This is a position from a game by Topalov recently in Mexico City. Topalov is White. He just played 14. Be2. White has a small advantage. Set this position against your computer program (level appropriate) or your chess buddies. Your goal is to hold this position as Black and try to win as White. Have fun 🙂
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Blacks Win is on the ABC squares but I just can’t seem to win with them. Winning with white is pretty simple thanks to the good setup and dominant control over the center. With the white pieces all you have to do is try to compinsate for the lack of the ABC squares and you should be ok. Any ways to gain an advantage or a good setup with Black?
Huh?
A very interesting position and great test Susan, thanks!
I’m still not sure what is the right plan, other than castling soon. Some thoughts to push to e4 and build up slowly behind it and put pressure on the Q side to probe for weaknesses. Maybe later put the Q on the c-file to induce c6, and then Ne5 and then Nd3-c5 or Nc4… Or is probing with Qb4 betterh??? plans for black are to hold tight, or risky would be an f5 push later to try to make White commit the pawns, and perhaps try to get in f4, but this seems risky due to tactics on the a2-g8 diagonal, like a future Qb3+ or Bc4+ with Ng5. If white is careless and advances either the e or d pawns to the fifth rank too soon, perhaps black can blockade them. Another decision is to decide whether to keep the pawn on a2 or do a minority attack and try to march the pawn to a6? Still, perhaps a black pa6 response would make an advance of the a pawn a target…. Are the rooks best placed on c1-d1 or b1-c1??? hmm, not sure…
1…Bc6
with the idea of f5, Nc8, Nd6, Bd5, g6
if the immediate
2 Ne5
then
2…Bxh3
3 Rg1 Bd5
4 f3 f5
The reason I select this plan is because I know Topalov would be embarassed to draw me so Topalov might do something silly and then I can go for a win.
Can anybody tell me when this game was played in Mexico City and who was playing black, thank you.