Fritz outwits Anand

By Arvind Aaron

FRANKFURT, JUNE 18. The Fritz computer programme on Primergy has made an impressive start in the `Computer matches' beating World No. 2 Viswanathan Anand and drawing against No. 3 Vladimir Kramnik, with black pieces, in the Frankfurt Chess Classic 2000 here on Saturday.

The programme took an unbeatable 1-0 lead over Anand in the two game match and Anand who had won both his matches here in 1998 and 1999 looked depressed after the loss. He gets another shot on Sunday but with the black pieces.

Anand opened with the queen pawn as white and opted for an original plan against the Dutch defence. Anand's game resembled more a King's Indian defence but black was able to understand the shift and pressurised the Indian on the queen rook and king's bishop line.

Soon Anand looked out of sorts and without a plan. He tried to keep the position locked as much as possible but what black made use of the little opening to win. Anand lost a pawn on the 26th move and resigned on the 44th move when he was boxed into a corner of the board in a zugzwang.

About the decisive element in the game, Anand said he did not see the tactic behind black's Qg5 after which he thought white's resistance was over.

Asked if he saw the anti Fritz strategy adopted in two games of the Dutch championship last month, Anand said, ``Yes, in eleven games, two players got it. Sometimes I have got it. Not today.''

Asked if there was more danger for the human side with the two remaining players to play black, he said, ``I have done badly and it would be improper to talk about others.''

Kramnik shares point

Kramnik started the human campaign with a 53-move draw with the white pieces. White was better out off the opening but black's position was solid. Kramnik could not break into black's Dutch defence position.

Towards the end, Fritz was muscling up speed and lead on the clock. It won a pawn on the 45th turn but Kramnik forced a draw with very few pieces on the board.

The moves:

GM V. Anand-Fritz, G/25, Dutch defence, A81: 1.d4 f5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 g6 4.c3 Bg7 5.Qb3 Nc6 6.Nf3 d6 7.O-O e5 8.d5 Ne7 9.c4 O-O 10.Rd1 Ne4 11.Nc3 Nxc3 12.Qxc3 a5 13.Qc2 a4 14.Rb1 f4 15.Ng5 Nf5 16.Ne4 Nd4 17.Qd3 Bg4 18.f3 Bd7 19.b3 axb3 20.axb3 Ra2 21.Bb2 Bf5 22.Bxd4 exd4 23.g4 Bxe4 24.fxe4 Qg5 25.Ra1 Rxa1 26.Rxa1 Qxg4 27.Ra7 Qh4 28.Ra1 Be5 29.h3 Qg3 30.Qxg3 fxg3 31.Rf1 Ra8 32.Rf3 Ra1+ 33.Bf1 Kg7 34.Kg2 h5 35.h4 Ra2 36.Kh3 c6 37.dxc6 bxc6 38.Kg2 c5 39.Kh3 Kh6 40.Rd3 g5 41.hxg5+ Kxg5 42.Rf3 Bf4 43.Rd3 Ra1 44.Rf3 Re1 0-1.

GM V. Kramnik-Fritz, G/25, English Opening, A10: 1.c4 f5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.g3 g6 4.b4 Bg7 5.Bb2 d6 6.d4 c6 7.Bg2 d5 8.Nbd2 dxc4 9.Nxc4 Be6 10.Qc2 Bd5 11.O-O Be4 12.Qb3 Qd5 13.Rfc1 Nbd7 14.Na5 Rb8 15.a4 Bh6 16.Rf1 g5 17.b5 g4 18.Ne1 Bd2 19.Qxd5 Bxd5 20.Bxd5 Nxd5 21.Nc4 Bxe1 22.Rfxe1 h5 23.e4 fxe4 24.Rxe4 Rh7 25.Rae1 cxb5 26.axb5 N7f6 27.R4e2 Nc7 28.b6 axb6 29.Nxb6 Nd7 30.Nc4 b5 31.Ne3 Nf6 32.Rd1 Rd8 33.Rc1 e6 34.Rc5 b4 35.Kg2 Rd6 36.h3 Ncd5 37.Nc4 gxh3+ 38.Kxh3 Ra6 39.Bc1 Rb7 40.Bf4 Nxf4+ 41.gxf4 Rd7 42.f5 Rxd4 43.Rxe6+ Rxe6 44.fxe6 Ne4 45.Rc6 Nxf2+ 46.Kg2 Ne4 47.Ne3 Nd6 48.Rb6 Rd3 49.Kf2 b3 50.Rb8+ Ke7 51.Ke2 Rd4 52.Rxb3 Kxe6 53.Rd3 Draw.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Sport
Previous : Vijayalakshmi outwits Safira, moves ahead
Next     : 'Match-fixing has shaken people's faith in the
           game'