Vladimir Kramnik		Garry Kasparov

Game 8 Saturday 21st October 2000. Vladimir Kramnik vs. Garry Kasparov: Nimzo-Indian 4.Qc2

Kramnik,V - Kasparov,G [E32] Braingames WCC (8), 2000

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 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 14.Bf2 c5 15.Bb5 Rfd8 16.e4 Nc7N They've been following a game they played in a blitz match in 1998 but with reverse colours. 16. ...Ne7 was played there and in the game Anand-Karpov from the Amber tournament of 1999.

[16...Ne7 17.Ne2 Bc6 (17...cxd4 18.Nxd4 a6 19.Be2 Nc5 20.b4 Na4 21.0-0 e5 22.Nb3 Nc3 23.Rfe1 Nxe2+ 24.Rxe2 Rd6 25.Rd2 ½-½ Anand,V-Karpov,A/Monte Carlo MNC 1999 (25)) 18.Ba6 b5 19.a4 bxa4 20.dxc5 Ne5 21.Nd4 Rab8 22.Bg3 f6 23.0-0-0 Kf7 24.f4 Ng4 25.f5 e5 26.Bc4+ Ke8 27.Nxc6 Nxc6 28.Rxd8+ Kxd8 29.Re1 h5 30.h3 Nh6 31.Rd1+ Kc7 32.Rd6 Na5 33.Bd5 Nb3+ 34.Kd1 Nd4 35.Ra6 Rxb2 36.Rxa7+ Kb8 37.Rxa4 Rxg2 38.Rxd4 Rxg3 39.Rb4+ Kc8 40.c6 Nxf5 41.Be6+ Kc7 42.exf5 Kxc6 43.h4 Kc5 44.Rb7 Rg4 45.Ke2 Kc6 46.Ra7 Kb6 47.Rd7 Kc5 48.Ke3 Kc6 49.Rf7 e4 50.Kd4 Kb6 51.Bd5 Rxh4 52.Rxg7 Rh2 53.Bxe4 Rd2+ 54.Ke3 Rd6 55.Rh7 Kc5 56.Rxh5 Ra6 57.Rh2 Ra3+ 58.Kf4 Ra4 59.Rc2+ Kd6 60.Rd2+ Ke7 61.Rd5 1-0 Kasparov,G-Kramnik,V/Moscow RUS 1998 (61)]

17.Bxd7 Rxd7 18.dxc5 f5 Kramnik 1:34 left Kasparov 1:57 19.cxb6 axb6 20.Ne2 Kramnik 1:10 left. fxe4 21.fxe4 Bxe4 22.0-0 Rd2 23.Nc3 Bb7 Probably the game is heading for a draw. 24.b4 Avoiding 24. Rad1 which has to be analysed. Kramnik had 42 minutes left. Rf8 25.Ra2 Rxa2 26.Nxa2 Nd5 27.Bd4 Ra8 28.Nc3 Nxc328. ...e5 was a strong alternative not considered by Kasparov. 29 Bxc3 Rxa3 30. Bd4 b5 Kramnik 19 mins Kasparov 1:21 left. 31.Rf4 Rd3 32.Rg4 g5 33.h4 Kf7 34.hxg5 hxg5 35.Kf2 Rd2+? 36.Ke3 Rxg2 37.Rxg2 Bxg2 38.Be5 1/2 DrawnKasparov can't break through. 35. ...Rd2 looks as if it was a big mistake allowing an immediate draw. Kramnik said he thought he was holding anyway. At the end Kramnik had 7 mins left and Kasparov 58.