2009 Tal Memorial: Round 6

Today Kramnik  was able to win his game multiple times do to inaccurate play on both his and Ponomariov’s part.  I am in shock that the same Kramnik that missed 19.Qxh7+ played such a precise endgame.  Thanks to Ponomariov, Kramnik was able to pull ahead of Anand and is now in first place all by himself.

[Event “Tal Memorial”]
[Site “0:10:33-0:08:33”]
[Date “2009.11.11”]
[EventDate “?”]
[Round “6”]
[Result “1-0”]
[White “V Kramnik”]
[Black “R Ponomariov”]
[ECO “D38”]
[WhiteElo “?”]
[BlackElo “?”]

1.d4 e6{Nots by Chris Torres} 2.c4 Nf6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 Bb4 5.Bg5 Nbd7 6.cxd5 exd5 7.e3 c5 8.dxc5{Kramnik elects not to develop his bishop to e2,d3 or b5 and instead plays a sharp variation that leaves his King in the middle of the board.} Qa5 9.Rc1 Ne4 10.Qxd5 Nxc3 11.bxc3 Bxc3+ 12.Kd1 O-O 13.Bc4 Nf6 14.Bxf6 Bxf6 15.Ke2 b5{I think this is a mistake. Perhaps Ponomariov could have played: 15…Be6 16.Qe4 Rae8 17.Rhd1 Bh3 18.Qxb7 Bxg2 19.Qd7 Rb8 20.Bb3 Rbd8 21.Qa4 Qc7 22.Rxd8 Rxd8 with equal chances} 16.c6 Ba6 17.Qf5 Qa3{This is a serious mistake. Ponomariov shpould have played:17…Bb2 18.Rc2 g6 19.Qc5 Ba3 20.Qg5 Be7 21.Qe5 Bd6 and the players are dead even.}  18.Bd3 Rfd8 19.c7{I can’t beleive Kramnik missed 19.Qxh7+ Kf8 20.c7Qxa2 21.Kf1. Its is always very interesting to see the mind of a chess genius play tricks on itself.} Qxa2+ 20.Nd2 Rxd3{Ponomariov is right back in the game thanks to Kramnik’s mistake on move 19.} 21.Qxd3 b4 22.Kf3 Bb7+{This is not accurate. Ponomariov should have played 22…Qa5 23.Qd6 Bb7 24.Ke2 Ba6 25.Ke1 Rc8 26.f3 Be5} 23.Kg3 h5 24.h3{f4 would be better. Play could continue 24…Rc8 25.Rhd1 Qe6 26.Rhd1 Bc6 27.Qc4 Rxc7 28.Qxb4 Qg4 with Kramnik clearly superior.} Qa5 25.f4 Rc8 26.Nc4 Qa6 27.Ne5 Qxd3 28.Nxd3 Bc3 29.Rhd1 a5 30.Nc5 Rxc7 31.Na4 Be4 32.Rd6{Kramnik makes a huge mistake. Luckily Ponomariov does not punish him with 32…Bc2! 33.Nxc3 Rxc3 34.Rb6 Rc4 35.Rb8 Kh7 36.Rb5 a4 37.Rxb4 Rxb4 38.Rxc2 a3 39.Ra2 Rb3 40.e5 Rxe3 41.Kf4 Rb3 42.Ke5 Kh6 43.h4 g6 44.fxg6 Kxg6 45.Kd4 Kf6 46.Kc4 Re3} Kh7{Missed the opportunity for 32…Bc2! see previous note} 33.Ra6 h4+ 34.Kh2 Rd7 35.Nc5 Re7 36.Rxa5 Bd2 37.Rc4 f5{This is a horrible mistake. It must be Kramnik’s lucky day! Play should have continued with 37…b3 38.Nxb3 Bxa5 39.Nxa5 Re6 40.Rd4 f5.} 38.Nxe4 fxe4 39.Rh5+ Kg6 40.Rg5+ Kf6 41.Rc6+ Kf7 42.Rf5+ Kg8 43.g4 Re8 44.Re5 Rb8 45.g5 Kh7 46.Re7 Bxe3 47.Rh6+ Kg8 48.Rg6 Bd4 49.Rge6 Kh7{It really is Kramnik’s lucky day. Ponomariov should have played 49…Bc5 and now Kramnik will punish him.} 50.f5 Bc5 51.Re8 Rxe8 52.Rxe8 b3 53.Kg2 Be3 54.Rxe4{The moves that follow are beautiful to watch. Even god using Deep Rybka would not have had a chance. I love the final position. Zugzwang anyone?}  Bxg5 55.Rb4 g6 56.Rb7+ Kh6 57.fxg6 Kxg6 58.Kf3 Bd2 59.Kg4 Be1 60.Rxb3 Bg3 61.Rf3 Be1 62.Re3 Bf2 63.Re6+ Kf7 64.Kf5 Bg3 65.Re4 Bf2 66.Kg5 Bg3 67.Re2 Kg7 68.Re7+ Kf8 69.Kf6 Bf2 70.Re6 Bg3 71.Kg6 Bh2 72.Re4 Bg3 73.Kf6 Bf2 74.Kg6 Bg3 75.Re2 Bd6 76.Kg5 Bg3 77.Kf6 Bf4 78.Re4 Bd6 79.Rd4 Bc7 80.Kg6 Bg3 81.Re4  1-0

(Table below aquired from http://www.chess.co.uk/twic/chessnews/events/tal-memorial-2009)