Leko Evens World Championship Match against Kramnik

[Jack Rabbit]

Challenger Peter Leko of Hungary defeated Russian world chess champion Vladimir Kramnik in the Swiss resort of Brissago today to even their match for the world title at two and a half points each.

Kramnik, playing Black, resigned before making his 69th move. Leko had the material advantage of a Rook and three Pawns against a Bishop and three Pawns and also had a more active King in the endgame. The White King was slowly putting Black's King in a mating net. It was only a matter of time before Black would have been checkmated or would have had to sacrifice his remaining Pawns to avoid immediate loss.

Many observers, including me, thought the game was headed to a draw until Kramnik blundered late in the game.

This is Leko's first victory of the match. Kramnik won the first game on September 25 and the other three games ended in draws.

The match is scheduled for fourteen games. The winner will be the first player to gain 7.5 points, with a victory counting as a full point and a draw as half a point. Kramnik will retain his title in the event the match ends in a 7-7 tie.

The sixth game is scheduled for tomorrow at 3 pm Swiss time (6 am PDT). Kramnik will play White.

Official match site
Kibitizing (including some of my own) on chessgames.com

[Jack Rabbit]

1. Some analysis . . .

Kramnik's fatal error was made on his 45th move today. Black (Kramnik) played 45 -- Bh4?, allowing White (Leko) to play 46 Bd4!. This set up the combination that netted White the material advantage of which I spoke in the root post.

That combination was uncorked on White's 56th move: 56 e6+!! Bf6 57 e7 Rxd4+ 58 Ke3 Bxe7 59 Kxd4.

Had Kramnik played 45 -- Ra3+ instead of 45 -- Bh4, the game would have ended in a draw after 46 Ke4 Ra4+ 47 Kf3 Rc4.