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Game 1 BGN World Championship

 

(1) Kasparov,G (2830) - Kramnik,V (2751) [C67]
BGN World Chess Championship London (1), 08.10.2000

[Mig Greengard and Kasparov team member IM Michael Khodarkovsky] 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 And the challenger plays the first surprise! Kramnik almost never plays this, usually prefering the Petroff Defense with 2...Nf6. With this moove Kramnik invites Kasparov’s famous Scotch Opening (3.d4). The champion has a great score with this opening, and Kramnik was on Kasparov’s team in 1995 and knows many ideas that they worked on together.

3.Bb5 The Ruy Lopez, or Spanish Game. One of the oldest and most complex openings. So Garry decides to not play the Scotch and find out what Kramnik has prepared against the Classical Spanish. 3...Nf6 4.0–0 Nxe4 5.d4 Here Kasparov was wondering if Kramnik was going to play Anand’s favorite Open Defense to the Lopez. 5...Nd6 But Kramnik goes for the solid Berlin Defense instead, heading for a tough ending. He eliminates any chance for tactical threats in development, avoiding Kasparov’s greatest strength and moves into a maneuvering middlegame.

6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 This sequence is part of the Berlin variation of the Ruy Lopez. Black has a solid position and the two bishops, White has more space, and better pieces. 9.Nc3 Bd7 10.b3

[10.h3 h6 11.Bf4 b6 12.a4 a5 13.Rad1 Kc8 14.b3 Bb4 15.Ne4 Be6 16.c4 c5 17.g4 Ne7 18.Ne1 Bd7 19.Ng3 g5 20.Be3 Ng6 21.Nd3 Bc6 22.f4 gxf4 23.Nxf4 Bc3 24.Nfe2 Bxe5 25.Rxf7 Kb7 26.Rff1 Rae8 27.Rd3 Re6 28.Rf2 Rhe8 29.Bd2 Nh4 30.Kf1 Bd6 31.Nc3 Bxg3 32.Rxg3 Rd8 33.Bc1 Rde8 34.Bd2 Rd8 35.Bc1 Rd7 36.Bf4 Rde7 37.Bd2 Rd7 38.Bc1 Rde7 39.Bd2 Rd7 40.Bc1 Rde7 1/2–1/2 Shirov,A-Almasi,Z/Polanica Zdroj POL 2000/The Week in Chess 302 (40); 10.Bg5+ Ke8 11.Rad1 h6 12.Bc1 a5 13.Ne4 a4 14.a3 Ra5 15.Rd3 Be7 16.g4 Nh4 17.Nxh4 Bxh4 18.g5 Bxg5 19.Bxg5 hxg5 20.Rfd1 Rd5 21.Nxg5 Rh4 22.f3 Rxd3 23.Rxd3 Bf5 24.Rd2 Rh5 25.f4 Rh4 26.Rf2 Ke7 27.Kg2 f6 28.exf6+ gxf6 29.Re2+ Kf8 30.Ne4 Kf7 31.Kg3 Rg4+ 32.Kf3 Rg1 33.Ng3 Be6 34.f5 Bd5+ 35.Kf4 Rg2 36.Rxg2 Bxg2 37.Ne4 Bxe4 38.Kxe4 Kg7 39.Kf4 b5 40.c3 Kh6 41.Kg4 c5 42.h3 c4 43.Kh4 c5 44.Kg4 b4 45.Kh4 Kh7 46.Kh5 Kg7 47.h4 Kh7 48.Kg4 Kh6 49.Kg3 Kh5 50.Kh3 Kh6 51.Kg4 Kg7 52.Kf4 Kh6 53.Ke4 Kh5 1–0 Morisi,E-Vannelli,V/Vitinia 1996/EXT 2000 (53)]