Pictures: Players at the start and finish of game 4.

Game 4 Saturday 14th October 2000. Vladimir Kramnik vs. Garry Kasparov: Queens Gambit Accepted

Vladimir Kramnik vs. Garry Kasparov: Game 4

1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 A surprise, this hasn't been part of Kasparov's repertoire before 3.Nf3 e6 4.e3 c5 5.Bxc4 a6 6.0-0 Nf6 7.dxc5 Qxd1 8.Rxd1 Bxc5 9.Nbd2 Nbd7 10.Be2 10.Nb3 Be7 11.Bd2 b6 12.Rac1 Bb7 13.Be2 0-0 14.Rc7 Bd5 15.e4 Bxb3 16.axb3 Bd8 ½-½ Zubov,A-Maksimenko,A/Ordzhonikidze UKR 2000 b6 11.Nb3

11. Nc4 has been Kramnik's choice here in the past although all in rapidplay games. [11.Nc4 Bb7 12.b3 0-0 (12...Ke7 13.Bb2 Rhd8 14.Ne1 b5 15.Na5 Be4 16.Bf3 Bxf3 17.gxf3 Rdc8 18.Nd3 Rab8 19.Nxc5 Rxc5 20.Rac1 Ke8 21.Bd4 Rxc1 22.Rxc1 Ra8 23.Kf1 e5 24.Bb2 Nd5 25.Rd1 Ne7 26.Nb7 Nc8 27.Rc1 f6 28.Ba3 a5 29.Rc7 b4 30.Bc1 Na7 31.Nd6+ Kd8 32.Rb7 Nc8 33.Nc4 a4 34.Bd2 axb3 35.axb3 Ra7 36.Rxa7 Nxa7 37.Bxb4 Kc7 38.Ke2 Kc6 39.Kd3 g6 40.Be7 Nc8 41.Bd8 Kb5 42.Kc3 Na7 43.Nd6+ Kc6 44.Ne4 f5 45.Ng5 h5 46.e4 Nb5+ 47.Kc4 Nd4 48.b4 Nb5 49.Be7 Nd4 50.f4 Nb5 51.exf5 gxf5 52.Nf7 exf4 1-0 Kramnik,V-Karpov,A/Frankfurt GER 1999 (52)) 13.Bb2 b5 (13...Bd5 14.Rac1 Rfc8 15.Nfe5 b5 16.Nxd7 Nxd7 17.Nd2 Bb4 18.Nb1 Nb6 19.f3 Rxc1 20.Rxc1 Rc8 21.Rxc8+ Nxc8 22.Ba3 Bxa3 23.Nxa3 b4 24.Nc2 a5 25.Ba6 Nb6 26.e4 Bc6 27.Kf2 ½-½ Kramnik,V-Lautier,J/Monaco 1997 (27)) 14.Na5 Bd5 15.Nd4 Rfc8 16.Rac1 e5 17.Nc2 Bb6 18.Nb4 Rxc1 19.Bxc1 Rc8 20.Bd2 Be6 21.Nbc6 Kh8 22.a4 bxa4 23.bxa4 Nc5 24.Nxe5 Nxa4 25.Nac6 a5 26.Ba6 Ra8 27.Bb5 Nc5 28.Bxa5 Bxa5 29.Nxa5 Rxa5 0-1 Kramnik,V-Anand,V/Monaco 1997 (29)]

11. ...Be7 12.Nfd4 Bb7 13.f3 0-0 14.e4 Rfc8 15.Be3 Kf8 16. Nd2 TN (Kramnik has 1hr32 left, Kasparov 1hr36) Kramnik departs from the game Bareev-Rublevsky. Incidently Bareev is one of his seconds. 16.Kf2 Ne5 17.Nd2 Rc7 18.N4b3 Rc6 19.Rac1 Rac8 20.Rxc6 Rxc6 21.h3 Ke8 22.Bd4 Nfd7 23.Rc1 Rxc1 24.Nxc1 f6 25.a3 Bd6 26.b4 a5 27.Bc3 axb4 28.axb4 Ke7 29.Ndb3 g5 30.Nd4 Nc6 31.Nc2 h6 32.Nb3 Nce5 33.Nbd4 h5 34.Bb5 h4 35.Ne3 Nf8 36.Bf1 Nfd7 37.Ke1 Bb8 38.Bb5 Nf8 39.Nc4 Nxc4 40.Bxc4 Be5 41.Kd2 Bxd4 42.Bxd4 Nd7 43.Bb5 e5 44.Be3 Kd6 45.Bc4 Kc7 ½-½ Bareev,E-Rublevsky,S/Elista 1996 (45) Ne5 Kasparov thought for some time here 17.N4b3 Rc6 Kramnik has 1:27 left Kasparov 1:13. After Kasparovs surprise choice Kramnik has played very solidly. 18. Rac1 After a little thought Kramnik has 1:09 left 18. ...Rac8 19. Rxc6 Rxc6 20.g4 h6 21.h4 Bc8 22.g5 hxg5 23.hxg5 Nfd7 Kramnik 0:56 left for 18 moves Kasparov 0:58 24.f4 Ng6 25.Nf3 Rc2 Now a critical position. In retrospect this move seems too brave. Kramnik 0:46 left Kasparov 0:34 26. Bxa6 Kramnik chooses the sharpest continuation. He could have still copped out by Rc1 or Rd2 with a probable draw. ... Bxa6 27.Rxd7 Rxb2 Half an hour each for 13 moves. 28.Ra7 Bb5 29. f5 exf5 30.exf5 Re2 31. Nfd4 Kramnik 13 left Kasparov 18. Kramnik is pressing for a win. Re1+ 32.Kf2 Rf1+ 33.Kg2 Nh4+ 34.Kh3 Rh1+ 35.Kg4 Be8 Forcing 36.Bf2 Ng2 37. Ra8!? 37. Nf3 is another way of playingRf1 38.Kf3 Nh4+ Kasparov had at least 10 minutes to find the best move here. The assessment of 38. ...Nf4 is key here. It seems in the cold light of day 38. ..Nf4 might also be losing although at the time this wasn't clear.39.Ke2 Rh1 40. Nb5 Bxg5 White is going to be a piece up but his pieces are scattered. 41.Nc7 Ke7 42.Nxe8 Nxf5 43.Bxb6 Kd7 Kramnik had a long thought before playing 44. a4 Now Kasparov needs something very special to save the draw. Rh3 45.Nc5+ Kc6 46. a5 Kramnik has 25 mins left Kasparov has around an hour to reach move 60.46. ...Re3+ Kasparov down to 17 minutes 47.Kd1 Re7! 48.Rc8+ Kb5 49.Ne4Kramnik is down to less than 11 minutes as is Kasparov. 49. ... Rxe4 50.Rc5+ Ka6 51.Nc7+ Kb7 52.Rxf5 Be3 53.Bxe3 Rxe3 Kramnik 7 mins left Kasparov 4. Kasparov has done very well to stay in the game and could draw. 54.Rxf7 Re5 55.a6+ 55. Nd5+ was a win. Kb6 56.Rxg7 Ra5 57.Kd2 Ra1 58.Kc2 Rh1? This definitely loses as Kramnik has a win with Rg8. 58. ...Ra5 draws. Kramnik had 4 minutes left 59.Kb2? Rh8 60.Kb3 Rc8 61.a7 Kxa7 62.Kb4 The game is now a draw Kb6 63.Nd5+ Ka6 64.Rg6+ Kb7 65.Kb5 Rc1 66.Rg2 Kc8 67.Rg7 Kd8 68.Nf6 Rc7 69.Rg5 Rf7 70.Nd5 Kd7 71.Rg6 Rf1 72.Kc5 Rc1+ 73.Kd4 Rd1+ 74.Ke5 ½-½

Score Kasparov 1.5 - Kramnik 2.5. Kasparov surprisingly played the Queens Gambit Accepted with black. Kramnik played extremely well and after 38. Nh4+ from Kasparov he won a piece (whether 38. Nh4+ was a blunder depends on the assessment of 38. ...Nf4 which may also have been losing). Later Kasparov found an incredible defence and with a little help from Kramnik achieved a drawn position. It seems Kasparov blundered it away again with 58. ...Rh1 (instead 58. ...Ra5 draws) but Kramnik missed final winning chance 59. Rg8 and the game then was clearly drawn. Whatever the imperfections it was a great defensive performance from Kasparov after being under pressure throughout the game.

Notes by Mark Crowther

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