Can Kramnik restore the honour of humanity? After Kasparov's 1997 loss to Deep Blue in New York chess fans had to wait for a long time for the revenge. Now we can only hope that Kramnik will erase the stain on chess by beating Deep Fritz, and that Kasparov too will be successful in his December match against Deep Junior. Then the ball would be back in the computer's court.
The rules of the game are different when you play against a computer, and Kramnik is sure to have worked out a completely different strategie than for his games against human opponents. He is bound to strive for closed positions which are very difficult for a computer to understand. But there are also other strategies. The Berlin Defence is a great weapon against the Ruy Lopez. This is especially true for players named Kramnik when they are playing against Kasparov and against computers. Take a look:
1.e4
e5
2.Nf3
Nc6
3.Bb5
Nf6
The Berlin Defence! [ 3...a6
is the main line]
4.0-0
Nxe4
5.d4
Nd6
6.Bxc6
dxc6
7.dxe5
Nf5
8.Qxd8+
Kxd8
The black bishop pair gives him compensation for the pawn structure weakened by the doubled c-pawns (normally the pawn ending would be lost) and for the white advantage in development. Whether this is enough is currently being vigorously debated in the chess world. Here the main question is how Deep Fritz will be able to handle the position. Today's opening choice was excellent. I can only assume that Kramnik will be satisfied to draw with the black pieces and to attack with White. We will see if this is true in the coming days.
9.Nc3
h6
10.b3
[ GM Ronen Har Zvi also played the Berliner in a Man vs Machine event in Kasparov Chess. He did quite well with it, and I'm sure that Kramnik has studied this game carefully. 10.Bd2
Ke8
11.Rad1
Be6
12.Rfe1
Rd8
13.a4
Bb4
14.Ne4
Bxd2
15.Rxd2
Rxd2
16.Nfxd2
Ke7
17.f3
Rd8
18.Kf2
b6
19.b4
g5
20.g3
Rd5
21.c4
Rd3
22.Rb1
Ra3
23.a5
Ra2
24.g4
Nh4
25.Ke3
Ra3+
26.Rb3
Rxb3+
27.Nxb3
Bxc4
28.Nd4
Bd5
29.a6
Ng6
30.Nf5+
Ke6
31.Nxh6
Bxe4
32.Kxe4
Nxe5
33.Nf5
f6
34.Nd4+
Kd7
35.h3
c5
36.bxc5
bxc5
37.Ne2
c4
38.f4
Nd3
39.fxg5
fxg5
40.Kf5
Nf2
41.Kxg5
Nxh3+
42.Kh5
Kd6
43.g5
Nxg5
44.Kxg5
Kc5
45.Kf4
Kb6
46.Ke5
Kxa6
1/2-1/2 Comp Deep Junior-Har Zvi,R/KasparovChess INT 2000/CBM 79 ext (46); 10.h3
Kramnik has done well with this move: 10...Bd7
( 10...Ke8
11.Ne4
c5
12.c3
b6
13.Re1
Be6
14.g4
1/2-1/2 Kasparov,G-Kramnik,V/London ENG 2000/The Week in Chess 312 (14)) 11.b3
Kc8
12.Bb2
b6
13.Rad1
Ne7
14.Rd2
c5
15.Rfd1
Be6
16.Ne2
g5
17.h4
g4
18.Nh2
h5
19.Rd8+
Kb7
20.Rxa8
Kxa8
21.Rd8+
Kb7
22.Nf4
Ng6
23.g3
c4
24.bxc4??
ein unerklaerlicher Patzer Anands. 24...Nxf4
25.gxf4
g3!!
26.Nf1
( 26.fxg3
Bc5+
27.Kg2
Rxd8-+
) 26...gxf2+
27.Kh2
Bxc4
0-1 Anand,V-Kramnik,V/Mainz GER 2001 (27); Judit Polgar was able to defeat Garry Kasparov with 10.Rd1+!?
in a rapid chess event. Kasparov was apparently so impressed with Kramnik's treatment of the Berlin Defence that he has introduced it into his own repertoire. 10...Ke8
11.h3
Be7
( 11...a5
12.Bf4
Be6
13.g4
Ne7
14.Nd4
Nd5
15.Nce2
Bc5
16.Nxe6
fxe6
17.c4
Nb6
18.b3
a4
19.Bd2
Kf7
20.Bc3
Rhd8
21.Rxd8
Rxd8
22.Kg2
Rd3
23.Rc1
g5
24.Rc2
axb3
25.axb3
Nd7
26.Ra2
Be7
27.Ra7
Nc5
28.f3
Nxb3
29.Rxb7
Nc1
30.Nxc1
Rxc3
1/2-1/2 Kasparov,G-Kramnik,V/London ENG 2000/The Week in Chess 311 (30)) 12.Ne2
Nh4
13.Nxh4
Bxh4
14.Be3
Bf5
15.Nd4
Bh7
16.g4
Be7
17.Kg2
h5
18.Nf5
Bf8
19.Kf3
Bg6
20.Rd2
hxg4+
21.hxg4
Rh3+
22.Kg2
Rh7
23.Kg3
f6
24.Bf4
Bxf5
25.gxf5
fxe5
26.Re1
Bd6
27.Bxe5
Kd7
28.c4
c5
29.Bxd6
cxd6
30.Re6
Rah8
31.Rexd6+
Kc8
32.R2d5
Rh3+
33.Kg2
Rh2+
34.Kf3
R2h3+
35.Ke4
b6
36.Rc6+
Kb8
37.Rd7
Rh2
38.Ke3
Rf8
39.Rcc7
Rxf5
40.Rb7+
Kc8
41.Rdc7+
Kd8
42.Rxg7
Kc8
1-0 Polgar,J-Kasparov,G/Moscow RUS 2002/The Week in Chess 409 (42)]
10...Ke8
Kramnik voluntarily leaves the d-file and goes for a very solid setup with his bishops on e7, e6, h5 and a5. This position can only be stormed with very long-term plans which are difficult for the computer to find. So it is an ideal position against Deep Fritz, but a disappointment for chess fans who want to see fiery combinations.
11.Bb2
Be7
[ Kramnik has certainly studied the following game: 11...a5
12.Ne2
a4
13.Nf4
Be6
14.g4
Ne7
15.Nxe6
fxe6
16.Nd4
( 16.Kg2!?
) 16...Kf7
17.c4
( 17.f4
Nd5<=>
) 17...h5!=
18.Nf3
Ng6
19.Ng5+
Ke7
20.Ba3+
Ke8
21.Bxf8
Nxf8
22.Rad1
hxg4
23.Rd4
Rh6
24.Rxg4
axb3
25.axb3
Ra3=
0-1 Klovans,J-Dautov,R/Minsk 1986/EXT 86 (40)]
12.Rad1
a5
Kramnik cleverly holds back with his Bishop on c8, so that his bishop pair may not be prematurely cut in half. [ Folgende Partie ist ein Beispiel dafuer wie Schwarz untergehen kann, wenn er zuviele Abtaeusche zulaesst und nicht aktiv genug steht: 12...Be6
13.Ne2
Rd8
14.Rxd8+
Bxd8
15.Rd1
Rg8
16.Nf4
g5
17.Nxe6
fxe6
18.g4
Ne7
19.Nd4
Rg6
20.c4
c5
21.Ne2
Rg8
22.Ng3
Ng6
23.Nh5
Be7
24.Kg2
Rf8
25.Kg3
Rf7
26.Rd3
Bd8
27.f3
b6
28.Kf2
Rd7
29.Rxd7
Kxd7
30.Ke3
Ke8
31.Ke4
Kf7
32.Bc1
c6
33.Be3
Nf8
and now the white pawn majority is a clear danger. 34.f4
gxf4
35.Bxf4
Kg6
36.Nf6
Bxf6
37.exf6
Nd7
38.h3
b5
39.f7
h5
40.gxh5+
Kxf7
41.Kd3
Kf6
42.a4
a6
43.a5
Kf5
44.Ke3
Nf6
45.h6
bxc4
46.bxc4
Kg6
47.Be5
Nh7
48.Bf4
Nf6
49.Kf3
Kf5
50.h4
Kg6
51.Be5
Ng8
52.Bg7
Ne7
53.Ke4
Nf5
54.h5+
Kf7
55.Be5
Nxh6
56.Kf4
Nf5
57.Kg5
Kg8
58.Kg6
Nh4+
59.Kf6
1-0 Klovans,J-Reichenbach,W/Berlin 1998/CBM Extra 66 (59)]
13.a4
[ 13.g4?!
doesn't achieve anything: 13...Nh4
14.Nxh4
Bxh4
15.h3
h5
and Black has no problems]
13...h5
secures the knight on and allows a possible Rh6.
14.Ne2
Be6
15.c4
[ 15.Nf4!?
g5
16.Nxe6
fxe6
17.Nd2
was also possible ( oder 17.Rd3
) ]
15...Rd8!
This is a good strategy since the black rooks are uncoordinated and White has control of the d-file
16.h3
b6
17.Nfd4
Nxd4
18.Nxd4
c5
19.Nxe6
fxe6
The bishop pair has been decimated, but the black position is very solid. An important detail is that the pawn on e5 is on the same coloured square as the bishop on b2. This makes it a weak piece with no perspective on either wing. Does Fritz see and understand this?
20.Rxd8+
Kxd8
21.Bc1
Kc8
Kramnik is planning to exchange the other rook as well, so that Fritz will be left with just the bishop.
22.Rd1
Rd8
23.Rxd8+
Kxd8
24.g4
g6
[ After 24...hxg4?!
25.hxg4
White has the plan f4, Kg1-g2-h3 and Bc1-d2-e1-h4 etc. For this reason Kramnik leaves the white pawn on h3.]
25.h4?
A human being would have hardly played this move, since it makes the draw quite evident. [ An alternative strategy would have been 25.Kg2
Ke8
26.Kf3
Kf7
27.Ke4
with the idea f2-f4-f5. Kramnik will certainly have checked such endgames, but I am unable to quickly find the correct defence. I would like to show you some of the ideas and the dangers that lurk with the following lines: 27...Bd8
( 27...hxg4?!
28.hxg4
g5
29.f4
gxf4
30.Bxf4
Kg6
31.Kf3
c6
32.Kg3
Bd8
33.Kh3
with the idea Bf4-g3-h4.) 28.f4
Be7
29.f5
hxg4
30.hxg4
c6
31.f6
Bd8
and the black position should be quite inpenetrable, since the following plan does not succeed: 32.Be3
Bc7
33.b4?
axb4
34.a5?
b3-+
; 25.gxh5?!
gxh5
26.Kg2
Ke8
27.Kf3
Kf7
28.Ke4
Kg6
29.f4
c6
is of course totally drawn.]
25...hxg4!
[ If Deep Fritz was a human being one would think that it was hoping for 25...Bxh4??
But this blunder was too obvious for Kramnik. The danger is 26.g5
and the bishop will never see the light of day. [However Kramnik later told us that he acutally considered this, because although White can capture the bishop with Kg1-g2-h3 this does not give him a path to penetrate. In fact an immediate 26...Bxf2+
27.Kxf2
makes the draw obvious.]]
26.Bg5
Bxg5
27.hxg5
The pawn ending is completely drawn since both kings cannot move into the enemy space.
27...Ke8
28.Kg2
and the draw was agreed. We can only wait to see whether Deep Fritz will be able to force his will on the opponent in the next games. 1/2-1/2