25 years in Dortmund for Vladimir Kramnik

by Johannes Fischer
7/11/2017 – In a few days the Sparkassen Chess Meeting 2017 will begin in Dortmund. As always, it is a strong Grandmaster tournament but this year it is dedicated to Vladimir Kramnik, with good reason: Dortmund and the former World Championship have a long and special relationship.
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A ten-time winner returns

The relationship between Kramnik and Dortmund began in 1992, 25 years ago, when the 16-year old Kramnik played his first tournament in Dortmund, the strong A-Open. At that time Kramnik still had to get the title of an International Master but he brought an impressive Elo-rating of 2590 to the tournament. However, his smooth play and his result was still a surprise. With 8.5/11 (6 wins, 5 draws) he shared first place with Smbat Lputian and Zurab Azmaiparashvili.

Vladimir Kramnik in 1993 | Photo: Frederic Friedel

In his very first game in Dortmund Kramnik won with Black against the German amateur Ulrich Tamm. Kramnik won the game by playing in a way that was to become his trademark style: being well prepared in the opening he equalized easily and soon after had a slight advantage. Pressuring his opponent with energetic positional play Kramnik gradually turned his slight advantage into a bigger one, and finally won the endgame.

 
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1.e4 c5 2.c3 e6 3.d4 d5 4.exd5 exd5 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.Be2 Bd6 7.0-0 Nge7 8.Nbd2 cxd4 9.Nxd4 Nxd4 10.cxd4 0-0 11.Nf3 Qb6 White did not pose Black any problems in the opening and Black equalized easily. 12.Re1 Bg4 13.h3 Bh5 14.Ne5 Bxe2 15.Rxe2 Rfe8 16.Qd3 Rad8 17.Be3 Bb8 18.Rae1 Nc6 19.Nxc6 Qxc6 20.Bg5 Rxe2 21.Qxe2 Rc8
The position further simplified and is balanced and symmetrical. But in the course of the game Kramnik manage to create winning chances. 22.g3 h6 23.Be3 Re8 24.Qg4 Re4 25.Qf5 g6 26.Qf3 Qe6 27.Kg2 Kg7 28.Rc1 h5 29.h4 a6 30.Rc5 b5 31.b3 Kg8 32.Rc2 b4 33.Rc1 Ba7 34.Rd1
White's pieces are significantly more passive than ten moves ago but Black still has no concrete advantage. 34...Kg7 35.Rd2 Bb6 36.Rd1 Bd8 37.Rc1 Bf6 38.Rd1 Qb6
39.Rc1? White loses his patience and gives a pawn. After 39. Rd2 the engines evaluate the position as completely equal. Bxd4 40.Bxd4+ Qxd4 41.Rc7 Qf6 42.Rb7 Qe6 43.Qd3 Qc6 44.Ra7 Re6 45.Qd4+ Rf6 46.Re7 Qb6 47.Qxb6 Rxb6
Now Black reached a rook ending with an extra pawn and Kramnik converted his advantage without much trouble. 48.Rd7 Rb5 49.Kf3 Ra5 50.Rb7 Rxa2 51.Rxb4 Kf6 52.Rb7 Ke6 53.Ke3 f6 54.f3 a5 55.Rb5 Ke5 56.f4+ Ke6 57.Kd4 Rg2 58.Rxa5 Rxg3 59.b4 Rf3 60.Ra6+ Kf5 61.Kxd5 Rxf4 62.b5 Rxh4 63.b6 Rb4 64.Kc6 h4 65.Ra5+ Ke6 66.b7 Rxb7 67.Kxb7 g5 68.Kc6 h3 69.Ra8 g4 70.Rh8 f5 71.Rh4 Ke5 72.Kc5 Kf4 73.Kd4 Kg3 74.Rh5 h2 75.Ke3 f4+ 76.Ke2 Kg2 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Tamm,U2300Kramnik,V25900–11992B22Dortmund op-A1

Since 1992 Kramnik has played almost every year in Dortmund and only missed the tournaments in 1994 and in 2002. No less than ten times Kramnik has won the grandmaster tournament (1995 – 1998, 2000, 2001, 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2011), which according to the organizers is a "unique achievement, deserving an entry into the Guiness Book of Records."

Winning the 10th is impressive | Photo: Georgios Souleidis

In the final round of the Sparkassen Chess Meeting 2016 Kramnik won with White against Evgeni Najer, currently his last win in Dortmund.

 
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1.c4 e5 2.d3 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.g3 d6 5.Bg2 Nf6 6.e4 c6 7.Nge2 a6 8.0-0 b5 9.f4 Qb6+ 10.Kh1 Ng4 11.Qe1 Nd7 12.h3 h5 13.b4 Ne3 14.Bxe3 Qxe3 15.d4 Qd3 16.fxe5 dxe5 17.cxb5 axb5 18.d5 Bb7 19.Rd1 Qc4 20.dxc6 Bxc6 21.Nd5 Bxd5 22.Rxd5 Nb6 23.Rc5 Qe6 24.Nc3 0-0 25.Rxb5 Rfc8 26.a4 Nxa4 27.Nd5 Rab8 28.Ra5 Nb6 29.Ra7 Rf8 30.Ra6 Rfd8 31.Qf2 Rd6 32.b5 Rb7 33.Qc2 Kh7 34.Qc5 Kg8 35.Kh2 Kh7 36.h4 Kg8 37.Bh3 Rxd5 38.exd5 Qxd5 39.Qc6 Qd2+ 40.Bg2 1–0
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Kramnik,V2812Najer,E26871–02016A24Dortmund 44th7

Kramnik also played the most spectacular game of the Sparkassen Chess Meeting 2016 — in round 3 against German grandmaster Rainer Buhmann. But despite all the fireworks displayed in the game it ended with a draw.

 
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1.e4 Kramnik has started playing 1.e4 a bit these days. Although typically at the elite level he has faced mostly 1...e5. e6 You don't see the French at the top level too often, but as always Kramnik is well prepared. 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5 The most critical continuation for the fight for the advantage in my opinion. Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.Nf3 Be7 7.Be3 b6 8.Qd2 8.h4 has also been played, but Kramnik shows his aggressive intentions after the king has castled. 8...0-0 Life is also not easy for Black even if he decides to delay castling: 8...Nc6 9.Bb5!? 9.Be2 is also possible 9...Bb7 10.0-0-0 a6 11.Bxc6 Bxc6 12.f5 b5 12...h6 13.g4± 13.fxe6 fxe6 14.Ne2 14.Ng5 is more precise here Bxg5 15.Bxg5 Qc7 16.Qf4± White's attack is quickly developing and is much faster than Black's. 14...c4 14...Nb6 is a better try for Black: 15.Bg5 c4 16.Bxe7 Qxe7 17.Qg5 h6 15.Ng5 Nf8 16.Rhf1 Bxg5 17.Bxg5 Qd7 18.Qc3 h6 19.Qh3 Rh7 20.Qf3 Rh8 21.Qh3 Rh7 22.Qf3 Rh8 23.Qh5+ g6 24.Qh3 1-0 (24) Bok,B (2614)-Kjartansson,G (2457) Gjakova KOS 2016 9.h4!? A very aggressive idea. 9.Nd1 is another idea for White and after 10...a5 Black has been doing okay theoretically. 9...Nc6 9...Ba6 The exchange of Black's bad light-squared bishop does not solve all his problems. 10.Bxa6 Nxa6 11.h5 10.Bb5 Qc7 10...cxd4?! is not a good idea for Black. 11.Nxd4 Nxd4 11...Bxh4+ 12.g3! 12.Bxd4 Bxh4+ 13.g3! is of course White's idea Bxg3+? 14.Ke2 White has a winning attack Bh4 15.Qd3 f5 16.Qh3+- 11.0-0-0 a6 12.Bd3 12.Bxc6 is an alternative for White, but the move in the game is very strong and I suspect prepared by Kramnik Qxc6 13.f5 exf5 13...Bb7 14.Bg5! 14.dxc5 Bxc5 15.Nxd5 15.Bxc5 Nxc5 16.Nxd5 Qb7 17.Nf6+ Kh8 15...Re8 16.Bxc5 Qxc5∞ 12...f5 12...c4 is of course answered by 13.Bxh7+! Kxh7 14.Ng5+ Kg8 15.Qe2 g6 16.Qg4 f5 17.Nxe6 fxg4 18.Nxc7 Rb8 19.h5 White is winning because of the extremely bad position of the black pieces. 13.g4 c4 14.gxf5 Again Kramnik chooses the strongest move in the position. White has other options which are slightly less precise, but might also lead to an advantage. 14.Ng5 cxd3 15.Nxe6 Qb7 16.Nxf8 Nxf8 17.Qxd3∞ 14.Bf1 fxg4 15.Ng5 Ndb8 16.Qg2± 14...cxd3 15.fxe6 Ndb8 15...Ndxe5 A defensive idea is to returning the material and consolidating the position. 16.Nxe5 16.dxe5 dxc2 16...d4 17.Nd5 Qd8 18.Nxe7+ Qxe7 19.Qxd3 dxe3 20.Ng5 17.Kxc2 17.Rdg1 Bxe6 17...Bxe6 18.Kb1 Rad8 19.Rhg1 d4 16...Bxe6 17.cxd3 Nxe5 18.fxe5 Bb4 19.Kc2 Ba5 16.Nxd5 Qd8 17.Nxe7+ Nxe7 18.Ng5 h6 19.Qxd3 hxg5 20.hxg5 Bxe6 21.Qh7+ Kf7 22.d5 Bf5 Kramnik has been impeccably accurate so far. 23.e6+? White's first mistake of the game and also after which he loses all his advantage. 23.Qh5+! is both the simplest and most precise way to continue: Bg6 24.Qe2 Nxd5 25.Qf3 Ke7 25...Ke6 26.c4+- 26.Rxd5 White has more than sufficient compensation for the piece Qc8 27.Qd1 Be4 28.Rd6 Bxh1 29.Qxh1 Ra7 30.Bxb6 Rd7 31.Qd5+- 23.g6+!? Ke8 24.Qxg7 Qc7 25.Rd2 Nxd5 26.Qh6 Rg8 27.g7 Qxg7 28.Rxd5 Qg6 29.Qxg6+ Bxg6 30.Rg1 Bh7 31.Rxg8+ Bxg8 32.Rd6 23...Ke8 24.Qxg7 Qc7 25.Rh2 25.Rd2 kept the balance in the position Nxd5 26.Qd4 Bxe6 27.Qe4 Qc6 28.Bxb6∞ The position is equal but I believe beyond the scope of human calculation. 25...Nxd5 26.Qxf8+ Kxf8 27.Rxd5 Bh7? 27...Bg6 is winning for Black 28.b3 Qc3 29.Bd4 Qe1+ 30.Kb2 Qxe6-+ 28.b3 A very hard move to make when you are a queen down but the move is also the computers top choice. Ke8 28...Qc3 29.Bd4 Qe1+ 30.Kb2 Qxe6 does not work anymore because of 31.Rd8++- 29.g6 The positon is actually equal after this because White regains most of the material back after this move. Bxg6 30.Rh8+ Ke7 31.f5 Bxf5 32.Rxf5 Qc3 32...Kxe6 also does not change the evaluation of the position 33.Rff8 Qc3 34.Kb1 Nc6 35.Rxa8 Qxe3 36.Rhe8+ Ne7 37.Ra7 Qg1+ 38.Kb2 Qd4+ Black has nothing better than to repeat for a draw. 39.Kb1 Qg1+ 33.Bg5+ Kxe6 34.Rf6+ Qxf6 34...Ke5 35.Re8+ Kd5 36.Kb1 according to the computer actually gives some chances for White 36.Rd8+ Ke5 37.Re8+ with perpetual 35.Bxf6 Kxf6 36.Rh6+ Ke5 37.Rxb6 Kd5 38.Kb2 Nc6 39.a3 Kc5 40.Rb7 The endgame is drawn as Black does not have enough material to convert his position and the pawn will inevitably be exchanged. Rg8 41.Rh7 Rg2 42.Rh5+ Kd6 43.Kc3 Rg3+ 44.Kb2 Rg2 45.Kc3 Rg3+ 46.Kb2 Rg2 ½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Kramnik,V2812Buhmann,R2653½–½2016C11Dortmund 44th3

In a fews days Kramnik has the chance go for number eleven! But the field is strong:

Participants of the Sparkassen Chess-Meeting Dortmund 2017

The tournament takes place from July 15-23 in the "Orchesterzentrum NRW", Brückstraße 51.

On this DVD Vladimir Kramnik retraces his career from talented schoolboy to World Champion in 2006. With humour and charm he describes his first successes, what it meant to be part of the Russian Gold Medal team at the Olympiad, and how he undertook the Herculean task of beating his former mentor and teacher Garry Kasparov.

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Johannes Fischer was born in 1963 in Hamburg and studied English and German literature in Frankfurt. He now lives as a writer and translator in Nürnberg. He is a FIDE-Master and regularly writes for KARL, a German chess magazine focusing on the links between culture and chess. On his own blog he regularly publishes notes on "Film, Literature and Chess".

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