The long-time world champion Mikhail Botvinnik once described chess as a unique combination of sport, science, and art. When looking at the play of the strongest grandmasters, one usually finds that all three elements are in place, but one of them tends to be more dominant. Vladimir Kramnik and Peter Leko faced each other in 2004 in the struggle for the world championship and both demonstrated a decidedly scientific bent to their play. This was the case again in an eight-game rapid match just now concluded in the Hungarian city of Mishkolc. The play on both sides was ultrasolid, and the opening variations were all thoroughly explored, checked, and rechecked in advance, as in the game below. Kramnik won the match by a score of 4.5 to 3.5.

KRAMNIK VS. LEKO
(WHITE) (BLACK)
QUEEN’S INDIAN DEFENSE

1.d4 Nf6
2.c4 e6
3. Nf3 b6
4.g3 Ba6
5.b3 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 Be7 7. Bg2 c6 8. Bc3 d5 9. Ne5 Nfd7 10. Nxd7 Nxd7 11. Nd2 0-0 12.0-0 Rc8 13.e4 c5 14. exd5 exd5 15. dxc5 dxc4 16.c6!?

A variation that has been checked exhaustively at a high level. Leko as black defended this position in 2006 against Radjabov and there followed 16. cxb6 Nxb6 17. Re1 and black was worse after 17…Bf6 18. Bxf6 Qxf6 19. Ne4 Qg6 20. Qd6 Qxd6 21. Nxd6 Rcd8 22. Nf5, but Leko proved that black can draw here. 16… cxb3 17. Re1 b2!? This is a more popular method of defense than 17…Bb5 which gave an advantage to Kamsky playing against Karpov in 1996: 18. axb3 Bxc6 19. Bxc6 Rxc6 20. Rxa7 Bf6 21. Nc4 Bxc3 22. Rxd7 Qf6 23. Re4 with an eventual victory. 18. Bxb2 Nc5 19. Nc4 Bxc4 20. Qg4 Bg5 21. Qxc4 Nd3 22. Be5 Playing against Anand in 2005, Topalov was inclined to enter a position without the exchange: 22. Ba3 Nxe1 23. Rxe1 Re8 24. Rxe8+ Qxe8 25. Bd5 and he was exerting intense pressure. But practice has proved that the move played in this game is even stronger. 22… Nxe1 23. Rxe1 Bf6 24. Bxf6 Qxf6 25.c7 Qd6 26. Rc1 b5 27. Qc2 b4 At the tournament in Monte-Carlo, Aronian twice defended this position. Against Radjabov he tried 27…g6 28. Bb7 a5?! 29. Qc5! Qxc5 30. Rxc5 b4 31. Kf1 Rfe8 32. Bxc8 Rxc8 33. Ke2 a4 34. Kd3 b3 and lost the endgame after 35.a3! Leko tries a move in this game which Aronian had used to reach a draw against Ivanchuk. But it looks like this position is not so safe for black either. 28. Bb7 g6 29.h4 29… Rfe8?!

(See Diagram)

Leko deviates from the previously mentioned game Ivanchuk-Aronian, which followed 29…h5 30. Kf1 a5 31. Qc5 Qxc5 32. Rxc5 a4 33. Ke2 b3 34. axb3 axb3 35. Kd3 Rfe8 36. Kc3 Kf8 37. Kxb3 (Here white missed victory via 37. Ba6! and the black king can not leave his corner: 37… 37…Ke7 38. Re5+ Kd7 39. Bb5+) 37…Ke7 38. Kc4 Kd6 and black reaches a draw. A final attempt to rehabilitate the variation can be connected with the immediate 29…a5!? but after 30.h5! white can add threats on the kingside, especially if the white h-pawn will reach the h6 square. 30. Qa4! Qd2 The only move that does not lose material immediately. 31. Qc6 a5 32. Bxc8 Rxc8 33. Kg2! Kg7 Both sides remove their kings from the last ranks to avoid sudden checks. For example, in case of 33…a4? 34. Rc2 Qd3 35. Qb7 Qd7 36. Qxb4 white wins the rook by checking on b8. 34. Rc2 Qd3 Now black loses the pawn and white’s task becomes technical. Black could keep the material balance by playing 34…Qe1!? 35. Qb7 Qe6 36. Rc5 Qd7 but after 37.h5! he hardly could endure pressure on both sides of the board. 35. Rc5! a4 36. Qxa4 Qe4+ 37. Kh2 Qd4 38. Qc2 h5 39. Kg2 Qd6 40. Qb2+ f6 Decisively weakening the black kingside, but Leko had no good alternatives. For example, he would lose his queen in the event of 40…Kh7 41. Qxb4 Rxc7 42. Rxh5+. 41. Qc2 Kf7 42. Qc4+ Kg7 43. Rc6 Qd7 44. Qc5 Kf7 45. Kh2 Immediately winning was 45. Rd6 Qxc7 46. Qd5+ Kf8 47. Rxf6+ Kg7 48. Qe6. The move played in the game did not prolong the game by much. 45… Kg7 46. Qb6 Qf5 47. Qd4 Kf7 48. Rxf6+ Qxf6 49. Qd7+

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