Winning starts with what you know
The new version 18 offers completely new possibilities for chess training and analysis: playing style analysis, search for strategic themes, access to 6 billion Lichess games, player preparation by matching Lichess games, download Chess.com games with built-in API, built-in cloud engine and much more.
Rapid
Chess Match Leko-Kramnik in MiskolcThe rapid chess match between Vladimir Kramnik, the reigning world champion, and Peter Leko, Hungary's top grandmaster, takes place from April 23 and 30 in the National Theater of Miskolc, Hungary. The games start at 16:00h and 17:30h (4 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.) local time, which is Central European Sommer Time (GMT +1). The arbiter is WGM Zsuzsa Veröci, Head of Communication of the Hungarian Chess Federation. The games can be watched live on the official site and on Playchess.com.
Kramnik,V (2772) - Leko,P (2738) [A30]
Rapid Match Miskolc HUN (5), 28.04.2007
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.g3 d5 5.d4 cxd4 6.Nxd4 dxc4 7.Nxc6 Qxd1+ 8.Nxd1
bxc6 9.Bg2 Nd5 10.Ne3 e6 11.Nxc4 Ba6 12.b3 Bb4+ 13.Bd2 Bxd2+ 14.Nxd2 Nb4 15.Kd1
0-0-0 16.a3 Nd5 17.Rc1 Kb7 18.Ke1 e5 19.e3 Kb6 20.Bf1 Bb5 21.Bc4 f6 22.Ke2 Rd7
23.Rc2 a5 24.Rhc1 Ne7 25.Bxb5 cxb5 26.a4 Rhd8 27.axb5 Kxb5 28.Ne4 Ra7 29.g4
h6 30.h4 Kb6 31.g5 hxg5 32.hxg5 fxg5 33.Rg1 Rc8 34.Rd2 Nc6 35.Rxg5 a4 36.bxa4
Rxa4 37.Nd6 Rc7 38.Ne8 Rca7 39.Nxg7 Ra2 40.Rxa2 Rxa2+ 41.Kf3 Kc5 42.Nf5 Nb4
43.Ng3 Kd5 44.Ne4 Ra8 45.Nf6+ Ke6 46.Ng4 Nd3 47.Rg6+ Kf5 48.Rf6+ Kg5 49.Rd6
Rf8+ 50.Kg3 e4 51.Rd5+ Rf5 52.f4+ Kg6 53.Rd4 Nc5 54.Ne5+ Kg7 55.Rc4 Nd3 56.Nxd3
exd3 57.Rd4 1-0.
Leko,P (2738) - Kramnik,V (2772) [C84]
Rapid Match Miskolc HUN (6), 28.04.2007
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.d3 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.a4 Bd7 9.Nc3
Na5 10.Ba2 b4 11.Ne2 c5 12.Ng3 0-0 13.Nh4 g6 14.Bh6 Re8 15.Bd2 Bg4 16.f3 Be6
17.Bxe6 fxe6 18.f4 exf4 19.Bxf4 Nc6 20.Nf3 Nd7 21.c3 bxc3 22.bxc3 Nde5 23.Bxe5
dxe5 24.Qc2 Ra7 25.Rfd1 Bf8 26.Nf1 Bh6 27.N1d2 Bxd2 28.Rxd2 Rd7 29.Rb1 Kg7 30.h3
Qc7 31.Rf1 Nd8 32.Rdf2 Qd6 33.Qc1 Nf7 34.Nh2 h5 35.Qe3 Ree7 36.Rf3 c4 37.dxc4
Qd2 38.Qb6 Ng5 39.Re3 Rf7 40.h4 Rb7 41.Qc5 Rb2 42.Qxe5+ Kh7 43.Qxg5 Rxf1+ 44.Nxf1
Qf2+ 45.Kh2 Qxf1 46.Rg3 Qf7 47.c5 Re2 48.Qe5 Qb7 49.Rxg6 1-0.
Annotated games will appear in a separate report tomorrow.
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
Total |
|
| Peter Leko | ½ |
½ |
0 |
½ |
0 |
1 |
- |
- |
2½ |
| Vladimir Kramnik | ½ |
½ |
1 |
½ |
1 |
0 |
- |
- |
3½ |
The National Theatre where the games are being played
Peter Leko arrives with his entourage: wife Sofi, father and mother-in-law
Kramnik's car approaches, at the last possible moment
The world champion (and his manager Carsten Hensel) emerge
... and rush into the theatre
Just missed the handshake – again!
The handshake at the beginning of a game is something that all the photographers are desperately eager to capture. For some reason it is a matter of life and death. They jostle for the best spot and change their position at the last moment. The players aggravate the situation by doing split-second handshakes. So far we have got a number of nice shots of the backs of photo and TV journalists, and today, with a clear field in front of us, the camera decided to worry about red eye correction and fired a few pre-flashes before actually taking the shot. Naturally by that time the player were already finished with the handshake and halfway through the game, almost. In the next game we are going for the real thing. Stand by for the ultimate Real Handshake Picture...
A young chess talent from the Peter Leko school makes the ceremonial first
move
The first game is under way
A Hungarian TV journalist gets some final footage on the stage
The position is critical for Peter Leko, Vladimir Kramnik searches for the win
It's all over and a moan goes through the audience as Peter resigns the game
The obligatory chess paraphernalia stand in the theatre lobby
A cloak room attendant reading a newspaper with a chess story on the front page
During the pause two amateurs take the stage and play a blitz chess game
It's Béla Csatlós vs Vilmos Handó (the former won the
game)
These two young players, from the Peter Leko Chess School, had, just an hour earlier, finished a rapid chess tournament which was won by Vilmos ahead of Béla. So this was sweet revenge for Béla, who is nominally the stronger player.
Game six – we got the handshake! We got the handshake!
I owe it to my fans! Peter Leko determined to score the "Anschlusstreffer"
The word Anschlusstreffer is one of those incredibly useful German expressions that, as far as we know, has no equivalent in English (like zugzwang). Of course you could use "the point which reduces one side's deficit to just one," but it doesn't have the zing of Anschlusstreffer.
Am I getting through to you, Vlady? Peter on the road to success.
Peter Leko attacking...
... and the world champion trying to hang on
Peter's father-in-law and trainer Arshak Petrosian pleased with the outcome
of game six
Arshak B. Petrosian, 53, is an Armenian grandmaster, not related to Tigran Petrosian (every 16th Armenian is named Petrosian), who is now inactive but trains Peter Leko as well as the Armenian team, which he led to Gold at last year's Olympiad in Turin. Peter married Arshak's daughter Sofi, so that the family is usually together at chess events. Arshak is a very pleasant person with a great sense of humour. Unfortunately he smokes, but has promised to try an quit very soon. We'll be watching you, Arshak!
Vladimir with a fan, in good spirits in spite of his loss a few minutes
earlier
Our drivers waiting to drop us at the City Hotel in a fleet of luxurious
BMW limousines
Photos and report by Frederic Friedel
