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Magnus Carlsen vs Peter Leko
Carlsen - Leko Rapid Match (2008) (rapid), Miskolc HUN, rd 4, May-29
Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange Variation (B13)  ·  1-0

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
a
1
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
White to move.
ANALYSIS [x]
Notes by Stockfish 9 v010218 (minimum 6s/ply)better is 6.Bb5+ Bd7 7.Be2 Bg7 8.O-O O-O 9.Nc3 Bf5 10.Bf4 Nbd7 = +0.42 (18 ply)6...Nc6 was played in M Ornolfsson vs Y Norowitz, 2013 (0-1)= +0.16 (24 ply) after 7.Nd2 Nc6 8.Ndf3 Nd7 9.Nxc6 bxc6 10.O-O O-O 11.Qe2 better is 9.Nxc6 bxc6 10.Nd2 e5 11.dxe5 Ng4 12.Nf3 Re8 13.Bf4 = +0.22 (22 ply)better is 9...Nxe5 10.dxe5 Nd7 11.f4 Nc5 12.Bc2 f6 13.Be3 b6 14.b4 = -0.32 (22 ply)= +0.34 (21 ply)better is 11.Nd2 Bf5 12.Bxf5 gxf5 13.b3 Qc7 14.Ba3 Rfc8 15.Rf3 e6 = +0.32 (21 ply)= -0.32 (25 ply) 19.Nexf7 Rxf7 20.Rxe6 Re7 21.Rxd6 hxg5 22.f5 gxf5 = +0.21 (24 ply) ⩱ -0.57 (22 ply) after 19...Ne7 20.g4 Ne4 21.Re2 f6 22.Nd3 Qb5 23.Rd1 a6 24.a3 better is 20...Ne7 21.Bh4 f6 22.Nd3 Qb5 23.Rd1 g5 24.fxg5 hxg5 ⩱ -0.53 (20 ply)= 0.00 (22 ply)better is 23.Kh1 b5 24.Qg2 a5 25.Rg1 Kh7 26.a3 Rf6 27.Nc5 b4 = +0.35 (21 ply)= -0.27 (25 ply)better is 29.Re2 Rg8 30.Reg2 Bf8 31.Be1 Bd6 32.Bd2 Ra8 33.Ng5+ ⩲ +0.59 (21 ply)= 0.00 (27 ply)better is 31...Nxc5 32.dxc5 Rxc5 33.Rxg6 Qxg6 34.Rxg6 Kxg6 35.Qg2+ = 0.00 (24 ply)= +0.50 (21 ply) after 32.Nd3 Ne7 33.Nc5 Ng8 34.Be1 Ne7 35.Ng5+ Kg8 36.Nge6 Rf6 better is 38.Ne6 Rfe8 39.Qf3 Qd7 40.Nf4 Re4 41.Nxh5 gxh5 42.Qxh5+ ± +1.54 (24 ply) ⩲ +0.80 (25 ply) 39...Re4 40.Rb1 Rce8 41.Nxe4 dxe4 42.Qg3 Ne7 43.Reb2 Nd5 ⩲ +0.81 (23 ply) ± +1.92 (24 ply) 40...Ra8 41.Qb5 Ra3 42.Ne6 Rxc3 43.Qxd5 Ra3 44.Bd6 Ra7 ± +1.58 (26 ply)+- +2.52 (28 ply)better is 42.Rxe8 Qxe8 43.Ne6 Bg7 44.Kg2 Kh8 45.Kf2 Qd7 46.Nc5 Qe8 +- +2.55 (27 ply) ± +1.81 (26 ply) after 42...Ba3 43.Qc6 Bb2 44.Bd2 f4 45.Kg2 Qf5 46.Re5 f3+ better is 44.Nc5 Qf7 45.Rxe8 Qxe8 46.Ne6 Kh8 47.Kf2 Qd7 48.Nc5 Qe8 +- +2.83 (27 ply) 44...Bf8 45.Nxf8+ Rxf8 46.Re6 Qf7 47.Qc6 Rd8 48.Rxg6 ± +2.02 (26 ply)+- +3.01 (24 ply)better is 46.Bd6 Rc6 47.Bc5 h4 48.Kh3 Nf6 49.gxf6 Bxf6 50.Nf4 Bg5 +- +3.50 (26 ply) 46...Rd8 47.Ne6 Ra8 48.Kf3 Ra1 49.Be5 Bxe5 50.Rxe5 Ne7 ± +2.24 (27 ply)+- +3.83 (24 ply)better is 48.Re6 Kf7 49.Ra6 Ne7 50.Ra7 Ke6 51.Nxe7 Bxe7 52.d5+ +- +4.43 (27 ply)+- +2.84 (26 ply) after 48...Rc6 49.Nc7 Kf7 50.d5 Rc4 51.Ne6 Ne7 52.d6 Nc6 53.d7 58...Rc8 59.Kd4 Ra8 60.c5 Ra6 61.c6 Rxc6 62.d7 Rc1 +- +11.23 (22 ply)1-0

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

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Given 13 times; par: 91 [what's this?]

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Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 2 OF 2 ·  Later Kibitzing>
May-30-08  arnaud1959: <Pawn Ambush: 9...Nd7 followed by 10...Nf6, whats that about?> I don't know if it was a good idea but it has clearly a meaning. 9.-♘d7 invites white to play f4 if he wants to keep his ♘ on e5. Once it's done the black ♘ can come back on f6 planning to play later ♘e4 knowing that white cannot push f3 anymore to protect e4.
May-30-08  hrvyklly: <JuliusCaesar: Has Carlsen been studying Bobby Fischer's games by any chance?> I think so. Carlsen also played 6.h3!? in the Najdorf against Gelfand at Amber, a move which Fischer used a few times too.
May-30-08  Method B: the long journey of the white g1 knight is on this chessbase diagram: http://chessbase.com/news/2008/misk...
May-30-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  tamar: <Shams: what happens on 32...Nxc5 <?>>


click for larger view

Shredder 8 on Deep Analysis gives 33 dxc5 Qb8 34 Qg3 Ne7 35 Re2 Re8 36 Nd4 Rf6 37 Qe3 Rff8 38 Ne6 Rg8 39 Ng5+ +1.19/20


click for larger view

White controls events by alternating attacks on the g file and e file, and at the end the c5 pawn even becomes useful in the variation 39...Kh8 40 Nf7+ Kh7 41 Nd6

May-30-08  Ulhumbrus: 4...Nf6 makes no attempt to prevent Ne5. 4..Bg4 pins the White KN while 4...Nc6 opposes White's KN on e5. 5 Ne5 frees the f pawn to advance to f4 and so to attain an advantageous stonewall attack pawn formation. 5...Ne4 frees Black's f7 pawn to advance to f6.
May-30-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  moronovich: <hrvyklly> 6.h3!? was a suggestion from a fan , according to Carlsen himself.
May-30-08  minasina: This fourth game and third game (Leko vs Carlsen, 2008 ) commentary by GM Zoltan Gyimesi here: http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail...
May-30-08  chessya11: At long last, a youngster has defeated Old Man Leko. Well done.
May-30-08  Jim Bartle: Old...man...Leko?? A dagger to the heart!

Seems just yesterday he was the Wunderkind.

May-30-08  chessya11: Sorry, I meant no harm towards Leko. It's just that he was undefeated against Generation Z: Karjakin, Radjabov, Carlsen. Until now.
May-30-08  Whack8888: I dont get a lot of this game, but Carlsen's play seems very exciting for the chess world. What a fun game from Carlsen!
May-30-08  Whack8888: I accidentally recently played the black side of an exchange Caro Kann (I wanted to play the Sicilian, but my mouse slipped!). It is interesting how it is like an Black side exchange variation in the Queen's Gambit Declined but with an extra tempo. It sort of makes sense to me--if Black can more or less hold out against the minority attack in the Exchange Queen's Gambit Declined, then surely White will get a lot of decent play for his long term pawn weakness. For Black in the QGD, he cant play his own minority attack (f5, followed by f4) because it takes to long and White's minority attack will simply blow him away -- however with the extra tempo in this pawn structure, it seems White is able to play f4 successfully.

Sorry if this is a little rambling.

May-30-08  Bobsterman3000: What is so bad or risky about 5.Ne5 in this variation? Can someone explain?

May-31-08  kingsindian2006: i enjoy magnus is play at the end . Move 43. he sets his king in motion knowing his pawn will need the escort to win the game once pieces are traded..also carlsen's bishop was very well played throughout the game till the end.
May-31-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  tamar: Of course just a rapid game, but reminiscent of Pillsbury vs Tarrasch, 1895

in that Leko like Tarrasch played many solid moves, but succumbed when the stakes kept getting raised higher and higher.

May-31-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  tamar: <Atking>

As to why 32...Nxc5 33 dxc5 Rxc5 is not the main line, I think it is because the move 32 Be1 clears h4 for the knight.

Very clever this Norwegian.

Which in turn makes possible the sequence 34 Rxg6 Qxg6 35 Rxg6 Kxg6 36 Nh4+ Kh7 37 Nxf5 Rc4 38 Nxg7 Kxg7 39 Qg4+ Kh7 40 Qd7+ Kh8 41 Qxd5 R4xf4 42 Bg3


click for larger view

May-31-08  arnaud1959: <Bobsterman3000: What is so bad or risky about 5.Ne5 in this variation? Can someone explain?> It seems to go against the principle of not playing twice with the same piece in the opening. But even for the purists you can see that white is not behind in the developpement after this move. Both white and black played with one knight and after 5.-g6 they both will have played 2 pawn moves putting their bishops into action.
May-31-08  Pawn Ambush: <arnaud1959:> He got his knight to e4 but it didn't do him any good. whites planning to attack blacks kingside anyway, giving white a free attacking move like f4 just loses time. Black must start the minority attack right away.
May-31-08  Atking: I see. Very deep indeed. Especially under this time control. Thanks <Tamar>
May-31-08  najdorfman: I do not comprehend the move 36...Ng8, taking this piece out of play for the rest of the game. Carlsen starts taking control of the e7-square, perhaps to insure that this knight remains almost deadwood. Am I missing some kingside breakthrough that Carlsen has if this knight is not on the g8-square? Thanks in advance to anyone who can enlighten me on these questions.
May-31-08  KarAkter: In his comments Zoltan Gyimesi says that 6.Bd3 is novelty,but is not.According to my database 9...Nd7 is a novelty.After 9.Qe2,9...Ne5 and 9...Qc7 is played before.So,after 9...Ne5 10.de5 Nd7 11.Bf4 Nc5,in my opinion black is slight better.
Jun-01-08  Davolni: With Carlsen around, I wouldn't want to be a SuperGM......
Jun-18-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  HeMateMe: Gorgeous positional squeeze.

There must be a forced line where black loses if he doesn't allow the queen swap.

Anyone see it?

Jul-05-08  invas0rX: I think Leko not use this opening, in a long time, much less against magnum opening
Mar-28-09  notyetagm: GM Joel Benjamin: https://webcast.chessclub.com/icc/i...
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