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(875521) Short,N (2675) - Leko,P (2701) [B26]
Corus 2000 Wijk aan Zee (2), 16.01.2000
[Rohde]
1.e4 Short always opens with 1 e4, but has many lines he can choose from within the king-pawn openings. 1...c5 2.Nc3 This is generally a prelude to either the Grand Prix Attack or the Closed Sicilian, and in some cases, White may revert to an Open Sicilian. 2...Nc6 3.g3 The Closed Sicilian. Evidently, Short is impressed with Leko's theoretical knowledge in the Open Sicilians. 3...g6 Black's most popular method - a counter-fianchetto. 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.Nge2 e6 The line with 6 ... e5 has gained ground over this more flexible move. 7.Be3 Nd4 He needs to stop, at least for now, White from playing d3-d4. 8.0-0 Ne7 9.Qd2 0-0 Black often tries 9 ... Qa5 here, inhibiting the maneuver Nc3-d1 and c2-c3., but White can then try to push the queen back with 10. a3 looking to play b2-b4 at some point. 10.Rae1 On 10. Nd1, White would someday have to play f2-f4 and then Nd1-f2 to get the knight out of the way. 10...Rb8 Now on 10 ... Qa5 White can play 11 Nd5!? 11.Nd1 b6 12.Nc1 Short avoids the trade of knights preparing to build a big pawn center with c2-c3 and d3-d4. 12...d5 A good move, taking advantage of White's slow setup and failure to play f2-f4 - which would have enabled the reply e4-e5. 13.c3 Ndc6 14.Bh6 The bishop was just a target, so Short wisely trades it off. White has nothing here. There were too many preparatory moves before getting in c2-c3. 14...dxe4 15.Bxg7 Kxg7 16.Bxe4 Black has a slight advantage - better pawn structure and better-placed minor pieces. 16...Bb7 17.Ne3 Redeveloping his pieces. 17...Qc7 18.f4 To gain space. 18...Rbd8 19.Qf2 Nf5 Appears to settle for equality after 20 Nxf5+. 20.Nxf5+ exf5 More dynamic than 20... gxf5. Black has central file pressure, but d3 is securely defended and there is no reason White should be in trouble. 21.Bf3 Ne7 The knight will take up a nice post on d5, but rooks will be exchanged on the e-file. 22.Qe2 Fighting for the e-file. 22...Rd7 23.Qe5+ Tranposing into what looks to be a fairly equal ending. 23...Qxe5 24.Rxe5 f6 25.Re3 White has a 4-to-3 majority on the queenside but the d-pawn is backward, so the rooks will need to be exchanged if White is to make any progress. 25...Bxf3 26.Rfxf3 Kf7 27.a3 Useful as the move b2-b4 may provoke a countervailing Black weakness. 27...Rfd8 28.Kf1 Nd5 29.Re2 Nc7 This does not hurt anything, but I do not know why the knight should be beter on c7 than e7. 30.Ke1 c4 31.Kd2 The king is headed to c2. On 31 d4 Nd5, White's knight would not have any good squares. 31...Ne6 Threatening 32 ... Nc5. 32.Kc2 b5 Very nice planning by Leko. He is termined to either force White to play d3-d4 or get his knight to c5 and then possibly e4. 33.b4! A nice retort! After this White may feel comfortable in playing d3xc4 as the b-pawn will not be backward. And 33 ... c4xb3+ 34 Rxd3 leaves White with some chances for the advantage. 33...a5 Interesting. Leko may be envisioning a position where the a-pawns are exchanged and after d3xc4 and ... b5xc4 the e6 knight settles via c7 to b5. 34.dxc4 Much better than d3-d4 when Black would be free to recycle his knight to the juciy e4 square. 34...bxc4 35.Rff2 White cannot make any progress with all the rooks on the board. 35...axb4 36.axb4 Nc7 Heading to b5. Black should hold the balance with his much more active knight. This may make up for White's better pawn structure. 37.Rd2 Nb5 38.Rxd7+ Rxd7 39.Rd2 Rxd2+ He cannot allow 39 ... Rb7 40 Rd5 headed to c5. 40.Kxd2 Ke6 The position looks drawn. With Black's king on d5 and White's knight on e2 and king on e3 if Black gets his g-pawn to g4 then White can play Ne2-d4 meeting ... Nb5xc3 with Nd4xf5. 41.Ne2 1/2-1/2
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