World chess: Tame draw in opening game for Anand against Kramnik

Bonn, October 14

Defending world champion Viswanathan Anand opened with a 32-move draw against challenger Vladimir Kramnik as the much-awaited 12-game World Championship final got underway here.

Anand played with black as the game opened in the Exchange Slav, which is just to Kramnik's liking for a solid game and it also blunts Anand's attacking style.
The opening game was more of a sparring match with both sizing up the other as the contest will warm in the days to come.

The early part of the game followed theory and soon after castling on the ninth move, Anand stopped copying Kramnik's moves. Soon after Anand departed from his copying of Kramnik's moves, the Russian instead of using the common move of castling at this stage, took the c6 pawn with his bishop.

Anand prevented the loss of a pawn by pinning the bishop but Kramnik could still use the tempo it takes Black to recapture. Kramnik also held greater sway over dark squares because his bishop was unchallenged.

Anand had the choice to sacrifice the b pawn to get active pieces and control of the open file. Kramnik meanwhile played a new move 14. Qb4 and it now remained to be seen how he hung to an extra pawn.

Into the middle game, Anand had activity while Kramnik's pawns were more dynamic and it was hard for him to stay a pawn up. But neither Anand nor Kramnik was in danger or mood to cede even the slightest of advantages. Once the two rooks came off it was a dead draw with opposite colour bishops. Kramnik tried to play for a while, but to no avail.

The second game of the match will be played on Wednesday with the first player to get to 6.5 points being adjudged the world champion. In case of a 6-6 draw, they will play a tie-breaker.

Moves of Game 1
Kramnik v Anand
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.cxd5 cxd5 5.Bf4 Nc6 6.e3 Bf5 7.Nf3 e6 8.Qb3 Bb4 9.Bb5 O-O 10.Bxc6 Bxc3+ 11.Qxc3 Rc8 12.Ne5 Ng4 13.Nxg4 Bxg4 14.Qb4 Rxc6 15.Qxb7 Qc8 16.Qxc8 Rfxc8 17.O-O a5 18.f3 Bf5 19.Rfe1 Bg6 20.b3 f6 21.e4 dxe4 22.fxe4 Rd8 23. Rad1 Rc2 24.e5 fxe5 25.Bxe5 Rxa2 26.Ra1 Rxa1 27.Rxa1 Rd5 28.Rxa5 Bxb3 29.Ra7 28.Rxa5 Bxb3 29.Ra7 28.Rc1 Rd7 29.Rc5 Ra7 30.Rc7 Rxc7 31.Bxc7 Bc2 32.Bxa5 Bxb3 1/2-1/2 (Draw).
Source: anand.wcc@gmail.com