MICHIGAN CHESS ASSOCIATION

Analysis by Mervin Draper
     This long drawn game followed the course of games one and three which were also drawn. It was another exchange variation of the Grünfeld Defense. In the opening, note the balance of attacks on and defense of d4. Here the move order is critical as Black always threatens to win an important center pawn. These attacks by Black characterize the Grünfeld Defense as an active defense. Throughout the game instead of passively defending both White and Black attack and counter attack even conceding pawns to do so. But in the opening the center pawns must be accurately and well defended.
Kramnik,V. (2790)-Shirov,A.(2710) (WCC Candidates final, Game 5)
Grünfeld: Exchange (Alekhine) [D89/02 (2nd ed.)]
1998.05.30. ESP Cazoria
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Bc4 c5 8.Ne2 Nc6 9.Be3 0-0 10.0-0 Bg4
The hyper-modern nature of the position is evident with White's center under attack by several Black pieces, including a fianchettoed bishop and the c5-pawn.  Both kings have reached the relative safety of their castled positions and both sides are well developed.

11.f3 Na5 12.Bd3
Continuing to follow the course of game one with a bishop retreat rather than winning a pawn by 12.Bxf7 Rxf7 13.fxg4 and opening the games as in game three.  In game three Black's rooks achieved active play on the king's side. The game move keeps the game closed a bit longer.
12...cxd4
It would be difficult for Black to place additional attacks on d4.  With his bishop under attack by the f3-pawn, Black works toward resolution of the center. Now White has his own bishop at e3 under attack.

13.cxd4 Be6
Black retreats his own bishop to a good diagonal.

14. Rc1 Bxa2
White decided on a positional sacrifice of a pawn to gain control of the open file, but Black has secured two passed pawns.  Has White given up too much?  And will the passed pawns be good for black?
Generally passed pawns aren't a liability in most positions, but they do require resources for their defense that may be better used in the attack.  One has to ask: Can the passed pawns become mobile and support each other?  Can control be gained of the queening squares?  And if they can't support themselves, what support do they require?   Black's pawns here are just at the beginning of their march, but their pressure will continue to be felt.

15.Qa4 Bb3
Still following the path trod in game one, entering a more tactical phase with maneuvering on the queen's side.

16.Qb4 b6
Maintaining the passed pawn.

17.Bg5 f6
The bishop has to retreat also he's needed to defend d4. White needs to find a better move than 17.Bg5. The bishop accomplished too little for the effort and it appears to cost White valuable tempi as it is driven away.

18.Bh4
Finally, White breaks from game one when he went to f4 at this point. Moving the bishop directly to e3 had to have been considered here.  However, White can still defend d4 with his bishop on f2 at the expense of another tempo.

Black to move
18...Qd6
An offer to exchange queens.  Such offers have to be weighed carefully.  If White doesn't exchange queens, he'll have to move the queen or guard against the possibility of Black's capture.

19.Qxd6 exd6
Simplification.  Was Black far enough ahead in the game to justify the exchange? Shirov is ahead in the match; the tactic of trying to win with white and drawing with black is a consideration.

20.d5
White moves his pawn off a hot spot and blocks Black's pawn at d4.  At d4 it could have come under attack from a knight at c6. A major part of Black's plan in the Grünfeld Defense is to keep d4 under attack whether White has material on it or not, the hyper-modern idea of attacking the center from a distance.  Black should have tried to maintain material at d5 to prevent White from moving out of attack on the d file as he just did.  It would be good for white to open the d-file if he could.

20...f5
Opening up the bishop's scope on the a1-h8 diagonal.

21.exf5 gxf5 22.Ng3 Bb2 23.Nxf5 Bc4
Black's castled position is in ruins.  He could have captured the rook at c1, but apparently he considered his black bishop was more valuable than White's rook could operate along the open c-file. Blacks move blocked the open c-file with the other bishop. Black has at least three of White's pieces under attack.  The position is tough to evaluate, but it is a good example of complication and active defense.
The bishop at d3 is also pinned and is overworked defending the knight at f5. Something seems like it has to go.

24.Ne7+ Kh8 25.Bxc4 Rf4
Attacking both Bishops

26.Bg5
Saving the bishop that can check Black's king.

26...Rxc4 27.Rce1
White resists the temptation to simplify further and moves to another open file.

27...Rc2
Moving to control the b-file and begin operations along the second rank, attacking White's pawns there from the side.

28.Nf5 Nc4 29.Re6 Rf8 30.Nxd6 Nxd6 31.Rxd6 Re8
Black has conceded a pawn for an open file.  White has a relatively advanced pawn on the d-file and controls the queening square.

32.Rd1 Ree2
White supports his passed pawn. Black seized the second rank, usually a powerful tactic in the end game as the rook attacks any pawns still on the rank from the side.  Black threatens to block White's support of his passed pawn.  An exchange of rooks and simplification looks likely.

33.Kh1
White's position is noticeably cramped.

33...Rxg2 34.Rd8+ Kg7 35.Bf4 Bf6
The bishop attacks the rook, but, more important, blocks a possible bishop check from e5.

36.Ra8 Bg5
White targets Black's passed pawns. Black wishes to drive off or exchange the bishop defending h2.

37.Be5+ Bf6 38.Bf4 Bg5 39.Rxa7+ Kg6 40.Ra8
Threatening Rg8+.

40...Kf7
To keep the white rook from reaching e8, f8, or g8.

41.Ra7+ Kg6 42.Bb8 h5 43.Rb7 Be3 44.Re7 Bc5 45.Re6+ Kg5 46.Re4
Cutting the king off from the passed pawns at d5 and f3.

46...Kf5
Clearing the g-file.

47.Bf4 Rge2 48.Rxe2 Rxe2
Exchanging takes the pressure off h2.

49.Bg3
Saving and protecting the bishop.

49...Re8
Preparing to block the passed d-pawn or support his own pawns from behind.

50.Kg2 Rd8
White mobilizes his king and Black decides to block and attack the d-pawn.

51.Kh3
The king should be safe enough from Black's bishop and rook.
51...Rd7
The white bishop can't drive the rook off of the white squares.

52.d6 h4 53.Rd5+ Ke6 54.Re5+ Kf6 55.Kxh4 Rh7+ 56.Rh5 Rxh5+ 57.Kxh5 b5 58.d7 Ke7
Winning the d-pawn.

59.Be5
Cutting off Black's passed pawn

59...Kxd7 60.Bb2 Ke6 61.Kg6 Bd6 62.h4 b4 63.h5 Bf4 64.h6 Bxh6 65.Kxh6 Kf5 ½-½
White's pawn is doomed and Black's pawn can never queen.