MICHIGAN CHESS ASSOCIATION
Analysis by Mervin Draper
The exchange variation of the Grünfeld is
popular right now. It is recognized as the sharpest reply to 3...d5,
but there are many other things White can do. It will be interesting
to see what White will decide upon as an improvement to either the exchange
or simple development. Kasparov also uses the Grünfeld often so it
will be productive to compare his ideas in the opening to those of Kramnik
and Shirov.
The third game of the match followed the same course
as game one until move twelve.
Kramnik,V. (2790)-Shirov,A.(2710)
(WCC
Candidates final, Game 3)
Grünfeld: Exchange (Seville) [D88/08
(2nd ed.)]
1998.05.27. ESP Cazoria
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5
Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Bc4 0-0 8.Ne2 c5 9.0-0 Nc6 10.Be3 Bg4
Black needs to find an improvement here.
The pin is ineffective as it is easily met by f3 which is the point of
8.Ne2 rather than 8.f3. Black could try instead 10...Na5, attacking
the bishop; 10...cxd4, resolving the center; or 10...b6, supporting his
own center position.
11.f3 Na5
Now the game goes in a more conventional way than
in game one where White retreated to d3.
12.Bxf7+ Rxf7
White wins a pawn and the game enters a more tactical
phase of simplification. Is the open file for Black enough compensation
for his pawn?
13.fxg4 Rxf1+
Simplifying by exchanges.
14.Kxf1
Why not 14.Qxd1, seizing the open file?
Apparently the queen is needed more in the center than on the open file
since Black's knight can go to b6 and his pawn to e5 with further attacks
on White's d-pawn.
14...cxd4
Resolving the center. Allowing White the possibility
of dxc5 in the near future would be difficult for Black and open the center
to White's advantage.
15.cxd4 e5 16.d5!?
White has achieved a passed pawn; on 16.dxe5 17.Qf8+
(or 17.Bxe5), Black would have gained good counter play.
16...Nc4
16.d5 Allowed this knight move and the eventual
exchange of the knight for a bishop. The threat is ...Nxe3+, forking the
queen.
17.Qd3
Defending the bishop, ending the threat of the
knight fork.
17...Nxe3+ 18.Qxe3 Qh4
Attacking g4, threatening to regain the pawn.
19.h3 Bh6
Attacking the queen and Black has the initiative
for a while.
20.Qd3 Rf8+ 21.Kg1 Qf2+ 22.Kh1 Qe3
An offer to exchange queens.
23.Qxe3
Which White accepts.
23...Bxe3 24.Rd1
Supporting the passed pawn.
24...Rf2
Making use of the open file to continue the attack.
25.Ng1 Kf7
Moving to stop the passed pawn and centralize
the king.
26.Rd3
Undermines the support of Black's rook with a
threat to the bishop.
26...Bb6
The bishop continues to support the rook and now
controls the queening square.
27. Rf3+ Ke7
Interesting play on the open file. The black
king continues to move toward the passed pawn.
28.Rxf2 Bxf2 29.Nf3
Getting the knight off the bishop's color.
White wants to maintain at least a piece in the end game. Black's
king is better posted, but White still has his passed pawn.
29...Kd6 30.g3!
This vacating pawn sacrifice lets White's king
continue to operate on the white squares. If 29.Ne2, this square
would have been covered.
30...Bxg3
This capture also undoubles White's pawns and
improves his pawn structure.
31.Kg2 Bf4 32.Kf2 Kc5 33. Ke2 b5
Mobilizing his queen's side pawn majority.
34. Kd3 ½-½
Why the draw? The material is equal. White has
a passed pawn, but doesn't control the queening square. Both kings
are centralized, and each side can lose a move with his piece. White's
pawns are safe from capture by Black's bishop.