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Note: The live comment by Chessdom for this event in fact would be with some delay - a requirement for all game translations by the organizers of the match. For a live broadcast go to the official site.
1.d4 ( Anand's usual opening move is 1.e4 Anyway there Kramnik is very solid with the Petroff Defense or in the Berlin line of Ruy Lopez. Perhaps that is the reason behind Indian's choice - and something prepared at home in Slav Defence, of course. A curious reminder - Topalov didn't play 1.e4 in a single game during his match against the Russian.)
1... Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 Nimzo-Indian isn't new in Kramnik's repertoire but it's more like once in a while surprise.
4.f3 Well, this is a surprise!
4... d5 The principal continuation, transposing into the Saemisch Variaton. 5...c5 or 5...Nc6 are other lines often met in tournament practice.
5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 c5 7.cxd5 Nxd5 (7... exd5 leads to completely different pawn structure.)
8.dxc5 f5 (8... Qa5 is the main line here, but Kramnik prefers to deviate. Probably the reason is that Black lately faces some problems there.)
9.Qc2 ( He spends a lot of time considering his next move. Maybe the fashionable continuation 9.Nh3 is more familiar to him.)
9... Nd7 Aiming for an excellent outpost on 'c5' for the Knight. ( Gambit style play after 9... Nc6 10.e4 Nf6 11.exf5 Qe7 deserves some attention, as White has problems to complete his development.)
10.e4 fxe4 11.fxe4 N5f6 12.c6 As this pawn is going to be lost anyway, it's better to undermine Black pawn structure
12... bxc6 ( Attempts to take the initiative over by 12... Nc5 are strongly met: 13.Bc4 and White develops comfortably his pieces.)
13.Nf3 Qa5 14.Bd2 ( The idea behind this move is that 14.Be2 Ba6 15.O-O Bxe2 16.Qxe2 O-O seems fine for Black.) (14.Bd2 Ba6 15.Ng5 creates problems for Black but how about the natural 14...O-O)
14... Ba6 After calculating the resulting complications, Kramnik played this program move in spite of Anand's prevention.
15.c4 ( The Indian prudently decides not to enter lines like 15.Ng5 Bxf1 16.Rxf1 O-O 17.Nxe6 Rfe8 18.Qa2 Kh8 19.Rf5 Qa4)
15... Qc5 16.Bd3 (16.Bb4 Qe3+ 17.Qe2 Ng4 is fine for Black, but the Nf6-g4 move is still possible.) (16.Bd3 O-O-O seems a promising possibility as in many variations the Bd3 is vulnerable on the open file.)
16... Ng4 17.Bb4 Qe3+ (17... Qb6 18.h3 Ne3 19.Qd2 Bxc4 20.Bxc4 Nxc4 21.Qg5 Qe3+ 22.Qxe3 Nxe3 23.Rc1 Nxg2+ 24.Kf2 Nf4 25.Rxc6 lead to a position with excellent compensation for the sacrificed pawn.)
18.Qe2 O-O-O ( For the moment the pawn 'c4' is restricting the light-squared Bishop and Kramnik may try to exploit this in lines as 18... O-O-O 19.Qxe3 Nxe3 20.Kf2 Ng4+ 21.Kg3 Nge5 22.Bc2 ( or 22.Be2 c5 23.Ba5 Rdf8 and White Bishop pair is far from important.) 22... Nxf3 23.gxf3 c5 24.Ba5 Rdf8 25.f4 e5 26.f5 g6 and the Bc2 is trapped behind White pawns, while Black has obtained good counterplay.)
19.Qxe3 Nxe3 20.Kf2 Ng4+ 21.Kg3 The last moves were practically forced. Now the Russian has to decide how to set up a blockade. Winning the 'c4' pawn is preliminary as it opens files for the Rooks. Playing on its long-term weakness is much better instead.
21... Ndf6 That looks weird. Did Vladimir miss 22.Bb1 in his calculations?
22.Bb1 Only move but nevertheless a strong one. Losing control over 'e5' may cost Black dearly.
22... h5 Kramnik is forced to sacrifice the 'h' pawn in order to regain control over the vital 'e5' square, else White would enjoy great positional advantage.
23.h3 h4+ 24.Nxh4 Ne5 25.Nf3 Nh5+ (25... Nd3 26.Bxd3 Rxd3 27.Kf4 lets White exploit the weak dark squares with their King!)
26.Kf2 Nxf3 27.Kxf3 e5 Kramnik finally realizes that the position requires from him to set up an blockade but it had cost him a pawn. Now Anand may proceed by Rc1 and Ra2, but 28.Bc2 seems stronger for activating the Rooks is a necessary step in his plan and the 'c4' pawn as before is not significant.
28.Rc1 Sticking to the material advantage lets the stranded Knight back in play.
28... Nf4 29.Ra2 (29.h4 Nd3 (29... Rxh4 30.Be7) 30.Rc3 Nb2)
29... Nd3 30.Rc3 Nf4 31.Bc2 (31.Rf2 seems more natural. Now Nf4-e6-d4 is to be considered.)
31... Ne6 32.Kg3 Rd4 Draw agreed. A bit of a sudden but Anand got into time trouble and feeling that he lost his track, decided to split the point. A complicated game with a lot of tension resulting in some strange moves. Kramnik's 21...Ndf6 was played in a moment when his position loks completely OK to me, and cost him a pawn after 22.Bb1! Then Anand had it difficult to find a clear plan, lost a lot of time and getting his Ra2 in an awkward situation preferred to call it a day and accept the draw offer.
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