ODT151124

=**Kramnik's burst too late for Candidates**=




 * Problem:** White to play and mate in 3.

The 2016 FIDE Candidates tournament will take place in Moscow next March to decide the challenger to world champion Magnus Carlsen. The field is all but decided now that the sponsor, Armenian billio naire Samvel Karapetyan, has nominated his countryman, Levon Aronian, as the wildcard entry. The players already qualified are Veselin Topalov (Bulgaria), Viswanathan Anand (India), Hikaru Nakamura (USA), Fabiano Caruana (USA), Sergey Karjakin (Russia) and Peter Svidler (Russia). The eighth and final place is decided on average rating over 2015 and will most likely go to Anish Giri of the Netherlands ahead of ex world champion Vladimir Kramnik of Russia. Kramnik overtook Giri on the current rating list with a fantastic 4½/5 performance on top board for the winning team Siberia in the 31st European Club Cup in October. However, barring a miracle in the next month, the jump in rating comes too late to outweigh the advantage Giri has from earlier periods in the year. Today's game features Kramnik with White against Topalov from the fifth round of the European Club Cup. media type="custom" key="28042765" **1.d4 Nf6** **2.Nf3 e6** **3.e3 c5** **4.Bd3 b6** **5.O-O Bb7** **6.c4 cxd4** **7.exd4 Be7** **8.Nc3 d5** **9.cxd5 Nxd5** **10.Ne5 O-O** **11.Qg4 f5** White's quiet opening has transposed into a dangerous variation on the Queen's Indian Defence. Black's decision to close the b1-h7 diagonal weakens his e-pawn and kingside. 11... Nf6 was possible. **12.Qe2 Bf6** **13.Bc4 Re8** **14.Rd1 Nd7** This allows White to force a favourable exchange of minor pieces. Instead after 14... Nc6 15.Bb5 the knight can be defended by 15... Rc8. **15.Bb5! Bxe5** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**16.dxe5 Qe7?!** The pin needed to be broken by 16... a6! 17.Ba4 b5 18.Bb3 when the knight on d7 can partake in the defence. White is now able to further weaken the Black kingside. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**17.Nxd5 Bxd5** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**18.Qh5! g6** Or 18... a6 19.Bg5 forcing 19... g6 anyway. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**19.Qh6 Rec8** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**20.Bg5 Qf7** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**21.Bxd7! Qxd7** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**22.Bf6** The opposite coloured bishops here work in the attacker's favour. Black's pieces will be forever tied to the weak kingside dark squares, while White slowly builds his attack. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**22... Qf7** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**23.b3 Qf8** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**24.Qf4 Rc2** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**25.h4! Rac8** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**26.h5 Qe8** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**27.Rd3!** The h-pawn advance and rook lift are thoroughly justified by Black's inability to undertake any counterplay. Black has to oppose rooks on the third rank to stop a white rook coming to the kingside. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**27... R2c3** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**28.Rad1 gxh5** Allowing White a fine breakthrough sacrifice, but it was difficult to hold the position – e.g. 28... R8c7 29.Qe3! Rxd3 30.Rxd3 and the rook joins the attack 30... Qc6 31.Qh3 Qc1+ 32.Kh2 Qf4+ 33.Rg3 with serious threats. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**29.Rxd5! exd5** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**30.e6 R3c7** Defending the second rank. If 30... R3c6 31.Rd3! Rxe6 32.Rg3+ Kf7 33.Qh6 and the threat of 34.Rg7+ wins. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**31.Rxd5 Qxe6** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**32.Qg5+ Kf8** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**33.Rxf5 Rf7** Or 33... Rc5 34.Be7+ Ke8 35.Rf8+! Kd7 36.Bxc5 Rxc5 37.Qd8+ Kc6 38.Rf6 etc. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**34.Qh6+ Ke8** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**35.Re5 Rc6** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**36.Qxh5!** Sidestepping the last trap 36.Rxe6+? Rxe6 winning the bishop with a draw. Black Resigns

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**1-0**


 * Solution:** 1.Qxh6+!! gxh6 (1... Kg8 2.Qh7#) 2.Nf7+ Kg8 3.Nxh6#