Kramnik-Van Wely

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Kramnik chooses a quiet setup vs Van Wely's semi-Slav. In this context it interesting to look at his 1st round game vs Gustafsson where Kramnik after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 replied 2...g6!? (which I think he has very rarely done or not at all!) on they played 3.Nc3 d5 and Kramnik made an easy draw in the Grunfeld. I've heard people say that with this 1st round game and now this game with Van Wely...Kramnik is showing that he has no intentions of disclosing or showing Anand any of his preparation whatsoever in this tournament.  For instance Van Wely is a specialist in the Anti-Moscow 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 dxc4 7.e4 g5 8.Bg3 b5

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and Anand has played that very often with good results and used it as his main weapon en route to the WC title in San Luis. Kramnik has also entered the theorectical discussion in this line, playing with white against Anand in San Luis and also a recent famous game against Topalov with black where Topalov uncorcked a most surprising Nxf7 sacrifice.  Anyway, with the e3/b3 setup Kramnik is avoiding any theoretical discussion in these lines and saving his shotgun for Anand!

5...Nbd7 6.Bb2 b6 7.Bd3 Bb7 8.0–0 Bd6 9.Nbd2 0–0
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This was maybe the first move I stopped at. This Qf3-h3 and f4 plan is interesting and Kramnik's intentions are clear!

11...Rfd8 12.Qh3 h6 13.f4
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Somehow Kramnik hasn't done anything spectacular or special so I find it interesting how preferable the white position is. The Bb2 seems to have a lot more potential than the Bb7 who is battling his own pawn on the diagonal. The Ne5 stands very well and hard to kick it away or exchange it without concessions. Generally I would think all exchanges are good for white here. Blacksquared bishops straightup leave white with good N vs questionable B and exchaing B for Ne5 means white takes back fxe5 and has some potential of a buildup on the f-ile and the kingside. All these considerations are rather general but it's actually somebodies move and it's Kramnik's move and his next move is excellent!

18.c5! bxc5 19.a3 Ba5 20.dxc5 Qxc5 21.b4 Qb5

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After a series of forced moves and only a measly pawn sacrificed we see that white's pieces are all directed at the kingside while blacks are all stranded on the queenside unable to give protection to the king.

22.Qg3 Bb6 23.Nd7 g6

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This can't end well with the holes on the kingside!

24.Nf6+ Kf8 25.Be5 Rcc8 26.Qh4 h5 27.Nh7+ Ke8 28.Bd6 Rc7 29.Rfd1 

Van Wely resigned 1-0