Key Concepts of Chess - Pawn Structures Vol.1 and 2
In this two-part course the emphasis will be on typical pawn-structures.
That Vladimir Kramnik would dethrone his mentor, Garry Kasparov, to become World Chess Champion in 2000 was something Kasparov never saw coming. Kasparov, who had dominated the chess world for years, was unexpectedly outmaneuvered by his student. After Kramnik's victory, he took charge of the Professional Chess Association (PCA) and introduced a new qualification system for the world championship. Kramnik organized a tournament in Dortmund, securing sponsorships, and invited several top players to participate.
Kasparov, feeling slighted by having to compete in this qualifying tournament, refused to take part. This decision effectively removed him from the championship cycle. As a result, Hungarian Grandmaster Péter Lékó emerged as Kramnik's challenger for the title.
The Kramnik-Lékó match, held in Brissago, Switzerland, from September 25 to October 18, 2004, was a grueling battle. Lékó, whose solid and positional style mirrored Kramnik's, made the match extremely difficult for the Russian. Lékó even took the lead, but Kramnik managed to win the final game, leveling the score at 7-7, which allowed him to retain the world championship under the rules that the champion keeps the title in the event of a tie.
Meanwhile, the chess world was in turmoil. FIDE, the traditional governing body, had been organizing knockout tournaments for the world title, which received widespread criticism for its format. In response to this, FIDE changed the format in 2005 to a double round-robin tournament, where the winner would be declared World Champion. Kramnik, representing the PCA, declined to participate in this event.
Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria dominated the tournament, scoring an impressive 6.5 out of 7 in the first half and ultimately winning convincingly. By staying ahead of Viswanathan Anand, Topalov became the FIDE World Champion.
In 2006, after years of divided world championships, it was finally time to reunify the title. Long negotiations led to the dissolution of the PCA and the arrangement of a "reunification match" between the two reigning champions: Topalov (FIDE) and Kramnik (PCA). The match was held in Elista, the capital of the Russian republic of Kalmykia, over 12 games.
Kramnik initially took a 3-1 lead, but a major scandal erupted during the match, which became known as "Toiletgate." Topalov’s manager, Silvio Danailov, accused Kramnik of suspiciously frequent bathroom breaks, implying that Kramnik might be receiving computer assistance. At the request of Topalov’s team, both players were forced to share the same restroom, an unusual demand that Kramnik protested. As a result, Kramnik forfeited game 5, allowing Topalov to close the gap. After intervention by FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, the decision was reversed, and the match resumed with Kramnik leading 3-2.
The scandal simmered for the rest of the match. Topalov eventually tied the score and took the lead in game 9, but Kramnik won game 10, forcing the match into a four-game rapid tiebreak. Kramnik won the tiebreak 2.5-1.5, making him the undisputed World Chess Champion.
In the 2007 FIDE World Chess Championship, a new format was reintroduced: an eight-player round-robin tournament. The tournament had been planned in advance, and as a result, it did not account for the reunification match between Kramnik and Topalov. While Kramnik, as the reigning World Champion, was invited, Topalov was not. Viswanathan Anand won the tournament, with Kramnik finishing second, losing his title in the process.
A rematch between Kramnik and Anand was arranged in 2008. This duel took place in Bonn, Germany, and Kramnik’s performance faltered. He lost two early games with the White pieces, a rare occurrence at this elite level, and ultimately lost the match and the world title to Anand. Although Kramnik won one game later, Anand’s lead was insurmountable, and he became the new World Champion.
In subsequent years, Kramnik continued to compete at the highest level. In the 2011 Candidates Matches in Kazan, Kramnik reached the quarterfinals, defeating Teimour Radjabov only in the rapid tiebreaks. However, in the semifinals, he faced one of the world’s top rapid players, Alexander Grischuk. Kramnik again went to tiebreaks but lost, missing his chance to challenge for the title again.
One famous position from a game between Kramnik and Topalov has been widely analyzed by commentators and enthusiasts. In this game, Topalov had the opportunity to win with a seemingly simple move, at least from a computer’s perspective. However, due to the complex geometry of the position, Topalov played 32.Qg6+?, missing the winning line. The game continued, and Kramnik eventually won. Topalov had also considered 32.Rxg4+ Bg7 but couldn’t find a continuation. Can you see the winning move that eluded Topalov?
Master Class Vol.15 - Viktor Korchnoi
In this video course, experts (Pelletier, Marin, Müller and Reeh) examine the games of Viktor Korchnoi. Let them show you which openings Korchnoi chose to play, where his strength in middlegames were, or how he outplayed his opponents in the endgame.
This week’s show (for Premium Members only)
