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Veselin Topalov vs Peter Leko
Dortmund Candidates (2002), Dortmund GER, rd 2, Jul-19
Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan. Sveshnikov Variation (B33)  ·  0-1

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
a
1
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d
e
f
g
h
White to move.
ANALYSIS [x]
Notes by Stockfish 9 v010218 (minimum 15s/ply)17.Rad1 was played in Z Varga vs M Gagunashvili, 2004 (1-0)18...Ng6 was played in P Konguvel vs Harikrishna, 2002 (0-1)better is 26.Reg4 Rxg4 27.Rxg4 Qc3 28.Qxc3+ Nxc3 29.Nc4 Rxb4 = -0.08 (34 ply)better is 26...Be5 27.Rh4 Rg7 28.Rh6 Qg5 29.Rh5 Qf4 30.Rh4 Qd2 ⩱ -0.66 (30 ply)= 0.00 (37 ply)better is 31.Qb2 Qxf5 32.Qd2 Qe5 33.Bf3 Ne4 34.Rxg8+ Rxg8 35.Bxe4 = 0.00 (32 ply)better is 31...Rcd8 32.Qc1 Qxf5 33.Qd2 Rg6 34.a4 Nxa4 35.Bg2 Nb6 ⩱ -0.69 (29 ply)= 0.00 (38 ply) after 32.Qc1 Rge8 33.Qd2 Qxf5 34.Bg2 Ne4 35.Qb2+ Nc3 36.Qd2 33.Qd2 Ne4 34.Bxe4 Qxe4+ 35.Kg1 Qxf5 36.Rd1 Rcd8 37.Kf1 = -0.08 (38 ply) ∓ -1.84 (30 ply)better is 36.Qb3 Kg8 37.Bh5 Nd5 38.a3 Rc3 39.Qa4 Nf6 40.Bd1 Qd3 ∓ -1.89 (29 ply) 36...Rxb4 37.Qa3 Rb8 38.Kg2 Qxf6 39.Qc5 Rd8 40.Rh1 Kg7 -+ -2.61 (35 ply)= 0.00 (37 ply)better is 39.Rh1 f6 40.a4 Rd7 41.b5 axb5 42.axb5 Qd3 43.Qxd3 Rxd3 = 0.00 (36 ply) ⩱ -0.53 (30 ply)better is 40.Qh5 Rd7 41.Bc6 Re7 42.Bf3 Kg8 43.Rh1 Ne4 44.Qg4+ Kf8 = -0.33 (31 ply) ⩱ -0.99 (35 ply)better is 44...Kg7 45.Rh4 Nb2 46.a3 Kf8 47.Kg1 Nd3 48.Rc4 Qd7 ⩱ -1.10 (32 ply) 45.Qf5 Rf7 46.Qe6 Qa8+ 47.Kg1 Qf8 48.a4 Re7 49.Qxf6+ = -0.47 (32 ply) ∓ -1.61 (33 ply)better is 47...Rd8 48.Qe4 Kh8 49.a4 Nc3 50.Qf3 Nd5 51.Kh2 Qe6 ∓ -1.80 (31 ply) ⩱ -1.25 (32 ply) 51...h5 52.Qf5 Rf8 53.Re7+ Rf7 54.Rxf7+ Kxf7 55.Qxh5+ ∓ -1.54 (34 ply)= 0.00 (40 ply) after 52.b5 axb5 53.Qa3+ Kf7 54.Re7+ Kg6 55.Qxb2 Qc2 56.Re2 57.a4 Nd2 58.Rf4 Kg8 59.Kg1 Qc1+ 60.Kh2 Nf3+ 61.Kg2 Ne1+ = -0.34 (36 ply)better is 57...Re7 58.Rxe7 Kxe7 59.Qh7+ Kd6 60.Qf7 Ke5 61.Qh5+ Ke6 ⩱ -1.47 (31 ply) 58.Qe4 Ne5 59.Kg2 Rh5 60.Qxc6 Nxc6 61.Re6 Nxb4 62.Rxf6+ ⩱ -0.81 (31 ply) ∓ -2.00 (37 ply) 59.Qh8+ Kf7 60.Qh7+ Rg7 61.Qe4 Qxe4 62.Rxe4 Kg6 63.a4 ∓ -1.85 (36 ply)-+ -5.78 (39 ply)67.Kg2 Qc4 68.Kg1 g4 69.Rb7+ Ke8 70.Rb8+ Kd7 71.Rb6 Kc7 -+ -5.36 (36 ply)0-1

rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1
FEN COPIED

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Given 2 times; par: 63 [what's this?]

Annotations by Stockfish (Computer).      [35437 more games annotated by Stockfish]

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Kibitzer's Corner
Jul-14-05  Whitehat1963: Where did Topalov lose this one?
Jul-14-05  aw1988: How about 40. Rd1?
Jul-15-05  Whitehat1963: Why not 40. Bd1 instead?
Jul-15-05  hintza: 40.Bd1 (or Rd1) Nxd1 41.Rxd1 Rc1 looks horrendous for White.
Jul-15-05  aw1988: Oh, there is no perpetual here. Hmm.
Dec-21-06  waddayaplay: There is a perpetual at move 56.
Nov-08-08  michael.krink: 36 -d1Q looks god.
Nov-01-13  isemeria: Black to move 26...?


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26...Bxa3!

"...the knight was ready to enter the play after Nc4, and Leko rightly estimated that in the forthcoming struggle the black knight would be stronger than his bishop." (M. Notkin in Leko's One Hundred Wins by Sergei Soloviov (2003))

In the diagram position I would probably not even consider ...Bxa3. It seems wrong to exchange a mobile bishop to a knight which doesn't seem to take part in the action for the moment. There are reasons why these guys are rated 1000 points higher than me.

Mar-13-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  plang: Game 2 of their 4 game finals match in the Candidates Tournament; Leko won the first two games and held on to win the match 2.5-1.5. Leko repeated his innovation 18..Rb8 that he had introduced successfully a few days earlier in game 1 of his semi final match with Shirov. Shirov had played the relatively quiet 19 f3; Topalov tried the sharper 19 g4 which Leko certainly was fully prepared for. 20..Bxb2 21 gxf..Bxa3? would have been refuted by 22 Rg1+..Ng6 23 Bxe4. Leko felt that Topalov, in his preparation, had under estimated 21..Kh8!. 26 Rf1?! is an odd looking move; Leko suggested 26 Qb3. 33 Rd1? was the beginning of the end for White; 33 Qd2 would have been better. In time trouble Leko played 36..Qxf6? missing 36..Ne4 37 Qxd4..Rxd4 38 Kg2..Nc3 39 Bd1..Rxb4 winning a piece or the equally strong 36..Rxb4. 40 Rh1 was a typical decision by Topalov giving up material for counterplay; 40 Qh5 would have held onto material but may not have improved his chances of saving the game. Apparently under the illusion that he was winning topalov played 56 Qf5? spurning the perpetual check with 56 Qh8+. Perhaps Topalov thought that 57 Re6 would have been winning but then realizing that 57..Rh7+ would have forced the exchange of rooks in fact winning for Black.

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