Leko,Peter (2741) - Ivanchuk,Vassily (2740)
Sicilian defence [B46], Dortmund, 2008
[Notes by Leko Peter]

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Nxc6 bxc6 7.Bd3 d5 8.0-0 Nf6 9.Qf3 This is my pet line. When I used it here against Mamedyarov last year, it was some sort of a surprise, because it had gone out of fashion. The most popular move is 9.Re1, which was seen later in this tournament in the game between Naiditsch and Mamedyarov. 9...Be7 10.Qg3 Nh5 In 2007 I got a nice advantage against Mamedyarov, who didn't see or trust this "inhuman"move, but this time it no longer was a surprise and Chuky blitzed out the correct reaction. It's not a novelty, Predojevic played 10...Nh5 against Movsesian a few weeks ago in Sarajevo and equalized easily. 11.Qf3 I retreated, as it was clear that Ivanchuk was prepared for the forced lines after Nh5. 11...Nf6 12.e5 Nd7 13.Qg3 g6 All I knew about this position was that it had appeared twice in Plovdiv at the European Championship. and when I briefly looked at it before the game I diceded I would see what I would do in case it apparead on the board. 14.Bh6 But now he also started to think, so that it was clear that this was new territory for him as well. This position is known with the white rook on e1and the queen on g4. In that position Black played 14...Bf8, with a fairly passive position. 14...c5 A novelty and it's typical of Ivanchuk, who likes to play actively. Now I had to calculate quite far, bacause the position becomesvery sharp and concrete. Strategically speaking the following moves are forced. 15.Na4 c4 16.Be2 Bb7 17.b3 Bc6 18.Nb2 This position occured in the game between Naiditsch and Mamedyarov, but with the f1 rook on e1 and the black queen on a5. 18...Rb8 19.Nd1 A principled move that I had already seen when I played 15.Na4. 19...Nc5 Objectively speaking this may be called a mistake, but Ivanchuk was probably not too happy about the alternatives. I had mainly calculating 19...Nxe5, deciding that if this didn't work for Black, White would stabilize his position and everything would work out in his favour: 19...Nxe5!? 20.Bf4 (20.Bg7 looks much stronger , but Black plays 20...Bf6 and after 21.Bxh8 Bxh8 Black has excellent positional compensation for the exchange.) 20...f6 21.bxc4 0-0 22.cxd5 Qxd5 23.Ne3 Qc5 24.Bxe5 fxe5 and for some reason the computer thinks this is fine for Black, but during the game I felt that this is risk-free play for White. The deeper the engines go, the more they understand Black's problems, but with precise play he should probably to able to make a draw. 20.Ne3 Ne4 21.Qh3 Ng5 A brilliant idea, even if most of the commentators critized the move. 22.Qg4 c3 With the serious threat of 23...Rb4. 23.a3 Bb5? Strategically speaking this is the correct move and the one on which Ivanchuk's counter-action was based, but it is the real mistake, as it fails tactically. He should have played 23...Ne4 when I can't give any forced lines, but I can say that White is close to getting what he is dreaming of. Nevertheless, Black is still in the game. 24.Bxb5+ axb5

25.f3! A very strong move threating to win the knight with h4. 25...Qb6 26.Rae1 The quiet move Ivanchuk probably missed. He must have counted on 26.Bxg5 Bxg5 27.Qxg5 h6! 28.Qf4 g5 , and there is no way I can protect the knight on e3 that will be taken with check. 26...d4 The beginning of a dangerous action, but a piece is still a piece. 27.Nd1 d3+ 28.Kh1 Originally I thought that 28.Nf2 was fine, until I saw 28...d2 29.Re2 (29.Rd1 is just bad because of 29...Qe3 , and White doesn't even win the piece) 29...Rd8 30.Rd1 Rd4! 31.Qg3 Qd8 32.f4 (32.h4 is a mistake because of 32...Rxh4 33.Qxh4 Nxf3+) which is winning, as the computer shows, but with the pawn on d2 and a3 pawn under threat this didn't appeal to me. 28...dxc2 29.Nf2 Bc5 The knight is lost, but Ivanchuk finds his best practical chance. 30.Nd3 Be3 31.Bxg5 Bd2 Black disturbs the white coordination and and the c-pawn is extremely dangerous. I had to play very accurately. 32.Re2 0-0 33.Nc1 An important move. 33.Bxd2 cxd2 34.Rxd2 looks logical, but after 34...Rfd8 the pin gives Black excellent drawing chences. 33...b4 34.Bxd2 cxd2 35.Rxd2 bxa3 36.Rxc2 The smoke has cleared and I am a whole piece up. I should be winning, but thanks to the a3 pawn Black still has very good practical chances. 36...Rfc8 37.Qe4 The safest move. I spent all my remaining time deliberating between the text-move and 37.Rxc8+ Rxc8 38.Qa4 Qc5 the tactical shot (38...Qf2 is met by 39.Qa6 and White wins), and I didn't like Black's counterplay. 37...Rxc2 38.Qxc2 Qd4 39.Na2 Giving up the e5 pawn but stabilizing my position. 39...Qxe5 40.b4 Rd8 41.h3 h5 42.Rb1 Qe3 43.Rd1 Rd5!

44.Qb1! After 44.Rxd5 exd5, the position is probably a draw bacause of the strength of Black's two passed pawns. A very accurate move that the computer only starts to show on level 18 or 19. I give him the second rank, but I get my knight into play. 44...Qe2 45.Re1 Qd2 46.Rc1 The point. I'am threatening not only Nc3, followed by Ne4, but also Qa1, followed by Rc8+ and mate. Here I felt from Chuky's body language that he understood that Black's days are numbered. 46...Rd8 47.b5 Rb8 48.Rc3 h4 49.b6 Qd6 50.Rb3 Rb7 51.Nc3 Qc6 52.Rxa3 Qxb6 53.Qxb6 Rxb6 54.Ra4 g5 55.f4 Rb3 56.Ne2 Re3 57.Ng1! Black resigned. 1-0