World Championship: Anand does it again
Update: Video added.
Viswanathan Anand increased his lead today in the World Championship match after Vladimir Kramnik blundered on move 29. The score is now 3.5-1.5 for Anand.
Who would have thought that Vladimir Kramnik would lose not just one, but two games with the white pieces in this match? It's a rare thing for someone who's considered one of the most solid players around. But it happened today; in what was probably already a slightly worse position for him, he took a pawn that was poisened but the reason why only became clear 11 half-moves later.
By then most journalists in the press room had already rushed downstairs and into the playing hall, to witness the final moments of this game. Not just because our engines had started blinking on our screens, but rather because we had seen the tactic already before - it was the reason why White couldn't take on d4 on move 27.
Soon after one of us actually said that Kramnik "had another chance to make that blunder", the Russian... did it. Somehow it felt not right, but it happened. And there we went, to immortalize the moment Kramnik would resign on photo or video. Which means that on the video of game 5 you too can watch the horror... But first the report on the fifth game:
Here's the fifth game of the match:
Match score:
| Name | Nat. | Rtg |
G01
14/10 |
G02
15/10 |
G03
17/10 |
G04
18/10 |
G05
20/10 |
G06
21/10 |
G07
23/10 |
G08
24/10 |
G09
26/10 |
G10
27/10 |
G11
29/10 |
G12
31/10 |
|
| Anand | IND | 2783 |
?Ǭ?
|
?Ǭ?
|
1
|
?Ǭ?
|
1
|
3?Ǭ?
|
|||||||
| Kramnik | RUS | 2772 |
?Ǭ?
|
?Ǭ?
|
0
|
?Ǭ?
|
0
|
1?Ǭ?
|
Here's our playlist of videos:
Links:
- Official website
- Foidos
- Game commentary at TWIC, Crestbook, Chesspro and Chessdom
- Videos by Europe-Echecs
- Mig Greengard blogging
- GM Ian Rogers blogging
- Dennis Monokroussos blogging
- Games in PGN provided by TWIC
(Note that the comments below this article started during our live coverage of the game)
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Comments
Patzer from Sydney
4 years 6 months ago
Permalink
Even as a die hard Anand supporter it makes me wonder if this is more due to the tactical errors of Kramnik rather than amazing play by Anand. In all the games upto a certain point both seemed to be playing well (apart from probably better opening preparation by Anand). In games 3 & 5 the game has decisively been won because of two major tactical errors. Bxd3 in game 3 and Nxd4 in game 5, both leading to an immediate loss. Should Kramnik go back to the basic rule that Chess is 99% tactics. Also the match ain't over yet. Not until the fat lady sings.
piet
4 years 6 months ago
Permalink
Ne3!
What a nightmare move
Anand
4 years 6 months ago
Permalink
I think it is rather stupid to say one person one only because of the other person's mistakes/ blunders.
Let's get this straight first: In Chess, if both players are to play perfect moves always, the game wil always result in a draw. What makes the game interesting is to see how one player can draw another player into making mistakes. This can be by getting into positions that the other person is uncomfortable with, making sacs with a deeper analysis, forcing the other person into time trouble etc.
I think that is what has precisely happened here. Anand has drawn Kramnik in territories that the latter is not really comfortable with and into positions that Anand probably calculates better. It is then to Anand's credit that he has been able to take the game into that direction and force Kramnik into positions where the chances of his making a mistake are higher. Voila, that happened and Anand pocketed both games 3 & 5.
If anyone is looking for perfect, error-free chess, this is definitely not the place to find that!
val
4 years 6 months ago
Permalink
That's not true. Quite a few Russians and Westerners are admirers of Anand's chess genius.
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