The blindfold game between Magnus Carlsen and Vladimir Kramnik could not be viewed life by the Internet audience (so far on average around 45,000 unique visitors per day!) and that was a great pity as in line with their previous battles there was again a lot of drama. Kramnik played his trusted Petroff, but contrary to what normally happens, he ended up in a clearly worse position. The tables could have been turned after Carlsen’s questionable 44.Re4, which allowed Black to take on e4 and follow up with 45…Nf6. According to Kramnik this would have given him a position that was ‘winning or in any case very close to winning’. The reason he didn’t take on e4, was that he believed his rook was on d7 and that he only realized that it was on e7 when he tried to play his knight to e7 and the computer refused to accept that move. Next in a panicky reaction he tried to play the rook as quickly as possible and put it on b7. In the following manoeuvring phase Carlsen gradually outplayed him and obtained a winning position. In the final position Kramnik believed his rook was on b1 and tried to take the pawn on b7. When he realized that this was impossible he resigned. Coming out of the playing room Carlsen shrugged his shoulders and commented that he also would have found a winning plan if his opponent had remembered the position of his pieces.
In the rapid game Kramnik repeated the opening he had played against Giri, but Carlsen chose a different set-up. The Norwegian grandmaster was pleased with his position, reasoning that he would be fine if he obtained a Benoni-structure and it was for that reason that he didn’t want White to take on d5 with a piece. According to Carlsen, White’s 20.g4 was dubious and smelling his chance he decided ‘to go for it’ with 25…Rf8 and 26…f5. White’s 27.Qb7 was an expensive mistake. Kramnik had missed 28…Rxe3, which essentially decided the game. While his opponent sat thinking about his 31st move he resigned. Black’s has more than one option to continue successfully, 31…Nxg4 and 31…Rxb3 are just two of them.
http://www.amberchess20.com/RoundReport7.html
Game of the Day (Rapid) Round 7
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