Kramnik and Deep Fritz battle to a draw in 4th game of the World Chess Challenge

Today's battle between World Champion Vladimir Kramnik (Russia) and chess computer Deep Fritz (Germany) in the Federal Art Hall, with five and a half hours and 54 moves the longest match of World Chess Challenge 2006 so far, ended with a draw. After four matches out of six, Deep Fritz thus continues to lead Kramnik by one point.

For the first time in the World Chess Challenge 2006 a game was opened with 1.e4. With Fritz playing white, Kramnik opted for the Russian defense. Just as in the third match, Fritz quickly took the initiative and began to exert enormous pressure on Kramnik. The Russian world champion, though, drew on his considerable defensive skills once more and successfully countered Fritz's moves, denying the computer any real leverage. In the endgame Deep Fritz pitted two rooks and a bishop against Kramnik's pair of rooks and a knight. Following the exchange of both rooks, Fritz's strong bishop and active king put him in a slightly superior position in the bishop-knight endgame. Kramnik, however, answered with precise defensive moves that allowed him to defuse the advantage held by Deep Fritz and secure one half point in the end. "The endgame took all my attention and for a long time I wasn't sure whether it would come to a draw. It was really close," said Kramnik after the game.

Match five of World Chess Challenge 2006 begins Sunday, December 03, at 3 p.m.

Result:
Match 4, December 01, 2006: Deep Fritz (Germany) - Vladimir Kramnik (Russia) 1/2 - 1/2
Score: Kramnik - Deep Fritz 1.5:2.5 points

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Notation, 4th match:
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 1/2-1/2