Artwork by Mike Magnan
I am told that some people cannot see the LIVE commentary on IE. This is why I am moving the text to this new post. Perhaps it will help. Please let me know if the IE users can see the commentary now. FYI, I use the firefox browser to do the commentary. I find it faster and more reliable than IE.
Veselin Topalov – Vishy Anand
World Championship game 12
1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 Be7 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bh4 O-O 7. e3 Ne4 This is not the most popular line for Black but as a surprised weapon for one game, it can be effective as Anand needs to hold this game.
8. Bxe7 Qxe7 9. Rc1 We have the Queen’s Gambit declined for the first time in this match. It looks like Anand is choosing something safe for most chances to hold.
9…c6 10. Be2 Nxc3 11. Rxc3 dxc4 12. Bxc4 We are still in opening book. This is a relatively safe opening for Black.
12….Nd7 13. 0-0 b6 14. Bd3 c5 The idea for Black is simple. He wants to have a symmetrical pawn structure. White still has a small advantage due to space advantage.
15. Be4 Rb8 I know many players who play this line as Black. It is very difficult to win this type of position as White. White’s temporary space and piece development advantage will evaporate soon. Here is a possible line: 17. dxc5 Nxe4 18. Qxe4 bxc5 19. Qc2 Bb7 20. Nd2 Rfd8 21. Nb3 c4 22. Rxc4 Ba6 23. Rc7 Rbc8 24. Rxe7 Rxc2 =. This is also equal: 17. dxc5 Nxe4 18. Qxe4 bxc5 19. b3 Bb7 20. Qf4 Rfd8 =
16. Qc2 Nf6 The reason why Anand cannot simply play cxd4 is because of the following: 16… cxd4 17. Nxd4 Bb7 18. Rc7 +/-
17. dxc5 Nxe4 18. Qxe4 bxc5 Now that Topalov is able to avoid the symmetrical pawn structure, his main target will be the c5 pawn.
19. Qc2 Bb7 White retreats his Queen behind the Rook to put more pressure on the c pawn. Now is not the time for Black to play passively. Anand indirectly defends the c5 pawn with Bb7. If 20. Rxc5 then Bxf3 21. gxf3 Rxb2 22. Qxb2 Qxc5 =+
It is very clear that Anand and his team have prepared this very practical and safe line. It is a wise choice not to take any chances to send this match to the rapid playoff.
20. Nd2 Topalov is following the idea I previously mention back in move 15. He is doing the best he can to keep the remaining pieces on the board, stabilize the Kingside, then continue to put more pressure on the c5 pawn. This is his only chance, as slim as it may be, to win.
20…Rfd8 If this game ends with a draw, I think Anand will have a small edge in the rapid playoff.
21. f3 The idea is to block the effectiveness of Black’s b7 Bishop. Then he can re-focus on the c5 pawn. Anand will try not give Topalov time to do that. 21…Qg5 is possible right now.
21…Ba6 This is OK too. Anand spent a considerable amount of time for this move. He understands that is he fails to keep White busy, he will have a problem holding on to the c pawn and that can mean the game. White should put his f1 Rook on c1.
22. Rf2 This is an odd choice for Topalov. The problem is Anand can mount his pieces on the d file to go after the Knight as White may face back rank problem. I like 22. Rc1 a lot better.
22…Rd7 Following the plan of doubling up the Rooks on the d file. In my opinion, the position is equal.
23. g3 Topalov is creating a bubble for his King. Once he can neutralize Anand’s threats, he can then turn his focus back on the c5 pawn which is going nowhere. Both players understand the huge importance of this game. Therefore, they are very patient so far.
Here is an interesting question from one of the bloggers following the LIVE commentary:
The amount of sleeping hours differ from game to game. I know some players like to read to relax. Some like to watch TV. Many do like to take leisure walks. Some play tennis or swim. It is the seconds who have to work the hardest between games.
23…Rbd8 Following the plan.
24. Kg2
Here is another interesting question: “Do you agree that in case of a draw the champion is still a champion? Is it what Kasparov thinks? How do they fix the total number of matches?”
I do not think the old system which a champion sat and waited every 3-4 years for a challenger then retain the title if he / she can tie the match is fair. I also do not like 12 games. I think it is too short. I would prefer to see 14-16 games. I have many ideas about this and other important chess issues such as chess in education, women’s chess, college chess, professional chess, and chess expansion, etc. I will present them directly to FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov in the near future. In fact, there will be a press release about it probably today.
24…Bd3 25. Qc1 Nothing has changed so far. White is still focusing on the c5 pawn.
Sorry but I do not have any explanation as to why it did not work on Internet Explorer before. Thanks for letting me know the problem. I hope it is OK for everyone now.
I personally find this game exciting. There is very little going on other than the c5 pawn. One will do everything possible to go after it which could mean a victory while the other one will do everything to either defend it or deflect it with counter threats elsewhere. The self imposed Sofia rule by Topalov gives the fans a chance to see more endgames rather than 20-25 move draw in equal positions.
Even though the position is equal, it is a little easier to play with Topalov’s position. He knows exactly what he needs to do. There is a concrete target to aim for.
25…Ba6 Here is an interesting line: 26. Ne4 Rd1 27. Qc2 f5 28. Nd2 Re1 29. Rxc5 Rxe3 30. Rc7 Rd7 =
26. Ra3 = If 26. Rxc5 Rxd2 27. Rxd2 Rxd2+ 28. Qxd2 Qxc5 and Black wins.
26…Bb7 White obviously cannot play 27. Rxa7 because of the discovery with Bxf3+. However, Topalov can play 27. Nb3 now. The battle for the c pawn continues.
27. Nb3 Rc7 Perhaps 28. Rc2 next. 28. e4 is also interesting because 29. Rxa7 is a real threat since there is no longer any discovery check.
28. Na5 Topalov wants to trade for Black’s Bishop. Anand should not allow this trade as it would be more difficult for Black without the Bishop.
28…Ba8 A curious move by Anand. Yes, he wants to keep his Bishop. Yes, he wants to keep his Bishop on the h1 – a8 diagonal. Even though it is not a blunder, this is still an unexpected move. Topalov can bring his Rook back to c3 now.
29. Nc4 e5 Anand cannot just sit back and allow Topalov to make a big play for his c5 pawn. He must continue to put pressure on the Kingside.
More questions from the fans:
– Do you think Anand would be a strong favorite in the rapid event if this game is drawn and a tie break happens?
I think Anand would be a slight favorite but not strong favorite. Anything can happen in rapid or blitz games.
– What do the player’s seconds do exactly just before SUCH a big game, I mean the players (Anand, Topalov) are bigger than the seconds and have much more experience. Isn’t just a expert computer analyst sufficient ?
Seconds will have very little sleep during a world championship, especially the last few games. They have to work on new idea based on the match score and earlier game results. Computers can help make this process faster and more accurate but computer analysis alone would be disastrous as computers cannot understand the scope of the match, the psychology / style / strengths / weaknesses of the opponent.
30. e4 Black must play f5 now or else White will play Ne3 with a good advantage.
30…f5 Topalov must be careful here. Anand wants to open up the Kingside, especially the h1 – a8 diagonal. Perhaps 31. Nd2 is needed.
31. exf5? This is very dangerous. Anand can play 31…e4 now with serious threats.
31…e4 32. fxe4? This is looking very bad for White now. We may not go to the playoff after all. 32…Qxe4 and Black has a strong attack. This is almost over. 32…Qxe4+ 33. Kh3 Rd4 34. Ne3 Qe8 35. g4 h5 -+
32…Qxe4 33. Kh3 It is all in Anand’s hands now. He will win this match and retain his title if he continues correctly.
33…Rd4 So far so good.
34. Ne3 I don’t think Topalov saw 34….Qe8 here which gives Black a win. I think he missed it.
If Anand wins this game, I will post my final comments about the match as well as bring you the information about the closing ceremony. Please be sure to check back to the final wrap up.
34…Qe8 This is the key move and Anand found it. If 35. g4 then h5 -+ It is just about over.
35. g4 h5 Anand is like a Tiger smelling blood. He feels it. He knows that the World Championship is in his hands now. This is a shocking ending! 31. exf5 and 32. fxe4 are 2 horrendously bad moves.
36. Kh4 The King cannot possibly survive this. 36…Qd8+ is the quickest way to close out this game.
36…g5+ This is not the most accurate continuation for Anand. 36…Qd8 would have been much more decisive.
37. fxg6 Black should still win this but it is more difficult than the previous suggestion. This is the winning path for Anand: 38. Qf1 Rxg4+ 39. Kh3 Re7 -+
37…Qxg6 38. Qf1 This is perhaps one of the biggest blunders in the final game of a world championship match. I am still stunned that Topalov did not sense any danger whatsoever by opening up the h1 – a8 diagonal.
38…Rxg4+ This is the final hurdle for Anand and he found it.
39. Kh3 Now 30…Re7 and it is basically hopeless for White.
39…Re7 Here are a few possible lines: 40. Qd1 Rd4 41. Nf5 Qxf5+ 42. Rxf5 Rxd1 43. Rxh5 Rg7 44. Rg3 Bd5 -+ or 40. Rf8+ Kh7 41. Rh8+ Kxh8 42. Qf8+ Qg8 43. Qh6+ Rh7 44. Qf6+ Rhg7 45. Qh6+ Qh7 46. Qxh7+ Kxh7 47. Nxg4 hxg4+ -+ Everything looks bad for Topalov.
40. Rf8+ The last hope for Topalov is for Anand to play 40… Kg7 41. Nf5+ Kh7 42. Rg3. However, after the game, I went through this line deeper and it was lost for Topalov anyway.
40…Kg7 Although 40…Kh7 is a cleaner and more precise, 40…Kg7 also wins after I looked at it again 41. Nf5+ Kh7 42. Rg3 Rxg3+ 43. hxg3 Qg4+ 44. Kh2 Re2+ 45. Kg1 Rg2+ 46. Qxg2 Bxg2 47. Rf7+ -+
41. Nf5+ Kh7 42. Rg3 Rxg3+ 43. hxg3 Qg4+ 44. Kh2 Re2+ 45. Kg1 Rg2+ 46. Qxg2 Bxg2 47. Kxg2 Another option is 47. Rf7+ but Anand can still win with this: 47… Kg6 is a must move 48. Rg7+ Kxf5 49. Rxg4 hxg4 50. Kxg2 Ke4 51. Kf2 Kd3 -+
47…Qe2+ 48. Kh3 This is now completely hopeless for Topalov. Rook and Knight cannot hold this position. Now a simple 48…c4 wins.
48…c4 The final game usually comes down to nerve as we can see today. In this game, Anand was more composed. Even though both sides made mistakes, Topalov was making more and bigger ones and this costs him the game.
49. a4 a5 50. Rf6 Anand’s advantage is overwhelming.
50…Kg8 Topalov’s chances to hold are very slim. Anand has plenty of time and I think the dangerous tactics are now behind him. Now it is simply a matter of technique.
51. Nh6+ Kg7 52. Rb6 Qe4 53. Kh2 Now Anand can simply get his Queen behind the b2 pawn then push c3. For example: 53…Qc2+ 54. Kh3 Qb1 -+
53…Kh7 Topalov has no practical chances to hold this position. He is fighting on because it is the final game of the world championship.
54. Rd6 Qe5 If 55. Rb6 then Qd4. I expect Topalov to resign soon as the b pawn will fall.
55. Nf7 Black has no problem with 55…Qxb2+
55..Qxb2+ 56. Kh3 Just about anything other than hanging the Queen is fine.
56…Qg7 Now Topalov will have problems with his Knight and Rook in addition to the c passed pawn. Time to resign.
Topalov resigns. Congratulations to Anand for successfully defending his title. It has been an interesting match.
Over 140,500 people joined us today for the final game. This is an all time record for this LIVE commentary. I would like to thank everyone for joining us today and for the entire match. There have been plenty of ups and downs for both players but Anand’s nerve was stronger at the end.
I will bring you my final wrap up as well as additional information on the closing ceremony by tomorrow. Be sure to check in for that. Don’t forget to solve the daily chess puzzles on this blog! It will help you become better in chess 🙂
http://www.getfirefox.com
and *all* your problems are solved! (not just the ones to access this website.)
Susan,
Do staunch opponents [like Kasparov and Karpov] chat with each other informally when they [if they] meet in parties, or is it a “war” out there? I read that Topalov said he wouldn’t talk to Anand, though I don’t know the context and the reason why he said. I tend to think of chess as a sport… what do you GMs think?
Regards
Nat
In team sports its fine to have the champion team participate in events to decide the new champion. But chess is an individual game and also the champion decided by tournament format is not considered as a true champion.
Susan, it didn’t work on Safari either, I wrote you a message on twitter…
Using Camino now, it works.
yup it works on IE as well now! Thanks Susan.
I Think if Anand can continue the momentum he has very good chance
@Anonymous: You really think it was a problem? I use safari and I didn’t see any commentary. I think it was a good way to get attention to all the good work she is doing. Hey this is her blog, she can do what she likes 🙂
Post Qc1 there’s silence here as well as on Chessdom. Hoping more insights are forthcoming!
The last post wasn’t visible on the google chrome browser either. This one is fine.
Do you agree that it is a sad comment on chess – that the reigning champion has been playing safe, for at least half of this match, seemingly wanting to become world champion at classic chess by winning rapid games?
Trefor 5D
The game looks interesting now. Is Anand thinking of new possibilities? Now he has taken about more than 10 min. for his next move. Self imposed Sofia rules is fine. How can it be imposed on Anand who is after all the FIDE world champion.
I have posted before that I don’t think that draws should be allowed at the championship level. I would prefer a version of the “sudden death” arrangement that football has for ties. The players should play a blitz game at the end of a drawn match to determine who gets the point. Playing for a tie is bogus!
I can see the moves at IE now, but I could´nt before (I then used Firefox insteed)
Susan, I am using Google Chrome. And I also had problems with refreshing your page until a few minutes ago. I thought you went AWOL 🙂 Glad to see you here.
I can now see this file on Safari. The other file wasn’t working. Thanks!
I’m following the match on ChessBomb, btw
@Lynn Green: Draw are a natural part of chess and there is nothing “bogus” about trying to equalize and striving for a draw as black.
By the way, in this match we haven’t seen typically drawish behaviour, in fact we got 4 wins out of 11 games.
Interesting that Anand prefer 26.-,Bb7 over 26.-,Bd3 (possible repition of moves). Is he playing for a win or is he satisfied with a draw? That is the question.
It funny how people are attributing the problem to the browser, either IE or Firefox. I use Chrome and I too faced the problem initially before I go to the right link, which is when i realized what the root cause was — there are two different links, one is http://susanpolgar.blogspot.com/2010/05/topalov-anand-g12-live-commentary.html (the wrong one), and the other one is http://susanpolgar.blogspot.com/2010/05/world-championship-final-game-live.html (the right one). Those who have gone through google are being directed to the wrong link and those who have landed on Susan’s homepage are being directed to the right one. Susan if you can rectify by having the link g12-live-commentary also reflect the above commentary you should be able to solve the problem.
Cheers,
Umakant
Dear Susan,
Could you explain why not 26. Rxc5
instead of 26. Ra3
A.T.
This comment has been removed by the author.
I really liked 25…Qg5 to force white to weaken his kingside pawns, or capture c5. What do you think of that susan?
If 26. Rxc5 Rxd2 27. Rxd2 Rxd2+ 28. Qxd2 Qxc5 and Black wins.
Hi everyone, I am new to chess; just trying to understand it; I know the rules but can any one send a link depicting the numbers and letters on the chess board? for example which square is Na5, etc ..apologies for the very basic question…help appreciated
is g5-g4 a good idea or simply stupid?
Hi Susan,
Thanks a lot for the brilliant commentary.
Hi Susan,
2 Questions – Please answer
*Do you think Anand would be a strong favorite in the rapid event if this game is drawn and a tie break happens ?
* What do the player’s seconds do exactly just before SUCH a big game, I mean the players ( Anand, Topalov ) are bigger than the seconds and have much more experience. Isn’t just a expert computer analyst sufficient ?
Many people say that Topalov title wasn’t a true one because he earned it in a tournament. But in that case, it means that all the champions are not the true champions since Botvinnik earned it in a tournament as well. And his followers gained the title from someone who had not really got it !
And Anand also earned it once in a Cup and another time in a tournament.
So Topalov’s title is perfectly lawful !
But you cannot say the same thing of Kramnik who deliberately accepted a match even if he had lost the candidates final, who never offered a revenge match for Kasparov while he got one from Anand and who refused to play in San Luis !!
Susan, the 29 move is NC4 🙂
How could Topalov play NC3 if his Knight was in a5?
susan
move 29 is Nc4, please correct it
g5 insted of e5 was a legit idea. It might have hinted too much at a perpetual for Anands liking
From Italy with Opera browser. The vision of the comments is perfect. Susan thanks and greetings to all fans of online chess following you.
Susan, yesterday, I borrowed your book “A World Champions Guide to Chess” (with Paul Truong) from the library. I am so eager to start the lessons.
In all the sports, people want two teams to compete or two people to compete. In football, even though preliminary matches are in round-robin, people want to see the finals (and semi-finals).
It will be good to have tournament to decide finalist (or semi-finalist) and championship matches to decide the winner.
Oh wow! How can exf5 ever be the right move? I don’t understand!
Susan:
First off all, your comments are very clear and didactic.
They are full of chess concepts.
A commentary/question:
Anands strategy for this games seems to be:
“choose a safe opening for black to avoid loosing the game and
let topalov to take the risks if he wants to play for a win”
It seems an intelligent choice considering this two facts:
a) anand should be confortable playing with faster controls.” The Madras Express !”
b) topalov sychology seems to indicate that he would try to take some risks to win this game with white and avoid de rapid ones
From Montevideo Uruguay
Fernando
What a game… A real storm now.
Susan, do you know who all are putting in effort as seconds for Anand and Topalov?
Topalov better have something up his sleeve because he seems to have blundered a bit taking at f5. His king is badly exposed.
Susan,
I have a follow-up to the International Patzer post, ha ha… If the self-imposed Sofia rule requires complete silence, does Topalov say “check” when he puts Anand’s King in check? Is this a requirement at that level? Also, at their level, what happens if they make an illegal move, like not protecting a King in check. Do they lose automatically, or does the arbiter roll the move and the clock back? Or does the other player just take the checked King?
Was not the last 2 moves from Topalov a blunder? He has open the strong bishop diagonal …..
Anand is a pawn down. Topa has a huge advantage now. His extra pawn will become a queen.
susan
how it ‘s possible?, topa do a big mistake is this game. is he Patient finally?
Like they say: “Topalov jumped from the pan into the fire”. I bet one month of my wage that Vishy wins this game.
We can almost already congratulate Anand with the WM title for at least 3 more years 🙂
I think it is over. Unless Anand blunders back, his attack is going to leave him with a decisive edge. Did Topalov overlook the weak back rank?
Topalov’s knight is a very powerful defensive piece. Topalov will beat off Anand’s attack and remain a pawn up in a won endgame.
I’ve seen may commentaries saying Topa missed Qe8. That’s a bit deceiving since g5 also wins convincingly in that position!
I was right! In the last game, I commented that Anand was happy with a draw in that game, planning to win the final game with black.
What a prediction on 32. fxe4! Although it seems like Black has a strong attack with White’s king exposed, it is so difficult for average players to figure out the correct continuation. And look at Susan : 32…Qxe4+ 33. Kh3 Rd4 34. Ne3 Qe8.. and that too in a flash. Plain awesome! I still wonder how you guys (world class players) do this..
what about Rf3 for white?
Susan, so when Topalov played exf5 he hadn’t seen the move Qe8? How come did he make such a big mistake…
Great for Anand, if he wins it will be the first game of the match won by Black! 🙂
It is over. Anand is moving too fast not to have this calculated out to the end.
The best man won 🙂
Hello everybody!
Looks like Anand has wrapped it up…I was looking at the position and could not understand why Topa took the pawn with the long range bishop gunning for his king???
TOPALOV will never be world champion…
(ahah)
Next match: Anand vs. Carlsen!
Anand is still a pawn down. He faces a lost endgame.
Endgame is very complicated…I cannot see a win for Anand yet…
Does anyone here know what the great, almighty engines say? It sure looks like a won position for black, but computers always have a way of finding strange continuations. Like…. Kh4! 😉 very shady position for white. Is it still playable, I wonder?
There will NOT be rapid after all. Topa will win this game.
There is people he saying that Anand is facing a lost endgame, yeah right, except that the white king on h4 wont make it to the endgame. Besides, if Susan says it is over you better believe her.
Susan, one more diagram please!
fxg6 how?
Game over
EAST OR WEST …….ANAND IS THE “BEST”……..Go Vishy Go……smother him….and win the World cup for us.
Maybe Topo should have offered a draw a few moves ago. 😉
It ain’t over till it’s over… Especially in a championship match 🙂
Looks like to me that Topalov might escape to a lost endgame queen rook vs rook, rook, knight- he will be forced to give up the queen for a rook and a bishop, but it is still lost. A pity that Anand missed the quick mating attack. He may have overlooked the pawn at h2 that covers g3. He needs to slow down a bit and finish this off.
38. ….Rg4 plays itself.
Let us not get too far ahead. Anand still has to win 🙂 If Topalov can blunder, so can Anand.
I don’t understand why Vishy doesnt take at least 15 minutes to figure every thing out, he is playing suboptimal moves
ohhh, topa lost the game in a Incredible way!!
wishy wishy wishy !
What is Anand waiting for : 38….Rxg4+
Maybe Topalov hopes Anand will go to the toilet and he can claim a win due to cheating 😀
I am a Topa fan:and if he succeeds winning this game with his king at g6 or e7,I will name my kid after him.
Hi Susan,
Why not 39…Rh4+ instead of Re7?
Anand seems nervous..he might blunder and return the favor…:(
could you please give us the winning line after Qd8?
Thanks
Well… it IS over : )
Anand loses his bishop! rc8 check. Topalov’s counterattack is crushing.
Anand learned that pawn sac idea from Kasparov; remember the Dragon game in the match Anand – Kasparov?
Rh4? Kxh4
Qxg4+??? Nxg4
Sorry If this is noobish and I missed something obvious, but wouldnt queen to g1 be better than f1 as it adds a defender on g4?
39. ….Rf7 is the line I mentioned earlier:
39. ….Rf7
40. Rf7 Bg2
41. Qg2 Rg2
42. Rf3 Rg5 and black should win this easily.
This position resembles one of those where you are chasing a bug with a shoe.
Its just a matter of making sure to squash it good.
Why wouldn’t 39 Rg3+ win?
How about 40.Rf8+ Kh7 41.Rh8+ Kxh8 42.Qf8+ Kh7 43.Qxf7+ ?
why isnt Topalov resigning?
Anon 10:29 – No time to take that bishop …
40. Rf8+ Kh7
41. Rxa1?? Rxe3+
42. Rxe3 Rh4+
43. Kxh4 Qg4, mate
I think 1)rf8+ kg7 followed nf5+ if kxf8 then nh4+ else if 1)…kh7 2)rh8+ kxh8 qf8+ qg8 qxe7+…is there a win for black??
exf5 was a very clever ruse by Topalov to lure Anand to make a desperate ill-fated attack. Topalov plans to win with an unstoppable counterattack.
Anand’s bishop is gone, as I have predicted. Game over.
We must all hail the World Champion ANAND! Long live the king of chess!
what about Qe2 by white?
White defends for the time being
LOL @ Sofia rules, Topalov and Danailov. This is what happens when you act oversmart !
Anand is a one of the greatest of all times and a real Gentleman.
WC 2011 . Anand vs Carlsen.
Bring it on !
Nope nothing is going to help. White has lost the game completely
Topalov is simply too careless to be WC. He has the POTENTIAL but will never realize it.
LMAO! Did Anand not see Nf5+? Jeez. Blunderfest.
Anand blunders with kg7!
Susan, why is 40…Kg7 a blunder?
Nf5+ is not a big threat…Nf5+ Kh7
Rf8+ Kg7 and not Kh7
Rg8+? Kxg8
or
Rf8+ Kg7
Qf6+ Qxf6
Rxf6 Kxf6
Nxg4 hxg4
Kxg4
Black is having only a minor piece up And only 2 pawns left. I know I’m not that good in chess !!!
Nf5 check. And Topa wins! Another 40th move blunder by Anand.
40.-,Kg7 is not a blunder. Black still wins. However 40.-,Kh7 would have been better.
???????
Did Anand mess up with Kg7.
The Knight fork looks bad for Anand.
Anand missed Rg3, amazing!
ow is it a blunder?
40..Kg7 is not a blunder (according to Rybka).
Darn it. I am such a weak player myself, but even I could see the knight going to f5….
Incredible.
Great comment btw!
Incredible ! Too many blunders in this championship .
Did Anand suffer from time pressure to play the 40th move ?
My computer says that in the end even after …Kg7? black wins the pawn endgame… 🙂
True?
i have been supporting anand. Now, i don’t think
he deserves to be a WC after making that mistake!
but i don’t think topa deserves either! but oh well….
terrible! terrible! very disappointed. …. bring back kasparov… not these kids playing against each other.
40…Kg7 is OK, It’s a completely forced line down to a winning K+P ending, and I think Anand has calculated it. Seen on Playchess.com. A good puzzle for your blog!
well, Susan, at least now we know you’re not using Rybka, which gave an exclam to Kg7 over Kh7
Susan,
Can Anand win the queen vs rook and knight endgame easily? I know I would favor black, but jeez, how did he let the mate slip away once again?
Extremely one sided comments by susan.
39. Kh3 Now 30…Re7 and it is basically hopeless.
hopeless for whom???
I am from India and I am overjoyed…
Wish to read comments which are neutral or pro vishy 🙂
chessdom is better….
42.Rg3 Rxg3+ and now if
43. Nxg3 Qg4 #
43.hxg3 Qg4 then …Re2
Draw!!!
Black wins all the same, this is pure sadism…:)
what a weak game
Am I seeing Anand’s victory fading?!! Jeez o peetz o, how did he make the Kg7 blunder??
Kxg2 is wrong! Try to win Black’s queen with some checks!
Anand is toying Topalov AND the chess fans. He knows what he is doing!
Relax.
These 2 are just swapping blunders. jeez what a finish
My mistake, king and pawn endgame, with the advantage to black, but still, how did Anand let it come to this?
A wise man said : Don’t count your chickens before they have hatched .
I knew it Anand would be messing things up :-((((((((
Anand’s attack has failed. Draw.
you missed 47. Rf7+!
I am an Anand fan, but some of you are celebrating too early for my comfort. You could jinx him you know :-(((
Wow, Topalov missed 48. Rf7!! Blunderfest again!
Why 47.Kg2 instead of Rf7 threaten perpetual/fork queen/win queen back?
After 40. Rf8+ Kh7, white could have answered Qf5 forcing a queen exchange
Now, hopefully, Anand saves his next blunder for the next Championship match.
pawn endgame after 47. Rf7+ is lost for white, no?
“White must play 47. Rf7+”
41.Rf7 Kg6
42.Rg7 K:f5
43.R:g5 h:g5
44.K:g2 Ke4 -+
People need to relax here. 40…Kg7 is not a blunder, Anand is still winning. Jeez Susan, you gave me a shock there with your comments after Kg7. There is no way Topalov can get out of this. Anand (or anyone at this level) is too good a player to let such a huge advantage slip away. IMHO 31 exf4 by Topalov was a huge blunder, opening up the flood gates for Anand. Moral of the story: Don’t push for a win where there is none. In your eagerness you might end out getting beaten by your opponent.
All these blunder make me think Carlsen will make quick work of either of these guys…
OMG so many mistakes this game..1st Topalov blundered and game anand a winning advantage Now it seems to be anand turn to return the favour with a draw!!!
Kg2 only move! Rf7?? Losing immediate!!
Come on susan! I’m used to better commentary by you. Kg7 was a fine move and even an average 1800 player can see in an instant that Rf7+ Kg6 Rg7+ Kxf5 Rxg4 hxg4 instead of Kxg2 is a completely winning endgame for black.
(although I can perfectly understand you’re fired up for this really exciting match ending;))
susan please do support Anand, he looks like the first person to win with black this tourament and still you support topalov! c’mon!
If there ever was a case against Sofia rules… this WC is it… A blunderfest in the last match with an ending that some would call ‘poetic justice’…
The only one who has blundered in this game is Topalov.
Anand has maintained a winning position this whole time. Rf7+ was no better than Kg2. …Kg7 was not a blunder. I think he chose the simplest lines in most cases, except Qg5 was simpler than Re7 and Kh7 was simpler than Kg7.
While I love the free form of the commentary to the game it is becoming riddled with inaccuracies. Looks like the commenter gets a needed a break when the match ends.
47.Rf7+ Kg6 48.Rg7+ Kf5 49.Rxg4 hxg4 50.Kxg2 Ke4 with Kd3 next is a winning pawn endgame that´s why Topa played 27.Kxg2, just for the process of elimination
@yancey Ward
The only blunder was Topalov’s.
Anand has nor committed a BLUNDER still.
He might be playing slightly inferior moves but they are still winning
I agree…I think that Rf8+ would have led to a pawn endgame lost for white…
47.Rf7+ Kg6 48.Rg7+ Kf5 49.Rxg4 hxg4 50.Kxg2 Ke4 with Kd3 next is a winning pawn endgame that´s why Topa played 27.Kxg2, just for the process of elimination
Kg2 wasn’t a blunder. Rf7 is simply lost in pawn ending and easy to see and reject
Susan:
“Even though both sides made mistakes, Topalov was making more and this costs him the game.”
haha susan dont you think saying it over for topalov is a bit early..I m still waiting for another blunder from Anand who it seems is focused on playing rapid round rather than winning this game. I think he isnt happy to win without showing his rapid TALENT!!!
47. Rf7+ would lead to lost pawn endgame, Topalov is looking for chances
I don’t think Susan needs to support either one of them. Topalov and Anand are her friends. Like she said, in one of the earlier games, she will root for a good game.
Players making blunders is good for the tournament, they can squeeze little more time of attention. But it is bad for fans’ blood pressure :-))
47.Rf7+ for white leads to a completely lost pawn endgame. Please correct your commentary.
rf7+ kg6 rf7 rxg4 hxg4 kxg2 and white is lost in pawn endgame.
black never made any mistake which would let white into the game.
so this is the outcome of sofia rules… pushing every drawish game to the very end … wasting energy …and finally the players get so tired it becomes a blunder competition
Does Sofia rule also prevents one from resigning?
Susan is the variation you began with Yes he missed
47 Rf7+ Kg6
48 Rg7+ Kxf5
49 Rxg4 hxg4
50 Kxg2 but isn’t this a lost endgame for Topalov?
Reading Susan’s comments and the posts . . . ????????????? Susan’s commentary does not seem to be “supporting” either player!! She is calling attention to blunders, questionable moves, inaccuracies, that’s all — it’s what an analysis is supposed to do. There is no bias that I can see. Calling a position “hopeless” is not supporting either player. Peeps really need to settle down.
50..Kg8 and -6!
http://chessok.com/broadcast/?key=sofia2010_12.pgn&game=0
This gives Kg7 as a !
Also not much of a difference in evaluation between Kxg2 and Rf7+
Ok, maybe there are pyschological considerations to take into hand but all the moves are just losing for white. Anand, apart from the more immediate Qd8+ has played this fine.
Not a blunderfest.
TopaLOST! CongrANAND! VivaKRAMNIK !!! 🙂
Some posters here should relax and show a bit more respect for both players. Both of these players are clearly two of the best players in world, as indicated by their accomplishments. Are they only great chess players? Of course not, but to disparage their skill level is simply ridiculous and ignores the facts of what they have done in the chess world. Lastly, there has only been one true blunder this game (so far), and that was exf5. To rant on and on about a blunderfest between to incompetent players is absurd.
Normally, I would greatly criticize Topalov’s sportmanship for not resigning right now, after 50 moves, but Anand hasn’t earned a resignation with all the inaccurate moves he has made in this and previous games. Topalov should make him finish it off.
Of course the Sofia rules does not prevent the players from resigning. My comment was merely a joke 😉
Susan’s entitled to make a mistake or two. Other analysts, human and computer, have said Kg7 was no worse — maybe better — than Kh7 and that Topalov gained nothing with Rf7.
I think we can all agree on the one huge Topalov blunder, though.
47. Rf7 does lead to a lost king pawn endgame- I can see that now, but the truth is that Anand missed this line completely when he played the king to g7 after Rf8- he discounted Nf5 because all he saw was Ne7 which is a mate in two for black. If a blunder is a move that loses game, then it wasn’t a blunder, but it was far and away the weaker of the two moves he could have made after Rf8+.
After 47. Kxg2 Anand is winning, although he has to be careful.
After 47. Rf7+ Kg6 48. Rg7+ Kxf5 49. Rxg4 hxg4 50. Kxg2 Ke4 51.Kf2 Kd3 . . . anybody could win, easily.
I would much rather face the latter than the former.
I’m just watching what Anand means when he writes “It’s just a matter of technique…” He has a huge advantage and it’s interesting to see how he’ll finish it off. Wonderful play…especially the c5 pawn seems to be a decoy, in retrospect.
My prediction…Soon Anand lose his queen to a knight fork and Topa winning World Championship!!!
i do not really believe 40. .. Kg7 is a bad move, 40. .. Kh7 is also a little tricky due to Rh8 and Qf8,
i believe anand just calculated 40. .. Kg7 till the end and saw it s winning, so if you know a winning line, why not to play it on move 40?
Why should Topa reign? It is the last game! He should play till check-mate!
53..kh7?? why not Qh1+
53..kh7?? why not Qh1+
Anand’s Qe5 is merciless. Poor Topa, wish he knew who he’s playing against with and that he would lose with white on the 12th game 🙂
53..kh7?? why not Qh1+
@Akhilesh…
LOL… and just before the fork the Martians would have landed on the roof of the White House..
Stockfish 1.7.1 analysis:
56 … Qe6+ (Depth 27, mate in 9)
55… Qxb2+ and he plays on, bad sportmanship, Topa!
He HAS done it.
Halleluja!!!
okay from Germany
Topa resigns!
Topalov resigned after 56…Qg7 !
Vishy retains the World Championship ! Great game !
Anand is the last Pre-Magnus champion
CHAMPAGNE!!! Who wants to join me?
🙂 🙂 🙂
Great game Anand. Well done Topa, better luck next time.
News Update…Anand retains his world championship crown CHEERSSS…….
it’s all over!! :-))
0-1
vishy won!!!!… congrats anand.
Congratulations to Anand. He clearly outplayed Topalov in this match. Both of Anand’s losses were bad blunders, especially the second one (the first game was going to be a tough slog even without the blunder). He won two very nice games against Topalov with the white pieces, and had another won without bad play at the end. Topalov is lucky, in my opinion, not to have been shut out with the match over after 9 games.
Anand defends his world championship wonderfully !!! India shining !!!
Congratulations to Anand….the WORLD CHESS CHAMPION…..You Have Made all of us proud!!!!!….Thank you Vishy for all the entertainment you provided.
That was an interesting game!
Congrats to Anand!
very spetial thanks susan for your live comments 😀
Susan ! Kudos to your brilliant commentary… I preferred to watch this match thanks to your commentary when over 10 million of of my countrymen were watching cricket… thanks for the excellent job ! Keep it up.
This is definitely the last WC match for Topalov, for which those who appreciate good sportsmanship are very thankful.
Susan: Thanks for the lovely commentary. I did not miss even one of the 12 commentaries. Great to keep the Chess interest alive. I am not competitive player, just learned it by playing with cousins and friends. Now I am passing this interest to my son who is doing very well in competitions.
A lovely game, and lovely fans. Good luck to all of us 🙂
I should thank all the fans who posted the comments, I learned quite a bit and it was competitive.
I have only one word to tell you. Thank you Susan. It was so much more informative to follow the match with you. Without your comments my understanding of the games would not have been so good. Thanks a million. Hope to see you when Anand meets whoever for the next title match. Keep up the good work.
Congratulations Anand!
Thanks for the live commentaries Susan!
I manage to watch over half of the games with Susan’s live commentaries and it was awesome. I do not use computer programs to evaluate positions and such so I rely on other folks’ work with chess programs to help me with understanding the positions.
Champion Anand is quite exceptional and deserves to keep the crown. He had the brilliant game of that win with a piece sacrifice for 2 pawns and managed to play more openings to distract Topalov who probably found it a difficult task to comfortably beat Anand.
Nice match! Bring more of those!
Fan from Brazil.
Thanks to Susan for the live commentary and teaching us brilliant moves.
Anand defends his world championship wonderfully !!! India shining
Anand is ‘King of Chess’!
Unbeatable!!
Unbearable tension for the past several days and today too…
great fun to share the tension with you guys!
Thanks,
Ranga.
Thank you Susan for the lively commentry….those comments were really informative!!!!!
Thanks Susan for the informative commentry !!!!
What a great upset victory by Anand, who beat a higher rated Topalov! My congratulations to Anand for a job well done.
why did topalov resign.. he could have played till end and hoped anand to make a blunder.. why the hurry to resign.. he lost championship due to this..
Congrats, good old Anand! 😀
Thanks a lot for the great job you did commenting on all games; the match would loose half the interest for me without them.
Anyway, Topalov gets his consolation prize… isn’t all that bad to get some 800 thousand euros… 😀
What a treat to watch these games! Thanks susan for doing this!
I think Anand deserves this – Game 1 was a blunder by anand after 40 hrs of road travel. His 2 white wins are superb. Topy seemed to have more stamina in the last half of the match but Anand managed to outplay him in the 2 rooks vs Q game. That should have been a win for anand! In the end, there were more occasions where Anand is simply better! I thank Topalov for fighting & taking all the games till the end!
Btw…to all the bloggers 40…Kg7 was not a blunder. If Anand had played 40…Kh7 then 41 Qf5 forcing the queens to be exchanged. I think Susan was too quick to jump to conclusion about the move and others on the site were quick to pass their judgement on the players. Anand and Topalov are far better players than anyone of us. It is a bit funny for us to call each and every one of their moves as blunders!
At last a victory for black. Shows that there’s still hope for the second player. Boring to see all the wins won by white till this game.
Susan will comment on other games from other tournaments. You do not have to wait for only World Championship games.
Thanks Susan you are the best.
Congratulations to Anand. Nice game.
If anyone sees Topalov please tell him at close only counts in the game of Horseshoes.
Susan, You are cute in that new photo. So Smart. Thanks for the live comments, they are of great help. I would like to enroll for the classes at some point in time (when I am ready enough to understand the moves at your level).
Congratulations to Anand.
“47. Kxg2? 47. Rf7+ is better”
Susan, don’t say nonsense…
The pawn endgame is completely lost after 47 Rf7+. The only hope to stay in the game is in 47 Kxg2 so it doesn’t deserve a question mark.
Topalov has Anand on the ropes now. The resignation was a trick to get Anand to leave the table so that that the rook and knight can dominate the queen in the ending. Brilliant maneuver by Topalov!
what a climax, unbelievable. Thanks for the wonderful analysis Susan.
PopAbooK
Thank you Susan for your live comments in all 12 games!I apreciate very much your work for chess fans and i know it was a hard work…In USA is morning,here in Europe is P.M.
anyway please take my congrats for you and sorry for my bad english!
See u!!
To the commenter that questioned my analysis of the match,
Take away the really egregious blunders, and the match score is most likely 7.5 to 4.5 with no wins for Topalov. That is domination.
Thanks for sharing this dance across the 64 Susan.
Your insights and contributions to our beloved game are much appreciated.
Congratulations Anand. You got a nerve of steel 🙂
And thank you to Bulgaria for hosting this WC match. Thanks to Ms. Susan for her nice commentaries 🙂
susan please could you explain why taking the rook on move 41 would be incorrect for black?
to Umakant: after 40…Kh7, if 41. Qf5, then it is mate in 4 starting with Rxe3
@Puneet:
53…Kh7 deserves a !. Its a zuzwang move after which white’s rook cannot defend the b2 pawn anymore and he has to move his rook since no other piece can move. So understand the move before you give it a ??
Nigel Short: I think Topalov is going to win this one because Vishy is old and fat.