Position after 24…Na5
GM Leko (2753) – GM Anand (2799) [B90]
20.02.2008, Morelia 2008
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e5 7.Nb3 Be6 8.Qd2 Nbd7 9.f3 b5 10.0–0–0 Be7 11.Nd5 Bxd5 12.exd5 Nb6 13.Bxb6 Qxb6 14.Na5 Rc8 15.Nc6 Nxd5 16.Nxe7 Nxe7 17.Qxd6 Qxd6 18.Rxd6 Nc6 19.c3 Ke7 20.Rd1 f5 21.Bd3 g6 22.Rhe1 Rhd8 23.Bf1 Rxd1+ 24.Rxd1 Na5 25.a4 Nc4 26.axb5 axb5 27.Rd5 Kf6 28.Rxb5 Ne3 29.Rb6+ Kg5 30.Ba6 Rd8 31.b4 Kf4 32.Rc6 Nxg2 33.b5 Ra8 34.Bb7 Rb8 35.Rc7 Ne1 36.Rxh7 Nxf3 37.c4 e4 38.Kc2 e3 39.Kd3 g5 40.Ke2 Nd4+ 41.Ke1 Rd8 42.Re7 Nc2+ 43.Kf1 Rd1+ 44.Ke2 Rd2+ 45.Kf1 Nd4 0-1.
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Anand outplayed him in the endgame.
Quite a strange loss, I say!
Leko seemed to be better with his dangerous passed pawns on the queenside.
Maybe he should have exchanged Bishop for Knight instead of 37.c4, but I guess he was really playing for a win there.
So, Anand is the sole leader and Topalov seems to be sinking with the boat… will he manage to stay afloat?!
anand managed three victories with black.Today he outplayed leko in the endgame
Tough loss for Leko. He was better, perhaps close to winning, but couldn’t find the right continuation right before the time control. Rc8 instead of Bb7 would have made things very tough for Anand.