Joop van Oosterom is a Dutch millionaire who has been instrumental in funding what is surely the oddest annual chess event, the Melody Amber rapid at Monte Carlo. The invited grandmasters, among them the world’s top players, face each other twice, once blindfolded and once playing rapid chess. This year, the blindfold part of the competition was won by Vladimir Kramnik, while the rapidchess leg was won by Viswanathan Anand, the highest-rated player in the world. Anand’s encounter with Kramnik in the rapid event was without question the most exciting game of the tournament. Kramnik took first place in the overall tournament while Anand came in second.

ANAND VS. KRAMNIK
(white) (black)
Ruy Lopez

1.e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 0-0 8.h3 Bb7 9.d3 d6 10.a3 Nb8 11. Nbd2 Nbd7 12. Nf1 Re8 13. Ne3 Nc5 14. Ba2 h6!? In 2004, playing against Anand, Kramnik tried the immediate 14…Ne6 in this position and after 15. Nf5 Bf8 16. Ng5 Bc8 17. Qf3 white obtained an initiative. 15. Nh2 Bf8!? In this position, playing against Kramnik in 2005, Topalov played 15…Bc8?! and after 16.b4 Ne6 17. Nf5 Bf8 18. Ng4 white’s prospects were again better. 16. Nhg4 Ne6 17. Nf5 Kh7 18. Qf3!? Kramnik arrived at this position once again in the last round of this tournament playing against Vallejo Pons. Smelling danger, the Spanish grandmaster deviated from Anand’s past play here, and the position after 18.c3 Nxg4 19. Qxg4 g6 20. Ng3 Bg7 21.f4 exf4 22. Bxf4 d5 became equal. 18… Nxg4 19. hxg4 Qf6 20. Qh3 Kg8! Black has to be very cautious here. For example after 20…Nf4?! 21. Bxf4 exf4 22.g5! Qxg5 23. Bxf7 Re5 24. Nh4 Qf6 25.d4 Re7 26. Bg6+ Kg8 27.c3 white is clearly better. 21.g3!? Rad8? White understandably chooses a sharp strategy. In the first game, played blindfolded, Anand forgot where the rook of his opponent was located and suffered a pitiful defeat. Now he craved revenge. Kramnik’s last move is logical, preparing d6-d5. But in such a tense position, this is too slow. It was necessary to play the immediate 21…d5! 22. Bxd5 (Unattractive for white was 22.f4 dxe4 23. dxe4 Bc5+ 24. Kh2 exf4 25. gxf4 Nd4 and black is better.) 22…Bxd5 23. exd5 Nd4 24. Nxd4 exd4 25. Bf4 Bd6 26. Bxd6 Qxd6 27. Qg2 Qc5 with a good game for black. Probably that is what Kramnik had prepared for his game with Vallejo Pons. 22.f4! exf4 23. gxf4 Nd4

(See Diagram)

As is the norm in a dangerous position, black aspires to exchange pieces. Unattractive for him was 23…d5 24.e5 Qg6 25.d4. 24.c3!! A grand conception! White sacrifices a rook and a knight, and starts a direct attack on the king. 24… Nc2 25. Re2! Nxa1 26.g5 Qg6 Fatal for black was 26…hxg5 27. Rh2. 27. Nxh6+! gxh6 28.f5 Qg7 29. Rg2 Rxe4!? Kramnik bravely tries to alter the character of the struggle. Other moves were not safe either. For example 29…d5!? A) Black has a defense after 30.g6 f6 31. Rg4 Bc8! 32. Rh4 Bxf5! 33. Qxf5 (33. exf5 Re1+ 34. Kf2 Rxc1) 33…Re5 34. Qh3 Qd7; B) 30. gxh6 30…Qxg2+ 31. Kxg2 Kh8 (the black position is bleak after 31…Kh7 32. Qh5 Rd7 33.f6! Re6 34.e5 as well.) 32. Bg5 Rd7 33.e5! with a barely defensible position.; Or 29…Kh8 30.g6! d5 (White is winning after 30…f6 31. Rg4! d5 32. Bxh6 Qxh6 33. Rh4) 31.f6! Qxf6 32. Bxh6 Bxh6 33. Qxh6+ Kg8 34. Qh7+ Kf8 35. gxf7 Qxf7 36. Rf2 Qxf2+ 37. Kxf2 Nc2 38.e5! and again black is defenseless. 30. dxe4 Bxe4 31. Rg3? When you attack it is wrong to do it in microscopic doses, as in homeopathic medicine. The sacrifice of the second rook would have been a decent conclusion of a great game – 31.g6! Bxg2 32. Bxf7+ Kh8 33. Kxg2 Nc2 (It is mate after 33…Rd7 34.f6 Qxf6 35. Bxh6 Rxf7 36. Bg7+!) 34. Bg5! Qe5 35. Bxh6 Qe2+ 36. Kg3 Qd3+ (A very beautiful winning sequence follows after 36…Qe1+ 37. Kf3 Qd1+ 38. Ke4 d5+ 39. Ke5! Bd6+ 40. Kf6!) 37. Be3+ Kg7 38. Qh6+ Kf6 39. Qg5+ Ke5 40.f6+ Qf5 41. Bf4+ Ke4 42.g7 and white is winning. 31… Qe5 32. gxh6+ Kh7 33. Qg4 Be7 34. Bxf7 Bxf5 35. Qg7+ Now it was already time to agree to a draw – 35. Bg6+ Bxg6 36. Qxg6+ Kh8 37.h7 Qe1+ and perpetual check. It appears that Anand overlooked black’s 38th move. 35… Qxg7 36. hxg7 Rg8 37. Bxg8+ A drawish endgame would arise after 37. Bh6 Bf6 (37…Be4 38. Rg4) 38. Bxg8+ Kxh6 39. Rf3 Kxg7 40. Rxf5 Bxc3! 41. bxc3 Kxg8 Anand probably thought that he is winning here. 37… Kxg8 38. Bh6 d5! 39. Rf3 Be6 40. Rf8+ Alas, white is not winning the piece – 40. Re3? Bc5. 40… Kh7 41. Rh8+ Kg6 42.g8Q+ Nothing better. Now it is black who has the advantage. 42… Bxg8 43. Rxg8+ Kxh6 44. Ra8 Nb3 45. Rxa6+ Bd6 46. Kf1 Kg5 47. Ke2 Kf5 48. Ra8 Ke6?! Permitting a3-a4, black loses his winning chances. Stronger was 48…Nc5! 49. Rb8 c6 50. Rc8 Na4! 51. Rxc6 Be5. 49.a4 bxa4 50. Rxa4 c5 51. Kd3 c4+ 52. Kc2 Bf4 53. Ra8 Nc5 54. Rc8 Kd6 55. Rf8 Be5 56. Rg8 1/2-1/2