[Event “Sofia match”]
[Date “2009.02.20”]
[Round “3”]
[White “GM Topalov”]
[Black “GM Kamsky”]
[ECO “D81”]
[White Elo “2796”]
[Black Elo “2725”]
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Qb3 Topalov is mixing things up immediately. In game 1, Topalov played 4.cxd5 and the game continued with Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Bc4 c5 8.Ne2 Nc6 9.Be3 O-O 10.O-O…
dxc4 5. Qxc4 Bg7 6. e4 O-O 7. Be2 a6 8. Bf4 b5 9. Qxc7 This could be an interesting line 9… Qxd4 10. Rd1 Qb4 11. Rd2 Nbd7 12. Be3 Rb8 +=
9. Qxc7 10. Bxc7 b4 This is another option 10… Bb7 11. f3 Rc8 12. Bf4 Nc6 13. e5 Nd7 14. Rd1 =
11. Na4 Nc6 12. d5 Nd4 Gata is doing much better in time today. In fact, he is slightly ahead in time. This is a major improvement over the first two games.
13.Bd3 Bd7 The most logical continuation for White here would be 14.Nb6. However, Black has a possible dynamic response 14…Bb5 15. Be5 Bxd3 16. Bxd4 Rab8 17. e5 Rxb6 18. Rd1 Nd7 19. Bxb6 Bb5 20. Bd4 +=. The more natural 14…Ra7 15.Be5 is not as good for Black.
14.Nb6 Time for Black to calculate all the critical line. This is the key make or break moment of the game.
14…Bb5 Once again, Gata found the strongest and most aggressive line. The good thing is he is not afraid to get into a complicated position. He is comfortable with it. The not so good thing is this is the kind of brawl that Topalov likes.
15.Be5 Both 15…Bxd3 or 15…Rab8 are fine. I personally prefer Bxd3. Gata understand that the game is at a critical phase. This is why he is starting to take his time to calculate through so many complicated lines.
15…Nxe4 This is a possibility 16. Bxg7 Kxg7 17. Bxe4 Rab8 18. O-O-O =
16.Bxg7 Kxg7 17.Bxe4 The best move. Now 17…Rab8 is the only move to maintain equality.
17…Rab8 Now 18.0-0-0 is the best move. With 18…Nf5, Gata can equalize.
18.0-0-0 Nf5 19.Bxf5 gxf5 20. d6 Rxb6 21. dxe7 Re8 22. Nf3 =
19.Bxf5 gxf5 Gata is playing this game well. He badly needs to hold and it seems that he is doing just that to regain the self confidence to get back into this match.
20.d6 Rxb6 21.dxe7 Re8 22.Nf3 Just as expected. White has a very very small edge but Black should have no problem drawing this game. 22…Rxe7 23.Nd4 is the logical continuation.
22…Rxe7 23.Nd4 Black can ignore the Knight and play 23…Kf6 or he can retreat with 23…Bd7. Probably the second choice is more preferable.
23…Bd7 24.Rhe1 Rxe1 25.Rxe1 = Now a move like 25…Rh6 is important. Why? Basically it puts pressure for White to play h3. White wants to put his pawns on h4 and g3 dark squares. Then the Knight can park on f4 and White is in good shape. 25…Rh6 stops it.
25…Rh6 26.Rh7 Getting out of playing h3.
26…Rd6 27.Ne2 White is aiming to get his Knight to f4. The position is still equal. However, Topalov is making Kamsky earn it. I think it is more psychologically than the merit of the position.
27…Kf6 28.Re3 Another move to force Black to put his pawns on the light square. This is something to remember when playing endgame with a Bishop.
28…Ba4 29.b3 Bc6 = Still looks equal
30.Nf4 a5 31.g3 30…Be4 will take away the White’s Rook mobility. In fact, it is a must move or else White will play Rd3 to exchange the Rooks. If the Rooks are gone, White will be better.
31…Be4 32.f3 Bc6 33.h4 Rd4 The position is still equal.
34.Kc3 White can try to give up the f3 pawn by playing Rd3. Once the Rooks are off the board, White can march his King to c4 then b5.
34…Bb5 Stopping Rd3. I expect draw shortly as neither side can really make progress.
35.Nh5+ Kg6 36.Nf4+ Kf6 37.Nh5+ 1/2 This is a good draw for Gata. He needs to have a relatively easy game to get back on track for game 4.
Gata don’t look so great on photo. Let’s hope he wins today against Topa. Let’s all send him our secret analysis to help his preparation!!
Gruenfeld…
position looks already lost to me (move 13), pawn down without compensation
now 14. Nb6 Ra7 Be5 with overwhelming position for Topalov…
now even after Nb6, Ra7, Nxd7… isnt white very well off?
does gata use twic for new games and theory?
Well after 14.Nb6 the game becomes very tactical and very very complex. Or at least for me it is.
For example :
14.Nb6 Bb5 15.Be5 Nxe4
yup. rybka says black is better. and white is butter.
I think 9…Qxc7 is a novelty, isn’t it. Theory is 9.Qxd4
hows that again?
14.Nb6 Bb5(?) 15.Bxb5 axb5 16.Nxa8.. then what?
hows that again?
14.Nb6 Bb5(?) 15.Bxb5 axb5 16.Nxa8.. then what?
or 15..Nxb5 16.Nxa8
Then Nc2+
nc6 by gata the great was novelty, in my twix database of played games.
I do not believe in Nb6. Looks too forced.
From the official site http://www.wccc200.com
/en/live.html
“It is absolutely prohibited the live broadcast of the moves or video during the game on other websites..”
“Currently the broadcast rights are being violated by ChessBase on its software PlayChess.”
😉
What a wild possition this is. It’s such a pleasure to watch such type of games where both sides fight.
whats difference between ‘absolutely prohibited’ and ‘prohibited’?
for a win
I don’t think White’s position is objectively bad, and it probably suits Topalov’s style, but I wouldn’t want to be in Topalov’s shoes… I was calculating some lines in my head (I’m at work, can’t afford to run Fritz :-)), and if White slips a bit, Black’s pieces arrive with alarming speed…
Bruno
what are the benefits of playing chess?
now is the crunch time, the big calculations time and all that, and it is yet again happening on kamskys time! he cant afford to slip of course, while the critical lines will be calculated by topa on kamskys time… it is again topalov who puts challenges to kamsky, not the other way round. not stupid this topalov guy…
14 … Bb5
Susan’s “dymnaic response”! Hope it works.
Over to you, Veselin …
sharp game. topalov dosn’t like castling, does he…
he doesn’t need to castle. His king can defend on his own 😛
gata should 3.. Bxd4 and take on topalov’s mad king.
I love these aggressive games!
in exchange for the pawn gata has a 2 move lead in development (he has 4 minor pieces fighting against 3). The moves it will take topa to castle and get his rooks into the game will allow gata to control key squares. But is all this enough for a full pawn? I think the complicated tactics favor the more developed side just for simple math reasons
does anyone else think this looks awkward for black? is he just losing something, what does rybka say? is anyone using rybka to analyse this thats reading this?
okay, the dust settles some. it appears the d pawn will become weak. I cant see how it could be otherwise on the open file isoed and all. gata has to keep rooks and trade off another set of minor pieces.
angel… rybka 3 single core depth 12 says if 19.Bxf5 0.23
after gxf topa can play d6 right?
yes… 20 d6 Rxc6 21 dxe Re8 22. Nf3 Rxe7 about equal but black has to play carefully cause of the isolated doubled pawns
“after gxf topa can play d6 right?”
He just did.
Susan, talk to us! How about this d6?
kamsky’s pawns look punchdrunk. he’s gonna have 2 quickly consolidate, somehow.
Smells like a draw to me
Hi angel,
is anyone using rybka to analyse this thats reading this?
Half of the planet is using Rybka to analyze this 🙂
Topalov is the clear winner tonight. Kamsky plays like ELO 2500…
Wouldn’t 22 Nh3 then 23 NF4 have been more accurate for White ?
27.- Re6 draws.
i believe this ending is leaning in whites favor. his rook seems to be gaining more activity than blacks rook. after whites knight lands on f4 it will be superior to the bishop. and although the doubled pawns arent too weak (they arent on an open file)they nevertheless arent too great a thing to gloat over. The best thing about blacks position is his better king pacement.
h7 be a problem maybe?
ah ha! this is why kasky went into this ending (wanting to keep a potentially bad bishop vs. good knight). he can force white to place his pawns on light squares therby creating longterm targets for his bishop. But of course the knight can switch colors… sigh. thers always a trade off.
I’m not sure if the knight is stronger than the bishop. The bishop has a lot of space.
by black having the pawn on f5 and it being blockaded there, hid hinders the power, the dynamic ability of that long range ability. White by having his knight on f4 can show that his knight in such a centrally, very secure post, can attack as many (maybe even more) good squares than the bishop. And it can attempt to target 2 BOTH colored squares
Tough now for gata as the match gets smaller,seems he needs some good novelties cuz this “im gunna outplay you” approach vs topy simply wont work.
LINARES?
This is a dead Draw!! Playing only for prestige
gata will continue with the advance of the q side pawns, trade, then that will expose more light squares for his bishop
if gata is able to do that then spr’s point about the long range effectiveness of the bishop will become more apparent.
LINARES?
They started 2 hours later.
All at an earlier stage, but the Carlsen-Dominguez game looks wild.
angel,
if gata is able to do that then spr’s point about the long range effectiveness of the bishop will become more apparent.
I don’t think there is a “long range”. You asked about rybka earlier. I am following the game both with Rybka and Fritz. Both indicates a dead even position for the best 3 possible moves on both sides, for several moves now. Unless one of them makes a horrible blunder, this really appears to be a draw.
okay, thx. it seemed they both had enough plusses (minuses depending on your perspective) to balance each other. now the CLOCK again??
Kamsky again is taking too much time. Be4 is the best as Susan said. Plz take a move. If he draws this game he will be in pressure for the next game.
i dont see the point of Rd4. is that his way of offering a draw? topa has a forced one of course the whole planet sees that.
It is over: 1/2
Well done, Gata,…
but how could you be so stupid in the 2.nd game…
“what are the benefits of playing chess?”
At least more than posting remarks like this, or any remark for that matter.
Note there are 2 errors in the move commentaries.
26.Rh7 should read 26.Re7
34.Kc3 should read 34. Kc2
Thanks