[Event "WCC 2008"] [Site "Bonn"] [Date "2008/10/26"] [Round "9"] [White "Anand, V."] [Black "Kramnik, V."] [ECO ""] [Result "1/2-1/2"] 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 c6 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 dxc4 7.e4 g5 8.Bg3 b5 9.Be2 Bb7 10.Qc2 Nbd7 11.Rd1 Bb4 12.Ne5 Qe7 13.O-O Nxe5 14.Bxe5 O-O 15.Bxf6 Qxf6 16.f4 Qg7 17.e5 c5 18.Nxb5 cxd4 19.Qxc4 a5 20.Kh1 Rac8 21.Qxd4 gxf4 22.Bf3 Ba6 23.a4 Rc5 24.Qxf4 Rxe5 25.b3 Bxb5 26.axb5 Rxb5 27.Be4 Bc3 28.Bc2 Be5 29.Qf2 Bb8 30.Qf3 Rc5 31.Bd3 Rc3 32.g3 Kh8 33.Qb7 f5 34.Qb6 Qe5 35.Qb7 Qc7 36.Qxc7 Bxc7 37.Bc4 Re8 38.Rd7 a4 39.Rxc7 axb3 40.Rf2 Rb8 41.Rb2 h5 42.Kg2 h4 43.Rc6 hxg3 44.hxg3 Rg8 45.Rxe6 Rxc4 1/2-1/2

[Event "WCC 2008"] [Site "Bonn"] [Date "2008/10/27"] [Round "10"] [White "Kramnik, V."] [Black "Anand, V."] [ECO ""] [Result "1-0"] 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Nf3 c5 5.g3 cxd4 6.Nxd4 O-O 7.Bg2 d5 8.cxd5 Nxd5 9.Qb3 Qa5 10.Bd2 Nc6 11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.O-O Bxc3 13.bxc3 Ba6 14.Rfd1 Qc5 15.e4 Bc4 16.Qa4 Nb6 17.Qb4 Qh5 18.Re1 c5 19.Qa5 Rfc8 20.Be3 Be2 21.Bf4 e5 22.Be3 Bg4 23.Qa6 f6 24.a4 Qf7 25.Bf1 Be6 26.Rab1 c4 27.a5 Na4 28.Rb7 Qe8 29.Qd6 1-0

[Event "WCC 2008"] [Site "Bonn"] [Date "2008/10/15"] [Round "2"] [White "Anand, V."] [Black "Kramnik, V."] [ECO ""] [Result "1/2-1/2"] 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.f3 d5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 c5 7.cxd5 Nxd5 8.dxc5 f5 9.Qc2 Nd7 10.e4 fxe4 11.fxe4 N5f6 12.c6 bxc6 13.Nf3 Qa5 14.Bd2 Ba6 15.c4 Qc5 16.Bd3 Ng4 17.Bb4 Qe3+ 18.Qe2 O-O-O 19.Qxe3 Nxe3 20.Kf2 Ng4+ 21.Kg3 Ndf6 22.Bb1 h5 23.h3 h4+ 24.Nxh4 Ne5 25.Nf3 Nh5+ 26.Kf2 Nxf3 27.Kxf3 e5 28.Rc1 Nf4 29.Ra2 Nd3 30.Rc3 Nf4 31.Bc2 Ne6 32.Kg3 Rd4 1/2-1/2

[Event "WCC 2008"] [Site "Bonn"] [Date "2008/10/17"] [Round "3"] [White "Kramnik, V."] [Black "Anand, V."] [ECO ""] [Result "0-1"] 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4 b5 8.Bd3 a6 9.e4 c5 10.e5 cxd4 11.Nxb5 axb5 12.exf6 gxf6 13.O-O Qb6 14.Qe2 Bb7 15.Bxb5 Bd6 16.Rd1 Rg8 17.g3 Rg4 18.Bf4 Bxf4 19.Nxd4 h5 20.Nxe6 fxe6 21.Rxd7 Kf8 22.Qd3 Rg7 23.Rxg7 Kxg7 24.gxf4 Rd8 25.Qe2 Kh6 26.Kf1 Rg8 27.a4 Bg2+ 28.Ke1 Bh3 29.Ra3 Rg1+ 30.Kd2 Qd4+ 31.Kc2 Bg4 32.f3 Bf5+ 33.Bd3 Bh3 34.a5 Rg2 35.a6 Rxe2+ 36.Bxe2 Bf5+ 37.Kb3 Qe3+ 38.Ka2 Qxe2 39.a7 Qc4+ 40.Ka1 Qf1+ 41.Ka2 Bb1+ 0-1

[Event "WCC 2008"] [Site "Bonn"] [Date "2008/10/18"] [Round "4"] [White "Anand, V."] [Black "Kramnik, V."] [ECO ""] [Result "1/2-1/2"] 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 Be7 5.Bf4 O-O 6.e3 Nbd7 7.a3 c5 8.cxd5 Nxd5 9.Nxd5 exd5 10.dxc5 Nxc5 11.Be5 Bf5 12.Be2 Bf6 13.Bxf6 Qxf6 14.Nd4 Ne6 15.Nxf5 Qxf5 16.O-O Rfd8 17.Bg4 Qe5 18.Qb3 Nc5 19.Qb5 b6 20.Rfd1 Rd6 21.Rd4 a6 22.Qb4 h5 23.Bh3 Rad8 24.g3 g5 25.Rad1 g4 26.Bg2 Ne6 27.R4d3 d4 28.exd4 Rxd4 29.Rxd4 Rxd4 1/2-1/2

[Event "WCC Bonn 2008"] [Site "www.unspe.com"] [Date "2008.10.29"] [Round "?"] [White "Anand, Viswanathan"] [Black "Kramnik, Vladimir"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [BlackElo "2400"] 1. e4 {Anand plays e4 for the first time in this match!} c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 Qc7 8. Bxf6 gxf6 9. f5 Qc5 10. Qd3 Nc6 11. Nb3 Qe5 {A logical move to keep pressure in the center. I think White has to consider O-O-O here. The Black King can reasonably stay in the center due to his strong center pawn structure. White cannot afford to do the same.} 12. O-O-O {White basically offers the f5 pawn sacrifice. The compensation for White is to be able to break up black's center pawn chain while opening up the critical e file. I would not take it. I prefer either 12...Bd7, 12....Rg8, or even 12...b5 better. 12...exf5 is too scary, but you never know what Kramnik may do when he needs to win and a draw is no good.} exf5 {A very brave Kramnik! Bravo! No matter what happens, no one can say that Kramnik backs off from a tough fight. This is not a blunder. It is a playable move, just dangerous. This is what the chess fans want to see, two heavyweight champions not backing off an inch. If 13.Re1 Bh6+ 14.Kb1 Be6 and the position is unclear. This is another possibility 13.Kb1 fxe4 14.Qxe4 Be7 15.Qf3 Be6 and it is also unclear.} 13. Qe3 {I personally did not expect this move. In addition to clearing the diagonal for this Bishop, the d5 square for his Rook or Knight, the square b6 will be one White would have an eye on. Black might as well consider playing 13...fxe4 since he already played exf5. This position is still unclear. However, if you are Kramnik, you cannot ask for more than just a chance to have a sharp game to score a full point, even though this type of position generally favors Anand. Kramnik has a tough decision to make. What should he play? Take on e4? Bd7, Be6, Bg7, or h5? The dynamics of the game will change quite a bit with these choices. I would probably narrow my choices to 13...Be6 or 13...h5. He is taking a lot of time for this move. He obviously understands that one error in judgment can end the match today. I would like to make a comparison to other sports. As you probably know, it is the hardest to close out the final 2 minutes of a basketball game or to win the final game to win a tennis match. It is the same in chess. The final game to win the World Chess Championship is the hardest to play.} Bg7 {A very unusual choice! I do not think this is the best option for Kramnik. It is not a blunder, just not the most aggressive move. I do not think Anand was unhappy seeing this move. It looks like Kramnik may want to get his King to the Kingside. Therefore, two good options for Anand are 14.Nd2 or 14.Rd5, both are unclear but definitely not worse for Anand. If 14.Nd5 then O-O and Black is better.} 14. Rd5 {The best move here is 14...Qe7. He needs to save the e6 square for his Bishop.} Qe7 {The most promising move for White is 15.Qg3 to attack both the d6 pawn and Bishop on g7.} 15. Qg3 {This is a possible line 15...Rg8 16.Qxd6 fxe4 17.Qxe7+ Kxe7 18.Nxe4 f5 =+. Here are more options: 15...Rg8 16. Qh4 fxe4 17. Nxe4 (17. Qxh7 Kf8 unclear) 17... Be6 18. Nxd6+ Kf8 19. Rd3 =+ Another factor to consider is both players may get into time pressure soon. They are both under 60 minutes after only 15 moves made.} Rg8 {As I pointed out in the lines above, 15.Rg8 is a good choice for Kramnik.} 16. Qf4 {Black is fine with 16...Be6 if 17.Rxd6 then Bh6 +-. White should just retreat the Rook to e1. 16...fxe4 is also playable.} fxe4 {If 17.Nxe4 Be6 18.Nxd6+ Kf8 19.Rd1 Rd8 and the position is unclear. White is about 6-7 minutes ahead on the clock.} 17. Nxe4 f5 {Perhaps 18.Nxd6+ Kf8 19.Nxc8 Rxc8 =/+=} 18. Nxd6+ {19.Nxc8 Rxc8 White is slightly better as I pointed out above. The idea for Anand is quite simple. The position was very complicated. Therefore, it is to his advantage to trade pieces and simplify the position where there will be less chances to blunder tactically.} Kf8 19. Nxc8 Rxc8 20. Kb1 {+= There is a very strong chance now for Anand to get at least a draw. The complications just passed and Anand came out OK. Black must try 20...Qe1 21.Nc1 Ne7 to give Black any last hope. 21.Qc1 is also fine for White, not much for Black.} Qe1+ 21. Nc1 {I see very few options for Kramnik to pull out a win.} Ne7 {as expected. The best response for White is Qd2 attempting to trade Queens. That would guarantee Anand a draw at the very least.} 22. Qd2 {Black has no choice but to trade Queens. Otherwise, he would face checkmate with Rd8+.} Qxd2 23. Rxd2 Bh6 {Now 24.Rd7 =/+=} 24. Rf2 {The position is still even. The only way Kramnik can win here is if Anand blunders. Once Anand gets his pieces out, Black has nothing. I assume a draw will come very soon.} Be3 {1/2 Thank you everyone for joining me for the LIVE commentary. It has been great sharing the excitement of these games with all of you. Congratulations to Anand for retaining his title. Excellent fighting spirit by Kramnik! Both players deserve plenty of respect.} 1/2-1/2