Anand against Kramnik in game two. Photo © Chessvibes who have on the spot reports.

World Championship Results
Kramnik, Vladimir	-	Anand, Viswanathan	½-½	32	D14	Slav Exchange
Anand, Viswanathan	-	Kramnik, Vladimir	½-½	32	E25	Nimzo Indian Saemisch

World Chess Championship Bonn (GER), 14 x - 2xi 2008
Name	Ti	NAT	Rtng	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	7	9	10	11	12	Total	Perf
Anand, Viswanathan	g	IND	2783	½	½	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	1	2772
Kramnik, Vladimir	g	RUS	2772	½	½	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	1	2783

It remains honours even at the world chess championship as Vladimir Kramnik held the draw with the black pieces against Vishy Anand in game two to make the score 1-1 in the best of twelve game contest. The match is being staged by Universal Event Promotion at the Art and Exhibition Hall of Germany in Bonn and match sponsors Evonik Industries have put up a 1.5 million Euro prize fund which will be split irrespective of the result.

Anand surprised everyone by opening with the Queen's Pawn when the King's Pawn, his customary choice, had been almost universally expected. Kramnik responded solidly with the Nimzo-Indian and Anand then offered his opponent the opportunity to contest some sharp lines but his plan was thwarted as the Russian steered the game into quieter positions. Kramnik appeared to stand quite well but his attempt to take the initiative on move 16 was well met by Anand who forced the Russian to sacrifice a pawn in order to prevent the white bishops becoming too active.

Kramnik managed to fix the pawn structure after which his knight proved to be the best piece on the board. Anand found it hard to make progress but avoided a repetition of moves and shortly after, with his clock counting down, he accepted Kramnik's timely draw offer. I suspect the champion would have played on had he held more thinking time in reserve but this was a much more entertaining game than the dry encounter in game 1. Kramnik plays white in Thursday's third game.

Viswanathan Anand vs Vladimir Kramnik

World Championship (2) Bonn GER 15th October 2008

1.d4

A surprise but not a total surprise. Vishy has played 1.d4 with success occasionally and of course he has a specific idea.

1...Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4

The solid Nimzo-Indian. Kramnik avoids the sharp lines of Slav Defence in which he recently lost to Alexander Morozevich

4.f3

This super sharp line appeared in the 1930s. In the Nimzo the battle for the e4 square is fundamental in many lines. 4.f3 has been championed recently by the Russian GMs Viktor Moskalenko and Yuri Yakovich. Now there is crazy stuff after this sequence - 4...c5 5.d5 Nh5 idea Qh4+ 6.Nh3 and if Qh4+ 7.Nf2 Qxc4 8.e4. The line was made famous after Florin Gheorghiu played a beautiful game against Bobby Fischer at Havana 1966.

4...d5

Of course Kramnik plays the solid answer

5.a3

Reaching the Saemisch Variation

5...Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 c5 7.cxd5 Nxd5 8.dxc5

This is a highly analysed main line. White intends e2-e4 and in some lines he hangs to the c5 pawn for a while to obstruct Black's possible play on the c file

8...f5 9.Qc2 Nd7

A cunning choice to avoid a prepared idea. Kramnik avoids the main lines with

[9...0-0 10.e4; 9...f4 10.e4 fxe3 11.Bd3]

10.e4 fxe4 11.fxe4 N5f6 12.c6

As in game one Anand avoids pawn weaknesses. The c3 pawn might be targeted if Black could organise Nd7xc5 and Qd8-c7

12...bxc6 13.Nf3 Qa5 14.Bd2

14.Be2 was possible. Had Vishy managed to place his bishops on c4 and e3 he may have had an edge. Now it seems roughly level

[14.Be2 Nxe4? 15.Qxe4 Qxc3+ 16.Kf2 Qxa1 17.Qxe6+ Kf8 18.Bf4 Qxh1 19.Bd6# Would be calamitous]

14...Ba6

Kramnik wants to exchange one bishop because White's bishop pair can be strong

15.c4 Qc5 16.Bd3 Ng4

Definitely the most aggressive move of the match so far !

17.Bb4 Qe3+ 18.Qe2 0-0-0 19.Qxe3 Nxe3 20.Kf2 Ng4+ 21.Kg3 Ndf6

Opening up the rook on d8 to attack the bishop on d3. An active choice but is also risky and entails a pawn sacrifice

22.Bb1 h5 23.h3 h4+ 24.Nxh4 Ne5 25.Nf3 Nh5+ 26.Kf2 Nxf3 27.Kxf3 e5!

Kramnik has compensation for the sacrificed pawn based on the poor bishop on b1, open files for his rooks and the agility of his knight in a closed position

28.Rc1 Nf4 29.Ra2

Rd2 was a threat

29...Nd3 30.Rc3 Nf4

Offering a repetition

31.Bc2 Ne6

Kramnik's knight is a great piece. He might play c6-c5 when Rf8+ is possible. Also there is the idea of Nd4+ and takes on c2 when we get opposite coloured bishops which increase Black's chances of a draw

32.Kg3 Rd4

Black intends to take on c4 at some point. If 33.c5 both white bishops are hemmed in by pawns and Black has decent compensation. Black would like to fix the c4 pawn by playing c6-c5 however after 33.Rb2 there could be danger on the b file so this was Anand's best continuation. Although Anand is losing the c4 pawn it's disappearance would liberate his light squared bishop and it is immune in the final position for example 33.Rb2 Bxc4 34.Rxc4 Rxc4 35.Bb3 Rxe4 36.Bxe6+ or 33.Rb2 Rxc4 34.Rxc4 Bxc4 35.Bc3 Nd4 36.Bxd4 exd4 37.Rb4 Be6 38.Rxd4

1/2-1/2

Notes by IM Malcolm Pein runs the London Chess Centre http://www.chess.co.uk/shop and ChessBase USA http://www.chessbaseusa.com

Players who want to study this line can check out the book by Yuri Yakovich