Kramnik vs Leko Mark Crowther Round 10 Report Notes Malcolm Pein
Round 10 took place to the background of rain and thunder in the mountains around Brissago. The talk was of Kramnik's indisposal when he called off the previous game whilst it was still theory. It was probably little more than a cold and he looked fine at the start of game 10, it was however hard to tell.
Kramnik at the start of game 10. Photo © Mark Crowther
I got a couple of reasonable pictures of the players but the first 5 minutes are a bit of a rugby scrum.
The first minute of five at the start of the game. OK maybe I got slightly caught out. Photo © Mark Crowther
The game first of all saw a Ruy Lopez where Leko played 5. ...Bc5 which was perhaps a surprise from him, but, like game 7 he was quickly under pressure on the clock as Kramnik got his novelty in first with 9.a4 which after a long thought was countered by 9. ...b4.
Leko, happy with another draw after another TN © Mark Crowther
Kramnik,V (2770) - Leko,P (2741) [C78]
WCh Brissago SUI (10), 10.10.2004
[Malcolm Pein]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Bc5 6.c3 b5 7.Bc2 d5 Michael Adams played an interesting piece sacrifice against Leko at Wijk aan Zee 2002 with: [ 7...d6 8.d4 Bb6 9.a4 Bg4 10.h3 Bh5 11.d5 Na5 12.Na3 0-0 13.Qe2 c6 14.b4 cxd5 15.bxa5 Bxa5 16.Bg5 Bxc3 17.Rad1 b4 18.Nb1 d4 19.Bb3 h6 20.Bxf6 Qxf6 21.g4 Bg6 22.Ne1 Kh8 23.Nd3 Qe7 24.Nd2 Bxd2 25.Rxd2 a5 26.Rc1 Rac8 27.Rc4 Rxc4 1/2-1/2 Leko,P-Adams,M/Wijk aan Zee NED 2002/The Week in Chess 377 (27)] 8.exd5!? has not been tried at the top level and 9.a4 was a new move which forces some weakening of the black pawn structure in preparation for the endgame that arises. 8...Qxd5 9.a4 b4 10.d4 exd4 11.Bb3 Qd8 [ 11...Qd6 12.cxd4 Bxd4 13.Re1+ Be6 14.Ng5 0-0? ( 14...Ne5) 15.Nxe6 fxe6 16.Rxe6 Bxf2+ 17.Kxf2 Qc5+? ( 17...Qxh2) 18.Be3 Ne4+ 19.Ke2 Qh5+ 20.Ke1 Qh4+ 21.g3 Nxg3 22.hxg3 Qxg3+ 23.Kd2 Rad8+ 24.Kc2 Kh8 25.Qd2? ( 25.Nd2) 25...Nd4+? ( 25...Qf3 26.Qe1 Qf5+) 26.Bxd4 Rxd4 27.Qe2 Qf4 28.Re8 1-0 Boros,D - Csorba,J/ Papp Memorial Hungary 1995] 12.Re1+ Be7 [ 12...Be6 13.Ng5 with a dangerous initiative for white.] 13.Nxd4 Nxd4 14.Qxd4!
removes a defender of e7 so although Leko can exchange queens his king is trapped in the centre. 14...Qxd4 15.cxd4 Bb7 16.Bg5 h6!? A forcing move that Leko hoped would take Kramnik out of his preparation with still some chances to hold. He suspected that a more normal continuation might lead him into some Fritz refutation. [ 16...Rd8 17.Nd2 Rxd4 18.Rac1 Kd8 19.Be3 Rd7 20.Bxf7 Bd5 was better than the game.] 17.Bxf6 gxf6 18.Nd2 Rg8 19.g3 Rd8 20.Rac1 Rd7 21.Nc4 Rg5 22.Ne3 [ 22.h4 would have won the exchange after 22...Rgd5 23.Bc2 Rxd4 24.Bf5 Rd8 25.Na5 attacks c7 and b7.] 22...Kf8 23.h4 Ra5
24.d5!? [ 24.Bd1!? Bd5 ( 24...Rxd4 25.Rxc7 Be4 26.f3 wins.) 25.Nxd5 Raxd5 26.Be2 a5 27.Bb5 R7d6 28.Rxc7 Bd8] 24...Rc5 25.Rcd1 c6! eliminates a weakness and Black should draw now. 26.Nf5 cxd5 27.Rd4 Rdc7 An exact move. 28.Red1 Rc1 29.Bxd5 Rxd1+ 30.Rxd1 Bc8 31.Be4 [ 31.Nxh6? Kg7 32.Nxf7 Bg4 33.Re1 Bh5] 31...Bxf5 32.Bxf5 b3 33.Rd3 Rc4 34.Bd7 Rb4 35.Bc6
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