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Tal Memorial: Anand vs. Leko

One of the strongest chess tournaments ever assembled moved to Russia’s Red Square today. Viswanathan Anand demonstrated to the world that he is not satisfied to “rest on his laurels” but is willing to use whatever means necessary to defeat his challengers at the Tal Memorial. The first 21 moves are considered book.  It is very difficult to tell exactly where Leko went wrong and how Anand’s 30.h3 clinched the victory.  Please enjoy our current World Chess Champion at his finest.

[Date “2009.11.10”]
[EventDate “?”]
[Round “5”]
[Result “1-0”]
[White “Viswanathan Anand”]
[Black “Peter Leko”]
[ECO “D43”]
[WhiteElo “2788”]
[BlackElo “2752”]
[PlyCount “90”]

1. d4 d5{notes by Chris Torres} 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bh4 dxc4 7. e4 g5 8.
Bg3 b5 9. Be2 Bb7 10. O-O Nbd7 11. Ne5 Bg7 12. Nxd7 Nxd7 13. Bd6 a6 14. a4
e5 15. Bg4 exd4 16. e5 c5 17. Re1 Nxe5 18. Bxe5 O-O 19. Bxg7 Kxg7 20. Ne2
f5 21. Bh5 f4 22. Nxd4{a rarely played idea invented by Kasimdzhanov} cxd4 23. Re6 Bc8{23…Bc8 seems to be good enough to draw. Rf6 is the alternative which could lead to 24.Qe1  Rxe6  25.Qxe6  Qc7  26.Re1  d3  27.Re5  d2  28.Rf5  d1Q+  29.Bxd1  Rf8  30.Rxf8  Kxf8 which is complicated but equal} 24. Rg6+ Kh7 25. axb5 Rf6 26. Rxf6
Qxf6 27. Qc2+ Bf5 28. Qxc4 Rc8 29. Qd5 axb5 30. h3{The little move which changes it all. All of a sudden Anand is winning.}  Kh8{Rc7 is an alternative. However… if Anand continues 31.Ra8  Be6  32.Qd6 31. Qxb5 Rf8 32. Ra6 Rd7  33.Qc6  Re7  34.Ra6  d3  35.Qd6  Kg7  36.Bg4  d2  37.Qxd2 he will still win} 31. Qxb5 Rf8 32. Ra6 Qg7 33. Rd6{Anand uses fantastic technique for the remainder of the game to seal Leko’s fate.} d3 34. Qb6 Qe5 35. Bg6 d2 36. Bxf5 Qxf5 37. Qd4+ Kh7 38. Qxd2
Rf7 39. f3 h5 40. Rd5 Qg6 41. Qa5 Rg7 42. h4 Qb1+ 43. Kh2 Qxb2 44. Rxg5
Rxg5 45. Qxg5 1-0

Published by chessmusings

Chris Torres is a nationally renowned scholastic chess coach working in the San Francisco Bay Area. His classes have attracted players of strengths ranging from rank beginners to world champions. A chess professional since 1998, Chris is widely recognized as one of the main driving forces behind the explosion in popularity and sudden rise in quality of scholastic chess in California. Chris Torres served as the President of the Torres Chess and Music Academy from 2005-2020 and currently is recognized as a correspondence chess master with the United States Chess Federation. Since 1998 Chris Torres has taught 6 individual national champions as well as led multiple school teams to win national championship titles. In addition, Chris Torres has directed and taught at 10 different schools which have been California State Champions at chess. In 2011 and 2012, several former and current students of Chris Torres have been selected to represent the United States at the World Youth Chess Championships. Mr. Torres’ hobbies include playing classical guitar and getting his students to appear on the national top 100 chess rating lists.

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