Jul-12-05
 | | jamesmaskell: Not bad. Played out instead of going for draw. |
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Jul-12-05
 | | like a GM: Why not 27fxe3? |
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Jul-12-05
 | | Shams: <Why not 27fxe3?> because of 27...Nf6 and white has three weak pawns instead of just one. the e4 push will never happen and black can easily add pressure from the open q-side files. |
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| Jul-12-05 | | Koster: Leko took advantage of white's mistakes and passive play. Looked like a Karpov win. |
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Jul-12-05
| | azaris: Vintage Leko, going for the win in a somewhat drawish but better endgame. This should be analyzed deeper to see if White had some drawing chances. |
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| Jul-12-05 | | SnoopDogg: Ten bucks says Leko would NOT have won this game if he had drew with Naiditsch. Also if Leko tries to win with black and puts energy into his game I bet he can win a game with black against anyone below 2730 if it comes down to a do or die situation. |
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Jul-12-05
| | Shams: <Vintage Leko, going for the win in a somewhat drawish but better endgame.> I think you are undervaluing black's endgame. Not just because of the extra pawn, but because of the central control that gives black nice outposts for his knight. The advance of the g-pawn (38-40) to isolate white's d-pawn is particularly instructive. I think white would have to play very, very well to have any chance of drawing. |
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| Jul-13-05 | | Notes: <Shams> You mean isolating white's e pawn, don't you? |
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Jul-13-05
| | azaris: 25. Rdc1 Rb4 (25...Qxd4?? 26. Rc4  ) 26. Nxg4 Qxg4 (26...Qxd4 27. Nc3 Qxg4 28. Qxa5 Rfb8 29. Qc7!  ) 27. e3 (27. Rc4? Rxc4 28. Rx4 Ne5!  ) 27...Nf6! (heading for the light squares!) 28. Nc3 Qf5 and White's position looks like a mess but maybe he can hold it. |
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Jul-14-05
 | | Ulhumbrus: Instead of 11 Rc1, 11 Nc3 keeps the B out of e4. It may be advisable to play for superior development instead of trying to attack the c7 pawn at the expense of the best development |
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Jul-14-05
| | Ulhumbrus: 18 Bxd6 suggests that Nielson's attempt to take advantage of the backward c7 pawn has failed, and that Leko's opening strategy has succeded |
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Jul-15-05
 | | patzer2: This game features a new opening ideas by Leko! Everything through 13. Ba5 was previously played in White's impressive win in Gelfand vs Harikrishna, 2005. However, Leko varies from Black's 13...Qb8 with the novelty 13...Qa8!? I suspect from the decisive advantage Leko obtained, that it was a line Leko resarched and prepared in advance. Nielsen position quickly collapses as Leko succeeds in his plan of trading off the White squared Bishops and winning one of Nielsen's weakened Queenside pawns. |
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Jul-16-05
| | patzer2: A long analysis with Fritz 8, mostly move-by-move, @ 16 to 20 depth, follows: <1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. O-O dxc4 7. Qc2 a6 8. Qxc4
b5 9. Qc2 Bb7 10. Bd2 Ra7 11. Rc1 Be4 12. Qb3 Nbd7 13. Ba5> Up to now it's all book, or at least prepared opening lines, as this was
previously played in an impressive win by White in Gelfand vs Harikrishna, 2005. <13...Qa8!?> Leko springs a novelty, varying from Harikrishna's 13...
Qb8 played against Gelfand. <14. Nc3> After Leko's novelty, White has a
positional battle on his hands just to equalize and hold the position.
An alternative, perhaps worthy of consideration, is 14. Qe3!? Bd6 15. Nc3 Bb7 16. a3 Rd8 17. Bb4 Bxb4 18. axb4 Nb8 19. h3 Nc6 20. Rd1 Nxb4 21. Qe5 Nbd5 22. Rdc1 Nxc3 23. Rxc3 Be4 24. Rxc7 Rxc7 25. Qxc7 Rc8 26. Qd6 Rc6 27. Qe7 h6 28. Ne5 Bxg2 29.
Qxf7+! Kh8 30. Ng6+ Kh7 31. Nf8+ Kh8 32. Ng6+ Kh7 33. Nf8+ Kh8 34. Ng6+ Kh7 =, with a draw by threefold repetition of moves in this line. <14... Bc6 15. a3>
An interesting try for White is 15. h3 b4 (15...Nb6 16. Bb4 Bxb4 17. Qxb4 Nc4 18. b3 a5 19. Qe7 Re8 20. Qc5 Nd6 21. a3 Qb7 22. Rd1 =) 16. Bxb4 Rb8 17. Bxe7 (forced as other moves lose) 17...Rxb3 18. axb3 Qe8 19. Bxf6 Nxf6 20. Na4 Bxf3 21. Bxf3 =, with about even chances following the sacrifice of the Queen for Rook, Bishop and Pawn. <15...Bd6 16. Bb4> Maybe a bit of patient Queen manuevering, with 16. Qc2 Bb7 17.
Rd1 Rc8 18. Qd2 =, would be helpful here. <16... Qb7 17. Rc2> Perhaps relatively better for White here is 17. Ba5!? e5 18. Qd1 exd4 19. Qxd4 Re8 20. Bb4 Bxb4 21. Qxb4 a5 22. Qf4 Nc5 23. Rd1 Raa8 24. b4 Nce4 25. Nxe4 Bxe4 26. Qd2 axb4 27. axb4 Ra4  , though, even here, Black maintains a small but clear advantage. <17... a5!> Forces the exchange of Bishops and allows Black to secure the advantage and the initiative with winning chances. <18. Bxd6 cxd6 19. Ne1> Perhaps White is correct in trading off the Bishops to attain drawing chances, but with the benefit of hind sight (and the help of Fritz 8) it may not be White's best idea. Perhaps's White has better counter chances with 19. h3 Rb8 20. Nb1 Be4 21. Rc1 a4 22. Qe3 Nb6 23. Nc3 Nc4 24. Qf4 e5 25. Qh4 h6 26. Nxe4 Qxe4 27. Qxe4 Nxe4 28. Rc2 Nf6 29. dxe5 dxe5 30. e3 =. <19... Bxg2 20.
Nxg2 b4! 21. Na4?!> Instead, White seems to equalize easily with 21. Nd1! Qe4 22. axb4 a4 23. Qc3 =. <21... Qe4 22. Rd1 Rb7 23. Ne3 bxa3 24. Qxa3 Ng4 25. Qd3?!> This allows Black a strong, and likely winning attack. Although it is not a particularly easy line, perhaps White can hold here with 25. Nc3! Qg6 26. Rdc1 Nxe3 27. fxe3 d5 28. Qa4 Nf6 29. Qxa5 Ng4 30. Nd1 Qh6 31. h4 Rbb8 32. Qd2 Nf6 33. Nf2 Qg6 34. Kh2 Nh5 35. Rg1 f5 36. b4 Nf6 37. Rf1 Rb6
38. Nd3 Ne4 39. Qe1! Rfb8 40. Rc7 Qe8 41. Ra7 Qh5 42. Kg2 Rb5 43. Re7 Qh6 44. Qc1 Qg6 45. Rf3 = |
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Jul-16-05
| | patzer2: <25... Qxd3! 26. Rxd3 Nxe3 27. Rxe3?!>
Perhaps White can survive and hold the draw with 27. fxe3 d5 28. Nc5 Rc8 29. Rdc3 Nxc5 30. e4 (30. Rxc5 Rxc5 31. dxc5 f5 32. Kf2 Rc7 33. b3 Kf7 34. h3 Rc6 35. Kf3 h6 36. Kf4 Kf6 37. g4 e5+ 38. Kg3 g6 39. Kh4 Ke6 40. Kg3 Rc7 41. gxf5+ Kxf5 42. Kf3 e4+ 43. Kg3 g5 44. Rc1 h5 45. h4 g4 46. Rf1+ Ke6 47. Rf8 Rxc5 )
30... dxe4 31. Rxc5 Rxc5 32. dxc5 f5 33. Kf2 Kf7 34. g4 Kf6 35. c6 Rc7 36. Ke3 Ke7 37. Kf4 Kd6 38. gxf5 Rxc6 39. Rxc6+ Kxc6 40. fxe6 Kd6 41. Kxe4 Kxe6 42. b3 g5 43. Kd4 h5 44. Ke4 Kf6 45. Kd5 g4 46. e4 h4 47. Kd6 g3 48. e5+ Kf7 49. hxg3 h3 50. Kd7 h2 51. e6+ Kf6 52. e7 h1=Q 53. e8=Q Qb7+ 54. Kd6 Qb6+ 55. Qc6 Qxb3 =. <27... Rb4! 28. Ra3 Rxd4 29. Nc3 Ra8 30. Nb5 Rd5 31. Nc7 Rc8 32. Nxd5> Black seems to get the upper hand after 32. Rac3 Rc5 33. Rxc5 dxc5 34. Nb5 Rd8 35. e4 Kf8 36. f4 a4 37. Rd2 Ke7 38. h3 Nb6 39. Rxd8 Kxd8 40. Nc3 Ke7 41. Kf2
e5 42. f5 h5 43. h4 c4 44. Kf3 g6 45. fxg6 fxg6  . <32... Rxc2 33. Nc3>
Black apparently holds the win after 33. Nf4 Rxb2 34. Rxa5 Kf8 35. Kg2 d5 36. Ra7 Ne5 37. h4 Rd2 38. Rc7 Nc4 39. Kf3 g6 40. g4 h6 41. g5 h5 42. Rc8+ Ke7 43. Rc7+ Ke8 44. Nd3 Ra2 45. e3 Nd6 46. Nc5 Nf5 47. e4 dxe4+ 48. Nxe4 Nxh4+ 49. Kg3 Nf5+ 50. Kg2 Ra8 51. Nf6+ Kf8 52. Nd7+ Kg7 53. Ne5 Nd6 54. Rd7 Ra5 55. f4 Ra2+ 56. Kh3 Ra6 57. Kg3 Kf8 58. Rd8+ Ke7 59. Rd7+ Ke8 60. Kh3 Nc4 61. Rd3 Ra3 62. Rxa3 Nxa3 . <33... Rxb2 34. Rxa5 g6 35. Ra8+ Rb8 36. Ra7 Nf6 37. f3 d5 38. Kf2 g5
39. Na4 g4 40. Nc5 gxf3 41. Kxf3 Rb1 42. Ra8+ Kg7 43. Ra7 Rb6 44. Nd3 Ne4 45.
Ne5 Nd6 46. Kf2 Rb7 47. Ra2> Black seems to get the upper hand if White tries to simplify with 47.
Rxb7 Nxb7 48. Ke3 Nd6 49. Kd4 f6 50. Nd3 Ne4 51. Nf4 Kf7 52. Ke3 f5 53. Nd3 Kf6
54. Kd4 Nd2 55. h3 h5 56. Ke3 Nc4+ 57. Kd4 Nd6 58. Nc5 Ne4 59. Nxe4+ fxe4 60.
Ke3 e5 61. Kd2 d4 62. e3 Kf5 63. Kc2 Kg5 64. Kd2 Kg6 65. Kd1 Kf7 66. Kc2 Ke7
67. Kd2 Kd6 68. Ke2 Kc5 69. Kd1 Kb4 70. Kc2 d3+ 71. Kd2 Kb3 72. Kd1 Kc3 73. g4
hxg4 74. hxg4 Kc4 75. g5 Kd5 76. g6 Ke6 77. g7 Kf7 78. g8=Q+ Kxg8 79. Kd2 Kf7
80. Kc3 Ke6 81. Kb3 Kf6 82. Kc3 Kg5 83. Kb3 Kg4 84. Kc3 Kf3 85. Kd2 Kf2 . <47... Kf6 48. Nd3 Ne4+ 49. Kg2 Nc3 50. Rc2 d4 51. Kf3 Rb3 52. Nc5 Ra3 53. Kg2 Ke7!1 54. Rd2> No real help for White is 54. Kh3 f6 55. Kh4 e5 56. Kg4 Ra1 57. Nd3 Ke6 58. Rb2 Kd5 59. Kh5 Rh1 60. Kg4 Rxh2 61. e4+ Kxe4 62. Nc5+ Kd5 63. Rxh2 Kxc5 64. Rxh7 Kc4 65. Rf7 e4 66. Rd7 e3 67. Kf3 Kd3 68. Rd8 e2 69. Kf2 Ne4+ 70. Ke1 Ke3 71. Rxd4 Nc5 72. Rd6 Nd3+ 73. Rxd3+ Kxd3 74. Kf2 Kd2 .
<54... Kd6 55. Nb7+ Kd5 56. Nd8 f5 57. e3 e5 58. exd4 exd4 59. Rf2 d3 60. Rxf5+ Kc4 1-0> White resigned in the face of variations like 61. Rf4+ Kb3 62. Ne6 d2 63. Rd4 d1=Q 64. Rxd1 Nxd1 . |
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Jul-16-05
| | patzer2: Appreciate any comments or criticism of the above analysis. The position after 13...Qa8!? I found to be extremely difficult, and the computer apparently struggled in trying to find drawing lines for White. Despite Fritz 8's optimistic evaluations of a number of equalizing possibilities for White, I wouldn't be surprised if someone found improvements in those lines, allowing Black to push for the win after Leko's interesting and strong novelty. I can understand why Super GMs like these kinds of complex positions, where prior preparations with computers are really not much help and the stronger player is likely to win. P.S. Not a lot of flashy combinations in the above analysis, but if you enjoy plowing through the positional nuances of super GM play you may find it interesting. |
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Jul-16-05
| | euripides: he thinks he's Reti ... |
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