END OF AN ERROR
By John Henderson

Vladimir Kramnik

IN the chess world there are some things that we’ve come to expect as certain in life: Death, taxes and Garry Kasparov as world champion. Not any more: We’ve reached the end of an era.

Kramnik's prize, the Staunton Trophy

After more years than I care to remember, the crown has finally been wrested from Garry Kasparov head by a young, dynamic, entertaining, cosmopolitan, new world champion, Vladimir Kramnik. Believe me, as a seasoned chess journalist, I’m sure that for months to come, every time I write “Garry Kasparov”, I’ll also continue to add “the world champion”. Likewise, when I write “Vladimir Kramnik”, I’ll no doubt still be adding “heir to the Kasparov throne”. I wonder if in 1921 at Havana, all the chess journalists had the same problem after Capablanca wrested the crown from Lasker after his 27-year reign?

Mig

But taking nothing away from a superb performance from Kramnik, the big question, however, is: What exactly was wrong with Garry Kasparov? Well, the best answer to this came – jokingly, I hasten to add – from the KasparovChess Online Editor-in-chief, Mig. Fed up with everyone (including me) badgering him for the inside gossip and low-down on what exactly was wrong with the world champion (see, told you so!), one day in the pressroom when Freddie Friedel was filming, he, as most of us do when Freddie is filming, decided to have a bit of “fun”, and replied: "Aliens have stolen his brain and are going to transplant it into Elvis's body somewhere near Neptune."

Fred Friedel

Yes, a bit of harmless fun. We can all laugh about that in the pressroom if Knuckles isn’t around. It’s the sort of thing you’d expect to see in something like the National Enquirer, Fortean Times or even the New York Post. However, on overhearing this witty retort to Herr Friedel, the AP News' man on the scene, Rob “Accident Waiting To Happen” Huntington, made a serious error of literally thinking that this WAS an official statement from the Kasparov camp, and so decided to quote poor old Mig verbatim! Now, it was bad enough for Kasparov to lose his crown, but imagine also waking up the next morning to discover this quote on the front-page of some of the highbrow publications and news outlets like the New York Times, International Herald Tribune, and not to mention several prime time TV news programs like CNN!

Suffice it to say that Mig, rather than hope that Gazza wouldn’t read the papers that day, decided to do the proper thing and thought it would be a lot better to get his letter of explanation in first! Unbelievably, Kasparov apparently had a good laugh at it all – he must be mellowing since losing the crown!

And another thing, surely the match sponsors Brain Games Network will never, ever make the serious error again of treating the journalists in a pressroom in such a disgraceful manner as they did during this match? We can only hope so – maybe next time they can use a professional PR company!

Incidentally, I’ve had a number of requests for more details about Knuckles, the security goon from THUGS-R-US, who was kind enough to escort me out of the Gulag at the Riverside Studios. Well, “Knuckles” is actually Roy Snell, who runs the security service P.P.P., Personal, Private Protection. Apart from scaring the bejesus out of the journalists, Roy’s firm was also in charge of making sure that both players arrived safely at the venue with a couple of reliable fast cars.

I’ve been told that I should have felt honoured to be escorted out by Roy “Knuckles” Snell. In the past he’s been shot and stabbed in the call of duty, and apparently he’s been the bodyguard of such stars as Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand and Brad Pitt! So I suppose he can now add the name of “John Henderson” to that exclusive list!

ChessBase 8, an apology: Remember my article entitled FREDDIE FRIEDEL 8 MY CHESSBASE? Well, it seems that just about my entire bug problem and crashes were, as I suspiciously suspected and hinted at in the article, caused by that nice Mr Bill Gates and his Windows 98 upgrade, Windows Me. Having now taken off (more like thrown across the room) Windows Me, to be replaced once again with the more reliable crashes I’m come to love and know on Windows 98, my ChessBase 8 now seems to have stabilised enormously. I wonder if Mr Gates and Microsoft realise that the viral infection Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is more commonly known in this country as M.E., Myalgic Encephalopathy?

So, any blame I may have inadvertently laid at the door of Freddie Friedel and the boys from Hamburg was totally unjustified and an error on my part (the things I’ll do to continue receiving free goodies from ChessBase!).

And while we’re on the subject of ChessBase, remember that nice piece of analysis from Team Kasparov on the ending from game 14? Remember the one, where it was thought that Gazza had missed a very difficult win in a rook and pawn ending? Well the boys from Hamburg have put the ultimate authority on the case – none other than the all-singing, all-dancing, and not to mention all-powerful silicon beastie, Deep Fritz!

On their website at http://www.chessbase.com, they seem to have found a flaw in the analysis to prove that it was, after all, a draw. Well thanks very much, boys, that’s certainly put my mind at ease. I’ll be able to sleep more comfortably tonight!

55 ..Kf6 56 Rf8+ Ke7 57 Rf5 Ke6 58 fxg4 hxg4 59 Rg5 Ra4 60 Kf2 Kf6 61 Rg8 Kf5 62 Rg7 Ra2+ 63 Kg1 Rd2 64 Rg8 Ke4 65 Rxg4+ Kf3 66 Rg6! (Team Kasparov’s analysis ran: 66 Rg8? e4 67 Rf8+ Ke2 68 Kg2 e3 69 g4 Rd4 70 Kg3 Kd2 71 Re8 (71 Ra8 e2 72 Ra2+ Ke3 73 Ra3+ Rd3 74 Ra1 Rd1 75 Ra3+ Kd4 76 Ra4+ Kc5 77 Ra5+ Kb6) 71 ..e2 72 Kh4 e1Q+ 73 Rxe1 Kxe1 74 Kh5 Kf2 75 g5 Kf3 76 g6 Rg4 77 Kh6 Kf4 78 g7 Kf5 79 Kh7 Rh4+ 80 Kg8 Kg6 81 Kf8 Rf4+ 82 Kg8 Rf1 83 Kh8 Rh1+ 84 Kg8 Rh7) 66 ..e4 67 Rf6+ Ke2 68 g4 e3 (68 ..Rd5 69 Re6 e3 70 Kg2 Kd2 71 Kf3=) 69 g5 Rd5 70 g6 Rg5+ 71 Kh2 Ke1 72 Rd6 e2 73 Re6 Kf2 74 Rf6+ Ke3 75 Re6+ Kf3 76 Rf6+ Ke4 77 Re6+=

Kasparov,G - Kramnik,V [E05]

1 d4! At long last! Why on earth Garry doesn't play this opening move more often puzzles me. After all, it's the move he's got his best results as White with! 1 ..Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 g3 The Catalan - another Kasparov favourite! If the champion is going to go out, he's going to go in style. 3 ..d5 4 Bg2 Be7 5 Nf3 0–0 6 0–0 dxc4 7 Qc2 a6 8 Qxc4 b5 9 Qc2 Bb7 10 Bd2 Be4 11 Qc1 Bb7 Best by test. The main alternative can prove to be problematic: 11 ..Nbd7 12 Ba5 Rc8 13 Nbd2 Bb7 14 Qc2, with pressure on c7. 12 Bf4 Bd6 13 Nbd2 Nbd7 14 Nb3 Bd5 15 Rd1 Qe7!?N

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em! Kasparov has been following a game of one of Kramnik's seconds, Evgeny Bareev, until Kramnik produced this TN. 15 ..Qb8 16 Be5 Qb6 17 Qf4 Ne4 18 Bxd6 cxd6 19 Ne1 Nef6 20 e4 e5 21 Qe3 Bb7 22 Rd3 Rac8 23 d5 Nc5 24 Nxc5 Qxc5 25 f3 Rc7 26 Qxc5 Rxc5 27 Rb3 Bc8 28 Nd3 Rc4 29 Bf1 Nd7 30 Nb4 Rc7 31 Ra3 f5 32 exf5 Rxf5 33 Nxa6 Bxa6 34 Rxa6 Rxf3 35 Bxb5 Nf6 36 Rc6 Rb7 37 a4 Rb3 38 Rxd6 Rxb2 39 Re6 e4 40 Rf1 Rc7 41 Rc6 Rb7 1–0 Bareev,E-Lalic,B/Sochi 1987/TD. 16 Ne5 Bxg2 17 Kxg2 Nd5 18 Nc6 Nxf4+ 19 Qxf4 Qe8 Kasparov is going to make Kramnik work to get the crucial half point. For the first time in the match, it's actually Kasparov who's dictating the play. He must be regretting all those Berlin Defence's that he allowed Kramnik to play. Now, with the Catalan, his firmly in control. A case of too little too late! 20 Qf3 e5! 21 dxe5 Nxe5 22 Nxe5 Qxe5 23 Rd2 Rae8 24 e3 Re6 25 Rad1?!

If White has any winning ideas, then he has to look at something like 25 Rc1 , with the text, Kasparov wastes a crucial tempo. 25 ..Rf6 26 Qd5 Qe8! And also in the match, for the first time it’s Kasparov who also dictates when the Queen's come off! However, Kramnik isn't interested in this position, as White would have the upper hand in the ending. 27 Rc1 g6 28 Rdc2 h5 29 Nd2 Rf5 30 Qe4? 30 Qc6! was more to the point, as it prevents.. 30 ..c5! 31 Qxe8 Rxe8 32 e4 Rfe5 33 f4 R5e6 34 e5 Be7 35 b3

And that, Kasparov must have thought, is that as the c-pawn must surely fall. However, it looks as if he missed Kramnik's next move. 35 ..f6! 36 Nf3 36 exf6? Bxf6 37 Nf3 c4! 38 bxc4 bxc4 39 Rxc4 Re2+ 40 Kf1 (40 Kh3 Rxa2 41 Rc7 Rf8! 42 R1c6 Rf7³) 40 ..Rxa2 41 R4c2 Rxc2 42 Rxc2 a5³ 36 ..fxe5 37 Nxe5 Rd8 38 h4 Rd5 ½–½

The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of TWIC, Chess & Bridge Ltd or the London Chess Center.