Sokolov, Ivan – Topalov, Veselin
Essent chess tournament, Hoogeveen, 2006
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 c5 3.d5 g6 4.Nc3 Bg7 5.e4 d6 6.Bb5+ Nfd7 7.a4 Na6 8.0-0 Nc7 9.Re1 Nxb5 10.axb5 0-0 11.Bf4 Nb6 12.e5 Bf5 13.h3 h6 14.Qe2 g5 15.Bg3 Qd7 16.h4 f6 (GM Atalik: Typical move for this structure now Ivan has to be careful because the position may open up) 17.e6 Qd8 18.Nh2 Bg6 19.f4 Bh5 20.Qd3 gxf4 21.Bxf4 Qg6 22.Nf1 f5 23.Kh2 Qg4 24.Qg3 Qxg3+ 25.Nxg3 Be8 26.Nge2 Kh7 27.Bg3 Nc4 28.b3 Ne3 29.Rac1 Rg8 30.Nd1 Nxd5 31.c4 Nb4 32.Ne3 a6 33.bxa6 Rxa6 34.Nxf5 Bf6 35.Nf4 Ra2 36.Nd5 Nxd5 37.cxd5 Bh5 38.Rf1 Rd2 (Black is certainly better here. The question is can Sokolov hang on?) 39.Ne3 Bd4 40.Nc4? (Now 40…Rd3 and Topalov should win this game.) 40…Rd3 41.Bf4 Rxb3 42.Nd2 (This game is all but over. Sokolov seems to have a problem with the last few moves before time control in each game. 40.Nc4 sealed his fate in a difficult position.) 42…Rb2 43.Rb1 Bg6 (43…Be2 is probably more accurate but this should win as well.) 44.Rxb2 Bxb2 45.Rf3 Rf8 46.Nc4 Be4 (Once again, Topalov is on his way to another miraculous comebacks. However, it’s a little too late since this is only a 6 round event.) 47.Bxd6 Bxf3 0-1 Topalov will have White against Judit tomorrow.
This will be a tough game. Toplaov has played this style of ..g6 game many times before.
Edge to white
What possible purpose could 23.Kh2 serve? Just throws a tempo to Topalov for more attacking.
Didn’t White play Nh2-f1 to then hop to e3 and cover g4? Now in comes Black’s queen, I just can’t see why Kh2. Makes no chess sense at all.
And the pawns waved goodbye..
And now 24.Qg3?! instead of 24.g3 and Black can play to win a pawn soon with either …Nc4 or swap queens then …Be8.
Honestly White’s entire game looked bad after he allowed NxBb5.
Not as bad as Judit looked with White, but bad and early on too.
??????
And 27.Bg3 does NOTHING at all, except uncover e3 so Topalov can play Nb6-c4-e3, prevent Bc1, and open the door for Black to play …f4! disturbing pieces and disrupting the Ne2 to force bxc3 in response to Bxc3. Sokolov is playing like a sandbagger trying to throw away the game. What is he thinking about?
Tactical errors are understandable, but making moves that have absolutely no chess sense whatsoever…why?? Isn’t he a GM and supposed to have some basics? I am missing something and he is winning instead of floundering? Anyone who is following with a chess engine, please chime in.
0:1
anyway was very interesting game!
i think after she sacriface she should push more the king side not going back to defence
What was wrong with 32…Nd3?
Not that black is not better here.
Maybe I just do not understand.
Sokolv tries to toss an exchange indesparation and bluffs Topalov into not taking it?
For two moves in a row?
Game looks EVEN now, White did not deserve to have such chances. And Black not even in time trouble. Unlike a spider, Topalov often gets caught in his own webs I think!
3 results still possible in this game.
36.Nd5???
Over now, Black’s white-square bishop is coming in and no challenge on the second rank. 36.Re2 and White has to work hard to hold but he won’t resign after making time control…which I predict he will now.
What was wrong with 32…Nd3?
Nothing. In fact I think 32. … Nd3 is better (if not the only) option than topalov’s a6?
40. Nc4?
Is this a blunder?
Hm, I was just typing 32. Ne3?? Nd3 game over for Sokolov, and then saw that Topa played a6. Anyway, Black wins in all possible variations, Sokolov played very bad today, he advanced his pawns too far, blocked his own attack with moves like e6 and sooner or later Topa would get behind his defense and do damage or mate.
Congrats to Topa and good luck to Judit with the next game!
Topalov probably will win this game – Sokolov is 2xpowns allready down and in very bad position!
17…f6 was very bad, Black had a good game until then. Several bad moves it took White to mess things up.
But what is Topalov doing repeating the position at move 45? These are nonsense moves, White will improve slightly now. Black is still dead won but he should have 4 passed pawns in the R+BOOC ending.
They both looked horrible this game.
Everytime Sokolov played Nc4 it has been a mistake.
White was in trouble from the moment he gave up the bishop in the opening, although he had chances along the way.
Why not 14.g4 ? This black sq bishop has always been annoying in g3, couldn t he struggle black thus ?
Ken, it’s funny, I don’t share your view at all !
Браво, Веско, покажи на всички страхливци, зложелатали и лъжци, че си боец и че струваш много повече от всички тях, взети заедно.
Людмил Антонов
Welldone, Vesko, show to all cowards, bad-mouthers and liers that you are a fighter and you are worth more than all of them, taken together.
Lyudmil Antonov
Поздравления, Иван Чепаринов, българските фенове те подкрепяме.
Congratulations, Ivan Cheparinov, Bulgarian fans support you.
Браво на Веско и Иван!
Congrats to Vesko i Ivan!
So if Topa wins tomorrow and Soko wins tomorrow there would be a 3 way tie for 1st place!
Topa winning tomorrow is possible but I don’t think Soko has a snowball’s chance in hell.
Go Judit! Win tomorrow!
Not only Topalov and his managers have recently sunk the chess world in dirt, now his fans seem to insist on behaving obnoxiously on all forums. Hopefully, tomorrow he will lose and there will be a temporary pause of cries of victory against “cowards” and “liars”.
Susan, there’s a typo in this PGN. 17…Qe8 was played, instead of 17…Qd8, which would make 19…Bh5 a terrible blunder and 21…Qg6 impossible 😉
THE BEST SOKOLOV CAN DO IS TO SECURE 2ND PLACE IF HE BEATS MAMEDYAROV AND TOPALOV BEATS POLGAR, AT LEAST FIGURATIVELY.
Soko can’t get 2nd place. The best he can do is 4th place.
If he beats Shak and Topa beat Judit, then there is a 3 way tie for 1st and if tie breaks get used Soka still ends up with the 4th place prize.
it just means that when three is tied at first place the 4th placer becomes a 2nd placer figuratively and thats the best sokolov can hope for
Great play from Ivan Cheparinov, congrats! Hope he wins tomorrow to secure the title!
Veselin should win against Judit, so that if there are tie breaks things will get more interesting. He is obviously tired and frustrated after the match against the cheating Kramnik, so his poor (by his own standards) performance in Essent should not be judged too harshly!
To those supporting Kramnik, piss off. And those GMs that gave their support for the former were either Russian, of Russian descent, or Jewish/Russian, etc. Gee, I wonder why they backed their guy?!
When one compares Topalov and Kramnik, it is easy to see that when at their best Toppy is far better. He has been compared to Morphy and Fisher for Christ’s Sake! Kramnik is boring, boring, boring!
I didn’t understand why not ..32Nd3 either. Can you explain Susan?
“To those supporting Kramnik, piss off. And those GMs that gave their support for the former were either Russian, of Russian descent, or Jewish/Russian, etc.”
Comments like this should be banned. Shame on such fan behavior. Don’t damage Topalov’s image any more.
“Comments like this should be banned. Shame on such fan behavior. Don’t damage Topalov’s image any more.”
I totally agree!! Any comments that do not mention explicitly “Topalov is Evil” should be banned and their authors should be prosecuted in the harshest way possible for crimes against chess and against the humanity in general!
Every person with half decent morality would agree