NO PEIN, NO PAIN

WHATEVER happened to all that nice Seattle weather? Sorry, a bit jet-lagged, I didn't realise I was now in London watching a couple of Russians with the initial "K" becoming the world champion.

After a frantic flight across the Atlantic (and, just to make you feel safer travelling by air, good old British Airways decided have a movie double-bill of U-571 and Titanic!), I headed post haste, asap, pronto-like to the Riverside Studios in west London for the $2 million Brain Games Network shindig (www.braingames.net), where the organisers had arranged a warm welcome for me - NOT!

I now have it on good authority that they think I'm actually a fifth columnist for TWIC. Me? A fifth columnist? This came as something of a shock to the system: I was under the impression that since Mig turned his back on us to take up a lucrative job (the things that some people will do for money) with the opposition, I was the ONLY columnist for TWIC!

Mig: Turned his back on TWIC

Seems that whilst I was sunning myself in Seattle, the organisers had dispensed with the reliable services of a certain Malcolm Pein esq. (see resignation letter), their erstwhile Technical Director, to be replaced by the even more reliable services of Raymondo Keene and Eric Schiller - the Laurel & Hardy of chess organisation (or should that be Hardy & Hardy?). They were a tad over worried that I would end up being his "eyes and ears" (believe me, not a pretty sight) in the Press Room, and, on the Pain - or should that be Pein? - of death, or even banishment from the Lubyanka-styled Press Centre (whichever is the worst), I was firmly, but ever soooo politely warned that if they discovered me making contact with him whilst there, then I'd likewise be shown the door - and not just to admire its glossy new paint job!

No Pein ...

Schiller & Keene: On the trail of the lonesome Pein?

So, let me get this right: Whilst in the Press Room for the next month, I'm not allowed to make contact of any description or form (either in person, phone, fax, email, homing-pigeon, semaphore, jungle drums or whatever) with the man who for the last seven-years has been the bane of my life? Believe me, readers, that's not a threat. It's more of a dream come true! I was seriously thinking of asking them if they could perhaps extend this to maybe six or seven months.

So, since I'm not allowed to make any contact with IM M Pein for the duration, I've left it for him to do all the work in annotating Kramnik's superb win in game two...

Game 2

Kramnik,V - Kasparov,G
Grünfeld [D85]

1 d4 No cautious start, Kramnik invariably chooses this against Kasparov - and he has a plus score! He also plays 1.Nf3 against other opponents quite often. 1 ..Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nc3 d5 Kasparov also wants to fight, the Gruenfeld Defence is an aggressive choice. 4 cxd5 Nxd5 5 e4 Nxc3 6 bxc3 Bg7 7 Nf3 The Modern Exchange Gruenfeld, Kramnik's favourite line and no surprise, yet. 7 ..c5 8 Be3 Kramnik departs from his favourite 8.Rb1 and the rare 8.h3 he played against Kasparov at Wijk aan Zee. He plays like Karpov who had good success with this plan against Kasparov in their 1990 match. I have to say that, as a Gruenfeld aficionado, I have to admit it has not scored well in WCC matches. 8 ..Qa5 9 Qd2 Bg4 All as per program, 9...Nc6 is the main alternative. 10 Rb1 A rare idea, Karpov had tried the same idea in a similar position. Interestingly Kramnik had played 10.Rc1 against Shirov on ICC but Kasparov had beaten Yermolinsky in a nice game in this line also at Wijk aan Zee 10 ..a6 To counter Rb5 11 Rxb7!

Criticised by Ivanchuk in New in Chess. Jan Timman played 11.Rb3 and was soon worse in a game from Linares 1992.This move was assumed to be bad. Somehow it is always the obvious moves that get to be played last! I had briefly looked at this but concluded that the d4 pawn would go, but so what? White still has the bishops and a rook sitting pretty on b7. Kramnik's team deserves great credit for - as they say in my favourite sci-fi program - boldly going where no man has gone before. I wonder how many novelties Kasparov will be hit with before he lands one of his own. 11 ..Bxf3 12 gxf3 Nc6 13 Bc4 0-0 [13 ..e6 14 Bxe6 Nd8 15 Bd5 Nxb7 16 Bxb7 Rb8 17 Bc6+ 13 ..cxd4 14 cxd4 Qxd2+ 15 Kxd2 Nxd4 16 f4 +=] 14 0-0 cxd4 15 cxd4 Bxd4 [15 ..Qxd2 16 Bxd2 Nxd4 17 Kg2 is just what white is after: two bishops, active rook, weak a6 pawn and f3-f4 in reserve. The only counter black has is - and see the note below - activity!] 16 Bd5 [16 Qxa5 Nxa5] 16 ..Bc3 The assessment of this depends on the conclusion below to 17...Rac8. It seems that Kasparov desperately wanted to avoid getting squeezed in a slightly inferior position after a queen exchange, but the cure proves worse than the disease. 16...Qxd2 looked quite playable to me. This leads to a bailout by Kasparov and combined with the time pressure he was under - an hour behind already! - leads to defeat. 16 ..Qxd2 17 Bxd2 Rfc8 would be the classical Grunfeld type continuation. If Black gets to play ...e6 he solves so many problems like e7, f7 and the pin on the Nc6. He has to tread carefully but I think I see a path to equality:
A) 18 Rc1 Ne5
A1) 19 Rb3 Rxc1+ 20 Bxc1 Rc8 is active
A2) 19 Rxe7 Nxf3+ 20 Kg2 Nxd2 21 Rd1 Bc3 22 Bxa8 Rxa8 Is good for Black
A3) 19 Rbc7 Rxc7 20 Rxc7 Rb8 21 Bh6 (21 Kg2 Rb2 22 Bh6 Rxf2+ 23 Kh1 Rf1+ 24 Kg2 Rf2+ draw) 21 ..e6 22 Bb7 Bb6 23 Rc8+ Rxc8 24 Bxc8 Nxf3+ 25 Kg2 Ne1+ 26 Kf1 Nd3 is good for black
A4) 19 Kg2 Rxc1 20 Bxc1 e6 A4a) 21 Rb4 Bc5 (21 ..Rc8! Is OK 22 Rxd4 Rxc1 23 Bb7 a5) 22 Bxa8 Bxb4 Might be dangerous for black A4b) 21 Bb3 Nd3 22 Be3 Bxe3 23 fxe3 Nc5=
B) 18 Bxc6 Rxc6 19 Rxe7 Rc2
C) 18 f4 e6 - This is the answer to virtually everything
D) 18 Bh6 e6
E) 18 Rd1 e6
E1) 19 Bb3 Rab8 (19 ..Na5?? 19 ..Ne5 20 Kg2 Nd3 21 Rd7 Rd8 22 Rxd8+ Rxd8 23 Ba5! wins) 20 Rxb8 Rxb8 21 Bf4, White is trying to prove an edge in this line E1a) 21 ..Rc8 22 Kg2 Kf8 23 Ba4 Be5 24 Be3! E1b) 21 ..Be5 22 Be3 (22 Bh6 Nd4 23 f4 Bxf4) 22 ..Na5=
E2) 19 Bxc6 Rxc6 20 Be3 (20 Bh6 e5 21 Rdb1 Rac8) 20 ..Bxe3 21 fxe3 Rc2 22 Rdd7 Rf8!, and Black is better.
There is also the Speelmanic 17 ..Ne5 18 Bb4 e6 19 Bxf8 exd5 20 Bh6 Nxf3+ 21 Kg2 dxe4 22 Rfb1 Be5 23 Rd1 Nh4+ 24 Kf1 Nf5 25 Ra7 Re8 26 Bc1 Re6
17 Qc1
After a huge 45 minute think! 17 ..Nd4 [17 ..Rac8, just keeping the pieces active was the suggestion from the Press and Analysis rooms at the venue, the GM team including Danny King, John Speelman and Chris Ward: A) 18 Bb6 Qb4 19 a3 Qb2 20 Qxb2 (20 f4 e6) 20 ..Bxb2 21 Be3 Bxa3= B) 18 Bxc6 Rxc6 19 Rxe7 Qxa2 with a big plus.] 18 Bxd4 Bxd4 19 Rxe7 Ra7 20 Rxa7 Bxa7 21 f4 [21 Qg5!? Qd8 22 f4!] 21 ..Qd8 This is seriously unpleasant but Kasparov said afterwards he felt he could hold. 22 Qc3 Bb8 23 Qf3 Qh4 24 e5

24 ..g5? Kasparov said he "relaxed" for a moment - now its serious 25 Re1! Qxf4 26 Qxf4 gxf4 27 e6 fxe6 28 Rxe6 Kg7 29 Rxa6 Rf5 30 Be4 Re5 31 f3 Re7 32 a4 Ra7? This is probably the losing move [32 ..Ba7+ 33 Kg2 Be3 34 a5 Re5 35 Ra8 h5 36 a6 Ra5 would certainly enable Kasparov to struggle for a long time] 33 Rb6 Be5 34 Rb4 Rd7 [34 ..Bd6 35 Rc4 Rc7 36 Bc6! Had been overlooked in time pressure] 35 Kg2 Rd2+ 36 Kh3 h5 37 Rb5 Kf6 38 a5 Ra2 39 Rb6+ Ke7? [39 ..Kg7] 40 Bd5

After 40...Re2 41.a6 it's all over 1-0