CHESS

What you are about to see is quite the finest attacking game I have encountered. If you play through only one grandmaster game this year, make sure it is this one.

White: Garry Kasparov

Black: Vladimir Kramnik

Dos Hermanas, Spain, 28 May 1996

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 e6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4 b5 8.Bd3 Bb7 9.0-0 a6 10.e4 c5 11.d5 c4

Kramnik was one of the first to champion this move, bringing life back into Black's game after 11...e5 had been found wanting.

12.Bc2 Qc7 13.Nd4 Nc5 14.b4 cxb3 15.axb3

Now Black began to slow down.

15...b4 16.Na4 Ncxe4 17.Bxe4 Nxe4 18.dxe6 Bd6 19.exf7+

The first move White stopped to think over. Then Black cogitated for nearly half an hour over the recapture.

19...Qxf7 20.f3 Qh5!

So that's what he was thinking about! Now 21.fxe4 Qxh2+ 22.Kf2 0-0+ gives a huge attack, but all is not so simple.

21.g3 0-0! 22.fxe4 Qh3!!

Sublimely quiet, yet the threat of bxg3 is not so easily met. 23.Nf5? Bxe4 is fatal.

23.Nf3 Bxg3 24.Nc5 (see diagram)

24.hxg3 Qxg3+ 25.Kh1 Bxe4 would have been no fun at all, but now 24...Bc6 is met by 25.hxg3 since e4 is protected. Kramnik, however, has it all worked out.

24...Rxf3!! 25.Rxf3 Qxh2+ 26.Kf1 Bc6 27.Bg5

After 27.Be3 Bb5+ 28.Nd3 Rd8 29.Bg1 Qh3+ 30.Ke2 Qg2+ White would have been in a terrible mess. The move chosen keeps the black rook from d8.

27...Bb5+ 28.Nd3 Re8!!

Deliciously cool. Once Black opens the e-file, White's king has no escape.

29.Ra2 Qh1+

The sole macula on an otherwise immaculate performance. 29...Bxd3+! forces mate after 30.Qxd3 Qh1+ 31.Ke1 Qe1 or 30.Rxd3 Qh1+ 31.Ke2 Qg2+ 32.Ke3 Rxe4.

30.Ke2 Rxe4+ 31.Kd2 Qg2+ 32.Kc1 Qxa2 33.Rxg3 Qa1+ 34.Kc2 Qc3+ 35.Kb1 Rd4 White resigned.