[Event "The Caro Kann Defence: Complete Repertoire: DO's and DON'TS - White's Perspective - Middlegame Plan #7"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/ZziYzSGs/U7L5ssZJ"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Do's and Don'ts - White's Perspective"]
[Black "Middlegame Plan #7"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/ShreksGonGiveItToYa"]
[ECO "B12"]
[Opening "Caro-Kann Defense: Advance Variation, Tal Variation"]
[UTCDate "2022.11.09"]
[UTCTime "07:18:10"]
[Variant "Standard"]

1. e4 { (Notes by GM Ray Keene.) Kramnik, the defending world champion, scored a brilliant victory in the 14th and final game; Peter Leko resigned after 41 moves when faced with checkmate. This is only the third time in the entire history of the World Championship that the defending champion has saved his title by winning in the final game. The game itself was a jewel of controlled aggression. Despite consistent exchanges throughout the game, Kramnik maintained an iron grip on the position and ultimately blasted his way into the black camp via the dark squares. Taking no account of material sacrifices it was Kramnik�s king that dealt the fatal blow when it marched right into the heart of the opposing position. This outstanding game, the best of the match, recalled the classic fifth game won by Petrosian against Botvinnik in 1963 when a similarly epic king march in an endgame brought White a classic victory. "I had to give everything, especially at the end, to win against such an opponent. Peter Leko is an incredible defender. For me it was more difficult than my match against Kasparov in the year 2000", said Kramnik after the game. Leko said in conclusion: "It was a very hard fight. In the end, it was not enough for me to win the title. I'm disappointed, but I'm looking forward to the future. I'm 25 years old, and I hope to get a new chance to become world champion." [%csl Ge4][%cal Ge2e4] } 1... c6 { Leko is not averse to repeating the main lines of the Caro-Kann. [%csl Gc6][%cal Gc7c6] } 2. d4 { [%csl Gd4][%cal Gd2d4] } 2... d5 { [%csl Gd5][%cal Gd7d5] } 3. e5 { By contrast, Kramnik must seek sharper paths. This move, favoured by Nimzowitsch, Tal and Short, is ideal for a must-win situation, since it locks pawn formations and avoids premature exchanges. [%csl Ge5][%cal Ge4e5] } 3... Bf5 { [%csl Gf5][%cal Gc8f5] } 4. h4 { Nimzowitsch liked this 3 e5 variation and would play here 4 Bd3. His most famous game with this line is sadly a loss, a magnificent manoeuvring game against Capablanca from New York 1927. The most common alternative these days is 4 Nc3, as played for example by Kasparov in a drastic win over Karpov at Linares 2001, which continued 4...e6 5 g4 Bg6 6 Nge2 Ne7 7 Nf4 c5 8 dxc5 Nd7 9 h4 Nxe5 10 Bg2 h5 11 Qe2 N7c6 12 Nxg6 Nxg6 13 Bg5 Be7 14 gxh5 Nf8 15 Nb5 Nd7 16 h6. The latest try for Black is 4 Nc3 a5!? as in Sebag-Chiburdanidze, FIDE WCh Women KO, Elista 2004. Black won in 33 moves after 5 Be3 a4 6 a3 Qb6 7 Rb1 Qa5 8 g4 Bd7 9 Bg2 e6 10 Nge2 c5 11 0�0 Nc6 12 f4 h5. This 4 h4 line was tested repeatedly in the Tal-Botvinnik WCC match, Moscow 1961, with generally favourable results for Black. The paths they followed are retraced below. [%csl Gh4][%cal Gh2h4] } 4... h6 { 4...h5 may be preferable, after which Tal tried 5 Ne2 e6 6 Ng3 g6 7 Nxf5 gxf5 8 c4 c5 9 cxd5 Qxd5 but only drew their 14th game from 1961. [%csl Gh6][%cal Gh7h6] } 5. g4 { Instead 5 Ne2 is possible and in their 20 th game 5 e6 6 Ng3 Ne7 7 Nc3 Nd7 8 Be3 Bh7 9 Bd3 Bxd3 10 cxd3 h5 led to a marathon struggle and another draw. [%csl Gg4][%cal Gg2g4] } 5... Bd7 { It looks more natural to retreat the bishop along the b1-h7 diagonal, but, in that case, Black has to reckon with the dangerous pawn sac e5-e6. [%csl Gd7][%cal Gf5d7] } 6. Nd2 { This looks like a new move. In the 10th Tal-Botvinnik game from 1961, we saw 6 h5 c5 7 c3 Nc6 8 Bh3 e6 9 Be3 Qb6 10 Qb3 cxd4 11 Qxb6 axb6 12 cxd4 Na5 and Black won in 42; while the 18 th game followed the course 6 c3 c5 7 Bg2 e6 8 Ne2 Bb5 9 Na3 Bxe2 10 Qxe2 cxd4 11 cxd4 Bxa3 12 bxa3 Nc6 and Black won again. However, Tal persisted with this line, and in Tal-Pachman, Bled 1961, he finally won after launching an attack following 7... e6 8 f4 Qb6 9 Nf3 Nc6 10 Na3 cxd4 11 cxd4 O-O-O 12 Nc2 Kb8 13 Bd3 Nge7 14 Rb1 Na5 15 Bd2 Rc8 16 b4. [%csl Gd2][%cal Gb1d2] } 6... c5 { Black has one way to free himself before White's pawns begin to exert a fatal grip. [%csl Gc5][%cal Gc6c5] } 7. dxc5 { [%csl Gc5][%cal Gd4c5] } 7... e6 { [%csl Ge6][%cal Ge7e6] } 8. Nb3 { [%csl Gc5,Gb3][%cal Gd2b3,Gb3c5] } 8... Bxc5 { A small combination that regains his pawn, but at the cost of trading his dark squared bishop. 9...Qc7 would doubtless transpose, but this is more forcing. [%csl Gc5][%cal Gf8c5] } 9. Nxc5 { [%csl Gc5][%cal Gb3c5] } 9... Qa5+ { [%csl Ga5][%cal Gd8a5] } 10. c3 { [%csl Gc2,Gc3] } 10... Qxc5 { [%csl Gc5][%cal Ga5c5] } 11. Nf3 { [%csl Gf3][%cal Gg1f3] } 11... Ne7 { [%csl Ge7][%cal Gg8e7] } 12. Bd3 { [%csl Gd3][%cal Gf1d3] } 12... Nbc6 { [%csl Gc6][%cal Gb8c6] } 13. Be3 { [%csl Ge3][%cal Gc1e3] } 13... Qa5 { [%csl Ga5][%cal Gc5a5] } 14. Qd2 { The tone of play for the middlegame is set -- Black's position is resilient, but White has a promising future on the central dark squares. Fritz now wanted to try the line-opening gambit 14...d4!?, but no human player would yet regard such drastic measures as necessary. (It's a mark of how far computer programs have advanced that Fritz makes this dynamic choice.) [%csl Gd2][%cal Gd1d2] } 14... Ng6 { [%csl Gg6][%cal Ge7g6] } 15. Bd4 { Accepting some exchanges, but White's dark square grip persists. In contrast, 15 Bxg6 gives black too much counterplay along the half-open f-file. [%csl Gd4][%cal Ge3d4] } 15... Nxd4 { [%csl Gd4][%cal Gc6d4] } 16. cxd4 { [%csl Gd4][%cal Gc3d4] } 16... Qxd2+ { [%csl Gd2][%cal Ga5d2] } 17. Kxd2 { [%csl Gd2][%cal Ge1d2] } 17... Nf4 { [%csl Gf4][%cal Gg6f4] } 18. Rac1 { From now on, White's play is direct and brutal. I would have played Bf1 and followed it with Ke3. Kramnik has no truck with such sophisticated nuances and goes directly for the jugular. [%csl Gc1][%cal Ga1c1] } 18... h5 { And here I would have left Black's king's-side pawns severely alone and traded on d3. After 18...Nxd3 19 Kxd3 Ke7 20 Rc7 Rab8 followed by ...Rhc8, I believe Black could withstand the onslaught from White, though it must be admitted that White's knight will always be superior to Black's bishop. [%csl Gh5][%cal Gh6h5] } 19. Rhg1 { 19 g5 is possible instead, but Kramnik is all for open lines. [%csl Gg1][%cal Gh1g1] } 19... Bc6 { [%csl Gc6][%cal Gd7c6] } 20. gxh5 { [%csl Gh5][%cal Gg4h5] } 20... Nxh5 { [%csl Gh5][%cal Gf4h5] } 21. b4 { [%csl Gb4][%cal Gb2b4] } 21... a6 { [%csl Ga6][%cal Ga7a6] } 22. a4 { An admirable display of energy, but, after 22...Bxa4 23 Rc7 Bb5 24 Rxb7 O-O, Black reduces the tension and gains counterplay. Taking the pawn could even be dangerous for White after 25 Bxb5 axb5 26 Rxb5 Ra2+. For this reason, I prefer 22 Ke3 restricting Black's knight, and if 22...O-O then 23 Rg5 g6 24 Rcg1 Ng7 25 h5! or if 24...Kh8 25 Bxg6! fxg6 26 Rxg6 Rf7 27 Ng5 and wins. [%csl Ga4][%cal Ga2a4] } 22... Kd8 { ? Leko exhibits an alarming tendency towards a bunker mentality. After this passive move, Black is strangled in the style of his hero Petrosian or of Nimzowitsch, the arch-blockader and early prophet of 3 e5 against the Caro-Kann. [%csl Gd8][%cal Ge8d8] } 23. Ng5 { [%csl Gg5][%cal Gf3g5] } 23... Be8 { [%csl Ge8][%cal Gc6e8] } 24. b5 { [%csl Gb5][%cal Gb4b5] } 24... Nf4 { Clearing the a-file merely offers White a further avenue of attack after 24...axb5 25 axb5 Ra3 26 Ra1! [%csl Gf4][%cal Gh5f4] } 25. b6 { Creating a terrible outpost on c7 for his rook. Black must prevent such an invasion at all costs. [%csl Gb6][%cal Gb5b6] } 25... Nxd3 { [%csl Gd3][%cal Gf4d3] } 26. Kxd3 { [%csl Gd3][%cal Gd2d3] } 26... Rc8 { [%csl Gc8][%cal Ga8c8] } 27. Rxc8+ { [%csl Gc8][%cal Gc1c8] } 27... Kxc8 { [%csl Gc8][%cal Gd8c8] } 28. Rc1+ { [%csl Gc1][%cal Gg1c1] } 28... Bc6 { Black has plugged one path for White's forces but more soon open. Black, we soon see, is fatally debilitated on the central dark square complex. [%csl Gc6][%cal Ge8c6] } 29. Nxf7 { [%csl Gf7][%cal Gg5f7] } 29... Rxh4 { [%csl Gh4][%cal Gh8h4] } 30. Nd6+ { [%csl Gd6,Gd5][%cal Gf7d6] } 30... Kd8 { [%csl Gd8][%cal Gc8d8] } 31. Rg1 { [%csl Gg1][%cal Gc1g1] } 31... Rh3+ { Passive defence is hopeless, so Black tries to clear off as many white pawns as he can. [%csl Gh3][%cal Gh4h3] } 32. Ke2 { [%csl Ge2][%cal Gd3e2] } 32... Ra3 { [%csl Ga3][%cal Gh3a3] } 33. Rxg7 { [%csl Gg7][%cal Gg1g7] } 33... Rxa4 { [%csl Ga4][%cal Ga3a4] } 34. f4 { !! The decisive coup. White's small but highly efficient army is ready to concentrate its powers and deal the death blow. If now 34...Rxd4, then 35 f5 exf5 36 e6 Re4+ 37 Nxe4 fxe4 38 Rc7, threatening Rxc6, and if 37...Bb5+, 38 Ke3 when Black's b-pawn is doomed and White's king penetrates. [%csl Gf4][%cal Gf2f4] } 34... Ra2+ { [%csl Ga2][%cal Ga4a2] } 35. Kf3 { [%csl Gf3][%cal Ge2f3] } 35... Ra3+ { [%csl Ga3] } 36. Kg4 { [%csl Gg4][%cal Gf3g4] } 36... Rd3 { [%csl Gd4,Gd3][%cal Ga3d3] } 37. f5 { The same theme. The way White's king now takes the Black fortress by storm with just rook and knight against rook and bishop reminds me strongly of the epic king march and superlative conclusion of game 5 from the Petrosian-Botvinnik WCC match, Moscow 1963. [%csl Gf5,Be8][%cal Be5e8,Gf4f5] } 37... Rxd4+ { [%csl Gd4][%cal Gd3d4] } 38. Kg5 { [%csl Gg5][%cal Gg4g5] } 38... exf5 { [%csl Gf5][%cal Ge6f5] } 39. Kf6 { [%csl Gf6][%cal Gg5f6] } 39... Rg4 { [%csl Gg4][%cal Gd4g4] } 40. Rc7 { [%csl Gc7][%cal Gg7c7] } 40... Rh4 { [%csl Gh4][%cal Gg4h4] } 41. Nf7+ { 1-0, Vladimir Kramnik - Peter Leko, Kramnik - Leko World Championship Match, Brissago SUI (14), 2004.10.18 [%csl Gf7][%cal Gd6f7] } 1-0