Kramnik defeats Leko in final game to retain chess crown

World chess champion Vladimir Kramnik of Russia defeated Hungarian challenger Peter Leko in the fourteenth and final game of their match for the world title in the Swiss resort of Brissago today.

With Kramnik's victory, the match ended in a 7-7 tie, allowing the champion to retain his title. The prize money will be evenly divided.

Had Kramnik not won today's game, Leko would have become the new world chess champion.

Kramnik, playing White, opened the game by advancing his King's Pawn; Leko responded with a Caro-Kann Defense, usually regarded as a quiet and solid line for Black when seeking a draw. However, Kramnik quickly steered the game into sharp and not well-analyzed lines for which Leko failed to find the best moves. Soon, White's advanced Pawns acted as a vise, severely cramping Black's position.

Leko resigned on the 41st move. Had he played on, Kramnik would have forced checkmate in two moves.

Kramnik is expected to play the winner of a match between former world champion Garry Kasparov, from whom Kramnik won the title four years ago, and the current FIDE knockout champion Rustam Kazimdzhanov of Uzbekistan. scheduled for January in Dubai. By virtue of his victory in the FIDE knockout cycle earlier this year, Kazimdzhanov is recognized by the world chess federation, FIDE, as the world champion.

The world championship was fragmented in a dispute between Kasparov and FIDE in 1993. It is hoped that the coming series of matches will reunify the title of world champion.

Official match site.
Kibitzing at ChessGames.com

Please click here.