New South Far West

Vladimir Borisovich Kramnik – Vassily Mykhaylovych Ivanchuk
7th Chess World Cup; match game 2; Tbilisi, September 10, 2017
Caro-Kann Defence B13

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. Bd3 Nc6 5. c3 Nf6 6. Bf4 Bg4 7. Qb3 Qc8 8. Nd2 e6 9. Ngf3 Be7 10. 0-0 Bh5 11. Rae1 Bg6 12. Bxg6 hxg6 13. h4!? This seems like a doubtful attempt to search for something more than what the position is actually offering. For 13. Ne5 Nxe5 14. dxe5 Nd7 see Gazik – J. P. Santos, 8th European Junior Chess Championship, Groningen 1978/1979. 13. ... a6 14. c4!? a5 15. a3 a4 16. Qd3 0-0 17. c5 b6! It seems like they are following the screenplay of the 1886 World Chess Championship match between Steinitz and Zukertort, with Kramnik playing like Zukertort. 18. cxb6 Qb7 19. Bc7 Nd7 20. Rc1 Rfc8 21. b4? This is probably the critical juncture as Kramnik’s super-ambitious move will ultimately lead him to lose a Pawn without any certainty of a compensation. Ivanchuk afterwards suggested 21. Rc3 Nxb6 22. Bxb6 Qxb6 23. Rfc1 Na7 with approximate equality. 21. ... axb3 22. Qxb3 Bxa3 23. Rc3 Be7 24. Rfc1 Nb4 25. Ne5 Nxe5 26. Bxe5 Rxc3 27. Qxc3 Qxb6. Thus, now Black is a Pawn ahead which Ivanchuk will convert into a win with flawless technique: 28. Nf3 Qd8 29. Qb3 Rc8 30. Ra1 Rc4 31. g3 Qc8 32. Kg2 Nc6 33. Qb5 Bf8 34. Ra4 Rxa4 35. Qxa4 Nb4 36. Qb5 Qc2 37. Qf1 Qe4 38. Qe1 f6 39. Bc7 Nc2 40. Qxe4 dxe4 41. Nd2 f5 42. Nb3 Ne1+ 43. Kf1 Nf3 44. Ke2 Kf7 45. Bb6 Bb4 46. Ke3 Ke8 47. Bc5 Bc3 48. Ba3 Kf7 49. Bd6 Kf6 50. Bc7 Ke7 51. Bb8 Bb2 52. Bf4 Kd8 53. Bd6 Kd7! Black gives back the extra Pawn for decisively infiltrating with the King. 54. Bf8 Kc6 55. Bxg7 Kd5 56. Bf6 Bc3 57. Ke2 Kc4 58. Nc5

58. ... e5! 59. Nd7 exd4 60. Bd8 d3+ 61. Kd1 Bd4 62. Bb6 Bxb6 63. Nxb6+ Kd4 64. Nc8 Ne5 65. Ne7 Ng4 66. Ke1 Kc3 67. Nd5+ Kb3 68. Kd2 Nxf2 69. h5 gxh5 70. Ne3 h4 71. Nxf5 h3 0 : 1.