Dortmund, Rd. 3: Kramnik in the style of Tal

by Johannes Fischer
7/12/2016 – Round three of the Sparkassen Chess-Meeting in Dortmund was a delight for spectators. This was to a huge part due to Vladimir Kramnik, ten times winner in Dortmund, who really seems to be inspired by the flair of this tournament. The former World Champion played with White against Rainer Buhmann and initiated a brilliant sacrificial attack in the spirit of Mikhail Tal. But Buhmann defended well and saved a draw!
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Whatever the players did during the rest day in Dortmund - it seemed to have recharged their batteries. Which led to hard fought and exciting games in round three.

Players and officials

The most spectacular game was played by Vladimir Kramnik and Rainer Buhmann. The former World Champion seemed to be well prepared against Buhmann's French Defense and entered a sharp line in which he sacrificed two pieces for a strong attack. To keep the fire of the attack going Kramnik continued to sacrifice material to mate Black's king. But Buhmann refused to get mated and the game finally ended in a draw.

 
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MoveNResultEloPlayers
1.e41,165,57054%2421---
1.d4946,47455%2434---
1.Nf3281,31256%2441---
1.c4181,93756%2442---
1.g319,68856%2427---
1.b314,23654%2427---
1.f45,88648%2377---
1.Nc33,79651%2384---
1.b41,75348%2380---
1.a31,19754%2403---
1.e31,06848%2408---
1.d394850%2378---
1.g466246%2361---
1.h444653%2374---
1.c342651%2425---
1.h327956%2416---
1.a410860%2468---
1.f39147%2431---
1.Nh38966%2508---
1.Na34262%2482---
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.Nf3 Be7 The modern treatment of this line. 7.Be3 b6 8.Qd2 0-0 9.h4!? A rather new idea. 9.0-0-0 is bad because of Nc6 10.Kb1 c4 e.g. 11.f5 b5 12.Nxb5 Rb8 13.Nd6 Bxd6 14.exd6 Nf6 15.Bg5 Qb6 16.Qc3 Ne4 17.Qa3 exf5 18.Be2 Nxg5 19.Nxg5 Nxd4 20.Bh5 g6 21.Qc3 Nb5 22.Qf6 d4 23.Kc1 Nc3 24.bxc3 Qb2+ 25.Kd2 Qxc3+ 26.Ke2 d3+ 0-1 (26) Saric,I (2628)-Svane, R (2467) Kozloduy 2013 9...Nc6 10.Bb5 Qc7 11.0-0-0 a6 12.Bd3
That's the idea of White's play on the kingside. White now threatens to sacrifice on h7. 12...f5?! Maybe not the best. But what is the best? 12...c4? 13.Bxh7+ Kxh7 14.Ng5+ Kg8 15.Qe2 g6 16.h5 and White has a strong attack. 12...b5 13.Bxh7+ Kxh7 14.Ng5+ Kg8 15.Qe2 gives Black a slightly better version of the line above. 12...h6 13.g4 13.g4 c4 14.gxf5! White sacrifices a piece. 14.Bf1!? fxg4 15.Ng5 Ndb8 16.Qg2 14...cxd3 15.fxe6 Ndb8 16.Nxd5 Qd8 17.Nxe7+ Nxe7 18.Ng5 h6 19.Qxd3 hxg5 20.hxg5 Bxe6
White invested two pieces and got a strong attack and four pawns in return. 21.Qh7+ Kf7 22.d5 Bf5 23.e6+ 23.Qh5+ Bg6 24.Qe2 with the threat of 25.e6(+). Nxd5 25.Qf3 and White keeps the pressure. 23...Ke8 24.Qxg7 Qc7 Threatening ...Qxc2#. 25.Rh2 Nxd5 26.Qxf8+! Very imaginative. After 26.Qxc7 Nxc7 27.Bxb6 Nxe6 the tension is gone and Black is better. 26.Bd4!? Nc6 27.Bf6= was another idea. 26...Kxf8 27.Rxd5 Black has queen and knight for a rook. But some black pieces do not take part in the game! Bh7?! 27...Bg6! keeps Black's queen mobile. 28.b3 Ke8?! Better is 28...Ra7 29.g6 29.Kb2!? was another idea. White now threatens Bd4 because Black can no longer take on f4 with check. 29...Bxg6 30.Rh8+ White's attack is not over yet. Ke7 31.f5 Bxf5 31...Be8? 32.Bg5# Upps! 32.Rxf5 Qc3 33.Bg5+ Kxe6 34.Rf6+ Qxf6 34...Kd5 35.Rd8+ Ke5 36.Re8+ with a perpetual. 35.Bxf6 Kxf6 36.Rh6+ Finally a quieter position is reached. White is material down but has good drawing chances. Ke5 37.Rxb6 Kd5 38.Kb2 Nc6 39.a3 Kc5 40.Rb7 Rg8 41.Rh7 Rg2 42.Rh5+ Kd6 43.Kc3 Rg3+ 44.Kb2 Rg2 45.Kc3 Rg3+ 46.Kb2 Rg2 A game with two winners! ½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Kramnik,V2812Buhmann,R2653½–½2016C1144th GM 20163

Against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu opted for a popular line that  led to a position in which White has an exchange for a pawn but has hardly any winning chances and is not at all in danger to lose.

Fabiano Caruana played with Black against Evgeny Najer and showed the attacking potential of the Caro-Kann.

 
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1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.Nf3 e6 5.Be2 Ne7 6.0-0 h6 7.Nbd2 Nd7 8.Nb3 g5 9.Bd2 Qc7 10.a4 a5 11.c4 The alternative is 11.Ne1 11...dxc4 12.Bxc4 Nd5 12...Bg7 13.Rc1 b6 14.Qe2 0-0 15.Bd3 Bg4 16.h3 Bh5 17.Bb1 Rac8 18.h4 gxh4 19.Qe4 f5 20.Qxh4 Bxf3 21.gxf3 Nd5 22.Kh1 Qd8 23.Qh3 Rf7 24.Rg1 Kh7 25.Rg5 Qf8 26.Rcg1 Re8 27.R1g2 c5 28.Rxg7+ 1-0 (28) Kurnosov, I (2660)-Gritsenko,A (2422) Vladivostok 2012 13.Ne1 Be7 14.Bd3 Nf8 15.Qc2 Bg6 16.Rc1 Qb6 17.Bxg6 Nxg6 18.Nd3 Nh4 19.Rfe1 Nf5 20.Re4 Rg8 21.Ndc5 Qc7 22.Qd1 b6 23.Nd3 Qd7 24.h3 Kf8 25.Kh2 Rd8 26.Rc4 Rc8 27.g3 Nc7 28.Qc2 Na6 29.Ne1 Kg7 30.Nf3 b5 31.Rc3 bxa4 32.Nc5 32.Nxa5 Nb4 33.Qxa4 33.Qd1? Qd5 with a double attack. 33...Ra8 puts White into an awkward pin. 32...Bxc5 33.dxc5 Nb4 34.Qb1 34.Qd1 Qd5 35.Qe2 Qa2 34...Rcd8 35.Kg2 Qd5 36.Rcc4 Qd3 36...Rb8!? 37.Qa1 Rd5 Black has the initiative but nothing tangible yet. 38.Rg4 Kh8 39.Qc1 Na2
40.Qe1? Correct was 40.Qa1 Now, a typical computer line is Rb8 40...Nb4 41.Qc1 41.Qxa2 Rb3 42.Rc3 Rxc3 43.bxc3 Qe2 44.Qc4 Rxd2 45.Qxe2 Rxe2 46.Rxa4 Rc2= 40...Rb8 Threatening to enter on the b-file with a vengeance. White decides to strike first. 41.Bxg5 hxg5 42.Nxg5 Rd7 43.Rxa4 Nb4 44.Qc1
With the idea Nf3, Qg5 and Qh5. 44...Nc2! 45.Kh2 Nce3 45...Nce3 46.fxe3 Qe2+ 47.Kg1 Rd1+-+ 46.Ne4 Qe2 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Najer,E2687Caruana,F28101–02016B1244th GM 20163

Leinier Dominguez was the second winner of the round after defeating Ruslan Ponomariov in an ending after 75 moves and almost seven hours of play.

Results of round 3

Brd Title Name ELO Res. Title Name ELO
1 GM Evgeniy Najer 2681 0 - 1 GM Fabiano Caruana 2804
2 GM Liviu Dieter Nisipeanu 2674 ½ - ½ GM Maxime Vachier Lagrave 2788
3 GM Leinier Dominguez Perez 2732 1 - 0 GM Ruslan Ponomariov 2715
4 GM Vladimir Kramnik 2801 ½ - ½ GM Rainer Buhmann 2651

Games of rounds 1 to 3

 
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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.g3 Nc6 7.Bg2 e5 8.d5 Ne7 9.0-0 a6 10.a3 Bc5 11.Bg5 Ne8 12.b4 Ba7 13.e4 h6 14.Be3 f5 15.Bxa7 Rxa7 16.exf5 Bxf5 17.Qd2 Nf6 18.Nh4 Bh7 19.f4 exf4 20.Rxf4 g5 21.Rf2 gxh4 22.Qd4 Ra8 23.Rxf6 Nf5 24.Qg4+ Kh8 25.Re6 hxg3 26.hxg3 Rg8 27.Qf4 Rxg3 28.Ne4 Rg6 29.Rf1 Qh4 30.Rxg6 Qxf4 31.Rxf4 Bxg6 32.c5 Rd8 33.Nc3 Kg7 34.c6 b5 35.a4 bxa4 36.b5 axb5 37.Nxb5 a3 38.Ra4 Ne3 39.Nxc7 Kf6 40.Bf3 Rc8 41.Rxa3 Rxc7 42.Rxe3 Re7 43.Rc3 Bf5 44.Kf2 Ra7 45.Kg3 Kg5 46.c7 Bc8 47.Rc6 h5 48.Rxd6 h4+ 49.Kf2 Rxc7 50.Rc6 Rxc6 51.dxc6 ½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Nisipeanu,L2674Ponomariov,R2706½–½2016E3244th GM 20161
Najer,E2687Buhmann,R26531–02016C1144th GM 20161
Caruana,F2810Vachier Lagrave,M27980–12016B9044th GM 20161
Dominguez Perez,L2713Kramnik,V2812½–½2016C6744th GM 20161
Buhmann,R2653Dominguez Perez,L2713½–½2016E9744th GM 20162
Caruana,F2810Nisipeanu,L2674½–½2016B1244th GM 20162
Ponomariov,R2706Najer,E26871–02016D1944th GM 20162
Vachier Lagrave,M2798Kramnik,V2812½–½2016C6744th GM 20162
Najer,E2687Caruana,F28100–12016B1244th GM 20163
Nisipeanu,L2674Vachier Lagrave,M2798½–½2016D8544th GM 20163
Dominguez Perez,L2713Ponomariov,R27061–02016B9044th GM 20163
Kramnik,V2812Buhmann,R2653½–½2016C1144th GM 20163

 

Standings after three rounds

Rg. Title Name Nation Elo Perf. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Pkt. Wtg.
1 GM Maxime Vachier Lagrave
 
 2788 +92     ½ ½ 1       2.0 / 3 3.00
2 GM Leinier Dominguez Perez
 
 2732 +110     ½     1 ½   2.0 / 3 2.75
3 GM Vladimir Kramnik
 
 2801 -77 ½ ½         ½   1.5 / 3 2.50
4 GM Liviu Dieter Nisipeanu
 
 2674 +95 ½       ½ ½     1.5 / 3 2.50
5 GM Fabiano Caruana
 
 2804 -89 0     ½       1 1.5 / 3 1.75
6 GM Ruslan Ponomariov
 
 2715 -19   0   ½       1 1.5 / 3 1.75
7 GM Rainer Buhmann
 
 2651 -33   ½ ½         0 1.0 / 3 1.75
8 GM Evgeniy Najer
 
 2681 -78         0 0 1   1.0 / 3 1.00

 

Official tournament page...

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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