Anand wins with black, again, in game 5. 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
Kramnik, Vladimir	-	Anand, Viswanathan	0-1	41	D49	Queens Gambit Meran
Anand, Viswanathan	-	Kramnik, Vladimir	½-½	29	D37	QGD 5.Bf4
Kramnik, Vladimir	-	Anand, Viswanathan	0-1	35	D49	Queens Gambit Meran

World Chess Championship Bonn (GER), 14 x - 2xi 2008
Name	Ti	NAT	Rtng	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Total	Perf
Anand, Viswanathan	g	IND	2783	½	½	1	½	1	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	3½	2921
Kramnik, Vladimir	g	RUS	2772	½	½	0	½	0	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	1½	2634

Vishy Anand took a near decisive 3.5-1.5 lead over Vladimir Kramnik in their best of twelve game world title contest taking place at the Art and Exhibition Hall in Bonn. The unthinkable happened as the Indian outplayed the challenger with the black pieces for a second time. Kramnik was again out-prepared off the board, outplayed face to face and in serious time pressure, he missed an elegant combination. The beautiful finish to this game with Kramnik a piece up in an endgame but facing an unavoidable mate was a crushing psychological blow and it is hard to conceive the Russian fighting back even at this early stage.

The first surprise occurred in the opening when Anand repeated the line of the Slav Defence from game three. Post game analysis suggested that although he lost, Kramnik stood quite well at one point so he doubtless had come armed with an improvement. Indeed I suspect Kramnik has largely assumed Anand would have to play something else.

However on move 15 Anand showed that he had devised a second way to play the position. Kramnik thought for about 45 minutes over his eighteenth move and although it was sound, the deficit on the clock that resulted had already sowed the seeds of his defeat as Anand continued to play quickly.

As Kramnik’s rate of play increased, inevitably, the accuracy of his moves decreased and he missed a chance to set Anand some problems. Chances were still approximately equal when on move 28 with only around twelve minutes to reach the time control at move 40 Kramnik erred. Move 28 was inaccurate but move 29 was a fatal error and Anand, whose nickname is the ‘Tiger from Madras’, pounced.

Vladimir Kramnik vs Viswanathan Anand (5)

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4 b5 8.Bd3 a6 9.e4 c5 10.e5 cxd4 11.Nxb5 axb5 12.exf6 gxf6 13.0-0 Qb6 14.Qe2 Bb7 15.Bxb5 Rg8

Vishy gets his novelty in first !

[15...Bd6 Game 3]

16.Bf4 Bd6 17.Bg3 f5

[17...Bxg3 18.hxg3 Helps White block the g file]

18.Rfc1 f4

[18...Ke7 19.Nxd4 Qxd4 20.Rd1 Rxg3 21.Rxd4 Rxg2+ 22.Kf1 Rag8 (22...Rxh2 23.Qd2) 23.Qd2 Ne5 24.Rxd6 Rg1+ 25.Ke2 Bf3+ 26.Ke3 Rxa1 looks better for White]

19.Bh4 Be7 20.a4

now the idea of Qd6 presents itself to play Qd5. This just looks unclear but not bad for White. I feared for Kramnik when Anand got his novelty in first and Kramnik had to think for a long time. He is way behind on the clock

20...Bxh4

[Vishy is out of preparation clearly now 20...Qd6 21.a5?! Qd5]

21.Nxh4

Qd6 idea Qd5 is possible and Ke7 is even on with the idea of Rxg2+ but White has resources here for example Ra3 or Qh5

21...Ke7

and now both

22.Ra3

[22.Qh5 Qd6 23.Bxd7 Qxd7 24.f3 Fritz 24...Qd6 25.Re1; Not 22.b4 Rxg2+! 23.Nxg2 Rg8 24.f3 d3+ 25.Qf2 Bxf3 26.Qxb6 Rxg2+ 27.Kf1 Nxb6 28.Bxd3 Nd5 Coming to e3.; 22.Nf5+ Kf6 seem OK for Black]

22...Rac8

[22...Rg5 23.Qd2 (23.Bxd7 Kxd7 24.Nf3 Rg7) ]

23.Rxc8

[23.Rd1]

23...Rxc8 24.Ra1

26 minutes left

24...Qc5

[24...Rg8]

25.Qg4 Qe5 26.Nf3 Qf6

holding d4 and f4

[26...Bxf3 27.Qxf3+/=]

27.Re1

[27.Nxd4 Qxd4 28.Rd1 Nf6-/+; 27.Bxd7 Kxd7 28.Nxd4 Ke7! with compensation in the form of a beautiful bishop 29.Rd1 Rc4 30.Ne2 Rxa4; 27.Rd1 Ne5 28.Nxe5 Qxe5 29.Qh4+ Qf6 30.Qxf6+ Kxf6]

27...Rc5

[27...Nf8!? Yusupov]

28.b4

Played very quickly 0.18 remaining to 0.50

28...Rc3

Avoiding simplificiation in Kramnik's time pressure. I feel Vishy is clearly better here

29.Nxd4?

I don't believe it, we had this in the analysis room ten minutes ago. this loses !

[29.Bxd7 Kxd7 30.Ng5 h6 31.Nh7 Qe5 32.Rxe5]

29...Qxd4 30.Rd1 Nf6

The point which Kramnik has doubtless seen but there is a classic sting in the tail

31.Rxd4 Nxg4 32.Rd7+ Kf6 33.Rxb7 Rc1+ 34.Bf1 Ne3

That's it, brilliant, White will be a bishop up with two connected passed pawns and he can resign. One of the most elegant finishes to a WCC game ever

35.fxe3 fxe3 0-1

A psychological hammer blow. You can come prepared Vlad but my novelty will still come first. I can play quicker than you and outplay you in your time trouble. I can't see Kramnik coming back from this 1.5-3.5 down, three games with white and his main line is wrecked