(1) Lautier,J (2648) - Leitao,R (2567) [E45]
FIDE WCh KO New Delhi ITA (1.1), 27.11.2000
[Saravanan,V]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 b6 5.Nge2 Ba6 6.Ng3 c5 [A rarely played system in the Nimzo Indian] 7.d5 exd5 [Black cannot do away with this capture. A well known game between Korchnoy - Short is a good illustration]
[7...0-0 8.e4² Re8 9.f3 d6 10.Be2 exd5 11.cxd5 Bxe2 12.Ngxe2 b5 13.0-0 a6 14.a4! with a clear advantage for White in Korchnoi - Short, Madrid '95] 8.cxd5 Bxf1 9.Kxf1 0-0 10.e4 d6 11.Bf4 Re8 12.f3 Bxc3 13.bxc3 [A concrete position has been reached. White has a pawn majority in the centre, and has a concrete target in the d6-Pawn to attack at. Black has to create counterplay before White's King runs inside to g1/h1 for safety. Traditionally, White was believed to have a slight advantage here] 13...Nfd7!? [A new concept involving the positional sacrifice of a pawn] [13...Nbd7 14.Bxd6 Nxe4 15.Nxe4 Rxe4 16.fxe4 Qf6+ 17.Qf3 Qxd6 and Black didn't have enough for the exchange in Hoi-Utasi, Jurmala '85] 14.Bxd6 [Otherwise Black just follows up with ...Nd7-e5 and ...Nb8-d7] 14...Qf6 15.Bxb8 Raxb8 16.Qc2 Ne5 [Black is creating an outpost for the Knight at d3 with ...b6-b5 and ...c5-c4] 17.Kf2 c4 18.Rhb1 b5 [Black has another motive to play for now - tactical possibilities along the g1-h7 diagonal] 19.Kg1 [Before activating his pieces, Lautier wants his King to be safe] [19.Nf5 Nd3+ A) 20.Kf1 g6 21.Ng3 and the White Knight remains inactive (21.Nd4 Rxe4) ; B) 20.Kg1 20...Qb6+ 21.Kf1 (21.Nd4 b4 gives compensation) 21...g6 22.Nh6+ Kg7 23.Ng4 Qd6 with a complicated position, where Black's pieces are active enough to give him compensation] 19...Nd3 20.Kh1 [White King is now tucked into a corner, and if Black doesn't do anything immediately, White's Pawn advantage will be sufficient to convert into a win, but right now Black controls the dark squares in the centre and thus the White's central pawns. This is probably the position that Black had been aiming for, as play has been forced till now] 20...b4 21.cxb4 Rxb4 22.a3 Rb3 23.Rf1 [Lautier wants to win the position and proceeds to sacfice an exchange for two pawns] [A curious variation is 23.Nf5 Reb8 24.Rf1 [Only move] 24...Rb2 25.Rab1! (25.Qxc4? Qg5 and Black is winning) 25...Nf2+ 26.Kg1 (26.Qxf2 Rxb1) 26...Nh3+! 27.Kh1 (27.gxh3 Qb6+ and ...Rb2xb1) 27...Nf2+ with an amusi ng draw! Considering the fact that Black is forced to enter into this variation if White had instigated, we can conclude that Lautier wasn't interested in this draw] 23...Rb2 [23...Rc8 24.Ra2!? preventing the Black Rook's intrusion to the Second Rank, and now it is not easy to find a plan of action for Black] 24.Qxc4 Nf2+ 25.Rxf2 [White doesn't have a choice any more : 25.Kg1? Qb6 26.Ne2 Nh3+ 27.Kh1 A) 27...Nf2+ 28.Kg1 (28.Rxf2 Qxf2 29.Nf4 g5 30.Rf1 Qd2 31.Qc6 Reb8 wins for Black) 28...Nxe4+ (28...Nh3+ with a draw) 29.Nd4 (29.Kh1 Nf2+ 30.Kg1 Rbxe2; 29.Qd4? Nc3) 29...Nd2 30.Qa4 Rf8 31.Rad1 Nxf1 wins for Black; B) 27...Qg1+?? 28.Nxg1] 25...Rxf2 26.Rb1 [26.Rd1 Qb2 27.Qa4 and White is ultimately forced to play 27...Rc8 28.Rg1 to protect g2] 26...g6 [Black provides a breather for his King and frees the backrank, at the same time prepares for a Kingside assault with ...h7-h5-h4] [26...Rb2?! threatening to push the d-pawn 27.Rd1] 27.a4? [A move that I'm not able to understand at all. Time is of very big importance in this position, and White HAS to find a way to push his central pawns, and the text seems to be an unnecessary extravagence] [Obviously better was 27.Qc5 Rb2 28.Rd1 and the d-pawn springs to life (28.Rxb2!? Qxb2 29.h3÷) ] 27...h5 28.Ne2 Qg5!? [Black rejects the safer 28...Rxf3 29.gxf3 Qxf3+ 30.Kg1 Qe3+ 31.Kf1 (31.Kg2 Rxe4µ) 31...Qf3+ (31...Rxe4 32.Qc2 Qf3+ 33.Ke1 doesn't get Black anywhere) A) 32.Kg1 Qe3+ with a draw (32...Rxe4 33.Qc8+ Kh7 34.Rf1 and suddenly it is White who turns into a hunter) ; B) 32.Ke1? 32...Qh1+ picks up the Rook] 29.Rg1 Qe3 30.Nd4 Rb8 31.Qc7 [31.Nb5 a6 32.Qc7 Qb6 33.Qxb6 Rxb6 34.Nc7 Ra2 (34...Rc2 35.a5) 35.h3 Rxa4 36.Rd1 Rab4 with an extremely complicated ending, where I prefer Black] 31...Rb6!? [Black starts looking for tactical possibilities on the Kingside] [31...Rbb2 32.Qd8+ Kg7 33.Ne6+ fxe6 34.Qe7+ and White gets perpetual check] 32.Qd8+ [32.Nb5 Rf6 33.Qd8+ (33.d6 R6xf3 34.Qb8+ Kh7 35.Qxa7 Qf4 36.d7 Rh3!) 33...Kg7 34.Nd6 R6xf3™ 35.Nf5+ Rxf5 36.exf5 Rxf5 with a slightly better ending for Black] 32...Kh7 33.Ne6 [The resource that White had all along been counting for] # [Diagram] 33...Rxg2!! [An amazing stroke] [33...fxe6 34.Qe7+ with a draw] 34.Ng5+ [White is forced to go into this] [34.Rxg2 Rb1+ with mate to follow; 34.Kxg2 Rb2+ 35.Kh3 A) 35...Qxf3+ A1) 36.Kh4?? Qxe4+ 37.Kh3 (37.Kg5 Qe5+ 38.Kh4 Rxh2#) 37...Qf5+ 38.Kh4 Rxh2+ 39.Kg3 Qf2#; A2) 36.Rg3 36...Qf1+ 37.Kh4 Rxh2+ 38.Kg5 Qc1+ 39.Kf6 (39.Nf4 Rf2 40.Qf6 Rxf4! 41.Qxf4 f6+) 39...Rf2+ 40.Ke7 fxe6 and White's King looks more vulnerable than his Black counterpart; B) 35...Qxg1 36.Ng5+ Kg7 37.Ne6+ with a draw] 34...Rxg5 [34...Kg7 35.Kxg2 Rb2+ 36.Kh1 (36.Kh3 Qxg1 37.Ne6+ with a draw) 36...Qf4 37.Rg2 Qc1+ 38.Rg1 Qf4 with a draw] 35.Qxg5 Qxf3+ 36.Qg2 Qe3 [After much of pushing himself, Black has reached a level looking ending now, but White's central pawns are more of weaknesses than assets in this position. Black's threatened Rook intrusion into the Kingside should be able to give him ample chances for a win] 37.Rf1 Kg7 38.Rd1? [This hastens the end. Probably under time pressure, Lautier looses his way, and allows the Black Rook to intrude into the Kingside] [38.Qc2 a5 and White will have a tough time defending this position] 38...Rf6 39.d6 Rf2 40.Qg3 Qe2 41.Rc1? [41.Kg1 Rg2+! 42.Qxg2 Qxd1+ 43.Qf1 Qxd6µ] 41...Qxe4+ 42.Kg1 Rf3 43.Qe1 Qd4+ 44.Kg2 44...Rd3 [A well played game by Leitao - starting with an interesting Novelty in the Opening, he kept up pressure on White by creating counterplay for his pawn deficit. Throughout the game, he spurned ample drawing continuations and finally won with some amazing tactics. And all this against a higher rated and formidable opponent, with Black pieces in a World Championship knockout round! You can't ask for more...] 0-1
(2) Lutz,C (2595) - Ghaem Maghami,E (2488)
FIDE WCh KO New Delhi ITA (1.1), 27.11.2000
[Saravanan,V]
21...Nxd5 [Black wins a pawn now, and makes the spectators to straighten up, looking forward to an interesting battle ahead, to see how White is going to create counterplay] 22.Rh2 [22.h5!? …g5 23.Ng3 and the Knight jumps to f5] 22...N5b6 and Draw agreed!?!? Human mind is more complicated than the game of Chess! 1/2-1/2
(3) Yermolinsky,A (2596) - Al Modiahki,M (2499)
FIDE WCh KO New Delhi ITA (1.1), 27.11.2000
[Saravanan,V]
[The position looks level - though White has a bad bishop, Black pawn weaknesses should be able to offset the factor. Modiahki manages to self-destruct in just a few moves] 28...Rf7 29.g4?! Rfa7? [29...fxg4! 30.Bxh7+ Kf8 31.Rxf7+ Kxf7 32.Rf1+ Ke7 33.Rf4 Nh5! 34.Rxg4 Nf6 35.Rg7+ Kf8 36.Rb7 Rxa4 and Black might even be better slightly] 30.gxf5 Rxa4 31.Raf1 [31.Rxa4 Rxa4 32.f6 Nh5 33.Bxh7+! Kf8 (33...Kf7 34.Bg6+!) 34.Kf2 with an unclear ending] 31...Rg4+ 32.Kh1 c4 33.Bb1 Ne8 34.f6 Nc7? [34...Kf8 35.h3 Rg5 36.Bxh7 Nc7 with a level ending] 35.Rh3 Nxd5 36.f7+ Kf8 37.Rxh7 1-0
