MARK RUBERY CHESS
Vladimir Kramnik, the 14th world champion, announced his retirement from classical chess a few days after a poor performance during last year’s Wijk aan Zee tournament.
Kramnik: “The life of a professional chess player was a great journey and I am very thankful to chess for all it has given me. It has sometimes been difficult, sometimes more successful than I could ever imagine, but in any case it has been a priceless human experience for me. I have always tried my best to give it all from my side, being fully involved in it while working and playing chess.”
His game against Aronian during the Candidates Tournament was a remarkable piece of opening preparation beautifully executed …
Aronian,L (2794) - Kramnik,V (2800) [C65]
FIDE Candidates 2018 Berlin GER
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.Bxc6 dxc6 6.0–0 Qe7 7.h3 Rg8! (This strange but very logical move had been locked in Kramnik opening arsenal for two years…) 8.Kh1 Nh5 9.c3 g5 10.Nxe5 g4 11.d4 Bd6 12.g3 Bxe5 13.dxe5 Qxe5 14.Qd4 Qe7 15.h4 c5 16.Qc4? (“A terrible blunder; I forgot that Black is threatening ...f5.” –Aronian. The best chance according to Kramnik was16. Qd3 Bd7 17. c4 O-O-O 18. Nc3 Bc6 19. Nd5 Qe5 when Black is better but the game goes on.)… Be6 17.Qb5+ c6 18.Qa4 f5! 19.Bg5 (19 exf5 Nxg3+ 20 fxg3 Bd5+ 21 Kg1 Qe2! wins prettily) Rxg5 20.hxg5 f4 21.Qd1 Rd8 22.Qc1 fxg3 23.Na3 Rd3 24.Rd1 Bd5! (In a winning position Kramnik chooses the most spectacular way to finish) 25.f3 (25 Rxd3 Qxe4+)… gxf3 26.exd5 Qe2 27.Re1 g2+
0–1 (28 Kh2 g1=Q+ 29 Kxg1 f2+ 30 Kh1 Rh3+ 31 Kg2 f1=Q#!)
‘It’s a sad day for chess. Another giant leaves the game earlier than we all would hope for. Vladimir Kramnik leaves an incredible legacy behind him. Almost every opening line played in last 25 years has his major input. Thanks maestro’ –Levon Aronian
It is a rare game that develops with the smooth accumulation of an advantage and its conversion into a point. But even in this case a player who is honest with himself knows he was afraid of a certain moment, what he was hoping for and how he flinched after miscalculating a variation. Time and again, however, proceeds according to the following approximate pattern: slightly worse, clearly worse, a mistake from the opponent, joy, winning chances, time trouble, missed opportunities, draw. Such changes in mood and emotion occur both in professional and amateur play, with the only difference in that the latter case these sharp peaks of ascents and descents can been seen several times. (Genna Sosonko)