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Peter Leko vs Veselin Topalov
Dortmund Candidates (2002), Dortmund GER, rd 3, Jul-20
Sicilian Defense: Kan. Polugaevsky Variation (B42)  ·  0-1

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
a
1
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
White to move.
ANALYSIS [x]
Notes by Stockfish 9 v010218 (minimum 6s/ply)better is 9...Nf6 10.f4 Nbd7 11.Be3 Bb7 12.a3 O-O 13.Qe2 h6 14.Nd2 = +0.37 (24 ply) ⩲ +0.98 (22 ply) after 10.Be2 Nc6 11.Qd3 Ne5 12.Qg3 Ne7 13.Bg5 Bxg5 14.Qxg5 O-O better is 11...Bb7 12.Rad1 Qc7 13.Be2 O-O 14.Qd3 Rd8 15.f4 Ng6 = +0.37 (25 ply) ⩲ +0.91 (24 ply) after 12.Rad1 Bb7 13.Be2 Nd7 14.Qd3 Rc8 15.f3 Be5 16.f4 Bf6 better is 15.Nd4 O-O 16.f4 Bf6 17.Rac1 Nc5 18.Qc2 Rac8 19.b4 Nd7 ⩲ +0.75 (26 ply)= +0.22 (27 ply)better is 17.Nxd4 O-O 18.b4 Ng6 19.f3 Nde5 20.a3 Rfe8 21.Qe3 Nd7 ⩲ +0.84 (25 ply)= +0.27 (27 ply) 19.Nd2 O-O 20.b4 Rfe8 21.Qe3 h6 22.f4 Qc6 23.Nc3 Ne7 ⩲ +0.62 (27 ply)= -0.16 (29 ply) 48.Kf1 Rd4 49.b5 Rb4 50.Kg2 Nf3 51.Rc6 Rb1 52.Bf1 Ne1+ = 0.00 (33 ply) ⩱ -0.92 (33 ply) 50.Kg2 Nf3 51.Rb5+ Ka8 52.Rc5 Rxc5 53.bxc5 Ka7 54.Bc4 ⩱ -0.91 (34 ply) ∓ -2.42 (32 ply) 51.Kf1 Rxc5 52.bxc5 Ka7 53.Bb5 Nd2+ 54.Ke2 Nb3 55.Ke3 ∓ -2.19 (33 ply)better is 51...Rxc5 52.Bxg4 Rb5 53.Be2 Rxb4 54.f4 exf3 55.Bxf3 Ka7 -+ -4.88 (29 ply) 52.Rc1 Rb5 53.Rb1 Ka7 54.Kd2 Kxa6 55.Re1 e5 56.Kd3 f4 ∓ -2.39 (29 ply)-+ -4.09 (27 ply)62.Ke3 h4 63.Rf5 Ra3+ 64.Ke4 f2 65.Rf8+ Ka7 66.Rf7+ Kxa6 -+ -12.19 (21 ply)0-1

rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1
FEN COPIED

Annotations by Stockfish (Computer).      [35435 more games annotated by Stockfish]

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Kibitzer's Corner
Jan-06-06
Premium Chessgames Member
  TheAlchemist: Topalov woke up from the dead! Leko only needed a draw to win the match (he was leading 2-0 with 2 games remaining), so after 19.e5 and the following exchanges he must have counted on 26...Kxb5 27.Nc7+ Kb6 28.Nxa8+ Ka7 29.Nc7 with a draw after 29...Kb6 30.Na8+ etc.

I don't understand Leko's 49.Kf1. Isn't something like 49.Bxf3 gxf3 50.Rxd5 exd5 51.b5 d4 52.Kf1 e3 53.fxe3 dxe3 a draw?

Oct-07-06  aw1988: No - Black would win.
Feb-18-20  qkxwsm: Wow, the winning idea in <TheAlchemist>'s line is actually pretty nice: instead of 53...dxe3, black plays 53...d3!, and after 54. Ke1 (forced) h5 white eventually falls into zugzwang.
Feb-18-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: The other point is that, in the continuation given by <qkxwsm>, White must, nolens volens, play fxe3, even if he does not go in for it straight away, as 53.Ke1 d3 forces 54.fxe3.
Mar-21-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  plang: In Shirov-Agrest Leon 2001 Black played 9..Bb7 and White went on to win; 9..Bf6 was new. Leko must have felt pretty comfortable in the ending with connected passed pawns but Topalov was able to cleverly hold up the pawns while creating kingside counterplay. Leko perhaps should have made more of an effort to activate his king. 42 f3?..e3! 43 Rxf4..Rd1 44 Rb4+..Ka7 would have been winning for Black. A clever variation offered in British Chess Magazine was 49 Bxf3..gxf 50 Rxd4(50 h3..Rd1+ 51 Kh2..e3 and wins) 50..exd 51 b5..Ka7 52 Kf1..d4 53 Ke1..h5 54 Kd2..h4 55 Kd1(55 gxh..f4 wins easily) 55..e3 56 Ke1..d3 57 fxe..h3 and wins.

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