Final position
GM Leko (2753) – GM Kramnik (2799) [C42]
25.01.2008
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.Nc3 Nxc3 6.dxc3 Be7 7.Bf4 0–0 8.Qd2 Nd7 9.0–0–0 Nc5 10.Be3 c6 11.Bxc5 dxc5 12.Qf4 Qa5 13.Bd3 Be6 14.a3 Bf6 15.h4 c4 16.Be4 Bxc3 17.bxc3 Qxa3+ 18.Kb1 f5 19.Ng5 fxe4 20.Qxe4 Bf5 21.Qxc4+ Kh8 22.Nf7+ Rxf7 23.Qxf7 Qxc3 24.Qxf5 Qb4+ 25.Ka2 Qa4+ 26.Kb2 Qb4+ 27.Kc1 Qa3+ 28.Kb1 ½–½
Click here to replay the game.
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Why didnt Leko play Kd2 to avoid the perpetual?
if you have time…one of this days i should learn how to play chess!!!
Carlsen-Anand is heating up! Go Carlsen!!
“Why didnt Leko play Kd2 to avoid the perpetual?”
After Kd2 Rd8+ followed by Qe7+ force white to sac queen for a rook…
Yes so Leko would have 2 rooks plus extra pawn vs. Kramnik’s Queen, so shouldn’t that have been enough?
It would be Black with the extra pawn. White’s R+R vs. Q+P wouldn’t hold any winning chances. So Leko took the straightforward draw by repetition.
I’ve never seen Kramnik play like this before.
“White’s R+R vs. Q+P wouldn’t hold any winning chances.”
I wouldn’t say that…. but trying to push for a win in this case is only possible if being willing to risk losing… but Leko is not a player who wants to risk something so the draw was his way.
The interesting question is why he didn’t play Qa2! instead of Qxf5.
After Qa2 (idea of Qb2 and black’s attack is over) white has an advantage, hasn’t he?
Any opinions?