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Leko Era Begins
 

Crushes Fritz On Primergy-- the strongest and fastest chess computer program ever
Humiliates World Champion Garry Kasparov with the black pieces
Demolishes demolition man and world championship challenger Vladimir Kramnik
 

GM Peter Leko, now 20, jumpstarted the year routing FIDE World Champion Alexander Khalifman.   Now at the Frankfurt Chess Classic, Leko crushed Fritz on Primergy-- the strongest and fastest chess computer program ever run, humiliated Garry Kasparov with the black pieces, and then demolished Kasparov's challenger, demolition man Vladimir Kramnik, on the latter's birthday.  It has been perhaps one of the most impressive show of force in a week in the history of chess.
 

DOWNLOAD these games here.
[Games are in .pgn file format.  Unzip then open the file using chess programs like Chessmaster.]
 
 

PETER TEARS FRITZENSTEIN APART!!!
 
 

Peter full of confidence. (AP)

When the organizers of the Frankfurt Classic wheeled in (and we mean wheeled in!) the latest Fujitsu Siemens K800 computer with Fritz on it, there was an audible gasp from the audience as the "monster" was unveiled on the stage.

Weighing in at an incredible 250Kg and looking every bit like an oversized family refrigerator (only just as cool), this particular monster had eight processors, each running at 700 MHz, and is the fastest NT server in the world.  This gives Fritz the power to search at the record rate of 2.8 million positions per second and around 45 billion moves per second.  Believe us, if this were a laptop, you'd have a pretty serious hernia.

Over the years, Fritz has proved to be the best chess computer program.  It is a lot better and a lot faster than Deep Blue that defeated Kasparov back in '97. After winning the Ordix Open in 1998, Fritz also succeeded in gaining first place in the Masters tournament in 1999.  This gained the monster a place in this year's Frankfurt Chess Classic Giants.  Fritz thus becomes the first computer to compete in such an elite tournament but it would not be a surprise if it finishes strongly.  However, run on Primergy, Fritz is bound to sweep every opposition.

After Fritz fried world no. 2 Viswanathan Anand and the rising young Russian superstar Alexander Morozevich one would expect Peter would be at least be intimidated.

However, a day before the match he declared, "Tomorrow I will show the world what chess is all about!"  And indeed he has!

Peter showed that Fritz programmers have a lot of work to do in order to outplay him! The Hungarian genius closed the position in the opening, arranged his pieces properly, and then launched an attack on the opponent King. Obviously, this game is the best performance ever against a computer.
 

Peter Leko - Fritz On Primergy [A04]
Frankfurt, June 2000
 

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d3 Nc6 4.g3 g6 5.Bg2 Bg7 6.0-0 Nge7 7.Re1 d6 8.c3 e5 9.a3 0-0 10.b4

Leko wants to try and close the position here. However, Peter said afterwards that he now started to get the shock of his life when "the bloody beast started to play like Kasparov!"

10. ... h6 11.Nbd2 Be6 12.Nc4N b5 13.Ne3 a5! 14.bxc5 dxc5 15.c4!

It is clear that Leko is playing as he would against a human player.

15. ... b4 16.Nd5 Qd6 17.Bb2 Rfb8

As with every other chess program, an instant reaction is to heavily protect
the passed pawn.

18.a4 Bg4!

This is a basic move. Black exchanges White knight, which could have taken a good position on b3.

19.h3 Be6?

19. ... Bg4? Perhaps Fritz grudges two tempos for his bishop. However, in this case 19. ... Bg4!?! has no sense.

20.Nd2 Nd4 21.Bxd4

Leko is not a machine - he doesn't spare his bishop.

21. ... cxd4 22.Nb3 Ra7

Fritz makes a series of moves that worsen his position.

23.Qd2 Kh7 24.Re2 Nc8 25.f4 Qc6 26.f5
 
 

Leko - Fritz on Primergy
Position after 26.  f5

26. ... gxf5 27.exf5 Bxd5 28.Bxd5 Qf6 29.Rf2 Bf8 30.Kg2 Nb6 31.Be4

The computer isn't good at evaluating this position with opposite-colored bishops.

31. ... Nd7 32.Re1 Nc5 33.Qa2 Kg8

It would have been better if it had retreated to h8. Thus, it could have put obstacles in the way of White's attack.

34.Rf3 Bd6 35.h4 Rc7 36.Kh3 Kh7?!

The computer places his king on the most unfortunate square. Kh8 still deserved attention.

37.Nxc5!

After maneuvering his pieces into the correct squares, Leko is now ready to launch a devastating attack on the Black king.

37. ... Bxc5 38.g4!

It is time for checkmate!

38. ... b3 39.Qg2 Kh8

If 39. ... Rg8 then 40.Rg1

40.g5 Qd6 41.Qg4 Qd7 42.Qh5 Bf8 43.Rg3 Qd6 44.Reg1 b2
 
 

Not even Fritz on Primergy's ability to analyze 45 billion 
moves per second was enough to beat Leko.  (AP)

45.c5!!

The key move.  This move is in Fritz style!

45. ... Rxc5

If 45. ... Qa6 then 46 gxh6 Qf6 47 h7 and White crashes through.

46.gxh6 Bxh6 47.Rg6! Qxg6 48.fxg6 Kg7 49.gxf7+ 1-0
 

 

LEKO CRUSHES KASPAROV WITH THE BLACK PIECES
 
 

Kasparov against the crowd and world press before his match against Peter.  (AP)

Kasparov - Leko [D97]
Frankfurt, June 2000
 

1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 g6 3 c4 Bg7 4 Nc3 d5 5 Qb3 dxc4 6 Qxc4 0-0 7 e4 a6

Fittingly from young Peter, the Hungarian Variation.

8 Qb3 c5 9 dxc5 Qa5

Other options are  9 ..Nc6!? and 9 ..Nbd7, but the text gets the seal of approval from Gruenfeld diehard Boris Gulko - and even Mr Kasparov himself!

10 Qb6! Qxb6 11 cxb6 Nbd7 12 Be2 Nxb6 13 Be3 Nbd7 14 Nd4 Nc5 15 f3 e5 16 Nc6 bxc6 17 Bxc5 Rd8 18 Kf2 Be6 19 Rhd1 Nd7 20 Be3 Bf8 21 Rd2 f5 22 Rad1!

Kasparov had now spent precious time in formulating his middlegame plan.  He may be slightly better and he probably felt he therefore now had to play for a win
at all costs.

22 ... Be7

If 22 ... f4  then 23 Bb6!

23 g3 Kf7 24 b3 a5 25 Rc2 Nf6 26 Rxd8 Rxd8 27 exf5 gxf5 28 Na4 Bd5 29 Bb6 Ra8 30 Bc5 Nd7 31 Bxe7 Kxe7 32 Ke3 Kd6 33 Bd3 f4+ 34 gxf4 exf4+ 35 Kxf4
 
 

Kasparov - Leko
Position after 35. Kxf4

With under two minutes left compared to Leko's 7 minutes, Kasparov finds himself in a difficult situation as R,B & N suddenly become very active.

35 ... Rf8+ 36 Kg5 Ne5! 37 Bxh7 Nxf3+

Now down to his last 30 secs (Leko 5 min) Kasparov is doomed.
 
 

Millions around the world watched the Kasparov - Leko match live on tv and the internet.  (AP)

38 Kh6 Rf4 39 Re2 Rh4+ 40 Kg7 Nxh2

Even stronger was 40 ... Nd4! 41 Rd2 Ne6+ 42 Kg6 (42 Kh8 Ng5) 42 ... Ke5 43 Re2+ Be4+! wins

41 Nc3 Nf3 42 Ne4+ Kc7 43 Nf6 Nd4 44 Nxd5+ cxd5 45 Rd2 Kd6 46 Bd3 Ne6+ 47 Kf6 Rf4+  0-1

47 ... Rf4+ 48 Kg6 Rd4 49 Kf5 Nc5 wins the Bishop.
 
 

Kasparov covering his face after his defeat to Leko.  (AP)

 

 

LEKO DEMOLISHES DEMOLITION MAN KRAMNIK
 

Celebrating his 25th birthday today, we don't suppose there was every any chance of Leko giving Vladimir Kramnik and early present now, was there?

It was just a few years ago when Kramnik entered the chess scene at the age of 17 when he scored 8.5/9 as board 6 player of the Russian team that won the 1992 Chess Olympiad in Manila.  Still arrogant now as he was before when he refused to sign autographs, he again finds himself at the limelight after Kasparov formally picked him to be his challenger, without qualifying matches at all, at the BrainGames.net World Championship.  It will be the first time since 1995 for Kasparov to defend his so called crown.
 

Leko - Kramnik [B33]
Frankfurt, June 2000

1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 e5

A dangerous line to play against Peter!  The Pelikan is almost obligatory in Hungary and indeed is one of Peter's all-time favourite openings.

6 Ndb5 d6 7 Bg5 a6 8 Na3 b5 9 Bxf6 gxf6 10 Nd5 Bg7 11 c3 f5 12 exf5 Bxf5 13 Nc2 0-0

13 ... Be6 14 a4 0-0 15 axb5 axb5 16 Rxa8 Qxa8 17 Nce3 Qb7 18 g4 Ne7 19
Bg2 Nxd5 20 Bxd5 Qe7 21 h4 Rc8 22 g5 Rc5 23 Be4 d5 24 Nxd5 Bxd5 25 Bxd5 e4 26 Ke2 Qe5 27 Bb3 Qc7 28 Qg1 b4 29 g6 hxg6 30 Qxg6 Kf8 31 Qg3 Qxg3 32 fxg3 bxc3 33 bxc3 Rxc3 34 Bd5 Rxg3  .5-.5   Kasparov-Leko/Wijk aan Zee 2000

14 Nce3 Be6 15 Bd3 f5 16 a4
 
 

Leko - Kramnik
Position after 16. a4

A new idea from Leko. It seems that after the "old" idea of Bd3 and Qh5, Black has good attacking prospects.

16 ... b4

16 ... Rb8 has also got to be considered here.

17 0-0 bxc3 18 bxc3 Kh8 19 Rb1 e4 20 Nf4! Bd7

20 ... Ba2?! 21 Rb2 Bf7 22 Bc4 Bxc3 23 Rb7 Bxc4 24 Nxc4 and White is on the attack.

21 Bc4 Be5 22 Ne6 Bxe6 23 Bxe6 Qg5

23 ... f4 24 Ng4! and Black's pawns d6, e4 and f4 become vulnerable.

24 Bd5 Rac8 25 Nc4 Ne7 26 Nxe5 dxe5 27 c4 Ng6 28 Kh1 Rcd8 29 Rb6 Rf6 30 a5 Nf4 31 g3 Nxd5 32 cxd5 f4?

32 ... Rfd6! 33 Qc1 (33 Rxd6 Rxd6 34 Qc2 Qd8!) 33 ... Qg8 34 Qc5 Rxd5 35 Qe7 Qg7 36 Qxg7+ Kxg7 37 Rxa6 Rd2 just looks drawn.

33 Qe2

33 Qb1! was more to the point.

33 ... Rxd5 34 Qxe4 Rd8

34 ... Rxa5? 35 Rb8+ Kg7 36 Rb7+ Rf7 37 gxf4!

35 h4 Qf5 36 Qxf5 Rxf5 37 g4!

The a6, e5 and f4 pawns now become a liability
 
 

Kramnik, this time celebrating his 25th birthday, loses yet another match to Leko.  (AP)

37 ... Rf7 38 Rxa6 Rd2 39 Re6 Re2 40 a6 Ra2 41 Kg2 e4 42 Rxe4 Rxa6 43 Rd1
Ra3 44 Rdd4 f3+ 45 Kg3 Ra1 46 Rf4  1-0
 


Peter Leko Chamber
THE REALM OF THE CITADEL : MAIN HALL


 
 
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