Leko,Peter (2756) - Bacrot,Etienne (2721)
Queen’s Indian Defence [E15] Dortmund, 2009
[Notes by Peter Leko]

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Ba6 5.Qc2 I have a lot of experience in this line as Black, but it's always tricky if you try to play the same line with both colours. 5...Bb7 6.Bg2 c5 7.d5 exd5 8.cxd5 Nxd5 9.0-0 Be7 10.Rd1 Nc6 11.Qa4 Nf6 12.Nh4 This move was introduced by Aronian in our rapid game at this year's Amber tournament, and when you see that game I guess it's easy understand why I wanted to try it myself. 12...Qc8 My opponent blitzed out this novelty and made it clear that he has drawn his own conclusions about this line. 13.Nf5 Nd4! This is idea behind Black's last move. 14.Bxb7 14.Nxg7+ looks attractive only for a moment, because after seeing 14...Kd8! it's easy to understand that Black will take over the initiative. 14...Qxb7 15.Nxd4 cxd4 Let's draw a quick conclusion. Black voluntarily gave back the pawn and spoiled his pawn structure, but in return he has exchanged White's two most dangerous pieces and is clearly ahead in development. 16.Rxd4!? Bc5! This precise move was played instantly. Black does not give White the chance to consolidate that easily: 16...0-0 would allow the dream set-up for White: 17.Nc3 Bc5 18.Rd3 Rfe8 19.Bg5! and suddenly all White's pieces are in their best places. 17.Rd3 b5! 18.Qf4 0-0 19.b4! Bb6? The first move that my opponent had to think about is already a serious mistake.Up to this point Etienne had basically blitzed out all his moves. Now, faced with a difficult choice, even despite thinking for about half an hour he choise the wrong direction. Strangely enough, the paradoxinal and ’passive’ looking 19...Be7 was the key to the problem. After White had played b4, Black should have changed plans to create counterplay on the queenside instead of playing for activity in the centre: 20.Bb2 a5!, and before White can consolidate Black already opens up the queenside. 20.Bb2 Rfe8 21.e3 Rac8 22.Nd2 Bd8 23.Rd1 Rc2! 24.Bxf6 Bxf6 25.a3 Ra2! 26.Nf3! Actually, by playing 25.a3 I prepared an expansion on the kingside. My plan was to combine the pressure on the d-file with the advance on the g pawn. 26...Qa6! 27.g4!? Actually, objectively speaking there was no need to go for the following sharp and forced lines, but I could not control my hand. After the 'primitive' 27.Rxd7 Rxa3 28.Qf5 White will soon win a pawn automatically due to domination. 27...h6 28.h4 Rxa3! Again the best move! Black also had the solid looking option 28...Qe6 29.Rxd7 (now the thematic 29.g5 is too early bacause of 29...Be5! 30.Nxe5 Qxe5, and Black survives) 29...Rxa3 30.g5 hxg5 31.hxg5 Be7 32.Kg2! (a very important prepatory move: on 32.R1d5 32…Qh3! is strong) 32…Ra4, and just when looks as if Black is in time, there comes 33.R1d5!, and after 33...Rxb4 34.Nd4! Black's position collapses. 29.Rd6 Qa4 30.g5 hxg5 31.hxg5 Ra1! 32.Rxa1

32...Bxa1 At this point, running slowly short on time, we both hallucinated. Or rather, we kept on playing like humans. I was surprised when after the game somebody told me that Black missed an easy draw by not playing 32...Qxa1+. I Answered: 'Hey, but that simply loses.' But before I finished my sestence I already understood what he meant. Indeed correct was 32…Qxa1+! 33.Kg2 Be5 34.Qe4! Originally I thought that White just wins here, but after 34...Bxd6 35.Qxe8+ Black has 35…Bf8!. But still, speaking about an easy draw, just let me show you some lines: 36.g6! (this is not Rybka’s first choice, but it is enough even to confuse the monster itself! The alternative is 36.Ne5 Qa2 37.g6 (37.Nxd7 Qd5+! 38.Kh2 Qd6+) 37...Qd5+ - this check saves the game - 38.f3 fxg6 39.Nxd7 Qd2+ 40.Kh3 Qxb4 and Black holds) 36...Qa2! (the only move! 36...Qf6 loses in a very instructive pawn ending one pawn down!: 37.Ne5! fxg6 38.Nxd7 Qg5+ 39.Kf1 Qe7 40.Qxf8+ Qxf8 41.Nxf8 Kxf8 42.Ke2 and the pawn endgame is won even like this, thanks to the passed e-pawn: 42...Ke7 (42...g5 43.f3) 43.Kd3 Kd6 44.Kd4 Kc6 45.e4 and the e-pawn decides the battle) 37.Qxd7 fxg6 38.Ng5! The black king does not seem to feel very comfortable, but: 38...Qc4! 39.e4 Bxb4! 40.Qe8+ Bf8 41.Qxg6 Bc5! 42.Ne6 (42.Qh7+ Kf8 43.Qh8+ Ke7 44.Qxg7+ Ke8) 42...Bf8 all holding easily according to our friend. 33.Rxd7 Rf8! I think that this was a good practical choise. I was expecting the 'more logical' 33...Qa2, but then I was ready to follow up with 34.Qf5!, attacking the b5 pawn, and after 34...a6 I got to push 35.g6! fxg6 36.Qxg6 and I think Black can't defend his position. 36...Rf8 37.Kg2! Qc4 38.e4! Qe2 39.Qe6+ Kh8 40.Qg4 and it's just a question of time when Black collapses.

34.Qd6 Finally, with about seven minutes on the clock, I made this routine move. My intention was telling me that something must be in the position and I kept searching in the Nh4 direction, but missed a very deep idea. As it turns out, the knight sortie was strong: 34.Nh4! g6 35.Qe4! Bg7 and now comes the amazing idea. Instead of any direct sacrifice White plays for zugzwang!: 36.Kg2! Qa2 37.Qe7! (the key move), White threatens Nxg6 and also simply Rxa7, and 37...Qe2 is refuted by the cool 38.Kg3! and White wins a pawn. 34...g6 35.Nh2! Bc3? The natural reaction, and during the game I was convinced that it was the only move. But it's a serious mistake! Only now, while analysing the game seriously, did I notice that Black had the saving 35...Bg7! 36.Kg2 (or 36.Ng4 when 36...a5! in just in time: 37.Nf6+ Bxf6 38.gxf6 Qxb4! protecting the rook on f8!) 36...a5! 37.bxa5 Qe4+! 38.Kh3 b4! 39.Qd5 Qxd5 40.Rxd5 b3 41.Rb5 b2 42.Ng4 Ra8 43.Nf6+ Bxf6 44.gxf6 Rxa5 45.Rxb2 Ra6 and draws. 36.Ng4 Bg7? With less than a minute on his clock, my opponent panicked, or maybe he realized that he should have played ...Bg7 before. It looks very scary, but after 36...Qxb4 there is no forced win, because White has to settle for a good endgame with 37.Qxb4 but it is not clear whether it's enough for a win (after 37.Nf6+ Kg7 38.Qh2 Bxf6 39.Qh6+ Kg8 40.gxf6 Qg4+ 41.Kf1 looks like mate, but Black has 41...Qc4+ 42.Rd3 Qc1+! which is easy to miss with little time! Now perpetual check is inevitable: 43.Rd1 (43.Kg2? loses the f6 pawn after 43...Qc6+!) 43...Qxd1+ 44.Kg2 Qg4+ and perpetual check) 37...Bxb4 38.Nh6+ Kg7 39.Rxa7 Now Black is completely paralysed and White will get a 3 vs 2 pawn endgame with R+N vs. R+B, with a good winning chances, but also with chances to survive for Black: 39...Bd6 40.Rd7 Bc5 41.Rb7 b4 42.Kf1 Bd6 43.Ke2 b3 44.Rxb3 Be7 45.f4 f6 and Black breaks White strong structure. After 46.gxf6+ Bxf6 47.Ng4 White still has chances, but Black should be able to hold this endgame. 37.Nf6+ Bxf6 38.gxf6 Now Black can't stop the mating attack. First of all 39.Qxf8+ is a threat. 38...Rc8 After 38...Re8 39.Qe7! wins: 39...Rxe7 40.fxe7 Qa1+ 41.Kg2 and there is no perpetual. 39.Rxf7! Black resigned, 1-0.