Photo courtesy of GM Robert Fontaine and Europe Echecs
GM Kramnik (2785) – GM Alekseev (2716) [E00]
16.11.2007
Tal Memorial Round 6
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 c5 4.d5 exd5 5.cxd5 b5 6.e4 Nxe4 7.Qe2 Qe7 8.Bg2 Nd6 9.Be3 b4 10.Bxc5 Qxe2+ 11.Nxe2 Na6 12.Bxd6 Bxd6 13.Nd2 Rb8 14.Nc4 Be7 15.d6 Bf6 16.Nf4 Nc5 17.0–0 Ba6 18.Nd5 0–0 19.Nxf6+ gxf6 20.Bd5 Na4 21.Rfc1 Rfe8 22.Ne3 Rb6 23.Rc7 Rxd6 24.Rd1 Kh8 25.Nf5 Rb6 26.Bxf7 Nxb2 27.Rdxd7 Re1+ 28.Kg2 Bf1+ 29.Kf3 Be2+ 30.Kf4 Rb8 31.Bc4 1-0
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Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Kramnik is 2 classes above Alekseev. No chance for the young boy.
This game is interesting because it represents Kramnik’s prep as White in his new fav opening. He surely knew that Alekseev plays this way against the 3.g3 Catalan move order. What’s even more interesting is Alekseev just kind of fell into Kramnik’s preparation and never really seemed (to my amateur eyes anyway) to be in the game. Apparently he hadn’t seen Sosonko’s games in this line.
I wonder, can Black hold the pawn?