Kramnik demonstrates why he is a worthy champion in this game: in a must-win situation, he pulls out a very nice win.

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5!?

Unusual for Kramnik

3... Bf5 4. h4 h6 5. g4 Bd7 6. Nd2 c5 7. dxc5 e6 8. Nb3 Bxc5 9. Nxc5 Qa5+ 10. c3 Qxc5 11. Nf3 Ne7 12. Bd3 Nbc6 13. Be3 Qa5 14. Qd2 Ng6 15. Bd4 Nxd4 16. cxd4 Qxd2+ 17. Kxd2

Not many players would go so willingly into an endgame in a must-win game!

17... Nf4 18. Rac1 h5 19. Rhg1 Bc6 20. gxh5 Nxh5 21. b4 a6 22. a4!? Kd8

22... Bxa4 23. Rc7 Bc6 24. Ng5!?

23. Ng5 Be8 24. b5 Nf4 25. b6!? Nxd3 26. Kxd3 Rc8 27. Rxc8+ Kxc8 28. Rc1+ Bc6 29. Nxf7 Rxh4 30. Nd6+ Kd8 31. Rg1 Rh3+ 32. Ke2 Ra3 33. Rxg7 Rxa4 34. f4 Ra2+

34... Rxd4 35. f5 exf5 36. e6 Re4+ 37. Nxe4 fxe4 38. Rc7 d4 39. Rxc6 bxc6 40. b7 Kc7 41. e7

35. Kf3 Ra3+ 36. Kg4 Rd3 37. f5 Rxd4+ 38. Kg5 exf5 39. Kf6 Rg4 40. Rc7 Rh4 41. Nf7+

A superb win by Kramnik!

41. Nf7+ Ke8 42. Rc8+ Kd7 43. Rd8#

1-0

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. f4 e6 5. Nf3 c5 6. Be3 cxd4 7. Nxd4 Ne7 8. Bb5+ Nd7 9. O-O a6 10. Be2 g5!? 11. g4 gxf4 12. gxf5 Nxf5 13. Nxf5 fxe3 14. Nc3!? Rg8+ 15. Kh1 Qg5 16. Bf3 Nxe5 17. Qe2 Qxf5 18. Bxd5 Qh3 19. Bxb7 Ra7 20. Bf3 Bh6 21. Ne4 Ke7 22. Qe1 f5 23. Qb4+ Kf7 24. Qd4 Nxf3 25. Qf6+ Ke8 26. Qxe6+ Kf8 27. Qf6+ Rf7 28. Qd6+ Kg7 29. Rg1+ Kh8 30. Nf6 0-1

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e6 6. Be3 Nc6 7. Bc4 Bd7 8. Bb3 Be7 9. Qe2 Nxd4 10. Bxd4 Bc6 11. O-O-O Qa5 12. f4 e5 13. Be3!? O-O 14. g4!?

Offering the e4-pawn for an attack

14... Bxe4 15. Rhg1 Rac8!?

An interesting bid for counterplay

15... Bc6 16. g5 Nd7 17. g6! gives white a quick and deadly attack, eg 17... hxg6 18. Rxg6 Nc5 19. Bxc5 Qxc5 20. Rdg1

16. g5 Rxc3! 17. gxf6! Bxf6 18. bxc3 exf4

18... Qxc3!? 19. Bd4!? exd4 20. Qxe4 d3 21. Qxd3

19. Bd4 Bxd4 20. Rxd4 Qxc3 21. Rxg7+!!

21. Qxe4 Qa1+ 22. Kd2 Qxg1

21... Kxg7 22. Rxe4 f3 23. Qe3 Qxe3+ 24. Rxe3 f2 25. Rf3 f5 26. Kd2 Rf6 27. Ke2 Rh6 28. Rxf5 Rxh2 29. Rf7+! 1-0

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 e5 5. Nb5 d6 6. N1c3 a6 7. Na3 b5 8. Nd5 Nce7 9. Nb4!?

Probably the weirdest move this year ... but white wins the game. There's some point to it, of course. In some lines Nxa6 followed by Bxb5 is possible, and the Nb4 keeps pressure on c6, d5 and a6. Classic Ivanchuk

9... Bd7 10. c4 a5 11. Nbc2 Nf6 12. Nxb5 Bxb5 13. cxb5 Nxe4 14. Be3 d5 15. b6

The white bishops are dangerous

15... f5!? 16. Qe2!? Kf7 17. O-O-O Qd7 18. Kb1 Qe6 19. f3 Nd6 20. f4 Nc4 21. fxe5 Rb8 22. g4! f4 23. Qf3! g5 24. Bxc4 dxc4 25. h4 Qc6 26. e6+! Kg6 27. Qf2 Qxe6 28. Bd4 Bg7 29. hxg5 Rbd8 30. Rde1 Qd6 31. Bc5 Qd2 32. Re6+ 1-0

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e6 6. Be2 Be7 7. O-O O-O 8. f4 a6 9. a4 Nc6 10. Be3 Qc7 11. Kh1 Re8 12. Qd2 Rb8 13. a5!? Nxa5 14. e5 dxe5 15. fxe5 Nd7

15... Qxe5? 16. Bf4

16. Bf4 Nc4 17. Bxc4 Qxc4 18. b3 Qb4

18... Qc7 19. Nf5!? exf5 20. e6 Ne5 21. Nd5 Qd6 22. Nxe7+ Qxe7 23. Bxe5 Ra8 24. Bd6!

19. Ra4 Qb6

20. Qf2!

Threatening Bh6!!

20... Ra8?! 21. Be3 Rf8 22. Nf5! Qd8 23. Nxe7+ Qxe7 24. Ne4! Nxe5?!

desperation

25. Bc5 Qd8 26. Rd4 Nd7 27. Bxf8 Qxf8 28. Qd2 Qe7 29. Nd6 Nf6 30. Nf5!! exf5 31. Rd8+ Ne8 32. Re1 1-0

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. Bd3 Bc5 6. Nb3 Ba7 7. Qe2 Nc6 8. Be3 d6 9. f4 Nge7 10. O-O O-O 11. c4 Bxe3+ 12. Qxe3 d5 13. N1d2 d4 14. Qg3 e5 15. f5 f6 16. c5 Kh8 17. Nc4 Bd7 18. Rf3 a5 19. Nd6 Nc8 20. Qh4 Nxd6 21. cxd6 b6 22. g4 Be8 23. Kh1 Qxd6 24. g5 fxg5 25. Qxg5 Qf6 26. Qg4 Nb4 27. Nd2 Nxd3 28. Rxd3 Rc8 29. Nf3 g6 30. fxg6 Bxg6 31. Nh4 Qc6 32. Re1 Bxe4+!! 33. Rxe4 Rf4!

33... Rf4 34. Qg2 Qxe4

0-1

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 d6 6. g3 Nf6 7. Bg2 Bd7 8. O-O Be7 9. Be3 O-O 10. Qe2 a6 11. Rad1 Qc7 12. a4 Rac8 13. Nxc6 Bxc6 14. Rd2 Rfe8 15. Rfd1 Qa5 16. Rd4 1/2-1/2

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c6 4. Nf3 dxc4 5. a4 Bb4 6. e3 b5 7. Bd2 a5 8. axb5 Bxc3 9. Bxc3 cxb5 10. b3 Bb7 11. bxc4 b4 12. Bb2 Nf6 13. Bd3 Nbd7 14. O-O O-O 15. Nd2 Re8 16. f4 Nc5 17. Bc2 Nce4 18. Nf3 Qc7 19. Ne5 Nd7 20. Qh5 Nf8 21. Rfc1 f6 22. Nf3 Ng6 23. Ba4 Re7 24. f5 exf5 25. Bb3 Qd7 26. d5 a4 27. Bc2 a3 28. Bd4 f4 29. Bb3 fxe3 30. g3 f5 31. Ra2 Ra6 32. Re2 Nc3!?

An interesting combination that doesn't quite work!

33. Bxc3 bxc3 34. Rxc3 Nf4!? 35. gxf4 Rh6 36. Ne5!

36. Qg5 Rg6

36... Rxe5 37. Qf3 Re4 38. Rcxe3 Rg6+ 39. Kf1 Rb6 40. Rxe4 fxe4 41. Rxe4 h6 42. Qe3 Rf6 43. Ke1 Qc7 44. Kd1 Rf8 45. Re7 Qc8 46. Kd2 a2 47. Qe5 Qg4 48. Bxa2 Rxf4 49. Rxg7+ Qxg7 50. Qxf4 Bxd5 51. Qb8+ 1-0

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 Nc6 8. Qd2 Bd7 9. O-O-O h5 10. Kb1 a6 11. f4 b5 12. Bd3 Ng4 13. Nxc6 Bxc6 14. Bg1 Qa5 15. e5 b4 16. Be4! bxc3 17. Bxc6+ Kf8 18. Qd5 Qxd5 19. Bxd5 Rb8 20. b3 dxe5 21. Ba7 Rb4 22. h3 Nh6 23. Bc4! Bf6 24. Rd7 exf4 25. a3 Rxc4! 26. bxc4 Kg7 27. c5 Rc8 28. Bb6 Nf5 29. Rc7 Rb8 30. a4 a5 31. Ka2 Ne3 32. Rb1 Nxc2 33. Bxa5 Ra8 34. Bb6 Nd4 35. a5 c2 36. Rc1 e5 37. c6 f3 38. gxf3 Bg5 39. Kb2 Bxc1+ 40. Kxc1 Nb3+ 41. Kxc2 Nxa5 42. Kc3 Nxc6!? 43. Rxc6 Ra3+ 44. Kd2 Rxf3 45. h4 Rf6 46. Rxf6 Kxf6 1/2-1/2

1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6 4. Nf3 a6 5. Be2 b5 6. O-O Bb7 7. Re1 b4 8. Nd5 e6 9. Nxb4 a5 10. Nd3 Bxe4 11. Ng5 Bc6 12. Bg4!? Nh6 13. Bxe6!! O-O

Chicken!

14. Bh3 Qf6 15. c3 Nd7 16. d5! Bb5 17. c4! Bxc4 18. Bxd7 Bxd5 19. Nf4 Bb7 20. Ne4 Qd8 21. Nd5!! c6

21... Qxd7 22. Nef6+

21... Bxd5 22. Qxd5 Qxd7 23. Bxh6! Bxh6 24. Nf6+

22. Bg5!! f6 23. Ndxf6+ Kh8

23... Bxf6 24. Nxf6+ Rxf6 25. Re8+ Qxe8 26. Bxe8 Rxe8 27. Bxf6

24. Ng4! Qxd7 25. Nxh6 1-0

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 b6 5. Qg4 Bf8 6. Nf3 Qd7 7. Bd2 Ne7 8. a4 a5 9. h4 h5 10. Qf4 Ng6 11. Qg3 Ba6 12. Nb5 c6 13. Nd6+ Bxd6 14. exd6 Bxf1 15. Kxf1 c5 16. Bc3 c4 17. Rh3 Nc6 18. Rb1 O-O 19. Bd2 Rad8 20. b3 Qxd6 21. Qg5 e5 22. Qxh5 Nf4 23. dxe5 Qg6 24. Qxg6 Nxg6 25. bxc4 Ncxe5 26. Rxb6 Nxc4 27. Rb5 Rfe8 28. h5 Nxd2+ 29. Nxd2 Nf4 30. Rh4 Re2 31. Nf3 Re4 32. Rxa5 Rc8 33. g3 Ne6 34. Rxe4 dxe4 35. Ne1 Nd4 36. Re5 f5 37. g4 fxg4 38. Rxe4 Nf3 39. Re2 Rc4 40. Kg2 Nh4+ 41. Kg3 Nf5+ 42. Kh2 Rxa4 43. Re5 Nd6 44. Nd3 Rc4 45. Rc5 Rd4 46. Rc6 Ne4 47. Rg6 Nf6 48. h6 Kh7 49. Ne5 Rd5 50. hxg7 Rxe5 51. Rxf6 Rc5 52. Rg6 Kg8 53. Rxg4 Rxc2 54. Kg3 Rc7 55. Rg5 Rc4 56. f4 Rc7 57. Kg4 Rf7 58. Rg6 Ra7 59. Kh5 Ra5+ 60. Kh6 Rf5 61. Rg4 Rxf4 62. Rxf4 1/2-1/2

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Qe7 3. Bc4 c6 4. O-O d6 5. d4 g6 6. a4 Nh6 7. h3 f6 8. Nc3 Nf7 9. b3 Qc7 10. a5 Nd7 11. Qd3 b5 12. axb6 Nxb6 13. Rd1 Be7 14. b4 Nxc4 15. Qxc4 Qb7 16. b5 Bd7 17. bxc6 Qxc6 18. Qd3 a5 19. Nd5 Bd8 20. Ba3 O-O 21. c4 Re8 22. Rac1 Qa6 23. dxe5 fxe5 24. Nh2 Ba4 25. Rf1 Rb8 26. Ng4 Kg7 27. f4 Rb3 28. Rc3 Qa7+ 29. Kh1 Rxc3 30. Qxc3 Qd4 31. fxe5 Qxc3 32. Nxc3 Bb3 33. exd6 Bxc4 34. Rb1 h5 35. Ne3 Bd3 36. Rb8 Bxe4 37. d7 Re6 38. Nxe4 Rxe4 39. Bc5 Bg5 40. Re8 Ra4 41. Bb6 h4 42. Kg1 Ra2 43. d8=Q Nxd8 44. Bxd8 Kf7 45. Re4 Bxd8 46. Nc4 Be7 47. Kf1 g5 48. Ne5+ Kg7 49. Nd3 Bf8 50. Re5 Kf6 51. Rb5 a4 52. Nf2 Be7 53. Ne4+ Kg6 54. Re5 Bf6 55. Ra5 Be7 56. Re5 Bb4 57. Rxg5+ Kh6 58. Rg4 a3 59. Nf6 Bc3 60. Nd5 Ra1+ 61. Kf2 Be1+ 62. Ke2 a2 63. Ne7 Bc3 0-1

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 c5 3. d5 e6 4. Nc3 b5 5. dxe6 fxe6 6. Bg5 b4 7. Ne4 d5 8. Nxf6+ gxf6 9. Bh4 Be7 10. e4 dxe4 11. Nd2 Qd5 12. Bc4 Qf5 13. Qe2 Nc6 14. Bb5 Bb7 15. Nxe4 O-O-O 16. c3 Rhg8 17. Bg3 Ne5 18. Ba6 c4 19. Bxb7+ Kxb7 20. O-O Nd3 21. cxb4 h5 22. Nc5+ Bxc5 23. bxc5 h4 24. Bxh4 Rxg2+!! 25. Kh1

25. Kxg2 Nf4+

25... Qd5 26. Qe3 Rxf2+ 0-1