The story behind the game
The tenth game of the 2006 world championship match begins in a Catalan structure and becomes a tactical fight around Black’s active rook and White’s knights. Kramnik’s knight moves attack useful targets while the queen and bishop prepare a favourable transition. The final queen exchange leaves a material advantage that still has to be coordinated.
Take these ideas to your next game
- A knight can attack two defensive pieces from one square.
- Recalculate tactics when a rook captures a knight.
- Move the queen to a file that creates a new entry.
- Simplification is useful when the resulting ending supports it.
Read the complete annotated game
Full game transcript, including the result and the answers. Original explanations by chessgames.info; game score from the sources below.
Nd7 forks the two rooks. Black moves the f8-rook and White takes on b6. Black then takes White’s active rook on a7. Count the entire sequence: a fork can lead to a material rearrangement rather than the immediate win of a full rook.
Nd5 attacks the rook and creates another useful route. Black captures White’s other knight on b5, and the a-pawn recaptures before Black’s queen takes b5. White then uses Nc7. The point is to keep both knights and all recaptures in the calculation instead of stopping at the first attacked rook.
Nc7 attacks the queen with tempo. Black’s queen moves to c4 and White returns the queen to d1. After Black captures the knight on c7, White’s queen invades d7 and then takes the bishop on c7. The queen’s route is part of the combination, so verify each available reply in the saved lines.
Qb8+ offers a queen exchange supported by the bishop. Black takes on b8 and the bishop recaptures. White reaches a rook-and-bishop ending against bishop and knight with an extra exchange. Black’s knight and bishop still have active squares; bring the rook into the game instead of treating the material count as the end of the lesson.
Result: 1-0. The recorded score ends here; it does not imply checkmate.
Think through the turning points
Move 25: Fork two defensive targets
Which move by the e5-knight attacks the rook on b6 and the rook on f8? In the game: Nd7. Nd7 forks the two rooks. Black moves the f8-rook and White takes on b6. Black then takes White’s active rook on a7. Count the entire sequence: a fork can lead to a material rearrangement rather than the immediate win of a full rook.
Engine-supported alternatives
Nd7 Rf7 Nxb6 Rxa7 Nxd5 Rd7 Ndc3 Re7 Be3 Ng5 h4 Nf7 · +2.00 · depth 20
Nd3 Bxb5 axb5 Rxb5 Qg4 Ng5 Re1 h5 Qd1 Ne4 Bd6 Bb6 · +1.69 · depth 20
Qg4 g5 Qh3 Bb7 Nd7 Bc8 Rc1 gxf4 Rxc8 Ng5 Qf1 Nf3+ · +1.18 · depth 20
Move 31: Return to a central square
Which knight move from c3 attacks the rook on b4 and prepares Nc7? In the game: Nd5. Nd5 attacks the rook and creates another useful route. Black captures White’s other knight on b5, and the a-pawn recaptures before Black’s queen takes b5. White then uses Nc7. The point is to keep both knights and all recaptures in the calculation instead of stopping at the first attacked rook.
Engine-supported alternatives
Nd5 Bxb5 Nxb4 Bxa4 Qc4+ Kh8 Nd3 Bf6 Qd5 Bc6 Qxf5 Bd4 · +3.57 · depth 20
Na2 Bxb5 Nxb4 Bxa4 Qc4+ Kh8 Nd3 h6 Qd5 Bc2 f3 Bb6+ · +3.54 · depth 20
f3 Bb6+ Kg2 Qe6 fxe4 Bb7 Kf1 h5 Be3 Bxe4 Nxe4 Rxe4 · +2.82 · depth 20
Move 33: Use the entry square
Which knight move attacks the queen on b5? In the game: Nc7. Nc7 attacks the queen with tempo. Black’s queen moves to c4 and White returns the queen to d1. After Black captures the knight on c7, White’s queen invades d7 and then takes the bishop on c7. The queen’s route is part of the combination, so verify each available reply in the saved lines.
Engine-supported alternatives
Nc3 Nxc3 Qxc3 Kf7 Qe3 Bc8 Qe5 Qd7 Qd6 Qxd6 Bxd6 a4 · +4.06 · depth 21
Nc7 Bxc7 Qxc7 Qxb2 Qd8+ Kf7 Qd7+ Kg6 Qe6+ Qf6 Qe8+ Qf7 · +3.78 · depth 21
Rd1 h6 Be3 a4 f3 Ng5 Nc3 Qe8 Bxg5 hxg5 Kg2 a3 · +2.89 · depth 21
Move 37: Exchange queens with check
Which queen move offers an exchange on b8 with check? In the game: Qb8+. Qb8+ offers a queen exchange supported by the bishop. Black takes on b8 and the bishop recaptures. White reaches a rook-and-bishop ending against bishop and knight with an extra exchange. Black’s knight and bishop still have active squares; bring the rook into the game instead of treating the material count as the end of the lesson.
Engine-supported alternatives
Qb8+ Qxb8 Bxb8 Ng5 Re7 Bd3 f4 Nf3+ Kf2 Nxh2 Ra7 Kh7 · +4.17 · depth 19
Qc1 a4 f3 g5 Be3 Bb7 Qd1 Nf6 Bf2 Kf7 Bd4 g4 · +3.35 · depth 19
Ra1 Qxb2 Qb8+ Qxb8 Bxb8 Ng5 f4 Nf3+ Kg2 Bb7 Rxa5 Be4 · +2.84 · depth 18
Every piece has a part to play.
The tenth game of the 2006 world championship match begins in a Catalan structure and becomes a tactical fight around Black’s active rook and White’s knights. Kramnik’s knight moves attack useful targets while the queen and bishop prepare a favourable transition. The final queen exchange leaves a material advantage that still has to be coordinated.
Look a little deeper
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Accessible evaluation values & provenance
Stockfish 17.1 · 75,000 nodes per position; 1,000,000 at key moments. Actual depth 12–21. Positive centipawns favour White; mate scores remain separate. Selective search is evidence, not proof.
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