8 12.Bb2 b6 13.Rad1 Ne7 14.Rd2!N
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
Kasparov played 14.Ne2 against Kramnik in the first game of the
aforesaid match.
14...c5 15.Rfd1 Be6 16.Ne2 g5?!
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
This move allowing the invasion of the White rook on the 8th rank is
the decisive error.
16...Nc6 is necessary to complete development.-NSH
17.h4 g4 18.Nh2 h5 19.Rd8+ Kb7 20.Rxa8 Kxa8 21.Rd8+ Kb7 22.Nf4 Ng6
23.g3
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
He
should first play 23.Nxe6!fxe6 24.Re8 Be7 25.Rxh8 Nxh8 26.g3 (with the
idea of f3) and White is better according to the Informant Editors.
But this move is not bad.-NSH
23...c4!
Setting a cunning trap in a lost position.
Probably Anand was expecting 23...Nxf4? 24.gxf4 threatening f5 and e6.
He
is in for a surprise.
24.bxc4?
And Anand falls for it!
The same exchange suggested on the previous move is still possible
here.
24.Nxe6! fxe6 25.bxc4 and Black is in serious trouble according to NiC
Magazine reporting the event. -NSH
24...Nxf4 25.gxf4 g3 26.Nf1 gxf2+ 27.Kh2
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
27.Kg2 Rg8+ 28.Kf3 also loses for White.
27...Bxc4 and White resigned.
Our Silicon friend suggests how the game could have continued:
28.Rd1 Rg8 29.Ng3 Bh6 30.Bc1 Rxg3 31.Kxg3 f1Q 32.Rxf1 Bxf1 33.Kf3 Bc4
34.a3 Kc6–+
Or
28.Bd4.Bxf1 29.Bxf2 Rg8 30.Bg3 Bc4 31.a4 Be6 32.Be1 a5 33.Bd2 Bf5
34.c4 Be4 and Black should win.-NSH
0–1
From the
Publisher’s site:
http://www.sahovski.com/pgn/article60_ws.htm
Highly Recommended
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