Search Icon

Vladimir Kramnik's good form takes him to second in Fide rankings after Magnus Carlsen

Vladimir Kramnik speaks as Russian President Vladimir Putin and Sochi's Sirius Educational Centre head Elena Shmelyova look on
Vladimir Kramnik speaks as Russian President Vladimir Putin and Sochi's Sirius Educational Centre head Elena Shmelyova look on Credit: EPA/MICHAEL KLIMENTYEV / SPUTNIK / KREMLIN POOL/EPA/MICHAEL KLIMENTYEV / SPUTNIK / KREMLIN POOL

Vladimir Kramnik’s good form at Norway Chess continued at the Russian Team Championships, so much so that the 15th world champion is now comfortably the second ranked player in the world after Magnus Carlsen.

Kramnik gained over 11 points after five games to take his rating to 2812.

Kramnik loses a tempo in the opening after e3-e4 but still emerges with a clear edge.

Perhaps 7...Na6 and 8...Nc7 was a better plan. The e4-pawn is immune.

If 10...Nxe4 11.Ng5! Nxg5 12.Bxg5! overloads the black queen and 12...Rxe1+ 13.Qxe1 Qxg5 14.Qe8+ Bf8 15.Qxc8 wins material as White takes on b7; 10...Nxe4 11.Ng5 Bf5 12.Nxf7 Kxf7 13.Nc7+ Kf8 14.Nxe8 wins.

V Kramnik – S Sjugirov

Benoni

1.Nf3 c5 2.e3 Nf6 3.d4 g6 4.d5 Bg7 5.Nc3 0–0 6.Bc4 d6 7.0–0 Re8 8.e4 e6 9.Re1 exd5 10.Nxd5!

V Kramnik – S Sjugirov
V Kramnik – S Sjugirov

10...Nc6 11.Bg5 Be6 12.c3 (Black is forced to give up his bishop to remove the dominating knight) 12...Bxd5 13.Bxd5 Qc7 14.Bxf6! Bxf6 15.Nd2 Rad8 (15...b5 16.a4 a6 17.e5! wins after 17...Rxe5 18.Rxe5 Bxe5 19.axb5 or 17...Bxe5 18.Qf3 Rac8 19.axb5 axb5 20.Bxc6 Qxc6 21.Qxc6 Rxc6 22.f4; 17...dxe5 18.Qf3) 16.Qb3 a6 17.a4 Rb8 18.Nc4 Ne5 (Kramnik's advantage is based on the superiority of his bishop and the weakness of f7. If 18...b5 19.axb5 axb5 20.Nxd6! Qxd6 21.Bxf7+ Kg7 22.Bxe8 Rxe8 23.Qxb5) 19.a5 Nxc4 20.Qxc4 b5 21.axb6 Rxb6 22.Re2 Reb8 23.Ra2 Rb5 24.g3 Kg7?! (This sequence fatally exposes f7. After 24...a5 25.f4 Black is still suffering) 25.Rxa6 Rxb2 26.Rxb2 Rxb2 27.Qa4 Qd8 28.Ra7 Be7 29.Rd7 Qe8 30.Qa7 Kf8 31.Kg2 h6 32.Bc6 Bg5 (32...h5 33.h4 Rb3 34.c4 Rb2 35.Rc7 Qd8 36.Bb5 followed by Rb7 or Qb7) 33.Rc7 Qe6 34.Bd5 1–0

V Kramnik – S Sjugirov
V Kramnik – S Sjugirov

Sergey Karjakin has lost rating points. In addition to his draw with Kramnik, given yesterday, he has shared the spoils with Alexander Grischuk and lost to Peter Svidler.

The position below is  Karjakin – Grischuk after 24.Rd3 intending Rg3 with Qg4 and Nd5 to come. How did Black, to play, solve all his problems?

Karjakin – Grischuk
Karjakin – Grischuk

Answer:

24...Qxc3! 25.Rxc3 Ne2+ 26.Kh2 Nxf4 27.Rxf4 Rfe8 28.Rd3 Re6 produced a level ending which was drawn soon afterwards.

READ MORE ABOUT:
Comment speech bubble icon
License this content