[Event "GMA, Wijk aan Zee NED"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2003.??.??"]
[Round "11"]
[White "Van Wely,L"]
[Black "Kramnik,V"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Hathaway"]
[BlackElo "2805"]
[ECO "E32"]
[PlyCount "97"]
[WhiteElo "2665"]

1. d4 { I'm not terribly familiar with Van Wely's opening preferences or style. } 1... Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 { White plans a2-a3 to get rid of Bb4 before continuing with his plan to occupy the center with pawns. } 4... O-O 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. Qxc3 b6 { First he used ...Bb4 and now ...Bb7: all resources to prevent e2-e4, but without weakening more squares by ...d7-d5 (at least not yet) . } 7. Bg5 Bb7 8. f3 { Using this pawn to support e2-e4 weakens Ke1 a tiny bit and gets in the way of Ng1-f3. so, Black often responds with ...d7-d5 when the weakened e5 isn't much of an issue. This is a variation GM Alexei Shirov has played quite a lot in years past (see his book _Fire_on_Board_ for examples) . } 8... d6 $6 { This is dubious because it allows White to occupy the center unhindered and having incurred no significant weaknesses. } ( 8... d5 { is considered the "standard" counter-measure } ) 9. e4 { threatening e4-e5 } 9... c5 10. dxc5 $1 { This keeps the position somewhat open, though it does give up on using the pawns to squeeze Black to death. Inflicting weaknesses on the opponent is often more valuable than efforts to keep their pieces quiet (restrained) . After this the d-file will be at least partly open, White's Ra1-d1 could be very good and Pe4 will still block Bb7. } 10... bxc5 ( 10... dxc5 $2 11. e5 h6 12. Bh4 g5 13. Bf2 { and after Nf6 moves Black's king-side position will be terribly vulnerable } ) 11. O-O-O Nc6 { It looks like Black intends ...e6-e5 and ...Nc6-d4 to block the d-file and to keep White's light-square pawns fixed in place, so Bf1 can't become active. } ( 11... Nxe4 12. Bxd8 Nxc3 13. Rxd6 Na4 14. Bg5 $16 { Fritz7 } ) 12. Bxf6 gxf6 13. Ne2 { This rather normal-looking development move isn't among Fritz' top candidate moves, favoring instead the peculiar Qc3-d3 or f3-f4. } 13... e5 { In light of the game continuation one might consider ...Kg8-g7, but without ...e6-e5 and ...Nc6-d4 the pawn at d6 would still be weak. } ( 13... Rb8 { Fritz7 } ) 14. Qd2 { This is a rather obvious attacking move: threatening Qxd6 or Qd2-h6 to get at Kg8. It also has the benefit of clearing c3 to allow Ne2-c3-d5. } 14... Nd4 { blocking the threat to Pd6 and incidentally(!) threatening ...Nd4-b3+. } ( { However, } 14... Kg7 { gambitting Pd6, but preventing Qd2-h6 is definately worth consideration. } ) 15. Qh6 { With this there is a potential threat in Rxd4 and then Ne2-g3-f5 or Ng3-h5xf6. Black has to be careful with his king! } 15... Kh8 16. h4 { possibly preparing Rh1-h3-g3; Fritz7 doesn't think highly of this move and "believes" ...Ra8-b8 equalizes. } ( 16. Ng3 Rg8 { and ...Rg8-g6 would guard Pf6 while chasing Qh6 away } ) 16... Rb8 { There is time for offensive moves until Black sees specific threats which must be defended, though it must be said that it wouldn't necessarily be easy for Black to generate an offense from this position. } 17. Nxd4 $5 cxd4 { The wall of pawns from f7, f6, e5 and d4 prevents Black's pieces from sitting on the central or queen-side files while defending Kh8. } 18. Rd2 { White keeps his king safe and uncovers Bf1. He might continue with Bf1-e2, Kc1-b1, Rh1-c1 if he needs a fortress. Offensively the plan isn't as obvious. From White's perspective it's good that Black has several weak pawns, but most of White's pieces will have to join in the offense at some point if he's to win. } 18... Rg8 19. h5 { I'd guess this was a prepared line with Ph5 intended to prevent ...Rg8-g6 and keeping Qh6 firmly in place to threaten Pf6. } 19... Ba6 20. Bd3 Rb6 ( 20... Qe7 $11 { Fritz7 } ) 21. Rc2 Rb3 22. Rd1 Qe7 { It's difficult for Black to generate any offense when his king's position is weakened this way. } 23. Bf1 ( 23. Rdd2 $11 { Fritz7 } ) 23... Qe6 24. Bd3 Rc8 25. Kb1 Rcb8 { threatening ...Rb3xa3 } ( 25... Kg8 $11 { Fritz7 } ) 26. Ka1 Qe7 27. g4 Bc8 28. Rg2 $5 { He appears to be planning g4-g5-g6 or g4-g5xf6, keeping his offensive threats alive. } 28... Bd7 29. Rdd2 Rg8 30. Ka2 Rb6 31. Rdf2 { It could be said White's pieces are a little better because they have this lateral mobility and can defend at b2 as well as play offense on the f- and g-files. But, how does one use those rooks offensively? There are too many pawns in front of them. } 31... Be6 32. Rg1 Rc6 33. b3 Rb6 $2 ( 33... a5 $1 { threatening to weaken Ka2 by ...a5-a4xb3+ } ) ( 33... Rcc8 { Fritz7 } ) 34. Rfg2 ( 34. f4 $14 a5 35. g5 fxg5 36. fxg5 a4 37. b4 Rc6 38. g6 fxg6 39. hxg6 Qg7 40. Qh1 $18 { Fritz7; Somewhere along the way Fritz7 began to see that White's plan had teeth. } ) 34... Rbb8 { White gets the first shot at offense and it's largely due to his queen being better than Black's, and that relates to White's king being safer than Black's. } 35. f4 Bd7 ( 35... exf4 $4 36. e5 { threatens Qxh7# } 36... f5 37. gxf5 $18 ) ( 35... a5 $14 { Fritz7 } ) 36. g5 fxg5 $16 { Fritz7; Black gets rid of one weak pawn, but White's advancing pawns are very hard to stop. At least Bd3 is kept quiet by leaving Pe4 in front of it. } 37. fxg5 Rg7 ( 37... a5 38. g6 fxg6 39. hxg6 Rg7 40. gxh7 Rxh7 41. Qd2 $16 { Fritz7 } ) 38. Qf6 { threatening Qxe7 (obviously) and h5-h6 to win Rg7 or mate } 38... Qxf6 39. gxf6 $18 Rxg2+ 40. Rxg2 h6 ( 40... Rg8 41. Rxg8+ Kxg8 42. h6 { In this ending it's very difficult for Kg8 or Bd7 to assist Pd4, but in most cases Ka2 can help his queen-side pawns move forward without too much difficulty. } ) 41. b4 { Fritz7 prefers Rg2-g7 or Ka2-b2. } 41... Rg8 42. Rxg8+ Kxg8 43. b5 { Fritz7 prefers Ka2-b3. White's a- and b-file pawns are marching forward! } 43... Bg4 $8 ( 43... Kf8 44. a4 Ke8 45. a5 Kd8 46. Be2 Be6 47. Kb3 Kc7 48. Kb4 Kb7 49. c5 d5 50. c6+ Kc7 51. exd5 Bxd5 52. Kc5 Bb3 53. b6+ axb6+ 54. axb6+ $18 ) 44. a4 ( 44. Kb3 $11 { (0.00) Fritz7 } ) 44... Kf8 $2 ( 44... Bxh5 45. a5 Bg4 46. a6 Bd7 $11 { Fritz7 } ) 45. a5 Ke8 $4 { This is a crucial position to calculate correctly. Are White's pawns advanced enough to force through? If Black has to retreat his bishop then Ph5 remains invulnerable and White has time to bring up his king to play c4-c5 and break through on dark squares. } 46. a6 $1 { After this move the Fritz7 evaluation bounces around for a while, but after about 15 ply it jumps to +-. } ( 46. b6 $2 axb6 47. a6 Bc8 48. a7 Bb7 $17 { Mark & Fritz7 } ) 46... Kd8 ( 46... Bc8 47. Kb3 Kd7 48. c5 dxc5 49. Bc4 Kc7 50. Bxf7 Bg4 51. Bd5 Bxh5 52. f7 Bxf7 53. Bxf7 $18 { Fritz7 } ) 47. b6 Bd7 48. c5 { After this Fritz7 sees it as massively advantageous to White. It's time for Black to resign. } 48... dxc5 49. Bc4 { Black's bishop and king are overworked defending against bxa7, b6-b7-b8 or Bxf7. This was an impressive and really simple-looking game for Loek "King" Van Wely, especially considering that it's a victory against the reigning "Classical World Champion". I'd guess his home preparation was very much in use and that Kramnik wishes he hadn't played 8...d6 when he could've played 8...d5. } 1-0