Chess from Malcolm Pein Chess Monday April 30th 2007

The world champion Vladimir Kramnik demonstrated his mastery of positional chess by nurturing the tiniest of advantages to victory in the fifth game of his Rapid match against Peter Leko at Miskolc in Hungary. Kramnik went 3.5-1.5 ahead but Leko, who nearly captured Kramnik’s crown in 2004 hit back straight away with his first win to cut the deficit to a point with two to play. Kramnik ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 0 3½ Leko ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 1 2½

Leko,P (2738) - Kramnik,V (2772) [C84]
Rapid Match Miskolc HUN (6), 28.04.2007

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.d3 [Taking the game away from the main lines of opening theory after 6.Re1 ] 6...b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.a4 Bd7 9.Nc3 Na5 10.Ba2 b4 11.Ne2 c5 12.Ng3 0-0 13.Nh4 [13.Bd2!?; 13.Bg5 h6 14.Bd2 Nc6 15.Re1 Rb8 16.Bc4 a5 17.Nf1 Nh7 18.Ne3 Ng5 19.c3 Nxf3+ 20.Qxf3 Bg5 21.Bb5 Ne7 22.Bc4 Nc8 23.Qd1 Nb6 24.Bb3 Qf6 25.Re2 Rfc8 26.h3 Rc7 27.Nd5 Nxd5 28.Bxd5 Bxd2 29.Qxd2 bxc3 30.bxc3 Be6 31.Bxe6 Qxe6 32.d4 Qc4 33.dxe5 dxe5 34.Re3 Rcb7 35.Qd5 Rb1+ 36.Rxb1 Rxb1+ 37.Kh2 Qxd5 38.exd5 f6 1/2-1/2 Hort,V (2510)-Xie Jun (2500)/Copenhagen DEN 1997] 13...g6 [13...b3 14.cxb3 Rb8 15.Nhf5 Nc6 16.f4 Nd4 17.fxe5 dxe5 18.Nxe7+ Qxe7 19.Bg5 with the advantage; 13...Nxe4 14.dxe4 Bxh4 15.Qxd6 Qe7 is just a fraction better for White.] 14.Bh6! Gaining a tempo for when the f file opens 14...Re8 15.Bd2 Bg4 [15...Rb8!? and if 16.f4 c4 17.dxc4 Ng4 attacking the Nh4 and intending Qb6+] 16.f3 Be6 17.Bxe6 fxe6 18.f4 White has the initiative on the kingside 18...exf4 19.Bxf4 Nc6 20.Nf3 Nd7 [20...Rb8!? to anticipate c3 or 20...Ng4] 21.c3 bxc3 22.bxc3 Nde5!? A radical idea but the weaknesses created soon prove hard to defend and Leko deftly covers his weak spot on d3. It is easy to criticise such a move but Kramnik will have seen that after conventional alternatives like 22...Rb8 or 22...Rf8 23.Bh6 Rf6 Leko can simply play d3-d4 with a big advantage 23.Bxe5 dxe5 24.Qc2 Ra7 Hereabouts Black might have tried sacrificing with c5-c4 to create some play. The exchange of his bishop only serves to weaken the king 25.Rfd1 Bf8 26.Nf1! Intending to head for c4 26...Bh6 27.N1d2 Bxd2 28.Rxd2 Rd7 29.Rb1 Kg7 30.h3 Qc7 31.Rf1 Nd8 32.Rdf2 Qd6 33.Qc1 Nf7 [33...Qxd3 34.Nxe5] 34.Nh2 h5 [34...Qxd3 35.Ng4 and the threa t of taking twice followed by Nxe5+ winning the queen forces Black to contort with 35...Ree7 which looks terribly passive] 35.Qe3! Ree7 [35...Qxd3 36.Rxf7+ Rxf7 37.Qxd3] 36.Rf3! Covering d3 and preparing Rg3, pawn g2-g4 or just a slow rerouting of the knight as Black can only look on. Kramnik decides to sacrifice a pawn for activity 36...c4 37.dxc4 Qd2 38.Qb6 Ng5 39.Re3 Rf7? [39...Rb7 40.Qc5 attacking e5 40...Nf7 41.Ref3] 40.h4 Rb7 41.Qc5 Rb2 [Losing, but 41...Nh7 42.Qxe5+ Kg8 43.Ref3 Nf8 44.Rxf7 Rxf7 45.Rxf7 Kxf7 46.Nf3 gives White a dominating position] 42.Qxe5+ Kh7 43.Qxg5 Rxf1+ 44.Nxf1 Qf2+ 45.Kh2 Qxf1 46.Rg3 Qf7 47.c5 Black cannot stop the passed pawn and defend his king at the same time 47...Re2 48.Qe5 Qb7 49.Rxg6!

[49.Rxg6! and if 49...Kxg6 50.Qg5+ Kf7 51.Qxh5+ Kg7 52.Qxe2 with extra pawns.] 1-0