Kramnik holds Anand in game 4. Photo © Chessvibes who have on the spot reports.

World Championship Results
Kramnik, Vladimir	-	Anand, Viswanathan	½-½	32	D14	Slav Exchange
Anand, Viswanathan	-	Kramnik, Vladimir	½-½	32	E25	Nimzo Indian Saemisch
Kramnik, Vladimir	-	Anand, Viswanathan	0-1	41	D49	Queens Gambit Meran
Anand, Viswanathan	-	Kramnik, Vladimir	½-½	29	D37	QGD 5.Bf4

World Chess Championship Bonn (GER), 14 x - 2xi 2008
Name	Ti	NAT	Rtng	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	7	9	10	11	12	Total	Perf
Anand, Viswanathan	g	IND	2783	½	½	1	½	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	2½	2867
Kramnik, Vladimir	g	RUS	2772	½	½	0	½	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	1½	2696

Malcolm Pein annotates the 29 move draw in game 4.

Viswanathan Anand vs Vladimir Kramnik (4)

1.d4 Nf6

Forgive me but today I was watching this game on 3G from Anfield, the home of Liverpool Football Club and seeing Liverpool come back from 1-2 down to beat Wigan 3-2 was distracting and joyful in equal measure. If Kramnik was planning to come back from 1-2 down tday then 7.a3 sent a message that a wild fight was not on the agenda. I found it hard to know what to take from this game. Was Anand just being too cautious? or did Kramnik just demonstrate how to hold a slightly inferior position without breaking sweat?

2.c4 e6 3.Nf3

3.Nc3 Bb4 was Game 2 but Vishy also shows he is happy to play against the Queen's Indian 3...b6

3...d5 4.Nc3 Be7 5.Bf4

Anand prefers Bf4 to the more common Bg5 - this can lead to sharp positions where White castles queenside

5...0-0 6.e3 Nbd7

[6...c5 7.dxc5 Nc6 8.Qc2 Bxc5 9.a3 Qa5 10.0-0-0 is the sharp stuff]

7.a3 c5

The standard response in the centre now White can force Black to accept an isolated queen's pawn

8.cxd5 Nxd5 9.Nxd5 exd5 10.dxc5 Nxc5

Anand's wants a position where he can play with a tiny edge and try to exert psychological pressure. Kramnik avoids this skilfully

11.Be5

White emphasises his control of the square in front of the isolated pawn. This is essential, the pawn must be blocked before it can be attacked

11...Bf5

[11...Bf6 is standard but again, Kramnik may be motivated by a desire to avoid any preparation 12.Bxf6 Qxf6 13.Qd4 Qxd4 14.Nxd4 Bd7 and Black continued with Ne6 and equalised quickly in Kasparov v Kramnik Blitz 2001 draw in 24.]

12.Be2 Bf6 13.Bxf6 Qxf6

14.Nd4

[14.Qd4 Qxd4 (14...Qc6 15.Rc1? Nd3+) 15.Nxd4 Bd7 would be a tempo up on the line above but Black could play Qc6 when he menaces Nb3]

14...Ne6

Black fights for the d4 square

15.Nxf5

[15.Nxe6 fxe6 is good for Black]

15...Qxf5 16.0-0 Rfd8

Black is more active and this compensates for the weak d5 pawn. If he plays d5-d4 he will be fine

17.Bg4 Qe5 18.Qb3 Nc5 19.Qb5 b6 20.Rfd1 Rd6

[Solidly played, not 20...d4 21.b4!]

21.Rd4 a6 22.Qb4 h5

If the side with the isolani can advance it he is usually fine. This is not a rash attacking move, it's positionally motivated. Once the white bishop has been driven away from the h3-c8 diagonal Black can play Ne6 controlling the d4 square and then d5-d4 solves his problems as we will see.

23.Bh3 Rad8 24.g3 g5!

Kramnik plays to evict the bishop as mentioned above.

[24...Ne6 25.Bxe6 fxe6 And Black's slighly loose position may give Anand faint hopes. Kramnik had a think hereabouts and concluded he can expand safely]

25.Rad1 g4 26.Bg2 Ne6 27.R4d3 d4

Thematic, every Black piece is focused on d4

28.exd4 Rxd4 29.Rxd4 Rxd4

Malcolm Pein runs http://www.chessbaseusa.com. the London Chess Centre http://www.chess.co.uk/shop and ChessBase USA and is Executive Editor of CHESS magazine http://www.chess.co.uk/mag.html Occasionally he sneaks off to watch a game of football.

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