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Vladimir Kramnik vs Peter Leko
Tilburg Fontys (1998), Tilburg NED, rd 6, Oct-29
Indian Game: Anti-Grünfeld. Alekhine Variation Leko Gambit (D70)  ·  0-1

ANALYSIS [x]

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Kibitzer's Corner
Sep-24-04  hickchess99: what's this variation called?
Sep-25-04
Premium Chessgames Member
  offramp: This is a great game! Was it blitz or blindfold or something? I would call it, The Call of the Wild Variation.
Sep-25-04  Kean: I have never saw this variation of 3.f3, but seems Leko was prepared to face it with e5. I tought that the exchange of darksq bishops was bad for black and that white had the advantage till 12.Nd5 Qd8

But somehow Leko was quite resourceful; with move 13...Ne8 ends Kramnik strategy of making a strong point at f6, and 14...Ne7 starts the counterattack aiming at a Nd4 in the weakened white position with all those pawns advanced. I did not knew this K-L game.

Sep-25-04  refutor: normally 3.f3 is followed by ...d5 and it goes into a grünfeld type structure
Oct-04-04  DrDave: The variation is called the Grun-Pest, a hybrid of the Grunfeld and Budapest. It's annotated in the BCM for that year.
Jun-29-05  Notes: 3..e5!? was the idea of András Adorján (Lékó's coach), but Kramnik was well prepared for that (as he told after the game).

Lékó wrote in his book, that 18..c5!! was the key for getting "black back" into the game.

Nov-03-06  suenteus po 147: <offramp: Was it blitz or blindfold or something?> No, the Tilburg Fontys tournament was held at standard time controls.
Dec-22-08  dwavechess: 37/45 leko's moves concur with rybka 3 at 3 minutes per move.
Sep-20-09  JohnBoy: This definitely is GoTD quality!
Dec-11-09  returnoftheking: hmmmm
Oct-25-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  plang: Played in the sixth round this game was instrumental in Leko's undefeated +3 second place performance a half point behind Anand. In the candidates match with Shirov played earlier in the year Kramnik had had no success against the Gruenfeld in games 1,3,5 & 7 and switched to 3 f3 in game 9. Shirov had played 3..d5 and won a nice game. Adorjan's idea of 3..e5!? dates back to 1992. Kramnik had felt that 10..Qc5 was forced and that White had a large advantage after 10..Qe7 but he had used a tremendous amount of time trying to refute Black's opening. With 15 Nf2..Nxd5 16 cxd..d6 followed by pushing the h-pawn Kramnik would have retained his advantage but, by this point, he had only five minutes left. Kramnik may have underestimated 18..c5 anchoring the knight at d4. If 35 Ra1 then 35..Qe3 36 Bc6..Qc3 37 Qb8..Qxa1 38 Ka4..Rxa2+ 39 Kb5..Ra4#. The day after the game Timman and Polgar recommended the defense 45 Qg7+..Kh6 46 h4+..Kxh4 47 Qe7 with some stalemate tricks but after 47..Qxe7 48 Kxe7..Ra1 49 f7..Rf1 Black still wins. Of course, after 45 Qe7? the game ended at once.

A quote from MIG after the game : "Okay, Peter, I know I've been hard on you in the past, but after this opening (borderline deranged), this defense (chaotic and inspired) and this finish (marvelous) I take almost all of it back! Thank you!!"

Voted the third best game in Informant #74.

May-12-11  swr: 45. Qe7 is funny
Jan-29-18  transpose: I think the origin of ...e5 as a response to f3 goes back much further in time. Wasn't it played in the Zurich 1953 tournament?

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