1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Qc2 Bd6 7.b3 O-O 8.Be2 b6 9.O-O Bb7 10.Bb2 Re8 11.Rad1 Qe7 12.Rfe1 Rac8 13.Bd3 e5 14.e4 dxc4 15.Bxc4 b5 16.Bf1 (Black is fine in this position.)

16…g6 (This is a fine opening choice for Topalov. There is room for play. I am not sure if I would be happy to get nothing out of White in the opening. Topalov is also up by about 5 minutes on the clock.)

17.Qd2 Rcd8 18.Qg5 a6 (White has space advantage but Black is doing fine in this position. When the time is right, the d4 and e5 pawns will be traded and play will be surrounding the center.)

19.h3 exd4 20.Nxd4 (20…Qe5 is possible here. Black is holding his own nicely. I must say that I am impressed with how easy both Kramnik and Topalov can equalize with Black.)

20…Qe5 21.Qxe5 Nxe5 22.Nc2 (The position is roughly equal but Black has plenty of play. 22…g5 is possible here with the idea of Ng6 then Nf4 but it weakens the f5 square.)

22…g5 (As predicted. Topalov is going for it again. He is pushing in every game.)

23.Bc1 h6 24.Be3 c5 (Even though the position is even, Black’s position is a lot more comfortable and Topalov is up by about 3 minutes.)

25.f3 Bf8 26.Bf2 Bc8 (In rapid, players have to move relatively fast. Therefore, a lot of second best moves were played. That is normal.)

27.Ne3 (Topalov misplayed the last few moves. He took his active Bishops and made nothing of it.)

27…Be6 28.Ned5 Bxd5 29.exd5 (Now I like White. White has Bishop pair and active position. Topalov misplayed a few moves starting with around move 24 to 26.)

29…Ned7 (Another not so great move. 29…c4 or Rb8 are good options.)

30.Rxe8 Rxe8 31.a4 b4 32.Ne4 Nxe4 33.fxe4 (White has a BIG advantage now. Topalov brough this to himself by completely misplaying his position by retreating his Bishops for no reason whatsoever.)

33…Nf6 (Another bad move. 33…Bd6 is better. Now, I am not sure if Black can hold this position. It looks very bad!)

34.d6 Nxe4 35.d7 Rd8 36.Bxa6 (White is winning now.)

36…f5 37.a5 (Kramnik has done very well in this type of position. Topalov did not deliver in the middlegame in this game. He took a good position and created a losing game.)

37…Bg7 (Another very bad move. Now all White has to do is play 38.Bc8 and game over. No way to safe this position for Topalov.)

38.Bc4+ (A second best move. 38.Bd8 and the position is resignable for Black.)

38…Kf8 39.a6 Nxf2 40.Kxf2 Bd4+ 41.Rxd4 cxd4 42.a7 Ke7 43.Bd5 Kxd7 44.a8(Q) Rxa8 45.Bxa8 (This is a winning endgame for White. Very poorly played middlegame for Topalov.)

45…Topalov resigned. Kramnik leads 1.5 – .5. Two more games to go.
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Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Susan Polgar October 13, 2006 Daily News 27 Comments
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