Kramnik has an unusual skill -- playing apparently simple and effective plans against the most complex modern openings, and against the most dangerous opponents. Here he his showing the value of a central pawn majority against the Grunfeld's staunchest defender:
[Event "Dortmund"] [Site "Dortmund"] [Date "1998.06.27"] [Round "2"] [White "Kramnik, Vladimir"] [Black "Svidler, Peter"] [Result "1-0"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Bc4 c5 8. Ne2 Nc6 9. Be3 cxd4 10. cxd4 Qa5+ 11. Bd2 Qd8 12. d5 Ne5 13. Bc3 O-O 14. Bb3 Qb6 15. f4 Ng4 16. Bd4 Qa5+ 17. Qd2 Qxd2+ 18. Kxd2 e5 19. h3 exd4 20. hxg4 g5 21. g3 Bxg4 22. e5 Bxe2 23. Kxe2 Rfc8 24. Rad1 Rc3 25. Rd3 Rac8 26. d6 b5 27. Rxc3 dxc3 28. e6 Kf8 29. e7+ Ke8 30. Bxf7+ 1-0
This was his dramatic last-round win to save his world champion title in 2004. Get your King up for the endgame (KUFTE)!
[Event "WCh"] [Site "Brissago SUI"] [Date "2004.10.18"] [Round "14"] [White "Kramnik, Vladimir"] [Black "Leko, P."] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B12"] [WhiteElo "2770"] [BlackElo "2741"] [Annotator "Top 10: endgames"] [PlyCount "81"] [EventDate "2004.09.25"] [EventType "tourn"] {White's King is driven into the heart of Black's defences by sheer force of will, a nice echo of Petrosian's game} 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. h4 h6 5. g4 Bd7 6. Nd2 c5 7. dxc5 e6 8. Nb3 Bxc5 9. Nxc5 Qa5+ 10. c3 Qxc5 11. Nf3 Ne7 12. Bd3 Nbc6 13. Be3 Qa5 14. Qd2 Ng6 15. Bd4 Nxd4 16. cxd4 Qxd2+ 17. Kxd2 Nf4 18. Rac1 h5 19. Rhg1 Bc6 20. gxh5 Nxh5 21. b4 a6 22. a4 Kd8 23. Ng5 Be8 24. b5 Nf4 25. b6 Nxd3 26. Kxd3 Rc8 27. Rxc8+ Kxc8 28. Rc1+ Bc6 29. Nxf7 Rxh4 30. Nd6+ Kd8 31. Rg1 Rh3+ 32. Ke2 Ra3 33. Rxg7 Rxa4 34. f4 Ra2+ {The black King has no moves. The white King lights the blue touch-paper...} 35. Kf3 Ra3+ 36. Kg4 Rd3 37. f5! Rxd4+ 38. Kg5 exf5 39. Kf6 Rg4 40. Rc7 Rh4 41. Nf7+ 1-0