The story behind the game
Svidler’s win over Leko at the 2005 world championship tournament begins with a Ruy Lopez structure and develops into a sequence of active piece moves. A pawn advance drives away a knight, the remaining rook changes its route, and White’s knight reaches c6. The final rook entry works together with those earlier improvements.
Take these ideas to your next game
- Check the opponent’s forcing reply before taking a pawn.
- A pawn move with tempo can clear a route for a rook.
- Use pawn support to establish a knight outpost.
- Coordinate a rook invasion with the remaining minor pieces.
Read the complete annotated game
Full game transcript, including the result and the answers. Original explanations by chessgames.info; game score from the sources below.
Rxe5 takes the pawn, but Black has an immediate checking resource. The game includes a bishop check before White exchanges on e8. An intermediate check can change the move order without refuting the original capture. Reconstruct the king’s square and the rook recapture before assessing the final material and activity.
b4 attacks the knight and helps clear the rook’s later route. The knight retreats to b7, after which White’s rook can use the second rank to change files. Compare that gain in activity with the squares left by the pawn advance. The plan works through a sequence of useful moves rather than the pawn push alone.
Nd4 prepares the route to a pawn-supported c6 square. The later jump attacks the rook on d8 and gains another tempo. Track which black piece must move and how the white bishop can improve while the knight stays active. An outpost is most valuable when it changes the defender’s choices.
Re7 turns the earlier piece improvements into a rook invasion. Black can contest the position with a bishop move and further exchanges. Follow which minor piece survives and what it supports after the captures. The game ends after White’s bishop recapture; the saved lines examine the remaining defence.
Result: 1-0. The recorded score ends here; it does not imply checkmate.
Think through the turning points
Move 19: Capture with a forcing reply in mind
Which rook capture takes the pawn on e5 while keeping the exchange on e8 available? In the game: Rxe5. Rxe5 takes the pawn, but Black has an immediate checking resource. The game includes a bishop check before White exchanges on e8. An intermediate check can change the move order without refuting the original capture. Reconstruct the king’s square and the rook recapture before assessing the final material and activity.
Engine-supported alternatives
Rxe5 Nb3 a5 Qb5 Rb1 Rxe5 Nxe5 Bd4 Nc4 Rb8 d6 cxd6 · +0.67 · depth 18
Re2 Nb3 Nxe5 Rxe5 Bxe5 Nxa1 Qxa1 Qb3 Bxc7 Qxd3 Qe1 Qxd5 · +0.26 · depth 18
Re4 Nb3 · +0.11 · depth 18
Move 22: Gain a tempo against the knight
Which b-pawn advance attacks the knight on a5? In the game: b4. b4 attacks the knight and helps clear the rook’s later route. The knight retreats to b7, after which White’s rook can use the second rank to change files. Compare that gain in activity with the squares left by the pawn advance. The plan works through a sequence of useful moves rather than the pawn push alone.
Engine-supported alternatives
b4 Nb7 Qc2 Nd8 a5 Qa7 b5 axb5 Qb2 f6 a6 Nf7 · +2.41 · depth 20
Qc2 Bc5 · +1.23 · depth 20
b3 Bc5 d4 Bb4 Qd3 Bxc3 Qxc3 c5 Rc1 Nb7 Kh2 a5 · +0.36 · depth 19
Move 25: Prepare a supported outpost
Which move by the f3-knight prepares a jump to c6? In the game: Nd4. Nd4 prepares the route to a pawn-supported c6 square. The later jump attacks the rook on d8 and gains another tempo. Track which black piece must move and how the white bishop can improve while the knight stays active. An outpost is most valuable when it changes the defender’s choices.
Engine-supported alternatives
Nd4 a5 Nc6 Rf8 Bd4 Qa6 b5 Qa8 Re7 Qc8 Re4 f5 · +3.73 · depth 20
Qa1 Be5 Nd4 a5 Nc6 Rf8 bxa5 Qb3 Nxe5 dxe5 Bxe5 Re8 · +2.78 · depth 20
Re4 Be5 Nd4 Rf8 a5 Qa7 Qe1 f5 Nc6 Bxc3 Nxa7 Bxe1 · +2.50 · depth 19
Move 29: Use the seventh rank with support
Which move brings the rook on e2 to the seventh rank? In the game: Re7. Re7 turns the earlier piece improvements into a rook invasion. Black can contest the position with a bishop move and further exchanges. Follow which minor piece survives and what it supports after the captures. The game ends after White’s bishop recapture; the saved lines examine the remaining defence.
Engine-supported alternatives
Re7 Be5 Nxe5 dxe5 Bxe5 Qd8 Qg4 g5 Rxc7 Re8 Qf3 Nd6 · +4.52 · depth 21
Ne7+ Kh7 Bxg7 Kxg7 Nf5+ Kg6 Nxg3 Qd8 d4 Qg5 Kh2 f5 · +4.15 · depth 21
Qc1 Re8 Ne7+ Kf8 Qxc7 Bh4 Ng6+ Kg8 Rxe8+ Qxe8 Nxh4 Qe1+ · +3.75 · depth 20
Every piece has a part to play.
Svidler’s win over Leko at the 2005 world championship tournament begins with a Ruy Lopez structure and develops into a sequence of active piece moves. A pawn advance drives away a knight, the remaining rook changes its route, and White’s knight reaches c6. The final rook entry works together with those earlier improvements.
Look a little deeper
Play on the board or type your move. Strong engine-supported alternatives receive credit.
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Accessible evaluation values & provenance
Stockfish 17.1 · 75,000 nodes per position; 1,000,000 at key moments. Actual depth 13–21. Positive centipawns favour White; mate scores remain separate. Selective search is evidence, not proof.
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