Kramnik V - Radjabov T
01/26/2007

Hello, dear viewers! Grandmaster Sergi Shipov once again invites you to glue your eyes to the screens. The Wijk aan Zee 2007 supertournament runs towards the finish line. Just three rounds remain. The random drawing of lots before the first round has gifted us the highest intrigue: the tournament leaders will play amongst each other. Topalov will have a very difficult finish. His opponents are Svidler, Kramnik and Radjabov, among them two with Black. So having the most points right now does not guarantee Veselin anything. But now we will follow the battle of his chasers. With this test of strength they will determine the leader of the pack: the world champion versus the adolescent wolf who already feels within the strength to knock any hardened Alpha off his pedestal. Teimour started brilliantly, but then fell into a slump. I think that he is quite capable of laying it on for the finish. Vladimir clearly has been economizing his strength, and therefore is also able to exchange lethal blows with the opposition. Tomorrow, Kramnik has a most important meeting with the tournament leader, a historical opponent! We hope that today he will not be thinking about tomorrow. In this 11th round also meet: Navara - Motylev, Ponomariov - Tiviakov, Anand - Shirov, Aronian - Karjakin, Carlsen - Van Wely, and Svidler - Topalov. As usual, I will keep you apprised of events.
1.d4 [Svidler-Topalov later]

[If you please, the best way to keep you on your way is the moves from the second most important encounter, between Peter Svidler and Veselin Topalov.
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e5 7.Nb3 Be6 8.Qd2 Nbd7 9.O-O-O Be7 10.f3 h5 11.Kb1 Qc7 12.Bd3 b5 13.Bg5 Nb6 14.f4 War manoeuvres have begun!
14...Rb8 An ambush.
15.Rhe1 Nc4 White has a choice: to leave the knight on c4 or to open a file for the otherwise poorly placed black rook.
16.Bxc4 bxc4 17.Nc1 The b2-pawn is a tasty morsel. Black would like to eat it with the queen!
17...Qb7 18.b3 The eye sees what the tooth cannot bite.
18...exf4 Veselin eliminates the positional threat of f4-f5.
19.Bxf4 White prepares to advance in the centre. It is time for Black's king to run away. That reminds me of Ostap Bender's legendary session with Vasiukov.
19...O-O It was a quiet, moonlit night. All was well!
20.Bxd6 Bxd6 21.Qxd6 White won a pawn. Now he must defend.
21...Rfc8 Black's artillery battery is impressive indeed.
22.Nd5 Nxd5 23.exd5 Bf5 White's king has ended up in the zone of fire. The base at c2 is almost undefended!
24.Rd2 Peter disagrees with my assertion. I hope that he is right! But visually it is unappealing.
24...Bg6 25.Re7 Qb5 26.Rc7 Qa5 Black's attack develops successfully. Svidler has serious problems!
27.Rxc8+ Rxc8 28.Re2 cxb3 29.axb3 Qc3 There goes the myth about the defensibility of c2. Debunked! White is going South.
30.Qg3 Bxc2+ 31.Ka2 The end is near. White's king is poorly, too poorly.
31...Bb1+ This should be a pleasant surprise for Peter!

(Stronger was
31...Qc5 and White has no salvation, for example:
32.d6 Bb1+ 33.Kxb1 Qxc1+ 34.Ka2 Rc5! 35.Qe1 Rc2+ 36.Rxc2 Qxe1 37.d7 Qa5+ 38.Kb1 Kh7 and the pawn at d7 will be gradually neutralized.)

32.Kxb1 Qxc1+ 33.Ka2 Rc5?! The attack is Veselin's native tongue.

(Via 33...Rc2+ 34.Rxc2 Qxc2+ 35.Ka3 Qc5+ 36.b4 Qxd5 he could get a queen ending with an extra pawn and serious winning chances. That's how any right-thinking chess player would continue. But Topalov becomes a sacrifice to his own maximalism.)

34.Qb8+ Kh7 35.Qb4 There is no mate! And the d5-pawn is inedible because of check on e4.
35...f5 Again, any of three results may be sought.
36.Qd2 Svidler lucidly exploits the time pressure oversights of his opponent.
36...Qxd2+ 37.Rxd2 Kg6 In this endgame, only White can aim for victory!
38.b4 White advances not only to assist the passer, but also to attack the a6-pawn. Svidler sidestepped the bullet, and now might well achieve the maximum!
38...Rc8 39.Kb3 Kf7 40.Ra2 Ra8 Topalov has been forced into passivity. He faces a long and psychologically unpleasant resistance. And that after having a completely winning position!
41.h4 Peter improves his position in all sectors of the struggle. With the text move he fixes the kingside pawns in a favourable formation. Black threatened to play h5-h4! and g7-g5 with counterplay. But what now? How is Black to improve his position? He is walking a minefield.
41...f4 With sorrow, Veselin chooses to muddy the waters with a pawn sacrifice.
42.Re2 Precisely played. Or maybe too precisely!?

(I think that cruder methods also work. For example:
42.Rf2 Kf6 43.Rxf4+ Ke5 44.Rf7 Rg8 45.g3 g6 (45...g5 46.Rh7!) 46.Ra7 Kxd5 47.Rxa6 Ke4 48.Rf6 g5 49.b5 and so on.)

42...Kf6

(I wonder if, with the king still at f7, Black could afford a spate of rook-jogging:
42...Rd8!? 43.Kc4 Rc8+ 44.Kd4 Rb8 etc.)

(And Black could even consider
42...Re8! and not all is so simple in the pawn ending. Let's look at:
43.Rxe8 Kxe8 44.Kc4 f3! 45.gxf3 g5 46.hxg5 h4 47.g6 h3 48.d6 h2 49.g7 Kf7 50.d7 h1=Q 51.g8=Q+ Kxg8 52.d8=Q+ Kf7 and White maintains practical chances of victory.)

43.Kc4 Rc8+ 44.Kd4 Rb8 Another mistake bleeds through the background of fatigue. He missed the resource 45.d6! With the king on f7 he would be safe. But now Black fails to bring the king in front of the passed pawn. I foresee a simple variation such as 45.d6! Rxb4+ 46.Kc5 Rb1 Rd2! and Black could resign.
45.d6! There it is! He found it! Svidler is winning.
45...Rxb4+ 46.Kc5 Rb1 47.Rd2! Ah, Peter my lad!
47...Rb8 48.d7 and here BLACK RESIGNED. On
48...Rd8 clearest is
49.Rd5 But Veselin had no need to test his opponent's technique. A severe disappointment for Veselin, but he is the architect of his own downfall. With a winning position, one cannot so despise the opponent's possibilities. And one cannot always and in every position play straight for checkmate. Topalov got carried away like a child. And that was his undoing.]

1...Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7! Our hopes fulfilled! Radjabov has chosen to open the struggle with a King's Indian Defence. Kramnik is hardly the leading advocate of this opening for White. He himself was one of the mavens of the King's Indian Defence in the mid 90s. And now we see yet another rebirth of this good old opening. Teimour in recent years has been a fervent apostle of Black's position. And with most excellent results!
4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Be2 e5 7.Be3 The Gligoric variation. I also play this regularly with White.
7...Ng4

[On 7...Nc6?! the main idea of the variation is revealed:
8.d5 Ne7 9.Nd2! and now Black's attack on the kingside is slow:
9...Nd7 10.b4 f5 11.f3 with c4-c5 and Nd2-c4! to follow.]

8.Bg5 f6 9.Bh4 g5 The current favourite. Black shunts the white Bishop to an unfortunate position.

[9...Nc6 10.d5 Ne7 11.Nd2 Nh6 In the variation
12.f3 White retains the option of moving the bishop to f2 in a single step, thereby more quickly bolstering the queenside pawn storm.]

10.Bg3 Nh6 11.d5 White shuts down the central tension, without bothering about Nb8-c6.

[A good alternative is
11.h3]

11...Nd7 12.Nd2 f5 Black quickly reopens the centre, aiming to bring the unfortunately placed knight at h6 back into the game.
13.exf5 An exchange of strong points! White's knights find ideal placement at e4, but Black's knights do not dawdle either.
13...Nf6 14.Bd3 A new move order!

[Teimour has great experience in playing this position. Here are recent examples:
14.Nde4 Nxe4 15.Nxe4 Bxf5 16.Bd3 g4 17.Qd2 Kh8 18.O-O Bd7 19.f3 Qe7 20.fxg4 draw, Gelfand - Radjabov, Sochi 2006]

[A second: 14.Nde4 Nxe4 15.Nxe4 Bxf5 16.Bd3 g4 17.O-O Qe8 18.c5 Qg6 19.Re1 Nf7 20.Bh4 Rae8 21.Rc1 dxc5 22.Rxc5 Nd6 23.Qa4 Bxe4 24.Bxe4 Qh6 25.Bg3 Qd2 26.Rcc1 Re7 27.h4 Qxb2 28.Qd1 Qxa2 29.h5 and in a complex struggle, White's initiative outweighed Black's extra pawn in Aronian - Radjabov, Linares-Morelia, 2006]

[The third:
14.Nde4 Nxe4 15.Nxe4 Bxf5 16.Bd3 g4 17.O-O Kh8 18.Re1 Ng8 19.f3 gxf3 20.Qxf3 Nh6 21.Qe2 Bg6 22.Bf2 Nf5 23.Rf1 draw, Onischuk - Radjabov, Calvia 2004.]

14...Nxf5 15.Nde4 Here is the linchpin of White's strategy, to maintain the blockade on e4 at any price.
15...Bh6 Hmmm. A consequent manoeuvre. The g5-pawn is defended. But what can Black be planning? We must think this out. The easy solution was to trade on e4, followed by, let's call them easy moves. If the knights were not to be traded at Black's behest, then defending the pawn was possible via h7-h6. I really don't like this second option: I don't like to create weaknesses, and especially not on the light squares.
16.O-O Essentially, a move that will have to be played sooner or later. And now let's think some more.
16...Kh8 Here Radjabov begins to reveal his thoughts. He readies the advance of the pawn to g4, so the king sidesteps the check after Qd1xg4. Let it be understood that after g5-g4! the bishop at h6 looks a lot better. So what can White do? There's the typical c4-c5. But more importantly, that seems the only way to confront Black with problems. Check out the above game Aronian - Radjabov, it's all there. But Kramnik is thinking for a long time.
17.c5 Kramnik overcame his doubts and played the appropriate move! Now the d6-pawn becomes a chronic weakness in Black's camp. And if dxc5, the bishop at g3 has much to say. To add to the pressure on d6, White can bring the queen to b4 or a3. True, first the pawns need to be exchanged at d6. So Black needs to keep the knight at f5. Now it is Radjabov's turn to think. Good, bad, good, bad ... and the pawn must go to g4.
17...g4 The bishop on h6 becomes a real player. If now White trades on f6 and takes on g4, then follows the uncomfortable leap Nf5-e3! and Black wins the Exchange... No! There is an even stronger continuation: trade on g3 and after the forced recapture by the queen, there follows the little move Rf8-g8! and White's strongest piece is trapped. This is another reason to praise Black's preparatory manoeuvres Kg8-h8! and Bg7-h6!
18.Nxf6 Qxf6

[In the variation
18...Rxf6 19.Bxf5 Rxf5 White bravely takes the pawn -

(19...Bxf5 20.Bh4)

20.Qxg4! and the attempt to castigate her for gluttony rebounds in catastrophe for Black -
20...Rxf2? 21.Qh5 Rxf1+ 22.Rxf1 Be3+ 23.Kh1 Qg8

(23...Bd7 or 24.Rf7 Qg8 25.Bxe5+!)

24.Qxe5+!! (He who would love, must love a queen; he who would steal, must steal a million; he would would sacrifice, must once again sacrifice a queen!)
24...dxe5 25.Bxe5+ Qg7 26.Rf8# a beautiful mate!]

19.Nb5 Played with lofty goals! Note that White did not take on d6, and Black now has not one, but two weaknesses, on d6 and c7. Black can defend all of his pawns with one queen, from the e7 square. Looking further, some ideas pop into the head: put a rook on e1, then sac the knight at c7, take with tempo on d6 and then the g3-bishop comes into play like an earthquake. Working out the reality of such tactical ideas falls also to the players. One must calculate. We won't mess with the grandmasters, but look at the other games. Navara - Motylev is a quiet game in the Slav Defence. Ponomariov - Tiviakov: White has a small but persistent advantage in a Sicilian Dragon. Anand - Shirov: A deep theory battle has left White with an extra pawn in the endgame, but Black's drawing chances are considerable. Aronian - Karjakin: The young Ukrainian undertook to improve Black's play from the game Kramnik - Anand in the Catalan Opening. And it looks like he has chances of success. Carlsen - Van Wely: A quiet position in the Sicilian Defence. White accurately plays for points, Black is not far behind. The full battle lies ahead.

[The saying "better one time to see, than ten times to hear" works for chess commentary too. Therefore, here is Black's trap:
19.Qxg4? Nxg3 20.Qxg3 Rg8!]

19...Qe7 Much cogitated, but sometimes the obvious move is the best. Black does not threaten to take on c5, that would weaken e5 too much. First, Teimour would want to eject the knight with a7-a6. Clearly, Vladimir is thinking how best to prepare for that. With 20.Re1! he not only would frighten the opponent with a sacrifice at c7, but would also receive the possibility after a trade at f5 to retreat the knight to d4. A truly interesting idea! Or he could throw in a trade at f5 first.
20.Qe2 A similar idea--but with differences. The initial tactical outline is the same: the destruction of Black's little fortress with a knight sac. For example, if 20...a6 21.Bxf5 Bxf5? it goes like before: 22.cxd6 cxd6 23.Nxd6! And if Black takes on g3, White can recapture with the f2-pawn, with the rook still on f1, entirely a propos.
20...Bg7 Radjabov obviates White's first idea by reinforcing e5. But that, it appears, allows the capture of the pawn at g4! Immediate countermeasures by Black promise no success. It looks like Teimour figured that a slow, quiet development would bring him an extended initiative on the kingside in exchange for the gambit pawn. It looks like he was right!

[I deeply examined this sample variation:
20...Nxg3 21.fxg3 a6 22.cxd6 cxd6 23.Nd4! Rf7 24.Rae1 Bd7 25.Qe4 Raf8 26.Rxf7 Rxf7 27.Ne6 Rf6 28.Rf1 Rxf1+ 29.Kxf1 Bc1 30.b3 and White's pressure on the light squares is most tangible.]

21.cxd6 There was now no need to maintain the tension.
21...cxd6 Just so. The g4-pawn remains on the altar!

[Just bad from the positional point of view is
21...Nxd6?! 22.Rfe1! and Black has big problems.]

22.Qxg4 Today Kramnik is in a decisive mood. He chooses to test his young opponent's strategy.
22...Nxg3

[Now Black cannot win the Exchange:
22...Ne3? 23.Qe4 Nxf1 24.Qxh7#]

23.Qxg3 Now Black can return the bishop to h6, in order to attack the queen with the rook. Behind the queen lies a pawn, and behind the pawn lies the ultimate object of attack.
23...Bd7 A strange choice. No, actually the move looks quite natural. But it was played very quickly! Now White's queen can exit the danger zone via e3. That's why Bh6 looked stronger to me. It was also possible to boot the knight from b5 before playing Bh6. Aronian after all has achieved an advantage against Karjakin. Carlsen is trying to clean out the centre and neutralize Van Wely's initiative. Concrete variations will decide! Anand continues to work on his extra pawn, and Shirov stubbornly resists. Oh, and here is the first result of the round, a draw! Motylev sacrificed a piece against Navara. His attack looks pretty good. Ponomariov is solidifying, and Tiviakov is trying to raise an initiative. Chances look about even.
24.Nc7 Surprise! Where is the knight going? Not to e6? Yes, just there! Let's hope that Vladimir foresaw Black's central pawn advance in this variation.
24...Rac8 25.Ne6 Bxe6 26.dxe6 Here it is, Black can decline the gambit on e6, gaining control in the centre with 26...d5!? Teimour thought it out - and made the right decision! This is an important moment. Let it be understood that an attack in the centre is not the only solution. The variation 26...Qxe6 27.Qh4 Bh6! must also be examined.
26...Qxe6! It was not worth the risk!

[Here is an example of how the game might develop
26...d5 27.Be2! Rc2

(27...Qxe6? 28.Bg4)

28.Bg4 e4 29.Rad1 d4 30.Rde1 Rxb2 31.Rxe4 Rxa2 and, if you will, here White really is on top. The e6-pawn is very strong. Sure, frankly speaking, the move 28...e4 was a bit too active. Better was just to take on b2. So, as required, I have justified Radjabov's choice. The commentator's work method is very simple: 1. The Grandmasters are always right; 2. When they are not right, one must think up variations which show that ... see point 1.]

27.Rad1 A deliberately quiet move. White's task is to dominate the e4 and d5 squares. Success would promise a clear advantage.

[Here is one more illustrative but purely hypothetical variation:
27.Qh4 Bh6!

(27...h6? 28.Qe4 Qg8 29.Qxb7)

28.f4 Rxf4 29.Rxf4 exf4 30.Re1 Rc1! 31.Rxc1 Qe3+ 32.Kf1 Qxc1+ 33.Qe1 Qxe1+ 34.Kxe1 and we have a drawn endgame.]

27...d5 Teimour thwarts Vladimir's every plan.
28.Bb1 The bishop vacates a square for the queen.
28...Rcd8 Black reinforces the centre. The offensive might come soon.

[If 28...e4?! 29.Qb3 White would win a pawn on d5 or on b7.]

And here the opponents AGREED TO A DRAW! Here is an illustrative variation:
29.Qb3 Rd7 30.Be4 Rfd8 31.Rd3 dxe4 32.Qxe6 exd3 33.Rd1 d2 with a dead draw. Neither side may improve its position. We hope that punctilious viewers will find everything in order. So, once again the King's Indian Defence has proven worth the effort. Radjabov has maintained his second place in the standings. To survive an encounter with the "White" Kramnik is a serious accomplishment for a young chess player. The game Ponomariov - Tiviakov, was the third draw of the day. With regret, we must advise that Topalov is beating Svidler. One point of happiness: young Carlsen retains chances of winning against Van Wely. True, they are small chances ... Aronian continues to pick away at weaknesses in Karjakin's position. And I, grandmaster Sergei Shipov, will leave you with that. Tomorrow, 27th of January at 15.30 Moscow time (4:30 am Pacific Time) come look at our site www.crestbook.com for the live transmission of the supermatchup Topalov - Kramnik with my commentary. All the best!
[Quick translation from Russian by Jonathan Berry.]

Created with PGNtoJS

Hello, dear viewers! Grandmaster Sergi Shipov once again invites you to glue your eyes to the screens. The Wijk aan Zee 2007 supertournament runs towards the finish line. Just three rounds remain. The random drawing of lots before the first round has gifted us the highest intrigue: the tournament leaders will play amongst each other. Topalov will have a very difficult finish. His opponents are Svidler, Kramnik and Radjabov, among them two with Black. So having the most points right now does not guarantee Veselin anything. But now we will follow the battle of his chasers. With this test of strength they will determine the leader of the pack: the world champion versus the adolescent wolf who already feels within the strength to knock any hardened Alpha off his pedestal. Teimour started brilliantly, but then fell into a slump. I think that he is quite capable of laying it on for the finish. Vladimir clearly has been economizing his strength, and therefore is also able to exchange lethal blows with the opposition. Tomorrow, Kramnik has a most important meeting with the tournament leader, a historical opponent! We hope that today he will not be thinking about tomorrow. In this 11th round also meet: Navara - Motylev, Ponomariov - Tiviakov, Anand - Shirov, Aronian - Karjakin, Carlsen - Van Wely, and Svidler - Topalov. As usual, I will keep you apprised of events. 1.d4 [Svidler-Topalov later]
	[If you please, the best way to keep you on your way is the moves from the second most important encounter, between Peter Svidler and Veselin Topalov. 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e5 7.Nb3 Be6 8.Qd2 Nbd7 9.O-O-O Be7 10.f3 h5 11.Kb1 Qc7 12.Bd3 b5 13.Bg5 Nb6 14.f4 War manoeuvres have begun! 14...Rb8 An ambush. 15.Rhe1 Nc4 White has a choice: to leave the knight on c4 or to open a file for the otherwise poorly placed black rook. 16.Bxc4 bxc4 17.Nc1 The b2-pawn is a tasty morsel. Black would like to eat it with the queen! 17...Qb7 18.b3 The eye sees what the tooth cannot bite. 18...exf4 Veselin eliminates the positional threat of f4-f5. 19.Bxf4 White prepares to advance in the centre. It is time for Black's king to run away. That reminds me of Ostap Bender's legendary session with Vasiukov. 19...O-O It was a quiet, moonlit night. All was well! 20.Bxd6 Bxd6 21.Qxd6 White won a pawn. Now he must defend. 21...Rfc8 Black's artillery battery is impressive indeed. 22.Nd5 Nxd5 23.exd5 Bf5 White's king has ended up in the zone of fire. The base at c2 is almost undefended! 24.Rd2 Peter disagrees with my assertion. I hope that he is right! But visually it is unappealing. 24...Bg6 25.Re7 Qb5 26.Rc7 Qa5 Black's attack develops successfully. Svidler has serious problems! 27.Rxc8+ Rxc8 28.Re2 cxb3 29.axb3 Qc3 There goes the myth about the defensibility of c2. Debunked! White is going South. 30.Qg3 Bxc2+ 31.Ka2 The end is near. White's king is poorly, too poorly. 31...Bb1+ This should be a pleasant surprise for Peter!
		(Stronger was 31...Qc5 and White has no salvation, for example: 32.d6 Bb1+ 33.Kxb1 Qxc1+ 34.Ka2 Rc5! 35.Qe1 Rc2+ 36.Rxc2 Qxe1 37.d7 Qa5+ 38.Kb1 Kh7 and the pawn at d7 will be gradually neutralized.)
	32.Kxb1 Qxc1+ 33.Ka2 Rc5?! The attack is Veselin's native tongue.
		(Via 33...Rc2+ 34.Rxc2 Qxc2+ 35.Ka3 Qc5+ 36.b4 Qxd5 he could get a queen ending with an extra pawn and serious winning chances. That's how any right-thinking chess player would continue. But Topalov becomes a sacrifice to his own maximalism.)
	34.Qb8+ Kh7 35.Qb4 There is no mate! And the d5-pawn is inedible because of check on e4. 35...f5 Again, any of three results may be sought. 36.Qd2 Svidler lucidly exploits the time pressure oversights of his opponent. 36...Qxd2+ 37.Rxd2 Kg6 In this endgame, only White can aim for victory! 38.b4 White advances not only to assist the passer, but also to attack the a6-pawn. Svidler sidestepped the bullet, and now might well achieve the maximum! 38...Rc8 39.Kb3 Kf7 40.Ra2 Ra8 Topalov has been forced into passivity. He faces a long and psychologically unpleasant resistance. And that after having a completely winning position! 41.h4 Peter improves his position in all sectors of the struggle. With the text move he fixes the kingside pawns in a favourable formation. Black threatened to play h5-h4! and g7-g5 with counterplay. But what now? How is Black to improve his position? He is walking a minefield. 41...f4 With sorrow, Veselin chooses to muddy the waters with a pawn sacrifice. 42.Re2 Precisely played. Or maybe too precisely!?
		(I think that cruder methods also work. For example: 42.Rf2 Kf6 43.Rxf4+ Ke5 44.Rf7 Rg8 45.g3 g6 (45...g5 46.Rh7!) 46.Ra7 Kxd5 47.Rxa6 Ke4 48.Rf6 g5 49.b5 and so on.)
	42...Kf6
		(I wonder if, with the king still at f7, Black could afford a spate of rook-jogging: 42...Rd8!? 43.Kc4 Rc8+ 44.Kd4 Rb8 etc.)

		(And Black could even consider 42...Re8! and not all is so simple in the pawn ending. Let's look at: 43.Rxe8 Kxe8 44.Kc4 f3! 45.gxf3 g5 46.hxg5 h4 47.g6 h3 48.d6 h2 49.g7 Kf7 50.d7 h1=Q 51.g8=Q+ Kxg8 52.d8=Q+ Kf7 and White maintains practical chances of victory.)
	43.Kc4 Rc8+ 44.Kd4 Rb8 Another mistake bleeds through the background of fatigue. He missed the resource 45.d6! With the king on f7 he would be safe. But now Black fails to bring the king in front of the passed pawn. I foresee a simple variation such as 45.d6! Rxb4+ 46.Kc5 Rb1 Rd2! and Black could resign. 45.d6! There it is! He found it! Svidler is winning. 45...Rxb4+ 46.Kc5 Rb1 47.Rd2! Ah, Peter my lad! 47...Rb8 48.d7 and here BLACK RESIGNED. On 48...Rd8 clearest is 49.Rd5 But Veselin had no need to test his opponent's technique. A severe disappointment for Veselin, but he is the architect of his own downfall. With a winning position, one cannot so despise the opponent's possibilities. And one cannot always and in every position play straight for checkmate. Topalov got carried away like a child. And that was his undoing.]
1...Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7! Our hopes fulfilled! Radjabov has chosen to open the struggle with a King's Indian Defence. Kramnik is hardly the leading advocate of this opening for White. He himself was one of the mavens of the King's Indian Defence in the mid 90s. And now we see yet another rebirth of this good old opening. Teimour in recent years has been a fervent apostle of Black's position. And with most excellent results! 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Be2 e5 7.Be3 The Gligoric variation. I also play this regularly with White. 7...Ng4
	[On 7...Nc6?! the main idea of the variation is revealed: 8.d5 Ne7 9.Nd2! and now Black's attack on the kingside is slow: 9...Nd7 10.b4 f5 11.f3 with c4-c5 and Nd2-c4! to follow.]
8.Bg5 f6 9.Bh4 g5 The current favourite. Black shunts the white Bishop to an unfortunate position.
	[9...Nc6 10.d5 Ne7 11.Nd2 Nh6 In the variation 12.f3 White retains the option of moving the bishop to f2 in a single step, thereby more quickly bolstering the queenside pawn storm.]
10.Bg3 Nh6 11.d5 White shuts down the central tension, without bothering about Nb8-c6.
	[A good alternative is 11.h3]
11...Nd7 12.Nd2 f5 Black quickly reopens the centre, aiming to bring the unfortunately placed knight at h6 back into the game. 13.exf5 An exchange of strong points! White's knights find ideal placement at e4, but Black's knights do not dawdle either. 13...Nf6 14.Bd3 A new move order!
	[Teimour has great experience in playing this position. Here are recent examples: 14.Nde4 Nxe4 15.Nxe4 Bxf5 16.Bd3 g4 17.Qd2 Kh8 18.O-O Bd7 19.f3 Qe7 20.fxg4 draw, Gelfand - Radjabov, Sochi 2006]

	[A second: 14.Nde4 Nxe4 15.Nxe4 Bxf5 16.Bd3 g4 17.O-O Qe8 18.c5 Qg6 19.Re1 Nf7 20.Bh4 Rae8 21.Rc1 dxc5 22.Rxc5 Nd6 23.Qa4 Bxe4 24.Bxe4 Qh6 25.Bg3 Qd2 26.Rcc1 Re7 27.h4 Qxb2 28.Qd1 Qxa2 29.h5 and in a complex struggle, White's initiative outweighed Black's extra pawn in Aronian - Radjabov, Linares-Morelia, 2006]

	[The third: 14.Nde4 Nxe4 15.Nxe4 Bxf5 16.Bd3 g4 17.O-O Kh8 18.Re1 Ng8 19.f3 gxf3 20.Qxf3 Nh6 21.Qe2 Bg6 22.Bf2 Nf5 23.Rf1 draw, Onischuk - Radjabov, Calvia 2004.]
14...Nxf5 15.Nde4 Here is the linchpin of White's strategy, to maintain the blockade on e4 at any price. 15...Bh6 Hmmm. A consequent manoeuvre. The g5-pawn is defended. But what can Black be planning? We must think this out. The easy solution was to trade on e4, followed by, let's call them easy moves. If the knights were not to be traded at Black's behest, then defending the pawn was possible via h7-h6. I really don't like this second option: I don't like to create weaknesses, and especially not on the light squares. 16.O-O Essentially, a move that will have to be played sooner or later. And now let's think some more. 16...Kh8 Here Radjabov begins to reveal his thoughts. He readies the advance of the pawn to g4, so the king sidesteps the check after Qd1xg4. Let it be understood that after g5-g4! the bishop at h6 looks a lot better. So what can White do? There's the typical c4-c5. But more importantly, that seems the only way to confront Black with problems. Check out the above game Aronian - Radjabov, it's all there. But Kramnik is thinking for a long time. 17.c5 Kramnik overcame his doubts and played the appropriate move! Now the d6-pawn becomes a chronic weakness in Black's camp. And if dxc5, the bishop at g3 has much to say. To add to the pressure on d6, White can bring the queen to b4 or a3. True, first the pawns need to be exchanged at d6. So Black needs to keep the knight at f5. Now it is Radjabov's turn to think. Good, bad, good, bad ... and the pawn must go to g4. 17...g4 The bishop on h6 becomes a real player. If now White trades on f6 and takes on g4, then follows the uncomfortable leap Nf5-e3! and Black wins the Exchange... No! There is an even stronger continuation: trade on g3 and after the forced recapture by the queen, there follows the little move Rf8-g8! and White's strongest piece is trapped. This is another reason to praise Black's preparatory manoeuvres Kg8-h8! and Bg7-h6! 18.Nxf6 Qxf6
	[In the variation 18...Rxf6 19.Bxf5 Rxf5 White bravely takes the pawn -
		(19...Bxf5 20.Bh4)
	20.Qxg4! and the attempt to castigate her for gluttony rebounds in catastrophe for Black - 20...Rxf2? 21.Qh5 Rxf1+ 22.Rxf1 Be3+ 23.Kh1 Qg8
		(23...Bd7 or 24.Rf7 Qg8 25.Bxe5+!)
	24.Qxe5+!! (He who would love, must love a queen; he who would steal, must steal a million; he would would sacrifice, must once again sacrifice a queen!) 24...dxe5 25.Bxe5+ Qg7 26.Rf8# a beautiful mate!]
19.Nb5 Played with lofty goals! Note that White did not take on d6, and Black now has not one, but two weaknesses, on d6 and c7. Black can defend all of his pawns with one queen, from the e7 square. Looking further, some ideas pop into the head: put a rook on e1, then sac the knight at c7, take with tempo on d6 and then the g3-bishop comes into play like an earthquake. Working out the reality of such tactical ideas falls also to the players. One must calculate. We won't mess with the grandmasters, but look at the other games. Navara - Motylev is a quiet game in the Slav Defence. Ponomariov - Tiviakov: White has a small but persistent advantage in a Sicilian Dragon. Anand - Shirov: A deep theory battle has left White with an extra pawn in the endgame, but Black's drawing chances are considerable. Aronian - Karjakin: The young Ukrainian undertook to improve Black's play from the game Kramnik - Anand in the Catalan Opening. And it looks like he has chances of success. Carlsen - Van Wely: A quiet position in the Sicilian Defence. White accurately plays for points, Black is not far behind. The full battle lies ahead.
	[The saying "better one time to see, than ten times to hear" works for chess commentary too. Therefore, here is Black's trap: 19.Qxg4? Nxg3 20.Qxg3 Rg8!]
19...Qe7 Much cogitated, but sometimes the obvious move is the best. Black does not threaten to take on c5, that would weaken e5 too much. First, Teimour would want to eject the knight with a7-a6. Clearly, Vladimir is thinking how best to prepare for that. With 20.Re1! he not only would frighten the opponent with a sacrifice at c7, but would also receive the possibility after a trade at f5 to retreat the knight to d4. A truly interesting idea! Or he could throw in a trade at f5 first. 20.Qe2 A similar idea--but with differences. The initial tactical outline is the same: the destruction of Black's little fortress with a knight sac. For example, if 20...a6 21.Bxf5 Bxf5? it goes like before: 22.cxd6 cxd6 23.Nxd6! And if Black takes on g3, White can recapture with the f2-pawn, with the rook still on f1, entirely a propos. 20...Bg7 Radjabov obviates White's first idea by reinforcing e5. But that, it appears, allows the capture of the pawn at g4! Immediate countermeasures by Black promise no success. It looks like Teimour figured that a slow, quiet development would bring him an extended initiative on the kingside in exchange for the gambit pawn. It looks like he was right!
	[I deeply examined this sample variation: 20...Nxg3 21.fxg3 a6 22.cxd6 cxd6 23.Nd4! Rf7 24.Rae1 Bd7 25.Qe4 Raf8 26.Rxf7 Rxf7 27.Ne6 Rf6 28.Rf1 Rxf1+ 29.Kxf1 Bc1 30.b3 and White's pressure on the light squares is most tangible.]
21.cxd6 There was now no need to maintain the tension. 21...cxd6 Just so. The g4-pawn remains on the altar!
	[Just bad from the positional point of view is 21...Nxd6?! 22.Rfe1! and Black has big problems.]
22.Qxg4 Today Kramnik is in a decisive mood. He chooses to test his young opponent's strategy. 22...Nxg3
	[Now Black cannot win the Exchange: 22...Ne3? 23.Qe4 Nxf1 24.Qxh7#]
23.Qxg3 Now Black can return the bishop to h6, in order to attack the queen with the rook. Behind the queen lies a pawn, and behind the pawn lies the ultimate object of attack. 23...Bd7 A strange choice. No, actually the move looks quite natural. But it was played very quickly! Now White's queen can exit the danger zone via e3. That's why Bh6 looked stronger to me. It was also possible to boot the knight from b5 before playing Bh6. Aronian after all has achieved an advantage against Karjakin. Carlsen is trying to clean out the centre and neutralize Van Wely's initiative. Concrete variations will decide! Anand continues to work on his extra pawn, and Shirov stubbornly resists. Oh, and here is the first result of the round, a draw! Motylev sacrificed a piece against Navara. His attack looks pretty good. Ponomariov is solidifying, and Tiviakov is trying to raise an initiative. Chances look about even. 24.Nc7 Surprise! Where is the knight going? Not to e6? Yes, just there! Let's hope that Vladimir foresaw Black's central pawn advance in this variation. 24...Rac8 25.Ne6 Bxe6 26.dxe6 Here it is, Black can decline the gambit on e6, gaining control in the centre with 26...d5!? Teimour thought it out - and made the right decision! This is an important moment. Let it be understood that an attack in the centre is not the only solution. The variation 26...Qxe6 27.Qh4 Bh6! must also be examined. 26...Qxe6! It was not worth the risk!
	[Here is an example of how the game might develop 26...d5 27.Be2! Rc2
		(27...Qxe6? 28.Bg4)
	28.Bg4 e4 29.Rad1 d4 30.Rde1 Rxb2 31.Rxe4 Rxa2 and, if you will, here White really is on top. The e6-pawn is very strong. Sure, frankly speaking, the move 28...e4 was a bit too active. Better was just to take on b2. So, as required, I have justified Radjabov's choice. The commentator's work method is very simple: 1. The Grandmasters are always right; 2. When they are not right, one must think up variations which show that ... see point 1.]
27.Rad1 A deliberately quiet move. White's task is to dominate the e4 and d5 squares. Success would promise a clear advantage.
	[Here is one more illustrative but purely hypothetical variation: 27.Qh4 Bh6!
		(27...h6? 28.Qe4 Qg8 29.Qxb7)
	28.f4 Rxf4 29.Rxf4 exf4 30.Re1 Rc1! 31.Rxc1 Qe3+ 32.Kf1 Qxc1+ 33.Qe1 Qxe1+ 34.Kxe1 and we have a drawn endgame.]
27...d5 Teimour thwarts Vladimir's every plan. 28.Bb1 The bishop vacates a square for the queen. 28...Rcd8 Black reinforces the centre. The offensive might come soon.
	[If 28...e4?! 29.Qb3 White would win a pawn on d5 or on b7.]
And here the opponents AGREED TO A DRAW! Here is an illustrative variation: 29.Qb3 Rd7 30.Be4 Rfd8 31.Rd3 dxe4 32.Qxe6 exd3 33.Rd1 d2 with a dead draw. Neither side may improve its position. We hope that punctilious viewers will find everything in order. So, once again the King's Indian Defence has proven worth the effort. Radjabov has maintained his second place in the standings. To survive an encounter with the "White" Kramnik is a serious accomplishment for a young chess player. The game Ponomariov - Tiviakov, was the third draw of the day. With regret, we must advise that Topalov is beating Svidler. One point of happiness: young Carlsen retains chances of winning against Van Wely. True, they are small chances ... Aronian continues to pick away at weaknesses in Karjakin's position. And I, grandmaster Sergei Shipov, will leave you with that. Tomorrow, 27th of January at 15.30 Moscow time (4:30 am Pacific Time) come look at our site www.crestbook.com for the live transmission of the supermatchup Topalov - Kramnik with my commentary. All the best! [Quick translation from Russian by Jonathan Berry.]