"With the Berlin I was able to set up a fortress that he could come near but not breach"
- Vladimir Kramnik
About this Quote
This quote by Vladimir Kramnik is describing a chess game he played against Garry Kasparov in the 2000 World Chess Championship. The Berlin Defense is a chess opening that Kramnik used to prevent Kasparov's aggressive assaulting style. By utilizing the Berlin Defense, Kramnik was able to produce a fortress that Kasparov might come close to, however not breach. This allowed Kramnik to keep his position and ultimately win the video game.
Kramnik's use of the Berlin Defense in this game is a testament to his strategic thinking and ability to anticipate his challenger's relocations. He was able to use the Berlin Defense to produce a strong defensive position that Kasparov might not break through. This enabled Kramnik to preserve his position and eventually win the video game.
Kramnik's quote is a pointer of the value of tactical thinking in chess. By utilizing the Berlin Defense, Kramnik was able to create a fortress that Kasparov might not breach. This permitted Kramnik to maintain his position and ultimately win the video game. This quote is a reminder that tactical thinking is important in chess and can be the distinction between winning and losing.
"But with the Berlin, I was able to allow him to get near, but not quite near enough, and I knew where to draw the line with the fortresses I had set up"
"I remember an article, I can't recall who by, it was after the fall of the Berlin Wall, which said that now the Wall was down, there could be no more class war. Only someone with money could ever say such a thing"
"Well, right now, I'm very fascinated with 1920s Berlin. I mean, probably the more interesting thing would be to go to the beginning of civilization or precivilization - like polytheistic times. It would be interesting to see what came before modern religion and culture - what circumstances created the environment or the need for it"
"At some point he seemed to lose all confidence trying to break down the Berlin Wall. He was still fighting as only Kasparov can, but I could see it in his eyes that he knew he wasn't going to win one of these games"
"The Berlin Defence suited my strategy for the match. I had a defensive strategy - Actually, I had in my pocket some other sharper stuff to fall back on - but first I wanted to try the defensive strategy with Black and it worked so well"
