Kasparov, Garry vs Kramnik, Vladimir, Kosmos m 5'

Game 3 of the 1998 Kosmos blitz match between Kasparov and Kramnik (November 27) was a draw. The match was in its early stages at this game; both players were establishing the openings they would rely on through the next 25 games.

The opening was a Catalan, with Kasparov as White choosing the slower positional system rather than his usual Spanish. The choice suggested Kasparov was experimenting with openings against Kramnik’s preparation — looking for theoretical gaps that the blitz format might exploit. Kramnik’s response was solid; the draw was accepted in 35 moves.

The blitz match’s 28-game length gave both players opportunity to test multiple opening systems. Kasparov experimented with the Catalan, the Spanish, the Italian, and several queen’s-pawn systems. Kramnik responded with a varied Black repertoire including the Berlin Defense — the system he would later use to defeat Kasparov in the 2000 World Championship match.

The Kosmos match’s role as preparation for 2000 was clear in retrospect. Kramnik’s Berlin Defense, used selectively in 1998 and extensively in 2000, came directly from this preparation period. The Berlin’s resistance to Kasparov’s specific opening preferences became the theoretical centrepiece of Kramnik’s eventual title victory.