The 2006 world championship match begin in Elita
The venue of the contest was Elista, capital of the Russian Republic of Kalmykia so well known for its chess organizations with the 1998 Olympiad, the 1994 Women Championship and many Russian championships. Mr. Bovayev, the Chief Organizer promised a perfect organization with daily TV coverage and live coverage on internet. The match of the decade could now start under the supervision of the well experienced chief arbiter Mr. Guysen from Holland.
Before this match began, Kasparov was asked in an interview whom he thought would be the winner. Interestingly, Kasparov hinted that Topalov was not the favourite that many people had assumed him to be. He made a very astute observation: “Kramnik has a more profound understanding of the game while Topalov has energy and confidence on his side.” Another hint of the players’ relative strengths can be gleaned from the fact that prior to this unification match, Kramnik and Topalov had faced one another 39 times between 1994 and 2005, with Kramnik having won 10 times and Topalov five times, with the other games drawn. In their last encounter a year ago, Kramnik emerged the victor.
Game 1
Game 1 September, 23 2006 (E4-E5)
Vladimir Kramnik switched back to his old preference of 1.d4 and the players then proceeded to follow the stem game Alexander Grischuk against Alexander Moiseenko from the Russian Team Championship in Sochi in April. Veselin Topalov was the first to innovate but it seems that Kramnik was not surprised by this move either and hinted his preparation went on for many moves more. The endgame that arose on the board right after they left the opening turned out to be very complex. Kramnik added more oil to the fire by declining on insufficient grounds the simplification on move 20 (instead of 20.Nec4?! simple 20.Nxd7 keeping a slight edge is stronger). Next part of the fight went on under the sign of Topalov’s pressure, who seized the initiative with brilliant moves 21…g5!, 24…Be4!, 25…Rb4! and especially 26…Bf3!!, that Vladimir definitely missed. After the first time control, in spite of an extra pawn and absence of weaknesses, white passive position caused much apprehension, but Veselin developed his advantage not the best way, showing impatiency, that was displayed clearly by move 45…h4?! After that draw seemed inevitable, but suddenly an accident 57…f5?? happened, which can be explained only by an excessive tension. In the end of the game the technical stage didn’t pose much difficulties for Kramnik, and he achieved the first victory in the match.
Vladimir, congratulations with the win! Could you tell whether the whole line and 12…Ba6 in particular were unexpected for you? In my opinion, White did not get a tangible opening advantage.
Vladimir KRAMNIK: I do not comment the opening stage during the match, so I am ready to discuss the game starting at move 20 or so. However, I think I had a better position after the opening, although it was quite complex.
How did you asses the position after the control, in which you have an extra pawn, but your pieces are very passive? White had an opportunity to secure a draw by 36.Rxa5…
VK: Actually I underestimated the dangers of that position! I thought it is an easy draw, but all of a sudden it turned out very difficult. The re-sulting endgame is very subtle; one should analyze it seriously. Un-fortunately, my knight cannot get to с5 (or at least I did not find how to get there at the board), and then Black begins im-proving his posi-tion, carries out h5-h4, etc. I cannot play h4, because the king breaks to h3. A major question is whether I should play g4 or try playing tactically by gxh4. In the variation with g4 I dislike the plan with Black’s knight standing on g5, and the rook operates on the second rank. I must put the king to h2, and put the rook to f1 – White is paralyzed. Then the Black’s king can sneak to the queenside, and I was very reluctant to allow it. This is why I calculated gxh4, and I think I am holding. I think so – but it has to be double-checked.
Had I understand all the problems of that endgame, I would have strained myself to calculating some other way to a draw.
Vladimir Borisovich, justice is the last thing in a title match, but still, do you consider your win deserving?
VK: Well, of course, nothing suggested such result after the control, but this is a match, nerves are strained, and blunders are unavoidable. I do not rule out the possibility that I can blunder somewhere during the match after six hours of play. The sporting fight is tense, it incorporates many factors, and inclination towards making mistakes is one of them. So I realize I was lucky, but that’s life – I can only thank Fortune.
Do you feel sorry for Veselin?
VK: (Pause.) I tried to listen to my feelings; no, I don’t feel sorry for him.
At what moment did you feel the game ends in your favor?
VK: Of course, when I played Nd3, it became apparent that I have serious winning chances. The technical stage begun and I ga-thered myself up, because some-times you can miss the win be-cause you fail to adjust to new si-tuation.
Veselin, you could force a draw after the control move, but prefer-red to continue playing. Were you so confident in your position?
Veselin TOPALOV: After the 40th I could play without any risk, and my position was better objectively. It is a dream situation for any chess player! Of course, the advantage is not easy to convert, there are significant technical difficulties. Vladimir defended well, and I eventually blundered.
Vladimir, you won the first game in the match against Leko, and then could not win a single game until the very end…
VK: (Laughing.) Don’t remind me, please!.. I just have a good tradition of taking the lead early in title matches. I won the second game in Kasparov match, and the first game against Leko. Of course, it is pleasant, but a single win does not mean much, there are many games left ahead. I will do my best to avoid the mistakes I committed in the match with Peter.
Game 2
Game 2 September 24, 2006
The second game happened to be even more interesting than the first one and was passing by a similar scenario scenario. Kramnik chose the solid Slav Defence and the players followed a line that had been seen as far back as 1968. Kramnik was the first to innovate with 16.Bxd3 which he no doubt played with the idea of the follow up 17… f5. This idea was extremely double edged as shown by the subsequent play as black’s king came under strong attack. Kramnik was the first to blunder Just like in the first game, Topalov was again the one to seize the initiative, but Vladimir Kramnik defended well. The game turned out to be exclusively tense, and unusually big number of mistakes for players of such a level confirms this clearly. Kramnik was the first to blunder playing the dreadful 31. ..Bxf8 instead of 31. ..Kxf8 which would probably have led to perpetual check. A couple more innaccuracies from Topalov on the run up to first time control left him completely busted. Topalov fought hard but missed a tricky chance to hold the game before Kramnik wrapped things up and took a 2-0 lead.
– Vladimir, did you notice after 31…Bxf8 that it loses in two moves because of 32.Rxg4+ Bg7 33.Qc7?
No I didn’t (shakes his head).
A question to Mr. Kramnik. Grandmaster Inarkiev said that you could lose in two moves in today’s game. I wrote out a few lines from Olesha’s novel «Three fat men»: «How to fly from the earth to a star… knows our doctor Gaspar». Do you agree that in this poem the word «Gaspar» can be substituted by «Kramnik»?
Well, yes, that’s maybe true… To be honest, I did not see Qc7… I started overlooking White’s resources earlier. Initially I wanted to play 29…Nxg6, but then White gives fantastic mate: 30.Qxg6! If 30.Rxg6, then 30…Kh8. And after 30.Qxg6+ hxg6 31.Rxg6+ Kh7 he has 32.Rg3! I have an extra move and an extra queen, but there is no defense against mate. And after that it seems I had no choice. Maybe I have some other move instead of 28…Rxb2, like 28…Qc4, it has to be checked.
The engine gives 31…Kxf8 instead of 31…Bxf8 drawing.
Drawing? It looked very dangerous to me… I also overlooked 33.f5! – I considered only 33.Ng5. And it turned out that after 33.f5 exf5 34.Ng5 Black is helpless! First I thought that 33…Re7 draws, but then White just checks and calmly moves Rf1, and there is checkmate. Well, I got lucky I am not losing at once. Generally it was a very nervous game. It is in principle difficult to play after such games as we had yesterday, but it can’t be helped. On the other hand, it was probably quite emotional for chess lovers.
Veselin, what did you prepare to 31…Kxf8?
Veselin TOPALOV: I calculated a lot, but could not find anything promising… First I thought it is winning, but then I found 35…Bg5. The position is very interesting, and I probably have to make a draw.
Veselin, did you come to the game itching for revenge, or there were other plans?
No, I just wanted to play good chess. But when you don’t see mate in three, there is something wrong… However, 32.Qg6 was also winning, although not in three moves. I didn’t see the mate and didn’t look for it. I figured that after 31…Kxf8 there is no win. Therefore when I saw 31…Bxf8, I was so happy that almost instantly gave a check.
Vaselin, on the move 41 you could force a draw by playing Ng5 instead of f5 – did you see it?
Yes, I did. However, I kept playing for a win. Even after 41.Вxа3 the position is objectively drawish… I thought I can take a pawn by brining the king to d6, but – I got into a time trouble…
Vladimir, could you imagine before the game that you’ll have two points after two games?
Of course I could not think about it. My task was to get into the match, to catch my form. It is nice that I took solid lead, but there is a lot of struggle ahead; it is obvious that my opponent will try to strike back.
A question to Veselin – how do you plan to spend the day-off? The main task is probably to forget everything?
Generally I am good at forgetting (laughs). I stand losses well. I just need to have some rest.
– Every player makes plans for a match, especially for such a short match. Will you have to readjust your strategy to the new situation, or you’ll keep following the initial plan, despite such a poor return?
V.T.: I won’t make any changes. I play strongly, and get good positions, but one just has to convert them.
Vladimir, while Veselin was developing his kingside attack, you moved very quickly and confidently. How much bluff was in your quick reactions? Or did you really see a defensive plan?
V.K.: Actually I just miscalculated, thinking that 29…Nxg6 is good. Of course, I rushed with 28…Rxb2: it was necessary to calculate the line, and I just roughly evaluated it, 30.Rxg6 Kh8, Black wins… I thought I am just winning, to be honest. And when I spotted that 30…Nxg6 runs into 31.Qxg6, I started feeling bad, and slowed my pace down.
Veselin, on several occasions you moved too quickly in key positions, was it an attempt to display confidence?
V.T.: Bearing in mind my time troubles at every control, I don’t think I played quickly.
Vaselin, I meant your quick reaction at critical moments of the games…
But in those games every move was critical, and I could not spend 20 minutes on each of them…
A question to both players: during these two games, how many times it occurred to you to offer a draw?
V.K.: We are playing such positions that there is little chance for such offers! Actually, I offered a draw yesterday, but it was based on wrong positional assessment. I thought the game is close to a draw, and started the negotiations when Veselin repeated the moves… And today’s game was so sharp that draw offers were out of question. Of course, had White abstained from 20.g4, one couldstart thinking about draw, but after that move the position becomes really sharp.
V.T.: I never offered a draw – I liked my positions in both games. I could force a draw in the first game, but I had an advantage. In the second game White had a strong attack after 20.g4, even if this move is risky.
Veselin, I am looking at you, and you do not look like Schwarzenegger. What makes you such a superb fighter? What makes you keep fighting and never offer draws?
V.T.: One has to win games in order to win matches, and how can you win games by offering draws in better positions?
Veselin, in my opinion you made a mistake going for immediate revenge in today’s game. One must not throwing oneself on the opponent like that!
V.T.: I see no connection between today’s and yesterday’s games. Each game has to be considered separately. And I wanted to play chess, especially having White.
Game 3
Game 3 September 26, 2006
The third game of the match turned up to be less thrilling than the first two. A mark of fatigue explains this, laying the weight on Kramnik’s actions, he clearly decided to take a break. Such simplifying a game moves like 17.Bxe7 and 32.cxd5 are mere confirmations of this. There’s a version more inviting to be voted for: perhaps Vladimir wanted to catch the live translation of the match CSKA-Hamburg, because in case of a long game he would have failed to do this. Neither did Veselin Topalov impress today – insufficient preparation in the opening and middlegame mistakes (moves 19…b5, 24…g6, 27…Rf6 and some other cause obvious doubts) could indeed have led to a third loss in a row. This way or another, this game can be added to assets of none of the opponents: errors were made from both sides, and this time clearly unforced ones, the game was by far not as complicated as the first and especially the second one.
Veselin, you surprised the opponent in the opening, being first to deviate from that first game. Was your preparation inefficient? Which move was unexpected for you?
V T: I tried complicating the struggle, but did not succeed. In principle, I don’t think Black had serious problems. It looked like White had serious initiative, but this impression proved wrong, and I made a draw. I could trade queens by 12…Qxd4, but I wasn’t sure whether I should take on d4 or castle. I saw 13.Qb5, of course, but reckoned that the struggle is more complex with queens on board. There was also 15…Be7 instead of 15…Rc8, not allowing the bishop to g5, and Black has no reasons to be sad…
A question to both players: how did you spend your free day?
V. K.: It was nothing special: I read books, watched TV… I even did some work on chess, but it was very limited – my trainers carried the main load of work. I tried to recuperate. There can hardly be any revelations at the title match – I am not Chigorin, who had spent his free days in a big way a hundred years ago.
V.T.: I took Kirsan Nikolayevich advice and visited an Orthodox church (Kazan Cathedral – ed.). The church was not supposed to work, but they opened it for me. I liked it there a lot, and the priest told me I should consider baptizing… Then we walked in the town.
Veselin, have you recalled the priest’s advice when ended up in a difficult endgame today?
V.T.: No. And I do not think baptizing necessary to believe or be closer to God. I visited a church yesterday – and here comes the result. So, it works.
A question to both players: how do you assess the work of your seconds?
V.T.: I work with Ivan [Cheparinov] for some time already, and am very satisfied with his work, as well as with the others. I think we have a very united team; all the team members are quite supportive. We are enjoying nice atmosphere.
V.K.: We also have great atmosphere, even our cook works for it. And as for chess, even if I was unhappy, I wouldn’t tell it.
Veselin, can it be said that you survived in this game by a miracle?
V.T.: I don’t know. I think after 27…Rf6 Black solved all his problems. The thing is that White wanted to transfer the b7-rook via d7 to d5, and then push the pawns. I examined other options: 27…Rd6 and 27…h4 in order to launch counterplay, but it was too slow. If one could make two moves in a row, everything would have been just fine!
A question to Vladimir. In the end you could play 34.Qc3 instead of 34.Qd3, winning the е5-pawn. What distracted you from it?
Then the pawn runs to а3, the queen goes to е2, and the pawn – to а2, making exchanging Black’s a-pawns to White’s e- and d-pawns, after which a draw is imminent. I considered the queen standing well on d3, it’s just Black somehow survives in every variation. For instance, if I play 35.Ra7 instead of 35.b3, Black has the only saving move 35…Qb2. First I thought maybe I can play 36.Qa6?, but there he has 36…Qd4, and it looks drawish. On 36.Rxa6 there is 36…a2 37.Qa3 Qe2! (only this square!) 38.Ra4 Rb8 39.Qxa2, and now 39…Rb2, so I have no time to take the pawn. And 35.Rb3 must be met 35…f5, otherwise White wins. Black makes everything just on time. Generally we end up in a Grünfeld-like position, and I know by experience: whatever you do with the a2-pawn, the victory is very unlikely.
Could you play 17.Nе4 instead of taking on e7?
V.K.: Yes, it was interesting! But how to proceed after 17…Nе5? It looks like Black solves his problems. I think I played a good game. At some point it looked pretty even, but then I started dancing with my rooks, and managed to create serious problems.
Vladimir, have you considered 15…Rс8 during the preparation?
V.K.: I am not prepared to answer such questions during the match.
Have you lost or gained half a point today?
V.K.: I do not think about the score, I just play game after game. When you are leading, every draw brings you closer to the success. But this is not the case. Of course, I did not plan making a draw, and I think it is Veselin who earned half a point. I obtained serious chances during the game: Black has to make a long series of the only moves. I do not exclude a possibility that my play can be improved – it has to be analyzed in detail. The victory was close, but I failed achieving it. No problem; I am satisfied with the match situation.