Kramnik in a corner?
Devangshu Datta / New Delhi October 23, 2008, 0:33 IST
Viswanathan Anand has dominated the first half of the world championship match. The defending champion’s massive 3-0 lead leaves challenger Vladimir Kramnik in an unenviable position. Either Kramnik goes gentle into the night trying to limit damage with four draws (the best-of-12 match ends when either reaches 6.5). Or, he takes big risks.
The danger in fighting back is that Kramnik could lose by a bigger margin. Comebacks from 0-3 are not unknown but rare. Kasparov did it to Karpov in 1984 (actually from 0-5!) and Karpov returned the compliment in 1986. On the other hand, Larsen had lost 6-0 to Bobby Fischer when he tried to level a 0-3 deficit.
The odds on Anand losing three from six are very low but it’s in the realm of the possible. It’s also an open question whether Anand will be inclined to coast since he’s played very aggressively so far and may seek a KO. In practical terms, the Russian GM looks shell-shocked and it would need a remarkable transformation in form and attitude to turn this into a fight.
Game 6 was perhaps the most impressive of the three victories Anand has pulled off. Unlike games 3 and 5, where Kramnik was caught in the opening and committed tactical errors in time-trouble, game 6 was a middle-game crush delivered from even terms.
Anand took more time early despite introducing a new idea (9.h3). He had only a slight advantage in the middle game. Kramnik made a pawn sacrifice 18-c5, which Anand described as “It gives him a helluva lot of play but I keep the pawn”. Over the next 20 moves, Anand kept the pawn, nullified play and made material count.
Anand’s preparation has been so good that he has never looked in trouble and had significant pressure in four games. The adoption of 1.d4 with white was a masterstroke. According to Chessbase, Anand has played 1.d4 only 67 times in 885 games with white. It nullified Kramnik’s black preparation. Inventing the razor-sharp Bonn Variation of the Slav pushed Kramnik onto the backfoot when Anand had black. Kramnik didn’t have a plan B. We’ll know on Thursday whether he’s managed to invent one on the fly.
Source: http://www.business-standard.com/
Kramnik finally gets what he deserves. If he had given Kasparov a rematch he would have been a mere footnote in history and Anand would be playing Garry for the title now. As it now stands Kramnik has all the stature of Bogojubov now. He is a champion created by memorizing book moves, when he is out of book his rating is about 1900 expert level. Putin should not let him back in the USSR and he should next challenge Spassky and Korchnoi who play at more at Kramnik’s level.
Well thats the second time I am hearing it called the “Bonn Variation” (…Bb7 line ) Well it is to see if that name will hold in future.
Kramnik should simply resign and enjoy the rest of his days.
Vishy is simply unstoppable!
Hail King Vishy!
yes, kram is getting now what he deserves. his status is only by hype artificially created. in class or ability, he is nowhere near to anand.
most recently after Kram’s 2nd defeat, somebody wrote in SP blog that kram is the only one to defeat kasparov, so that makes kram the greatest. poor fellow, does not understand though he is little patriotic. the same kram is getting now crushed and humiliated by anand, so anand is the greatest by his criteria. even kasparov will not have a chance against anand now, it is better he closed the shop early. recently, karpov also made a comment that anand is playing like fritz now. it is sure karpov does not have to teach anand playing, anand is any time far better than karpov and surely anand’s place is above karpov in the history of chess.