World Championship Game 8

Kramnik,V (2772) - Anand,V (2783) [D37]
[Annotations by IM Malcolm Pein]

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.e4 Bb4 6.Bg5 c5 7.Bxc4 cxd4 8.Nxd4 Qa5 9.Bb5+ Bd7 10.Bxf6 Bxb5 (Astonishing, this is a novelty and so early in a sharp line. Kramnik outprepared again.) 11.Ndxb5 (11.Nb3 Qb6 12.Bxg7 Rg8 13.Bd4 Bxc3+ 14.Bxc3 Rxg2) gxf6 12.0-0 Nc6 (12...Bxc3 13.Nxc3 Rg8 14.Qb3 Qg5 15.g3+/-) 13.a3 (13.Nd6+ Ke7! 14.Nxb7 Qc7 15.Qb3 Rab8) Bxc3 14.Nxc3 Rg8 15.f4 (An aggressive move, White takes away the e5 square from Black's knight and considers f4-f5.) Rd8 16.Qe1 (Heading for h4 to attack and just shadowing the enemy king. Black is weakened but active.) Qb6+ 17.Rf2 (17.Kh1 Qxb2 18.Rb1?? Qxg2#) Rd3 (A risky thrust into the enemy position that threatens Rf3.) 18.Qe2 Qd4 19.Re1 a6!? (Preventing Nb5 but asking for Nd5, no demanding it! But 19...a6 20.Nd5 exd5 21.exd5+ is really not much for White.) 20.Kh1 Kf8 21.Ref1 Rg6 (A great move covering f6. Kramnik was building up for f5 but this neutralises it. Black is very well centralised apart from this rook which Kramnik tries to cut out of the game.) 22.g3 (Trying to prepare f5 and emphasising the isolation of the rook on g6. 22.f5 exf5 23.Rxf5 Rd2 24.Qf3 Ne5-+) Kg7 23.Rd1 (Hoping to leave Black with a poorly placed rook but the loss of time allows Anand to solve all his problems. However 23.f5 exf5 24.exf5 Rg4 25.Rf4 Rxf4 26.Rxf4 Qe3=) Rxd1+ 24.Nxd1 Kh8 25.Nc3 Rg8 (Simple stuff, Anand uses Kramnik's loss of time to reorganise and castle by hand. This looks very level now.) 26.Kg2 Rd8= 27.Qh5 Kg7 28.Qg4+ Kh8 29.Qh5 Kg7 30.Qg4+ Kh8 31.Qh4 Kg7 32.e5 f5 (Anand avoids complications where possible. There was no point going into 32...fxe5 33.Qg5+ Kh8 34.Qf6+ Kg8 35.fxe5 Rd7 36.Rf4 Qxe5 37.Ne4) 33.Qf6+ Kg8 34.Qg5+ Kh8 35.Qf6+ Kg8 36.Re2 (g4 is impractical so White can achieve nothing here, another success for Anand.) 36...Qc4 37.Qg5+ Kh8 38.Qf6+ Kg8 39.Qg5+ Kh8 1/2-1/2

Anand is one point away from the finish line.