World championship matches are the prime movers of chess theory. But they are not just a clash of two great minds. In the modern era, the two contenders typically assemble teams of the world’s best analysts, who re search opening lines and prepare important novelties for deploy ment in the match.

Thus, in his world championship match with Veselin Topalov in Elista in 2006, Vladimir Kramnik did his homework and prepared an extraordinary piece sacrifice in a variation often employed by his op ponent. But Topalov wisely avoided treading down this particular path Still, the arrow in Kramnik’s bow was by no means wasted. It struck instead the young Magnus Carlsen who careless strayed into this line against Kramnik at the Amber Rapid tournament at Monte Carlo.

How do we know to an absolute certainty that this piece sacrifice was prepared in advance and not found by the great Kramnik over the board? The answer is simple Kramnik spent only four minutes of the 30 minutes he was allotted for the entire game. Four minutes is just about enough time to re member the pre-planned variation and move the pieces. It is certainly not enough time to make any sense of the boundless complexities un leashed by white’s 14th move.

KRAMNIK VS. CARLSEN
(white) (black)
Slav Defense

1. Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3. Nc3 d5 4.d4 dxc4 5.e4 Bb4 6. Bg5 b5?! The main line of the Vienna variation, usually employed by Topalov, starts with 6…c5. 7.a4 c6 8.e5 h6 9. exf6 hxg5 10. fxg7 Rg8 11.g3 Bb7 12. Bg2 c5!? This sharp continuation recently revitalized the line with 6…b5?! The old game Khuzman-Oll 1987 proved that the conservative 12…Nd7?! 13.0-0 a6 after 14. axb5 axb5 15. Rxa8 Bxa8 16. Ne5! Nxe5 17. dxe5 Rxg7 18. Ne4 leads to huge advantage for white. 13.0-0 g4
(See Diagram)
14. axb5!! A bolt of lightning from a clear blue sky! It is beyond human capacity to solve, over the board, the problems posed by acceptance of this piece sacrifice. In the game Ivanchuk-Vallejo Pons 2006, after 14. Nh4 Bxg2 15. Nxg2 Rxg7 (unclear as well 15…cxd4 16. Nxb5 Nc6 17. Qxg4 a6 18. Qe4 Rc8 19. Qh7 Ne7 as was played in the game Sakaev-Yakovich 2005.) 16. axb5 cxd4 17. Ne4 black could obtain interesting prospects by playing 17…Qb6!? 14… gxf3 After the tournament in Monte Carlo had concluded this line arose in Sasikiran-Perez, and after 14…Rxg7! 15. Nh4 Bxg2 16. Nxg2 cxd4 black transposed to the position from the previously mentioned game of Ivanchuk-Vallejo Pons. But encountering for the astonishing sacrifice 14. axb5!! for the first time, Carlsen probably didn’t contemplate rejecting the offer. 15. Bxf3 Bxf3 No better was a struggle for the h1-a8 diagonal: 15…Qc8 16. Ne4! Ke7 17. dxc5 with a devastating attack. For example 17…Bd5 18. Qd4 Nd7 19.c6 Nb6 20. Qf6+ Ke8 21. Bh5 Qc7 22. Ng5 e5 23. Rfe1! and white is winning. 16. Qxf3 Nd7 17. dxc5! Bxc3 Compulsory simplification. After taking either way 17…Bxc5 18. Rfd1 Rxg7 19. Rxd7 Kxd7 20. Qc6+ Ke7 21. Qxc5+; or 17…Nxc5 18. Rfd1 Qc8 19.b6! Bxc3 (19…a6 20. Nb5! Ke7 21. Nd6) 20. Rxa7! Rxa7 21. bxa7 Ke7 22. Ra1 Qa8 23. Qxa8 Rxa8 24. bxc3 with following 25.g8Q and 26.a8Q black was losing. 18. bxc3 Nxc5 Again the alternative 18…Rxg7 19. Rfd1 Qc8 20.b6! Nxc5 21. Rxa7 would only accelerate the need to resign. 19. Rfd1 Qc8 20. Rd6! Qb7 Choosing between bad and worse. Equally hopeless was 20…Ke7 21. Rc6 Qb7 22. Qf4! Nd7 23. Qg5+ f6 24. Qg4 f5 25. Qh4+ Nf6 26. Qxc4 Nd5 27. Re1; and 20…Nb7 21. Rc6 Qd7 22. Rd1 Qe7 23.b6! axb6 24. Rxb6 with the main threat 25. Qc6+ 21. Qh5! Rc8 22. Rc6! Nd3 Preferring to lose on the queenside. In case of 22…Rxc6 23. bxc6 Qxc6 24. Qh8 black would lose on the kingside. 23. Rxc8+ Qxc8 24. Rxa7
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