Linares 11: Leko falters against Kramnik

Linares Round 11

Before the rest day here is the cross table for ten rounds. Note that due to the odd number of participants some players have one less game than others, so the total score is not really very meaningful. You can look at it this way: Kramnik is +2, Kasparov and Leko +1, Topalov +0, Shirov and Vallejo – 1, Radjabov –2.

• Here are all the games played so far in PGN

Here is the most exciting game of the day:

Leko,P (2722) – Kramnik,V (2777) [B33]
XXI SuperGM Linares ESP (11), 02.03.2004

Peter Leko, who had been pushing with the white pieces throughout the game, got his queen into a spot of trouble by moving it from e7 to h3 a move earlier. Now he blocked it in with his rook. Kramnik was able to take immediate advantage of the situation with 32...Rh5. Now the queen cannot escape (after 33.Qg4 Rg5 34.Qh3 Bf6 there is a deadly threat of mate on g2), so White must counterattack: 33.R7d6 Bf6 34.Rxf6.

It looks as thought White has defused the situation, but Kramnik came up with the killer: 34...Qc2! threatening ...Qxe2 and mate to follow. White cannot defend: 35.Re1 Qd2 36.Kf1 Rxh3 and it is all over. The game finished 35.Qxh5 Qxe2 36.g4 Qf2+ and Black has a forced mate in seven. 0-1.

Pictures from round eleven

Peter Leko starting off with great hopes

Watch it Veselin, the kid's giving you The Stare

Alexei Shirov worked hard to beat the local boy – in vain

All results so far