Dortmund R3: Naiditsch beats Kramnik with sensational rook sacrifice

by ChessBase
7/1/2008 – A very dramatic day in Dortmund. While three games ended in relatively uneventful draws (in 19, 27 and 31 moves) the second-youngest player, Arkadij Naiditsch, uncorked a giant novelty against Vladimir Kramnik's Petroff Defence. It worked like clockwork and Naiditsch took home his first point. Mind you it turns out that Garry Kasparov had analysed this move nine years ago. Round three report.

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The Sparkassen Chess Meeting will take place from June 28rd to July 6th, 2008, in the Dortmund Civic Theater, with eight players competing in a single round robin. The average rating is 2695, making the event a Category 18 tournament.

Round 3: Tuesday, July 1, 15:00h
Arkadij Naiditsch 
1-0
 Vladimir Kramnik
Shak. Mamedyarov 
½-½
 Jan Gustafsson
Vassily Ivanchuk 
½-½
 Ian Nepomniachtchi
Loek van Wely 
½-½
 Peter Leko

Naiditsch,A (2624) - Kramnik,V (2788) [C42]
Sparkassen Dortmund GER (3), 01.07.2008
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Nc6 7.0-0 Be7 8.Re1 Bg4 9.c4 Nf6 10.Nc3 Bxf3 11.Qxf3 Nxd4 12.Qd1 Ne6 13.cxd5 Nxd5 14.Bb5+ c6 15.Nxd5 cxb5 16.Bf4 Nxf4 17.Rxe7+ Kf8 18.Re5 Qd6

19.Qd2!N On the Playchess server there was great excitement over Naiditsch' dramatic novelty – except that one visitor, Garry Kasparov, who is in Barcelona, preparing for an ICBI lecture on Wednesday, told us that he had analysed this back in 1999 (with the moves 16.a4 b4 17.Bf4 inserted). He predicted a good game for White, giving us all the main lines before they occurred on the board. There is apparently nothing new under the sun.

19...Ng6?! Kramnik played this move after 45 minutes of thought. He realised that he was in trouble. The critical move is of course 19...Qxe5 20.Qb4+ Ke8 (20...Kg8 21.Ne7+ Kf8 22.Nc6+ Kg8 23.Nxe5+-) 21.Re1 (21.Qxb5+ Kd8 22.Rd1 Ne2+ 23.Kh1 Nd4 24.Qxb7 Rc8 and White remains a rook down, but the position is unclear - but not worse for him.) 21...Ne2+ 22.Kf1 Rc8! (22...Qxd5? 23.Rxe2+ Kd7 24.Rd2 (24.Qe7+? Kc6 25.Rc2+ Kb6 26.Qe3+ Ka5 27.Qa3+ Kb6 is a draw.) ) 23.f4 Qxd5 24.Rxe2+ Kd7 25.Rd2 Rc5 26.Rxd5+ Rxd5 and the position is most likely a draw.

20.Ree1. Now White is clearly better. Kasparov admitted he may have underestimated the potential of this line back in 1999. 20...f6 21.Rad1 Kf7 22.Qe3 Rhe8 23.Ne7 Qxe7 24.Qb3+ Kf8 25.Rxe7 Rxe7 26.Qxb5 Rae8 27.g3 Ne5 28.Kg2 Nc6 29.b4 a6 30.Qb6 h6 31.a4 Ne5 32.Qc5 Kg8 33.b5 axb5 34.axb5 Nf7 35.h4 Kh8 36.Rd2 Kg8 37.Kh3 Kh8 38.f4 Kg8 39.h5 Kh8 40.Qf5 Nd8 41.Rd7 Ne6 42.Qd5 1-0. [Click to replay]


Not the best start: Vassily Ivanchuk in his game against Ian Nepomniachtchi

Current standings


Schedule and results

Round 1: Saturday, June 28, 15:00h
Jan Gustafsson 
½-½
 Vladimir Kramnik
Arkadij Naiditsch 
½-½
 Ian Nepomniachtchi
Shak. Mamedyarov 
½-½
 Peter Leko
Vassily Ivanchuk 
½-½
 Loek van Wely
Round 2: Sunday, June 29, 15:00h
Vladimir Kramnik 
1-0
 Loek van Wely
Peter Leko 
1-0
 Vassily Ivanchuk
Ian Nepomniachtchi 
½-½
 Shak. Mamedyarov
Jan Gustafsson 
1-0
 Arkadij Naiditsch
Round 3: Tuesday, July 1, 15:00h
Arkadij Naiditsch 
1-0
 Vladimir Kramnik
Shak. Mamedyarov 
½-½
 Jan Gustafsson
Vassily Ivanchuk 
½-½
 Ian Nepomniachtchi
Loek van Wely 
½-½
 Peter Leko
Round 4: Wednesday, July 2, 15:00h
Vladimir Kramnik 
-
 Peter Leko
Ian Nepomniachtchi 
-
 Loek van Wely
Jan Gustafsson 
-
 Vassily Ivanchuk
Arkadij Naiditsch 
-
 Shak. Mamedyarov
GamesReport
Round 5: Friday, July 4, 15:00h
Shak. Mamedyarov 
-
 Vladimir Kramnik
Vassily Ivanchuk 
-
 Arkadij Naiditsch
Loek van Wely 
-
 Jan Gustafsson
Peter Leko 
-
 Ian Nepomniachtchi
GamesReport
Round 6: Saturday, July 5, 15:00h
Vladimir Kramnik 
-
 Ian Nepomniachtchi
Jan Gustafsson 
-
 Peter Leko
Arkadij Naiditsch 
-
 Loek van Wely
Shak. Mamedyarov 
-
 Vassily Ivanchuk
GamesReport
Round 7: Sunday, July 6, 13:00h
Vassily Ivanchuk 
-
 Vladimir Kramnik
Loek van Wely 
-
 Shak. Mamedyarov
Peter Leko 
-
 Arkadij Naiditsch
Ian Nepomniachtchi 
-
 Jan Gustafsson
GamesReport

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