World Chess Championship 2008 - Round 5 | Vladimir Kramnik vs. Vishy Anand (0 - 1)
Viswanathan Anand increased his lead today in the World Championship match after Vladimir Kramnik blundered on move 29. The score is now 3.5-1.5 for Anand.
Who would have thought that Vladimir Kramnik would lose not just one, but two games with the white pieces in this match? It’s a rare thing for someone who’s considered one of the most solid players around. But it happened today; in what was probably already a slightly worse position for him, he took a pawn that was poisened but the reason why only became clear 11 half-moves later.
By then most journalists in the press room had already rushed downstairs and into the playing hall, to witness the final moments of this game. Not just because the engines had started blinking on the screens, but rather because we had seen the tactic already before - it was the reason why White couldn’t take on d4 on move 27.
Soon after one of us actually said that Kramnik “had another chance to make that blunder”, the Russian… did it. Somehow it felt not right, but it happened.
Anand in the process of playing the winning move, 34...Ne3!, Photo Cathy Rogers
A shocking miscalculation by Vladimir Kramnik in the fifth game of his World Championship match in Bonn against Viswanathan Anand has put the Indian in the box seat to do what Garry Kasparov could not – defeat Kramnik in a world title match.
Despite being a weekday, the Bonn Exhibition Hall was almost full as was the commentary room where GMs Yusupov and Pfleger explain the moves to the public. (GM Bischoff does the same commentary job for the VIPs in a private room.)
The crowd was expecting Kramnik to begin his fight-back today but instead Kramnik lost his second game in succession with White.
Anand’s decision to play for complications with Black has paid off in spades, the Indian completely disrupting Kramnik’s normal “win with White, draw with Black” strategy.
After a very quiet draw in the fourth game, Kramnik challenged the system, which had given Anand success in game 3. However Anand varied first and Kramnik soon found himself an hour behind on the clock and unable to demonstrate any clear advantage.
Then came the moment which will be preserved in every basic combination book for years to come.
It was true – Kramnik had missed a simple trick five moves later, which won on the spot. Anand paused only briefly before playing the winning combination.
Anand now leads the 12 game contest 3.5-1.5 and few are giving Kramnik any chance to come back, even though he has survived one point deficits in his last two world title matches. However Anand’s play has been so sure-footed, his opening preparation so well-targeted that at the moment it is hard to see Kramnik winning a game unless Anand gets careless.
Kramnik, naturally, does not see things that way.
“It could have been better,” was Kramnik’s response when asked if the situation was critical. “But it is not totally hopeless and I am going to fight.”
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4 comments:
Most fascinating blog I have seen in recenttimes. Keep up the good work.
Cheers,
Amitabh
the live relay of WCC 08 and the videos are great......keet it up
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Thanks all ....many new features will be added shortly
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