Chess by Malcolm Pein of the Daily Telegraph
Malcolm Pein writes for the Daily Telegraph (telegraph.co.uk)
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Dortmund Round 10 August 10th 2003
Kramnik - Bologan (10) Photo © Franz Jittenmeier of chess-international.de
The 40-1 outsider Viktor Bologan emerged a comfortable winner of the Grand master group at the Sparkassen Chess Meeting at Dortmund, one of the most prestigious Classical Chess tournaments of the year. The 31 year old Moldovan made light of his defensive task in the last round playing black against the world champion Vladimir Kramnik and finished a full point clear on 6.5/10. Kramnik disappointed again and his rating will have slipped after a terribly dull performance of nine draws and one win which came in the first round. The champion must be frustrated after achieving a significant advantage in the opening but then letting the position quickly slip to a draw. It really was one of those 'slight edge' positions in which Kramnik excels yet in a position where he had the safer king he allowed an exchange of queens. The other two games were drawn without incident. The fifteen year old prodigy Teimour Radjabov decided to protect his 50% score by exchanging as many pieces as possible as fast as possible against Vishy Anand and after thirteen moves the Indian had seen enough. Peter Leko tried to stir up complications by playing the Sicilian Dragon against Arkady Naiditsch but then agreed a draw when he ran out of attacking ideas..
Bologan receives the trophy. Photo © David Llada
Round 10 results
Kramnik draw Bologan, Nimzo-Indian 4.Qc2, 38 moves;
Radjabov draw Anand, Bogo-Indian Defence, 13;
Naiditsch draw Leko, Sicilian Dragon, 24;
Scores: 1 Bologan (Moldova) 6.5/10; 2-3 Kramnik (Russia) Anand (India) 5.5; 4 Radjabov (Azerbaijan) 5; 5 Leko (Hungary) 4; 6 Naiditsch (Germany) 3.5;
Kramnik's two bishops give him the edge particularly on the dark squares. The position is reminiscent of a game between Alexander Khalifman and Kramnik in a speed chess contest played in a match between NAO Paris and St Petersburg earlier this year. That game was given in this column and Kramnik struggled to equalise. Bologan attempts to neutralise the bishops by gaining space on the kingside but this weakens the defences around his king.
Kramnik,V (2785) - Bologan,V (2650) [E32]
It Dortmund GER (10), 10.08.2003
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 0-0 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3 b6 7.Bg5 Bb7 8.e3 d6 9.Ne2 c5 [ 9...Nbd7 is normal.] 10.dxc5 dxc5 11.Qc2 h6 12.Bh4 Qe7 13.0-0-0 Rd8 14.Rxd8+ Qxd8 15.Nc3 Nbd7 16.f3 Ne5 17.Bg3 Nc6 18.Be2 Qe7 19.Bh4 Ne5 20.Rd1 Rd8 21.Nb5 Nc6 22.Rf1 g5 23.Bg3 Nh5 24.Bf2 Ng7 25.Rd1 f5 26.Qa4! Rxd1+ 27.Qxd1 Ne8 28.h4! Kg7 29.Kb1 [ 29.hxg5 hxg5 30.Qh1! with ideas of Qh5 and Qh2 eg 30...Qf7 31.Qh2 a6 Weakens b6. 32.Nc3 Qf6 33.Na4 Qd8 34.Bg3!] 29...e5 30.hxg5 hxg5 31.Ka1?! [ 31.Nc3 Nf6 32.Nd5 Qd6 33.Qc2 Attacking f5.] 31...Bc8! Bologan has time to reposition his bishop with Bb7-c8-e6 which strengthens the kingside and attacks c4. 32.g3 Be6 33.f4 Qd7 34.Qxd7+ [ 34.Qc2 Would have maintained the tension.] 34...Bxd7 35.Be1 Nf6 36.fxe5 Ne4 37.b3 Nxe5 38.Nc3
Black will continue 38. ..Bc6 and bring his bishop to e4 with easy equality. 1/2-1/2
Khalifman,A (2702) - Kramnik,V (2789) [E32]
St Petersburg vs NAO Internet INT (4), 28.05.2003
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 0-0 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3 b6 7.Bg5 Bb7 8.f3 h6 9.Bh4 d5 10.e3 Re8 11.Nh3 Nbd7 12.cxd5 exd5 13.Be2 c5 14.0-0 Qe7 15.Bf2 c4 16.b3 b5 17.bxc4 bxc4 18.Bd1 Bc6 19.Bc2 Nb6 20.Qa5 Qd7 21.a4 Nc8 22.Nf4 Nd6 23.Ne2 Reb8 24.Rfb1 Rxb1+ 25.Rxb1 Nb7 26.Qd2 Qe7 27.Qb4 Nd6 28.Nc3 Re8 29.Re1 Qd8 30.Bh4 Nb7 31.Bg3 Nh5 32.Bf2 a5 33.Qa3 Nf6 34.Bg3 Nh5 35.Bf2 Nf6 36.Bg3 ½-½