GM Leko (2741) – GM Carlsen (2765) [B78]
28.05.2008 – Match game 1
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 Nc6 8.Qd2 0–0 9.Bc4 Bd7 10.0–0–0 Rc8 11.Bb3 Ne5 12.Kb1 Re8 13.h4 h5 14.Bh6 Nc4 15.Bxc4 Rxc4 16.Bxg7 Kxg7 17.Nd5 e5 18.Nxf6 Qxf6 19.Nb3 Rec8 20.Qxd6 Be6 21.c3 b5 22.Qd2 a5 23.Qg5 Qxg5 24.hxg5 a4 25.Nd2 R4c7 26.a3 Rd7 27.Kc1 f6 28.gxf6+ Kxf6 29.Nf1 Rxd1+ 30.Kxd1 Rd8+ 31.Ke1 Kg5 32.g3 Rd3 33.Nd2 Bc4 34.Nxc4 bxc4 35.Ke2 Rd6 36.Rh2 Game drawn ½–½
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Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Why did Carlsen give up a pawn for no reason? Was it sound?
I expect more from Leko in the rounds to come.
Easy Draw for Carlsen.
[19.Se2 Tc6 20.Sc3 Le6 21.Sd5 Lxd5 22.Dxd5 Df4 23.Dd2 Dxd2 24.Txd2 f5 25.Te1 Kf6 26.c3 Ke6 27.Kc2 fxe4 28.Txe4 Tec8 29.Kd3 b5 30.a4 a6 31.axb5 axb5 32.Tb4 Tc5 33.Te2 Td5+ 34.Kc2 Tc4 35.Kb3 Txb4+ 36.Kxb4 Kd7 37.b3 Kc6 38.Ta2 Kb6 39.Te2 Td1 40.f4 exf4 41.Te6 Kc6 42.Txg6 Th1 43.c4 bxc4 44.bxc4 Txh4 45.Tg5 Tg4 46.Txh5 Txg2 47.Tf5 Tf2 48.Kc3 f3 49.Kd4 Tf1 50.Ke3 Ta1 51.Kxf3 Tf1+ 52.Ke4 Txf5 53.Kxf5 Kc5 54.Ke6 Kxc4 55.Kxd6 1/2-1/2 was Karjakin,S (2732)-Carlsen,M (2765)/Baku 2008]
19…Tec8 [19…Tc6 20.Sa5 ; 19…Te6 20.Da5 Ta4 21.Dc3 Dd8 22.Td2 Db6 23.Sc1 Lb5 24.b3 Ta6 25.Thd1 Dd8 26.g3 Tc6 27.De3 Db6 28.Dxb6 Txb6 29.Ka1 f5 30.Se2 fxe4 31.fxe4 Lxe2 32.Txe2 Tf6 33.Kb2 Tc6 34.Td3 Kf7 35.Tg2 1/2-1/2 Ponomariov,R (2684)-Tiviakov,S (2599)/Moscow 2001]
20.Dxd6 Le6 with compensation for the pawn.
21.c3N [21.Dd2 Txc2 22.Dxc2 Txc2 23.Kxc2 b6 24.Kb1 De7 25.g3 a5 26.Sc1 Dc5 27.Sd3 Dc4 28.b3 Dc3 29.Th2 Dd4 30.Thd2 De3 31.Sxe5 Lxb3 32.Td3 Lc2+ 33.Kxc2 Dc5+ 34.Sc4 b5 35.Td4 bxc4 Llorente Zaro,A (2321)-Alonso Moyano,J (2417)/Mataro 2005 0-1 (48)]
21…b5 22.Dd2 a5 23.Dg5 [23.Sxa5 Ta4 24.Sb3 De7!? (24…Tca8 25.Dg5 Txa2 26.Sc5 should be good for white) 25.Dd6 Da7 26.Dxe5+ Kg8 27.Sc1 (27.Sd4 Lxa2+ 28.Kc2 b4 ) 27…Txa2 28.Dd4 (28.Sxa2 Dxa2+ 29.Kc2 Lb3+-+ ) 28…Ta1+ 29.Kc2 Da5 30.Sb3 Lxb3+ 31.Kxb3 Ta4 32.De3 (32.Df6 Txe4 33.fxe4 Da4# ) 32…b4= ]
23…Dxg5 24.hxg5 a4 25.Sd2 T4c7 26.a3 Against a4-a3, but also weakens the own pawn structure.
26…Td7 27.Kc1 f6 28.gxf6+ Kxf6 29.Sf1 Txd1+ 30.Kxd1 Td8+ 31.Ke1 Kg5 32.g3 Td3 33.Sd2 Lc4 34.Sxc4 bxc4 35.Ke2 Td6 36.Th2. 1/2-1/2