Vladimir Kramnik
Notable Games

Vladimir Kramnik

20 celebrated games · 1253 in the full archive
Player Index ◈ Biography 1253 CURATED GAMES

Notable Games

  • 1994 Kramnik, Vladimir vsKasparov, Garry 1-0 King's Indian Defense: Petrosian Variation, Keres Defense 40 moves Linares 12th Linares 1994: at eighteen Kramnik beats reigning World Champion Kasparov in a King's Indian — the breakthrough classical win that announced him among the world's best.
  • 1995.11 Topalov, Veselin vsKramnik, Vladimir 0-1 Sicilian Defense: Classical Variation, Anti-Sozin Variation 40 moves Belgrade Investbank Belgrade 1995: a razor-sharp Sicilian in which Kramnik's Black counterattack hunts the white king clean across the board until Topalov resigns.
  • 1996.05.27 Kasparov, Garry vsKramnik, Vladimir 0-1 Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation, Wade Variation 35 moves Dos Hermanas Dos Hermanas 1996: Kramnik outplays Kasparov with Black in a Semi-Slav Meran, one of his signature wins over his great rival.
  • 1996.05.30 Ivanchuk, Vassily vsKramnik, Vladimir 0-1 Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Neo-Modern Variation, Early Deviations 32 moves Dos Hermanas Dos Hermanas 1996: Ivanchuk snatches a rook with 16.Qxa8, but in this Richter-Rauzer Sicilian Kramnik's Black pieces swarm the offside queen and the white king.
  • 1996.09.07 Gelfand, Boris vsKramnik, Vladimir 0-1 Semi-Slav Defense: Stoltz Variation, Shabalov Attack 28 moves EU-Cup 12th Group4 European Club Cup, Berlin 1996: Kramnik meets Gelfand's sharp Shabalov g4 thrust head-on in a Semi-Slav and mates first, ending 28...Qa2+.
  • 1997.07.04 Kramnik, Vladimir vsKarpov, Anatoly 1-0 English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen's Indian Formation 39 moves Dortmund SuperGM 25th Dortmund 1997: a classical win over former World Champion Karpov, an English in which Kramnik's kingside build-up is crowned by a passed f-pawn that queens with check.
  • 2000.10.10 Kramnik, Vladimir vsKasparov, Garry 1-0 Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation, Modern Exchange Variation 40 moves World-ch Kramnik-Kasparov +2-0=13 Game 2 of the 2000 Classical World Championship in London: the prepared 11.Rxb7 in Kasparov's beloved Grünfeld draws first blood in the match that dethroned the champion.
  • 2000.10.24 Kramnik, Vladimir vsKasparov, Garry 1-0 Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Gligoric System 25 moves World-ch Kramnik-Kasparov +2-0=13 Game 10 of the 2000 title match: a 25-move Nimzo-Indian demolition — 15.Bxe6 tears open Kasparov's king — giving Kramnik the 2–0 lead he never relinquished on the way to the crown.
  • 2001.07.21 Kramnik, Vladimir vsAnand, Viswanathan 1-0 Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense, Main Line 39 moves Dortmund SuperGM Dortmund 2001: a model attacking win over Anand — the central break 15.d5 and a kingside pawn-storm overrun the future World Champion in a Queen's Gambit Accepted.
  • 2004.09.25 Leko, Peter vsKramnik, Vladimir 0-1 Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Chigorin Variation, Main Line 65 moves World-ch Kramnik-Leko +2-2=10 Game 1 of the 2004 title defence in Brissago: Kramnik sacrifices his queen for rook and bishop in the Petroff and grinds down the ending to strike first against Leko.
  • 2004.10.18 Kramnik, Vladimir vsLeko, Peter 1-0 Caro-Kann Defense: Advance Variation, Tal Variation 41 moves World-ch Kramnik-Leko +2-2=10 Trailing by a point in the final game, Kramnik must win to keep his title — and does, a Caro-Kann Advance where Leko resigns facing mate. The 2004 match is levelled 7–7 and the crown retained.
  • 2006.09.24 Topalov, Veselin vsKramnik, Vladimir 0-1 Slav Defense: Czech Variation, Dutch Variation 63 moves World-ch Kramnik-Topalov +3-3=6 The wild second game of the 2006 reunification match in Elista: Kramnik weathers Topalov's kingside storm and wins with Black to go 2–0 up, on the way to uniting the classical and FIDE crowns.
  • 2007.09.14 Kramnik, Vladimir vsMorozevich, Alexander 1-0 Catalan Opening: Open Defense 27 moves World-ch Tournament Mexico City 2007: a precise 27-move Catalan from the World Championship tournament in which Kramnik's queenside passed pawns crash through, queening on c8.
  • 2009.07.10 Kramnik, Vladimir vsCarlsen, Magnus 1-0 Queen's Gambit Declined: Harrwitz Attack 36 moves Dortmund SuperGM 37th Dortmund 2009: Kramnik out-manoeuvres the eighteen-year-old Magnus Carlsen, squeezing from 29.Nb5 and finishing with the shot 31.Rxe6+ against the future World Champion.
  • 2018.03.12 Aronian, Levon vsKramnik, Vladimir 0-1 Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Anti-Berlin Variation 27 moves Candidates Tournament Candidates 2018, Berlin: at forty-two Kramnik never castles and throws everything at Aronian's king in the Berlin — the rook sacrifice 19...Rxg5 and a pawn avalanche force mate.
  • 1992.06.24 Kramnik, Vladimir vsNunn, John DM 1-0 King's Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation, Sämisch Gambit Accepted 33 moves Olympiad-30 Manila 1992, Olympiad — a 33-move win with White against John DM Nunn. Selected in Vladimir Kramnik and Iakov Damsky, Kramnik: My Life and Games, game 174 (PDF page 255).
  • 1995.10.29 Kramnik, Vladimir vsLautier, Joel 1-0 Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Tarrasch Defense 64 moves Horgen Horgen 1995 — a 64-move win with White against Joel Lautier. Selected in Vladimir Kramnik and Iakov Damsky, Kramnik: My Life and Games, game 177 (PDF page 262).
  • 1995 Kramnik, Vladimir vsBeliavsky, Alexander G 1-0 King's Indian Attack: Keres Variation 18 moves Belgrade Investbank Belgrade 1995 — a 18-move win with White against Alexander G Beliavsky. Selected in Vladimir Kramnik and Iakov Damsky, Kramnik: My Life and Games, game 125 (PDF page 127).
  • 1996.12.16 Kramnik, Vladimir vsAnand, Viswanathan 1-0 English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen's Indian Formation 41 moves Las Palmas Las Palmas 1996 — a 41-move win with White against Viswanathan Anand. Selected in Vladimir Kramnik and Iakov Damsky, Kramnik: My Life and Games, game 133 (PDF page 143).
  • 1999.07.15 Kramnik, Vladimir vsTopalov, Veselin 1-0 Slav Defense: Chebanenko Variation, Advance System 40 moves Dortmund SuperGM 27th Dortmund 1999 — a 40-move win with White against Veselin Topalov. Selected in Vladimir Kramnik and Iakov Damsky, Kramnik: My Life and Games, game 169 (PDF page 242).
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