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Fabiano Caruana vs Vladimir Kramnik
Tal Memorial (2012), Moscow RUS, rd 8, Jun-17
Scotch Game: Mieses Variation (C45)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

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Given 16 times; par: 40 [what's this?]

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Kibitzer's Corner
Jun-17-12  SetNoEscapeOn: One idea flows into another until Kramnik is forced to give up the ghost.
Jun-17-12  Everett: Remarkable how the prevalence of Black playing the Ruy Berlin has on increased the frequency of Scotch's on the elite level.
Jun-17-12  fischer2009: Instead of the obvious time trouble blunder 39... Ne3,39... Ra3.40 Ka3 Kc4 seems very interesting.
Jun-17-12  Whitehat1963: Forgive my blindness once again, but what happens if 40...dxc3?
Jun-17-12  Everett:    <Whitehat1963: Forgive my blindness once again, but what happens if 40...dxc3?>

41.Bxg7 and white will be able to stop the pawn.

Jun-17-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  Check It Out: I think he meant if the bishop is taken on c3.

After 40...dxc3 then 41.Rd3+ and it's a hopeless endgame as black's weak c pawns will fall after either 41...Ke5 42.Rxc3 or 41...Ke6 42.Rd5+.

Jun-17-12  Illogic: <Forgive my blindness once again, but what happens if 40...dxc3?> Then he's two pawns down..
Jun-17-12  Marmot PFL: <fischer2009> 39...Rxa3+ 40 Kxa3 Kc4 41 Bxd4 Kxd3 42 Bxg7 Nxg7 and it seems likely that black can draw the knight ending.
Jun-17-12  PawnEnding: <Marmot PFL>: 39. - Rxa3+ 40. Kxa3 Kc4 41. Rd1 dxc3 42. Nd6+ Nxd6 43. Rxd6 c2 44. Rxc6+ Kd3 45. Kb3 is winning for white.
Jun-17-12  Everett:   < Check It Out: I think he meant if the bishop is taken on c3. After 40...dxc3 then 41.Rd3+ and it's a hopeless endgame as black's weak c pawns will fall after either 41...Ke5 42.Rxc3 or 41...Ke6 42.Rd5+.>

Yep. Didn't read carefully. Sorry 'bout that.

Jun-17-12  Marmot PFL: <: 39. - Rxa3+ 40. Kxa3 Kc4 41. Rd1 dxc3 42. Nd6+ Nxd6 43. Rxd6 c2 44. Rxc6+ Kd3 45. Kb3 is winning for white.>

But black has 43...c5! and if 44 Rc6 Bd4. If 44 Rd1 c2 and cb4+.

Jun-18-12  fischer2009: <Pawnending> I was about to post that u missed 43.... c5! in your analysis when i noticed that <Marmot PFL> has given the whole line.
Jun-21-12  pmukerji: What if black plays 35. ... Rxa3 to equalize...i'm probably not seeing something here. Thoughts?
Jun-21-12  Eyal: 35...Rxa3 36.Bxg7 Rxd3 37.Kxd3 Nxg7 38.Ne5+ followed by 39.Nxg6 leaves White a pawn up in a probably winning knight endgame.
Aug-20-13  csmath: Good psychological trick. Kramnik passed opening test by Caruana (always ready to test oponents on their opening knowledge) but is then forced to go into active play with pawn down. Kramnik (at least previously) is not a player that likes to play actively down a material.

30. Rf3! is stronger move than what Caruana played with obvious threats Rf7.

As in:

30. ... Bh6
31. Nf7 Rd4
32. Kc2

with black clean pawn down without any compensation.

After that Caruana has somewhat spoiled his pawns on queenside but still has hidden tactics:

38. Kc4! Rxa3
39. Bxd4 Rxd3
40. Bc5+ Ke5
41. Kxd3

with obviously better ending.

Kramnik is clearly put to the test here that he almost passes but then blunders as it is often the case with Kramnik lately.

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