[Event "SuperGM"]
[Site "Linares ESP"]
[Date "2001.02.23"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Leko, P."]
[Black "Kasparov, G."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Henderson,John"]
[BlackElo "2849"]
[ECO "B97"]
[EventDate "2001.??.??"]
[PlyCount "109"]
[WhiteElo "2745"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 Qb6 { The Fischer favourite - the Poisoned Pawn variation!  Bobby's had a phenominal
record with this line: a near 80% score with the Black pieces.    If you don't
count Efim Geller (his bete noire) using Fischer's pet-line against the man
himself (Monte Carlo, 1967), Bobby only ever lost one game with it - to Boris
Spassky in their epic 1972 Reykjavic match. } 8. Nb3 { The cautious approach.  This just leads to a sort of main line Najdorf. } 8... Be7 9. Qf3 Nbd7 10. O-O-O Qc7 11. Bd3 b5 12. a3 Rb8 ( 12... Bb7 { is more usual.
The text (though still fitting in with the ideals of the Najdorf) has only
ever been played 3-times - and all Black wins! } ) 13. Rhe1 b4 14. axb4 Rxb4 15. Kb1 Bb7 16. Qh3 Nc5 17. Nxc5 ( 17. Na2 Nxd3 18. Bxf6 Rxb3 19. Bxg7 Nxe1 20. Qxb3 Rg8 21. Bd4 Nxg2 22. Qf3 d5 23. Rg1 Qc4 24. Rxg2 Rxg2 25. Qxg2 Qxd4 26. Qg8+ Bf8 27. exd5 Bxd5 28. Qxh7 Qxf4 29. Qd3 Qc4 { 0-1 Ellison,D-Collinson,A/Balatonbereny 1992/TD (29). } ) 17... dxc5 ( { I thought } 17... Qxc5 { looked better.  But then again, who am I to question the man
that took over Fischer's mantle of mastery of the Najdorf? } 18. Na2 ( 18. e5 Nd7 $1 19. Na2 ( 19. Bxe7 $2 Qxc3 $1 ) 19... Bxg5 20. Nxb4 Bxf4 21. Nxa6 Bxa6 22. Bxa6 Bxe5 { Black has strong pressure on the White king. } ) 18... Rb6 { with an easy game. } ) 18. e5 Nd5 19. Nxd5 Bxd5 20. c3 ( 20. Bxe7 Qb6 $1 { a nice little zwischenzug (Bless you!) } 21. Bxc5 ( 21. Bd6 $4 Rxb2+ 22. Kc1 Qb4 $1 { soon mates. } ) 21... Rxb2+ 22. Kc1 Rb1+ 23. Kd2 Rxd1+ 24. Rxd1 Qxc5 25. Ke2 Qb4 { also looks drawn - but Black has the advantage of the outside passed-pawn.
He may be able to make something of it if he can safely get the rook into the
game. } ) 20... Rb3 21. Bc2 Qb7 $5 ( { Drastic action indeed.  I think Kasparov
started to worry about how he was going to get his rook into the game after a
Ba4+: } 21... Rb8 $1 22. Ba4+ $1 Kf8 ( 22... Bc6 23. Bxc6+ Qxc6 24. Bxe7 Kxe7 25. Qg3 $1 Qb6 26. Qh4+ Ke8 27. Re2 { and, apart from worrying about how to develop
the rook on h8, Kasparov will come under a lot of pressure with Rd6 coming
shortly. } ) 23. Bxe7+ Qxe7 24. Rd2 { and White has a little advantage - though nothing to worry about. } ) 22. Bxb3 Qxb3 23. Rxd5 $2 ( { Being in Spain, Leko really had to take the bull by the
horns here and go in for the kill.  But then again, Peter was never Matador
material - he's been too cautious all his life: } 23. Bxe7 $1 Qa2+ ( 23... Be4+ $2 24. Rd3 $1 Qc4 25. Rxe4 Qxe4 26. Bxc5 { wins } ) 24. Kc1 ( 24. Kc2 $6 Bb3+ 25. Kd3 Bxd1 26. Rxd1 Kxe7 ) 24... Qa1+ 25. Kc2 Qa4+ ( 25... Qa2 $2 26. Rxd5 $1 Qxd5 27. Bd6 ) 26. Kd3 Qc4+ 27. Ke3 Qe4+ 28. Kf2 Qxf4+ 29. Kg1 Kxe7 30. Qh5 $1 { and, with Rf1 threatened, White's hoping to entice Black to play ..g6,
weakening the dark-squares round the Black king.  White should be able to
convert this easily enough. } ) 23... Qxd5 24. Bxe7 Kxe7 25. Qh4+ Kd7 26. Qg4 Kc6 27. Qe2 $1 ( 27. Qxg7 $2 Rb8 $1 28. Rc1 ( 28. Qxf7 Qb3 29. Re2 Qd1+ $1 ) 28... Qe4+ 29. Rc2 ( 29. Ka1 $2 Rb5 $1 ) 29... Qxf4 { and suddenly White has got one or
two little problems to solve - though probably still drawn. } ) 27... Rd8 28. Qxa6+ Kc7 29. Qa7+ Kc6 { Leko's a pawn ahead but, with the domination of the
d-file and the active king should it go into a rook and pawn ending, Kasparov
can easily hold. } 30. Qa6+ Kc7 31. Qa5+ Kb7 32. Qb5+ Kc7 33. Qa5+ Kb7 34. Qb5+ { Leko repeats a few moves to make the time control in safety. } 34... Kc7 35. Qe2 h5 36. g3 g6 37. c4 ( { Trying to contest the d-file wasn't any better: } 37. Kc2 Qa2 $1 38. Qb5 ( 38. h3 c4 $1 ) 38... Qd5 { and we're basically back to where we started. } ) 37... Qd2 38. Qe3 $2 ( { Trying to be too clever: Leko's hoping Kasparov will exchange queen's now so
that he can have his rook more actively placed on e3 to defend the g-pawn. } 38. Qxd2 Rxd2 39. h4 Rd3 { the active rook guarentees the draw } 40. Rg1 Kb6 $11 ) 38... Rd4 $2 ( { The mutual time trouble explains all - Kasparov actually missed
a big chance to come out with the better side of the draw! } 38... Qb4 $1 { Now how does White defend the dual threats of ..Rd2 and ..Rd4? } 39. Rc1 Rd2 40. Rc2 Rxc2 41. Kxc2 Qxc4+ 42. Kd2 Kc6 { and now it's White looking for the draw. } ) 39. Qxd2 Rxd2 40. Re3 ( 40. h4 Rd3 41. Rg1 Kb6 { is much the same - the active rook secures the draw. } ) 40... Rxh2 41. Rf3 Kc6 42. Ka2 Rh3 43. Rb3 h4 44. gxh4 Rxh4 45. Rf3 Rh5 { With the idea of ..Rf5 and ..g5 winning. } 46. Rg3 Rh2 47. Rf3 Rc2 48. Kb3 Rc1 49. Rf2 Kb6 50. Rf3 Ka5 51. Rf2 Re1 52. Ka3 Ra1+ 53. Kb3 Rc1 54. Rf3 Kb6 55. Rf2 1/2-1/2