Below are some of my brief analysis of key misses. Please feel free to elaborate on more lines.
GM Kramnik (2772) – GM Aronian (2759) [E00]
06.05.2007
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 c5 4.d5 exd5 5.cxd5 b5 6.Nd2 Nxd5 7.Bg2 Nc7 8.Bxa8 Nxa8 9.b4 c4 10.a4 Bxb4 11.Qc2 Bb7 12.Ngf3 a6 13.axb5 axb5 14.Qb2 Qf6 15.Qxb4 Qxa1 16.0-0 Qa6 17.Bb2 f6 18.Ba3 d6 19.Nd4 Nc7 20.Rb1 0-0 21.Nxc4 bxc4 22.Qxb7 Qxa3 23.Qxc7 Qc5 24.Rb7 Qxc7 25.Rxc7 d5 26.Nf5 Na6 27.Rxg7+ Kh8 28.Ra7 Nb4 29.Rc7 h5 30.Kg2 Re8 31.e3 Nd3 32.f4 Ra8 33.Kh3 Ra5?? +- (33…Ra2 =) Now Kramnik is winning! 34.Kh4 Rc5 35.Rd7 Kg8 36.Kxh5 Kf8 37.Nd6 c3 38.Kg6 Rc6 39.Kxf6?? (39.Rf7+ Kg8 40.Re7 and game over!) Kg8 40.Kg6 Kf8 41.Kf6 Kg8 42.g4 Nc5 43.Rd8+ Kh7 44.Kf7 Rc7+?? (44…c2 45.g5 Rc7+ 46.Kf6 Nd7+ 47.Kf5 c1Q and Black wins!) 45.Kf6 Rc6 46.Kf7 Rc7+ 47.Kf6 Rc6 Game drawn 1/2-1/2 (Aronian is content with a draw even though he has a completely winning position. c2 wins in all variations.)
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It was Kramnik’s move when Ribka 2.3 at full speed announced mate in 7 via Rg7+ instead of Kxg6
Aronian showed sportsmanship by not winning so as not to emabarrass Kramnik. I remember tha some 40 years ago, the great Iranian wrestler, Takhti,did not touch his Russian oponent’s (Medvid)shoulder during the match because he had learned about Medvid’s shoulder problem. A good sportsman avoids, rather than exploit a predicament. Cultures have changed though
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white instead plays 37.nd4 then follows with Kg6 and the black f pawn is gone. Nd4 prevents black Rc6 and the black pawn going to f5 allowing the king to move in and swipe the f pawn. it also protects the c2 square that the black c pawn will eventually have to go through.
The last move shown by the applet is a good one:
White Knight d6 captures own rook on d8 – is that an apllet error?
Congratulations to Aronian, though this game wasn’t played very well (but by both sides…..).
Jochen
Sportsmanship is not measured by “how many times you slip winning not to embarrass your opponent”. Nah. A game can’t be called “sport” if one side does not play his best.
Sportsmanship is doing your best for both your play and your opponents conditions. Helping him(her) a rest day if he(she) asks you, not cheating with computers and allowing umpires’ tasks… That is sportsmanship. You can call it fair play.
Drawing when you can win is not sportsmanship, it is a fraud.
But I don’t consider that Aronian did not want to win, either. I can imagine that at some point he was simply too tired and preferred not to put himself within complications when he could secure the win.
I imagine ONLY AN AMERICAN can feel less embarrased when he has drawn in a lost position than he feels when he is forced to play until resignation in the same position.