1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e5 Leko has included the Najdorf in his repertoire only recently and we can feel the inheritance of his long practice with the Sveshnikov still: with the first given opportunity, he drives the enemy knight away from the centre, without caring about the relative weakness of the d5-square too much.

7.Nf3 Be7 8.Bc4 0-0 9.0-0 Be6 10.Bb3 Nc6 11.Bg5 Nd7 12.Bxe7 Qxe7 13.Nd5 Qd8 14.c3 Na5 15.Re1 Rc8 16.h3

16...b5 [This is a significant improvement over Leko's previous game in this variation. 16...Nb6 17.Nxb6 Qxb6 18.Bxe6 fxe6 19.Re2 Rc6 20.Qd3 Qc7 21.Rd1 Nc4 22.b3 Nb6 23.c4 Nc8 24.Red2 and Black found himself in a very passive position, Anand-Leko, Wijk aan Zee 2006. The idea behind the novelty is to cut off the support provided by the b3-bishop to the central knight.]

17.Nh2 Nc4 18.Bxc4 bxc4 19.b4 cxb3 20.axb3 Bxd5 21.Qxd5 Rxc3 Mutual weaknesses compensate each other in the final position. 1/2-1/2