Final Four

World champion Vladimir Kramnik won the 16th Melody Amber Rapid and Blindfold tournament in Monaco last week with a spectacular score of 15 1/2 points in 22 games. The Russian grandmaster finished two points ahead of his nearest rival, Vishy Anand of India. The star-studded supporting cast of 10 other grandmasters could not match these feats. Kramnik sealed his overall victory by winning the blindfold event with an incredible 9-2 score. Anand was equally brilliant in the rapid play, finishing first with 8 1/2 -2 1/2 . Kramnik sprang the most important opening novelty of the tournament on 16-year-old Magnus Carlsen of Norway -- an astonishing knight sacrifice in the Botvinnik variation of the Semi-Slav defense.

Kramnik-Carlsen

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 d5 4.d4 dxc4 5.e4 Bb4 6.Bg5 b5 7.a4! c6 (Kramnik now takes advantage of an inferior line in the Botvinnik Semi-Slav defense, where black's dark bishop is no longer protecting the pawn on g7.) 8.e5! h6 9.exf6 hxg5 10.fxg7 Rg8 11.g3 (Anticipating a clash on the long diagonal h1-a8.) 11 . . . Bb7 12.Bg2 c5?! (Lembit Oll's risky strike in the center was first played 20 years ago. Black opens the a8-h1 diagonal first, threatening 13...g4, but Kramnik prepares a spectacular refutation.) 13.0-0! g4 (Hoping for 14.Nh4 Bxg2 15.Nxg2 and now both 15...cxd4 or 15...Rxg7 give black a playable game.)

14.axb5! (An amazing, well-timed knight sacrifice that Kramnik prepared at home and was saving for more important events.) 14... gxf3 (Why not? After 14...Rxg7 white does not have to play 15.Nh4 and can move the knight to the center with 15.Ne5! because the bishop on g2 is protected. After 15...Bxg2 16.Kxg2 cxd4 [After 16...Qxd4 17.b6! a5 18.Qe2 black has problems.] 17.Qa4! white has the advantage either after 17...dxc3 18.b6+ Nd7 [On 18...Kf8 19.Qxb4+ Kg8 20.b7 wins.] 19.Rfd1; or after 17...Bd6 18.b6+ Nd7 19.Nxc4 Bc5 20.b7 Rb8 21.Ne4.) 15.Bxf3 Bxf3 16.Qxf3 Nd7 17.dxc5! (This settles the outcome. Opening the d-file allows white to create tactical threats. Black does not have time to collect all the dangerous pawns.) 17... Bxc3 ("Fewer pieces, less trouble" is a notion that does not work here. But other moves don't help either, for example 17...Bxc5 18.Rfd1! Rxg7 19.Rxd7 Kxd7 20.Rd1+ Bd6 21.Ne4 and white wins; or 17...Rxg7 18.Rfd1 Qc8 19.b6! Nxc5 20.Rxa7 Rxa7 21.bxa7 Nb7 22.Na4 Ba5 23.Nc5! wins; and finally 17...Nxc5 18.Rfd1 Qc8 [or 18...Nd3 19.Qc6+ Ke7 20.Qxc4 wins.] 19.Qh5! Ke7 20.Rd4 Rxg7 21.Rxc4 and white wins.) 18.bxc3 Nxc5 (White's heavy pieces operate with maximum efficiency after 18...Rxg7 19.Rfd1 Qc8 20.b6!, for example 20...Nxc5 21.Rxa7 Rxa7 22.bxa7 Nb7 23.Rb1 f5 24.Qf4, threatening 25.Qb8, white wins.)

19.Rfd1 Qc8 20.Rd6! (The rook is heading for the outpost on c6.) 20 . . . Qb7 (After 20...Ke7 21.Rc6 Qb7 22.Qf4 Nd7 23.Qg5+ black has problems either after 23...Nf6 24.Rd1! Rxg7 25.Qc5+ Ke8 26.Rc7 and white wins; or after 23...Ke8 24.Re1! Qxb5 25.Rcxe6+! fxe6 26.Rxe6+ Kf7 27.Re7 mate. And after 20...Qb8 21.Rc6 Nd3 white strikes with 22.b6!, e.g. 22...Ne5 23.Qe4 Nxc6 24.Qxc6+ Ke7 25.b7 and wins.) 21.Qh5 Rc8 (Trying to control the square c6. Black loses either after 21...Nd3 22.Rxe6+ Kd8 23.Qg5+ Kc8 24.Rc6+ Kd7 25.Qd5+; or after 21...Qxb5 22.Rxe6+ Kd8 23.Rd1+.) 22.Rc6! (Anyway!) 22... Nd3 (After 22...Rxc6 23.bxc6 Qxc6 24.Qh8 white wins.) 23.Rxc8+ Qxc8 24.Rxa7 (After 24...Ne5 25.Qh8! wins.) Black resigned.

Final Four

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The University of Texas at Dallas dominated this year's Final Four in chess to win the President's Cup, scoring 10 1/2 points in 12 games. University of Maryland Baltimore County ended up with 5 points, Miami Dade College with 4 1/2 points and Duke University with 4 points.

Solution to today's composition by P. Stamma (White: Kd2,Be5,P:c5; Black: Kb1,P:a2,b7): 1.Ba1! Kxa1 2.Kc2! (Not 2.Kc1? b5 3.c6 b4 4.c7 b3 5.c8Q b2+ 6.Kd1 b1Q+ 7.Qc1 draw.) 2...b5 3.c6 b4 4.c7 b3+ 5.Kxb3 Kb1 6.c8Q a1Q 7.Qc2 mate.