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Library / Games / Kasparov, Garry vs Kramnik, Vladimir
Botvinnik Memorial m 5' · Moscow · 09 December 2001

Garry Kasparov vs Vladimir Kramnik, Botvinnik Memorial m 5', R2

Kasparov, Garry ½–½ Kramnik, Vladimir
Kasparov, Garry vs Kramnik, Vladimir
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Botvinnik Memorial m 5', 09 December 2001

Round 2 of the 2001 Botvinnik Memorial blitz match (December 9) was a draw between Kasparov and Kramnik. The blitz section featured fast-paced games where both players could reuse theoretical preparation at compressed time controls.

The draw was a Catalan, Kramnik’s signature 1.d4 system. Kasparov as Black played the Slav Defense with active piece play; the middlegame featured small structural exchanges; the endgame was balanced. The draw was accepted in 32 moves.

The Catalan-Slav theoretical battleground had become a recurring feature of elite chess by 2001. Both players had spent years studying the specific lines that would arise; both knew each other’s preferred move orders; the resulting games featured deep theoretical knowledge applied at blitz speed.

The 2001 Botvinnik Memorial’s commercial success contributed to the broader infrastructure of elite exhibition events. The Memorial format — multi-section matches between top players — inspired subsequent events including the World Chess Cup series in the 2000s and the various blitz/rapid exhibitions that have become standard in elite chess scheduling.

Game record

This game between Kasparov, Garry and Kramnik, Vladimir was played at the Botvinnik Memorial m 5’ in Moscow in 2001. Played in round 2. At the time of the game, the players were rated 2838 (White) and 2802 (Black). The game lasted 47 moves, ending with a drawn outcome. It is part of the early engine era.

Opening context

The opening sequence runs 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. a3 Bb7, after which the players entered the middlegame proper.

See also

For more on this game’s protagonists and theory, see Kasparov, Garry and Kramnik, Vladimir.

Match notes

This Botvinnik Memorial m 5’ game sits in engine-era transition. Master-level chess of the period was published in tournament bulletins, magazine annotations, and — for the most-studied games — in published opening monographs by the participants and their successors. This game is preserved in the open historical record and can be replayed in full above.