ETCETERA / Chess
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Your support makes all the difference.Garry Kasparov was defeated by 18-year-old Vladimir Kramnik in Linares last week. We gave the game to the computer world champion, Mephisto Genius II, to analyse.
White: V Kramnik
Black: G Kasparov
King's Indian Defence
1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. d4 0-0 6. Be2 e5 7. d5 Nbd7
Mostly in its book of opening theory, MG2 had little to say about these moves, though it prefers 7 . . . a5 to Nbd7.
8. Bg5 h6 9. Bh4 g5 10. Bg3 Nh4
MG2 points out the interesting possibility of 10 . . . Nxe4]? 11. Nxe4 f5 12. Nc3 f4.
11. h4
A little wild for Genius, which prefers 11. Nd2.
11 . . . g4 12. Nh2 Nxg3 13. fxg3 h5 14. 0-0 f5
Here it goes for the tamer 14 . . . Bh6. Now it assesses 15. Rxf5 as better for White.
15. exf5 Nc5 16. b4 e4 17. Rc1 Nd3
Genius is out of tune with the players during this phase of the game. Instead of 16. b4 it chose Bd3; instead of 16 . . . e4 it would have retreated the knight to a6, which was also its preference on the next move.
18. Bxd3 exd3 19. f6
Genius goes for the straightforward 19. Qxd3 Qf6 20. Ne4 Qd4+.
19 . . . Rxf6 20. Qxd3 Qf8 21. Nb5
Here it believes that 21. Ne4 Rf5 22. Ng5 Qf6 23. Rce1 is clearly in White's favour.
21 . . . Bf5 22. Rxf5
According to Genius, this sacrifice turns a White advantage of 0.12 of a pawn to a Black advantage of 0.21.
22 . . . Rxf5 23. Nxc7 Rc8
24. Ne6 Qf6 25. Nf1
Exchange rooks with 25. Rf1 says Genius. After 25. Nf1 Bh6 it puts Black almost half a pawn ahead.
25 . . . Re5 26. Rd1 Qf5
It still thinks Bh6 is right. Now, according to Genius, the advantage shifts back to White.
27. Qxf5 Rxf5 28. c5 Bf8 29. Ne3 Rf6 30. Nc4 dxc5 31. b5 Bh6
Another bad move. 31 . . . Re8 is better for Black, says the machine.
32. Re1 Re8 33. Re5 Re7
33 . . . Rg6 34. Rxh5 Bg7 is a better way to defend, it claims.
34. Rxh5 Ref7 35. Kh2 Bc1
36. Re5 Rf1 37. Re4
Here it thinks Nxc5 is simple and strong.
37 . . . Rd1 38. Rxg4+ (see diagram)
Genius now played Kh8, assessing White's advantage as 0.84 of a pawn. After Kasparov's choice, the advantage rose to 3.36.
38 . . . Kh7?? 39. Ne5 Re7
40. Nf8+ resigns.
40 . . . Kh6 leads to mate after 41. Rg6+ Kh5 42. g4+ Kxh4 43. g3, and 40 . . . Kh8 41. Nfg6+ Kg7 42. Nxe7+ leaves White 6.21 pawns ahead.
(Graphic omitted)
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