This interesting game is one of few, which ex chess champion of world Gary Kasparov lost. It happened in Classical Chess Championship in London in year 2000. Kasparov was black and he lost this game from Vladimir Kramnik. Game started with Grünfeld Defence opening. In that entire match Kramnik won 2 games which earned him title because all other games ended in draw.

1.d4 Nf6, 2.c4 g6, 3.Nc3 d5, 4.cxd5 Nxd5, 5.e4 Nxc3, 6.bxc 3Bg7

White, Kramnik pushed his center Pawns, players exchanged Knights, white had little advantage in center, while black developed his Bishop on g7 on the biggest diagonal.

7.Nf3 c5, 8.Be3 Qa5, 9.Qd2 Bg4, 10.Rb1 a6,

Kramnik continued to develop his peaces in center, while Kasparov developed his Queen and Bishop.

11.Rxb7 Bxf3, 12.gxf3 Nc6, 13.Bc4 O-O, 14.O-O cxd4, 15.cxd4 Bxd4,

Black Pawn on b7 fell, but on other side white Pawns are doubled after Bishop - Knight exchange. This didn't stop Kramnik from doing castle on right side. Black than initiated exchange in center trying to take one Bishop because Bishop pair is stronger than Bishop + Knight combination. White obviously can't take dark Bishop with his, because he would lose Queen.

16.Bd5 Bc3, 17.Qc1 Nd4, 18.Bxd4 Bxd4, 19.Rxe7 Ra7, 20.Rxa7 Bxa7,

After little Bishop move black pushed his Knight and Kramnik decided to initiate Bishop - Knight exchange. Knight can be very inconvenient when jumping in center of the table. After Rook exchange white has one more Pawn on table, but it's doubled f Pawn hard to defend.

 

21.f4 Qd8, 22.Qc3 Bb8, 23.Qf3 Qh4, 24.e5 g5, 25.Re1Qxf4,

In few moves black Queen went on other side threatening to open white castle and to that f Pawn which soon fell. Kramnik didn't wait and exchanged Queens doubling black f Pawns.

26.Qxf4 gxf4, 27.e6 fxe6, 28.Rxe6 Kg7, 29.Rxa6 Rf5, 30.Be4 Re5,

White pushed f Pawn which brought black King in dangerous covered attack from Bishop. Kasparov noticed that and moves his King after which his a6 Pawn fell. Kramnik gained big advantage now. Ready for promotion extra Pawn, all alone, on left side.

 

31.f3 Re7, 32.a4 Ra7, 33.Rb6 Be5, 34.Rb4 Rd7, 35.Kg2 Rd2+,

Black wanted to exchange Rooks, but Kramnik of course rejected that because game would probably end in draw. After couple of moves Kasparov checked white, but Kramnik's King easily escaped to safety. Problem is in my opinion fact that black King is to far away from white a Pawn and can't help his pieces in attempt to stop this Pawn.

36.Kh3 h5, 37.Rb5 Kf6, 38.a5 Ra2, 39.Rb6+ Ke7, 40.Bd5 1-0

Kasparov tried to change that, by moving his King, but it was to late because black King is outside of white Pawns diagonal and can't come on time in other corner of board. Kasparov surrendered this game after this move.

I am not sure why black made 10th move a6 abandoning b7 Pawn. He might wanted to pull in Kramnik in some kind of trap, or he knew he will get central Pawn and thought this is good exchange in that situation. Move Knight d4 threatening King-Queen attack on e2 was clever way to make Kramnik Bishop-Knight exchange and to eliminate Bishop pair advantage. However after that white had one more Pawn. It's true black can conquer one of his Pawns and make all equal, but all this looked to me like unnecessary losing of Pawn.

This e6 Pawn move was game winning move. If black didn't remove it, but move forward he would get e7 and uncovered Check after which Rook would fall. Black could move his Kinght, but after e7 he'll have his Rook attacked by white whose light Bishop controls promotional square e8 which would make promotion inevitable. Black was forced to remove e6 Pawn. Kramnik cleverly moved Rook to e6 making covered attack on black King which was forced to move, and a6 Pawn fell on other side.

 

I really don't know what Kasparov wanted to gain after by moving his Rook on second line giving white Check. Soon after it was clear he can't stop a Pawn from promotion. Kramnik really played this game well.

Thanks for reading this article. I hope you enjoyed it. If you want to watch entire game you can do it here.