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Game of the Week

By Sergei Shipov

GM Shipov’s Game of the Week:
January 2-10, 2001

In the New Champion’s First Public
Appearance a Resolute Victory

Peter Leko’s New Year matches in Budapest have become a good tradition. And mind
you, he plays these matches only with title-holders, be they FIDE champions or others.
However, I have to admit that Kramnik signed a contract regarding this match before his
London ordeal. I am not sure what was the order of events in Khalifman’s case. It is
absolutely clear, though, that chess players will now queue to play a match with Leko, as it
will secure them some title!

Vladimir Kramnik won this match not without strain, having demonstrated his
sizeable competitive spirit. Frankly speaking, it could have been even smaller! In Game 7,
and especially in Game 10, he fought in absolutely drawn positions until they were
completely exhausted. It is definitely very pleasant to drop the opponent’s flag in the rook
versus the bishop ending when playing cafe-chess, but it doesn’t look quite gentleman-like
when the whole world is watching you. Well, let us just think that Vladimir has presented
his champion character to the world, and has revealed a desire to fight to the bitter end and
win without fail.

However, these match games turned out to be rather interesting. It is important to note
that Kramnik has once again played the Berlin Wall and scored 1.5 out of 3 in it. It is
obvious that he is going to develop it even more deeply in the future. Judging by these
games, I can say that the Champion clearly surpassed his opponent in the endgames. In half
of the battles they played without the queens and Kramnik had the initiative.

The following three games perfectly reflect the development of the struggle in this match.

Kramnik,V (2770) - Leko,P (2743) [E42]

A classic positional example. The World Champion literally stalemated his opponent’s
pieces.

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 c5 5.Nge2 cxd4 6.exd4 0-0 7.a3 Be7 8.Nf4 d5 9.cxd5
Nxd5 10.Ncxd5 exd5 11.Bd3 Nc6 12.0-0 Bg5

Peter tries to simplify the position. The new FIDE champion has found a way to a more
complicated play where White has the upper hand as well - 12...Bf6 13.Be3 g6 14.Rc1 Bg7
15.Bb1 Ne7 16.Re1 Re8 17.Qf3 Qb6 18.b4 += Timman,J-Anand,V/Wijk aan Zee 2000/ 1/2-
1/2 (42)

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13.Re1 Bxf4 14.Bxf4 Qf6N

White would have kept a small but stable advantage after 14...Qh4 15.Be3 Be6 16.Qd2 Qf6
17.f3 Bf5 18.Bf1 h6 19.b4 Ne7 20.Bf2 Rac8 21.Rac1 Rfd8 22.a4 in the game Epishin,V -
Khenkin,I/Germany 2000 1-0(37)

15.Be5 Nxe5 16.Rxe5 Be6

After 16...Be6

Black’s position is sound but passive.
Kramnik’s shrewd play transforms Black’s
drift into complete immobility!

17.Qd2 Rad8 18.Rae1 h6 19.R1e3 Bd7 20.h3
Qd6 21.Qa5 Qb6 22.Qxb6 axb6 23.Be2 Be6
24.f4 g6 25.Bd3 Bc8

There was a threat of a blow on g6. In case of
25...Kg7 26.g4 Kf6 27.Kf2 White continues
the pawn advancement. And still this is
exactly how Black should have played, as now
the white rooks invade the seventh rank.

26.Re7 Kg7 27.Bb5! Kf6

Here Black should have thought about a slight expansion on the king’s side - 27...g5!?

28.Rc7 Rd6 29.Rec3 Rdd8 30.Re3 Rd6 31.a4 Rdd8 32.Kf2 Rd6 33.g4 Rdd8 34.Kg3 g5

At last Leko’s trying to make a breath. But it’s already late!

35.f5!

Black’s forces are completely paralyzed.

35...h5 36.Ree7 hxg4 37.hxg4 Kg7 38.Kf3!

After 38.Kf3!

The white king unhurriedly goes to the
queenside. Black has but to wait.

38...Kf6 39.Ke3 Kg7 40.Kd3 Kf6 41.Kc3
Kg7 42.Kb4 Kf6 43.Ka3 Kg7 44.b4 Kf6 45.
a5 bxa5 46.bxa5 Kg7 47.Kb4 Kf6 48.Kc5

At last he’s here!

48...Kg7 49.Be2

The d5-pawn is to make a decisive move.

49...Rde8 50.Rxe8 Rxe8 51.Bf3 1-0

Kramnik,V (2770) - Leko,P (2743) [D85]

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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.e4 Nxc3 7.bxc3 c5 8.Be3 Qa5 9.Qd2
Nc6

After the London match everyone was eager to find out what was prepared in answer to this
typical knight move. Running a few steps forward, let me tell you that the answer to this
question was never found! And Peter’s to blame...

10.Rc1 cxd4 11.cxd4 Qxd2+ 12.Kxd2 0-0 13.d5 Rd8 14.Ke1 Ne5?!

Leko opts for an auxiliary continuation. Chess theory considers other lines to be stronger -
14...Nb4 ; and 14...Na5

15.Nxe5 Bxe5 16.f4 Bd6

This is a novelty that does not change the positional judgment. In case of 16...Bg7 either of
the following two moves provide White with the advantage: 17.Rc7 and 17.Kf2.

17.Kf2 e5

After 17...e5

18.Bc5!

A marvelous pawn sacrifice! White gets rid of
Black’s dark-square bishop in order to invade
the c7-square with his bishop.

18...Bxc5+ 19.Rxc5 exf4 20.Kf3 Bd7

20...g5 21.Bd3

21.Bd3! Rac8 22.Rhc1 g5

In case of the rook exchange - 22...Rxc5 23.
Rxc5 Rc8 24.Rxc8+ Bxc8 25.Kxf4 - the white
passed pawn on d5 will decide the outcome of
the fight.

23.Rc7 Rxc7 24.Rxc7 Ba4 25.Kg4!

A powerful white king effectively bursts into the thick of the black pawns.

25...h6

Not saving the position was 25...f6 26.Kf5 Rd6 27.e5 fxe5 28.Kxe5

26.Rxb7 Rd7 27.Rb4 Bd1+ 28.Kf5 Kg7 29.h4 f6 30.hxg5 hxg5 31.e5!

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After 31.e5!

A decisive breakthrough.

31...fxe5

After 31...Rxd5 32.Rb7+ Kh6 there would
follow the quiet move 33.Bb1! and the white
king moves to f6 with mating threats.

32.Kxe5 f3 33.gxf3 Bxf3 34.d6! Rd8 35.Bf5
Bc6 36.d7! Rf8 37.Rd4 The a8-square is light,
and the white bishop is light-colored, so it’s
useless for Black to resist. And Leko resigned.
1-0

Kramnik,V (2770) - Leko,P (2743) [A30]

1.Nf3 c5 2.c4 Nf6 3.Nc3 e6 4.g3 b6 5.Bg2 Bb7 6.0–0 Be7 7.d4 cxd4 8.Qxd4 Nc6 9.Qf4 0–
0 10.Rd1 Qb8 11.e4 d6 12.b3 a6 13.Bb2

This is the "hedgehog" - my favorite type of position. Black carefully moves along the two
last ranks in order to sting White at the appropriate moment. And that’s exactly what
happened in the game. In case of 13.Qe3 Black can immediately jab with his needle - 13...
b5! Lautier,J-Kramnik,V/Monaco 2000/ 0–1 (28)

13...Qc7 14.h3 Rac8 15.Qe3 Ne5!

The black knight needs to go to d7 in order to provide the b7-bishop and the c8-rook with
some job to do. The exchange on e5 is not profitable for White because it weakens the dark
squares.

16.Nd4 h6 17.Rd2 Rfe8 18.Kh1 Ned7 19.f4 Bf8 20.Rf1 Qb8

Peter does everything absolutely correctly. Now White has to beware of the blows e6-e5
and b6-b5 on every move.

21.g4 Nh7

There is no way he can play e6-e5 so far, not before the f5-square is protected. The line

22.Rdf2 Ba8 23.Qg3 g6 draws the enemy’s fire.

24.f5 Bg7 Wrong!

25.Nce2?!

The retreat of any of the white knights from their posts will untie Black’s hands. 25.Qe3!?

25...Nc5 26.fxg6 fxg6 27.Qe3

27.Rf7 is a blank shot in view of 27...e5!

27...e5!

It’s high time!

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28.Nc2 b5!

After 28...b5

29.cxb5

Vladimir is ready to meet his opponent’s
ideas. It is not late yet to return the knight to
his rightful place - 29.Nc3 bxc4 30.bxc4 and
the white bishop is inviolable because of the
queen loss.

29...Nxe4! 30.Bxe4 Rxc2 31.Nc3 Rxf2 32.
Rxf2 Ng5 33.Bg2 Bxg2+ 34.Kxg2 Qb7+ 35.
Kg1 axb5

As a result of a forced operation, Black gained
a huge positional advantage. The center is
seized by black pieces, White’s light pieces

are poor and his king is weak.

36.h4 Ne6 37.Ne4 Qe7 38.g5 Nf4 39.gxh6 Bxh6 40.Qg3 Qe6 41.Kh2 d5 42.Ng5 Bxg5 43.
hxg5 Re7 44.Rc2 Qf5

Not waiting for the slaughter of his king, Kramnik resigned. 0–1

See related articles:

●

GM Shipov's Game of the Week: Black is OK, and Maybe Better!

(2/1/2001)

●

GM Shipov: How to Win with the d5 Passer

(1/24/2001)