The world champion Vladimir Kramnik got the edge against Deep Fritz for the third time in their match but the slippery computer escaped with a draw to retain a 3-2 lead going into this afternoon’s sixth and final game. The world champion cannot now double his start money of $500,000 by winning the contest.

Playing white Kramnik secured a small advantage against the Nimzo-Indian Defence with his bishop pair controlling lots of squares but the computer found some counterplay and Kramnik had to head for a draw as things threatened to get out of hand.

The contest is being sponsored by the German energy company RAG and staged at the Art and Exhibition Hall of the Bonn Museum.

Annotated Game 5

Kramnik,V (2750) - DEEP FRITZ [E51]
The Duel Bonne GER (5), 03.12.2006

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 Bb4 Turning the game into a Nimzo-Indian. 5.e3 0-0 6.a3 Bxc3+ 7.bxc3 c5 8.Bb2 Placing the bishop behind pawns looks vaguely ridiculous but White has genuine chances to open the a1–h8 diagonal and it prevents any snap attack against c3 with Qa5 and Ne4. 8...Nc6 9.Rc1 Re8 Now White has no choice but to lose a tempo with the bishop. 10.Bd3 dxc4 11.Bxc4 e5 The logical response, Black must activate his pieces and counter White's central preponderance. 12.dxe5 Qxd1+ 13.Rxd1 Nxe5 14.Nxe5 Rxe5 15.Be2! To play c4 and open up the Bb2 or perhaps Be2-f3. 15...Bd7 16.c4 Re7

17.h4 [17.Bxf6 gxf6 18.Rd6 Kg7 19.Kd2 Bc6 20.Kc3 Re6 21.Rd2 f5 22.Rg1 Rh6 23.h3 Re8 24.Bd3 Kf6 25.Bc2 Rh4 26.Rd6+ Re6 27.Rd2 f4 28.exf4 Rxf4 29.Bxh7 Be4 30.Bxe4 Rexe4 31.Rd7 Rxf2 32.Rgd1 1/2-1/2 Geller,E-Spassky,B/Riga 1965; 17.Bf3 Be6 18.Bxf6 gxf6 19.Bd5 Rd8 20.Ke2 Red7 21.e4 f5=; 17.g4!? was worth considering because both captures lose: 17...Nxg4 (17...Bxg4 18.Bxf6 Bxe2 19.Bxe7) 18.Rxd7 Rxd7 19.Bxg4] 17...Ne4 18.h5 [18.f3 Ng3 19.Rh2 Rxe3] 18...Ba4 19.Rd3 b5! 20.cxb5 Bxb5 21.Rd1 Bxe2 22.Kxe2 White has been deprived of the bishop pair and the passed c pawn gives Black counterplay. 22...Rb8 23.Ba1 f5 24.Rd5 [24.Rd3 c4 25.Rd4 Rb3 (but not 25...c3 26.Rc1) ] 24...Rb3 25.Rxf5 Rxa3 The computer's pieces are annoyingly active and Kramnik cannot gain sufficient control to organise an attack on g7,a7 or c5. 26.Rb1 Re8 27.Rf4 Ra2+ 28.Ke1 h6 29.Rg4

[29.f3? Ng3] 29...g5! This leads to a draw. [29...Re7 30.Rb8+ Kh7 31.Bxg7 Rxg7 32.Rxe4 Rxg2 33.Re7+ Rg7 34.Rbb7 Rxe7 35.Rxe7+ Kg8 36.Rc7 would have given White good winning chances with connected passed pawns.; 29...Nxf2 30.Rxg7+ Kf8 31.Rh7 Rxe3+? 32.Kf1 Re8 33.Rh8+ Kf7 34.Rb7+ wins.] 30.hxg6 Nxf2 31.Rh4 Rf8 Threat Nd3+ and Rf1 mate. Kramnik's reply is paradoxical and very hard to foresee. 32.Kf1!! Nh3+ 33.Ke1 Nf2 [33...Rxg2 34.Rxh6 Rg1+ 35.Ke2 Rxb1 36.Rh8#] 34.Kf1 Nh3+ 35.Ke1 1/2-1/2