Democratic Underground - Topalov - Anand, Round 8

Veselin Topalov
Photo: ChessBase.com (Spanish Language)

Veselin Topalov - Vishy Anand
Match for the World Title, Round 8
Sofia, 4 May 2010

Slav Queen's Gambit: Karlsbad Opening

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4 Bf5 6.Ne5 e6 7.f3

For moves and variations up to here, see Carlsen-Nakamura, IT, London, 2009.

7...c5

If 7...Bb4 8.e4 Bxe4 9.fxe4 Nxe4 then:

If 10.Bd2 Qxd4 11.Nxe4 Qxe4+ 12.Qe2 Bxd2+ 13.Kxd2 Qd5+ then:

If 14.Kc2 Na6 15.Nxc4 then:

If 15...0-0-0 then:

16.Qe3 Nc5 17.Be2 Qxg2 18.Rhg1 Qxh2 19.Rxg7 Rd4 20.Qxd4 Qxe2+ 21.Nd2 Rd8 is equal (Kramnik-Shirov, IT, Dortmund, 1996).
If 16.Qe5 f6 then:

If 17.Qe3 then:

If 17...Kb8 18.Be2 e5 19.Rad1 Qe6 20.Qa3 Nc7 21.Qb3 Rd4 22.Rxd4 exd4 is equal (Bacrot-Mednis, TMatch, Cannes, 1996).
17...Nb4+ 18.Kb3 c5 19.Rc1 Nc6 20.Ka3 Nd4 21.Bd3 Kb8 22.Be4 Qd7 23.Rhd1 Qc7 24.g4 g6 is equal (Krush-Nakamura, IT, New York, 2001).

If 17.Qxd5 cxd5 18.Na3 Nb4+ 19.Kd2 Kd7 20.Rc1 Rc8 21.Rc3 then:

21...b6 22.Bb5+ Kd6 23.Be2 a6 24.h4 Rhf8 25.h5 f5 26.h6 g6 27.Rhc1 Rc5 (Kramnik-Lautier, IT, Linares, 1994).
21...Rxc3 22.bxc3 Nc6 23.Be2 Rc8 24.Rb1 b6 25.Nb5 Ke7 26.g3 Rd8 is equal (Pachman-Donner, IT, Venice, 1967).

If 15...0-0 16.Qe5 then:

16...Rfd8 17.Be2 f6 18.Qxd5 cxd5 19.Na5 Rac8+ 20.Kb1 then:

If 20...Nc5 21.b4 Ne4 22.Kb2 Nd6 23.Rac1 Kf7 24.g4 g6 25.Bf3 f5 26.g5 h6 (T. L. Petrosian-Vukovic, Ol, Dresden, 2008).
If 20...Nb4 21.Nxb7 then:

21...Rc2 22.Re1 Rd2 23.Ra3 Nc2 24.Kc1 forces the win of the exchange (Kramnik-Haba, Bundesliga 9293, Germany, 1993).
21...Rd7 22.Na5 Rc2 23.Re1 d4 24.Bc4 Rc7 is equal.]

16...Rab8 17.a5 f6 18.Qxd5 cxd5 19.Ne3 Rfc8+ 20.Kb1 Nc5 21.Ra3 f5 22.Be2 Ne4 23.Rd1 Rc5 gives Black a better center (Onischuk-Grischuk, IT, Biel, 2007).

If 14.Kc3 then:

14...Na6 15.Nxc4 0-0-0 16.Qe3 Qc5 17.Be2 Qxe3+ 18.Nxe3 Nc5 19.Rhd1 e5 is equal (Rajkovic-Matulovic, Yugoslav ChT, Niksic, 1997).
14...0-0 15.Qe3 b5 16.Be2 Nd7 17.Nxd7 Qxd7 18.Qc5 Qd8 19.Rhd1 Qf6+ 20.Qd4 e5 21.Qe4 Rfd8 Black's four pawns show supremacy over White's Bishop (S. Ivanov-Motylev, Russian ChT, Tomsk, 2001).

10.Qf3 Qxd4 11.Qxf7+ Kd8 12.Bg5+ Nxg5 13.Qxg7 Bxc3+ 14.bxc3 Qxc3+ 15.Ke2 Qc2+ 16.Ke1 Qc3+ 17.Ke2 draws by repetition (Khalifman-Serper, Soviet Ch 1st League, Tashkent, 1987 and others since).

8.e4 Bg6

If 8...cxd4 9.exf5 then:

If 9...Bb4 10.Bxc4 dxc3 11.Qxd8+ Kxd8 12.0-0 cxb2 13.Bxb2 Ke7 then:

14.fxe6 fxe6 15.Nd3 Rc8 16.Bxe6 Kxe6 17.Nxb4 Nc6 18.Nd3 Kf7 19.Rac1 Ne7 20.Ne5+ Kg8 21.Nc4 Rc7 22.Rfd1 gives White the advantage in space (Fridman-Mastrovasilis, Euro, Rijeka, 2010).
14.Nd3 Rc8 15.Bb3 Na6 16.Nxb4 Nxb4 17.a5 Nfd5 18.Rfe1 Rc6 19.Re4 Kd8 20.Rd1 gives White a much more active game which she soon won (Cramling-Barkhagen, IT, Hasselbacken, 2001).

If 9...Nc6 10.Nxc6 bxc6 11.fxe6 fxe6 then:

If 12.Bxc4 dxc3 then:

If 13.bxc3 Qa5 14.Qd3 Bc5 15.Bxe6 Ke7 16.Bb3 Rhe8 17.Bd2 Kf8+ 18.Kd1 Rad8 gives Black the advantage in space (M. Gurevich-Kupreichik, IT, Lvov, 1984).
13.Qxd8+ Rxd8 14.bxc3 Nd5 15.Bd2 Bd6 16.0-0-0 Kf7 17.Kc2 Rd7 18.g3 h5 is equal (Razuvaev-Dr. Hübner, TMatch, London, 1984).

12.Qe2 dxc3 13.Qxe6+ Qe7 14.Bxc4 Qxe6+ 15.Bxe6 cxb2 16.Bxb2 Bb4+ 17.Ke2 Ke7 18.Bc4 Rhd8 is equal (Topalov-Gelfand, IT, Dos Hermanas, 1996).

9.Be3

If 9.d5 exd5 then:

If 10.exd5 Bd6 11.Nxc4 0-0 12.Be2 Na6 then:

13.0-0 Nb4 14.Bg5 h6 15.Bxf6 Qxf6 16.Ne4 Bxe4 17.fxe4 Qe7 18.Bg4 Rad8 is equal (Bareev-Mastrovasilis, Euro Ch, Rijeka, 2010).
13.Bg5 h6 14.Bh4 Nb4 15.0-0 Bf4 16.g3 Bc2 17.Qe1 Nd3 18.Bxd3 Bxd3 19.gxf4 Bxc4 20.Rf2 Qd6 igives Black fewer pawn weaknesses (Gordon-Kolbus, British Ch, Liverpool, 2008).

10.Nxg6 hxg6 11.e5 Nh5 12.Nxd5 Na6 13.Be3 Ng3 14.Bxc4 Be7 15.Qb3 Nxh1 16.0-0-0 Rxh2 17.Qxb7 Rb8 18.Nf6+ gxf6 19.Rxd8+ Kxd8 20.Qd5+ Kc7 21.Qxf7 draw (Kasheishvili-Rogic, Euro Ch, Kusadasi, 2006).

9...cxd4 10.Qxd4 Qxd4 11.Bxd4 Nfd7 12.Nxd7 Nxd7 13.Bxc4 Rc8 14.Bb5

If 14.Ba2 a6 15.h4 h6 16.Rc1 then:

If 16...Rg8 17.Ke2 then:

If 17...Bc5 18.Bxc5 Rxc5 19.b4 Rc6 20.h5 Bh7 21.Nb1 Ke7 22.Rxc6 bxc6 then:

23.Na3 Rb8 24.Nc2 c5 is equal (Gupta-Kaplan, Op, Hoogeveen, 2008).
23.Nd2 Rb8 24.Rb1 f5 (Beliavsky-Pajkovic, Euro Club Cub, Ohrid, 2009).

17...Rc6 18.Rc2 Bc5 19.Bxc5 Rxc5 20.Rhc1 Ke7 21.Nd5+ Rxd5 22.exd5 draw (Timoshenko-Anamotov, Agzamov Mem, Tashkent, 2008).

16...Bc5 17.Ne2 0-0 18.0-0 Bd6 19.Be3 Ne5 20.Nf4 Rxc1 21.Rxc1 Bh7 22.Kf1 Rb8 23.Ke2 Kf8 24.g4 Ke7 25.Ng2 f6 26.h5 Bg8 27.Ba7 Ra8 28.Bb6 Bf7 draw (Aronian-Kramnik, Corus A, Wijk aan Zee, 2007).

14...a5 15.h4 h5 16.Rc1 Rg8 17.Ke2 Bc5 18.Nb5 Ke7 19.Bc3 gives White the advantage in space (Ponomariov-Rublevsky, Candidates' Matches, Elista, 2007).

14...a6 15.Bxd7+ Kxd7 16.Ke2

16.0-0-0 Ke8 17.Bb6 Be7 18.Rd4 Bf6 19.Rd3 Bd8 20.Bd4 f6 is equal (Gordon-Ledger, British Ch, Liverpool, 2008).

16...f6 17.Rhd1 Ke8

"Anand gets out of the way of discovered checks," comments Malcolm Pein on The Week in Chess. "It is possibly too dangerous to go Queenside although that isn't clear."
17...Kc7 18.Rac1 then:

If 18...Kb8! 19.Bb6 Be8 20.a5 Bc6 21.Rd2 g5 22.Rcd1 Bg7 gives White the advantage in space, but the position is far from decisive.
Mr. Pein suggests 18...Be8!? 19.b4 Bxb4?? 20.Nb5+! when White mates in two (puncuation mine).
Black escapes after 19...Kb8! 20.e5 Bxb4 with equality, so it appears to me that Black can go queenside.

18.a5!?

18.Rac1 Rc6 19.Na2 Rxc1 20.Nxc1 Be7 21.Bb6 e5 22.Nd3 gives White the advantage in space (Maletin-Amonatov, Russian Ch HL, Novokuznetsk, 2008).

18...Be7

White has the advantage in space.

19.Bb6!

This prevents Black from playing ...Rc7 to guard the seventh rank from penetration by the White Rook now at d1; consequently, it also prevents Black from castling, since the King must guard d7.

19...Rf8 20.Rac1 f5!?

BLACK: Vishy Anand
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WHITE: Veselin Topalov
Position after 20...f6f5

Black is setting a little trap on the h6/c1 diagonal.
Better is 20...Rc4 21.Kd3 Rc6 22.Ke3 Rf7 23.f4 with equality.

21.e5

White closes the center.

21...Bg5

Black sets out the bait...

22.Be3

White takes the bait...

22...f4

The trap springs...

23.Ne4!

... and White threatens 24.Nd6!.

23...Rxc1 24.Nd6+ Kd7 25.Bxc1

White has the advantage in space and Black a hemmed-in dark-bound Bishop.

BLACK: Vishy Anand
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WHITE: Veselin Topalov
Position after 25.Be3c1:R

25...Kc6 26.Bd2 Be7 27.Rc1+ Kd7 28.Bc3 Bxd6

Having the two Bishops soesn't do any good if they can't be used in coordination with each other.

29.Rd1!

White would like to recapture with a piece.

29...Bf5 30.h4!?

White restrains Black's kingside.
If 30.Rxd6+ Ke8 31.g4 then:

If 31...fxg3 32.hxg3 h5 33.f4 Rf7 34.Ke3 Rc7 35.Kd4 gives White the advantage in space.
31...Bb1? 32.Rxe6+ Kd7 33.Rb6 Kc8 34.e6 leaves White a pawn to the good with a strong attack on almost every part of Black's position.

30...g6?!

Mr. Pein doesn't like this move at all, but alternatives seem little better.
30...Rd8 31.Rxd6+ Kc7 32.Rxd8 Kxd8 33.Bd2 Kc7 34.Bxf4 leaves White a pawn to the good, but in a Bishops-of-opposite-color ending that might not be enough to win.
If 30...Kc7 then:

31.exd6+ Kd7 32.Be5 Bc2 33.Rd2 Ba4 leaves White clearly better, but still not decisively better.
31.Rxd6 Rd8 32.Rxd8 Kxd8 transposes into the red line.

31.Rxd6+ Kc8 32.Bd2 Rd8 33.Bxf4 Rxd6 34.exd6 Kd7

BLACK: Vishy Anand
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WHITE: Veselin Topalov
Position after 34...Kc8d7

Mr. Pein reports here that Pentala Harikrishna suggested that White could win by maneuvering his King to h6 and pushing his h-pawn. That is exactly how some of the ensuing variations favorable to White work; see, for example, the note to Black's 37th move.
Harikrishna's idea is basically a good one, but ther is one caveat that should be noted. It doesn't work if the Black King is blockading the d-pawn and Black's Bishop is protecting the pawns at g6 and/or h7 by running up and down the h6/c1 diagonal. Then the game is drawn.
Another factor working against Black is that he will run out of reserve pawn tempi, which will make him susceptible to Zunzwang. However, he is going to run out of reserve pawn tempi whether he can set up the drawing apparatus or if he doesn't. Therefore, setting up the drawing appartatus is not the most important thing for him to do, it is the only thing for him to do.
It also should be noted that if the White King abandons the kingside, the Black Bishop may remain on the e8/a4 diagonal to stop the advance of the pawn, but this is riskier.
So, does Harikrishna's idea need some refinement? Yes. The actual key square for White is not h6, but f6. If he can occupy f6 with his King and play ...d6d7 while the White King is no closer to the d-pawn than the f-file, White wins. Alternately, if White can take the e-pawn while the Black King is on d8, he can check the King with his Bishop, forcing the Black King to give way for the pawn, winning.

35.Ke3 Bc2 36.Kd4 Ke8!?

Black King is fine where he is and should either remain on the d7 square or stay in contact with it.
36...Bb3 37.Bg3 Bd5 38.b4 h5 39.Ke5 Bc4 40.Kf6 favors White.

37.Ke5 Kf7

If 37...Kd7? 38.Kf6! Bd3 39.Kg7 Ke8 40.g4 then:

If 40...h5 then White wins after 41.gxh5 gxh5 42.Kh6.
If 40...Kd7 41.g5 Bc2 42.Kxh7 Ke8 43.Be5 then:

If 43...Kf7 then 44.Kh6 Ba4 45.h5 gxh5 46.g6+ wins.
If 43...Bd3 44.Kg7 then:

If 44...Kd7 then after 45.Kh6 Ke8 46.h5 White wins.
44...Bc2 45.Kh6 Kf7 46.h5 gxh5 47.g6+ Bxg6 48.d7 wins the Bishop.

38.Be3?!

Here White loses any clear win.
If 38.Bg5 then:

If 38...Ba4 39.Bf6 Ke8 40.Kxe6 wins for White.
If 38...Bf5? loses immediately to 39.d7.

38...Ba4 39.Kf4

If 39.Bg5 then:

If 39...Bd7! 40.g4 h5 then:

41.b3 Bb5 42.Bf6 Bc6 43.gxh5 gxh5 44.f4 Bb5 allows White to make no further progress.
If 41.Bf4 Bc6 42.gxh5 gxh5 43.Kd4 Bxf3 then:

If 44.Kc5 Ke8 45.Kb6 Bc6 46.Kc7 Bb5 then:

47.Be5 Bc6 48.Bd4 Bb5 49.b3 Bc6 draws.
47.Kxb7 Kd7 48.b3 Be2 draws.

44.Ke5 Bd5 45.Bg5 Ke8 46.b4 Kd7 draws.

If 39...Bc2? then 40.d7! wins easily for White.

39...Bb5 40.Bc5 Kf6 41.Bd4+ Kf7

BLACK: Vishy Anand
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WHITE: Veselin Topalov
Position after 41...Kf6f7

If 41...e5+ 42.Bxe5+ Ke6 43.Ke4 then:

43...Ba4! 44.Bf4 Bb5 45.b3 Kd7 46.Be5 Bc6+ 47.Kd4 Bb5 48.Bh2 Bc6 leaves everybody dead in the water.
43...Bc6+ 44.Kd4 Ba4 45.Bf4 Bb3 46.Kc5 is less clear.

42.Kg5 Bc6

If 42...Bf1 43.g3 Bg2 44.f4 then:

If 44...h5 45.Bf6 Bc6 46.b3 then:

46...Bd7 47.Bd8 Bb5 48.Bb6 Bc6 49.Bd4 Be4 50.Bb2 gives White good winning chances.
46...Bb5 47.Be5 Bd3 48.Bb2 Ke8 sets up the drawing strategem (see note to Black's 34th move).

If 44...Ke8? 45.Kh6! Be4 46.Kxh7 then:

46...Kd7 47.Be5 Bd3 48.Kh6 Be4 49.g4! White wins.
46...Kf7 47.Kh6 Bf5 48.Be5 Ke8 49.g4 Bxg4 50.Kxg6 wins for White.

43.Kh6 Kg8 44.h5 Be8

44...gxh5 45.Kxh5 Be8+ 46.Kh6 Bb5 47.g4 Bc6 48.f4 gives White good winning chances as White can advance his kingside pawns, Black's Bishop cannot abandon the defense agains the advance of the d-pawn, the Black cannot abandon the h-pawn and Black is out of reserve pawn tempi.

45.Kg5 Kf7 46.Kh6 Kg8 47.Bc5 gxh5

47...Kf7?! 48.hxg6+ hxg6 49.f4 Kf6 50.Bd4+ Kf5 51.Be5 leaves Black out of reserve pawn tempi and thus favors White.

48.Kg5 Kg7!

48...Bb5? 49.Kf6! Kf8 50.d7+ wins for White.

49.Bd4+

49.Bf2!? Kf7 50.Kf4 Ba4 51.b4 Ke8 52.Bh4 Kd7 53.Ke5 Bc2! draws.

49...Kf7!

The King heads for d7, securing the draw as the Bishop cannot be prevented from maneuvering to the h6/c1 diagonal via b5 or a4.

50.Be5

This is the correct square for the Bishop, but now Black draws unless he blunders.
50.Kh6 h4 51.Be5 Bb5 52.Kg5 Bf1 53.Kxh4 Bxg2 54.f4 Be4 draws.
50.Bf2 h4 51.Bxh4 Ba4 52.Bg3 Bc2 53.Kh6 Ke8 draws.

50...h4

50...Bb5! 51.Kxh5 Bf1 52.g4 Be2 53.f4 Bd3 54.Kh6! transposes into the note after Black's 54th move.

51.Kxh4 Kg6!?

51...Bb5! 52.Kg5 Bd3 53.g4 Ke8 54.Kf6 Kd7 55.g5 Bc2! accomplishes Black's goal. Even with no reserve pawn tempi, he draws.

52.Kg4 Bb5 53.Kf4 Kf7 54.Kg5

BLACK: Vishy Anand
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WHITE: Veselin Topalov
Position after 54.Kg4g5

54...Bc6??

The analist on ChessBase.com points out, "Anand played the only losing move." Black must use the Bishop to defend the h-pawn and the King to black the d-pawn. All else is folly.
After 54...Bd3 55.Kh6 Bb1 56.g4 Ke8 57.Kg7 Bc2 58.b3 Kd7 59.g5 Bg6 Black need only move his Bishop back and forth on the diagonal to draw.

55.Kh6! Kg8 56.g4 1-0

Black is toast.
If 56...Be8 57.f4! (Black is out of reserve pawn tempi) 57...Ba4 58.Bc3 Bd7 59.b3 Be8 60.g5! Bd7 61.Bf6 then:

If 61...Be8 62.Bg7! Bd7 63.g6!! (the critical move cannot be made while the Black Bishop occupies e8) 63...hxg6 64.Kxg6 then:

64...Be8+ 65.Kf6 Bc6 66.Kxe6 Kxg7 67.d7 Bxd7+ 68.Kxd7 wins for White.
64...Bc6 65.Bh6 Be8+ 66.Kf6 Bd7 67.Ke7 Bc6 68.Kxe6 Bb5 69.d7 Bxd7+ 70.Kxd7 wins for White.

If 61...Bc6 62.Bg7 Be8 63.Ba1 Bd7 64.g6!! hxg6 65.Kxg6 Kf8 then:

66.Bg7+ Ke8 67.Kf6 Kd8 68.Bf8 Bc8 69.Kf7 Kd7 70.Be7 Kc6 71.Ke8 Bd7+ 72.Kd8 Kd5 73.Kxd7 wins for White.
66.Kf6 Ke8 67.Be5 Kd8 68.Kf7 Bc8 69.Bg7 Kd7 70.Bf8 Kd8 71.Be7+ Kd7 72.Kf8 Kc6 73.Ke8 Bd7+ 74.Kd8 Black can make no move that doesn't lose material.

World Champion Anand resigns.

Reply #5: Topalov - Anand, Round 8 [View All]