An unexamined life is not worth living.
Saturday, June 3, 2017
Replayable games from The Break - Learn From Schlechter, Botvinnik and Kramnik
Sunday, April 30, 2017
The Break by Vladimir Kramnik – Examples from new Paperback book
My ebook The Break - Learn From Schlechter, Botvinnik and Kramnik is now available in paperback format, so you can order a physical copy and have it delivered to you like most chess books you probably already own. Here is a sample set of exercises from the chapter about Vladimir Kramnik. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to see solutions.
Korobov, Anton - Kramnik, Vladimir
2013.08.24
Black's turn
Alexander Ipatov - Vladimir Kramnik
2013.12.02
Black's turn
Svidler, Peter - Kramnik, Vladimir
2014.03.15
Black's turn
Kramnik, Vladimir - Ulibin, Mikhail
1992
White's turn
Solutions
Korobov, Anton - Kramnik, Vladimir
FIDE World Cup 2013 2013.08.24
45. ... d4!?
- Although this move is speculative, Kramnik sacrifices a pawn to activate his rook and bishop. Objectively it may be not the best, but for a human player passive defense is intolerable, so that justifies his decision.
Alexander Ipatov - Vladimir Kramnik
FIDE World Team Championship 2013.12.02
29. ... e5 30. dxe5 Nxe5 31. fxe5 Qxe5
- Black has only a pawn for a piece, but White's pieces are badly placed, and all of his pawns are vulnerable.
- ( Defending the pawns was not really possible in the long run: 33. Kd2 Re6 34. Nb7 Bh6 35. Nc5 Bxe3+ 36. Nxe3 Qxe3+ 37. Kd1 Re5 -/+ [%eval -32767,0] Black has still more ways to improve his position with Rhe7, Qxg3 and d5-d4. )
Both White's rooks and knights are effectively out of the game for many moves to come, so the current material balance is virtually irrelevant here.
- In view of inevitable material losses, White resigned. A true positional masterpiece by Kramnik!
Svidler, Peter - Kramnik, Vladimir
World Chess Championship Candidates 2014.03.15
41. ... e4 42. fxe4 Qe2 43. Rf3 Rxd6 44. Qe8 f6 45. e5
45. ... f5 46. gxf5 46. ... Rf6!!- Paradoxically, this is the only move that keeps Black alive!
- ( After 46. ... Ra6 47. e6! the black rook would be cut off from the kingside and Black would lose: 47. ... Ra7 48. f6 +- )
- ( 47. e6 Qe4 = )
- Now the game ends with a repetition.
Kramnik, Vladimir - Ulibin, Mikhail
Chalkidiki 1992
36. g5!?
- White opens up the game to exploit the power of his two bishops.
- As compensation for the pawn, White's rooks are also obtaining a lot of potential - on both sides of the board.
- White is threatening to double on the 'h' file, so Black has to create an escape square for his king.
- ( 49. Bxf8 Rxf8 50. Rxf8+ Kxf8 51. Rg8+ Ke7 52. Rxc8 +- )
Saturday, April 29, 2017
Attack with Morozevich–book samples part 2
The book Attack with Alexander Morozevich - Selected Games and Best Combinations is a collection of his selected games, with each game focusing on a tactical shot delivered by Alexander. Here are some sample combinations for you to solve (scroll down for solutions)
Morozevich, Alexander -- Pushkov, Nikolai
1995 *
1. e4 e6 2. d3 d5 3. Nd2 Nf6 4. Ngf3 Nc6 5. c3 a5 6. Be2 Be7 7. O-O O-O 8. Re1 e5 9. Bf1 Bg4 10. Qc2 dxe4 11. dxe4 Bc5 12. h3 Bh5 13. Rb1 Qe7 14. Nh4 Rfd8 15. Nf5 Qf8 16. Nc4 Nd7 17. Nce3 Bxe3 18. Bxe3 Nc5 19. b4 axb4 20. cxb4 Ne6 21. b5 Ncd4 22. Bxd4 exd4 23. Bc4 Ra3 24. Qd2 Bg6 25. Rbc1 Nc5 26. Qg5 Bxf5 27. exf5 h6 28. Qh4 Qd6 29. Bxf7+ Kxf7 30. Rxc5 d3 31. Qc4+ Kf8 32. Rxc7 Qd5 33. Qg4 Qd4
*Morozevich, Alexander -- Ree, Hans
1994 *
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d3 Nc6 4. g3 Nge7 5. Bg2 g6 6. d4 cxd4 7. Nxd4 Bg7 8. Nxc6 bxc6 9. Qd6 Ba6 10. Nc3 Qb6 11. Qa3 Bd4 12. Nd1 Rb8 13. c3 Bc5 14. b4 Bd6 15. Be3 Qb7 16. f4 e5 17. Nf2 Bc4 18. Rd1 Nc8 19. Ng4 Be6 20. Nf6+ Ke7 21. O-O exf4 22. gxf4 Kd8 23. Bd4 Qc7
*Morozevich -- Sveshnikov
1995 *
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 e6 4. O-O Nge7 5. c3 d5 6. e5 Bd7 7. Re1 Nf5 8. Bf1 Be7 9. d3 O-O 10. g3 f6 11. exf6 Bxf6 12. Na3 g5 13. Bg2 h6 14. Nc2 Qb6 15. Qe2 Rae8 16. Ne3 Bg7 17. Qc2 Nxe3 18. Bxe3 e5 19. h4 g4 20. Nd2 Be6 21. b4 d4 22. bxc5 Qa6 23. cxd4 e4 24. Nxe4 Nxd4 25. Qd2 Bd5
*Solutions:
Morozevich, Alexander -- Pushkov, Nikolai
Russian Championship 1995 1-0
1. e4 e6 2. d3 d5 3. Nd2 Nf6 4. Ngf3 Nc6 5. c3 a5 6. Be2 Be7 7. O-O O-O 8. Re1 e5 9. Bf1 Bg4 10. Qc2 dxe4 11. dxe4 Bc5 12. h3 Bh5 13. Rb1 Qe7 14. Nh4 Rfd8 15. Nf5 Qf8 16. Nc4 Nd7 17. Nce3 Bxe3 18. Bxe3 Nc5 19. b4 axb4 20. cxb4 Ne6 21. b5 Ncd4 22. Bxd4 exd4 23. Bc4 Ra3 24. Qd2 Bg6 25. Rbc1 Nc5 26. Qg5 Bxf5 27. exf5 h6 28. Qh4 Qd6 29. Bxf7+ Kxf7 30. Rxc5 d3 31. Qc4+ Kf8 32. Rxc7 Qd5 33. Qg4 Qd4
34. Re8+- ( Black resigned because either capture loses immediately: 34. Re8+ Kxe8 ( 34. ... Rxe8 35. Qxd4 ) 35. Qg6+ Kf8 36. Qf7# )
Morozevich, Alexander -- Ree, Hans
Tilburg 1994 1-0
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d3 Nc6 4. g3 Nge7 5. Bg2 g6 6. d4 cxd4 7. Nxd4 Bg7 8. Nxc6 bxc6 9. Qd6 Ba6 10. Nc3 Qb6 11. Qa3 Bd4 12. Nd1 Rb8 13. c3 Bc5 14. b4 Bd6 15. Be3 Qb7 16. f4 e5 17. Nf2 Bc4 18. Rd1 Nc8 19. Ng4 Be6 20. Nf6+ Ke7 21. O-O exf4 22. gxf4 Kd8 23. Bd4 Qc7
24. Nxd7!- In addition to the discovered attack on the rook this also opens up the 'd' file with decisive effect.
- ( 27. ... Rxb5 28. Qf8# )
- # This will be followed by Bxc6 so Black resigned. It is impressive how Morozevich tore apart Black's position with the last few energetic moves.
Morozevich -- Sveshnikov
Russian Championship 1995 1-0
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 e6 4. O-O Nge7 5. c3 d5 6. e5 Bd7 7. Re1 Nf5 8. Bf1 Be7 9. d3 O-O 10. g3 f6 11. exf6 Bxf6 12. Na3 g5 13. Bg2 h6 14. Nc2 Qb6 15. Qe2 Rae8 16. Ne3 Bg7 17. Qc2 Nxe3 18. Bxe3 e5 19. h4 g4 20. Nd2 Be6 21. b4 d4 22. bxc5 Qa6 23. cxd4 e4 24. Nxe4 Nxd4 25. Qd2 Bd5
26. Nf6+!- The quickest way to wrap up the game as White adds the advantage of two bishops to his two extra pawns.