Short Cuts

Vladimir Borisovich Kramnik – Fabiano Caruana
Candidates Tournament; Berlin, March 14, 2018
Russian Defence C42

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. Qe2 Qe7 6. Nc3 Nxc3 7. dxc3 Qxe2+ 8. Bxe2 Nc6 9. Be3 Be7 10. 0-0-0 0-0 11. Rhe1 Bf6 12. Nd2 Re8 13. Bf3 Ne5 14. Bf4 Kf8 15. Bd5 c6 16. Bb3 Bf5 17. h3 g5 18. Bh2 Kg7 19. c4 g4 20. Ne4 Bxe4 21. Rxe4 Bg5+ 22. Kb1 gxh3 23. c5? f5! “As they say, today’s success is enemy of future success... After his beautiful victory over Aronian, my friend Vladimir Borisovich has chosen a horrible strategy today against Caruana. You can choose whether to force a draw or play for a win, but doubt is fatal. Things are now looking bad for White...”, Spanish Grandmaster Miguel Illescas Córdoba tweeted. 24. Rb4 hxg2 25. Rxb7+ Kh8 26. cxd6 Nf3 27. Ba4 Nxh2 28. Bxc6 Rad8 29. d7 Re2 30. Bxg2 Rxf2 31. Bc6 Ng4 32. Rxa7 Ne3 33. Rg1 h6? Caruana misses the goal one step from victory! After 33. ... Rxc2 White could do almost nothing but wait for the end. 34. Rc7 Kg7 35. a4 Kf7 36. Bb5 Ke7 37. a5 Rf4 38. c3 Kd6? A mistake in terrible time pressure. 38. ... Nd5 39. Rb7(!) was not pleasant either. 39. Rb7? Kramnik can’t believe, after being in the abyss so long, that now he is about to win: 39. Rc6+! Ke7 40. a6 Rxd7 41. Rc8 and White regains the piece with decisive interest. 39. ... Rg4 40. Re1 f4 41. a6. The first move after time control. The more one looks at the position, the more one realizes that Black is in trouble. 41. ... h5 42. a7 Ra8 43. b4 h4 44. c4? Kramnik lets slip his luck. 44. d8=Q+! Bxd8 45. Rd7+ Ke5 46. Bc6 seems to offer much more chances to play for the win. 44. ... h3 45. c5+ Ke5 46. Rb8!? White is now desperately pushing for solution. 46. Bc6 h2∞ doesn’t seem enough as well. 46. ... Rxa7 47. Rg8 Bf6! 48. d8=Q! 48. Kxg4?? would have unveiled the pointe of Black’s clever defence: 48. ... Kf5! threatening both ... Ra7-a1 mate and ... Kf5xg4. 48. ... Bxd8 49. Rxg4 Bf6 50. Rg6 Rb7 51. Be2 Rxb4+ 52. Ka2 Nc2 53. Rc1 Nd4 54. Bd3 Ra4+ 55. Kb1 Nb3 56. Re1+ Kd5 57. Kc2 Nd4+ 58. Kb1 Nf3

59. Rd1?? Kramnik, now totally exhausted, collapses. Correct was 59. Rxf6 Nxe1 60. Bf1 followed by Rf6-h6 with a draw in sight. 59. ... Ra1+ 60. Kc2 Rxd1 61. Ba6. Probably Kramnik overlooked that after 61. Kxd1 h2 62. Rh6 Black has 62. ... Bh4 followed by the Pawn’s promotion. 61. ... Rd2+ 62. Kc1 Bb2+ 63. Kb1 Kxc5 64. Bb7 Ne5 65. Rf6 f3 66. Rf5 f2 0 : 1. So, as they should say, you can play to win instead of playing not to lose.

Artwork © Willum Morsch (@WillumTM)