Since 2005, this rapid match has become an annual event in the city of Miskolc. Last year, Leko lost 3-5 to the rapidly improving young Magnus Carlsen of Norway. In 2007, Leko was edged by Kramnik, 4.5-3.5. (The two drew their classical world championship match in 2004.) In 2006, Peter won against former world champ Karpov, 4.5-3.5. In 2005, he drew his match with England’s numero uno, Michael Adams.
This year against Anand, Leko drew the first game, but dropped the second and fifth and drew the rest, giving the Indian GM a convincing 5-3 victory.
Game of the week. Here is game two of the match. GM Ferenz Berkes and IM Gyula Meszaros annotate.
White: V. Anand,Viswanathan (2783)
Black: P. Leko (2751)
Miskolc Rapid 2009
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 The Gruenfeld Defense but with reversed colors! 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.e4 Nxc3 7.bxc3 c5 8.Be3 Kramnik’s favorite variation, which played as Black very successfully by the Indian grandmaster Ganguly, who is member of Anand’s team. 8…Qa5 9.Qd2 0-0 10.Rc1 Rd8 11.d5 e6 12.Bg5! A very strong move, but it is not exactly a novelty. Anand’s idea is to create some weaknesses in Black’s camp after 12…f6, or disturb the development of the black pieces. 12…Re8 13.d6 Bd7 14.Bh6 14…Qd8 Not a bad idea, but Black has no time to build up his defense. It is very difficult to offer a better choice, because we don’t believe in the move 13…Bd7. Now the fans of the Gruenfeld must to show something good against White’s hyper-aggressive plan! [14…Bf6 15.h4 (15.e5 Bh8) 15…Bc6 16.h5 Nd7 17.Ng5 Palo-Ivanchuk, Skanderborg 2003 ; 14…Bh8 15.h4 Bc6 16.h5 Bxe4 17.Ng5 Bd5 (17…Bf5 18.Be2 +/-) 18.Nxh7! with attack.] 15.h4 f6 16.e5! +/-. After this move Black never can play g5 and open the dangerous b1-h7 diagonal. 16…Bc6 17.h5 g5 18.Bxg7 Kxg7 19.exf6+ Qxf6 20.h6+! The final nuance: the black K must go into the corner, and the endgame is winning for White. 20…Kh8 21.Qxg5 Rf8 22.Qxf6+ Rxf6 23.Ne5 Rf5 24.Nxc6 Nxc6 25.Rd1 Rd8 26.Rh4!+- The best place for the rook: White threatens with different maneuvers, for example: Rg4-g7, or to push ahead his passed free pawn, or attack the black pawns on the queenside. 26…Rf6 [26…Rd5 27.Rxd5 exd5 28.Rf4 Kg8 29.Rf6+-] 27.Bb5 Ne5 28.Rh5 Nf7 29.Rxc5 Rxh6 30.d7 The rest is simple. 30…a6 31.Bf1 Kg7 32.Rc7 b5 33.Rc6 Kf6 34.Rxa6 Rh5 35.Rb6 Rc5 36.Bxb5 Rxc3 37.a4 Ke7 38.a5 Rg8 39.Kf1 Ra3 40.a6 Nd8 41.Be2 Rg5 42.Bc4 Rc5 43.Bxe6 Rca5 44.Bc4 Ra1 45.Rxa1 Rxa1+ 46.Ke2 and 1-0.
Puzzler.
White — Qc2, Nd3, pawn on d5, Bd6, Re7, Kh3
Black — Bb2, Qc3, Re4, Nf3, Kh8, pawns on d7, f4
White to play and mate in two.
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