The first new move of the game. Black has previously tried 16...Ne7.
17.Bxd7 Rxd7 18.dxc5
OK, anyone can see that Black has a lead in development for the pawn, but how to exploit this? 18...bxc5 19.Bxc5 e5 followed by Ne6 seems feasible, but Kasparov has prepared something a lot sharper.
18...f5!
See the point of Nc7? That's right, if White now exchanges on f5, his king will come under heavy fire on the e-line.
19.cxb6
Russian super-GM Sergey Shipov suggests 19.e5, keeping the position closed, as a possible improvement.
19...axb6 20.Ne2
Black's active pieces offer splendid compensation for the pawn after 20.Bxb6 fxe4 21.fxe4 Bxe4 22.Nf3 Nd5.
24.Rad1 Rxb2! 25.Rd7 Rc8 and White's in trouble. The point is 26.Na4 Rc2! 27.Nxb6 Rf8! and there's no way to stop Ba6.
24...Rf8
25.Ra2!
Just in time!
25...Rxa2 26.Nxa2 Nd5 27.Bd4
At this point I thought Kramnik was out of the woods, but Kasparov finds a way to keep his initiative going.
27...Ra8
28.Nc3
I can understand why Kramnik rejected 28.Bb2 Ne3 29.Rc1 Bd5! since it forces White to close the g-file with 30.Nc3, allowing 30...Bxg2 . However, he might still be drawing after 31.Re1 Nc4 32.Kxg2 Nxb2 33.Rxe6 Rxa3 34.Nd5 Nc4 35.Rc6 (35.Nxb6? Ra6) 35...b5 36.Rc5.
28...Nxc3 29.Bxc3 Rxa3
30.Bd4
Without rooks on the board, this would of course be an easy draw. Unfortunately for Kramnik, there's no way to force the heavy guys off.
30...b5 31.Rf4!?
From g4 the rook will simultaneously defend and counter-attack.
31...Rd3
A possible improvement was 31...h5.
32.Rg4 g5 33.h4 Kf7 34.hxg5 hxg5 35.Kf2
35...Rd2+?
35...Kg6 36.Be3 Rd5 would have retained some winning chances.
36.Ke3!
Kasparov had obviously missed this move.
36...Rxg2 37.Rxg2 Bxg2
Kasparov is two pawns up, but the bishop ending is an easy draw because Black's passers are to close together.
38.Be5 draw agreed:
38...Kg6 39.Kd4 Kf5 40.Bb8 Kg4 41.Ke3 Kh3 42.Kf2 g4 43.Bc7 Bd5 44.Bb8 and Black's pawns are stuck.
½-½
Related articles
The Kasparov - Kramnik index.
The Kasparov - Kramnik FAQ.
Einar Gausel
