In the first phase of his career world champion Vladimir Kram nik typically beautifully complicat ed and sharp games. Over the years, his style has evolved toward clarity and simplicity, becoming something like the great Capa blanca in the logical smoothness of his play. At the just concluded Corus supertournament, Kram nik did not lose a single game Moreover, he was never even un der the threat of losing. But with his new error-proof style, he made too many draws and finished a half point behind the three win ners of the event. In his encounter with his great rival of the past fifteen years Viswanathan Anand of India Kramnik makes winning look easy. But it is not easy at all.

KRAMNIK V. ANAND (white) (black) Catalan

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3 0-0 6.0-0 dxc4 7. Qc2 a6 8. Qxc4 b5 9. Qc2 Bb7 10. Bd2! In recent tournaments this move, a new idea developed by the Israeli grandmaster Boris Avrukh, gives white much better results then the older lines 10. Bf4 and 10. Bg5 . 10… Ra7 11. Rc1 Be4 12. Qb3 Nc6 12…Nbd7 lost popularity because after 13. Ba5 Bd6 14. Nbd2 Bd5 15. Qe3! Qa8 16. Bh3! in the game Avrukh-Quezada 2005 white achieved a very attractive position. 13.e3 Qa8 14. Qd1 Nb8 15. Ba5 Rc8?!

(See Diagram)

After this game this move will henceforth be considered an inaccuracy. 15…Nc6?! 16. Be1! Nb8 17.b4 Nbd7 18.a4! gave an advantage to white in Avrukh-Sandipan 2006. Today what is probably best, until white finds another improvement, is 15…Bd6! 16.a3 Nbd7 17. Nbd2 Bd5 18. Qf1 c5! and black, in Aronian-Karjakin, in a game played four days after the game analyzed in this column, achieved equality. 16.a3! A very important novelty. White manage to fix the black weaknesses on the c-file by playing b2-b4. Gelfand-Karjakin from the 2006 Corus tournament continued 16. Nbd2 Bd5 17. Nb3 Nbd7 18. Rc2 Be4 19. Rc3 Nd5 with equality. In the first round of this year’s tournament, Ponomariov tried 16. Bb6 Rb7 17. Bc5 Bxc5 18. dxc5 (not better 18. Rxc5 Nbd7 19. Rc1 c5) 18…Nc6 19. Nbd2 Bd5 against Anand in this position and reached an equal game. 16… Bd6 17. Nbd2 Bd5 18. Qf1! Nbd7 Black cannot play 18…c5? here or earlier because of 19. Bb6 19.b4! e5?! This leads to a strategically hopeless position. Better was 19…Nb8 20. Ne1!? (Black has a playable position in the event of 20. Bb6 Rb7 21. Bc5 Bxc5 22. Rxc5 Nbd7 23. Rc2 a5) 20…e5 21. Bb6 Rb7 22. Bxd5 Nxd5 23. Bc5 Nd7 24. Qg2 and white’s advantage does not amount to much. 20. dxe5 Bxe5 In case of 20…Nxe5 21. Nxe5 Bxe5 22. Ra2! the pressure of the white rooks down the c-file on the weak pawn constitutes an advantage for white. 21. Nxe5 Nxe5 The black position after 21…Bxg2 22. Qxg2 Qxg2+ 23. Kxg2 Nxe5 24. Bb6 Rb7 25. Bd4 is also unattractive. 2.f3! Nc4 Black could preserve more opportunities for resistance after the pawn sacrifice 22…Nc6 23.e4 Be6 24. Qf2 Nxa5 25. bxa5 c5!? (Black is in a difficult situation after 25…c6 26.e5 Nd7 27.f4) 26. Rxc5 Rxc5 27. Qxc5 Rd7 28. Nf1 Qd8. 3. Nxc4 Bxc4 4. Qf2 Re8 5.e4 c6 6. Rd1 Rd7 7. Rxd7 Nxd7 28. Rd1 Qb7 29. Rd6 f6 30.f4 Re6 31. Rd2! This fixes white’s decisive positional advantage, giving him open line, two bishops and weak black pawns on the queen side. Premature was an invasion via 31. Qd4? Rxd6 32. Qxd6 Qa7+ 33. Kh1 Qf2! and the position became unclear. 31… Re7 32. Qd4 Nf8 33. Qd8 Rd7 34. Rxd7 Qxd7 35. Qxd7 Nxd7 36.e5 Simpler was 36. Bh3! Nf8 37. Bc8 and black cannot organize any resistance. 36… fxe5 37. Bxc6 Nf6 38. Bb7! Black would suddenly escape in case of 38. fxe5? Bd5! 38… exf4 39. gxf4 Nd5 40. Kf2 Nxf4 41. Ke3 g5 After 41…Ne2!? 42. Bxa6 Nc3 43. Kd4 Na4 44. Ke5 Kf7 45. Kd6 g5 46. Kc6 Nc3 47. Bb6 g4 48. Bd4 black’s fortress would be destroyed. 42. Bxa6 Kf7 Of no help here was 42…Ne2 and white would win after 43. Kd2 Kf7 44.a4 Nd4 45. Ke3 Nf5+ 46. Ke4 Nd6+ 47. Kd4 Ke6 48. Bc7. 43.a4 Ke7 44. Bxb5! Bxb5 45. axb5 Kd7 46. Ke4 Ne2 47. Bb6 g4 48. Bf2 Nc3+ 49. Kf5 Nxb5 50. Kxg4 Ke6 51. Kg5 Kf7 52. Kf5 Ke7 53. Bc5+ 1-0