(1) Kramnik,Vladimir (2791) - Grischuk,Alexander (2771) [D55]
Tal Memorial Moscow (2), 06.11.2010
[Reeh,Oliver]

1.Nf3 d5 2.d4 Nf6 3.c4 e6 4.Nc3 Be7 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bxf6 Bxf6 7.e3 0-0 8.Qc2 Na6 9.a3 c5 10.Rd1 dxc4 11.Bxc4 cxd4 12.exd4 Bd7 13.0-0 Rc8 14.Ba2 Bc6 15.Ne5 Bxe5 16.dxe5 Qh4 17.f4 Rcd8 18.Rd6 Nc7 19.Qd3 g6 20.Rd1 Surprisingly enough, with this natural move White deprives himself of a potential trump - the passed pawn in the d-file! [20.b4!? would have maintained the pressure, e.g. 20...Rxd6 (20...a6 21.a4 ) 21.exd6 Rd8? (21...Ne8 22.b5 is also better for White.) 22.b5! winning a piece. (but not 22.dxc7? Rxd3 23.c8Q+ Rd8 24.Qc7 Rd2! ) ]

20...Rxd6! This move is strong and leads to complete equality - answer A).

21.Qxd6 White must allow the exchange of knights and thus further simplifications. [The point is that the desirable 21.exd6? runs into the strong pin 21...Rd8! (knight moves are weaker: 21...Ne8 22.d7 ; 21...Na6 22.Qd4 , both with a clear plus for White.) , and now 22.dxc7? (otherwise Black plays...Ne8, when the pawn d6 already tends to be a weakness.) fails to 22...Rxd3 23.c8Q+ Kg7 , and despite his plus piece White is just losing: 24.Rf1 (24.g3 Qh3 25.Qxc6 Rxd1+ 26.Nxd1 bxc6 ; 24.Rxd3 Qe1# ) 24...Rd2 and there is no reasonable way to cover the point g2.]

21...Nb5 [Also possible was a "more creative" play for a draw: 21...Qxf4!? 22.Qxc7 Qe3+ 23.Kh1 (risks for both sides contains the line 23.Kf1 Qf4+ 24.Ke1 Qxh2 ) 23...Qf2 24.Rg1 Bxg2+! 25.Rxg2 Qf1+ 26.Rg1 Qf3+ with perpetual check.]

22.Nxb5 Bxb5 23.Qc5 Be2 24.g3 Qh3 25.Re1 Bf3 26.Qf2 Bc6 27.Qf1 Qxf1+ 28.Rxf1 Rd8 29.Bb3 Rd3 30.Bc2 Rd2 31.Rf2 Rd4 32.Kf1 Kf8 33.Ke2 Ke7 34.Ke3 Rc4 35.Bd3 Rc1 36.Rf1 Rc5 37.Rf2 Rc1 38.Rf1 Rc5 39.Rf2 1/2-1/2