Viswanathan Anand glided to an easy victory in the intercontinental SuperGM tournament just now concluded in Mexico and Spain. Playing with the white pieces, he did not even need to demonstrate any new opening preparation, evidently preserving his best ideas for the world-championship match with Vladimir Kramnik coming this fall in Germany. Remarkably, playing with the black pieces, Anand scored three victories and no losses in this tournament, and managed only one win (and one loss) with the white, which makes his performance all the more notable. The means by which he outplayed his opponents, including Peter Leko, via a deeply analyzed line of the Sicilian Defense, are difficult to comprehend.

LEKO VS. ANAND

(white) (black)

Sicilian Defense

1.e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 e5 7. Nb3 Be6 8. Qd2 Nbd7 9.f3 b5 10.0-0-0 Very popular right now is the sharper line: 10.a4 b4 11. Nd5 Bxd5 12. exd5 Nb6 13. Bxb6 Qxb6 14.a5 Qb7 15. Bc4 For example, in Shirov-Kasparov 2004 an unclear position arose after 15…g6 16. Ra4 Rb8 17. Qd3 Ra8 18. Qd2 Rb8 19. Nc1 h5 20. Nd3 Bh6. 10… Be7 Black cannot challenge white’s control of the d5 square because 10…Nb6 11. Qf2 Rb8 12. Nc5! is in white’s favor. 11. Nd5 The more direct approach, 11.g4?! b4 12. Nd5 Bxd5 13. Nb6 14. Na5 Nbxd5 15. Nc6 Qc7 16. Nxb4, lost popularity after the brilliant game Svidler-Karjakin 2007, in which black developed a crushing attack after 16…Nxb4 17. Qxb4 0-0 18.g5 Rfc8! 19. Qa4 Rab8!! 20. Bd3 Nd7 21. Qe4 g6 22. Bxa6 Rb4! 23. Qd3 Rcb8! Leko steers this game into a well-known quiet endgame with a minimal advantage for white. 11… Bxd5 12. exd5 Nb6 13. Bxb6 Qxb6 14. Na5 Rc8 15. Nc6 Nxd5 Black has to do this immediately because after 15…Rc7 16.c4! white preserves his knight on c6 and has good prospects. 16. Nxe7 Nxe7 17. Qxd6 Qxd6 18. Rxd6 Nc6 19.c3 Ke7 20. Rd1! An improvement over Mecking-Evans 1972, in which black, after 20. Rd2 Rhd8 21. Rxd8 Rxd8 22. Be2 f5 23.a4 bxa4 24. Bxa6 Na5 25. Bb5 Nb3+ 26. Kb1 Nc5, obtained a safe endgame. Leko proves that black’s position in that game is not so attractive. 20… f5! 21. Bd3! White would be better after 21.a4 bxa4 22. Bxa6 Rc7 23. Rhe1 (not 23. Bb5 a3 24. bxa3 Nd4 which is in black’s favor.) 23…Ra8 24. Bb5 a3 25. bxa3 Rxa3 26. Kb2 Ra5 27. Rd5 Rb7 28.c4 Ke6 29. Rc5! but the plan deployed in this game promises even more. 21… g6 22. Rhe1 Rhd8 23. Bf1! Again, there is no rush. In case of 23.a4 Rd5! 24. axb5 axb5 25. Bf1 Rc5! black would have an excellent game. 23… Rxd1+ 24. Rxd1 Na5! Black starts to complicate the position. In case of the waiting strategy 24…Rc7 25.a4 bxa4 26. Bxa6 Nd4 27. Kb1 Nb3 28. Ka2 Nc5 29. Bb5 white would threaten to improve his standing by bringing his king to b4. 25.a4 Nc4 26. axb5 axb5 27. Rd5

(See Diagram)

27… Kf6! Black gives white the formal advantage of connected passed-pawns on the queenside, but initiates counterplay in the center. 28. Rxb5 Ne3 29. Rb6+! This is much stronger than 29. Be2 Nxg2 30.c4 Nf4 31. Bf1 Ra8! 32. Kb1 e4 with good play for black. 29… Kg5 30. Ba6 Rd8 31.b4 Kf4! Black emphasizes the advantage of his position: the active king. Worse was 31…Rd1+ 32. Kb2 Nxg2 33. Rc6 and the white b-pawn become dangerous. 32. Rc6! This is much stronger than 32.c4?! Nxc4!? (in the sharp line 32…Rd1+ 33. Kb2 Rd2+ 34. Kb3 Rxg2 35.c5 Kxf3 36.c6 Rc2 37.b5 Rc5 38. Rb7 Nd5 39. Rd7 Ke4 40. Bb7! Rxb5+ 41. Ka4 Nc3+and black is also not losing.) 33. Bxc4 Rc8 34. Kd2 Rxc4 35.b5 Rc5 36. Rb8 h5 37.b6 Rb5 and black stands better. 32… Nxg2 33.b5? White pushes the wrong pawn. Very strong was 33.c4! Kxf3 (black can hardly stop the white pawns after 33…Ne1 34.c5 Nxf3 35. Rd6) 34.c5 e4 35. Rd6 Ra8 36.b5 and the white pawns are more dangerous than black’s. 33… Ra8! 34. Bb7 Suddenly the white pawns are blocked. The attempt to support them from the rear, 34. Rc4+ Ke3 35. Ra4 Rb8 36.c4 Kd4, does not succeed. 34… Rb8 35. Rc7?! Now the advantage passes to black. Correct was an invitation to repeat the position: 35. Ba6 and for black the best response is 35…Ra8 because the ambitious 35…e4 36. fxe4 fxe4 37.b6 e3 38. Bf1 is favorable for white. 35… Ne1 36. Rxh7!? Other attempts are worse. For example after 36. Re7 Nxf3 37. Bxf3 Kxf3 38. Rxe5 f4 39. Kd2 Kg2 40.c4 f3 the activity of black’s king gives black victory. 36… Nxf3 37.c4 e4 38. Kc2 This seals white’s fate. No good was 38.b6 Ne5 39.c5 Nd3+; and only 38.c5! Nd4 39.c6 Nxb5 40.c7 Nxc7 (white escapes after 40…Rxb7 41.c8Q Rxh7 42. Qb8+ Nc7 43. Qb6! Kg5 44.h4+!) 41. Rxc7 Ke3 42. Bd5 preserved some chances for escape. 38… e3 39. Kd3 g5! Of course, not 39…Ne5+ 40. Ke2 Nxc4 41. Rh4+ and white escapes. 40. Ke2 Nd4+ 41. Ke1 Rd8! 42. Re7 No better 42.b6 Nc2+ 43. Kf1 Rd1+ 44. Ke2 Rd2+ 45. Kf1 e2+; or 42. Bd5 Nxb5. 42… Nc2+ 43. Kf1 Rd1+ 44. Ke2 Rd2+ 45. Kf1 Nd4 0-1 White resigned, because 46.b6 g4 47.c5 Nf3 48. Bxf3 gxf3 is hopeless.