Kramnik vs Leko James Coleman on game 1 with addtional comments by Malcolm Pein
Game one starts. Photo © James Coleman
Leko,P (2741) - Kramnik,V (2770) [C42]
WCh Brissago SUI (1), 25.09.2004
Comments by James Coleman with additional remarks by Malcolm Pein.
Defending champion Vladimir Kramnik has got off to a flying start in his defence of the title, winning the first game with the Black pieces. Playing the ultra solid Petroff Defence, the game livened up when Kramnik was forced to sacrifice his Queen for Rook and Bishop. Most spectators, including myself thought that White had some advantage, but it quickly became clear that the Black position was very solid, and in the post game press conference the players agreed that result of the game should be a draw. Leko said that one of his problems was that the position after twenty-seven moves reminded him of a Grunfeld which he loves to play as Black and he found this psychologically difficult. 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Nc6 7.0-0 Be7 8.c4 Nb4 9.Be2 0-0 10.Nc3 Bf5 11.a3 Nxc3 12.bxc3 Nc6 13.Re1 Re8 14.cxd5 Qxd5 15.Bf4 Rac8 16.h3
Anatoly Karpov watches on. Photo © Roberto Lampertico
So far,we are still well inside theory. 16 h3 is an interesting psychological choice by Leko, as it was Kramnik's own choice when he played against Anand in Corus 2003. 16...Be4 [ 16...Bf6 was Anand's choice but after 17.Nh2 Qa5 18.Bd2 Rcd8 19.Bf3 h6 20.Ng4 Bxg4 21.hxg4 Bg5 22.Bxg5 hxg5 and then according to Huzman White could have got a clear advantage by 23.Qc1 Rxe1+ 24.Qxe1 Kf8 25.Rb1 Re8 26.Qc1] 17.Be3 Na5 As Leko said after the game, this move is provocative, and White takes up the challenge.
18.c4 [The most direct. 18.Nd2 was also possible as the g pawn could not be captured: 18...Bxg2 19.c4 Qc6 20.d5+- Qg6 21.Bh5 Bf3+ 22.Bxg6 Bxd1 23.Bf5! MP] 18...Nxc4 19.Bxc4 Qxc4 20.Nd2 Qd5 21.Nxe4 Qxe4 22.Bg5 Qxe1+ 23.Qxe1 Bxg5 24.Qa5 Bf6
This looked very dicey for Black but now it looks as if Kramnik had obviously predicted it all. He has a solid enough structure and if he can somehow secure his queenside pawns he might have a blockade. However at this stage most people thought that White looked to have the better chances. [ 24...Bf4 25.Qxa7 b6 was an alternative suggestion, aiming for a complete blockade. At first sight move observers figured this was the plan. After all Kramnik is now famous for sacrificing his queen for a blockade. Kramnik had used very little time and it seems the whole idea had been prepared at home.-MP] 25.Qxa7 c5
But no, this method causes White far more problems because Black gets a passed c pawn. The down side is the White passed a pawn but this is more than outweighed by the mobility of the c pawn and a nice 'anchor square' for the bishop on d4. Good stuff from Kramnik he could have played safe and made a draw with black. - MP 26.Qxb7 Bxd4 27.Ra2 c4 28.Re2 Red8 [ Kramnik naturally saw that 28...c3 was not a good idea for example 29.Rxe8+ Rxe8 30.Qd7 Rb8 31.Qxd4 c2 32.Qd2! when Black's back rank problems stop him from playing Rb1+ and c1Q.] 29.a4
Played instantly by Leko. [ 29.Rd2 Threat Rxd4 looks safer but Leko must have been playing for the win 29...c3 ( 29...Bf6 30.Rxd8+ Rxd8 31.Qc6 c3 32.a4 h6 33.a5 Rd2 34.a6 Bd4 ( 34...Ra2 35.Kf1! c2 ( 35...Bd4? 36.Qe8+ Kh7 37.Qe4+ g6 38.Qxd4 c2 39.Qc3+-) 36.a7 Rxa7 37.Qc8+ Kh7 38.Qxc2+ should be a draw) 35.a7 Bxa7 36.Qxc3 Rxf2 Will be drawn) 30.Rxd4 c2 31.Rxd8+ Rxd8 32.Qc7 Rd1+ 33.Kh2 c1Q 34.Qb8+ is similar to the above note -MP] 29...c3 30.Qe4 Bb6 31.Qc2
Well, I was probably wrong about White being better and now the position is starting to look quite pleasant for Kramnik. The Queen does not look happy blockading the c-pawn and there are ideas such as ...Ba5 and Rd2, possibly after some prophylaxis like g6 and Kg7. Clock times at this point : Leko - 11 minutes to reach move forty, Kramnik - just over half an hour. 31...g6 32.Qb3 Rd6 33.Rc2
Post match comments. Photo © James Coleman
After the game, Leko was critical of his play around this time, and said that once he reached this position, he began to immediately look for ways to bring his queen back to e4. 33...Ba5 34.g4 Rd2 35.Kg2 Rcd8 36.Rxc3 giving some material to free himself. But now Black can aim to double up against the a pawn, and win it - he should be able to do this. Then the two rooks against queen ending is nice for Black, although maybe White can hold as it will be difficult for Kramnik to infiltrate with his rooks without allowing a perpetual. [ 36.Rc1!? Rb2 37.Qc4 Rdd2 38.Qc5 Is very scary but 38...Bb6 39.Qxc3 Rxf2+ 40.Kg3 Seems OK - MP ( 40.Kh1 Rh2#) ] 36...Bxc3 37.Qxc3 R2d5 38.Qc6 Ra5 39.Kg3 Rda8 40.h4 R5a6 41.Qc1
An ending, with exactly the same material balance as this one, and with all the pawns on the same files, occurred in Gurgenidze-Averbakh USSR Championship 1961, and it saw the rooks triumph over the queen. However in that game the defending side's pawns were placed worse than here. Thanks to Susan Polgar for pointing this out on ICC. 41...Ra5 42.Qh6 Rxa4 43.h5 R4a5 44.Qf4? Probably the decisive mistake. [ 44.hxg6 was necessary to prevent what happens in the game.] 44...g5 45.Qf6 h6! 46.f3 [46.Qxh6 is not possible because of 46...R8a6] 46...R5a6
Kramnik's basic plan is to get a position with his king on g7 and rooks on squares such as f6 and f4, winning the f3 pawn and the game. It is incredible to watch the inexorable way which the World Champion carries out the idea. 47.Qc3 Ra4 48.Qc6 R8a6 49.Qe8+ Kg7 50.Qb5 R4a5 51.Qb4 Rd5 52.Qb3 Rad6 53.Qc4 Rd3 54.Kf2 Ra3 55.Qc5 Ra2+ 56.Kg3 Rf6 57.Qb4 Raa6 58.Kg2 Rf4 59.Qb2+ Raf6 And there we have it. Leko could safely resign now but plays on for a few moves to see if it is really true. 60.Qe5 Rxf3 61.Qa1 Rf1 62.Qc3 R1f2+ 63.Kg3 R2f3+ 64.Qxf3 Rxf3+ 65.Kxf3 Kf6
It goes without saying that the is is the worst possible start from Leko. Needing to win the match, as Kramnik retains the title in the event of a tie, after the champions convincing display today, it's clear that the Hungarian has a mountain to climb. 0-1