The Wall

Magnus Carlsen – Vladimir Borisovich Kramnik
2nd Qatar Masters Open; Doha, December 29, 2015
Spanish C67

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6. Kramnik’s deadlock. 4. 0-0 Nxe4 5. Re1 Nd6 6. Nxe5 Be7 7. Bf1 Nxe5 8. Rxe5 0-0 9. d4 Bf6 10. Re1 Re8 11. c3 Rxe1 12. Qxe1 Ne8 13. Bf4 d5 14. Bd3 g6 15. Nd2 Ng7 16. Nf3 Bf5 17. Bxf5 Nxf5 18. Qe2 c6 19. Re1 Ng7 20. Be5 Bxe5. Kramnik’s personal touch, departing from 20. ... Ne6 21. Bxf6 Qxf6 22. Ne5 Re8 23. Ng4 Qd8 24. Qe5 Ng7 25. Qxe8+ Nxe8 26. Rxe8+ Qxe8 27. Nf6+ Kf8 28. Nxe8 Kxe8 29. f4 f5 30. Kf2 b5 31. b4 Kf7 32. h3 (or 32. g3 Kf6 33. Kf3 Ke6 34. Ke3 Kf6 35. Kf3 Ke6 ½ : ½ Carlsen – Anand, 3rd Zürich Chess Challenge, Zürich 2014) 32. ... h6 33. h4 h5 ½ : ½ Carlsen – Anand, World Chess Championship, Chennai 2013, match game 8. 21. Nxe5 Qd6 22. Qf3 f6 23. Nd3 Re8. The position is dead equal.

24. Rxe8+ Nxe8 25. Qe3 Ng7 26. h3 Kf7 27. Qh6 Kg8 28. Qe3 Kf7 29. Qh6 Kg8 30. Qe3 Kf7 ½ : ½. “Unlike in a match a draw for Kramnik isn’t nothing – it’ll probably be 2nd or 3rd”, then Carlsen said.

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