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Number 14
Raymond Keene
VLADIMIR Kramnik has won the Brain Games World Chess Championship in London and has been proclaimed the 14th world champion in a line which stretches back to Wilhelm Steinitz in 1886. All games with commentary in both video and `click-thru' format are available on the website www.braingames.net.
There is no doubt that Kasparov either played below form or was not permitted by Kramnik's subtle play to reach his peak. Kasparov literally faced a Berlin Wall when tring to break through Kramnik's defences. Kramnik now takes home two thirds of the $2 million prize fund and will reign for at least two years until challenged. This week's game shows Kasparov's last chance.
Kramnik-Kasparov: Brain Games World Championship, Game 14 We start after White's 33rd move, which was 33 Rb6 White now has the surprising threat of 34 Rxe6 and after 34 .. face6 he gives perpetual check with his queen along the sixth rank. 33 Re8 Kasparov prevents White's threat but in the process has to make a very passive move. A very promising alternative here is 33 ... Rdl threatening mate and after 34 e4 Qc8 Black is in a position to try to use his passed c-pawn. Play could continue 35 Qe5 (threatening Rb8) 35
Rd8 when White remains active but Black does have a clear extra pawn. 34 Q13 Krarnnik's main asset in this position is his vigorous rook and so he heads for a pure rook endgame where the activity of this piece will enable him to regain his pawn. However, 34Qc3 is safer when White's active position should guarantee against loss. 34
Qx13 35 exf3 Rc8 Kasparov uses the time that White needs to regain his pawn to activate his own passed pawn. 36 Rxa6 c4 Kasparov has a powerful c-pawn which forces the white rook to hurry back to defend. 37 Rd6 c3 38 Rdl Ra8 Black now wins a pawn by force as if 39 Ral Black plays 39 ... c2 and ... Rxa2 next move. 39 Re]. Rxa2 Now Kramnik, with only two minutes to play his last move of the first time-control, has a difficult decision. His first possibility is to capture the c-pawn, giving up his own f-pawn and reach- ing an endgame of rook and four versus rook and three. Normally this endgame is a fairly straight- forward draw but here White is forced to play with his king badly cut off. His option is to defend his f-pawn with 40 Kg2 after which Black protects his c-pawn with 40 . . . c2 or perhaps 40 ... Ra3. 40 Rxc3 Rxf2+ 41 Kgl White chooses to play with his king cut off on the back rank. The alter- native, 41 Kh3 — when his king is stuck on the h- file — was not attractive. 41 ... Ra2 42 Rc7 Although the white king is cut off on the back rank, it seems that this will not prevent him from being able to draw. White's rook is active and Black will not be able to mobilise his pawn mass without allowing multiple exchanges of pawns which will simplify the position down to an easy draw. 42 ... Kf8 It is worth mentioning that Kasparov himself recently lost the endgame of rook and four versus rook and three against the Dutch grandmaster Jeroen Piket. 43 Rb7 Ke8 44 RbS+ Ke7 45 Rb7+ Kf6 46 Kfl e5 47 Rb6+ Kf5 48 Rb7 Ke6 49 Rb6+ Kf5 50 Rb7 Surprisingly this move is a mistake. Kramnik should have played 50 Rb8 when his rook has more room to manoeu-
vre behind Black's king and pawns. 50 f6 51 Rg7 g5 This is Black's only way to try to make progress and is surprisingly dangerous. 52 hxg5 fxg5 53 Rg8 g4 54 Rf8+ Ke6 55 Re8+ Kf5 Here Kasparov misses his last chance to force a win in this game. With 55 Kf6 he could have set White difficult, possibly insuperable problems, e.g. 56 Rf8+ Ke7 57 Rf5 Ke6 58 ag4 hxg4 59 Rg5 Ra4 60 Kf2 Kf6 61 Rg8 Kf5 62 Rg7 Ra2+ 63 Kgl Rd2 64 Rg8 Ke4 (Black jettisons the g-pawn in the interests of forcing its colleague to the eighth rank) 65 Rxg4+ Kf3 66 Rg8 e4 67 Rf8+ Ke2 and Black is winning. It should be noted, though, that Kramnik claimed that after 55 . Kf6 56 Rh8 gxf3 57 Rf8+ Kg5 58 Rxf3 Black can still not win. 56 Rf8+ Kg6 57 Rg8+ Kf5 Draw agreed Ardbeg Malt Whisky Puzzle No. 53
Black to play and win — first move only required. This week's puzzle is a variation from the game Kasparov-Kramnik, Game 15. White is chasing after the black a-pawn but has overstretched himself. How can Black win at once?
Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 14 November or via email to vanessa@spectator.co.uk or by fax on 020 7242 0603. The winner will be the first cor- rect answer drawn out of a hat, and each week I shall be offering a prize of a bottle of Ardbeg Malt Whisky.
Last week's solution: 1 Rxf7 (1 . Rxf7 2 Ng6+ Kh7 3 Nf8+ + Kg8 4 Qh7+ KxfS 5 Qh8 Check mate) Last week's winner: Mark Hannon, Oxford.
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