Topalov, Veselin (2804) - Ponomariov, Ruslan (2738)
Sofia MTel Masters 2nd (Sofia), 05/19/2006
Round 8 [Marin,M]

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 O-O 8.h3 Bb7 9.d3 d6 10.a4

Na5 Topalov had already some previous experience with this position. Although played quite differently in those games, White employed the same queen side plan as in the present game.

[10...h6 11.Bd2 b4 12.c3 a5 13.d4 bxc3 14.Bxc3! Instead of maintaining the flexibility of his structure, White aims for rapid activation of pieces.
14...exd4 15.Nxd4 Nxd4 16.Qxd4 Topalov,V (2757)-Grischuk,A (2710)/Wijk aan Zee 2005/CBM 105]

[10...Nb8 11.axb5 axb5 12.Rxa8 Bxa8 13.Na3 c6 14.c4 Once again ruining his pawn structure, followed by the transfer of the bishop to c3.
14...bxc4 15.Nxc4 Nbd7 16.Bd2 Re8 17.Qc2 Bf8 18.Ba2 Qb8 19.Bc3 Topalov,V (2801) -Ivanchuk,V (2729)/Morelia/Linares 2006 with complicated, balanced, fight.]

11.Ba2 c5 12.Nbd2

Nd7

[12...Bc8 was tried in Anand,V (2803)-Svidler,P (2743)/Sofia 2006]

[Soon after the M-Tel tournament, the following game was played, in which Black delayed for one move the trabsfer of the bishop to e6, possibly waiting for White to define his intentions:
12...Qc7 13.Nf1 Bc8 14.Bd2

(More to the point seem to be
14.Ne3!?)

(or 14.Bg5!? fighting for the d5-square.)

14...b4 15.c3 bxc3 16.Bxc3 Nc6 17.Ne3 Rb8 18.Nh2 Be6 19.Nhg4 Nxg4 20.hxg4 Bg5 Amonatov,F (2569)-Beliavsky,A (2622)/Turin Ol 2006]

13.Nf1 Nb6 14.Bd2 b4 15.c3 bxc3 16.Bxc3 Same pattern again. In the long run, Topalov intends to concentrate his pieces against the enemy king.
16...Nc6 In the next phase of the game, both sides will manoeuvre with their pieces in such a way that they take under control the numerous important squares made available after the structural modifications. Besides, White will aim to open the long dark diagonal by means of f4.

17.a5 Nc8 18.Ne3 N8a7

19.Nf5 This is a high ly commital move, revealing Topalov's intentions to play everything on one single cart: a king side attack. However, after this knight jump, White's position loses part of its harmony.

[More natural looks to be
19.Nd2 Nb5 20.Ndc4 Rb8 21.Nb6 taking the numerous weak squares under control. True, the weaknesses from the own camp are also under black control, which causes the position to be more or less equal.]

19...Bc8 20.Nd2 Rb8 21.f4 Bxf5 22.exf5 exf4 23.Qg4 Nd4 24.Ne4 Nab5

25.Bd2 Of course, Topalov is not the kind of player to be afraid of "losing" an exchange after the fork on c2. According to the terminology instituted by Rudolf Spielmann (the last of the romantic platers, as he was frequently named) this is a passive sacrifice. White does not force, but allows his opponent to win the exchange. Although his compensation will prove to be insufficient, the position will be rather difficult to handle over-the-board, which will cause Ponomariov to lose control.
25...Nc2 26.Bxf4 Kh8 27.Qh5 Nxe1

[27...Nxa1 28.Rxa1 Nd4]

28.Rxe1 Qxa5 29.Ra1 The only way to defend both attacked pieces, which, if underestimated, could become a very dangerous attacking move at the same time.

29...Rbd8?

[29...f6 looks like a relatively safe way to parry White's incipient threats.
30.Kh2 ... 31.Bg8!
30...d5 31.Bxb8 Rxb8 (Poldauf/Schach 7-2006)]

30.f6?

[30.Kh2! (Poldauf) 30...Qc7

(30...d5 31.Bxd5! Qxa1 32.f6 gxf6 (32...Qf1 33.fxg7+ Kxg7 34.Bh6+ Kh8 35.Qe5+) 33.Ng5 fxg5 34.Be5+ f6 35.Be4)

(30...Nd4? 31.Bxf7! Qxa1 32.Bg6 h6 33.Bxh6)

31.Bxf7 Rxf7 32.Qxf7 Rf8 33.Qd5 (Poldauf)]

30...gxf6 This is the correct way to capture.

[30...Bxf6? 31.Nxf6 gxf6 32.Qh6 Qb4

(32...Rg8 33.Qxf6+ Rg7 34.Bh6 Rdg8 35.Bxf7)

33.Qxf6+ Kg8 and now,
34.Bc4! prevents ...Qd4 and threatens Bh6 followed by mate.]

31.Kh2! Removing the king from the exposed g1-square, White threatens 32.Bxf7 Qxa1 32. Bg6.

31...d5? This natural move is the decisive mistake in fact. Black had several reasonable continuations at his disposal.

[31...Nd4 32.Bxf7 Qxa1 33.Bg6 Rf7 34.Bxf7 Qf1 35.Bg6

(35.Be3 Qf5)

35...Qxf4+ 36.g3 Nf3+ 37.Kg2 Ne1+ 38.Kh2]

[31...Qc7 32.Bxf7 f5 33.Rxa6 Rxf7

(33...fxe4 34.Be5+ dxe5 35.Rh6)

34.Qxf7 Rf8 35.Nxd6 Bxd6

(35...Nxd6? 36.Be5+)

36.Qxf8+ Bxf8 37.Bxc7 Nxc7 38.Rf6]

[Possibly best would have ben
31...Rg8!? when it is hard to suggest an efficient way of continuing the attack for White.]

32.Nxf6 Bxf6

33.d4!! A brilliant move, turning the tables to White's favour. The threat Bb1 can be parried only by sacrificing the queen.
33...Qxa2 34.Rxa2 Nxd4 Black has some hopes to build up a fortress, but White's energetic play demolishes his plan little by little.
35.b4! Ne6

[35...cxb4 loses material to
36.Be5]

36.Be5 Bg7 37.bxc5 Rc8 38.Bd6 Rfd8

39.Ra5 Kg8 40.Rxa6 Rd7 41.Qxd5 Bf8 42.Qf3 Bxd6+ 43.cxd6 Rcd8 44.Qd5 Ng7 45.Ra8 Ne6 46.Rxd8+ Rxd8

47.g4 Black's fortress cannot last for tyoo long, because his king's position is too weak.
47...h6 48.h4 Rb8 49.Kg3 Re8 50.Kf3 Nf8 51.Qd2 Kg7 52.Qd4+ Kg8 53.Qf6

Re6 54.Qe7 Kg7 55.Qc7 Kg8 56.d7 Nxd7 57.Qxd7 Kg7 58.Qd4+ Kg8 59.Kf4 Rg6 60.Kf5 Re6 61.Qd7 Threatening Qxe6, which would transpose to a winning pawn ending.
61...Rg6 62.h5 Rg5+ 63.Kf6 Kh8

64.Qe8+ Rg8 65.Kxf7

1-0

Created with PGNtoJS

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 O-O 8.h3 Bb7 9.d3 d6 10.a4 Na5 Topalov had already some previous experience with this position. Although played quite differently in those games, White employed the same queen side plan as in the present game.
	[10...h6 11.Bd2 b4 12.c3 a5 13.d4 bxc3 14.Bxc3! Instead of maintaining the flexibility of his structure, White aims for rapid activation of pieces. 14...exd4 15.Nxd4 Nxd4 16.Qxd4 Topalov,V (2757)-Grischuk,A (2710)/Wijk aan Zee 2005/CBM 105]

	[10...Nb8 11.axb5 axb5 12.Rxa8 Bxa8 13.Na3 c6 14.c4 Once again ruining his pawn structure, followed by the transfer of the bishop to c3. 14...bxc4 15.Nxc4 Nbd7 16.Bd2 Re8 17.Qc2 Bf8 18.Ba2 Qb8 19.Bc3 Topalov,V (2801) -Ivanchuk,V (2729)/Morelia/Linares 2006 with complicated, balanced, fight.]
11.Ba2 c5 12.Nbd2 Nd7
	[12...Bc8 was tried in Anand,V (2803)-Svidler,P (2743)/Sofia 2006]

	[Soon after the M-Tel tournament, the following game was played, in which Black delayed for one move the trabsfer of the bishop to e6, possibly waiting for White to define his intentions: 12...Qc7 13.Nf1 Bc8 14.Bd2
		(More to the point seem to be 14.Ne3!?)

		(or 14.Bg5!? fighting for the d5-square.)
	14...b4 15.c3 bxc3 16.Bxc3 Nc6 17.Ne3 Rb8 18.Nh2 Be6 19.Nhg4 Nxg4 20.hxg4 Bg5 Amonatov,F (2569)-Beliavsky,A (2622)/Turin Ol 2006]
13.Nf1 Nb6 14.Bd2 b4 15.c3 bxc3 16.Bxc3 Same pattern again. In the long run, Topalov intends to concentrate his pieces against the enemy king. 16...Nc6 In the next phase of the game, both sides will manoeuvre with their pieces in such a way that they take under control the numerous important squares made available after the structural modifications. Besides, White will aim to open the long dark diagonal by means of f4. 17.a5 Nc8 18.Ne3 N8a7 19.Nf5 This is a high ly commital move, revealing Topalov's intentions to play everything on one single cart: a king side attack. However, after this knight jump, White's position loses part of its harmony.
	[More natural looks to be 19.Nd2 Nb5 20.Ndc4 Rb8 21.Nb6 taking the numerous weak squares under control. True, the weaknesses from the own camp are also under black control, which causes the position to be more or less equal.]
19...Bc8 20.Nd2 Rb8 21.f4 Bxf5 22.exf5 exf4 23.Qg4 Nd4 24.Ne4 Nab5 25.Bd2 Of course, Topalov is not the kind of player to be afraid of "losing" an exchange after the fork on c2. According to the terminology instituted by Rudolf Spielmann (the last of the romantic platers, as he was frequently named) this is a passive sacrifice. White does not force, but allows his opponent to win the exchange. Although his compensation will prove to be insufficient, the position will be rather difficult to handle over-the-board, which will cause Ponomariov to lose control. 25...Nc2 26.Bxf4 Kh8 27.Qh5 Nxe1
	[27...Nxa1 28.Rxa1 Nd4]
28.Rxe1 Qxa5 29.Ra1 The only way to defend both attacked pieces, which, if underestimated, could become a very dangerous attacking move at the same time. 29...Rbd8?
	[29...f6 looks like a relatively safe way to parry White's incipient threats. 30.Kh2 ... 31.Bg8! 30...d5 31.Bxb8 Rxb8 (Poldauf/Schach 7-2006)]
30.f6?
	[30.Kh2! (Poldauf) 30...Qc7
		(30...d5 31.Bxd5! Qxa1 32.f6 gxf6 (32...Qf1 33.fxg7+ Kxg7 34.Bh6+ Kh8 35.Qe5+) 33.Ng5 fxg5 34.Be5+ f6 35.Be4)

		(30...Nd4? 31.Bxf7! Qxa1 32.Bg6 h6 33.Bxh6)
	31.Bxf7 Rxf7 32.Qxf7 Rf8 33.Qd5 (Poldauf)]
30...gxf6 This is the correct way to capture.
	[30...Bxf6? 31.Nxf6 gxf6 32.Qh6 Qb4
		(32...Rg8 33.Qxf6+ Rg7 34.Bh6 Rdg8 35.Bxf7)
	33.Qxf6+ Kg8 and now, 34.Bc4! prevents ...Qd4 and threatens Bh6 followed by mate.]
31.Kh2! Removing the king from the exposed g1-square, White threatens 32.Bxf7 Qxa1 32. Bg6. 31...d5? This natural move is the decisive mistake in fact. Black had several reasonable continuations at his disposal.
	[31...Nd4 32.Bxf7 Qxa1 33.Bg6 Rf7 34.Bxf7 Qf1 35.Bg6
		(35.Be3 Qf5)
	35...Qxf4+ 36.g3 Nf3+ 37.Kg2 Ne1+ 38.Kh2]

	[31...Qc7 32.Bxf7 f5 33.Rxa6 Rxf7
		(33...fxe4 34.Be5+ dxe5 35.Rh6)
	34.Qxf7 Rf8 35.Nxd6 Bxd6
		(35...Nxd6? 36.Be5+)
	36.Qxf8+ Bxf8 37.Bxc7 Nxc7 38.Rf6]

	[Possibly best would have ben 31...Rg8!? when it is hard to suggest an efficient way of continuing the attack for White.]
32.Nxf6 Bxf6 33.d4!! A brilliant move, turning the tables to White's favour. The threat Bb1 can be parried only by sacrificing the queen. 33...Qxa2 34.Rxa2 Nxd4 Black has some hopes to build up a fortress, but White's energetic play demolishes his plan little by little. 35.b4! Ne6
	[35...cxb4 loses material to 36.Be5]
36.Be5 Bg7 37.bxc5 Rc8 38.Bd6 Rfd8 39.Ra5 Kg8 40.Rxa6 Rd7 41.Qxd5 Bf8 42.Qf3 Bxd6+ 43.cxd6 Rcd8 44.Qd5 Ng7 45.Ra8 Ne6 46.Rxd8+ Rxd8 47.g4 Black's fortress cannot last for tyoo long, because his king's position is too weak. 47...h6 48.h4 Rb8 49.Kg3 Re8 50.Kf3 Nf8 51.Qd2 Kg7 52.Qd4+ Kg8 53.Qf6 Re6 54.Qe7 Kg7 55.Qc7 Kg8 56.d7 Nxd7 57.Qxd7 Kg7 58.Qd4+ Kg8 59.Kf4 Rg6 60.Kf5 Re6 61.Qd7 Threatening Qxe6, which would transpose to a winning pawn ending. 61...Rg6 62.h5 Rg5+ 63.Kf6 Kh8 64.Qe8+ Rg8 65.Kxf7 1-0