HISTORY
AN EXCITING CONFRONTATION!
CONFRONTATION!
LEKO CONFIRMS HIS BRILLIANT FUTURE WITH ANOTHER WIN
Only four games have been played and already the 20 year old Hungarian has practically decided the match. Today's game was similar to the second game, a positional jewel, where Khalifman only made a couple of small mistakes. Tomorrow is the fifth game and it's important to remind everyone that whatever the outcome of the game, all six games must be played.
The the most familiar scene during the Millennium Match: Khalifman in deep thought for his next move, left alone on stage by Leko.
Leko,P (2725) - Khalifman,A (2653) [C11] Budapest match (4), 07.01.2000 [GM Amador Rodriguez]
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 dxe4 5.Nxe4 Be7 6.Bxf6 Bxf6 7.Nf3 0-0 8.Bc4 Nc6 9.c3 [9.Bb5 Bd7 10.Qd2 Be7 11.0-0 Ne5 12.Nxe5 Bxb5 13.c4 Ba6 14.Rac1 and White is slightly better in Polgar,J-Shirov, Praha match 1999] 9...e5 10.d5 Nb8 11.Qe2! White maintains the option of castling on any side. In other reference games, White castled quickly oin the kingside. 11...Bf5 12.0-0-0 Nd7 13.Ng3 Bg6 Khalifman played quickly to arrive at this position which had already been played in another game and which he had analised previously. Leko finds over the board a strong plan which enables him to maintain the iniciative. 14.Bd3! [The other game continued 14.h4 e4 15.Nxe4 Re8 16.Nxf6+ Qxf6 17.Qd2 Nb6 18.Bb3 Qf5 19.Bc2 Qxc2+ 20.Qxc2 Bxc2 21.Kxc2 Rad8 with equality in Bologan-Gurevich,M/Belfort FRA 1999] 14...Bxd3 It was dangerous to allow the change in g6 as that would allow White the possibility of opening the rook file with h5-h6 15.Qxd3 Nc5 16.Qe3 b6 17.h4! A double meaning move: White controls the important g5 square, and also anticipates the g6-g5 advance which sooner or later Black will make. 17...Re8 18.Ne4! A positional solution which reminds us of Capablanca. White simplifies considering that Black's knight is important and that it must be eliminated. 18...Nxe4 19.Qxe4 g6 20.g4! White protects against Black's f7-f5 advance 20...Bg7 21.h5 And now starts to make small threats on the kingside. 21.g5 was another interesting posibility. 21...Qf6! Black is finding the best defences and although the game is still not equal, the disadvantage is small. 22.hxg6 hxg6
23.Nd2! Another very strong positional decision. White prepares to bring the knight to the strong e4 central square. 23...c6 [23...Qxf2 Too risky. After 24.Rdf1 Qc5 White would have enormous posibilities to attack Black's king.] 24.dxc6 Rac8 25.f3 Rxc6? [Leko said after the game that the queen capture in c6 was the only move, and to try to hold the ending after Qxc6 Qxc6 Rxc6 Ne4 although it is easy to understand why Khalifman didn't want to play this position.] 26.Qe2 Qe6 The World Champion offered a draw in this position. 27.Kb1 Which Leko rejected with this natural move, knowing that his position is preferable. White will try to play his knight to e4, then play g5 and organise an attack on Black's kingside or penetration through the queen file. Khalifman sacrifices a pawn for the iniciative, and to avoid a passive defence. 27...e4?! 28.Qxe4!
White accepts the pawn and now Khalifman must justify the sacrifice. 28...Qc8 29.Qd3! Avoiding the rook penetration on e2. 29...Rd8 30.Qe2 Re6 [30...Re8 31.Qh2 not fearing the sacrifice 31...Rxc3 32.bxc3 Qxc3 33.Nb3 stopping the threats at time.] 31.Ne4! White consolidates using favourable tactics. 31...Rxd1+ [31...f5? 32.Rxd8+ Qxd8 33.gxf5 gxf5 34.Qc4 winning] 32.Qxd1! Avoiding again the f7-f5 advance f7-f5 32...Qc6 33.Qd3 a5 34.Rd1 White consolidates his position and the extra pawn will decide the game. Everyone present considered that White had a decisive advantage from now on. 34...Be5 35.Qe3 Qc7 36.Rd5 [36.Qh6 Was another posibility, but Leko decides not to take risks before the first time control.] 36...Bg7 37.Qd3 Re8 38.Rd7 Qe5 39.a4! A typical Leko move: he gives his king an air, and fixes Black's structure for the ending. 39...Rf8 40.Qd5 [40.Qd6 Also wining was.] 40...Qf4 41.Nd6 Be5 42.Nc4! [42.Nxf7 Rxf7 43.Rxf7 Qxf7 44.Qxe5 Qxf3 45.Qe6+ Kg7 not a100% clear] 42...Bc7 43.Qc6 Bd8 44.Rb7 Kg7 45.Nxb6 There were other alternatives, but Leko chooses the materialistic continuation. And why not? He wins another pawn and the victory is not far away. 45...Bxb6 If not the knight comes back to the center and the bishop's perspectives are few. 46.Rxb6 Rd8 47.Ra6 Qd2 [47...Rd3 48.Rxa5 Rxf3 49.g5 would also have been easy.] 48.Qe4! Rd5 49.Ra7! Leko conducts the ending with great precision and doesn't allow any chances for his opponent. 49...g5 50.Ka2 With big threats such as 51.De6 o 51.De8 50...Rc5 51.Qd4+ The easiest way to win 51...Qxd4 52.cxd4 Rd5 53.Kb3 [53.Kb3 Rxd4 54.Rxa5 Rd3+ 55.Kc4 Rxf3 56.Rxg5+ With an easy ending, so the World Champion resigned.] 1-0
From Budapest, Grandmaster Amador Rodriguez (English Translation: IM Michael Rahal)
Leko looking at the board just beforethe start of his decisive victory in game 4.
GAME 4: LEKO - KHALIFMAN 1-0 ANNOTATIONS BY IM ANGEL MARTIN
As we anticipated in our commentary in the previous game, Khalifman played today mainly not to lose, as he chose not to play a sharp opening variation.
After the difficulties in the second game with the Sicilian Defence, this time he decided go for the French Defence, generally reputed as a less dangerous opening line. Besides, the line that was actually played, is leading lately to drawish positions.
Although Leko, with an extra point, could just wait, he showed from the beginning that he was going to will play for a win. In order to maintain the initiative, he castled on the queenside, which usually brings a very sharp battle.
Both players thought a lot of time, using half an hour each for the first 20 moves, and remaining with only 30 minutes for the next 20 moves, usually when the fight is decided.
Khalifman played well the next moves, opening the position in order to activate his bishop against the knight, and the game was even. But, suddenly he sacrificed a pawn, in a dubious manoeuvre, in order to attack. Something was missed by the Russian, as Leko, with natural moves, consolidated his position and remained a clear pawn up. The fact is that, after the pawn sacrifice, Leko used 3 minutes for his next 7 moves, and Khalifman 10 minutes, which proves that Black had problems.
After that, Leko played very carefully, placing his pieces on the best positions, and forcing the capture of a second pawn, leaving Khaliman's resistance fruitless.
In the present game, Leko proved that, with the White pieces, he can put very great troubles to Khalifman. The Russian, neither with the Sicilian or with the French Defences, could put up a real fight. Although in this game, the result was influenced by the bad pawn sacrifice in the move 27. The 3 to 1 advantage of Leko in the match is fair taking into account the merits of boths players.
In the next game, Khalifman will conduct the White pieces, and he can only play for a win, as this is the only result that serves him, not only not to lose the match (which is very difficult, as he must also win the last game with the Black pieces) but at least to justify his presence here, because at the moment, he is not equal to his rival. If he wants to prove anything, he must do it in that game, although I think the final result is clear in favour of Leko.
IM Angel Martin
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