1.d4 Nf6
Black chooses a flexible opening move as he wants
to wait for White to form a center before he also forms a center or attacks
the d4-pawn along the a1-h7 diagonal using his fianchettoed g7-bishop.
Black keys on the development of White's b1-knight to c3 before he moves
his own pawn to d5.
2.c4 g6
White makes a very usual opening move as he doesn't
want his c-pawn blocked by the knight when it moves to c3. Black
already knows he wants to fianchetto his f8-bishop and he intends to castle
early on the kingside.
3.Nc3 d5
Black's advance of the d-pawn attacks c4 and prevents
an immediate advance of White's e-pawn to e4. If White can establish
control and hold e4, Black has problems so an early ...d5 is indicated
to prevent or exchange e4. The pawn at d5 also holds the White pawn at
d4 where it becomes a target for several attacks. A major idea of
the Grünfeld is to physically block the d4-pawn or pin it so it can
be repeatedly assaulted.
4.cxd5 Nxd5
This center exchange, the pawn take and the knight
recapture, is the sharpest reply to the Grünfeld.
Now 5.e4 is possible for White. If White were to take 5.Nxd4, then
5...Qxd5 and the pawn advance to e4 would no longer be possible.
5.e4 Nxc3
All of White's developed pieces are removed from
the board. After White takes the knight, Black could take the lead
in development, but he continues to execute his attacking plan.
6.bxc3 c5
If White takes 7.dxc5, then 7...Qxd1+.
The white king would be unable to castle and be exposed in the center.
In more recent games, Black usually prepares the c5 advance with ...Bg7
which pins the pawn at d4. A d-pawn advance or the capture dxc5 would
be countered with ...Bxc3+, winning a rook.
After 6...c5
7.Nf3
White develops and defends d4, as it will be further
attacked, but the knight can be subjected to a pin by ...Bg4. In
light of the possible pin, a recent continuation has been 7.Nc2 where ...Bg4
can be confronted by pawn to f3, breaking the pin and attacking the bishop.
7...Bg7
Black places another attacker on d4 and creates
a bishop threat along the a1-h8 diagonal, characteristic of hyper-modernism
in chess, the attack on the center from a distance.
8.Be3 0-0
White has to defend the d4-pawn as an advance
would result in 8...Bxc3+, winning a rook.
9.Qd2
White ends the possibility of the pin on the f3
knight. However, if the knight were taken, the recapture would result
in doubled f-pawns and a weakened kingside castled position. The
queen move vacates d1 for a rook if this becomes necessary. With
the c3-pawn protected, the d-pawn can now advance, but for now the d-pawn
is well protected and White should have seriously considered preparing
for castling by developing the bishop to c4.
9...Bg4
Black develops, usually a good idea, and threatens
to capture the knight at f3, removing one of the d4-pawn defenders and
doubling pawns.
10.Rc1 cxd4
White protects the c-pawn and removes the rook
as a target for the g7-bishop. Now that the c-pawn is well defended,
Black acts to resolve the center before it can advance to d5. In
recent games, the Kramnik-Shirov match 1998, more attacks were directed
at the d4-pawn before it was finally exchanged or forced to advance.
White's f1-bishop and b8-knight are still underdeveloped.
11.cxd4 Nc6
Black attacks the new d4-pawn, but it is no longer
pinned and can advance. As previously mentioned before, in the Grünfeld
Defense, it is important to hold the pawn on d4 and attack it before it
can move. Moving the f-rook, moving the king, castling, or protecting
the c-pawn, as in this case, all are ways to minimize the attacks on the
d4-pawn and allow it to advance.
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12.d5 Na5
For White, the advance to d5 is freeing and cramps
Black's position. Black might have tried 12...Ne5, threatening to
exchange knights. On the recapture, the bishop would be strongly
centralized and strike at the h2-pawn making castling less attractive for
White.
13.Be2 e6
White develops and defends the knight. A
bishop recapture would make White's castled position much more secure.
If White captures, 13.dxe6, the recapture 13...fxe6 will open the f-file
to Black's advantage especially if the f-pawn had been doubled.
In looks like Black believed the d5 pawn was partially
pinned and that White would not have wanted to exchange queens. Now
the d-pawn is almost passed. Black should have played to stop the
d-pawn rather than merely attack it. As subsequent play shows,
13...Qd6 would have been ideal as it develops the queen, stops the d-pawn,
and, most important of all provides an escape square for the f-rook which
was trapped in the actual game.
After 13...e6
14.Bc5 Re8
White has the rook at f8 trapped.
15.Bb5 exd5
With his rook trapped, Black strikes back at White's
advanced pawn and his exposed king. Black does a good job of maintaining
material equality in subsequent exchanges, but takes a positional beating,
losing out on the open files where he needed his rooks.
16.Bxe8 Qxe8
White collects the rook. Black's queen ends
up on the e-file opposite White's king. The e4-pawn is pinned.
17.0-0 dxe4
White seeks the safety of the castled position,
and Black continues to work on the material imbalance.
18.Qxa5 exf3
White appears to be exchanging down as he has
both rooks and a better position on the open files. White didn't fear 18...b6,
forking the queen and bishop, because his own rooks would simply confront
the black queen as in the game.
19.Rfe1 Be6
Now 19...b6 would be met with 20.Rxe8+.
Black would lose his queen for a rook, so he interposes his bishop which
leaves his f3-pawn hanging.
20.Qb4 b6
The white queen attacks the b-pawn which counter
attacks the c5-bishop.
21.Bd4 Bf8
White tries to force the exchange of bishops or
the surrender of the a1-h8 diagonal, leading to the heart of Black's castled
position.
22.Qc3 fxg2
If Black had exchanged, White wouldn't be able
to monopolize the critical diagonal. Black cashes in his f-pawn.
23.Qf3 Qd8
White threaten 24.Qf6. Black meets the threat,
attacks the bishop at d4, and prepares for action on the black squares.
24.Rcd1 Bd5
Black defends his queen by counter attacking the
white queen and interposing. To an extent the move also defends the
pawn at g2, but the game is about over.
25.Qf4
The queen seeks another route to the a1-h8 diagonal.
White now has the choice of two routes.
25...Rc8
Black has run out of good moves, but he finally
develops his f-rook to an open file where he felt that it might have seen
service.
26.Re8 1-0.
If 26...Qxe8 then 27.Qf6 and the queen will mate.
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