Yesterday, the top-rated Vishy Anand of India and the classical world champion, Vladimir Kramnik of Russia, played each other to a draw at the prestigious 14-player Corus tournament in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands. After suffering setbacks in the second round, they fought well last week and made up the deficit. After eight rounds Bulgaria's Veselin Topalov is in the lead with 5 1/2 points. He is followed by Anand, England's Michael Adams and Hungary's Peter Leko, all with 5 points. Kramnik and Alexander Grischuk of Russia have 4 1/2 points. All these grandmasters have a chance to win the event, which concludes Sunday.
The Champion and his Coach
A world championship match is an exhausting affair, often leaving the players and their coaches without stamina and mental energy. After defeating Leko in Brissago, Switzerland, in October, Kramnik did not play for the next three months. When he came to Wijk aan Zee he looked wobbly and lost without a fight to Topalov. It woke him up and he began showing the skills of a champion again. Kramnik's coach, Peter Svidler, took another approach. He did not rest at all, throwing himself into chess battles immediately. In October, he played at the Chess Olympiad in Calvia, Spain. In November, he clashed at the Russian championship in Moscow. It took its toll. At the beginning in Wijk aan Zee he resembled a punching bag for other players to score at will. The coach met the champion last Friday and was quickly knocked out in the Paulsen Sicilian.
Kramnik-Svidler
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.c4 (A space-grabbing move, seldom used in the Paulsen Sicilian these days.) 5 . . . Nf6 6.Nc3 Bb4 7.Bd3 Nc6 8.a3!? (A refreshing way to protect the knight on d4. White usually plays 8.Nxc6, followed by 9.e5.) 8 . . . Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 d6 10.0-0 Ne5 (Svidler knows that Kramnik loves to play with two bishops and removes one of them. After 10 . . . 0-0 11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.c5! dxc5 13.e5 Nd7 14.Bf4 black is tied up.) 11.f4!? (A direct way, better than previously played 11.Bg5.) 11 . . . Nxd3 12.Qxd3 e5?! (Seeking more space, more freedom and at the same time preventing 12.e5. For example, after 12 . . . 0-0 13.e5 Nd7 14.Qg3 black is cramped.)
13.fxe5! (An amazing, self-inflicting pin.) 13 . . . dxe5 14.Bg5! (Kramnik has a way with pins. This one increases pressure on black and justifies the piece sacrifice. After 14.Qg3 0-0 15.Qxe5 Re8 black is fine.) 14 . . . h6 (Black could have tried 14 . . . Be6. The queen sacrifice 15.Nxe6?! Qxd3 16.Nxg7+ Kf8 17.Bxf6 Rg8 18.Nf5 is too optimistic, but 15.Rad1 exd4 16.cxd4 gives white a strong center for the piece.) 15.Bh4 exd4 16.e5! (Kramnik plays in a style of the old romantics.) 16 . . . dxc3 ( Svidler hopes to sail to a peaceful port. Dangerous for black is 16 . . . g5 17.Rxf6 gxh4 18.cxd4 and white's heavy pieces dominate the board.) 17.Qxd8+ Kxd8 18.exf6 g5 19.Bg3 Be6 20.Rac1 Bxc4? (Not realizing that his king is going to be closed in a cage. He had to go out at all costs with 20...Kd7.)
21.Rfe1! (This subtle move, threatening 22.Re7, could have been easily overlooked.) 21...Kd7 (Too late. The bishop on c4 is a tactical weakness and Kramnik wins it quickly. Svidler might have pinned his hopes on 21...Be6 22.Rxc3 Rc8 23.Rd1+ Ke8 but after 24.Rcd3!, threatening 25.Bc7 and 26.Rd8+ and mate, black is lost.) 22.Re7+ Kc6 23.Rc7+ Kd5 (Or 23...Kb5 24.Rb1+ and white wins.) 24.Rd1+ Ke6 25.Rxc4 (Game over.) 25...Rac8 26.Bc7 Kxf6 27.Rxc3 Rhe8 28.Rf3+ Black resigns.
Kasparov Quits
Garry Kasparov, the world chess champion from 1985 through 2000, announced last week that he is withdrawing from the match against FIDE world champion Rustam Kasimdzhanov of Uzbekistan. The winner was supposed to play against the classical world champion, Kramnik, to unify the world title. "In 2002 I dreamed of a legitimate chance to revive -- and reclaim -- the real world championship title. That no longer seems to be possible," Kasparov explained.
"FIDE has proven itself incapable of the task while others are unwilling. As for unification, I cannot see an avenue to contribute further. For those who saw me as an obstacle, I will be one no longer," he said.
For the last 20 years, Kasparov was FIDE's top-rated player and can still claim to be the best player in the world. At 41, he is realizing that time is running out in his quest to play Kramnik and regain the classical world title. Kasparov says that he is retreating only from chess championship politics, not giving up on chess. Next month he will participate in the elite tournament in Linares, Spain. Kasparov enjoys writing and his book series, "On My Great Predecessors," seems to be doing well. He has other interests besides chess that he would like to pursue.
Solution to today's problem by O. Duras (White: Ka5,Qc2,Bc7,Ne3,Nf4; Black: Kd4,Rd1,Rf1,Be6,Ng7,P:a3,c6,d2,e4,e7,f3): 1.Ka4! a2 2.Qc3+! Kxc3 3.Be5 mate; 1...Bb3+ 2.Kb4! Bxc2 3.Nxc2 mate; 1...Nf5 2.Qc5+! Kxc5 3.Nxe6 mate; 1...Rc1 2.Qxd2+ Kc5 3.Qb4 mate.
