ODT071204

=**Top players on form**=


 * Problem:** Black to play and mate in three.

A number of international events to take place since India's Vishy Anand won the World Championship tournament in Mexico have shown that the world number one's main rivals are all in peak form. The previous world champion Vladimir Kramnik of Russia convincingly won the very strong Tal Memorial tournament in Moscow, finishing 1½ point clear of the next player. This result should move Kramnik from number three to first place on the next world ranking list. The fourth ranked player, Bulgaria's Veselin Topalov came out of a period of inactivity to win the strong Vitoria-Gasteiz 'Champions League' charitable event in Spain by a similar 1½ point margin. Not to be outdone, world number two, Vassily Ivanchuk of the Ukraine took out the 'World Blitz Championship' held straight after the Tal Memorial in Moscow. Although the time limit was only 4 minutes per player plus 2 seconds per move for the game, Ivanchuk's victory was ahead of nearly all the world's strongest players. These results augur well for the upcoming Corus tournament in January where all four players will compete.

Todays's game is one Kramnik's four superb wins with the white pieces in Moscow, against current Russian champion, Evgeny Alekseev. media type="custom" key="26736812" Having avoided Kramnik's dreaded Catalan, Alekseev, also stays away from possible preparation for the standard Modern Benoni. Kramnik chooses the most aggressive response, sacrificing a pawn. If 8 ... Nf6 then 9 Qxe7+ Bxe7 10 d6 wins a piece. Although a pawn up, Black's bishop, queen and knight are in an unhappy arrangement. So by giving back the pawn he aims to untangle and develop. Although the exchange on d6 'developed' Black's bishop, he can hardly prevent White's plan of 14 Nc4 & 15 d6, clearing the juicy d5 square for his other knight. If 18 ... Bxc4 then 19 Nxf6+ gxf6 20 Rfc1 Be6 21 Rxc5 regaining the piece and the White rooks are in control. Going after the b2 pawn. Kramnik now shows why he is the master of the queenless middlegame by exploiting the absence of Black defending pieces and playing for the attack. White threatened 25 Bxf7+ winning the exchange. By allowing the capture of the d6 pawn White has ingeniously created a second avenue into the Black position down the d-file. The two rooks on the seventh rank close in on the Black's king. His few spite checks amount to nothing. Obviously after 30 ... Nd3+ 31 Rxd3 the back rank mate threat prevents 31 ... Bxd3. White's mating process of Rh7+, Rcg7+ and Rh8 mate cannot be stopped.
 * 1. d4 Nf6**
 * 2. c4 e6**
 * 3. g3 c5**
 * 4. d5 exd5**
 * 5. cxd5 b5!?**
 * 6. e4!? Nxe4**
 * 7. Qe2 Qe7**
 * 8. Bg2 Nd6**
 * 9. Be3 b4**
 * 10. Bxc5 Qxe2+**
 * 11. Nxe2 Na6**
 * 12. Bxd6! Bxd6**
 * 13. Nd2 Rb8**
 * 14. Nc4 Be7**
 * 15. d6 Bf6**
 * 16. Nf4 Nc5**
 * 17. O-O Ba6**
 * 18. Nd5! O-O**
 * 19. Nxf6+ gxf6**
 * 20. Bd5 Na4?!**
 * 21. Rfc1 Rfe8**
 * 22. Ne3 Rb6**
 * 23. Rc7! Rxd6**
 * 24. Rd1 Kh8**
 * 25. Nf5 Rb6**
 * 26. Bxf7 Nxb2**
 * 27. Rdxd7 ---**
 * 27. --- Re1+**
 * 28. Kg2 Bf1+**
 * 29. Kf3 Be2+**
 * 30. Kf4 Rb8**
 * 31. Bc4! Resigns**


 * 1-0**


 * Solution:** 1 ... Rxe4+! 2 Qxe4 (2 Kd1 Qa1#) Qc1+ 3 Rd1 d2#.