Game 8 drawn. 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
Kramnik, Vladimir	-	Anand, Viswanathan	0-1	35	D49	Queens Gambit Meran
Anand, Viswanathan	-	Kramnik, Vladimir	1-0	47	E34	Nimzo Indian 4.Qc2
Anand, Viswanathan	-	Kramnik, Vladimir	½-½	36	D19	Slav Defence
Kramnik, Vladimir	-	Anand, Viswanathan	½-½	39	D39	Vienna Variation

World Chess Championship Bonn (GER), 14 x - 2xi 2008
Name	Ti	NAT	Rtng	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Total	Perf
Anand, Viswanathan	g	IND	2783	½	½	1	½	1	1	½	½	.	.	.	.	5½	2913
Kramnik, Vladimir	g	RUS	2772	½	½	0	½	0	0	½	½	.	.	.	.	2½	2642

Vishy Anand is just one victory or two draws away from retaining his title after a 39 move draw against Vladimir Kramnik in the eighth game of the best of twelve contest taking place in Bonn. Anand leads 5.5-2.5 having scored three victories without reply and he plays with the advantage of the white pieces in game nine.

Kramnik has only two games remaining with white and in practice he now needs to win a game with black, something that he does only rarely. Indeed the last time Kramnik won with black was in 2006 and that was from a completely lost position against Veselin Topalov.

The ninth game was a fairly quiet affair after Anand defused Kramnik's aggressive intention with yet another new idea in the opening. For the third time Anand was content to let his pawn structure to be damaged on the kingside and to leave his king in the centre. This provocative plan produces tactical complications from the outset and this has been Anand's tactic throughout the match.

Kramnik was faced with the prospect of either playing into an unclear variation which Anand must undoubtedly have prepared or playing for a slight advantage. He chose the latter and concentrated on exploiting the offside position of one of the black rooks. The plan was sound in principle but Anand's clever play defused it totally and he managed to 'castle by hand' and bring his second rook to the centre after which the position was level. Kramnik made on last attempt to complicate but when this was rebuffed he forced perpetual check.

Kramnik - Anand WCC Bonn (8) Vienna Variation

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6

It was clear that Vishy would switch. Playing the same wild line twice was brilliant but a third time would be irresponsible given the match position. I thought we might see something solid

3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 dxc4

Not very solid. I should have known better

5.e4 Bb4 6.Bg5 c5

It's the super sharp Vienna Variation. No margin for error here, one false move and it's 'goodnightVienna'

7.Bxc4 cxd4 8.Nxd4 Qa5

Anand's match strategy seems to be to head for tactical positions where possible.

9.Bb5+ Bd7 10.Bxf6 Bxb5

Astonishing, this is a novelty and so early in a sharp line. Kramnik outprepared again

11.Ndxb5

11.Nb3 looks sharper but of course Kramnik knows Anand has looked at it in detail

[11.Nb3 Qb6 12.Bxg7 Rg8 13.Bd4 Bxc3+ 14.Bxc3 Rxg2~~]

11...gxf6 12.0-0 Nc6

[12...Bxc3 13.Nxc3 Rg8 14.Qb3 Qg5 15.g3+/-]

13.a3

[13.Nd6+ Ke7! 14.Nxb7 Qc7 traps the knight 15.Qb3 Rab8]

13...Bxc3 14.Nxc3 Rg8

Very reminiscent of the Meran games numbers three and five with the pawn structure f7 f6 e6 and no castling. Or at least not the conventional way

15.f4

An aggressive move, White takes away the e5 square from Black's knight and considers f4-f5

15...Rd8 16.Qe1

Heading for h4 to attack and just shadowing the enemy king. Black is weakened but active.

16...Qb6+ 17.Rf2

[17.Kh1 Qxb2 18.Rb1?? Qxg2#]

17...Rd3

A risky thrust into the enemy position that threatens Rf3

18.Qe2 Qd4 19.Re1 a6!?

Preventing Nb5 but asking for Nd5, no demanding it !

[but 19...a6 20.Nd5 exd5 21.exd5+ Kf8 22.dxc6 bxc6 is not too much and; 19...a6 20.Nd5 exd5 21.exd5+ Kd7 22.dxc6+ Kxc6 running to a7 is really not much for White]

20.Kh1 Kf8 21.Ref1 Rg6

A great move covering f6. Kramnik was building up for f5 but this neutralises it.Black is very well centralised apart from this rook which Kramnik tries to cut out of thegame

22.g3

Trying to prepare f4-f5 and emphasising the isolation of the rook on g6

[22.f5 exf5 23.Rxf5 Rd2 24.Qf3 Ne5-+]

22...Kg7 23.Rd1

Hoping to leave Black with a poorly placed rook but the loss of time allows Anand to solve all his problems

[However 23.f5 exf5 24.exf5 Rg4 25.Rf4 Rxf4 26.Rxf4 Qe3=]

23...Rxd1+ 24.Nxd1 Kh8 25.Nc3 Rg8

Simple stuff, Anand uses Kramnik's loss of time to reorganise and castle by hand. This looks very level now

26.Kg2 Rd8= 27.Qh5 Kg7 28.Qg4+ Kh8 29.Qh5 Kg7 30.Qg4+ Kh8 31.Qh4 Kg7 32.e5

[32.e5 Attempting to mix it up 32...fxe5 33.Qg5+ Kh8 34.Qf6+ Kg8 35.fxe5 Rd7 36.Rf4 Qxe5 37.Ne4 but I don't see anything decisive here]

32...f5

Anand avoids complications where possible

[There was no point going into 32...fxe5 33.Qg5+ Kh8 34.Qf6+ Kg8 35.fxe5 Rd7 36.Rf4 Qxe5 37.Ne4]

33.Qf6+ Kg8 34.Qg5+ Kh8 35.Qf6+ Kg8 36.Re2

g2-g4 is impractical so White can achieve nothing here, another success for Anand

36...Qc4 37.Qg5+ Kh8 38.Qf6+ Kg8 39.Qg5+ Kh8

5.5-2.5 Vishy is one win away from match victory.

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