Leko – Kramnik
1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.d3 Bc5 4.Nf3 d6 5.c3 (No Petrov here as well.)
5…Nc6 6.Bb3 a6 (It seems that Leko just wants to have a normal game instead of a deeply analyzed Petrov. That is why he played 2.Bc4. This may be a good idea to give him a chance to have a decent game.)
7.0-0 Ba7 8.Re1 (We are still in theories. No deviation so far.)
8…0-0 9.h3 (White prevents the Bg4 pin. Still in book.)
9…h6 (Same idea to avoid the Bg5 pin.)
10.Nbd2 Re8 11.Nf1 Be6 12.N3h2 (Clearing the f file for a potential f4 push.)
12…Bxb3 13.axb3 (This position is equal. Black has a good Bishop pointing at f2. White has a good potential square for the Knight on f5.)
13…Qd7 (I do not expect much fireworks with this position where no pawn has been exchanged.)
14.Qf3 Qe6 15.Ng3 Ne7 16.b4 (Kramnik’s position iw quite solid and he can sit back all day to defend something like this.)
16…c6 17.Ng4 (I am having a hard time coming up with a strong plan for White as Black is quite solid.)
17….Nxg4 18.hxg4 d5 (Leko spent a lot of time right here after 18…d5. White has a number of choices such as 18.g5, exd5 or Nf5. Tough choice. I prefer 18.g5 a little better but all are playable.)
19.Nf5 (He settled for this move. If Nxf5 then gxf5 would be my preference.)
19…Rad8 (I still evaluate this position as equal. White has some space advantage but Black has a stronger center.)
20.g3 (The idea of this is to bring the King to g2 then Rook to h1.)
20…f6 21.Kg2 dxe4 (Finally! A break!)
22.dxe4 Nxf5 23.gxf5 (I am not sure what Leko is trying to achieve. This position slightly favors Black, but not much.)
23…Qc4 (White has to exchange the Bishops. This is the best chance for an even endgame as Black’s Bishop is far more mobile than White.)
24.Be3 Bxe3 (White must capture back with the Queen. Black is slightly better but Leko should be able to hold.)
And Kramnik offered a draw and Leko accepted. 1/2
thanks a lot for offering the live commentary. It is truly appreciated!
Yes, thank you!
Thanks especially for focussing on the two games with the most interest rather than the least popular game (like Seirawan is discussing at playchess.com).
What kind of sissy is Leko?
Instead of trying to press Kramnik
in every possible way playing like this..
Doesn’t he remember their final
game in math for the title 2004.?
Where’s spirit of sportmanship revenge Leko?
I think I prefer Black’s position
Dear Susan,
I am from Aguascalientes, Mexico. May I translate your notes of the games and put it on my blog?
ajedrezxaguascalientes.blogspot.com
Best regards.
Of course. My commentary is meant to be shared with everyone. Enjoy!
Best wishes,
Susan Polgar
http://www.ChessDiscussion.com
Susan, I have one request: Is there ANY way to remove the “anonymous posting” option. The commentaries are nice to read, but the ignorant/ignoble/stupid comments by anonymous posters are really ticking me off (and other readers with half a brain, too, I guess)
Susan eres la mejor!!! Saludos desde Cáceres-Extremadra-España ( http://www.ateneodecaceres.es/ajedrez ).
Mándame una foto dedicada a las chicas del club…
Thank you very much. The mexican players will enjoy your comments.
Nice games.
You are welcome. I will be in Mexico City in 2 days and I can do the commentary in Spanish 🙂 Please feel free to let your audience know about our new chess discussion forum to share information. It is http://www.ChessDiscussion.com.
Best wishes,
Susan Polgar
http://www.ChessDiscussion.com
Susan is wrong here, maybe she is trying to follow all four games and relies too much on computer analysis. Leko should not have traded bishops and it certainly is not forced. 24.Kg2! with idea of Rh1 and whether or not Black throws in something like …Rd3 or not, the bishop sac on h6 will force a draw and if Kramnik tries to wriggle out maybe more. The pawn on h6 beckons the Bc1 in a way any human player should notice, and since it looks like a long perpetual with many alternatives that repeat after a long cycle all programs will need help to see it.
Unless you think Leko plays for a win from this passive position?
Still the game looks to be a draw eventually.
Sorry I meant 24.Rh1 was the point of the prior Kg2…..
good choice, guys 🙂
Was rock n roll game, as predict 🙂
I knew, this would be a draw when White made his 2nd move. 2.Bc4 is as unambitious as an opening can be. Quite a boring game. I hope, Vishy is taking his chance tonight.
This World Championship is mostly boring up to now…
Well Kramnik decided not to push anymore and gave the draw right away.
Is there a hole in the obvious-looking 24.Rh1 Rd7 25.Bxh6 gh 26.Rxh6 Rf7 27.Qg4+ kf8 28.Rh8+!= that I do not see? 24…Rd3 25.Qg4 Kf8 26.Bxh6 certainly doesn’t help avoid the perpetual.
All in all I bet Leko wishes he had just played against the Petroff!
-Ken
BTW, Anand and Kramnik are clearly a class better the crowd here. I would like to see Anand finish just ahead of Kramnik (despite being a Kramnik fan) so we can see a very exciting World Championship match and no more of the hardly-missed Topalov and his bad tricks.
As Bronstein was wont to say in “Zurich 53″….
A titanic struggle of immense strategic depth
… or something like that 🙂
Topalov Veselin would smash this Leko guy wide open. Now, after the illegal World Championship in which Kramnik used Deep Fritz to the bathroom with wires we get this boring unimaginative chess from this Drawnik guy. He should have asked for a draw after 1E4, E5. Saved us all some time!
great commentary, great site
btw, seeing a famous name here 🙂
http://www.moec.gov.jm/heroes/sharpe.htm
http://www.jis.gov.jm/special_sections/Heroes/Heroes1.htm#Sam
why do kramnik haters always sound like they have a I.Q. of 40?
Yes, indeed. Usually only folks from there know about “me” LOL … alas, THIS Sam Sharpe has no great claim to fame other than having a super wife (“super” just for putting up with me!)
Because everyone with an IQ of 41+ can see Topalov for what he really is, and Kramnik for what he really is….
🙂
/so we can see a very exciting World Championship match and no more of the hardly-missed Topalov and his bad tricks./
Topalov Veselin was the only guy who played anything interesting in the World Championship not the Drawnik expert who used Depp Fritz and wires and the KGB henchmen. In my mind Topalov Veselin is the real World Champion with the same FIDE rank as the Kramnik guy!
If white plays 24. Rh1 then plays Re7 not Rd7. Böack is slightly better and avoids the perpertual draw.
To understand Kramnik game only need IQ of 40. No imagination needed to make a draw all the time like the Kramnik. Such a boring dude we all go to sleep when he plays initial D4 opening. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ !!!!
@ken :
agree, but Anand little more 🙂
He is the older of the band, the more regular :
somebody remember the last time he was more than rank 3 on world rating ?
Perhaps, Grischuk was not born 🙂
” In my mind Topalov Veselin is the real World Champion with the same FIDE rank as the Kramnik guy!”
– Quoted from above.
Cool. Well, in my mind Carlsen Magnus is the real World Champion. Yeah, he didn’t win the last World Championship but he plays more interesting than Kramnik and I am sure the KGB has something to do with him not being World Champion right now. Go Magnus Karlsen, true World Champion.
regarding the iq 40 discussion – you need to be at least near genius to draw with GMs …
Unless this Kramnik is wired to a computer every time he plays — which I guess is possible..
Dear foo;
No, that just transposes at 31.Rd1 unless Black tries 30…Kc7?! and has to struggle to draw.
(28.Rh8+ Ke7 29.Rxd8 (last time, Rxe8) Kxd8 30.Qg8+)
No difference, Re7 or Rd7.
Still, probably Leko sees he can hold and doesn’t bother to look for a forced draw.
silken,
I agree. The Carlsen Magnus would be interesting to watch because of the exuberance of youth. Anything but the Kramnik guy and his D4 with ask for a draw on move 20. He has few winning record against any top GM almost all draws. I think I will go watch my Fritz play if he is still world champion – I will be more exciting.
30…Kc7 is good choice. Black has to defend for awhile, but white has nothing. Eventually the bishop is activated and tide has turned.
30…Kc7 doesn”t lead anywhere after 31.Rd1. Black has to play 31…Qxe4+ and 32…Rd7 to avoid a quick disaster. 31…b5 will give White his piece back while the king is being hunted, but the Q+p ending is only a draw for him.
Fascinating line. I wish Susan would weigh in, but she doesn’t post analysis of her own posted puzzles. A shame she is so busy.
31…Kb6 not Qxe4+. Eventually black escapes?
31…Kb6 32.Kh2! escaping the check and Black is fighting for a draw, the bishop is useless and the Rf7 is pinned!
32…Qe2 33.Qxf7 and the f6 pawn wins for White if Black doesn’t force a perpetual immediately. I can’t see one so 31…Kb6 32.Kh2! Qe2?! may lose for Black and certainly is good for White.
32…Kb5! protects the Queen to break the pin but 33.b3! Qxb3 34.Rd7 and the rook is lost nwith continuing attack. So Black must break the pin with 34…Qc2 (or b2) 35.Rxf7 Qxf2+ and draw by perpetual.
DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN – The best feature of a GM’s blog is that they will comment on posted analysis, but Susan never even provides the answers to her own quizzes. This analysis is fascinating and certainly more interesting than the mundane Marshall loss from Anand’s game – Marshalls are BORING! Black gives a pawn to gum up the board and generally some useless manuevering leads to a draw, or Black fails to gum someplace up and he is down a pawn and the game ends. Hardly different from a Petroff, and generally with less excitment and the same draw ratio…
By the way, none of my programs found any of the bishop-sac lines; as a strong cc player though I am used to exploring lines rejected overwhelmingly by Fritz and Rybka when my brain tells me to look for long tactics and having my opponent use h6 or h3 as a “hook” has been something I have been careful of for 20 years now…
Mainly I looked very closely at the position here as Kramnik’s …Qc4 seemed weaker than …Qb3 since from b3 the hit on b2 stops the Be3 equalizing idea. You can out though that the Rh1/Bxh6 idea then gives White the advantage (although he can’t play Rd1 at the end of the combination he plays Qa8 and will win)! That’s why Kramnik seemed to give up on trying to win.