(1) Leko,P (2722) - Kramnik,V (2777) [B33]
XXI SuperGM Linares ESP (11), 02.03.2004



1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5
The Sveshnikov (or Pelikan). A controversial opening... the ...e5-pawn push creates important weaknesses on d6 and d5, but the opening has become a key grandmaster response to the Sicilian.

6.Ndb5
Aiming to play Nd6+ which would gain the bishop pair

6...d6
Preventing Nd6 but establishing d5 as a central hole for white to eye.

7.Bg5
To exchange off Black's Nf6 which exercises some control over the key d5-square.

7...a6
Taking the opportunity to force the Nb5 to retreat to the rim

8.Na3 b5
The obvious threat is b5-b4 winning a piece. White has two good ways to sidestep the threat.

9.Bxf6
Most grandmasters swear by Bxf6, but Nd5 is also playable.

9...gxf6
The double pawns actually assisdt black in gaining counterplay with f6-f5 and down the open g-file with Rg8.

10.Nd5
Having taken the Nf6, white occupies the key central square.

10...f5
The immediate counter attack, hoping for exf5 eliminating white's d5-anchor.

11.Bd3
A popular continuation, though the bishop; interferes with the Qd1's communication with the key d5-square.

11...Be6
And so now this is a problem for white... Bxd5 will place the e-pawn in the hole. And by attacking the Nd5, Black answers the threat of exf5.

12.0-0 Bxd5 13.exd5 Ne7
The variation with Nd5 permits white to maintain the knight on d5. This variation is far more double edged and black has hope for a counter-attack with e5-e4 and f5-f4

14.Qh5
Kuzmin's plan [14.Nxb5? Bg7 15.Nc3 e4 ]

14...e4 15.Be2 Bg7 16.c3
Diagram

16...Rc8
This looks like the new move in this game. The idea is simple enough. When white moves the Na3 towards d4 or e3, the Rc8 will be able to move to c5 to capture the white d5-pawn. [16...0-0 17.Nc2 f4 18.Rad1 (18.Qg5 f5 19.Rfd1 f3 20.gxf3 Kh8 21.Kh1 Be5 22.f4 Rg8 23.Qh4 Bg7 24.Bh5 Qf8 25.Ne3 Bf6 26.Qh3 Qh6 27.Nxf5 Nxf5 28.Qxf5 Raf8 29.Rg1 Rxg1+ 30.Rxg1 Bxc3 31.Qxe4 Bxb2 32.Rg5 Qf6 33.Rg4 Bc1 34.Qe6 Bb2 35.f5 a5 36.Qxf6+ 1/2-1/2 Smirnov,P-Nijboer,F/Istanbul 2003/CBM 96 (36); 18.a4 f5 19.Rfe1 f3 20.gxf3 Nxd5 21.fxe4 Nf4 22.Qf3 fxe4 23.Qg3 Kh8 24.Bg4 Be5 25.Rxe4 h5 26.Bxh5 Nxh5 27.Qh4 Qe8 28.axb5 Ra7 29.bxa6 Rh7 30.a7 Qa8 31.Rxe5 dxe5 32.Qb4 Rg8+ 0-1 Yurtaev,L-Krasenkow,M/Tashkent 1987/EXT 2000 (32)) 18...f5 19.Nd4 Bxd4 20.Rxd4 Ng6 21.f3 e3 22.Bd3 Qf6 23.Re1 Ra7 24.a4 Rg7 25.Kh1 Ne5 26.Bb1 Ng4 27.Rxf4 Nf2+ 28.Kg1 Rg5 29.Qh4 Qg6 30.g4 Rh5 31.Qxh5 Qxh5 32.gxh5 Nh3+ 33.Kf1 Nxf4 34.Rxe3 bxa4 35.Re7 Rb8 36.Bxf5 Rxb2 37.Bxh7+ Kf8 38.Re4 a3 39.h6 Nxd5 40.Bg6 Ne7 41.Rf4+ Kg8 42.h7+ Kg7 43.Rf7+ Kxg6 44.h8Q Kxf7 45.Qh5+ Ng6 46.Qd5+ Kg7 47.Qd4+ Kh7 48.Qa7+ Kg8 49.Qa8+ Kh7 50.Qa7+ 1/2-1/2 Upton,T-Lamas Baliero,P/Buenos Aires 1978/EXT 2000 (50); 16...Qd7 17.Rad1 0-0 (17...Ng6 18.g3 0-0 19.Nc2 f4 20.Bg4 f5 21.Bh3 Rae8 22.Nd4 Bxd4 23.Rxd4 Re5 24.Kh1 f3 25.Re1 Qf7 26.g4 f4 27.g5 Rfe8 28.Be6 R8xe6 29.dxe6 Qxe6 30.Red1 d5 31.b3 e3 32.Qxf3 e2 33.Re1 Nh4 34.Qxf4 Qh3 35.Qg3 Qf1+ 36.Qg1 Qxg1+ 0-1 Ortega,M-Pelaez Contti,J/Migoya 1998/EXT 2003 (36)) 18.f4 b4 (18...Rac8 19.Nc2 a5 20.Kh1 b4 21.c4 Bxb2 22.g4 Kh8 23.Ne3 Qa7 24.Qh3 Rg8 25.gxf5 Rg7 26.f6 Bxf6 27.f5 a4 28.Rf4 Rb8 29.Ng4 Ng8 30.Rxe4 b3 31.axb3 Rxb3 32.Qf1 Rb8 33.c5 Qxc5 34.Rxa4 Rb4 35.Rxb4 1/2-1/2 Chiburdanidze,M-Staniszewski,P/Polanica Zdroj 1984/MCL (35)) 19.cxb4 Rab8 20.Nc4 Rxb4 21.Kh1 Rb5 22.b3 Nxd5 23.a4 Rc5 24.Rxd5 Rxd5 25.Nb6 Qb7 26.Nxd5 Qxd5 27.Bc4 Qc5 28.Rd1 Kh8 29.Qe2 Rd8 30.Rd5 Qa3 31.g3 Kg8 32.Kg2 Qb4 33.Rxf5 d5 34.Rxd5 Rxd5 35.Bxd5 a5 36.Kh3 Qd4 37.Bxe4 Bf8 38.Qg4+ Qg7 39.Qh5 Bb4 40.Bd3 Kh8 41.Qf5 Kg8 42.Be4 Qh6+ 43.Kg2 Qg7 44.h4 Qb2+ 45.Kh3 Qg7 46.h5 Kh8 47.Bd5 Be1 48.Qc8+ Qg8 49.Qxg8+ Kxg8 50.h6 Kf8 51.g4 Bd2 52.Kg3 Kg8 53.Kf3 Kf8 54.g5 Kg8 55.Kg4 Kf8 56.Bc4 Kg8 57.f5 Kf8 58.Kh5 Be3 59.g6 fxg6+ 60.fxg6 hxg6+ 61.Kxg6 Ke7 62.h7 Bd4 63.Bd5 Bc3 64.Be4 1-0 Kuzmin,G-Dolmatov,S/Yerevan 1982/MCL (64); 16...Qc8 17.Rad1 0-0 18.Nc2 Ng6 19.f4 exf3 20.Rxf3 Re8 21.Bd3 Qc5+ 22.Kh1 Re5 23.Rxf5 Qxd5 24.Nb4 Qb7 25.Rxe5 dxe5 26.Qf3 Qxf3 27.gxf3 Ne7 28.Be4 Ra7 29.Rd6 a5 30.Na6 Bf8 31.Nb8 Kg7 32.Rb6 b4 33.Bb7 bxc3 34.bxc3 a4 35.c4 Ra5 36.Nd7 Ng6 37.Be4 Be7 38.Rb5 1-0 Grischuk,A-Sprenger,J/Germany 2003/CBM 94 (38)]

17.Nc2 Rc5 18.Ne3
With the possibility of Qxf5, Defending the d-pawn

18...f4 19.Nf5
idea Nxg7+

19...0-0 20.a4
consistent. White aggressively looks for open lines on the queenside

20...Nxf5 21.Qxf5 Qe7
Defending the e-pawn

22.axb5 axb5 23.Qxf4 Rxd5
Maintaining the material balance

24.Rfd1
White's initiative seems clear.

24...Re5
[24...Rxd1+ 25.Rxd1 Be5 26.Qg4+ (26.Qxe4?? Bxh2+ ) 26...Kh8 27.Bxb5+/- ]

25.Qe3
Well played, eyeing the a7 square for the Ra1 and b6 for the queen

25...f5 26.Qb6
A nice entry square, putting pressure upon the backward d-pawn

26...f4
Playinf for the attack. Black must stay active to have any chance of surviving here [26...Rd8 27.Ra7+- ]

27.Qxd6 Qg5
White's up a pawn. Black counts on his activity to compensate.

28.f3 e3 29.Ra7
I was sure that white was winning here.

29...Kh8 30.Qd7 Rg8
Diagram Defending, and attacking. Kh1 is needed here.

31.Qh3
A passive retreat that costs victory if not more. [31.Kh1 Qh4 32.Qg4+/- ]

31...Qg6 32.Rad7 Rh5
And suddenly, out of nowhere, black has a winning attack on the kingside.

33.R7d6 Bf6 34.Rxf6
[34.Qg4 Rg5-+ ]

34...Qc2! 35.Qxh5 Qxe2 36.g4 Qf2+
[36...Qf2+ 37.Kh1 Qxf3+ 38.Kg1 Qxd1+ 39.Kg2 Rxg4+ 40.Kh3 Qf3# ] 0-1