Leko – Gelfand

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.Nc3 Nxc3 6.dxc3 Be7 7.Be3 Nd7 8.Qd2 Ne5 9.0–0–0 0–0 10.h3 (Anand played 10.h4 against Gelfand in the first round.)

10…Nxf3 11.gxf3 Bf5 12.h4 (White allows himself to have double pawns to open up the g file. However, the price is he wasted a few moves. Black is fine in this position.)

12…Re8 13.h5 (I see very little happening in this game. Black’s position is sound.)

13…Bf6 14.Rg1 += Qe7 (I still do not see what kind of damage White can cause in this position.)

14…Qe7 15.Kb1 d5 16.Bd3 Bxd3 17.Qxd3 Rad8 18.Rg4 Kh8 = (I am not sure what can be said in this position. It’s equal with little play for White.)

19.a3 b6 20.Rdg1 h6 (I do not like this move. There is no reason for Black to create a weakness for himself. 20…Rg8 is fine.)

21.Qd2 Kh7 22.Bd4 Rg8 23.Re1 Qd6 24.Bxf6 gxf6 (White is a little better. Gelfand did not have to get himself in this position. But I still think Black can hold.)

25.Qd3+ Kh8 26.Qa6 Rxg4 27.fxg4 Qc6 28.Re7 Qd6 29.Re3 Qc6 30.Qd3 Kg7 31.Re7 Kf8 32.Re1 Kg7 33.f4 Qd6 34.Qf3 c5 35.Qf2 d4 36.Rd1 Qe6 37.Re1 Qd5 38.Rd1 Qe6 39.Qg1 Qe4 40.g5 fxg5 41.fxg5 d3 42.cxd3 Rxd3 43.Rxd3 Qxd3+ 44.Ka1 Qf5 (Leko overpushed and now he has to work hard to draw this game.)

45.g6 fxg6 46.hxg6 h5 47.Qg3 Qf1+ 48.Ka2 Qc4+ 49.Ka1 Qf1+ 50.Ka2 Qc4+ 51.Ka1 Qg4 52.Qc7+ Kxg6 53.Qxa7 Qd1+ 54.Ka2 Qd5+ 55.Ka1 Qd1+ 56.Ka2 Qd6 57.Qa8 Qe6+ 58.Ka1 Qe1+ 59.Ka2 Qe6+ 60.Ka1 h4 61.Qg2+ Kh5 62.Qf3+ Kg5 63.Qg2+ Kh5 64.Qf3+ Kg5 65.Qg2+ Qg4 66.Qd2+ Kf5 67.Qd5+ Kf4 68.Qd6+ Kf3 69.Qf6+ Kg2 70.Qc6+ Qf3 71.Qg6+ Kf1 72.Qxb6 h3 73.Qd6 Qf2 74.Qd3+ Kg2 75.Qd5+ Kg1 76.Ka2 Qf4 77.Qxc5+ Kf1 78.Qb5+ Ke1 79.Qd5 h2 80.c4 Qh4 81.Qe5+ Kd1 82.Qd5+ Ke2 83.Qe5+ Kd1 84.Qd5+ Kc1 85.Qh1+ Kd2 86.Qd5+ Ke3 87.Qe5+ Kf3 88.Qf5+ Qf4 89.Qd3+ Kf2 90.Qd5 Kg1 91.Qg8+ Kf2 92.Qd5 Qf3 93.Qd2+ Kg1 94.Qg5+ Kf1 95.Qc1+ Kf2 96.Qd2+ Kg3 97.Qg5+ Kh3 98.Qh6+ Kg3 99.Qg5+ Qg4 100.Qd5 Qf3 1/2

(Leko did a good job drawing this endgame. He almost lost for pushing too hard. 2 years ago in San Luis, he lost a won game against Topalov in round 1 and the rest was history. Hopefully this draw will give him a boost.)
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