Rival Champions

This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

The New York Sun

Is Kramnik really the world champion? A world championship match in Switzerland between the 26-year-old Hungarian Peter Leko and the incumbent Vladimir Kramnik, age 29, ended in a 7-7 tie. Under the rules, Kramnik retains his title. Sort of. There are today two rival world chess federations. Rustam Kasimdzhanov, an Uzbek, also has a valid claim to the world-champion title. Fortunately, this confusion is soon to end. In January in Dubai a reunification match between the two competing federations will take place between Kramnik and Kasimdzhanov, with a prize fund of some $1.2 million.


In the first game of this match Kramnik showed himself at his best. He created a fascinating position in which a combination of his minor pieces proved superior to Leko’s queen.


LEKO VS. KRAMNIK


(white) (black)


Petrov Defense


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Nc6 7.0-0 Be7 8.c4 Nb4 9.Be2 0-0 10.Nc3 Bf5 11.a3 Nxc3 12.bxc3 Nc6 13.Re1 Re8 14.cxd5 Qxd5 15.Bf4 Rac8 16.h3 Be4 17.Be3 Na5! This variation is one of the most popular among the world chess elite. Both opponents have had ample experience in this position. In the game Kramnik-Anand at Wijk ann Zee, black continued 16.. .Bf6 17. Nh2 Qa5 18.Bd2 Rcd8 19.Bf3 h6 20.Ng4 and white gained an advantage. Black’s last move is a deviation from what was played two months ago in a Dortmund blitz game, Leko-Bologan, where we saw 17…Rcd8 18.Nd2 Bg6 19.Bf3 with slight initiative for white. Kramnik’s idea is to sacrifice some material in order to extinguish white’s initiative. 18.c4 Leko wins the black queen with this move, but black retains excellent chances to build an impregnable fortress. The alternative 18.Nd2 Bf5 (inferior was 18…Bxg2 19.c4 Qc6 20.d5 Qg6 21.Bh5 Bf3+ 22.Bxg6 Bxd1 23.Bf5 Ba4 24.Bxc8 Rxc8 25.Bb6! axb6 26.Rxe7 with an advantage for white) 19.Qa4 b6 promised counterplay to black after an eventual c7-c5. 18… Nxc4 19.Bxc4 Qxc4 20.Nd2 Qd5 21.Nxe4 Qxe4 22.Bg5 Qxe1+ 23.Qxe1 Bxg5 24.Qa5 This is sharper than 24.Qb4 b6 25.d5 Be7, and black, placing his bishop on d6, creates a fortress. 24… Bf6 25.Qxa7 c5 26.Qxb7 Bxd4 27.Ra2 In case of 27.Rd1 Rb8 the penetration of the black rook on the second rank can be highly unpleasant to white. 27… c4 28.Re2 Red8 29.a4?! Black had to be careful after 29.Rd2! Bf6 30.Rxd8+! Rxd8 31.Qc6 c3 32.a4 g6! the only move that guarantees a draw. 33.a 5 (White cannot play 33.Qxf6 Rd1+ 34.Kh2 c2) 33…Kg7 34.a6 Rd1+ 35.Kh2 Ra1 36.f4 c2 37.Qxc2 Rxa6 and a draw is inevitable. 29… c3 30.Qe4 Bb6 31.Qc2 An equal position could arise after 31.Rc2 g6 (not 31…Rd2 32.Rxc3) 32.Qb4 Bc5 33.Qb3 Bd4. 31… g6 32.Qb3 Rd6 33.Rc2 Ba5 34.g4 Rd2 35.Kg2 Rcd8 36.Rxc3 Leko realized suddenly that his position is inferior and begins to be nervous. In case of 36.g5 R8d5 his position will become perilous. 36… Bxc3 37.Qxc3 R2d5 38.Qc6 Ra5 39.Kg3 Rda8 40.h4 R5a6 The idea from the game as it actually is played did not work here yet: 40…h6!? 41.h5 g5! 42.f4! gxf4+ 43.Kxf4 Rxa4+ 44.Kg3 R8a6 45.Qe8+ and the black king cannot find a safe haven. 41.Qc1 Ra5 42.Qh6! Rxa4 43.h5 R4a5 44.Qf4? This looks like a blunder. After 44.hxg6 hxg6 45.Qd2 white had a draw in hand. 44… g5! 45.Qf6


(See diagram)


45… h6! Perhaps Leko overlooked this move, after which his position became hopeless. 46! .f3 Of course, impossible was 46.Qxh6 R8a6; not helping at all is 46.f4 R5a6 47.Qf5 Ra3+ 48.Kf2 Ra2+ 49.Ke3 (or 49.Ke1 Rb2 and mate is inevitable). 49…R8a3+ 50.Ke4 Ra4+ 51.Kd3 Rxf4 and black wins. Now black brings one rook to the f-file, attacks the f3-pawn with the second rook, and the game is over. 46… R5a6 47.Qc3 Ra4 48.Qc6 R8a6 49.Qe8+ Kg7 50.Qb5 R4a5 51.Qb4 Rd5 52.Qb3 Rad6 53.Qc4 Rd3 54.Kf2 Ra3 55.Qc5 Ra2+ 56.Kg3 Rf6 57.Qb4 Raa6 58.Kg2 Equally bad was 58.Qc3 Ra4 and 59…Raf4. 58… Rf4 59.Qb2+ Raf6 60.Qe5 Rxf3 61.Qa1 Rf1 62.Qc3 R1f2+ 63.Kg3 R2f3+ 64.Qxf3 Rxf3+ 65.Kxf3 Kf6 0-1


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