Lesson
White to move. Main line: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Nf3 c5 8. Be3 Qa5 9. Qd2 Bg4 10. Rb1 a6 11. Rxb7 Bxf3 12. gxf3 Nc6 13. Bc4 O-O 14. O-O cxd4 15. cxd4 Bxd4 16. Bd5 Bc3 17. Qc1 Nd4 18. Bxd4 Bxd4 19. Rxe7 Ra7 20. Rxa7 Bxa7 21. f4 Qd8 22. Qc3 Bb8 23. Qf3 Qh4 24. e5 g5 25. Re1 Qxf4 26. Qxf4 gxf4 27. e6 fxe6 28. Rxe6 Kg7 29. Rxa6 Rf5 30. Be4 Re5 31. f3 Re7 32. a4 Ra7 33. Rb6 Be5 34. Rb4 Rd7 35. Kg2 Rd2+ 36. Kh3 h5 37. Rb5 Kf6 38. a5 Ra2 39. Rb6+ Ke7 40. Bd5
Kramnik’s 10.Rb1 and 11.Rxb7 accept structural damage for activity. After ...Bxf3, White recaptures with the g-pawn, keeps the bishop pair active and forces Black to solve concrete problems rather than settle into a normal Grünfeld ending.
The tactical sequence 19.Rxe7 Ra7 20.Rxa7 Bxa7 removes Black’s active rook. Kramnik then uses f4 and e5–e6 to create a protected passer, trading queens only when the resulting rook-and-bishop ending favors him.
The finish is technical rather than flashy: the a-pawn advances, the rook occupies the sixth rank and the bishop centralizes on d5. This game is valuable opening content because preparation produced a playable long-term advantage, not a short trap.