NIGEL SHORT: ABCDEFGH: THE KING AND I: 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

The Guardian – United Kingdom
Mar 16, 2006

Kok’s support is visibly swelling (see rightmove06.org). In Europe,
where the majority of important tournaments are still held, it has
already become obvious that the Dutchman will rout Ilyumzhinov. Were
the aloof Kalmyk’s woes confined to that continent, he could hold
out hopes of garnering enough votes from the other two-thirds of the
electorate. This looks increasingly implausible. Neglect is palpable;
dissatisfaction global. While some delegates may be won over by
hopes of preferment, few will be induced to support the incumbent on
principle. Here is a president so disdainful of his constituents as
not to show up for the 2004 AGM in Calvia. The Kirsan campaign is as
shambolic as his governance: his team does not even have a website. In
the absence of anything resembling strategy and, for the first time,
with his back firmly to the wall, the Caucasian demagogue will have
to come up with other goodies to sway fickle affections. More of
the Kirsan T-shirts, watches or vodka that many received at the last
Olympiad, perhaps? Venal and gullible as Homo ludens undoubtedly is,
for once Ilyumzhinov’s hopes may be dashed.

The Morelia/Linares tournament was won by Levon Aronian. While all eyes
were on the resurgent world champion, Veselin Topalov, the Armenian
immaculately timed his acceleration for the last round against the
faltering Peter Leko.

Leko, P (2740) – Aronian, L (2752) Morelia/Linares (14), 11/03/2006

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 GBP6 4.BGBP4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5
7.Bb3 0-0 (Intending the Marshall attack, 8.c3 d5!?) 8.GBP4 b4
(Loosening the queenside but retaining the c8 bishop on the best
diagonal.) 9.d3 d6 10.GBP5 Be6 11.Nbd2 Qc8 12.Nc4 (An odd-looking
move. In a similar position in 1993 Kasparov played the more logical
Bc4 against me, not fearing Bxc4 as dxc4 will exert an unpleasant
clamp.) Rb8 13.Bg5 Kh8! (A cunning manoeuvre, preparing an attack
down the f-file.) 14.h3?! (Contrary to the Steinitzian principle
of not moving pawns unnecessarily in front of the king.) Ng8! 15.c3
bxc3 16.bxc3 f5 17.BGBP4 fxe4 18.Bxc6 exf3 19.Bxe7 Nxe7 20.Bxf3 Ng6
(The exchanging sequence has left Black in command. Were the White
pawn still on h2, the defence g3 could be contemplated. As it is,
it would simply drop a pawn.) 21.Bg4?! Nf4 22.RGBP2 Qb7! (The mate
threat compels a retreat.) 23.Bf3 Qb3 (After this White’s position
collapses.) 24.Rc2 DIAGRAM Nxd3! 25.Qxd3 Qxc4 26.Qxc4 Bxc4 27.Bc6
Rb3 28.g3 g5 29.Re3 RGBP3 (A second pawn is added to the captured
booty.) 30.Be4 RxGBP5 31.g4 (Perhaps hoping to generate counterplay
by h4 followed by swinging the rook to the h-file. However this plan
is nipped in the bud.) Bd5! 32.f3 Bxe4 33.fxe4 RGBP1+ 34.Kg2 Rff1
(One pawn often suffices for victory, but here Black has twice
the cushion and an initiative as well.) 35.Ree2 Rg1+ 36.Kh2 Rh1+
37.Kg3 Rag1+ 38.Rg2 Re1 39.Rgf2 Re3+ 40.Kg2 Rexh3 Three pawns is too
much. White resigns. There are few indeed who can defeat a player of
Leko’s calibre, in a key game, with such apparent ease.