Vladimir Kramnik vs. Deep Fritz

World Champion Vladimir Kramnik is back for another clash against chess computer. This time he will face Deep Fritz in a 6 games match. The match will be played on November 25th-December 5th in Bonne, Germany.

WorldChessNetwork will provide Live Audio broadcast for this event. First round is scheduled for Saturday, November 25th, and commentator will be GM Alex Finkel. Alex is very patient, answering all the questions from audience.

How to Use Computers to Improve Your Chess
Opening for White according to Kramnik 1.Nf3, Vol. 4 (Repertoire Books)
Anatoly Karpov about Kramnik vs Deep Fritz



November 25th Update: First game drawn. 2nd game is scheduled for Monday, November 27th at 9am EST. GM Alex Finkel will be audio commentator on WCN.

Vladimir Kramnik - Deep Fritz
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 dxc4 5. Qa4+ Nbd7 6. Qxc4 a6 7. Qd3 c5 8. dxc5 Bxc5 9. Nf3 O-O 10. O-O Qe7 11. Nc3 b6 12. Ne4 Nxe4 13. Qxe4 Nf6 14. Qh4 Bb7 15. Bg5 Rfd8 16. Bxf6 Qxf6 17. Qxf6 gxf6 18. Rfd1 Kf8 19. Ne1 Bxg2 20. Kxg2 f5 21. Rxd8+ Rxd8 22. Nd3 Bd4 23. Rc1 e5 24. Rc2 Rd5 25. Nb4 Rb5 26. Nxa6 Rxb2 27. Rxb2 Bxb2 28. Nb4 Kg7 29. Nd5 Bd4 30. a4 Bc5 31. h3 f6 32. f3 Kg6 33. e4 h5 34. g4 hxg4 35. hxg4 fxe4 36. fxe4 Kg5 37. Kf3 Kg6 38. Ke2 Kg5 39. Kd3 Bg1 40. Kc4 Bf2 41. Kb5 Kxg4 42. Nxf6+ Kf3 43. Kc6 Bh4 44. Nd7 Kxe4 45. Kxb6 Bf2+ 46. Kc6 Be1 47. Nxe5 draw

Photo: ChessBase

November 27th Update: Kramnik blundered mate in one. This probably hasn't happened since his childhood. The blunder can have significant psychological consequences on Kramnik's play in next 4 games. The game itself started with a nice trick of Vladimir Kramnik who played weird move order to kick Deep Fritz out of his books. He gained advantage with black pieces and had control until the unfortunate blunder. Third game will be played on Wednesday, November 29th with live audio coverage on WorldChessNetwork.


Deep Fritz - Vladimir Kramnik
1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e4 b5 4. a4 c6 5. Nc3 b4 6. Na2 Nf6 7. e5 Nd5 8. Bxc4 e6 9. Nf3 a5 10. Bg5 Qb6 11. Nc1 Ba6 12. Qe2 h6 13. Be3 Bxc4 14. Qxc4 Nd7 15. Nb3 Be7 16. Rc1 O-O 17. O-O Rfc8 18. Qe2 c5 19. Nfd2 Qc6 20. Qh5 Qxa4 21. Nxc5 Nxc5 22. dxc5 Nxe3 23. fxe3 Bxc5 24. Qxf7+ Kh8 25. Qf3 Rf8 26. Qe4 Qd7 27. Nb3 Bb6 28. Rfd1 Qf7 29. Rf1 Qa7 30. Rxf8+ Rxf8 31. Nd4 a4 32. Nxe6 Bxe3+ 33. Kh1 Bxc1 34. Nxf8 Qe3 35. Qh7 1-0



November 29th Update: Third game was drawn. The Catalan opening was played again, and it looked like Kramnik was in favorable position. However, after couple of Kramnik's soft moves, Deep Fritz got passed a-pawn with balanced material. Exactly at this point, we have seen superiority of the human, even if Kramnik was only fighting to secure the draw. Program didn't even bother to stop exchange sac for neutralizing passed pawn because his calculations were showing that he has material advantage (rook for bishop+pawn). Deep Fritz is incapable of recognizing motive of fortress, something that every 2000 human player is aware of.

Exchange sacrifice with 38.Rf8

Vladimir Kramnik - Deep Fritz
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 dxc4 5. Qa4+ Nbd7 6. Qxc4 a6 7. Qc2 c5 8. Nf3 b6 9. Ne5 Nd5 10. Nc3 Bb7 11. Nxd5 Bxd5 12. Bxd5 exd5 13. O-O Nxe5 14. dxe5 Qc8 15. Rd1 Qe6 16. Qd3 Be7 17. Qxd5 Rd8 18. Qb3 Rxd1+ 19. Qxd1 O-O 20. Qb3 c4 21. Qc3 f6 22. b3 Rc8 23. Bb2 b5 24. Qe3 fxe5 25. bxc4 Rxc4 26. Bxe5 h6 27. Rd1 Rc2 28. Qb3 Qxb3 29. axb3 Rxe2 30. Bd6 Bf6 31. Bc5 a5 32. Bd4 Be7 33. Bc3 a4 34. bxa4 bxa4 35. Rd7 Bf8 36. Rd8 Kf7 37. Ra8 a3 38. Rxf8+ Kxf8 39. Bb4+ Kf7 40. Bxa3 Ra2 41. Bc5 g6 42. h4 Kf6 43. Be3 h5 44. Kg2 draw



December 1st Update: I am sure many of us would feel uncomfortable with Knight on h5 and opponent's doubled Rooks, but not Vladimir Kramnik. This was "one of his positions", where he was slowly improving his pieces to the most optimal squares. Not even 1.e4 could help Deep Fritz achieving something, easy draw with no sweat. 5th game will be played on Sunday 9am, GM Larry Christiansen is providing audio comments for WorldChessNetwork.

Deep Fritz - Vladimir Kramnik
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. d4 Nxe4 4. Bd3 d5 5. Nxe5 Nd7 6. Nxd7 Bxd7 7. O-O Bd6 8. Qh5 Qf6 9. Nc3 Qxd4 10. Nxd5 Bc6 11. Ne3 g6 12. Qh3 Ng5 13. Qg4 Qf4 14. Qxf4 Bxf4 15. Nc4 Ne6 16. Bxf4 Nxf4 17. Rfe1+ Kf8 18. Bf1 Bb5 19. a4 Ba6 20. b4 Bxc4 21. Bxc4 Rd8 22. Re4 Nh5 23. Rae1 Rd7 24. h3 Ng7 25. Re5 Nf5 26. Bb5 c6 27. Bd3 Nd6 28. g4 Kg7 29. f4 Rhd8 30. Kg2 Nc8 31. a5 Rd4 32. R5e4 Kf8 33. Kf3 h6 34. Rxd4 Rxd4 35. Re4 Rd6 36. Ke3 g5 37. Rd4 Ke7 38. c4 Rxd4 39. Kxd4 gxf4 40. Ke4 Kf6 41. Kxf4 Ne7 42. Be4 b6 43. c5 bxc5 44. bxc5 Ng6+ 45. Ke3 Ne7 46. Kd4 Ke6 47. Bf3 f5 48. Bd1 Kf6 49. Bc2 fxg4 50. hxg4 Ke6 51. Bb1 Kf6 52. Be4 Ke6 53. Bh1 Kf6 54. Bf3 Ke6 draw


December 3rd Update: Another transposition in the opening. After short flirting with Ragozin Defence, Kramnik took the game into Nimzo Indian waters. He had nice prospects in view of bishop's pair in open position, but Deep Fritz had the opportunity to claim open d-file. Instead of castling, Kramnik used his h-pawn and lifted rook to harass opponent's King. The game ended in draw after the moves were repeated. Deep Fritz is leading 3-2, last game is scheduled for Tuesday, December 5th at 9am EST.

Vladimir Kramnik - Deep Fritz
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. e3 O-O 6. a3 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 c5 8. Bb2 Nc6 9. Rc1 Re8 10. Bd3 dxc4 11. Bxc4 e5 12. dxe5 Qxd1+ 13. Rxd1 Nxe5 14. Nxe5 Rxe5 15. Be2 Bd7 16. c4 Re7 17. h4


17...Ne4 18. h5 Ba4 19. Rd3 b5 20. cxb5 Bxb5 21. Rd1 Bxe2 22. Kxe2 Rb8 23. Ba1 f5 24. Rd5 Rb3 25. Rxf5 Rxa3 26. Rb1 Re8 27. Rf4 Ra2+ 28. Ke1 h6 29. Rg4 g5 30. hxg6 Nxf2 31. Rh4 Rf8 32. Kf1 Nh3+ 33. Ke1 Nf2 34. Kf1 Nh3+ 35. Ke1 draw


December 5th Update: Deep Fritz won the 6th game and match with overall score of 4-2. Vladimir Kramnik surprised the viewers by choosing Naidorf Sicilian with black pieces. I can't remember seeing him playing this line. Fritz played amazing 10.Re3 novelty, a manoeuvre that was never tried before. After 25. e5! de5 26. Re5 Be5 was not possible because 27. Qe5 f6 28. Bg6 would win on the spot. Fritz took a4 pawn on move 30 and the rest was matter of the technique.

Deep Fritz - Vladimir Kramnik
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bc4 e6 7. O-O Be7 8. Bb3 Qc7 9. Re1 Nc6 10. Re3 O-O 11. Rg3 Kh8 12. Nxc6 bxc6 13. Qe2 a5 14. Bg5 Ba6 15. Qf3 Rab8 16. Re1 c5 17. Bf4 Qb7 18. Bc1 Ng8 19. Nb1 Bf6 20. c3 g6 21. Na3 Qc6 22. Rh3 Bg7 23. Qg3 a4 24. Bc2 Rb6 25. e5 dxe5 26. Rxe5 Nf6 27. Qh4 Qb7 28. Re1 h5 29. Rf3 Nh7 30. Qxa4 Qc6 31. Qxc6 Rxc6 32. Ba4 Rb6 33. b3 Kg8 34. c4 Rd8 35. Nb5 Bb7 36. Rfe3 Bh6 37. Re5 Bxc1 38. Rxc1 Rc6 39. Nc3 Rc7 40. Bb5 Nf8 41. Na4 Rdc8 42. Rd1 Kg7 43. Rd6 f6 44. Re2 e5 45. Red2 g5 46. Nb6 Rb8 47. a4 1-0