A BLAST FROM THE PAST

A BLAST FROM THE PAST

I was rummaging the store where I put the boxes containing my chess books and materials, and I found this game which is played way back in 2003. I was very obsessed with attacking style then, and the game versus a well-known GM from the U.S.A. was no exception. In the end, my knight sacrifice was not sound, and my position was blown away efficiently. The only good thing was I got to take away the board I was playing on and I asked him to sign on it.

The board with GM Yaseer's autograph

KNIGHT ENDGAME STUDY

Knight endgame is always fascinating. Those who dances gracefully and purposefully will win the game beautifully. Here is a position I was in last night against an online opponent. I was down a pawn, but I managed to put my King in a commanding position. His last move was 55.Nb6, attacking my d5 pawn. What is the best move for Black?

BUILDING THE BRIDGE

I managed to build a bridge, again (I did it against another online opponent here). This is a basic rook ending any chess player has to know by heart. It was quite easy to find it, through enough training. So, my young padawans, please don't play truant. Training continues this Sunday and please be ON TIME!

The critical endgame position started with the diagram:

After 46.Re4

Black eliminates one of White pawns by exchanging it with 46...h5! The game continues 47. gxh5 Rxh5 48. Rg4 g5 49. Kc3 Kb5 50. Kb3 Rh3+ 51. Kc2 Rh4

After 51...Rh4

Black kills any hope for White to win the game by exchanging the last pawn. From now on, it is Black who has all the initiative. 52. Rxg5+ Kxb4 53. Rg8 c5 54. Rb8+ Kc4 55. Kd2 Rh2+ 56. Ke3 Kc3 57. Rc8 c4 58. Rc7 Rh3+ 59. Ke2 Rd3 60. Rc8 Rd4 61. Ke3 Rh4 62. Ke2 Kc2 63. Ke3 c3 64. Rg8 Rh3+ 65. Ke2 Rh2+ 66. Ke1 Kc1 67. Rc8 c2 68. Rb8 Rh5

Starting the bridge

Rook on the 4th rank is the starting of 'The Bridge'. White is helpless. 69. Rb7 Re5+ 70. Kf2 Kd2 71. Rd7+ Kc3 72. Rc7+ Kd3 73. Rd7+ Kc4 0-1

The final position

KRAMNIK WON, AT LAST!

The score now 4 - 6. Kramnik have to win the last 2 games to bring the championship into a tie break. Last night, he chose the Kasparov variation to counter Anand's Nimzo-Indian Defense. He then moved his Queen to a6 and tied the black pieces down before forcing Anand's knight into the edge of the board. Once the rook entered the seventh heaven, Anand resigned.

Anand was forced to move 16.Rg1

ANAND 4.5 - KRAMNIK 1.5

Anand did it again! Winning games when supposedly having bad piece placements. Forced to move 16.Rg1, it became uglier when Kramnik exchanged Bishops on g2. Whereas Kramnik's pieces comfortably placed in the middle of the board, commanding everything, Anand slowly pushed away Kramnik's control and made his pieces stronger with every moves. Finally, Kramnik became disoriented, and shortly after Anand's King got married with another Queen, Kramnik resigned. Replay the 6th game here:

Here are some pictures I took from chessbase.com:

Karpov made the first move for Anand

Kramnik offered his hand in resignation

The winner's smile

The loser