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Jean-Luc Costa vs Vladimir Kramnik
"Push Your Luc" (game of the day Sep-02-2006)
Manila Olympiad (1992), Manila PHI, rd 2, Jun-09
Semi-Slav Defense: Normal Variation (D45)  ·  0-1

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

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Kibitzer's Corner
Oct-22-05  KingG: 22.b4? isn't the best move in the world.

There is no immediate forced mate at the end, but Black simply increases the pressure on g2 to win. eg after 31.Nh2 Qh3! and then the simple plan of putting a rook on both the g and f files. taking the bishop on f1 and taking on g2 and winning.

Sep-02-06
Premium Chessgames Member
  WannaBe: Where my rooks go?! Or What happened to my rooks?! Or Boy, did I play that well.
Sep-02-06  RandomVisitor: Black missed 29...Rxf3! for a knock out ending. Maybe 20.e5 keeps White in the game.
Sep-02-06  Albertan: Costa is an IM from Switzerland whose elo at the time of this game was 2425.Kramnik's elo at the time of this game was 2590.
Sep-02-06  Albertan: The move 6.Bd2 is a rarely played idea in top-level chess. Usually White plays 6.Qc2.

The move 9...a6 has only been played in one other game besides this one: Atalik-Erdogdu, 2003EU-ch 4th.

By playing the move 9.Qc2 the game tranposed back into the main line.

It is more popular for White to play the move Bd3 on move 11.

Another idea on move 13 was to play 13.b4 with this variation possible:

13. b4 Ncd7 14. Ne4 Be7 15. Rfd1 Bb7 16. Nxf6+ Bxf6 17. Rac1 Rc8 18. Qb3 Qe7=

The move 22.b4? was a mistake. Instead he could have played 22.Be2 with this variation possible:

22. Be2 Rfd8 23. b4 Bd4 24. Rf1 Qa8 25. Bb2 Nxe4 26. Nb3 Bxb2 27. Qxb2 Ng6 28. Rxd8+ Rxd8 29. Rc1 Nf4 30. Bf1 Bd5

Starting on move 25 Kramnik could have gained more of an advantage if he had played the move 25...Qg3! with this variation possible:

25... Qg3! 26. Re2 f5 27. Qb3 fxe4 28. Qxe6+ Kh8 29. Qd6 Qxd6 30. Rxd6 exf3 31. Rxf2 fxg2+ 32. Bxg2 Nxf2+

On move 29 Kramnik could have played the sacrifice 29...Rxf3!! with this variation possible:

29... Rxf3!! 30. gxf3 Qxf3+ 31. Bg2 Qf5 32. Bxb6 Qh5+ 33. Kg1 Qh2+ 34. Kf1 Rf8+ 35. Ke1 Qxg2 36. Qd3 Bxe4 37. Qe2 Qh1+ 38. Kd2 Qb1 39. Qxe4 Qxe4

Sep-02-06  EmperorAtahualpa: Interesting, so many White pieces glued to the back rank...
Sep-02-06  Bishops r power: Excellent combination from move 22 by Kramnik!!! White was blown right out, and didn't understand which storm hit him...
Sep-02-06  kevin86: White is about to be trapped in a cocoon by black's pieces. With rook,bishop,and queen-and eventually a second rook- coming,even this small space will be doomed to collapse.
Sep-02-06  blingice: The game's position is best (i.e. most impressive) after 20..Ne5. Kramnick has somehow pulled a straightjacket over the head of Costa. Has <CG.com> started on a campaign of dispelling the stereotype of Kramnik being drawy and safe?
Sep-02-06  suenteus po 147: <blingice> I think we will see an increase of Kramnik and Topalov games as puzzles and games of the day as we approach the start of the match. Something similar was done (though not this early) in the time leading up to the Leko-Kramnik match.
Sep-02-06  aragorn69: <Albertan: Costa is an IM from Switzerland whose elo at the time of this game was 2425.Kramnik's elo at the time of this game was 2590.> True, a very talented "natural" player, but not a big worker (and of course no match for Kramnik). As a matter of fact, I drew once a blitz (or was it rapid?) game against him, when we were both young juniors, because he didn't "know" that opposite-color bishops' endings are prone to be draws...
Sep-05-06  patzer2: Kramnik's 22...Neg4!! is Sunday puzzle material, with a surprise sham sacrifice for a winning attack on White's weakened castled position.
Oct-04-07  xeroxmachine: <KingG: 22.b4? isn't the best move in the world.>

No its just a tribute.

Nov-26-08  Poisonpawns: Kramnik was only a FM 2590 playing on 1st reserve board at this time.He was the strongest FM to play in the olympics. The team was 1.Kasparov 2.Khalifman 3.Dolmatov 4.Dreev reserve:Kramnik,Vyzmanavin
Jun-10-10  SetNoEscapeOn: 2590 FM... almost sounds like a radio station rather than a chess rating.
Sep-25-14  SpiritedReposte: <Costa Living>
Aug-01-16  Osaretink: If 29..Rxf3 , 30.Rxg4 what next?..i do not think the move is as strong as the one played for the attack would be over

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