Kasparov Does Houdini Again
By Arvind Aaron
The match continues to a firm path: the younger player impresses every two games with white. In a queen and minor pieces ending, Kramnik let Kasparov sneak his queen into white's king side and produce a draw by threatening a perpetual check.
Kasparov accepted the queens gambit with black for the second straight time. At the board Kramnik varies on move seven from game two and avoids exchange of queens for a lively game with the isolated queen pawn. Kasparov is unbelievably defensive with black. Kramnik sacrificed a king rook pawn like he did against Huebner at Dortmund recently. When Kasparov rejected it, he advanced it as far as it got!
Kasparov was defending well holding on to his d5 square and blocking all attempts by white to work a knight or bishop sacrifice. Not the natural position we know Kasparov is known to play. Commentators there say that Kasparov played aggressive openings at the start of his career since his opponents in the seventies and early eighties played for a draw with white, something which modern day players don't. He wants to have winning chances with black too. That happens if white tries. Kramnik tried, had the liberty to place his knights every where but was unable to work out a winning sacrifice.
At move 40, Kramnik could repeat for a draw. He controlled the only open file and his pieces were very active. He wrong footed the black king and broke in with a pawn sacrifice. Kasparov defended mate but Kramnik was interested in mopping up a few pawns. Winning at move 51, Kramnik fell into Kasparov's tacit trap when he brought life to black by activating his queen and knight. The final position was a draw after 66 moves. Unfortunate for Kramnik that he did not win, but Kasparov finds a new bright spot of his career: fending difficult positions and escaping with draws. The great escape artist Houdini is.