Report Five: Game 1
by Malcolm Pein in Bahrain

The million dollar Brains in Bahrain match between Vladimir Kramnik and Deep Fritz takes place 2nd-22nd October 2002 (Opening Ceremony 2nd October. Playing days 4, 6, 8, 10, 13, 15, 17 & 19 October, 2002).

Malcolm Pein Game 1 Report

Game 1 saw Vladimir Kramnik and Deep Fritz draw in twenty eight moves as Kramnik used his favourite Berlin Defence. Deep Fritz was white and played the Ruy Lopez but after many piece exchanges the Fritz operator Matthias Feist, in a break with the agreed match protocol offered a draw through the arbiter. The rules state that only Kramnik is allowed to offer a draw but Feist could see that were no winning chances for either side and made the offer.

Deep Fritz running on a Compaq 8 Processor.Photo Mig Greengard

DEEP FRITZ - Kramnik,V (2789) [C67]
04.10.2002

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 I suppose this opening was no surprise. Kramnik wants the quiet life and Fritz has had trouble in this line before. 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.Nc3 h6 10.b3 Ke8 11.Bb2 All typical Berlin Defence fare. White has all his pieces out and Black does not a lot 11...Be7 Designed to take Fritz out of book which it appeared to do 12.Rad1 a5 Although this is the first novelty but again a normal move. 13.a4 h5

Nigel Short asked Vlad about this - he did not want to answer in detail. It just does not matter if you lose a tempo in this line he said 14.Ne2 Be6 15.c4 Fritz wanted to prevent ...Bd5 but this reminded me of when Vishy feasted on 'yoghurt' against Fritz in a Berlin Defence and captured all three pawns with his light squared bishop. Fritz later removes this piece 15...Rd8 16.h3 b6 17.Nfd4 Nxd4 18.Nxd4 c5 [ 18...Bd7 19.f4 ( 19.Rd3 c5 20.Nb5 Bxb5 21.Rxd8+ Kxd8 22.axb5 Kd7 23.f4 f5 Looks quite OK for Black as well) 19...Bc5 heading for opposite bishops and the Bd7 could come in handy later] 19.Nxe6 fxe6 20.Rxd8+ Kxd8 21.Bc1 Kc8 22.Rd1 Rd8 I am sure Kramnik has examined this kind of ending in detail but it still requires accuracy. Vlad said he felt it was a draw now 23.Rxd8+ Kxd8 24.g4 Another idea was to try and play g4 and recapture with the king because then the white bishop can manoeuvre to h4 and force an exchange into a won K+P ending. [ 24.f4 Ke8 25.Kf2 Kf7 26.Kf3 Bd8 27.g4 hxg4+? ( 27...g6 28.Ke4 Be7 The line I find troubling is 29.gxh5 and 30.f5, this needs more analysis but I have not found a way through so far 29.f5 ( 29.gxh5 gxh5 30.f5 Bh4 31.f6 Be1 32.Kf4 Bc3) 29...hxg4 30.hxg4 ( 30.f6? gxh3; 30.fxg6+ Kxg6 31.hxg4 Bh4=) 30...gxf5+ 31.gxf5 Bh4 and I think this is holding) 28.Kxg4 Be7 29.Be3 Bd8 30.Bf2 c6 31.Bh4 Bc7 32.Kh5 and its winning ] 24...g6 [ 24...hxg4 25.hxg4 g6 26.f4 Ke8 27.Kf2 Kf7 28.Kg3 Bd8 29.Kh3 Be7 30.Be3 Bd8 31.Bf2 Be7 ( 31...c6!? 32.Bh4 Bc7 33.Bf6+/-) 32.Bh4 Bxh4 33.Kxh4 Kg7 34.Kg5+-] 25.h4?

This takes the pressure off but Fritz thought (wrongly) it was setting a trap 25...hxg4 [ 25...Bxh4 Also draws but why complicate ? - Kramnik 26.g5 Kd7 27.Be3 Kc6 28.Kg2 Kd7 29.Kh3 Bxf2 30.Bxf2 Kc6=] 26.Bg5 Bxg5 27.hxg5 Ke8 28.Kg2

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