Topalov V. - Kramnik V.
Hello, dear readers of www.crestbook.com! I am grandmaster Sergei Shipov,
wishing you the best on this latest chess holiday. The day of the decisive
encounter has arrived! The two strongest players in the world will cross
swords at the finish of the supertournament at Wijk aan Zee 2007. Their
battles in the world championship match--both on and off the board--are
still fresh in the memory. Chess is a game from the gods, and has,
throughout the ages, been associated with nobility and wisdom. These days,
alas, this reputation is in danger. The rivalry between the two outstanding
masters of today is constantly being ramped up by the media, who are ready
to seize upon any incautious statement or hint of scandal in order to
generate interest among readers. I call upon those who know and love chess
to turn away from muckraking and focus on the main event: a struggle between
two chess titans, two thinkers, two sportsmen! I am sure that Veselin
Topalov and Vladimir Kramnik will take an honoured place in chess history.
One must remember that things are seen more clearly from a distance! It is
possible that in the next century they will be remembered with the same deep
respect that today is accorded to Steinitz and Chigorin. As the
contemporaries of these future legends, we have an opportunity to see their
games with our own eyes, to suffer with them, experience with them, to
analyse variations and enjoy the depth of chess. This is the most important
thing! And it will stay with us forever... Today I will not be able to pay
much attention to other games, and will only give you brief comments. Also
meeting in today's round are Motylev-Radjabov, Van Wely-Svidler,
Karjakin-Carlsen, Shirov-Aronian, Tiviakov-Anand and Navara-Ponomariov.
1.d4 We're underway! The two rivals are testing each other in a closed opening,
continuing the tradition established in their match in Elista. For the time
being Topalov is not ready to storm Black's bastions in the Russian Defence
(1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6!)
1...Nf6
2.c4
e6 But here is a substantial change! The Slav Defence, the main opening in the
champion's defensive repertoire, has been set aside..
3.Nf3
d5
4.Nc3
Be7 Transposing
to the Queen's Gambit Declined.
5.Bf4 In the last 20 years this development of the bishop has been more popular
than the ancient move 5.Bg5.
5...
7.dxc5
Bxc5
8.Qc2 The
queen makes way for the rook. In a number of variations White will
actually castle queenside.
8...Nc6
9.a3 Veselin
prepares to win some space on the queenside.
9...Qa5 Vladimir
interferes with his opponent's plan.
10.
[As practice has
demonstrated, the old continuation
10.Nd2
does not promise White any advantage.]
10...Be7
11.h4 Announcing the organisation of a mating attack. Here the two players stopped
blitzing their moves, and Kramnik fell into a long think.
[The last time he
had this position he had to deal with another fashionable continuation:
11.g4
dxc4
12.Bxc4
e5
13.g5
exf4
14.gxf6
Bxf6
15.Nd5
Ne7
16.Nxf6+
gxf6
17.Rhg1+
Kh8
18.e4
b5
19.Bd5
Nxd5
20.exd5
b4
21.axb4
Qa1+
22.Kd2
Qa6
23.Qc6
Rd8
24.Kc3
Bb7
25.Qxa6
Bxa6
26.Rd4 and
White had obtained a slight endgame
advantage, which, however, was not enough for victory (Anand-Kramnik, Leon
2002.)]
11...Rd8 For
the time being Black cannot meet White's flank attack with a
flank attack of his own. So he undertakes action in the centre, where the
tension between pawns is still in effect. An exchange on c4 will take place
only when the moment is right.
[In the game Gelfand-Karpov,
Wijk aan Zee 1998
there followed
11...a6
12.Ng5
Rd8
13.cxd5
exd5
14.e4
Nxe4
15.Ngxe4
dxe4
16.Rxd8+
Qxd8
17.Qxe4
g6
18.Bc4
Bf5
19.Qe3
Qd4
20.Qxd4
Nxd4
21.Rd1
Ne6 and
Black had equalised.]
12.Nd2 An interesting
combination of ideas! Visually, the moves h2-h4 and Nf3-d2
belong to separate plans. In positions of this kind grandmasters usually
play a wide-open game, not caring about pawns--or the nerves of their fans.
And suddenly, a very cunning move... White unexpectedly withdraws his knight
from the front lines. Instead of attacking the Black king he takes aim at
the Black queen--on the other side of the board. This piece, incidentally,
has in fact very little breathing room, especially after Black's own rook
has taken away the square d8. White has set up a concreate threat: 13.Nb3
Qb6 14.c5! Bxc5 15.Na4 winning the queen. I had a look in the big database
and dispelled my visual impressions--the move has been played before. That
means Vladimir must know what Black's best reaction is... For the time being
he is thinking. He is remembering! It is interesting that in the four games
with this line, Black chose four different replies: 12...Rd7 (what they
won't do to save the queen!), 12...e5 (tempting!), 12...dxc4 (simple and
sound), 12...a6 (making a spot for the queen on a7.) Let's see which path
Vladimir takes.
[In the game Kasparov-Ehlvest, Novgorod 1995,
there followed
12.g4
Bd7
13.Kb1
dxc4
14.Bxc4
Rac8
(Clearly more accurate is
14...Be8!
15.g5
Nh5
16.Bh2
Rac8 ,
Goldin-Mikhalevski, Israel 1997)
15.g5
Nh5
16.Bd6
g6
17.Be2
Bxd6
18.Rxd6
Ne7
19.Qb3
Bc6
20.Rxd8+
Rxd8
21.Rd1
Qf5+
22.Ka1
Rf8
23.e4
Qc5
24.Qb4
Qxb4
25.axb4 and White
obtained a positional advantage but could not win.]
12...dxc4
Kramnik plays in his usual style - he strives for positions that are
promising, simple, and solid. He avoids unclear complications, even when
they are tempting.
[Let me show you how the other variations
go:
12...Rd7
13.Bd3
Qd8
14.cxd5
exd5
15.Nf3
Qf8
16.g4
Ne4
17.Ne5
Nxe5
18.Bxe5
f6?!
(18...g6)
19.Bd4
Rc7
20.f3
Nxc3
21.Bxh7+
Kh8
22.Bxc3
Bxa3
23.Rxd5
Bxg4
24.fxg4
Rxc3
25.Qxc3
Rc8
26.Qxc8
Qxc8+
27.Bc2
Be7
28.Rhd1
and White's pair of rooks outmatch the
Black queen; Agdestein-Short, Isle of Lewis 1995.]
[12...e5
13.Bg5
d4
14.Nb3
Qb6
15.c5
Qc7
16.Nb5
Qb8
17.exd4
a6
18.Nd6
Bxd6
19.cxd6
Qxd6
20.dxe5
Qxd1+
21.Qxd1
Rxd1+
22.Kxd1
Nxe5
23.Bxf6
gxf6
24.Nd4
Bd7 and
White's minimal advantage is not enough for a win; Cifuentes
Parada-Van der Sterren, Nederland 1995.]
[12...a6
13.Nb3
Qb6
14.c5
Qa7
15.Bc7
Rf8
16.Na4
Ne8
17.Bh2
Bd8
18.Bd3
h6
19.g4
e5 and
by some miracle Black got out of his deep pit and
even managed to win; Arnold-Gaunas, Austria 2000.]
13.Nxc4 Rxd1+
14.Qxd1
Qd8 Vladimir
exchanges everything he can. The possible intrusion of
White's pieces on d6 does not rattle him. He believes in his ability to
defend slightly worse positions!
15.Qxd8+
Nxd8 A novelty, but one that will not seriously alter chess theory. In this
position it would be difficult to make any fundamental changes. It appears
that Kramnik's move is a slight improvement. Black keeps the possibility of
exchanging one of White's assailants on d6.
[In the game Peng-A.Maric,
Groningen 1997, there followed:
15...Bxd8
16.Be2
Nd5
17.Nxd5
exd5
18.Nd6
Bc7
19.Rd1
Bxd6
20.Bxd6
Be6
21.b4 White
has obtained a small and durable
advantage, but could not convert it to a win.]
16.Be2
Bd7 Move by move Black is managing to put up a barrier on c6. On 17.Bf3 he
has prepared the reply 17...Bc6. Therefore it is worth taking a look at the
preliminary attacking move 17.Ne5!?... I think one can now weigh up the
results of the opening. Topalov has obtained a slight advantage, while
Kramnik has excellent chances of eventually neutralising it. The position is
quiet, with a manoeuvring character. Flashy effects are not anticipated...
17.e4 Veselin shows that he is ambitious. He captures some space and is
evidently planning to station his dark-squared bishop on e3 with the aim of
putting pressure on Black's queenside. From which there follows the first
candidate move for Black: 17...Bc5. And knowing Topalov's aggressive style,
one can assume that in that case he will sacrifice a pawn by playing
18.Rd1!? with unclear complications... To put the bishop on c6 in this
position would not be desirable from the psychological perspective. White
will certainly play his pawn to f3 and then Black's bishop will be gazing at
a solid wall on e4. On top of that, at any moment one can expect a White
knight to land on e5 or c5... Vladimir continues to study the position. The
clock display reminds me of the match in Elista: 1.35h - 1.00h! I'd like to
take advantage of this lull in the action to recommend that readers check
out the work of one of our site's new authors, who is using the handle
Manowar. Right now he is covering the online game Karjakin-Carlsen. See the
link on the site.
17...Bc6
Anyway! One Black knight has been stranded on d8 for a long time, but
the other one has gained a convenient waystation on the square d7.
[After
17...Bc5
18.Rd1 I came up
with the following sample line:
18...Bxf2
19.g4
Be8
20.g5
Nd7
21.Nd6
Kf8
22.Nxe8
Kxe8
23.Nb5
e5
24.Nc7+
Ke7
25.Nxa8
exf4
26.Nc7
Bxh4
27.Nd5+
Ke8
28.Nc7+
Ke7
29.Nd5+
Ke8 when the
logical outcome is a draw.]
18.f3
Nh5 Vladimir strives to exploit the weakened dark squares in his
opponent's camp. If he manages to exchange a pair of pieces, then he will
certainly gain equality... Therefore Veselin should not allow the Black
knight onto g3.
19.Bc7 A non-trivial manoeuvre. Why does Veselin draw the Black rook onto c8?
Obviously so that a White knight landing on d6 will win a tempo, for
example, after 19...Rc8 20.Be5 f6.
[Here I was also looking at this
continuation:
19.Be5
f6
20.Bh2
e5
21.Rd1 (or
21.Na5!?) which gives White a
slight advantage.]
19...Rc8 Of course one should not allow the bishop to remain undisturbed. White
was threatening the positional advance g2-g4!
20.Be5 Topalov
is playing quickly and confidently!
20...Bf6 Kramnik decides to deviate from the variations that his opponent has
calculated. He continues to strive for the exchange of parallel pieces...
Now in the event of 21.Bh2 Black can coolly take the pawn on h4, since the
possibility of a check on g5 allows him to avoid losing a piece.
[After
20...f6
21.Nd6
Rc7
22.Bh2
e5
23.Nf5
Bf8
24.Rd1
Nf7
25.Bc4 White would
have unpleasant pressure.]
21.Nd6
Ra8 Thus the manoeuve of the White bishop to c7 has achieved its aim -
White has won an important tempo.
[For some reason, the most principled reply
21...Rc7! did
not appeal to Vladimir, even though none of the variations
promise any danger for Black. I hope you agree that a rook on c7 (or d7) is
much more useful than a rook on a8.]
22.Bxf6
Nxf6 A powerful knight on d6, a space advantage, and an awkward arrangement
of Black's pieces - it all adds up to a positional advantage for White. And
it is gradually increasing... Topalov has several promising plans here. He
could carry out a pawn advance on either side, and also bring his king out
to e3. A pleasant choice! The clocks are still displaying the habitual time
handicap: 1.11h - 0.43h.
23.Rd1
Kf8 He must bring
the king to e7 in order to challenge White's advantage.
24.Kd2 Veselin copies
Vladimir's manoeuvre and brings his king to the centre.
24...Ne8 An attempt
to simplify the game even further...
25.Nc4 ...
, which of course does not come about. At the moment White's knights
are noticeably better than Black's... Meanwhile, there has been a result on
another board - the first of the round - and a sensational one at that! Van
Wely has defeated Svidler with a direct mating attack! It appears Svidler
was exhausted by his struggle with the tournament leader and had not managed
to recuperate. And the game Tiviakov-Anand has ended in a draw.
25...f6 In a position with light squared bishops it is a good idea to station
one's pawns on dark squares. And even more important, it is high time to get
the knight off its comical position on d8.
26.Ke3 Topalov
continues the methodical strengthening of his position.
26...b6 Kramnik
stops a White knight from coming to a5.
[On
26...Nf7 White has
the very strong reply
27.Na5!]
27.f4 White's
intentions are becoming clearer. He advances his pawns on the
kingside and attempts to create weaknesses in Black's position there.
27...Nf7 Nevertheless I think White should switch back to the queenside at a
certain moment. There are practically no Black pieces there, and therefore
it should be easier to attack. But for the moment he can carry on with the
diversion: 28.g4!? Topalov is spending a lot of time in thought and is
gradually catching up in that department: 0.47h - 0.39h.
28.g4
h6 Black's fortifications are quite strong. Now White either has to
switch to the queenside, or think about the advance e4-e5. And that is an
interesting idea! The square e4 would then become an excellent transfer
point for White's pieces. The move 29.e5!? looks quite good. Besides
everything else, it is also nice to restrict the Black knight on e8.
29.g5 Well, well... an unexpected attack on the most fortified point in
Black's defences. Topalov's idea is quite understandable - the full series
of captures on g5 will let him bring his knight to e5 and develop a strong
initiative. But this is chess, not draughts...
29...hxg5
30.hxg5 Veselin
has opened the h-file, which may be useful for his rook.
[Also
possible was the asymmetrical reply
30.fxg5 ,
after which the capture
30...fxg5? is
very bad because of
31.Bh5!]
30...Ke7 The reaction of the experienced defender is quite predictable.
Vladimir is not tempted by poisoned pawns. He narrows the defensive front
and digs in. The following step taken by the experienced attacker is also
enticing - exchange pawns and penetrate with the rook to h7.
[In the
variation
30...fxg5
31.fxg5
Nxg5?!
32.Ne5
Bb7
33.Rd7
Bc8
34.Ng6+
Kg8
35.Ne7+
Kf8
36.Nxc8
Rxc8
37.Rxa7 White
would obtain a noticeable advantage.]
31.gxf6+
Nxf6 Kramnik's
sense of danger is phenomenal! He is clearly foreseeing his
opponent's threats.
[Here is one of the disaster variations
he has managed to avoid:
31...gxf6
32.Rh1
Ned6
33.Nxd6
Kxd6
34.Rh7
Rf8
35.Bh5
Ke7
36.f5! and
Black is caught in a steel trap.]
32.Rg1 Unfortunately, everything comes at a price. For not allowing the White
rook onto h7, Vladimir has had to noticeably weaken his pawn position...
32...Rg8 However, the weak pawn is securely defended for the time being. With
his last move Balck has created the positional threat 33...g5! Naturally,
such a pawn exchange would be very helpful for him.
33.Rg6 Mechanically preventing his opponent's idea . White continues to exert
unpleasant pressure on Black's position. There won't be any serious
time pressure: 0.29h - 0.26h.
33...Bb7 An unexpected decision. The square b5 is now available to a White
knight, and on top of that White gets an extra tempo for organising his
attack.
[It was tempting to move his knight in the
manner of a pendulum:
33...Nh8 and after
any retreat of the rook - 33...Nf7.]
34.a4 And so
the attacking front is broadened.
[The move
34.Bd3 ,
looked strong here. It defends the pawn on e4 and prepares
the same thrust Nc3-b5!]
34...Nh8 One cannot
tolerate such an unpleasant White piece forever.
35.Rg1
Nf7 For the second time Black threatens to play g7-g5. Topalov is clearly
not interested in a repetition of moves. Therefore he must choose the
direction and method of attack: 36.a6 or 36.e5.
36.a5 The decision is made. White allows simplification on one side of the
board, but at the same time he creates complications on the other side.
[Let's have a look at the
other variation:
36.e5
Nd5+
37.Nxd5+
Bxd5
38.Kd4!?
g5
39.f5!
Rh8
40.f6+
Kf8
41.Ne3 -
here it seems Black still has a few
problems.]
36...g5 Of course!
Black rids himself of his weakness.
37.fxg5
[Black's defences would also hold after
37.Ra1
gxf4+
38.Kxf4
Nd7
39.axb6
axb6
40.Ra7
Rb8 etc.]
37...Rxg5
38.Rxg5
Nxg5 Now the
pawn on b6 can be taken, but then the pawn on e4 falls as
well. The position is simplifying towards equality. After the exchange of
rooks the tension has noticeably decreased.
39.e5 Keeping
a pawn on the board for both sides. Veselin is obviously
intending to play his knight to b5 next move. However, Black has a defence
in all variations... Meanwhile, the head-to-head struggle between future
champions (Karjakin-Carlsen) has ended in a draw.
39...Nd7 It is hard
to see what Kramnik was thinking about for so long.
[Clearly bad was
39...Nd5+ in view of
40.Nxd5+
Bxd5
(40...exd5
41.Nd6!)
41.axb6
Bxc4
42.b7! and wins.]
40.Nd6 Ah,
I didn't pick up on that! Veselin makes a last attempt to confuse
his opponent. Now Vladimir is obliged to find and play the elegant move
40...Bf3!! All other continuations lead to a serious advantage for White,
who can advance his pawn to a6 and then eliminate the barriers on the way to
promotion...
[After
40.Nb5 Black
secures equality with
40...bxa5!
41.Nxa7
Bd5]
40...Bf3! He
found it! If the bishops are exchanged a White pawn on a6 will be
without a defender and sponsor. And as we have already noted, 40...Bg2 is no
good because of 41.a6! Time control has now been reached. Black has
excellent chances of making a draw. There are very few pawns left on the
board... Let's take a moment to study the situation. Navara has a huge
advantage in his game with Ponomariov. Radjabov has seized the initiative
and worked up serious pressure on Motylev's defences... And I can add that
he has already won! So in case of a draw in today's main encounter, which is
very likely, Radjabov will move into a tie with Topalov! And in the last
round they will be playing each other... Shirov has a very dubious-looking
position in his game with Aronian. It is possible that Levon has let a
couple of good opportunities go by, but his advantage is still obvious.
[As already noted, bad is
40...Bg2 in view of
41.a6!]
41.axb6
[Not winning a piece is:
41.Bxf3
Nxf3
42.Kxf3
(42.Nc8+
Kd8)
42...Nxe5+
43.Ke4
Kxd6
44.Nb5+
Kc5
and in all variations Black
miraculously saves himself with his own counterattack. ]
[And on
41.a6 he would
play
41...Bxe2
42.Kxe2
Nc5!
, eliminating the dangerous White foot soldier.]
41...axb6
42.Bxf3 The series of exchanges is taking the game closer to its logical
outcome... Navara has won against Ponomariov and seriously improved his
standing.
42...Nxf3
43.Nc8+ There is no
escape from here.
43...Kd8
44.Kxf3
Nxe5+ The most exact
way of ending the struggle.
45.Ke4
Nc4 White
simply runs out of pawns. Veselin is spending a lot of time
studying this boring position. Such a pity to let his opponent get away!
46.Kd4 The
expected signing of the peace treaty has not materialised.
Topalov is going to continue the struggle...
46...Nxb2
47.Nxb6
Kc7 White cannot
track down and capture the Black knight.
48.Nc4
Nxc4
49.Kxc4 DRAW!
This was an interesting struggle between two equal opponents. Topalov
had the advantage throughout the game, but Kramnik defended himself very
accurately. In this latest encounter between supergrandmasters, the shield
proved to be mightier than the sword. The last game of the day is the one
between Shirov and Aronian, in which Black's winning chances are very
substantial. It is quite possible that in the last round there will be three
players tied for first. And with this, I, grandmaster Sergei Shipov, bid you
farewell, dear readers! Tomorrow at 14:30h Moscow time (an hour earlier than
usual!) the last round will begin. I will be commenting on the game
Radjabov-Topalov for you. Thank you for joining us. Until tomorrow!
[Translated from Russian by Dan Scoones.]