In 2002, the annual Dortmund Sparkassen Chess Meeting had an added significance: it also functioned as a Candidates Tournament, for the winner would earn the right to play Vladimir Kramnik for the title. Seven of the top ten players competed in Germany, and emerging as winner was the Hungarian chess prodigy, Peter Leko.

	Leko (left) playing Kramnik in Switzerland, 2004

The financial backing for the match (a prize fund of $1.2 million) was contributed by the the cigar manufacturer Dannemann, the latest in a line of corporate sponsors (Intel, Braingames, and Einstein) for the non-FIDE World Championship title. The match was only 14 games, one of the shortest in World Chess Championship history. Kramnik was to retain the title in the event of a tie match, a detail which was to prove very important.

The very first game illustrated Kramnik's incredible defensive techniques. Leko, by most accounts, had the advantage by move 23; but Kramnik's masterful handling of the ending, combined with an error by Leko, enabled the Russian to take the full point. Not until the fifth game was Leko able to accomplish what Garry Kasparov could not: beat Kramnik in a World Championship match. Then in the eighth game, Leko was able to take the lead, when he achieved victory with the Black pieces by alertly finding over the board a serious flaw in Kramnik's immense opening preparation. Games 9 through 13 were all draws, leaving Leko ahead in the match with only one game left.

Come game 14, Leko needed only one more draw to secure the title of World Chess Champion. Kramnik was faced with the task of winning, at all costs, in order to save his title. Chess author and grandmaster Raymond Keene wrote of this phenomenal game:

Kramnik, the defending world champion, scored a brilliant victory in the 14th and final game; Peter Leko resigned after 41 moves when faced with checkmate. This is only the third time in the entire history of the World Championship that the defending champion has saved his titled by winning in the final game.

The game itself was a jewel of controlled aggression. Despite consistent exchanges throughout the game, Kramnik maintained an iron grip on the position and ultimately blasted his way into the black camp via the dark squares. Taking no account of material sacrifices it was Kramnik's king that dealt the fatal blow when it marched right into the heart of the opposing position.¹

click on a game number to replay game 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Kramnik 1 ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 Leko 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 0

FINAL SCORE:  Kramnik 7;  Leko 7
Reference: game collection Kramnik - Leko WCC Brissago,2004

NOTABLE GAMES   [what is this?]

	· Game #14		Kramnik vs Leko, 2004		1-0
	· Game #8		Kramnik vs Leko, 2004		0-1
	· Game #1		Leko vs Kramnik, 2004		0-1