KRAMNIK vs GIRI – ROUND 2 TATA STEEL MASTERS 2019

This game is from round 2 of the Tata Steel Masters 2018, fully annotated. It is between Vladimir Kramnik with White against Anish Giri with Black.

This game features an English Opening. To learn more about the English Opening, here is the best instruction book I could find on Amazon.

Kramnik,Vladimir (2777) - Giri,Anish (2783)

81st Tata Steel Masters 2019 Wijk aan Zee (2), 13.01.2019

1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.d3 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.e4 Nxc3 7.bxc3 Bc5 8.Be2 0–0 9.0–0 White castles and improves king safety A28: English Opening: Four Knights Variation 
9...Bb6 [9...Kh8 10.Rb1 Rb8 11.Nxe5 Nxe5 12.d4 Bd6 13.dxe5 Bxe5 14.Qa4 Bd7 15.Qxa7 b6 16.Qa3 Bc6 17.Qb4 Re8 18.Bb5 Bxb5 19.Qxb5 Bxc3 20.Qc4 ½–½ Tal,M (2600)-Chernin,A (2565)/Sochi 1986/MCL; 9...Qe7 10.d4 Bd6 11.d5 Na5 12.c4 b6 13.Bb2 Nb7 14.Nd2 Nc5 15.Rb1 f5 16.exf5 Bxf5 17.Rc1 e4 18.Bd4 Qh4 19.g3 Qh3 20.Re1 Rae8 21.Be3 ½–½ Ginsburg,M (2381)-Kraai,J (2412)/San Francisco 1999/CBM 071 ext] 
10.a4 Re8 11.Qc2 

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11...Qf6 Black has an active position 
12.Kh1 h6 Covers g5 
13.Ng1 Qd6 14.f4 Bxg1 15.Rxg1 exf4 16.d4 Ne7 17.Ba3 Qd8 18.Raf1 Ng6 19.e5 White wins space 
19...b6 Controls c5 
20.Bf3 White threatens to win material: Bf3xa8 
20...Ba6 Black threatens to win material: Ba6xf1 
21.Rf2 c5 22.g3 [22.Bxa8!? should be considered 22...Qxa8 23.Bc1²] 
22...fxg3 23.Rxg3 cxd4 24.cxd4 White has a new passed pawn: d4. Black has a cramped position.  
24...Rc8 Black threatens to win material: Rc8xc2 [Less advisable is 24...Qxd4 25.e6 Rxe6 26.Bxa8 Re1+ 27.Rg1 Rxg1+ 28.Kxg1=] 
25.Qf5 Bc4 

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26.Bd6 An ideal square for the white bishop. 
26...Be6 27.Qb1 Nf4 28.d5 Nxd5 [28...Bxd5? 29.Bxd5 Nxd5 30.Rxf7 Rc1+ 31.Qxc1 Kxf7 32.Qc2+-] 
29.Qg1 Kh8 30.Rd2 [¹30.Rxg7!? Qh4 31.Rfg2µ] 
30...Nf4–+ 31.Rd4 Ng6 32.Be4 Rc4 33.Rxc4 Bxc4 34.Qd4 Be6 35.Bc6 [35.Bxg6 fxg6 36.Kg1 Qd7–+] 
35...Ne7 36.Be4 Nf5 37.Bxf5 Bxf5 38.Kg1 Be6 39.h4 Qd7 

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40.Qe4?! instead of fighting back [40.Rc3 Rc8 41.Rxc8+ Qxc8 42.Kf2–+] 
40...Rc8 41.h5 [41.Ra3 a fruitless try to alter the course of the game 41...Rc4 42.Qa8+ Kh7–+] 
41...Rc1+ 

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42.Kh2 [42.Kf2–+ a last effort to resist the inevitable] 
42...Qd8 [42...Qd8–+]  0–1