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| Kramnik vs Leko Mark Crowther Round 11 Report   ACP President GM Joel Lautier introduces the days play. Photo © Mark Crowther With four games to go the talk was of short or long. Would Leko opt for a short draw with white taking him one game closer to the title or manage to press for a long time. Also would this be a good idea? A wasted white today would mean Kramnik has two whites and only one black game to play and he needs only one win to catch up. Perhaps a draw today, especially a quick one would really favour him.  Kramnik awaits Leko's arrival. Leko wasn't actually late but arrived a minute later. Photo © Mark Crowther This theme actually turned out to be the story of the day. Leko claimed that he had been "misled" by Kramnik who had played this variation against Timman (they reached it by transposition). Kramnik came up with a novelty, 14. ...Nh5 which left the position at least equal for black avoiding Leko's improvement which he believed made the position unplayable for black. The final position was equal both players agreed on this.  The start of play. Photo © Mark Crowther Although Leko thought for a tremendously long time he couldn't find another continuation and Kramnik said that he couldn't find an alternative that didn't leave him worse, the time for gambling had not arrived.  Leko speaks at the post game press conference. Photo © Mark Crowther Kramnik said that he remembered that in the final games of his match against Kasparov he found it harder and harder to keep going and in that case his lead was double Leko's. He believes that the initiative is with him. Leko replied that he was disappointed he was making no progress with white but he was more than happy with his play with black where he has a plus score. Kramnik believes that his preparation with white is coming closer and closer to breaking through and that he still believes normal chess will get him the result he needs. If behind in the final game 14 this maybe will have to change. Leko,P (2743) - Kramnik,V (2760) [E15] Brissago SUI Brissago, Switzerland (11), 12.10.2004 [Mark Crowther] 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Ba6 5.Qa4 Bb7 6.Bg2 c5 7.dxc5 Bxc5 8.0-0 0-0 9.Nc3 Be7 10.Bf4 a6 11.Rfd1 d6 12.Qc2 [ 12.Rac1 Nh5 13.Be3 Qc7 14.Qc2 Nf6 15.Bf4 Rd8 16.Qd2 Ne4 17.Nxe4 Bxe4 18.Bg5 Nc6 19.Bxe7 Nxe7 20.Qf4 Bxf3 21.Qxf3 Rac8 22.Qb7 a5 23.e3 Qxb7 24.Bxb7 Rc7 25.Bf3 Kf8 26.Rc3 Nc8 27.Be2 Ke7 28.Kf1 Na7 29.Rb3 Rb8 30.Rbd3 Rd8 31.Rb3 Rb8 32.Rbd3 1/2-1/2 Timman,J-Kramnik,V/Wijk aan Zee NED 2004/The Week in Chess 481 (32)] 12...Qc7 13.Rac1 [ 13.Nd2 Bxg2 14.Kxg2 Nbd7 15.Rac1 Rfc8 16.Nce4 Qb7 17.Kg1 Rc6 18.Qd3 Qc7 19.Rc3 h6 20.Qf3 Rc8 21.h4 Qd8 22.Rd3 Qf8 23.b3 b5 24.Nxf6+ Nxf6 25.e4 Nd7 26.Qe2 Nb6 27.cxb5 axb5 28.Nf3 b4 29.Nd4 Rc5 30.Bd2 Re5 31.f4 Ra5 32.Bxb4 Raa8 33.Nb5 d5 34.Bxe7 Qxe7 35.a4 Qc5+ 36.Qe3 dxe4 37.Rd8+ Kh7 38.Qxc5 Rxc5 39.Rxa8 Nxa8 40.Rd6 Kg6 41.Kf2 Nc7 42.Nxc7 Rxc7 43.Rb6 Kf5 44.Rb5+ Kg4 45.Rb4 Rc2+ 46.Ke3 f5 47.a5 Rc3+ 48.Kd2 Rc5 49.Ra4 Kf3 50.a6 e3+ 51.Kd3 e2 52.a7 Rd5+ 53.Kc2 e1Q 54.a8Q Kxg3 0-1 Amorim,A-Alzate,D/Elista RUS 1998 (54)] 13...Rd8 14.Qd2 Nh5N 
The big novelty which leaves the position equal. 14...Ne4 b4. 15.Nxe4 Bxe4 16.Bg5 (16. b4 Qb7 17. c5 bxc5 18. bxc5 d5 19. Qa5 Nc6 20. Qb6 Leko. Big advantage to white.) Nc6 17.Bxe7 Nxe7 18.Qf4 Bxf3 19.Qxf3 Rac8 20.Qb7 a5 21.e3 Qxb7 22.Bxb7 Rc7 23.Bf3 Kf8 24.Rc3 Nc8 25.Be2 Ke7 26.Kf1 Na7 27.Rb3 Rb8 28.Rbd3 Rd8 29.Rb3 Rb8 30.Rbd3 is Timman,J-Kramnik,V/Wijk aan Zee NED 2004 by transposition (see above). In another game 14...Ne8 15.Bg5 Bxg5 16.Qxg5 Nd7 17.b3 Rac8 18.Qe3 Nef6 19.h3 h6 20.Qd2 Nc5 21.Qe3 Qb8 22.Rd4 Qa8 23.Rcd1 Ne8 24.Rh4 Nd7 25.Rhd4 Rc7 26.Ne1 Bxg2 27.Nxg2 Ndf6 28.a4 Rdc8 29.R4d3 Rc6 30.Ne1 Qb7 31.Nf3 Qc7 32.Ne4 Nxe4 33.Qxe4 Nf6 34.Qe3 d5 35.Ne5 Rc5 36.Qd4 dxc4 37.Nxc4 b5 38.axb5 axb5 39.Ne3 Qb7 40.Qf4 Kh7 41.Ng4 Nh5 42.Qe3 R8c7 43.Kh2 b4 44.Rd8 Rc3 45.Qe5 R7c5 46.Qd4 f5 47.Rd7 Rc7 48.Ne5 Nf6 49.Rxc7 Qxc7 50.Nd3 Rxb3 51.Nxb4 Ne4 52.Nd3 Rc3 53.Ra1 Rc4 54.Ra7 Qxg3+ 55.fxg3 Rxd4 56.Re7 Rd6 57.Nf4 Nc5 58.Nh5 Kg6 59.Nxg7 Rd2 60.Ne8 Rxe2+ 61.Kg1 h5 62.Rg7+ Kh6 63.g4 Ne4 64.Re7 Ng3 65.Nc7 e5 66.gxf5 Nxf5 67.Rf7 Nd4 68.Nd5 Rd2 69.Ne7 e4 70.Rf8 e3 0-1 Jakobsen,O-Hansen,S/Greve 2002. 15.Bg5 Nf6 16.Bf4 Nh5 17.Bg5 After a long think. 17...Nf6 1/2-1/2 |
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