Kramnik scored 7.5 points in 8 games with wins over Radjabov, VanWely, Morozevich, Anand, Aronian, Leko and Gelfand!! However, the young Norwegian phenom Magnus Carlsen held Kramnik to a draw today.
Here is the game:
GM Carlsen(B) – GM Kramnik(B) [C84]
03.272007
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.d3 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.Nbd2 Na5 10.Bc2 c5 11.d4 Qc7 12.d5 Bd7 13.b3 g6 14.Re1 Nh5 15.Nf1 Nb7 16.Bh6 Ng7 17.a4 Rfb8 18.Qd2 Nd8 19.b4 f6 20.bxc5 dxc5 21.axb5 axb5 22.c4 b4 23.Qe2 Nf7 24.Be3 Rxa1 25.Rxa1 f5 26.Bc1 f4 Game drawn 1/2-1/2
Click here to replay the game.
Other results include Svidler drawing VanWely and Vallejo-Pons drawing Morozevich.
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Half a point from the world champion may be a big accomplishment for a young man, but don’t forget that Tal once said:
To play for a draw, at any rate with White, is to some degree a crime against chess.
I’m guessing from the (B)’s that this was a Blindfold game.
Interesting that Kramnik played the Morphy Defence rather than the Berlin (or the Pettroff’s).
Interesting that Kramnik played the Morphy Defence rather than the Berlin (or the Pettroff’s).
These games are unrated, aren’t they? Funny how they enjoy themselves once the burden of ELO points, world ranking, etc is released from them. Maybe that’s also an answer to all the too-much-draws-in-chess babble.
Yes, like someone said in another post:
When you don’t think about elo points, you play twice as good!
i dont think it’s related to ratings; just blind games are different. Kramnik’s problem is he does not have an opening repertoir to play for a win with black against 1. e4.
BTW Kramnik has already won the rapid game against Carlsen, starting Nf3, c4, d4 – his usual way.
In the meantime Carlsen lost to
Kramnik in their rapid game.
So 0,5-1,5 is not that impressive…
The only impressive fact in this
tournament is Kramnik’s supreme
reign, both blindfold and overall.
Steven
GM Kramnik,Vladimir(RUS) (2766) – GM Carlsen,Magnus(NOR) (2690)
16th Amber – Rapid Monaco (9), 27.03.2007
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 d5 4.d4 dxc4 5.e4 Bb4 6.Bg5 b5 7.a4 c6 8.e5 h6 9.exf6 hxg5 10.fxg7 Rg8 11.g3 Bb7 12.Bg2 c5 13.0-0 g4 14.axb5 gxf3 15.Bxf3 Bxf3 16.Qxf3 Nd7 17.dxc5 Bxc3 18.bxc3 Nxc5 19.Rfd1 Qc8 20.Rd6 Qb7 21.Qh5 Rc8 22.Rc6 Nd3 23.Rxc8+ Qxc8 24.Rxa7 1-0
What a game. Kramnik spent only 4 or 5 minutes to win. It seems 14.axb5 sacfricing bishop was a home preperation. If Susan is reading can you tell us was this a known variation or a new thing?
Kramnik’s problem is he does not have an opening repertoir to play for a win with black against 1. e4
In former times he played some sicilian variations (Sveshnikov, Richter-Rauser) with good success. Nowadays, he plays it save with the Petrov. It’s your own fault if you start with 1. e4 against Kramnik.
And I do think that the tournament mode makes a difference. It’s show in Monaco and serious and much more cautious play in rated tournaments, where one can lose a lot.
the prizefund of this show tournament is enough for the professionals to take it very seriously. Anand came to the Tal memorial with a bunch of opening variations prepared specially for blitz. Show or no show, but 100 000 prize fund tells.
In Sveshnikov Kramnik was able to hold practically everybody, but I dont recall a significant success in must-win department. Kramnik tried Naidorf, but the results were kinda poor (last time against Fritz)
After 7 wins against top notch competetition Kramnik relaxed and played for a draw. Dig bleepin’ deal. He is clearly the best player in the world.
I’d imagine that if Kramnik does have a ‘win with black’ repertoire he would save it for world championships, like Mexico this year. Otherwise he would be giving away his advantage of surprise.
Kramnik beat Leko with the Sveshnikov in a big game to win, I think, Dortmund a couple of eyars ago.
Percy
bob hu, no crime at all when your 16 and draw with a good world chess champiuon??!!
i bet u couldnt draw !