What is your game 8 prediction? Will Topalov continue with 1. d4 or will he try 1. e4?
Game 8 will take place today at 7 am (U.S. central time). The score is 4 – 3 after 7 games in favor of Anand. There are only 5 games left in the match. Topalov will have 3 games with White and 2 with Black. He went all out sacrificing an exchange right out of the opening with Black in game 7. Therefore, I do not think that he will play conservatively with White in game 8. This may be the most exciting game yet.
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Veselin Topalov – Vishy Anand
World Championship (game 8)
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. Ne5 e6 7. f3 c5 8. e4 Bg6 9. Be3 cxd4 10. Qxd4 Qxd4 11. Bxd4 Nfd7 12. Nxd7 Nxd7 13. Bxc4 Both sides chose to repeat the Slav.
13…Rc8 New move by Anand. Once again, Anand is the first to deviate. Both Anand and Topalov are cranking out these moves at lightning speed.
14. Bb5 Even though Topalov faced a different move than the earlier game, he responded with this immediately.
14…a6 15. Bxd7 Kxd7 16. Ke2 So where do we stand? White has a small advantage because:
a) Piece development. All of Topalov’s pieces are developed and ready for action.
b) Space advantage.
What does Anand need to do?
a) f6 to get his g6 Bishop back to the other side.
b) Get his other pieces out ASAP.
16…f6 17. Rhd1 I guess Topalov doesn’t seem to mind having this type of position again. Anand has 2 interesting choices: 17…Ke8 or bring his King to the other side 17…Kc7. Both are playable.
17…Ke8 Anand chose this choice. If Anand is successful in getting his Bishops and Rook on h8 out, this game will end in another draw. If Topalov wants to win, he must find a way to keep Anand’s pieces out of play. The plan is clear for both.
18. a5 The general idea for Black to get his pieces out: Bb4, Ke7, Rhd8, then Bf7 and e5. But of course Topalov will not sit still and allow Black the freedom to develop. This endgame is interesting is because Topalov has won many games with less advantage than this and Anand has successfully held games with positions worse than this. As we have seen in the previous Slav games, Anand was very patient in getting his pieces out, one at the time, and held nicely.
Black is down by 20 minutes on the clock already. Our friends at Chessdom has many pictures available here: http://photo.chessdom.com/index.php?cat=10025
Do you have other plans for Anand? How can he get all his pieces out?
18…Be7 19. Bb6 Topalov responded with this immediately. Anand is now behind by more than 25 minutes on the clock. The problem for Anand is if Kf7 then Rd7 with a strong advantage. Remember, Black can no longer castle.
19…Rf8 20. Rac1 f5 Since Anand is having a hard time getting his Rook to the d file, he is trying to open up the f file. I would play e5 here and not help Black to open the position. If 21. e5 Bg5 22. Be3 +=
21. e5
21…Bg5 Topalov should play Be3 to trade the Bishops. White’s Knight is much better than Black’s g6 Bishop in the endgame, especially when White’s key pawns are on the dark squares.
22. Be3 f4 Anand obviously could not allow this trade which leads to a horrible endgame. But now Topalov has this option: 23. Nb5 Rxc1 24. Nd6+ Kd7 25. Bxc1+=. White can also play 23. Ne4 instead of Nb5 with the same continuation. Another option instead of 22…f4 is 22… Bxe3 23. Kxe3 Ke7 but White has a good Knight versus not so great Bishop endgame.
23. Ne4 OK! Topalov found the suggested line above.
23….Rxc1 24. Nd6+ White has a good advantage here. Black still has plenty of problems getting his Rook and Bishops in play. Anand has 2 options: 24…Kd7 or 24…Ke7. The first one is stronger because Black needs to get his King to the other side to clear room in the center for his pieces. Anand has a lot of work to do to hold this game.
Another thing to keep in mind about the importance of this game: After game 4, Topalov was in a world of trouble mentally and emotionally. To start out with 2 losses as Black after a high of winning the opening game was big. After holding the first Black game (game 6) with ease, he went all out for the win with Black in game 7. Therefore, even though Topalov is down by 1, he seems to slowly regain momentum and most importantly, his self confidence. This is why this game is huge. If Topalov scores here, the entire momentum of the match will shift dramatically. Anand also knows that Topalov is notorious for finishing strong.
On the other hand, if Anand can hold this game, Topalov will be very frustrated and short of patience since there will only be 4 games left. This may cause him to do something more risky which may cost him another game and match.
Just like in any other sport, momentum is so important. Just look at Fischer in 1972. After a slow start, Fischer never looked back after a big win. He eventually won the match by a sizable margin. The same happened to me in my match against Xie Jun in 1996. After a big win, I continued to score win after win and eventually my 4th world titles.
Chess is a lot more than just Fritz and Rybka home analysis, especially in a world championship. Mental and emotional toughness and readiness is so important.
24…Kd7 Anand wisely chose the right path to bring his King to the other side.
25. Bxc1 Kc6 26. Bd2 Be7 Anand wants to trade this Bishop for the Knight, even at the expense of potentially losing the f4 pawn, to have a Bishop opposite color endgame. Here is an important lesson to remember: If we go back a few moves earlier after White played 22. Be3, the dynamics of the game change so much based on which piece is off the board. If those 2 Bishops are traded, White would have a big edge with a Knight vs. the g6 Bishop endgame. On the other hand, if the same Bishop is traded for White’s Knight, Black would have an easier time holding. Keep this in mind in your own games. One should never trade pieces randomly. There should always be proper evaluation when trades occur.
There are many sites which offer LIVE commentary and analysis. Many of them are very sophisticated with deep computer lines. My style is different. I prefer to explain chess in lament terms so everyone can understand and benefit from. If people want Rybka analysis, they can do it themselves at home without me 🙂
I also employ the same philosophy when I teach, especially at my online classes. In my opinion, it is much more important to understand chess than memorizing Fritz and Rybka lines.
27. Rc1+ Kd7 White still has a decent advantage. Anand’s plan is simple: Trade Rooks and e7 Bishop for the Knight. Here is one possible line: 28. Bb4 Bxd6 29. Rd1 Kc8 30. Rxd6 +/-
I was asked if Bishop opposite color endgames always lead to draws. The answer is no. In this game, Rooks are still on the board so White still has chances to convert. I have won a number of games in my career with Bishops opposite color endgames. It just means that it is easier to hold but not automatic draw.
28. Bc3 An unexpected choice. White is still doing fine.
28…Bxe6 29. Rd1 Black can defend his pawn with Bf5. This is why I prefer 28. Bb4 better because of a possible discovery.
29…Bf5 30. h4 White is in no rush to recapture the Bishop on d6. It is going nowhere. The idea of h4 is to block g5 defending the f4 pawn. Topalov wants to take the Bishop with the pawn then Be5 attacking the f4 pawn. The Black Rook cannot defend that pawn and the c file at the same time after White plays Rc1 with the threat of Rc7.
Both sides have no problem with time. Anand has about 45 minutes for 10 moves while Topalov has more than 60.
By the way, after 29. Rd1, 29…Kc8 is also playable. The position is not lost for Black, just difficult to defend and it requires a lot of patience and accuracy. Anand has plenty of time on the clock to figure things out.
By the way, in addition to understanding chess, one must also be efficient in chess tactic and endgame. This is why I usually post multiple puzzles every single day on my blog, with various levels of difficulty. I usually try to post important must know endgame themes as well as many different tactical patterns. When you continue solving these puzzles daily, it will help you understand and recognize a variety of chess patterns much better. This is why I also delay publishing the comments. I want to give you time to exercise your chess minds and skills and not have the temptation of peeking at the solutions posted by others. I know. I am mean but it is for your own good 🙂 Yes, and you can blame me for overloading your brains with chess stuff on this blog 🙂
30…g6 Perhaps this line would give Black more breathing room: 30… Kc7 31. exd6+ Kd7 32. Be5 Rc8 than 30…g6.
31. Rxd6+ Kc8 Now Bd2 and the f4 pawn will eventually fall.
32. Bd2 Now it is Anand’s task to hold a pawn down Bishop opposite color Bishops.
32…Rd8 Now White should not take on d8. He wants to wait for Black to take then take back with the pawn so he can have a passed pawn. Otherwise, he will virtually have no chance to win.
33. Bxf4 Rxe6 34. exd6 Kd7 I have news for you. This game may go 100 moves. I can assure you that Topalov will try to grind this out all the way. This is his chance to even up the match. It is not an easy position to hold for Black in spite of the opposite color Bishops.
35. Ke3 with the threat of Kd4, e5, f6.
35…Bc2 Topalov should continue with the Kd4 plan. If Topalov wants to win this World Championship, he must do everything possible to win this game. It is not easy to get a better position than this.
36. Kd4 Ke8 A wise move to bring his King to f7. If the White King gets to f6, it is all over for Black. Anand’s defensive plan is to have his Bishop of d5 / c6 and King on f7 / e8.
37. Ke5 Kf7 If Bg5 then Ba4. It is possible for Black to hold with perfect play.
38. Be3 If 38. Bg5 Ba4 39. b3 then Bd7
38…Ba4
39. Kf4 Bb5 40. Bc5 Topalov made time control with more than 30 minutes to spare. I cannot find any “winning” line for White. All he can do is keep on trying to improve his position while Black has to be absolutely accurate with his defense.
40…Kf6 41. Bd4+ A necessary move to try to push the King back and not to give Black space. I am looking 41…e5+ sacrificing a second pawn to free the e6 square for the King. This may make holding a little easier since I see little chance for White to make progress. In a blitz or casual game, I would sacrifice this pawn in a second. But in a World Championship, double, triple, and quadruple checking this sac is required 🙂
41…Kf7 A safe move. Can you blame him? 🙂 But now Anand has to focus on the idea of Kg5, Kh6, then march his pawns up.
42. Kg5 By the way, another piece of information for everyone who uses computers to follow this game. While Rybka and other top programs are deadly when it comes to many positions in chess, they still have a hard time evaluating closed and positional positions as well as endgames with more than 6 pieces on the board. I have no idea what the current evaluation by Rybka is but I assume it is between +1 and +1.5. The reason for that is most computer software count materials as a part of the overall evaluation. This is why understanding chess instead of just following chess software recommendations blindly is so important.
42…Bc6 43. Kh6 Kg8 44. h5 Be8 45. Kg5 Kf7 Anand is defending perfectly up to now. If he keeps this up, he will hold this game. I believe that Topalov understands that there is no forced win. What he is figuring out is how to create as much complication as possible hoping for an Anand’s inaccuracy.
46. Kh6 Kg8 47. Bc5 Topalov is trying to create zugzwang situation for Black. It is almost but not quite as Black still has gxh5 and Kh8.
47…gxh5 48. Kg5 and now Black must play Kg7 to protect the f6 square.
48…Kg7 49. Bd4+ Kf7 Some progress but still no concrete winning plans for White.
50. Be5 h4 This pawn cannot be protected anyway. Therefore, with this move, Black is getting the White King to move back a little for some breathing room.
51. Kxh4 This is still not a “dead draw” yet. Black still has to defend accurately for many more moves. Now Black needs to get his King more active with Kg6. It is dangerous to allow a lurking Topalov’s King 🙂
51…Kg6 52. Kg4 Get your snack, popcorn, lunch, dinner (whichever time zone you are in) and drinks out. This will be the longest game of the match so far.
By the way, a number of people have counted Topalov out already. Don’t 🙂 There are still 4 games left after this game and the pressure will rise as each game passes. Anything can happen in 4 games as we clearly saw in the first 4 games. It is never over until it is over and crazy things do happen when players are under intense pressure.
52…Bb5 53. Kf4 Topalov can try to bring his King back and forth between the King and Queenside. Black cannot use his Bishop to attack White’s pawns because of the d6 pawn. Both sides have plenty of time so no time pressure excuse 🙂
53…Kf7 I do not see the immediate need to retreat the King. The King should only retreat when forced.
54. Kg5 Anand spent a lot of time for his last move while Topalov played immediately. This is a part of the mind game. Topalov does not have to make “perfect” moves every time since this is not a dynamic position. Anand does in this position. By Topalov playing “very fast”, his opponent may start to wonder if he made a blunder and the other side found a win.
54…Bc6 55. Kh6 Kg8 56. g4 Black cannot take on f3 because of d7. Black has a serious problem with the plan of g5, Bg7, then g6. Black must then take on g6. Now White can take back with King and then Kf6. It is hard to defend against this.
Anand just resigned!! Shocking! I know that the position is bad but what is the rush to resign immediately? Why not play a little longer to see if Topalov can find the right plan. There is no harm in that.
1-0
As I said earlier, it is not an easy draw but with proper defense, I still believe Anand can hold. But that means that just about every single move has to be accurate. As I also said earlier, do not trust your computer evaluation when it comes to endgame unless it is 6 pieces or less. I have to go back to see where Anand made the mistake.
A brilliant display of endgame techniques by Topalov. Now we have a completely different match. Anand no longer has any breathing room. He cannot coast toward the finish line hoping for a rapid playoff.
The only thing that I can compare this to is like a heavyweight boxing match. The strategy is to keep going for the body shots round after round. Then at the later rounds, you go for the knockout punch.
Many people criticized Topalov for choosing the same opening over and over again. If you remember Topalov’s performance in San Luis, he did not win by going all out in every game. He won games with different styles: all out attack, slow squeezing games, and endgame conversion.
Update: I just looked at the end again to see where Anand went wrong. I believe that 54…Bc6 was not accurate. I like 54…Bd3 better. White cannot play d7 because of Ke7. I think it is important to keep both the Bishop and King more active. Please feel free to add more analysis or correct this idea of mine.
For those who are curious as to why Anand resigned, here is why: 56. g4 Be8 57. g5 Bc6 58. Bg7 Be8 59. f4 Bd7 60. g6 hxg6 61. Kxg6 +-
Anand Win within 40 moves. He is playing e4.
Anand is black. will win because topa overpushes
Topa will definitely play D4 since e4 is vishy’s domain. We could see some thrillingmoments in this game since Topa would go allout to get a win and equal the score.
The recipe that Topa prepare may be luring but dangerous and unless anand keep away from it he will head for trouble for sure like in game one.
well….anand is doing the usual Anand thing and sitting back..TOPALOV IS PUSHING HARD..AND IT MAY BE..THAT HE CAN TOPPLE HIM..aNAND IS JUST NOT THE wcc WE ARE USED TO…A DOMINATING FORCE..HE’S BARELY HANGING ON TO THIS ONE POINT ADVANTAGE….i CAN’T IMAGINE aNANAD PLAYING AT FULL STRETGH ANYMORE..ITS UP TO tOPALOV TO WIN IT..BUT ANAND IS HAPPY TO JUST SIT THERE i THINK AND THINK HE CAN CAN JUST DRAW IT OUT.
I thought yesterdays game was quite exciting already, not only because of the moves but also Anands slight time issue. Can’t wait for today!
e4 is too much to analyze I think. they will try to improve the slav.
Topalov has passed the crisis in his play.
The games are interesting due to his determination.
No short draws, no boring games.
I think Topalov will more likely find a weakness in Anand’s slav than in Anand’s Petroff.
Therefore, he will try 1.d4 again. The outcome of the match will, however most probably be a draw
Today it´s exciting to see what Topalov comes up with in the opening. He is behind in the match with 3-4 and need very much a win today with the white pieces. Anand can relax. A draw will be fine for him. Alone from that point of wiev the game today is psycological interesting.
Today it´s exciting to see what Topalov comes up with in the opening. He is behind in the match with 3-4 and need very much a win today with the white pieces. Anand can relax. A draw will be fine for him. Alone from that point of wiev the game today is psycological interesting.
Hi Susan,
Just to say thank you for this service on your blog. Reading your commentary is more fun and far more helpful than listening to the live audio-stream on the official website (even when it is not in Bulgarian 🙂
Greetings from Germany,
Kai
Folks check out this blog http://chessisjoy.blogspot.com/
Gearing up for a great match!
how long till game 8 start ?
How long till game 8 starts ?
I don’t think Topalov will play 1.e4 because Anand has probably prepared for Berlin Wall or Petroff Defence.
I think this game will either be a draw or a win for Topalov. I’m guessing Topalov will play 1d4! Anand will probably play the Slav as he’s doing ok with that. I think Topalov will try a different line against it. I’ve preferred Topalov’s use of the Black pieces in this match, he plays with more energy and really does try to win! Anand’s play with Black is effective, but not ambitious!
I think they’ll play a 3rd Slav up to move 15 like in games 3 and 5 and then 15…h6 like in game 3.
“well….anand is doing the usual Anand thing and sitting back..”
You have got to be joking! Anand has neutralized every single Topalov preparation thus far. He seems the better OTB player. We have not seen anything cataclysmic in terms of opening preparation from Anand (yet). I wonder how Topa will handle a reversal of roles.Keep your eyes peeled.
PS# Stop typing in ALL CAPS. It is annoying.
Regardless of Anand’s deviation 13. …Rc8, Topalov seemed determined to make the 14.Bb5 and 15.Bxd7 moves, and judging from the speed of 17. Rhd1, he has already analyzed this, while Anand hasn’t.
Another Slav. Similar position as game 3 (?) perhaps? How is Topa going to grind this one out? I guess locking out the g6 bishop is the key.
Strange choice of openingvariantion from Topalov, I think. In wiev of his need to play for a win in this game. I think this game will end up in a draw.
Strange choice of openingvariantion from Topalov, I think. In wiev of his need to play for a win in this game. I think this game will end up in a draw.
These two could play some Sicilian defence games which would be sharp and soothing to the eye… 😉
this is again going to draw
Man, I can’t take the excitement.
great coments and analysis Susan
I’m wondering why Susan isn’t commenting a bit more? Please enlighten us. 🙂
well in all these games topalov with white has ensured that black has no winning options and can only defend – i hope anand was a bit more aggressive, afterall its just a difference of just 1 win
A funny 3-fold repeatation could arise after 18.-,Bb4 19.Ra4,Bf8 20.Raa1,Bb4 etc. But that can´t Topalov be interested in.
sorry no computers with me. Why can’t Anand play 18..Bc5?
Nigel Short: I understand Toppy’s strategy perfectly well, even if I don’t necessarily agree with it. He is not a terribly sophisticated person, to be honest. Football seems to be his main cultural interest. One should therefore not be too surprised if his match strategy should also be similarly lacking in finesse. He basically wants to hit his opponent on the head with a hamster.
Nigel Short: I understand Toppy’s strategy perfectly well, even if I don’t necessarily agree with it. He is not a terribly sophisticated person, to be honest. Football seems to be his main cultural interest. One should therefore not be too surprised if his match strategy should also be similarly lacking in finesse. He basically wants to hit his opponent on the head with a hamster.
What about
19 ..Bc5 20 Bxc5 Rxc5
21 Rac1 Ke7 22 Na4 Rxc1
23 Rxc1 Be8! =
olimat
Now after 19.Bb6 black has a cramped position.
I think Rf8 is very strong
What about
18.. Bc5 19 Bxc5 Rxc5
20 Tac1 Ke7 21 Na4 Rxc1
22 Rxc1 Be8! (23 Rc8? Bb5+)
Olimat
In my opinion 18.. Rc6 was the best move for anand. It will make room for other rook to double up on c-file and 19.Bb6 can easily be met by 19…Bd6.
For example, 18…Rc6 19.Bb6 Bd6 20.Rd3 Ke7, then the Rooks can be doubled up.
Can it be that Anand is playing slowly to unsettle Topalov? Just a thought 🙂
I hope you are not getting tilted towards Topa since he is trailing. 20 minutes is nothing for a good G.M.in the beginning of the game. Further castling is long forgotten by both . When it is an open attack who cares about castling. Here your understanding about the board is more important which I observe is more for Anand.
@Susan: What is the idea of 19…Rf8? Is it Rf7-Bf8, bringing the rook into play? I guess we will know soon!
Why not Bd8 by black?
Black’s position appears to be cramped. His king and light-squared bishop is getting in each other’s way, making full development difficult.
19… Rf8. It seems anand is going to force an exchange on f5.
Would somebody please explain why White plays 12.Nxd7 instead of 12.Nxg6? Is it because the bishop on g6 is limited by the white pawns, and is therefore less valuable than the knight on d7?
I dont´t undwerstand Anand way of playing here. After 22.-,f4 23. Ne4 looks very goood for white!
There’s only so much we can guess out of this opening.
Anand defies Topalov to come up with a solid advantage to win the game that much we understand.
The excitement of the game lost glitter with the queens going off.
Rybka disagrees with you, Susan. It suggests that Bxe3 was better for black: 22… Bxe3 23. Kxe3 f4+ 24. Kd4 Ke7 25. Ne4 Bxe4 26. Kxe4 g5 27. Rh1 +=
Dear Susan,
maybe you read this: you are by far the best commentator of this world chess championship. Your comments have this special light- and correctness…
I enjoy it a lot!
Greetings from
sudheim
Anand has an exceptional ability to evaluate endgames. He may be heading for a pawn down ending which he knows is drawn.
Move 24, check by Topalov, i see blood bath from here !
Or am i seeing something wrong ?1
In my opinion,topa is better and maybe win this game because activity of his knight and rook combined
Now Anand is very near from losing.
After 24.Nd6+ Kd7 25.Bxc1 and probably 25…Kc6 he has a weakness on f4, one on b7 and White has some initiative against the King so it will be very hard
After Kc6 which i just suggested white has Rd4! multi-purpose move threatening Rc4 and g3 and I think Black is lost
Susan, there are a few lines where Anand reaches an opposite colour bishop ending a pawn down – his king might go to c6/c7, a pair of rooks will be exchanged, the white Knight will be exchanged on d6 by the dark squared bishop, white’s remaining rook might take on d6 and capture the e6 pawn but will be exchanged off by …Re8.
Thanks
– Sasi
Wont 26.Rd4 cause problems for black?
Now it´s Topalpvs turn to play inferior move: 26.Bd2. Better was 26.g3
I thought the King should go to b8, but apparently, Anand is going after the e5 pawn. Anybody would be suffering as Black, but not Anand. He is cool. The pair of Bishops is going to pay off in the end.
I don’t see much similarity between this and Fischer-Spassky. After one loss, Fischer won immediately, and went on a roll. That’s nothing like the long and hard struggle for equality that Topalov is engaging in now. If anything, this match is more like Petrosian-Botvinnik, or the first Petrosian-Spassky match, both of which featured a long, hard struggle to overcome a 1 point deficit against Petrosian. Possibly not coincidentally, in each case, at the moment Petrosian’s opponent succeeded in equalizing the score, he immediately dropped the next game. The nature of the struggle changes at that moment, and it can be hard to readjust one’s frame of mind and start playing from a level position again.
24… Kd7 25. Bxc1 and now either Kc6 to protect the pawn or Be7, sacrificing the b-pawn to open lines and activate the bishop.
I’m not very good at evaluating positions but would prefer the second line for activity. What do you think Susan?
Your analysis is always very informative and enjoyable to read. Thanks for the commentary.
Thanks very much for your verbose (in a non negative sense) live commentaries. Your philosophy as explained above is exactly the reason why I like to follow your analyses.
Heading toward a comfortable draw for Anand. Topalov had losing (or much worse) positions in game 6 and 7, while Anand has not has an objectively lost position since game 1. Anand’s judgment of position is much more refined that Topalov’s, which is why he can play computer evaluated slight-minuses to a confident draw.
The pressure is definitely on Topalov.
@Graeme: I basically agree with you 🙂 – About the comparison between Fischer-Spassky and Petrosians matches
Um.. after 25. Bxc1 I can’t figure out how to get 26. Bd7
Is this a typo? Bd2?
Susan, after 29. Rd1, what do you think about this line?
29. … Kc8 (as you said) 30. Rd6 Bf5 followed by 31. … h5 to prevent g4.
Is it a good idea or should I quit the chess? hehe 🙂
Thanks for the comments.
Things seems to be pretty simple when accurately explained .
Nonetheless , I think we deserve a diagram !
I love reading your commentary for the very reason that you have more readable chess which is great for people like me who are not good at chess.
Nigel Short: Black is suffering a bit here. I still think Vishy has reasonable chances of saving his ass but there can only be two possible results.
I dont´t like black´s position here, after 30.-,g6. It looks like black will loose at least 1 pawn (mayby more). White definitively has the superior position here.
My wife has called me for the 3rd time what the h*** i’m doing in the office so late. I am running out of excuses. What shall I do? Go home to boring wife or stay in office watching exciting chess game?
(Anand is having his problems today, I have mine).
It seems to me that Anand is under much, much pressure in this position. Two really weak pawns. The only thing he has going for him is the possibility of getting this into a bishop of opposite color endgame, but Topalov is not going to cooperate by exhanging the rooks anytime soon.
Bobby Fiske, tell your wife the truth. You are a chess junky 🙂 and you will make it up to her with flowers and a nice dinner at the restaurant of her choice 🙂
Good luck!
Susan Polgar
Anyone else with marital and relationship issues? 🙂
Susan, It makes me wonder on Topalov choice of keep playing d4. Dont he feel comfortable playing any sicilian or dragon. Kasparov prepared dragon variation against anand. I am surprised to see nobody either kraminik or topalov looked atthose games and thought we can play at least one game. Any response from you will be appreciated.
Dear Susan, You’re the only person pretending to act for my own good who really acts for my own good !!
Thankyou very much
Who knows the rationale for capturing with rook? I though Susan’s plan (pawn capturing) was better…
Did it occur to anyone, that Anand’s strategy is based on leading with one point and just draw the rest of the games?
Although my wife is a wonderful woman and we are happy with each other, Whenever she talks to me while I am playing chess my rating goes from approx 2200 to 1400. Its very stressing.
Bobby, the solution is obvious. Tell your wife you’re having it off with your secretary.
When she rushes to the office irate and foaming and finds you watching chess, she’ll be so relieved she’ll hug and kiss you.
Then plead for some patience, and then enact the romance plan as Susan outlined 🙂
Cunning, huh?
Kai
Dear Susan,
It makes me wonder why the hell in the world topa keep playing d4 and ended up in draws. when he knows anand is well prepared for this opening. I am surprised that topa didnt look into dragon variation which was used by Kasparov against Anand.
now Topalov’s bishop cant do much except guarding the pawns.. as Anand has all his pieces on white squares..
So is it still possible for Topalov to win this game by pushing his king side pawns ??
34 … Bc2 could have saved the f4 pawn? Any thoughts?
Topa lost his winning chances today! It’s a moral boost/vistory for Anand to end this game in a draw.
Wow, Topalov allowed the exchange of the rooks. Count me surprised. Now I don’t see how he wins this position up only a pawn.
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-Anand will have to sleep on the coach tonight if he looses today.
😉
Does anyone with a good engine know why Topalov retook at d6 with the rook? This leads, almost by force, to drawn endgame.
still is there any chance left for Topalov to win this game ??
If Anand can get his bishop on f1 then it should be a dead draw. That will drive Topalov nuts!
I am sorry, I meant 32 … Bc2 above.
From Bobby Fiske:
“-Anand will have to sleep on the coach tonight if he looses today.”
If he loses this position, the coach deserves it.
Both Fritz8 and Junior10 shows winning advantage to white after 36.-,Ke8. Fritz8 depth 36 and Junior10 depth 34
At the end of 37 moves, the only plan I see for white is to sacrifice the d-pawn in order to deflect the black king away from the king side and then penetrate with his own king to win one of black’s king-side pawns. Right now, I don’t see how this plan works, but I don’t see anything else either.
Susan, if you were BLACK playing against a 2300 in this position, would you accept a draw?
After Ba4, it is too late for my plan, even if it might have been a good one (it mustn’t have been, or Topalov would have tried it).
Hi Susan,
You say if Bg5, then Ba4, but then won’t b3 win for White with the King cut off the White d pawn which can Queen?
I agree with Susan, Topalov will draw this one out a long, long while. Unlike yesterday, he can’t lose this position.
To Yancey:
Apparently, on 31.exd6, black can play 31. … e5 and according to Shredder would be equal.
If I am Black, of course I would take the draw offer from a 2300 as Black has no chance to win. However, if I am White…forget about it. I will push like Topalov is in this game 🙂
Best wishes,
Susan Polgar
I think Vishy has gradually been able to neutralize Topa via the Rook-Knight-Rook exchanges. The heavy artillery is gone. And black bishop is no longer as tied up. He’s a pawn down, but think this is easier to defend than the other situation where Topa held all the guns
i have to admitt I don’t understand Vesko because instead of Bd2 he had Rd4 winning the pawn and keeping the Rooks and it’s basically over
Thanks, Andy.
Even white is clearly better here, I still think Anand can make it to a draw. Opposite colored bishop endings are difficult to win even with a material plus.
Nigel Short: White does have a plan. He put his King on h6 and black replies Kg8. Then white plays Bd4 and g4 and then h5. After Black captures on h5, white captures with his king. He returns his King to h6 plays g5 and Bg7! After Black plays Be8 he plays f4 zugzwang! Black moves his bishop and then white plays g6! hxg6 Kxg6 followed by Kf6 Bh6 and Ke7! Game over!
This may be a crucial game in the match. If Anand holds he is in good shape. If Topo wins, he has evened it up.
Does anyone know why Anand is taking so long with his 41st move? Did he have to go to the bathroom? Or is he just toying with Topalov?
41. Bd4+
Azmai…. – he of the ‘Chess Tournament in a cafe’ – is saying that Anand is unlikely to avoid a loss here.
Is he trailing a pro-Topalov line?
Is 42. …..h5 good or bad for black if he plays it?
Maybe Anand didn’t want the sacrifice cause it would restart the 50 move counting… lol
41. Bd4+ not e4
This is easy draw for Anand. He is laughing at Topalov 🙂
Stockfish 1.71 (depth 32) gives white +1.5
It’s nice to find that a lot of people aren’t unconditional adepts of computer analysis. Seems that most people tend to forget that in an endgame a computer has to calculate even the most dumb moves, while a human player will go for the position principles without pure computer calculation….
If I were Topalov, I would be tempted by 46. h6, fixing the h7 pawn in place, and trying a pawn storm with the remaining kingside pawns. Don’t know if it would work, but it would be complicated.
I don’t see any result besides draw. Topalov lost his best winning chance against Vishy, today. Man, Vishy knows how to defend. I so thought he’s going to lose looking at the mid-game situation, guess, I was wrong! This man has some guts, intelligence and patience.
Anand is rubbing the smelly no draw rule in the face of bad dog Topalov.
I trained my dog to not soil the carpet this way.
Topa deserves this humiliation as he and Danailov demanded the silly Sofia Rule!
I think it’s wrong to assume that Anand has been sweating this.
He has always been very adept at trading to drawable endings with a material deficit. There are some examples with pure exchange sacrifices.
Topalov is wasting his energy here.
Stockfish,
1 point of that is for the extra pawn, and the rest of it is space and the passed pawn, neither of which is of any real use in this kind of endgame. This position seems almost dead even.
Hi Susan, Is there any remote chance in this position for White King to get hold of f6 square now?
Well after 47. Bc5 gh5, 48. Kg5, I am damned if I see any plan for white now.
Susan, love the commentary and analysis. Got recommended here from another site, you’re much better 🙂
After 47.-,gxh I definitely believe it´s a draw.
Topalov should not play 50. Kh5 immediately- he could lose the bishop.
I don’t see how White wins, if Black just keeps his e6 and h7 pawns. Whenever White plays Kh6, Black goes Kg8. Otherwise Black puts his king on f7.
Azmai sounds as if White could do something here, but I don’t see it.
But if Black gave up the e6 pawn, then White would have a passed f pawn.
Matthew, thank you. Please feel free to tell others. There is no reason why we cannot have a few hundred thousands or more people following a live commentary in chess on the Internet.
I always believe that if chess is explained and promoted the right way, it can grow by leaps and bounds.
Thank you again for the kind words.
Best wishes,
Susan Polgar
Can Anand now play Kg6 claiming some space? I thought that was the point of playing h4 (not that the pawn could be held anyway).
I’m supposed to be studying however I can’t help coming here to check on the progress!
It’s been an exciting game.
Susan I appreciate alot that you talk about the psychology of the game and the way the players might be feeling according to your own experience and the stuff that goes on in their head and things like that. Thank you!
Topalov will slowly grind him down and win. Nice job.
Just keep the bishop in the a4-e8 diagonal …
I have to admit that since the “toilates” I am not fan of Topalov and his team. This has to change because it’s stopping me from evaluating the positions properly lol
All that is left for white that I can see is to play the king to f4 or h4 and start moving up the f and g pawns. If not that, what? Black’s bishop can just move along the a4/e8 diagonal keeping the passed pawn under observation, and his king controls everything else.
What is the time control – is anand in time trouble? Topalov wants to take advantage of that.?
oops, sorry about the typo, I meant toilets lol. A way to lose this game is to push h5 and help white create abother passed pawn 🙂
susan.Plz make an honest statement..do u see a win for white here?
I think Top is trying to win a ghost here:think that even he MANAGES to create a 2nd passed pawn in the f file (g4,f5-ef-gf) black can still hold easily,with Kf7 and B moving at the c8-h3 diagonal.
Though a Topalov fan,I think it’s a dead draw.
Could time presssure come into play against Anand?
“Get your snack, popcorn, lunch, dinner (whichever time zone you are in) and drinks out. This will be the longest game of the match so far.”
Thank you, Susan. This is analysis with a caring, human face for we poor peeps trying to follow the game and still trying to keep some semblance of declining domestic order 🙂
look at times..anand has just about 20 mins..and topa has more than an hour..has anand forgotten that its his move?
I am enjoying your excellent commentary! Definitely going to bookmark this site and share it with my father, who is also avidly watching this tournament.
This is dead, dead, dead (after k:h4). It’s nonsense to pretend otherwise.
There was a conceivable winning position earlier, with a white Kh6, Bg7, but no one showed how to reach it. Now, there is nothing, and it’s ridiculous to pretend otherwise. A 2000 player could draw this easily, and many 1500 players could draw it.
Great win, wore him down, drained him and beat him painfully!!!
ha, I was wrong.
Anand is such a fish!!
However, I was right that the game wouldn’t go on for ever.
Hello, it is 1-0 online for Topa. Could someone post the full explanation why Anand resigned?? Susan said it would a long game, but …
All the dead draw “experts” must be feeling pretty stupid now.
To my eye, 54. ….Bc6 was the decisive mistake. What do the chess engines say about that move?
It was critical, in my opinion, for black to maintain the flexibility of protecting h7 with the bishop. From c6, he can’t do this because e4 isn’t available.
Bravo, Topalov.
Damn!!! Topalov won 🙁 🙁 He is Anand’s bogey player 🙁
can’t believe he resigned in this position. I think its due to time pressure also…he has only 12 and Topa has an hour…after 60th move, only 15 minutes + 30s for each move…this would have been really a looooong game and he would have come under time pressure and made a mistake at some point of time…so, maybe…
Yeah Cheapolov wins easy, idea g6 kf6-e7 simply stuff.
I am happy to be shown wrong by the best, Veselin Topalov! In exactly the position I said was a draw, Anand resigned.
I think it’s because now White plays g5, then Bg7, then f4, then g6 forcing hg, then Kxg6-f6xe6. After Kxg6 Black can play e5 but White can recapture with fxe5.
Awesome!!!
56.g4 Bb5 57.g5 Bc6 58.f4 Bd7 59.Bg7!Be8 60.b3!Bc6 61.g6! hxg6 62.Kxg6
Susan is obviously supporting Anand. I don’t know why is that? Maybe some money involved …
Susan you are incorrect in your evaluation. The final position cannot be held. GM Harikrishna showed the winning idea after Anand Bc6? blunder on ICC commentary.
It is to put Bg7 and march g pawn exchange hxg6 kxg6 and then penetrate to Kf6 and game is lost.
can someone intelligently explain why anand resigned. thanks
it perhaps wud hv been psychologically too much for anand…as written in chessdom “the most terrible thing that White can continue torturing his opponent for a long time, he can move his pieces from one side to another. He can always switch from the plan with the king on h6 to the king on e5 while time is running against Anand.”
I didnt get it. He resigned… plenty of time and hope he could have, yet he did it. 🙁
The reason Anand lost is that Topalov wins the F6 square and the game. Anand would never resign such an important game prematurely. Susan you should know that. But thanks for the commentary.
Did Anand make a mistake by resigning ? I don’t see a guaranteed winning line for white
Hmmm… my comment seems to have been lost.
I nominate 54. ….Bc6 as the mistake. Anand needed to keep the flexibility of protecting h7 with the bishop, not the king alone. From c6, the bishop cannot do this due to white’s f-pawn.
Topalov just proved that he’s the best endgame player!
It seems the official commentator of the live game tranmission at was the only one who predicted a Topalov victory when he clearly said, fifteen moves before the end: “black technically has no serious moves to hold this game”.
Great victory for Topalov, big loss for Anand and his fans. Topalov is coming stronger in the end of the match!
the fatal error was 54..Bc6??. 54…Bd3 it’s a easy draw
I still cannot see any way for white to win. It was a not that hard position to defend for black. I’m very disappointed in Anand.
Maybe the Bulgarian mafia has something to do with this resign :))
Anand was right to resign (though I would have made Topalov prove it out), I see no defense after white’s g4. The bishop comes to g7 and after the exchange of pawns at g6, white gets control of f6 with his king and forces the d-pawn forward.
In my opinion, Anand should have played 54. ….Bf1. I see nothing more than g3 or g4. The d-pawn is still covered by the king, and the h-pawn can be protected by the bishop if white plays Kh6 (or he can just take at g2). A blunder has cost Anand both losses. Sad.
Why did he resign !? Could he not have played Be8 after few moves.
lulz. where are the haters now?
54…Bc6?? was the blunder..Anand should have played ke8 to stop the d7 pawn followed by bd3 to protect h7 pawn,i think then position would be equal.
… unless it is 6 pieces or less – AND – your chess engine has the Nalimov tablebases.
Monokroussos at The Chessmind say 54…Bc6?? was the blunder – after which T has a straightforward win.
Topalov just proved that he’s the best endgame player!
Mario just proved he doesn’t kmow what the word “proof” means.
i agree with 54. …, Bd3
much better
40…Kf6
that might be the mistake? wasn’t …h6 better?
great blog. thank you!
A possible line with a better 54th move by black:
54. …..Bf1
55. g3 Ke8
56. Kh6 Bd3
57. g4 Kf7
58. Bd4 Kf8
59. f4 Ke8
60. Kg8 Kd7
61. Bc5 Kc6
62. b3 Bc2
63. b4 Kd7
64. Kf6 Bd3
65. Ke5 Bf1
66. g5 Bd3 and how does white make any progress. The white pawns cannot be advanced any further due to the combination of the h and e pawns and the bishop. Dead draw with fairly easy play, in my opinion. Anand blundered.
The analysis of Anand’s resignation is posted with diagrams at http://buffalochess.blogspot.com/2010/05/wcc-game-8-topalov-wins-scores-level.html
I am amazed at how many super GM’s did not see Anand’s loss today until after the fact. I believe chess should be scored similarly to martial arts, in that mastery of certain forms or positions be required for one to truly be called a master. Mastery entails much more than just total wins, losses, or draws.
Thanks Susan. Best analysis among sites I follow. It looks like Peter Leko could have held this.
-Frank
I agree with one of the posters above. Ms. Kosteniuk seemed to have no clue as to why Anand resigned. She couldn’t offer any proper explanation. She’s either clueless or someone is typing for her. It’s sad to see how weak the reigning women’s champion is. She’s not even in the top 10 in the world among active women players.
Dear Susan,
I think Topalov would win despite of the Anand’s blunder on the 54. move.
Let the black bishop protect h7 and the black king d7. So white can move the f- and g-pawns and get a free pawn on the f-file after the exchange with the black f-pawn. The black h-pawn cannot be protected for long, it will be taken after some moves, because the black bishop has to help his king. So with pawns on d6 and f6, and a bishop on e5 the white king goes to the b-file and wins.
What do you think about it?
Ivan
Don’t criticize Kosteniuk just because she doesn’t know everything about the position. If every GM knows everything all the time, then every game would be a draw and chess would become very boring.
Ivan,
No. Even if white creates a passed f-pawn, he cannot win this end-game with the bishops on the board, and the h-pawn would not matter whether or not black lost it, in that position, though I think he can hold it anyway.
Hello Susan, I always loved your comments: they are pedagogical without being shallow, but today… today you did an unforgettable amazing job. You made us feel like we were inside the head of those titanic-players, understanding chess and the emotions envolved in a world championship.
Today´s game was brilliant and so were all your comments! Tks a lot!
“My commentary is meant for the chess fans to enjoy. Feel free to share it or re-post on your blogs / websites. Please also feel free to let others know about my live commentary”
Dear Susan thanks.
I translated your commentary in my site in Greece.
http://www.skaki.activistis.gr
Thanks again
My feeling during the game was that Anand apparently got into a fatal transposition while playing 53…Rf7, when perhaps he intended 53…Ac6 first. Apart from this, I did not understand why 53…Rf7 was necessary, though of corse there was nothing wrong with it: why shouldn’t the black king simply stay on g6, preventing the white one to advance?
Tapir,
I would go so far as to claim you must be correct. It is difficult for me to understand the two moves as a combo for a strong amateur, not to mention one of the greatest grandmasters, unless Anand made a interpolation of the two as a mental shortcut .
I am a patzer, and I never would have even considered playing 54. …Bc6, even though I didn’t even understand how Topalov had a win until a couple of minutes after the resignation- Bc6 violates a hard core principle in such positions- it removes flexibility and space.
Yancey, putting the bishop on c6 makes some sense in order to hinder an eventual transfer of the white king to the queenside, and especially as a means to discourage the g2-g4 advance. Unfortunately the latter function works as long as the black king is able to block the central passer, whereas as things went on, after the forced …Kg8 the black bishop simply found itself overloaded and g2-g4 became perfectly playable. Maybe somewhere in Anand’s head he figured out his king as both on f7 and on g8 between variations! 😉
No joke, actually, this might be a typical error mechanism of the kind famous chess psychologists like Krogius wrote in some classic books.