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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

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
a
1
b
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d
e
f
g
h
White to move.
ANALYSIS [x]
Notes by Stockfish 9 v010218 (minimum 6s/ply)4.Bg5 was played in V S Popov vs S Kristjansson, 2005 (1-0) 10...Qa5 11.a3 Ne7 12.Nf2 Qb6 13.Qd2 h5 14.g5 Ngf5 = +0.39 (22 ply) ± +1.59 (23 ply)better is 11...Qh4+ 12.Nf2 O-O 13.Qd3 Ne8 14.Qg3 Qxg3 15.hxg3 d6 ⩲ +1.10 (21 ply)better is 12.e4 d6 13.Nf2 O-O 14.Qd2 f5 15.exf5 Ne7 16.O-O-O gxf5 ± +1.66 (23 ply) ⩲ +1.06 (24 ply)better is 14.O-O-O d6 15.Nf2 Ne7 16.Ne3 f5 17.Rg1 Ng7 18.Bg2 c6 ⩲ +1.42 (21 ply) ⩲ +0.90 (22 ply) 15.Nf2 d6 16.h4 c6 17.Ne3 d5 18.Rd1 Nf5 19.Nxf5 Bxf5 ⩲ +0.87 (21 ply)= 0.00 (26 ply)better is 17...d5 18.cxd5 Re8 19.Ng5 h6 20.O-O-O hxg5 21.exf5 Bxf5 = 0.00 (27 ply) ⩲ +0.55 (23 ply) 20.Qh3 h5 21.f5 Qxf6 22.Rg1 b5 23.Qg2 Qa6 24.fxg6 fxg6 ⩲ +1.27 (23 ply) ⩱ -0.72 (25 ply) 21.Re1 Bf5 22.Bh3 Qd7 23.e6 Bxe6 24.Bxe6 Nxe6 25.Qh3 h5 = 0.00 (25 ply) ⩱ -1.24 (29 ply) after 21...dxe5 22.fxe5 Bg4 23.Nxd4 Bxd1 24.Nb5 Ba4 25.Nd6 Re6 better is 30.Kb1 Bd7 31.Rd1 Bf5+ 32.Ka1 Qxh2 33.Bc6 Qe2 34.Rd2 ⩱ -1.40 (26 ply) ∓ -1.92 (24 ply) 31...Be8 32.Qc2 Qxf6+ 33.Ka3 Qe5 34.Rd3 Kg7 35.Rxe3 Qxe3 ∓ -1.82 (24 ply) 32.Qd2 Qxf6+ 33.Ka3 Qe7 34.Qd8+ Be8 35.Bc6 Kf8 36.Bxe8 ⩱ -0.87 (26 ply)-+ -3.74 (26 ply) 44...Qe3 45.Kd7 Qd4+ 46.Bd5 Rxf6 47.Qe8 a5 48.Kc8 Qf4 -+ -8.73 (26 ply)-+ -4.34 (23 ply) after 45.Qg7+ Kg5 46.h4+ Kf4 47.Qh6+ Kf3 48.Bd5+ Ke2 49.Qxg6 46.Qxe6 Rxe6+ 47.Kf7 Re4 48.h3 Rxc4 49.Kg8 Rf4 50.f7 c4 -+ mate-in-200-1

rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1
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Given 9 times; par: 75 [what's this?]

Annotations by Stockfish (Computer).      [35436 more games annotated by Stockfish]

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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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