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Kramnik’s focus wavers in other events while he awaits title match with KasparovBEGINNER’S CORNER8764421a b c u e r gWHITE MATES IN 2Hint: Set it up tor the knight.□ □ □Something astonishing happenedto Vladimir Kramnik, the second-ranked player in the world, after his April agreement with Garr\Kasparov to play a title match laterthis year.0Kramnik, who had not lost a game in more than a year, was beaten•ftwice - once in a Frankfurt tournament by Peter Leko in June and0again weeks later by Michael Adams in Dortmund.Although Kramnik managed to win the Dortmund event, lie finished with a mediocre 5-5 score in Frankfurt - one of his worst tournament results ever. Why the sudden0falloff of performance?For Kramnik, the explanation wasobvious, as he explained to a journalist in Dortmund:“For the first time I'm m a situation where it’s hard for me to be motivated. This fact makes my play worse, because in sports the most important thing is motivation. 1dfhdon't have a concrete aim - my thoughts are on the (upcoming) match with Kasparov. This is the reason my play doesn t work.'But looking ahead. Kramnik was confident.“1 know that I have good chances, he said. “1 will tight like never before in my life. I expect to■ - • jS t * ■win.I he 16-game event will begin inLondon on Oct. 8. With four gamesscheduled pet week, the match willbe concluded no later than Nov. 4.Iwo-thirds of the $2 million pursewill go to the winner.Below is an eighth-round win byKramnik in Dortmund againstRobert Huebner of Germany. It il-0lustrates Kramnik s strateg lucid and often crushing style.15. Qxf3Qxd416. Bf4b417. R(a)dlQc418. Bd3Qc6Id. Ne4Nd520. Be5f521 Qg3Rf722. Nd2Nb723. Nf3Nc524. Nd4Qb625. N xf5exf'526. Be4N f627. Be7resigns (a)(a) If 27. ..Qc6 or 27. . .. Qb7,then 28. Rxe~etcSolution to Beginner’s Corner: 1c3! (threatening 2 Nc2 mate) Ra^ 3. Nb3 mate.Shelbv Lvman o a national chess master and threlt; ante New England champion.SOLVE-ITafter 26. ... Nf6HuebnerHKramnikHuebner71. d4d52. Nt‘3Nf663. c4dxc4m•4. e3e655. Bxc4c546. 0-0a6■7. Bb3cxd438. cxd4Nc62d. Nc3Be 710. Re 10-0111. h4Na512. Be2b513. 0d3Bb714. h5Bxf3a byd e fKramnik8 ItWHITE TO PLAY
Newspaper Details
Nashua Telegraph
Nashua, New Hampshire, US
Sun, Aug 06, 2000
Page 97
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