Peter Leko took care of Evgeny Bareev with 3.5-1.5 score and is heading to Mexico with Kramnik, Anand, Svidler, and Morozevich waiting.

Good Games:

--<GAME 3>--

1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 Nc3 dxe4 4 Nxe4 Nd7 5 Ng5 Ngf6 Here and next move, ... h7-h6 permits Ng5-e6. <6 Bd3 e6 7 N1f3 Bd6 8 Qe2 h6 9 Ne4 Nxe4 10 Qxe4 Qc7> The direct 10 ... Nf6 11 Qe2 Qc7 12 Bd2 lets White castle long and plant his Knight on e5. <11 0-0 b6 12 Qg4> White wants to create threats before Black completes development. <12…Kf8 13 Qh4> Many games have tested 13 b3 and 13 Bd2. <13…Bb7 14 Re1 Kg8> New. Black may intend ... g7-g5. <15 Qh3 Re8> Not 15 ... c5? 16 Rxe6! fxe6? because 17 Qxe6+ Kf8 18 Nh4 g5 19 Bc4 wins. <16 c4 Nf6 17 Bd2 c5> Otherwise White takes command with 18 Bc3 and 19 Ne5. <18 d5!?> An adventurous choice from the ultra-cautious Leko. Another pawn sacrifice, 18 dxc5 bxc5 19 Bc3 Bxf3 20 Qxf3 Bxh2+ 21 Kh1, also appears promising. <18…e5> White has no immediate crusher after 18 ... exd5 19 Rxe8+ Nxe8 20 Re1 Nf6 21 cxd5 Bxd5 22 Bc3, but Black's position is uncomfortable because he cannot activate his Rook. <19 Bc3 g6 20 Qh4 Kg7> The passed d-pawn is securely blockaded and Black has connected his Rooks. But White's reply, menacing f2-f4, shows that Black has not solved all of his problems. <21 Nd2! Qd8 22 Bc2 Bc8 23 Ba4 g5> Almost forced, as Black cannot stand 23 ... Bd7 24 f4! Bxa4 25 fxe5. For example, 25 ... Be7 26 exf6+ Bxf6 27 Bxf6+ Qxf6 28 Qxf6+ Kxf6 won't work because 29 Ne4+ Kg7 30 b3 Bd7 31 Nd6 sets up an invasion by the Rook at e7. <24 Qg3 Nh5 25 Qf3 g4 26 Qd1 Re7 27 h3!> The second wave begins. <27…Nf6 28 hxg4 Bxg4 29 f3 Bc8> Tougher is 29 ... Bh5, staying near the King. <30 Re3 Nh5 31 Qe1 f6> Black has bolstered the a1-h8 diagonal, but White's attack rolls on. <32 Qh4 Nf4 33 Ne4 Rf7 34 g3 Ng6 35 Qh5 Bb8 36 Bc2 f5> If 36 ... Nf8, White breaks through by 37 f4! exf4 38 gxf4 Bxf4 39 Rf3, eyeing f6. <37 f4!> Anyway. White refutes 37 ... fxe4 38 fxe5 Kh7 by 39 e6 Rg7 40 Rxe4 Qg5 41 Qxg5 hxg5 42 Rg4. <37…Re8 38 Nf2 Rf6> Or 38 ... Kh7 39 Ng4. <39 Rae1 e4 40 Bxe4! fxe4 41 Nxe4, 1-0.> After 41 ... Rxe4 42 Rxe4 Bd7, White recovers material by 43 Re6! Bxe6 44 Rxe6.