ODT090811

=**Kramnik returns**=




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

After losing his world championship title to Anand late last year, Russia's Vladimir Kramnik was having a fairly quiet 2009 and slipping in the rankings. But last month he returned with a vengeance to win the Dortmund super-tournament by a full point. Kramnik has record of dominating this event, this being his ninth victory. He finished on 6½/10 ahead of Peter Leko (Hungary), Magnus Carlsen (Norway) and fellow Russian Dimitry Jakovenko on 5½. Then came Etienne Bacrot (France) on 4 and local Arkadij Naiditsch on 3 points.

Today's game is the spectacular heavyweight clash from round 8 between Kramnik (White) and the then leader Carlsen. Thanks to Mig Greengard's Daily Dirt for the analysis of move 25. media type="custom" key="26388912" In this line of the Queen's Gambit Declined the more aggressive10 0-0-0 leads to complications. Kramnik's preferred method is to simply develop and play for a tiny edge based on the hemmed-in black bishop on c8. Anticipating threats along the b1-h7 diagonal, but if this move loosening the kingside is best then it shows Black's position is already awkward to play. Or if 18 ... exf5 then 18 Qb3 Qe8 19 Bxf7+! Qxf7 20 Qxb7 Rd8 21 Rxd7 more than regaining the material. But now White targets the dark square holes around the black king, gaining a tempo on the bishop. Not 20 Qxd7?? Rd8 winning the queen. Black is forced to give up the dark-square defender. White's last set up deadly threats of a sacrifice on e6, and Black finally errs trying to find the best defence. Silicon analysis suggests either 25 ... Qc5! with the amazing sequence 26 Ne4 Qxc4 27 Nf6 Ke7! 28 Rd1 Nd4! 29 Nxe8+ Kxe8 30 Qg8+ Ke7 31 Qxa8 Qd5! and the threat of 32 ... Nf3+ forces 32 Rxd4! Qxd4 with an equal endgame. An equally human-unfriendly alternative is 25 ... Rd8! 26 Rxe6!! Qd4!! (26 ... fxe6 loses in a long variation) 27 Rf6!? Qxc4 28 Rxc6 Qxc6 29 Qxd8 with only a small advantage to White. At least Black saw that 25 ... Qxb2? 26 Qf6 Qc1+ (26 ... Kg8 27 Rxe6!) 27 Kg2 Nd8 28 Rxd8! Rxd8 29 Qxd8 Qxc3 30 Bb5 wins the black bishop, but he can hardly be blamed for not finding his way through all the complications. After 29 ... Qc8 White has 30 Qxh7 (threatening Rxe6) Nd8 31 Rd4! with the unstoppable plan of Qf6-Rh4-h8 mate. The sword of Damocles finally falls. Or 32...Kf8 33 Qf6 and 34 Qxf7 mate. Or 34...Bd7 35 Nd6+ winning the queen. It is hopeless for Black: 36 ... Qd8 37 Be6+ Bd7 38 Qc3+ Kb8 39 Bxd7 wins as does 36 ... Qb6 37 Be6+ Bd7 38 Qf8+ Qd8 39 Qc5+ Kb8 40 Bxd7.
 * 1.d4 d5**
 * 2.c4 e6**
 * 3.Nf3 Nf6**
 * 4.Nc3 Be7**
 * 5.Bf4 O-O**
 * 6.e3 c5**
 * 7.dxc5 Bxc5**
 * 8.a3 Nc6**
 * 9.Qc2 Qa5**
 * 10.Rd1 ---**
 * 10.--- Be7**
 * 11.Be2 dxc4**
 * 12.Bxc4 Nh5**
 * 13.O-O Nxf4**
 * 14.exf4 g6**
 * 15.g3 Rd8**
 * 16.Rxd8+ Qxd8**
 * 17.Rd1 Bd7**
 * 18.f5! gxf5**
 * 19.Qd2 Qb6**
 * 20.Qh6 ---**
 * 21.--- Be8**
 * 21.Ng5 Bxg5**
 * 22.Qxg5+ Kf8**
 * 23.Qh6+ Kg8**
 * 24.Qg5+ Kf8**
 * 25.Rd6! Qc7?**
 * 26.Qh6+ Ke7**
 * 27.Qh4+ Kf8**
 * 28.Qh6+ Ke7**
 * 29.Nb5! Qa5**
 * 30.b4 Nxb4**
 * 31.Rxe6+!! ---**
 * 31.--- fxe6**
 * 32.Qxe6+ Kd8**
 * 33.Qf6+ Kc8**
 * 34.Qxf5+ Kd8**
 * 35.Qf6+ Kc8**
 * 36.axb4 Resigns**


 * 1-0**


 * Solution:** 1 Nf6+! gxf6 2 Qf8+ Kxf8 3 Bh6 Kg8 4 Re8#.