Nanjing 2009: Leko,P (2762) vs. Carlsen,M (2772)

[Event "2nd Pearl Spring"]
[Site "Nanjing CHN"]
[Date "2009.10.04"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Leko, P."]
[Black "Carlsen, M."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "D72"]
[WhiteElo "2762"]
[BlackElo "2772"]
[PlyCount "128"]
[EventDate "2009.09.28"]

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.e4 Nb6 7.Ne2 c5 8.d5 e6 9.0-0 0-0 10.Nbc3 Na6 11.Nf4 e5 12.Nd3 Nc4 13.Qe2 Qa5.
In this relatively obscure position Carlsen plays a novelty.
14.a3 Bd7 15.Bg5 Rfc8 16.Be7! Qb6 17.d6!
A pawn sacrifice that Black does not accept:
17...Be6!
After 17...Nxd6 18.Nd5 Qc6 19.f4 White has excellent compensation. Carlsen decides to invest an exchange.
18.Nd5 Bxd5 19.d7 Be6 20.dxc8Q+ Rxc8 21.b4 cxb4 22.axb4 Bf8 23.Bxf8 Rxf8.
After the smoke has cleared Black, an exchange down for a pawn, has better coordinated pieces and can play for a draw.
24.Rfc1 Rd8 25.Bf1 Rd4 26.Rd1 Nxb4 27.Nxb4 Rxd1 28.Qxd1 Qxb4 29.Qa4 Qxa4 30.Rxa4 Nd6 31.Rxa7 Nxe4 32.Rxb7
After trading down a draw becomes more likely. 32...Kg7 33.Rb5 Kf6 34.f3 Nd6 35.Rb6 Ke7 36.Kf2 h5 37.Bd3 Nf5 38.Ra6 Nd6 39.Ke3 Nc4+ 40.Kf2 Nd6 41.Bb1 Nf5 42.Ba2 Bxa2 43.Rxa2
The position is drawable, but definitely not easy to hold. You need a world-class player to do it against a world-class player like Leko.
43...g5 44.Ra4 h4 45.g4 Nd6 46.Ke3 Ke6 47.Ra6 Kd5 48.Kd3 f6 49.Ra5+ Ke6 50.h3 Nb7 51.Ra6+ Nd6 52.Kc3 Kd5 53.Ra5+ Ke6 54.Kb4 e4 55.fxe4 Nxe4 56.Rf5 Nd6 57.Rf1 f5 58.Kc3 fxg4 59.hxg4 Ne4+ 60.Kd4 Nf6 61.Re1+ Kf7 62.Rg1 h3 63.Rh1 Nxg4 64.Rxh3 Kg6 draw.
This was the first time in this tournament that Magnus Carlsen was in any real danger – even in his only previous draw he had a theoretically winning position.
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