KRAMNIK vs DRAGNEV – ISLE OF MAN MASTERS 2018 ROUND 4

Tania Sachdev - Photo: John Saunders

This game is from round 4 of the 2018 Isle Of Man Masters. It is between Vladimir Kramnik with White against Valentin Dragnev with Black.

This game features a Kings Indian Attack. To learn more about the Kings Indian Attack, here is the best instruction book I could find on Amazon.

Kramnik,Vladimir (2779) - Dragnev,Valentin (2508)

IOM chesscom Masters 2018 Douglas (4), 23.10.2018

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 d5 3.Bg2 c5 4.0–0 Nc6 5.d3 e5 6.e4 dxe4 7.dxe4 Qxd1 8.Rxd1 Bg4 9.Na3 Nd4 

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10.Rd3 A08: King's Indian Attack 
10...Bd6N [10...Bxf3 11.Bxf3 b5 12.c3 Nxf3+ 13.Rxf3 a6 14.c4 Rb8 15.Rb3 Kd7 16.f3 Kc6 17.Be3 Bd6 1/2–1/2 (69) Fominyh,A (2520)-Sorokin,M (2560) Krasnoyarsk 2003] 
11.Nc4 Bc7 12.Ncxe5 White is slightly better. 
12...Ne2+ 13.Kf1 Nxc1 14.Rxc1 Be6 

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15.b3ƒ Black is under strong pressure. 
15...0–0 16.Re3 Rfd8 17.Nd3 c4 18.Nf4 Bd7 

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19.e5 [But not 19.bxc4?! Bxf4 20.gxf4 Be6²] 
19...Ng4 20.Re2 cxb3 21.axb3 Bc6 22.h3 Bxf3 23.Bxf3 Nxe5 24.Bxb7 Rab8 25.Bg2 Rb5 26.Rce1 

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26...Ba5 [26...g6± might work better. 27.c4 Rxb3] 
27.Bd5!+- [Stronger than 27.Rxe5 Rxe5 28.Rxe5 Rd1+ 29.Ke2 Re1+ 30.Kd3 Rxe5µ] 
27...Bxe1 28.Rxe5 Bc3 

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29.Bxf7+! Kxf7 30.Rxb5 Endgame KRB-KRN 
30...Rd1+ 31.Kg2 Rd2 If only Black now had time for ...Bd4.... 
32.Nd3 

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32...Rxc2? [32...Bf6 33.Rb7+ Ke8] 
33.Rc5 White is clearly winning. 
33...Ke6 34.Rc6+ Kd7 35.Rc4 Kd6 36.Nc5  1–0