Hi there.
In this lecture, we see the positional genius of Vladimir Kramnik playing against Peter Leko.
So this is in the 2004 World Chess Championship match.
Round 14.
A must win situation for Vladimir Kramnik.
We have e4c6 on d4d5 now E five the advanced variation.
So this was also favoured by Nimzowitsch.
We have Bishop at five, but unlike Nimzowitsch is Bishop de free.
We have H four, which does seem to have a lot of venom to it.
We have H six and G four.
So one pitfall here.
The bishop went back to D seven.
If it goes to H seven, can you see what white plays here, which is very dangerous for black.
Yeah.
There's a positional pawn sacrifice for 100 points E six after f tanks.
There's enough compensation here to justify things.
Black should really play E5 to get some pieces developed.
So in this position, White still has a nice advantage.
So this is a dangerous pawn sacrifice.
So the bishop goes to D seven and now we have 92.
And this gives the idea that C five is going to be under whites grip.
So.
So C five is played immediately.
If it's played slowly with E six, let's say, might be free.
Quincy seven, 9f3.
Black's going to end up playing C five in any case.
And this situation, if Black gives up the dark square Bishop.
We do have a fundamental downside creeping in.
The dark squares are a bit vulnerable here.
White is overall better.
So C five immediately D tanks we have E six might be free.
And now a tactic to get the pawn back.
Bishop takes C five white obliges Knight 65 of the point is the check to get the knight hair back.
Nevertheless, White has a certain advantage in this position, this advanced pawn which can be overprotected.
Central point the dark squares slightly vulnerable.
We have 97 Bishop D free.
This might be a slight inaccuracy.
H five would stop night G six and does seem pretty reliable.
So one should have an advantage here.
Whatever black place, this position is possible to allow e five to go.
Just in case you're wondering, because of Bishop D four and why it's going to get G seven after with
advantage.
So yeah, H five does seem a slight improvement, but Bishop D free and we have nine BC six black could
have played the energetic D for this positional pawn sacrifice.
Should give black a decent enough game if black applies this strategic bishop exchange.
The position here is pretty interesting.
One should only have a small edge, but not BC six.
We have Bishop e free queen a five queen DD 2g6 and now Bishop D for supporting the E five pawn Knight
takes d4c takes and maybe Peter Leko felt well with the Queen's coming off.
It should be more draw ish.
Right?
We have no effort.
Rook AC 1h5 is played if rook c eight Just the challenge that CFO one could take here.
And this position is slightly better for white.
If we look at this one, it has a nice space advantage and overall is slightly better.
So h five here was played by Black Rook, hg1, Bishop c six and now G takes h five.
Looking at g seven that pushes the knight back to protect G seven.
Rook takes h five looks to be unsound.
There's nothing really going on here.
White just has won a pawn there for not much.
So the knight goes back to H five protecting g7b4.
So B five looks like a nice idea that stopped a four trying to renew the idea offering a pawn to break
into that seven.
Frank Black doesn't want that to happen because if that happens juicy target like on F seven and combining
with Knight G five and other stuff and even things like Knight takes F seven for Bishop G six if the
rotated.
So this looks like an unwise idea to allow Rook C seven so black ignored that pawn King D eight We have
Knight G five here and now Bishop E So black's getting a bit passive.
B five And now Knight of four.
If A times.
B five.
The key here, what would you play with?
White Which would be important for ten points.
If you had this possession, what would you play?
Yeah, tactics are important.
We play the bishop to try and weaken after seven and we should have an advantage here.
This position should be to our favor.
So, for example, this situation, we have authority over the C file and the attack on B six.
And black's pretty passive here.
We're starting to make progress as an example like this.
We're making progress inroads with advantage.
If we'd played.
Instead in that variation, just a taste.
Then there's no problem for black with that active rock.
We can't give that activity.
If rocks get exchanged for drops and is not enough for white here to work on black a counter sanker
pawn and just be equal here.
Looking forward to counterattack.
So anyway, F4 though was played just leaving that B5 pawn and it becomes now a hook.
B6 hooking C7.
Night takes the Frank King sized frame.
And now.
Yeah, Roxy seven looks like a very dangerous idea.
So.
And the bishops tie it down to F seven.
We have Roxy, eight pair of rooks come off.
Roxy one, champ, Bishop C six.
So we're deep into an end game now.
Basically, nine takes F seven now, swapping F seven for H for 996.
Jack King, the eight Rogue one will cage free Tank King E two And now Rook, a free rook takes G seven.
Rob takes a fall.
So here is a moment of absolute genius.
Which reminds me of the classic Capablanca against taunts Goa.
So what can we do if our king in this end game In the end game positional play involving improving the
king is often very important.
We've also got a rook on the seventh, like in the classic Capablanca versus Tasca game.
So what would you play here for?
200 points?
If you're into rugby, it's like we got to try and get a touchdown and get our king somehow across the
Defenders F4.
This provides a bridge potentially to get into the black position on the dark squares offering default.
That's not taken route A to check.
So why if rook takes D for actually even better than the king won't care.
There's something which is more to the point, in fact.
What would you play?
I may have distracted you with King Jeffrey, but there's actually something much better.
Five.
This is so dangerous.
So ideas of either F6 or F are very dangerous.
We're following up with E seven and nine.
Supporting E eight.
Check and double check.
So if E takes E six and the night holds the E for square here, so say Bishop E eight, nine times B
seven check, 96 check.
And this position right now for E seven chat mates.
So that will be a big fat here.
If Bishop B five checked, this position is basically busted.
This is just busted.
The pawns are too slow.
Wait, it's going to be queening fast.
So that is a fascinating position.
Here.
So, yes, let's have a look at that again.
So EF five would be key here, creating a dangerous passport potential.
And we looked at Bishop E one about a five just to show e seven check, e eight double check and mate
mating soon with the extra queen.
Not mate immediately.
So anyway, rook to check was played.
We have King Jeffrey and the king does make a route in now on the dark squares of the UK free checking
g for rook d free and now F five here.
So not only a postpone is of great interest, but a king infiltration rook takes D for check.
If E takes our five check King takes our five bishop dd seven check e six.
And this is just crushing with the king threatening, helping to threaten rook these seven.
Checkmate.
So check.
Yeah.
Black's just completely busted.
So Rook takes the four champ, but now King G five, E takes a five.
So black for the moment, two pawns up.
But look at the possession overall possession when the aggressive king rook g four and we have now rook
C seven.
So big France.
And you know, if E six there not be a let off route takes G seven and the blacks just winning here.
So C seven very important for yeah blacks busted here KING Safety is now a major factor.
And off the F seven check black has to resign blacks actually getting checkmated by force.
So it's not even about the past pawn now it's about the aggressive king and the rook and knight.
If King E eight So why did Black resign?
King eight Can you see what black, white, Why black is being mated?
What does white play here for some points.
Yeah.
Look.
See, I check and we get a common square one that's called killer.
Common square root.
Rudy ain't.
And that is checkmate.
This pawn is actually helping control an escape square.
That would be a wonderful finish.
So nine of seven black resigns.
A very important game to win.
And Vladimir Kramnik kind of giving an early nods up to nimzowitsch with the advance variation in this
game.
But we see in, I would say, an improvement.
This is a much more dangerous idea, considered much more dangerous idea.
H4 But also 94 is a great move as well.
Bishop de Free does does seem to give Black an easy game if the bishops come off.
And then also there's Nigel Short, signer of 1915 Bishop Ito.
But h for early on in the opening.
This is a dangerous weapon of choice.
It looks in a sense, a little bit reckless.
All these pawn moves we say about irreversible damage.
When we do pawn moves, it's quite committed.
We can't take them back.
But there's a justification here in this position for cramping the black pieces in the opening and trying
to get a different kind of concession.
A weakening of the dark squares set out from the very opening echoes later in this game and maybe 85
slightly more accurate.
But yeah, this this really got a nice advantage because of the way it panned out here despite the Queen's
coming off.
So we go quite quickly into the realms of endgame strategies.
But what a marvelous endgame.
Aggressive king, aggressive rook, potential aggressive passport.
Yeah.
So great stuff in the endgame there being featured.
So, yes, wonderful stuff.
I hope you enjoyed this game.
Classic game of Vladimir Kramnik has so much.