Sport & Chess

Tuesday, July 01, 2008

Dortmund R3: Naiditsch beats Kramnik with sensational rook sacrifice

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Nc6 7.0-0 Be7 8.Re1 Bg4 9.c4 Nf6 10.Nc3 Bxf3 11.Qxf3 Nxd4 12.Qd1 Ne6 13.cxd5 Nxd5 14.Bb5+ c6 15.Nxd5 cxb5 16.Bf4 [16.a4 b4 17.Bf4 analysed by GK 1999] 16...Nxf4 17.Rxe7+ Kf8 18.Re5 Qd6 19.Qd2 Ng6?! Kramnik played this move after 45 minutes of thought. He realised that he was in trouble. [The critical move is of course 19...Qxe5 20.Qb4+ Ke8 (20...Kg8 21.Ne7+ Kf8 22.Nc6+ Kg8 23.Nxe5+- ) 21.Re1 (21.Qxb5+ Kd8 22.Rd1 Ne2+ 23.Kh1 Nd4 24.Qxb7 Rc8 and White remains a rook down, but the position is unclear - but not worse for him.) 21...Ne2+ 22.Kf1 Rc8! (22...Qxd5? 23.Rxe2+ Kd7 24.Rd2 (24.Qe7+? Kc6 25.Rc2+ Kb6 26.Qe3+ Ka5 27.Qa3+ Kb6 is a draw.) ) 23.f4 Qxd5 24.Rxe2+ Kd7 25.Rd2 Rc5 26.Rxd5+ Rxd5 and the position is most likely a draw.] 20.Ree1 Now White is clearly better. 20...f6 21.Rad1 Kf7 22.Qe3 Rhe8 23.Ne7 Qxe7 24.Qb3+ Kf8 25.Rxe7 Rxe7 26.Qxb5 Rae8 27.g3 Ne5 28.Kg2 Nc6 29.b4 a6 30.Qb6 h6 31.a4 Ne5 32.Qc5 Kg8 33.b5 axb5 34.axb5 Nf7 35.h4 Kh8 36.Rd2 Kg8 37.Kh3 Kh8 38.f4 Kg8 39.h5 Kh8 40.Qf5 Nd8 41.Rd7 Ne6 42.Qd5 1-0
http://www.chessbase.com/news/2008/events/games/dortmund03.htm