Kramnik's Brilliant Game Ends with a Cruel Defeat

Thanks to an unbelievable error made by the World Champion in the 34th move, today's second match in World Chess Challenge 2006 came to an abrupt conclusion. Vladimir Kramnik (Russia) wasted a brilliant game and an extraordinary position by completely overlooking a one-move checkmate against chess computer Deep Fritz (Germany). Deep Fritz checkmated the World Champion by moving its queen to h7. After playing two of the six matches, the computer has taken the lead with 1.5 to 0.5 points.

Like Kramnik, Deep Fritz opened its first white game by playing d4. Once the Queen's Gambit had been accepted, the adversaries began a strategically complex game. The Russian World Champion controlled the strategic position beautifully, developing advantages through precise playing. He even avoided a repetition of position that would have resulted in a draw. Kramnik was not under time pressure - he still had 33 minutes on the time control clock for the last five moves. But then, something unbelievable happened on the stage at the Federal Art Hall: The World
Champion, normally such a confident and controlled player, made a disastrous mistake - allowing the computer to checkmate him and immediately end the game.

At the post-game press conference, both Kramnik and the international journalists were stunned by the conclusion. "I'm also shocked by what happened. I can't explain it. My position was excellent; I felt good, and wasn't even tired,"
said a visibly upset Kramnik.

World Chess Challenge will continue on Wednesday, November 29, 3 p.m. with the third match between Kramnik and Deep Fritz.
Result:
Match 2, Nov. 27, 2006: Deep Fritz (Germany) - Vladimir Kramnik (Russia) 1 - 0
Score: Kramnik - Deep Fritz 0.5:1.5 points
Notation, 2nd match:
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

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