[Event "Titled Tue 10th Dec Early"] [Site "chess.com INT"] [Date "2024.12.10"] [Round "10"] [White "Kramnik, V."] [Black "Kovalev, Vl"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "C61"] [WhiteElo "2753"] [BlackElo "2557"] [Annotator "MJDonnelly"] [PlyCount "75"] [EventDate "2024.12.10"] [SourceVersionDate "2008.05.10"] {[%evp 0,75,19,13,36,18,16,27,8,18,18,18,44,19,26,16,16,16,16,13,29,39,29,25,23,23,23,43,29,5,39,51,51,41,29,42,60,20,77,20,61,67,33,31,31,15,34,34,32,-57,-54,11,43,-18,-18,-37,-51,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0]} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nd4 4. Nxd4 exd4 5. O-O Ne7 {one of Black's less explored variations played back in 1887 in the game Anderssen-Paulsen, Leipzig Anderssen Masters and reappearing against none other than former World Champion Kramnik.} 6. c3 (6. d3 {is also common when Black follows the same plan with} c6 7. Bc4 {and} d5 {as in, for example Prie-Anic, FRA-ch Narbonne 1997.}) 6... c6 7. Bc4 {Other bishop retreats are not problematic for Black such as} (7. Be2 d5 8. d3 (8. exd5 Nxd5 9. Bf3 Be7 10. cxd4 O-O 11. Nc3 Be6 {Rojas Salas-Kovalev Titled Tuesday 24 Dec early Chess.com INT blitz 2024.}) 8... dxc3 9. Nxc3 d4 10. Nb1 {Babula-Turci, Olomouc Sigma 22nd 1989.}) ({and also} 7. Ba4 d5 $5 $11 (7... d3 8. Re1 $6 {Delivre-Berthelot, FRA-ch U18 Sautron 2000.}) (7... dxc3 8. Nxc3 $14 {Alkaersig-Hoiberg, Aarhus-A 1991.})) 7... d5 {this move may also be delayed and again secures Black a good game:} (7... dxc3 8. bxc3 d5 9. exd5 Nxd5 10. d4 Be6 {Scrader-Polek, Theme 17950 freechess.de 2014.}) 8. exd5 Nxd5 9. cxd4 (9. Qb3 {led to a wayward game after} Be6 (9... Bc5 $5) 10. Qxb7 Rc8 11. cxd4 (11. Qxa7 $5) 11... Bd6 12. Qb3 O-O {Sofyin-Tsvetkov, Satka Metallurg op 2012.}) 9... Be7 (9... Nb6 {also proved playable in a very early game in this line after} 10. d3 Qxd4 11. Re1+ Be7 12. Be3 Qd6 {Fleissig-Blackburne, Wien International Vienna 1873.}) 10. Nc3 O-O (10... Nb6 {was played a few days earlier than the main game and again proved viable following} 11. Bb3 O-O 12. Re1 Bf6 13. d3 Bxd4 {Bjerr-Kovalev, Titled Tuesday intern op 17th Dec. late Chess.com INT blitz 2024..}) 11. Bxd5 cxd5 12. d3 {Whilst White has an extra pawn it is doubled hence it's a question of whether White can make anything of the control of c5 or e5 or control of the c- or e-files.} Be6 13. Qb3 Qd7 14. Bf4 Rfe8 15. Rfe1 Rac8 16. Re3 a6 17. Rae1 (17. Be5 {attempts to find a role for the currently inactive queen's bishop but can be easily dealt with by} b5 18. Rg3 f6 19. Bf4 b4 {and Black is not worst.}) 17... b5 18. h3 Bf8 {Guarding c5 so that a later b4 cannot be effectively met by Na4-c5.} (18... b4 19. Na4 Qb5 {is also playable as White can do little on the e-file and at present Black controls the c-file although long term mates on c1 have been eliminated by h3 (and can also be by a move of the e3 rook if Black end up controlling the a2-b8 diagonal.).}) 19. Qd1 f6 {High class safety play reducing any threats from White's control of the e-file and just ignoring the fact White has an extra pawn and can even win another pawn..} 20. Qf3 Bf7 21. Rxe8 Rxe8 22. Rxe8 Qxe8 23. Nxd5 Qd7 {Now the raking bishops and pressure on the d-file from the queen ensures the recapture of at least one of the pawns leaving White's other pawns still vulnerable.} 24. Nc7 Qxd4 25. b3 (25. Nxa6 {can be countered with} Qxb2 26. Qa8 {when Black can prevent any issues from the pin of the Bf8, such as Bd6 or Na6-c5-d7, with} Qb1+ 27. Kh2 Qxd3 28. Nc5 Qd5) 25... g5 26. Bg3 h5 {with an initiaitve that compensates for the material deficiency.} 27. h4 (27. Nxa6 h4 28. Bc7 Qa1+ 29. Kh2 Kg7 30. Qe2 Qd4 {White cannot make any sensible progress despite being two pawns up.}) 27... gxh4 28. Bf4 {White returns the material having slightly weakened the Black king's position.} Qa1+ 29. Kh2 Qxa2 30. Qa8 Kg7 31. Bh6+ Kxh6 32. Qxf8+ Kg6 33. Ne8 Bxe8 {Forced as Black cannot grab extra material because of} (33... Qxf2 34. Qg7+ Kf5 35. Qxf6+ {wins the Black queen.}) ({or} 33... Qxb3 34. Qg7+ Kf5 35. Qxf6+ Kg4 36. f3#) 34. Qxe8+ Kg7 35. Qe7+ Kg6 36. Qe8+ (36. Qe6 {also secures a draw by perpetual even after} Qxf2 37. Qg8+ {but a fatal mistake would be grabbing the a-pawn which loses after} (37. Qxa6 Qg3+ 38. Kh1 h3 39. gxh3 (39. Qc6 Qxg2+ 40. Qxg2+ hxg2+ 41. Kxg2 f5 {with an easy win in the K+P ending.}) 39... Qxh3+ 40. Kg1 Qxd3 $19) 37... Kf5 38. Qh7+ Kf4 39. Qc7+ $11) 36... Kg7 37. Qd7+ Kg6 38. Qe8+ {Forces the draw before Black can consolidate the extra material.} 1/2-1/2