(12) Kramnik,V (2751) - Kasparov,G (2830) [E55]
BGN World Chess Championship (12), 28.10.2000

Garry Kasparov put Vladimir Kramnik to the test in game 12 and the challenger was again up to the challenge. The world champion grabbed a pawn in uncharacteristic fashion and then withstood what looked like a tremendous attack from Kramnik. In a decision showing his remarkable maturity, Kramnik decided to give up playing for mate and instead switched into defensive mode to save the draw. As we have seen him do so many times with the black pieces, he dug in and put up resistance that Kasparov was unable to break down in mutual time trouble. Kasparov had used oceans of time in the opening, and Kramnik caught up with him soon after the complications started. The were both under 10 minutes as the tactics started coming hot and heavy with 28...Nb6. The consensus was that it would be very hard for black to win with his extra pawn after the time control, and Kasparov seemed to sense this. He played for a tactical trick with just minutes on both clocks. But Kramnik had it all worked out and with 33.Nc4 Kasparov's threats evaporated into a dead draw. This was the most exciting middlegame of the match (one of the ONLY middlegames of the match, for that matter) and it showed how dangerous Kasparov can be with either color in any opening. Kramnik got exactly the sort of position he didn't want, and we will see if he can hold on for four more games to become the world champion. Game 13 is Sunday at 3:00 p.m. London time, don't forget to set your clocks Saturday night! 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 [4.Qc2 0-0 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3 b6 7.Bg5 Bb7 8.f3 h6 9.Bh4 d5 10.e3 Nbd7 11.cxd5 Nxd5 12.Bxd8 Nxc3 13.Bh4 Nd5 1/2-1/2 Kramnik,V-Kasparov, Game 8/BGN World Chess Championship 2000 (38)] 4...0-0 5.Bd3 d5 6.Nf3 c5 7.0-0 dxc4 [7...cxd4 8.exd4 dxc4 9.Bxc4 b6 10.Bg5 Bb7 11.Re1 Nbd7 12.Rc1 Rc8 13.Qb3 Be7 1-0 Kramnik,V-Kasparov,Game 10 /BGN World Chess Championship 2000 (25)] 8.Bxc4 Nbd7 9.a3 cxd4 10.axb4 dxc3 11.bxc3 Qc7 12.Be2 A rare continuation. 12.Qb3 is more common. [12.Qb3 b6 13.Be2 Bb7 14.c4 Ng4 15.g3 unclear] 12...Qxc3!? This pawn grab is mentioned in some analysis by Taimanov. It's very risky but Kasparov spend 50 minutes working things out. [12...e5 13.c4 b6 14.Bb2 Bb7 15.Qb3 Rfe8 16.Rfd1 a5 17.c5 1/2-1/2 Garcia Gonzales,G-Balashov,Y/Leningrad 1977/MCL (95)] 13.Ba3 Playing "worryingly quickly" (GM Jon Parker) by Kramnik, but criticized after the game. [13.Bd2 Qc7 14.Qb1 Taimanov] 13...Nd5 14.Qb1 Qf6 15.Bd3 h6 16.b5 Rd8 17.Bb2 Qe7 A dream attacking position. You almost expect to see "white to play and win" after it! But Kasparov had seen deeply into the position and was confident he could defend. A comment I (Mig) made in our live coverage was later echoed by Kasparov in the press conference. He said that he would have loved to have played the white pieces here! I had said that both players would probably be happy to switch sides! Kasparov is usually the one giving up the pawn for an attack. 18.Ra4 Nc5 19.Bh7+ Kh8 20.Rh4 f6 21.Rc4 A remarkable decision. After aiming his entire army at the black king, Kramnik decides that there is no mate and switches into a tough positional defense. He figures that his active pieces will be able to stop a passed black pawn. Both players were already down to 20 minutes! 21...Bd7 [21...Nd7 heading to f8 to protect the kingside] 22.Ba3? [22.Nh4 Be8 23.Ng6+ Bxg6 24.Bxg6 Kasparov. The white-squared bishop dominates the diagonals.] 22...b6 23.Be4 a6 24.bxa6 Rxa6 25.Bxc5 bxc5 26.Rfc1 Ra5 27.Qb2 Rb5 28.Qa3 Nb6!? Another nasty move from Kasparov in time trouble, but Kramnik is up to the task. White can't take the pawn! 29.R4c3 [29.Rxc5?? Rxc5 30.Rxc5 Bc6 Winning!; 29.Rd4 Rb4 (29...e5?!) 30.Rxc5 Qxc5 31.Qxb4] 29...Rb4 30.Nd2 A sensational move, especially for having so little time. It protects the bishop and blockades the c-pawn. 30...f5 [30...Bc6] 31.Bf3 [31.Rxc5 Rxe4 32.Nxe4 fxe4] 31...Na4? With 90 seconds for nine moves, Kasparov decided to go for this simplification. A cute trick, but Kramnik's reply is cuter! Kasparov must have felt he had to win this before the time control, but Kramnik doesn't crack. Simply defending the pawn with 31...Rc8 leaves black with some winning chances. [31...Rc8!] 32.Rxc5! Rb2 33.Nc4! Super-knight saves the day. It looked like white was in trouble but this move solves all the problems and it's an immediate draw. 33...Qxc5 34.Qxc5 1/2-1/2