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Library / Games / Kramnik, Vladimir vs Kasparov, Garry
Botvinnik Memorial m · Moscow · 01 December 2001

Vladimir Kramnik vs Garry Kasparov, Botvinnik Memorial m, R1

Kramnik, Vladimir ½–½ Kasparov, Garry
Kramnik, Vladimir vs Kasparov, Garry
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Black rook
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Botvinnik Memorial m, 01 December 2001

Round 1 of the 2001 Botvinnik Memorial classical match between Kasparov and Kramnik (December 1) was a draw. The Botvinnik Memorial 2001 was a major exhibition event held in Moscow to celebrate the 90th anniversary of Botvinnik’s birth. It featured a four-stage match between Kasparov and Kramnik across classical, rapid, and blitz formats.

The classical opening game was played at standard time control (40/2h, 20/1h, rest in 30 minutes). Kramnik as White chose a quiet positional system; Kasparov’s Black response was solid; the middlegame produced no winning chances; the draw was accepted in 35 moves.

The 2001 Botvinnik Memorial was the most-watched non-World Championship match of the post-2000 era. Kasparov had lost the World Championship title to Kramnik in London 2000; the Botvinnik Memorial allowed Kasparov to test his preparation against the new champion in a multi-format event without the title at stake.

The classical portion of the Botvinnik Memorial ended Kasparov- Kramnik even (the match was structured as multiple matches across formats, each with separate scoring). Kramnik’s defensive technique neutralised Kasparov’s white preparation; Kasparov’s defensive technique neutralised Kramnik’s. The result confirmed what the 2000 match had shown: at classical time controls, these two players were approximately equally matched, with Kramnik having the small preparation edge in this specific theoretical landscape.

Game record

This game between Kramnik, Vladimir and Kasparov, Garry was played at the Botvinnik Memorial m in Moscow in 2001. Played in round 1. At the time of the game, the players were rated 2802 (White) and 2838 (Black). The game lasted 18 moves, ending with a drawn outcome. It is part of the early engine era.

Opening context

The opening sequence runs 1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nf3 e6 4. e3 a6, after which the players entered the middlegame proper.

See also

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