Queen Sacrifice in Las Palmas • Kramnik vs Anand • Las Palmas • Las Palmas, Canary Islands, Spain (1996) • English Opening: Agincourt Defense, Catalan Defense (A14)
Francisco Yepes Barrera
3 min read
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This match represents a clash between two of the most distinct styles in chess history: the cold, prophylactic logic of Kramnik and the lightning-fast, intuitive calculation of Anand.
Vladimir Kramnik: Known as “Big Vlad,” he was the leading exponent of the “Russian School.” His style was characterized by extreme solidity and the ability to squeeze small advantages. At this point in 1996, he was establishing himself as the world’s premier strategist.
Viswanathan Anand: Known as the “Lightning Kid” from India. Anand was famous for playing world-class moves in mere seconds. His style was more dynamic and universal, relying on incredible tactical vision.
The Las Palmas 1996 tournament is legendary in chess lore. It was a Category 21 event, the strongest ever held at that time. It featured the “Big Six”: Kasparov, Karpov, Anand, Kramnik, Topalov, and Ivanchuk. The double round-robin format meant there was nowhere to hide; every game was a battle between the absolute elite.
Coming into Round 6, the tournament was incredibly tense. Kramnik was in excellent form, having already shown that his “wall” was nearly impossible to break. Anand, meanwhile, was looking for chances to use his speed and tactical flair. The “eve” of such a game involved intense preparation; Kramnik would have been looking for a way to neutralize Anand’s activity, while Anand sought to complicate the position to provoke a mistake from the stoic Russian.
This game is a masterclass in the power of a Passed Pawn and the dominance of Minor Pieces over a Queen in specific endgame scenarios.
The game began with an English Opening (1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4), transitioning into a structure resembling a Queen’s Indian or a Neo-Catalan. After 11… Nd7, the position was balanced. Kramnik opted for a solid central setup, eventually pushing 16. d5.
The game took a dramatic turn when the players entered a sequence that left the material heavily unbalanced. After 18. Nc6 Bxc6 19. Bxd6 Ba4, Kramnik played 20. Bxf8, allowing Anand to take the Queen with 20… Bxd1.
Following 21. Be7 Qc7 22. Rxd1, Kramnik had two Bishops and a Rook for Anand’s Queen. Crucially, Kramnik possessed a powerful Passed Pawn on d5.
The engine notes that Anand’s move 24… b5 was an inaccuracy, allowing Kramnik to increase the pressure. The coordination of Kramnik’s Bishops was supreme. After 26. Re7, Anand’s position became critical. Anand tried to simplify with 26… Qc4, but after 27. Rxd7 Rxd7 28. Bxd7, the d-pawn became a monster.
A moment of high drama occurred on move 30. Kramnik played 30. Rd3, which was a significant blunder. Had Anand responded with 30… Kf8, he might have salvaged a draw by bringing his King to stop the Pawn. However, Anand reciprocated with 30… Qe4, a fatal error.
Kramnik quickly stabilized. The Bishop on b5 and the King safety allowed the d-pawn to march forward. After 41. d7, Anand resigned. The pawn is unstoppable; if the Queen checks the King, the King simply hides, and the pawn promotes to a new Queen, leaving White with an overwhelming material advantage.
Kramnik proved that a Rook and two Bishops often outclass a Queen if they have a clear target or a passed pawn to support. The entire game revolved around the strength of the d-pawn, which paralyzed Anand’s pieces. The double blunder on move 30 shows that even legends feel the immense pressure of such high-level positions.
