hi all, 

I`m reading the book "Gelfand´s best games", where he analyses his petline with 8.Rb1 against Grunfeld. While he analyses the other games rather deeply (maybe even too deep;) ), he comments just on the surface the game Gelfand - Leko (1996).

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Nf3 c5 8.Rb1 O-O 9. Be2 cxd4 10. cxd4 Qa5+ 11. Bd2 Qxa2 12. O-O a5 13. Bg5 a4 14. Re1
Qe6 15. d5 Qd6 16. e5 Bxe5 17. Nxe5 Qxe5 18. Qd2 Qd6 19. Bc4 Re8 20. Bf4 Qd8
21. Qc3 Nd7 22. Bb5 e5 23. dxe6 Rxe6 24. Bc4 Qf6 25. Qd2 Nf8 26. Bxe6 Nxe6 27.
Be5 Qd8 28. Qc3 h6 29. Rbd1 Qf8 30. Bd6 Qg7 31. Be5 Qf8 32. Qf3 Ra6 33. Rc1 Ng5
34. Qf4 Bf5 35. h4 Ne6 36. Qf3 Nc5 37. g4 Bd7 38. Qd5 b6 39. Rxc5 bxc5 40. Qxd7
Re6 41. Qxa4 Kh7 42. Qd7 Re7 43. Qd2 Qc8 44. Qf4 Qe6 45. Bc3 Qxe1+ 46. Bxe1
Rxe1+ 47. Kg2 Re7 48. Qd6 Re6 49. Qxc5 Kg8 50. f4 Kg7 51. Kf3 Kg8 52. Qc8+ Kg7
53. Qc3+ Kg8 54. f5 gxf5 55. gxf5 Rb6 56. Kg4 Rd6 57. Kh5 Kh7 58. Qc7 Rf6 59.
Qe5 Rc6 60. f6 Rc4 61. Qe3 1-0

The plan 12. ...a5 is quite provoking, but easy to understand. Is there something new under the sun? Is it sound? Who knows something about it?

I enclose three other games by Leko, maybe someone will acquire a taste of it.

[Event "Tilburg Fontys"]
[Site "Tilburg"]
[Date "1996.10.11"]
[Round "9"]
[White "Lautier, Joel"]
[Black "Leko, Peter"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D85"]
[PlyCount "80"]
[EventDate "1996.??.??"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Nf3 c5 8.
Rb1 O-O 9. Be2 cxd4 10. cxd4 Qa5+ 11. Bd2 Qxa2 12. O-O a5 13. Bg5 a4 14. Bxe7
Re8 15. Rc1 Qe6 16. Ba3 Qxe4 17. Re1 Bd7 18. d5 Qf4 19. Rc4 Qf6 20. Rc7 Bf8 21.
d6 Bc6 22. Qd2 Nd7 23. Rd1 Bg7 24. Bc4 Rad8 25. Ng5 Rf8 26. Re1 Ne5 27. Ba2 Rd7
28. h3 h6 29. f4 Nd3 30. Qxd3 hxg5 31. Rxd7 Bxd7 32. fxg5 Qxg5 33. Bd5 b5 34.
Kh1 Bf6 35. Rf1 Be5 36. g4 Kg7 37. Qe4 f6 38. Rc1 Rh8 39. Qf3 Bxd6 40. Bb2 Be5
0-1

[Event "EU-ch Rapid-30'"]
[Site "Cap d'Agde"]
[Date "1996.10.26"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Vaisser, Anatoli"]
[Black "Leko, Peter"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D85"]
[PlyCount "148"]
[EventDate "1996.??.??"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Nf3 c5 8.
Rb1 O-O 9. Be2 cxd4 10. cxd4 Qa5+ 11. Bd2 Qxa2 12. O-O a5 13. Bg5 a4 14. Bxe7
Re8 15. Rc1 Qe6 16. Ba3 Qxe4 17. Re1 Bd7 18. d5 Qf4 19. Rc4 Qf6 20. Qd2 Na6 21.
Rb1 b5 22. Rcc1 Bh6 23. Qxh6 Rxe2 24. Re1 Rxe1+ 25. Nxe1 Qf5 26. Rc1 b4 27. Bb2
f6 28. Qh4 g5 29. Qg3 a3 30. Bd4 Qf4 31. Qxf4 gxf4 32. Ra1 Nc7 33. Bc5 Nxd5 34.
Nd3 Rb8 35. h3 Rb5 36. Bd6 Bf5 37. Nxb4 Nxb4 38. Rxa3 Nd3 39. Ra4 Rb1+ 40. Kh2
Nxf2 41. Bxf4 Nd3 42. g4 Bd7 43. Ra8+ Kf7 44. Be3 Re1 45. Bd4 Re4 46. Bb6 Bc6
47. Ra7+ Kg6 48. Ra2 Rb4 49. Be3 Rb2+ 50. Rxb2 Nxb2 51. Kg3 Nc4 52. Bd4 Kf7 53.
Kf4 Bd7 54. Bc3 Nb6 55. Bd4 Nd5+ 56. Ke4 Ne7 57. Kf4 Ng6+ 58. Kg3 Ke6 59. Bb2
Ne5 60. Kh4 Be8 61. Kg3 Nf7 62. Kf4 Bb5 63. Bd4 Bf1 64. Kg3 Ng5 65. h4 Nf7 66.
Kf2 Bb5 67. Kg3 Be2 68. Kf4 Bd1 69. Bc3 Ne5 70. g5 Ng6+ 71. Kg3 f5 72. Bd2 Ke5
73. Bc1 f4+ 74. Kh3 Kf5 0-1

[Event "Yopal"]
[Site "Yopal"]
[Date "1997.06.20"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Miles, Anthony J"]
[Black "Leko, Peter"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "D85"]
[PlyCount "59"]
[EventDate "1997.??.??"]

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. d4 g6 3. c4 Bg7 4. Nc3 d5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. e4 Nxc3 7. bxc3 c5 8.
Rb1 O-O 9. Be2 cxd4 10. cxd4 Qa5+ 11. Bd2 Qxa2 12. O-O a5 13. Bg5 a4 14. Bxe7
Re8 15. Bd6 Rxe4 16. Rc1 Nc6 17. Bc4 Qb2 18. Bxf7+ Kxf7 19. Ng5+ Kg8 20. Nxe4
Qxd4 21. Qe2 Bf5 22. Rc4 Qb2 23. Qd3 a3 24. Rc2 Qb6 25. Bxa3 Nd4 26. Bc5 Qe6
27. Bxd4 Bxe4 28. Qc4 Bd5 29. Qd3 Be4 30. Qc4 *