[Event "GMA"]
[Site "Wijk aan Zee NED"]
[Date "2004.01.19"]
[Round "8"]
[White "Leko,P"]
[Black "Bologan,V"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Henderson"]
[BlackElo "2679"]
[ECO "B17"]
[EventDate "2004.01.10"]
[WhiteElo "2722"]

1. e4 c6 { Creating a storm of his own making was Viorel Bologan, who only one move out of his opening preparation (!) gets washed overboard as Peter Leko moves into third place. 
The Caro Kann used to be a very solid opening choice, but lately this has given a number of very spectacular games } 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nd7 5. Ng5 ( { In Dortmund last year against Bologan, Leko played 5 Bc4 and got a big advantage, but in the end he lost the game: } 5. Bc4 Ngf6 6. Ng5 e6 7. Qe2 Nb6 8. Bd3 h6 9. N5f3 c5 10. Be3 Qc7 11. Ne5 a6 12. Ngf3 cxd4 13. Bxd4 Nbd5 14. O-O Bc5 15. Bb5+ Kf8 16. Bxc5+ Qxc5 17. Bc4 Ke7 18. Bxd5 Nxd5 19. c4 Nf6 20. Rfd1 Bd7 21. b4 Qc7 22. Nd4 Rhd8 23. Rd3 Kf8 24. Rad1 Be8 25. h3 Nd7 26. Ng4 Qxc4 27. Qd2 Rac8 28. Nb3 Qc7 29. Rc1 Qb8 30. Rxc8 Qxc8 31. b5 Qc4 32. bxa6 bxa6 33. Rd6 Qb5 34. Nd4 Qb1+ 35. Kh2 Rc8 36. Nb3 Nc5 37. Nxc5 Rxc5 38. Rxa6 Qb8+ 39. Kg1 Rb5 40. Ne3 Rb1+ 41. Nd1 Qe5 42. Ra3 Qg5 43. Re3 Ba4 44. Kh2 Qf4+ 45. g3 Rxd1 46. Qd8+ Rxd8 { 0-1 Leko,P-Bologan,V/It, Dortmund GER 2003. } ) 5... Ngf6 6. Bd3 e6 7. N1f3 Bd6 8. Qe2 h6 9. Ne4 Nxe4 10. Qxe4 Qc7 { Peter Leko: "This way of playing was very popular due to the efforts of Karpov when he was still participating in the super-GM tournements. Karpov is no longer playing these tournements and this line is not played a lot anymore, but with the line itself there is not much wrong." } 11. O-O ( { Some years ago it was normal to play: } 11. Qg4 Kf8 12. O-O { but now black can play immediately } 12... c5 { without playing b6, so that is why white players now delay Qg4 one move } ) 11... b6 12. Qg4 Kf8 ( { Bologan deviates from an earlier game with the same line: } 12... g5 13. Qh3 Rg8 14. Re1 { was the novelty of the year in Anand-Bologan, Dortmund 2003 } 14... Bf8 15. Qf5 Bg7 16. h4 Kf8 17. Qh3 Rh8 18. hxg5 hxg5 19. Qg4 c5 20. Bxg5 cxd4 21. Rad1 Bb7 22. Rxe6 fxe6 23. Be7+ Kxe7 24. Qxg7+ Kd6 25. Nxd4 Qc5 26. Bf5 Qe5 27. Nf3+ Qd5 28. Qg3+ Ke7 29. Rxd5 Bxd5 30. Qg5+ Kd6 31. Qf4+ Ke7 32. Be4 Rh5 33. Nh4 Rg8 34. Ng6+ Kd8 35. Qf7 Re8 36. Bd3 { 1-0, Anand-Bologan, Dortmund 2003 } ) 13. b3 { This is supposed to be the most critical line } 13... Bb7 14. Bb2 Nf6 15. Qh4 ( { Normally white would be much better because of black's king position, but here white's queen is also misplaced (imagine it would be on e2!) and black is ready to free himself with c5. And if } 15. Qh3 Nd5 $1 ) 15... c5 16. dxc5 Qxc5 { This is the sort of move black can only play after serious analysis, but Bologan was still in his preparation here. } 17. Bxf6 ( 17. Bd4 { white can play this intermediate move, but black has several interesting options: } 17... Qa5 ( 17... Qc6 18. Bxf6 ( { A very messy line that Leko calculated during the game is: } 18. Rfe1 g5 19. Qh3 g4 20. Qh4 ) 18... gxf6 19. Qxf6 Rg8 ) ) 17... gxf6 ( { First Leko thought that black could play } 17... Bxf3 18. Bd4 Qh5 19. Qxh5 Bxh5 20. a4 { but then saw that this endgame clearly favours white } ) 18. Qxf6 ( { Leko felt a bit uncomfortable here because he had already an hour on the clock, while Bologan was still playing very fast. Less good was: } 18. Be4 Bxe4 19. Qxe4 f5 { and black is slightly better } ) 18... Qh5 ( 18... Rg8 19. Rfe1 Bxh2+ ( 19... Qh5 20. Be4 { as in the game would be very good for white } ) 20. Kf1 $1 { and white is better } ( 20. Kxh2 $2 Qh5+ 21. Qh4 Rxg2+ 22. Kxg2 Qxh4 $19 ) ) 19. Rfe1 ( { This was Leko's emergency button, trying to steer things into a quiet, drawish endgame! } 19. Qxh8+ Ke7 20. Qg7 Bxf3 21. h3 Be5 22. Bg6 { at first Leko thought this was winning for white but then saw that after } 22... Bxg7 23. Bxh5 Bxh5 { he is technically lost } ) 19... Rg8 $4 ( { The first move Bologan makes on his own (so far he had used only 7 minutes) and immediately the losing move. He had seen the drawish endgame, but thought that with the game continuation could push for a win. } 19... Bxf3 20. Qxf3 ( 20. g3 Rg8 21. Rxe6 Bc5 { with the idea Rxg3 and black wins } ) ( 20. Qxh8+ Ke7 21. Rxe6+ Kxe6 ( 21... fxe6 22. Qg7+ Kd8 23. Qf6+ { and the bishop on f3 goes } ) 22. Re1+ Be5 $19 ) 20... Bxh2+ 21. Kf1 Qxf3 22. gxf3 Bd6 23. Re4 { and although it seems black is somewhat better, it will probably be a quick draw } ) 20. Be4 Rxg2+ ( 20... Qg4 { Bologan thought that Be4 would fail to this move when he decided not to play Bxf3 but Rg8, but after 21 Ne5 and that he discovered too late, so he went for the rook sacrifice, although he knew it was bad. } ) ( 20... Be7 21. Qe5 { is also very good for white } ) 21. Kxg2 Qg4+ 22. Kh1 ( 22. Kf1 $2 Qh3+ 23. Ke2 Bxe4 { and black has compensation } ) 22... Bxe4 23. Rxe4 ( 23. Re3 $2 Be5 $1 { and black keeps a draw } 24. Qxe5 Bxf3+ 25. Rxf3 Qxf3+ { += } ) 23... Qxe4 24. Re1 Qh7 ( 24... Qd5 25. c4 Qc6 26. Rxe6 $1 ) ( 24... Qg4 25. Rg1 Qe4 26. Rg7 $1 ) ( 24... Qg6 25. Qxg6 fxg6 26. Rxe6 Bc5 27. Ne5 ( 27. Rxg6 $2 Re8 28. Rxh6 Re2 { gives black excellent drawing chances. } ) 27... Rd8 28. Nd3 $18 ) 25. Nd4 Ke8 26. Nxe6 Kd7 27. Qf3 Rb8 28. Nd4 Rc8 29. Qh3+ f5 30. Nxf5 1-0