Game 10 Analysis | Kramnik 1-0 Topalov

Kramnik – Topalov [E08]
WCC Match 2006 (Game 10) 10-08-2006

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3 (Again Kramnik plays the Catalan as we have seen it already twice before in this match.)

4…Bb4+ (Here Topalov chose to vary from game 1 and 3 where he played the Open Catalan with 4…dxc4. With the game move, Black seems to lose a tempo but as we shall see, the White Bishop will also lose a tempo on move eight.)

5.Bd2 Be7 6.Bg2 0–0 7.0–0 c6 8.Bf4 Nbd7 (In such positions, White is not too worried about Black capturing 8…dxc4 because after 9.Ne5 White wins the Pawn back quickly.

The other main plan in these positions for Black is to play b7-b6. Topalov certainly had some sour memories of the following two games: 8…b6 9.Nc3 Ba6 10.cxd5 cxd5 11.Rc1 Nc6 12.Nxd5 Qxd5 13.Ne5 Nxd4 14.Bxd5 Nxe2+ 15.Qxe2 Bxe2 16.Bxa8 Rxa8 17.Rfe1 Bb5 18.Rc2 Nd5 19.Rec1 and now 19…Bc5 20.Bd2 f6 21.b4 Bf8 22.Ng4 Rd8 23.Rc8 Rd7 24.Nh6+ gxh6 25.Bxh6 Rf7 26.Rd8 Ne7 27.Rc7 Ng6 28.Rcc8 e5 29.f4 Bd7 30.Ra8 Bh3 31.Kf2 b5 32.Rdb8 exf4 33.gxf4 Bd7 34.h4 Bc6 35.h5 Bxa8 36.hxg6 hxg6 37.Rxa8 f5 38.Kg3 a6 39.Kh4 Rg7 40.Kg5 1–0 Ponomariov – Topalov [Sofia, 2005] or 19…Ba6 20.Bd2 f6 21.Nc4 Rd8 22.a3 Kf7 23.Ne3 h5 24.Nxd5 Rxd5 25.Bb4 Bd8 26.Rc6 Be2 27.Rd6 Rxd6 28.Bxd6 Ke8 29.Bb8 a5 30.Bc7 Bf3 31.Rc3 Bd5 32.f4 Kd7 33.Bxd8 Kxd8 34.Kf2 Kd7 35.Ke3 e5 36.fxe5 fxe5 37.Rc1 a4 38.Rf1 Ke6 39.Rf8 b5 40.Rg8 Kf6 41.Rb8 1–0 Kramnik – Topalov [Dortmund, 2005])

9.Qc2 a5 (Kramnik on the Black side played the more popular 9…b6 holding equality in both games. 10.cxd5 (10.Rd1 Bb7 11.Nc3 dxc4 12.Nd2 Nd5 13.Nxc4 Nxf4 14.gxf4 Qc7 15.e3 Rac8 16.Rac1 1/2 Khalifman – Kramnik, 2005.) 10…cxd5 11.Rc1 Bb7 12.Nbd2 Rc8 13.Qd1 h6 14.Rxc8 Qxc8 15.Rc1 Qa8 16.Ne5 Rc8 17.Nxd7 Nxd7 18.Nf3 a5 19.Ne5 Nxe5 20.Bxe5 Ba6 21.Rc2 a4 22.Bf1 b5 23.Qc1 Rc4 24.b3 axb3 25.axb3 Ba3 26.Qd2 Bb4 27.Qc1 Ba3 28.Qd2 Bb4 ½–½ Karpov – Kramnik [Monte Carlo 2001])

10.Rd1 Nh5 (Another move which has been played in some games is 10…a4.)

11.Bc1 (White wants to keep their pair of Bishops. After this retreat White plans Nbd2 and b2-b3, Bb2.)

11…b5 (White was better after 11…Nhf6 12.Nbd2 b5 13.c5 Qe8 14.e4 Nxe4 15.Nxe4 dxe4 16.Qxe4 Nf6 17.Qc2 Nd5 18.Re1 f6 19.Bf4 += Marin –Pogorelov [Barcelona, 1993]. I would not feel very comfortable transposing to a Stonewall type of position with the a7-a5 move included.)

12.cxd5 (A new move and an improvement over the following game: 12.c5 f5 13.Nc3 g5 14.a3 Bf6 15.Qd2 h6 16.h4 g4 17.Qxh6 gxf3 18.Qxh5 fxg2 19.Qg6+ Kh8 20.Qh6+ Kg8 21.Qg6+ ½–½ Rahman – Ghaem Maghami [Doha, 2003]. Two less energetic options were 12.Ne5 or 12.b3.)

12…cxd5 13.e4! (An ambitious and good move! Strategically speaking, it seems risky as after the trade on e4 White will be left with an isolated Pawn on d4. However, White’s dynamic play will more than compensate for that weakness.)

13…dxe4 (A must! Otherwise White would push e4-e5 gaining space and a serious advantage.)

14.Qxe4 (Black has three problems to face in this position, the two pieces on unprotected squares [the Knight on h5 and the Pawn on b5, which at times could be simultaneously attacked by Qe2] as well as Nf3-e5-c6 with various unpleasant threats.)

14…Rb8 (The most logical move as it protects the Pawn on b5. However, after Nf3-e5, there will be a fork threat with Ne5-c6. If, 14…Nb6 15.Ne5 Nd5 16.Qe2 Nhf6 17.Nc3 White is better; 14…Ra7 15.Qe2 Qb6? 16.Ne5 Nhf6 17.Nc6+-)

15.Qe2 (A very sensible move! White is moving the Queen away from the upcoming attacks of Bc8-b7 or Nh5-f6.)

15…Nhf6 (15…Bb7 16.Ne5 Nhf6 17.Bxb7 Rxb7 18.Nc6 Qe8 19.Nxa5 and White is up a Pawn.)

16.Bf4 (Certainly the most natural move! White is developing while winning a tempo by attacking the Rook on b8.)

16…Rb6 (Moving to the a8-h1 diagonal (to b7 or a8) would be worse as White would gain another tempo with discovery attack 17.Ne5.)

17.Ne5 (Threatening with 18.Nc6.)

17…Nd5 (White would have a visible advantage after 17…Nb8 18.Nc3 or 17…Nxe5 18.dxe5 Nd5 19.Bxd5 exd5 20.Nc3 and White is winning a Pawn. Now White wins a Pawn.)

18.Bxd5! exd5 19.Nc3 (A dual attack on both the b5 and d5 Pawns.)

19…Nf6 (19…Bb7 20.Nxb5±)

20.Nxb5 (White won a Pawn. However, the cost was to give up the light squared Bishop from g2.)

20…Ba6 (Pinning the Knight. 20…Bh3 would be scary for White if Black could get some more forces near the White King. But that is not likely to happen.

21.a4 (The only move to protect the Knight.)

21…Ne4 (With the idea of Ne4-d6 as well as to clear the f6 square.)

22.Rdc1 (A good move, occupying the open c file, and threatening with 23.Nc6 Qd7 24.Nxe7 Qxe7 and then 25.f3 using the pin.)

22…Qe8 (Stopping Nc6 as well as attacking b5 a third time.)

23.Rc7 Bd8 (23…Bxb5 24.axb5 Rxb5? 25.Nc6+-)

24.Ra7 (The critical moment of the game.)

24…f6?? (This move gives the game away. A shocking move! Much better would have been 24…Bxb5 25.axb5 Qxb5 26.Qxb5 Rxb5 27.Ra2 when Black would have to defend an unpleasant endgame.)

25.Nd7 (This is the strongest continuation. Kramnik also considered 25.Qg4 which is not as strong as the move he actually made. This game is basically over. The rest is just techniques.)

25…Rf7 26.Nxb6 Rxa7 27.Nxd5 (As a result of the last few forced moves White won a second Pawn.)

27…Rd7 28.Ndc3 Rxd4 29.Re1 (Here, White could have won a piece by using the pin by 29.f3 but it may offer Black small counter attack chances due to the weak King. Kramnik decided on a much safer continuation as he does not want to take any chance whatsoever.)

29…f5 30.Qc2! (A very strong move! Kramnik wanted to get out of the pin while attacking the Black’s Rook and at the same time making f2-f3 an even more dangerous threat.)

30…Rb4 31.Nd5 (31.f3 worked too but this gives less counter chances for Black.)

31…Rxb5 (31…Bxb5 32.axb5 Rxb5 33.Qc4 Kh8 34.f3+-)

32.axb5 Qxb5 33.Nc7 Qc4 (33…Bxc7 34.Qxc7 Qxb2 35.Qd8+ Kf7 36.Qd7+ Kg6 37.Qe8+ Kf6 38.Rxe4 fxe4 39.Qc6+ +-)

34.Qd1 (34.Qxc4+ Bxc4 35.Ra1+-)

34…Bxc7 35.Qd7! (A cute double attack threatening with 36.Qe8 checkmate.)

35…h6 36.Qxc7 Qb4 37.Qb8+ (Following the known basic principle: When you are ahead in material, trade, especially Queens!)

37…Qxb8 38.Bxb8 (Black’s position is resignable.)

38…Nd2 39.Ra1 g5 40.f4 Nb3 41.Ra3 Bc4 42.Bc7 g4 43.Bxa5 1–0