LIVE game 7 commentary can be read here.

Topalov – Kramnik [D27]
WCC Match 2006 (game 7) 10-04-2006

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Bd3 dxc4 6.Bxc4 c5 After starting out as a Meran, now the game has transposed into a Queen’s Gambit Accepted.

7.0-0 a6 Black is preparing b7-b5. In this position, for many years 8.a4 or 8.Qe2 used to be considered as th main choices. In the last two decades 8.Bd3 and th game move became popular.

8.Bb3 Getting ready to meet 8…b5 with 9.a4.

8…cxd4 9.exd4 Nc6 An important move, putting pressure on the d4 Pawn and preventing the ideal setup of White with Qe2 and Rd1.

10.Nc3 Be7 11.Re1 0-0 Here White has two main plans, often trying to combine them: the d4-d5 push at the right moments and/or a King side attack against th Black King with moves like Nf3-e5, Bc1-g5, Qd1-f3-g3 or h3 etc. Black is hoping to hold off White’s attack and then one day in the endgame have a clear target in the weak isolated d4 Pawn.

12.a4 [12.a3 is the main move]

12…Bd7 13.Ne5 Be8 14.Be3 Rc8 15.Rc1 Nb4 16.Qf3 Bc6 17.Qh3 Bd5 18.Nxd5 Nbxd5 19.Rcd1 Rc7?! [19…Qb6]

20.Bg5 Qc8 21.Qf3 Rd8 [White was kind of threatening 22.Bxf6 Nxf6 23.Nxf7 Rxf7 24.Bxe6]

22.h4 [22.Bxf6 Nxf6 23.Nxf7 Kxf7 24.Bxe6+ 24…Qxe6 25.Rxe6 Kxe6 is not a big deal]

22…h6 [22…b5 23.axb5 axb5 24.h5 Bb4 25.Bxd5 Rxd5 26.Bxf6 Bxe1 27.Qg3 Qf8 28.h6+-]

23.Bc1 [I prefer 23.Bd2]

23…Bb4 24.Rf1 Bd6?! [Here Black missed an interesting opportunity with 24…Nc3 25.bxc3 Rxc3 26.Be3 Rxb3 27.g4 Bd6 28.g5 hxg5 29.hxg5 Bxe5 30.dxe5 Nd5; 25.Rd3 Nxa4. White’s best response would be the exchange sacrifice with 25.Bxh6 Nxd1 26.Rxd1 (26.Qg3? Nh5) with a very complicated middlegame position]

25.g3?! [After 25.a5 Nc3; But I much prefer 25.g4 Bxe5 (25…b5 26.axb5 (26.g5 hxg5 27.hxg5 bxa4 28.Bxa4 Bxe5 29.dxe5 Nd7) 26…axb5 27.g5 hxg5 28.hxg5 Bxe5 29.dxe5 Nh7) 26.dxe5 Nd7 27.g5 (27.Bxd5 Nxe5 28.Qg3 Rxd5 29.Rxd5 exd5 30.Qxe5 Rxc1-/+) 27…Nxe5 28.Qg3 Ng6 29.h5]

25…b6 26.Qe2 Another unusual move. I still like 26.g4 Bxe5 27.dxe5 Nd7 28.g5 hxg5 29.Bxg5 Nxe5 30.Qg3 f6 31.Bxf6 Nxf6 32.Qxe5 Nd5 (32…Kf7? 33.Bxe6+!) 33.Rfe1 Rc6 34.h5+/= better.

26…Ne7 27.Rfe1 [27.Bf4 Nfd5]

27…Bxe5 28.dxe5 Rxd1 29.Qxd1 Nfd5 [29…Nd7]

30.Bd2 Rc5 31.Qg4 Nf5 32.Qe4 b5 33.h5 [33.a5 would have been better]

33…bxa4 34.Qxa4 Rb5 35.Rc1 [35.Bc4? Nb6-+; 35.Ra1 Nb6 36.Qa3 Qb7=/+]

35…Qb7 36.Bc2 [36.Bxd5 Qxd5 37.Qxa6? Nd4!-/+ (37…Qxd2? 38.Rc8++-) ]

36…Nb6 [36…Rxb2? 37.Bxf5 exf5 38.Qe8+ Kh7 39.Rc8 Rb1+ 40.Bc1 (40.Kh2? Rh1+! 41.Kxh1 Nc7+-+) ]

37.Qg4 [37.Qa3 Nc4-/+; 37.Qa2 Nd4-/+]

37…Rxb2 [37…Rxe5? 38.Bc3 Rc5 39.Bxf5+-]

38.Be4 [38.Bxf5 exf5 39.Qd4 Nd5=/+; 38.Ba5 Nd5 39.Bxf5 Ne3! 40.Qe4 Nxf5=/+; 38.Bc3 Rb5 39.Bxf5 exf5 40.Qxf5 Nd7]

38…Qd7 [38…Nd5 39.Bxf5 exf5 40.Qxf5 Ne7 (40…Rxd2?? 41.Rc8+) 41.Qd3+/=]

39.Be1 [39.Bc3 Rb3 40.Rd1 Qc7 41.Ba1 a5 42.Bxf5 exf5 43.Qxf5 Rb5 stopping e5-e6. 44.Qe4 Rb4=]

39…Nd5 [Avoiding complications with 39…Nd4 40.Kh2 (40.Kg2 Nd5) 40…Nd5 41.Bd3 Nb3 when 42.Qa4! gives White hopes: 42…Nxc1 43.Qxd7 Nxd3 44.Qd8+ Kh7 45.Qh4 Nxe1! (45…Nxf2 46.Kg1 Nd1 47.Qd4 N5e3 48.Bd2 Nf5 49.Qd3+-) 46.Qe4+ Kg8 47.Qxe1 a5 and Black is OK.]

40.Bd3 Nb4 [40…a5 41.Qe4 a4 42.g4 Nfe7 43.Qh7+ Kf8 44.g5 Ng8 and Black is OK. (44…hxg5? 45.h6 gxh6 46.Qxh6+ Ke8 47.Qh8++-) ]

41.Bf1 [I would have preferred 41.Be4 Nd3 (41…Nd5 would repeat moves; 41…a5 42.Rd1 Qc8 43.Qf3 a4? 44.Qa3 Rb3 45.Qxa4+-) 42.Qd1 (42.Rd1 Nxe5 43.Rxd7 Nxg4-/+) 42…Nxe5 43.Qxd7 Nxd7 44.Rc8+ Nf8 (44…Kh7 45.Bc3 (45.g4? Re2-+) 45…Ra2 46.Rc7) 45.Bc3 Rb5 (45…Nd6 46.Rc6 Rb3 47.Bc2+/-) 46.Bxf5 exf5 47.Bd4 f4 48.Bc5 fxg3 49.fxg3 Kh7 50.Bxf8 Rxh5+/=; 41.Bb1 Nd3 42.Qd1 Nxe5 43.Qxd7 Nxd7 44.Rc8+ Kh7=/+]

41…Nd3 42.Qd1 [42.Rd1 Nxe5 43.Rxd7 Nxg4 44.Bxa6 Nf6=/+]

42…Nxe5 43.Qxd7 [43.Bc3 Qxd1 44.Rxd1 Nf3+ 45.Kg2 Rc2=/+]

43…Nxd7=/+ 44.Rc8+ Kh7 [44…Nf8 45.Bxa6=/+]

45.Rc7 [45.g4 Rb1 (45…Nd4 46.Bd3+ f5 47.gxf5 Nxf5 48.Rc7 Nb6 49.Bc3 Rb3 50.Rxg7+ Kh8 51.Rc7+ Kg8=) 46.Bc3 Nd6 47.Rd8 Ne4 48.Rxd7 Nxc3 49.Kg2 Rb8 50.Rxf7 a5=/+]

45…Rb1 [45…Nf6 46.Rxf7 Rb1 47.Bc3 Ne4 (47…Nxh5 48.g4 Nd6 49.Re7 Ne4 50.Be5 Nhf6 51.f3 Nd2 52.Bxf6 Rxf1+ 53.Kg2 Rxf3 54.Rxg7+ Kh8 55.Rg6+ Kh7 56.Rg7+=) 48.Rc7 Rc1 (48…Nxc3 49.Rxc3 Ra1 50.Rc6=) 49.Be5 Rxc7 50.Bxc7 Nc5 51.Bb6 Nd7 52.Ba5 Nb8 53.Bc7=]

46.Rxd7 [46.Bc3 Rd1 (46…Rc1 47.Rxd7 Rxc3 48.Bd3 g6 (48…Kg8? 49.g4+/-) 49.hxg6+ Kxg6 50.g4+/-) 47.Kg2]

46…Rxe1 47.Rxf7 [47.Kg2 Kg8 (47…f6 48.Bd3 Kg8 49.g4 Nh4+ 50.Kg3 Rh1 51.Re7+/=) 48.Rd8+ Kh7 49.Rd7=]

47…a5 48.Kg2 The best move to free up the Bishop from the pin. [48.Rf8 a4 49.Kg2 g5=/+; 48.Ra7 Ra1 49.Kg2]

48…Kg8 49.Ra7 Re5 50.g4 Nd6 51.Bd3 This is the correct plan to position the Bishop on g6 next.

51…Rd5 52.Bg6 Threatening with back rank checkmate.

52…Kf8 A must move to avoid trouble. Now neither side can make progress.

53.f3 [53.f4]

53…e5 54.Kf2 Rd2+ 55.Ke1 Rd5 56.Ke2 Rb5 57.Rd7 Rd5 [57…Rb6 58.Ra7]

58.Ra7 Rb5 59.Bd3 Rd5 60.Bg6 1/2-1/2
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