Hungary's Peter Leko pipped Russia's Vladimir Kramnik by virtue of a better tie-break score, after the two played out a draw in the final round, to win the 20th Linares Super Grandmasters chess tournament.
India's Super Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand drew with top rated Garry Kasparov in the 14th and last round to finish third on better tie-break.
The tie-break rule favoured the player with more number of wins and Hungarian Leko had the maximum four in the tournament. Anand was next in list with three wins while the Russian duo of Kasparov and Kramnik recorded two wins each.
Anand can be happy be with this performance. He could have easily finished on top but for the misfortune that struck him in two endgames when he lost from drawn positions against Kasparov and Leko.
The last round games were devoid of any excitement as players concentrated on accurate play and avoided risks.
Leko, who beat Anand in the penultimate round, managed to equalise pretty comfortably against Kramnik who played white while Anand could not find himself in a position from where he could press hard against Kasparov.
Playing white, Anand faced the Accelerated Sicilian Dragon defence by Kasparov that the Russian employed for the first time. The game took the shape of one of the dull variations of the regular Dragon, and Kasparov pushed hard to get something on the king side with a pawn sacrifice but in vain.
Anand exchanged the queens successfully but his extra pawn came under severe pressure. Subsequent exchanges led to a simple endgame and the peace treaty was signed after 32 moves.
Kramnik opened with the king pawn and Leko easily equalled in one of the side variations of the Sicilian. The middlegame did not have many strings attached to it and exchanges at regular intervals led the game to a rook and pawns endgame.
Kramnik offered the draw after 35 moves and it was immediately accepted by Leko.
In the lone decisive game of the last round, World champion Ruslan Ponomariov of Ukraine beat local star Francisco Vallejo Pons giving a fine display of his endgame prowess.
The opening was a Queen's Indian and Vallejo missed out on converting a better position in the middlegame.
The endgame might have been drawn with correct play but Ponomariov persisted with his better placed rook and was rewarded after 43 moves.
Results (final round):
Vladimir Kramnik (Rus) drew Peter Leko (Hun); Viswanathan Anand drew Garry Kasparov (Rus); Francisco Vallejo Pons (Esp) lost to Ruslan Ponomariov (Ukr); Teimour Radjabov (Aze) had a bye.
Final Standings:
-2. Leko, Kramnik 7 each; 3-4. Anand, Kasparov 6.5 each; 5. Ponomariov 5.5; 6. Vallejo 5; 7. Radjabov 4.5.
The moves:
V Anand v/s G Kasparov
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 g6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Bg7 6. Be3 Nf6 7. Bc4 O-O 8. Bb3 d6 9. h3 Na5 10. O-O b6 11. Re1 Bb7 12. Bg5 Nxb3 13. axb3 h6 14. Bh4 Qd7 15. Qd2 Nh5 16. f3 e5 17. Nde2 f5 18. Red1 fxe4 19. fxe4 g5 20. Bf2 g4 21. h4 Nf4 22. Qxd6 Qf7 23. Nxf4 exf4 24. Qd7 Qxd7 25. Rxd7 Rf7 26. Rd6 Kh7 27. Rad1 Re8 28. Rd7 Ree7 29. Rxe7 Rxe7 30. Bd4 Rd7 31. Nd5 Bxd5 32. Bxg7 Bc6. draw agreed.
V Kramnik v/s Peter Leko
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 e5 4. Bc4 d6 5. d3 Be7 6. O-O Nf6 7. Ng5 O-O 8. f4 exf4 9. Bxf4 h6 10. Nf3 Be6 11. Nd5 Bxd5 12. exd5 Na5 13. Nh4 Nxc4 14. dxc4 Nxd5 15. Qxd5 Bxh4 16. Rad1 b6 17. Bxd6 Be7 18. Be5 Bg5 19. Bd6 Be7 20. Bf4 Bf6 21. c3 Qxd5 22. cxd5 Rad8 23. Bxh6 Bxc3 24. bxc3 gxh6 25. Rfe1 Rd7 26. c4 a6 27. a4 b5 28. axb5 axb5 29. cxb5 Rb8 30. d6 Rxb5 31. Re7 Rbb7 32. Rxd7 Rxd7 33. Kf2 Kg7 34. Kf3 Kf6 35. Rd5. draw agreed.
F Vallejo Pons v/s R Ponomariov
1. Nf3 Nf6 2. d4 e6 3. c4 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 Be7 6. O-O O-O 7. Nc3 Ne4 8. Bd2 Bf6 9. Qc2 Nxd2 10. Qxd2 d6 11. Rfd1 Nd7 12. b4 g6 13. a4 a5 14. b5 Bg7 15. Rac1 Qe7 16. Qg5 Nf6 17. Ne1 Bxg2 18. Nxg2 Rac8 19. Ne4 Rfd8 20. Ne3 h6 21. Nxf6+ Qxf6 22. Qxf6 Bxf6 23. c5 dxc5 24. dxc5 Bg5 25. c6 Kf8 26. Rd7 Bxe3 27. fxe3 Rxd7 28. cxd7 Rd8 29. Rxc7 Ke7 30. Rb7 Rxd7 31. Rxb6 Rd1+ 32. Kf2 Ra1 33. Rb7+ Kd6 34. Rb6+ Kd5 35. e4+ Kxe4 36. Ra6 Rxa4 37. b6 e5 38. b7 Rb4 39. Ra7 h5 40. h3 f6 41. Rxa5 Rxb7 42. Ra4+ Kf5 43. e4+ Kg5 44. Ra6 Rf7 45. Kf3 h4 46. Rb6 Rh7 47. Re6 hxg3 48. Kxg3 Rh4 49. Rxf6 Rxh3+ 50. Kxh3 Kxf6 51. Kg4 Kf7 52. Kh4 Kg8 53. Kg4 Kh7. black resigned.
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