Topalov, Veselin (2813) – Kramnik, Vladimir (2743) [D17]
WCC Match 2006 – Game 6, 10-02-2006
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4 Bf5 6.Ne5 e6 7.f3 c5 [Kramnik avoids the sharp complications which start with 7…Bb4 8.e4 Bxe4 9.fxe4 Nxe4 10.Bd2 Qxd4]
8.e4 Bg6 Again, Kramnik wisely chose the more solid option. [8…cxd4 9.exf5 Nc6 (9…dxc3? 10.Qxd8+ Kxd8 11.Nxf7++-) 10.Nxc6 bxc6 11.fxe6 fxe6 12.Bxc4 dxc3 13.Qe2 favors White.]
9.Be3 [9.d5 worked well in the following recent game: 9…exd5 10.Nxg6 hxg6 11.e5 Nh5 12.Nxd5 Na6 13.Be3 Ng3 14.Bxc4 Be7 (14…Nxh1?? 15.Bb5++-) 15.Qb3 Nxh1 16.0-0-0 Rxh2 17.Qxb7 Rb8 18.Nf6+ gxf6 19.Rxd8+ Kxd8 20.Qd5+ Kc7 21.Qxf7 1-0 Kacheishvili – Rogic / Kusadasi, TUR 2006. However, Black could have improved with 12…Nd7.]
9…cxd4 10.Qxd4 [Keeping the Queens on the board with 10.Bxd4 Bb4 11.Bxc4 0-0 12.0-0 maintains more “life” in the game but the position would be around equal anyway.]
10…Qxd4 11.Bxd4 Nfd7 Black just tries trading off White’s active pieces.
12.Nxd7 [12.Nxc4 Nc6 13.Be3 Bc5 14.Kf2 Ke7 15.h4 f6 16.h5 Bf7 17.Rd1 Bxe3+ 18.Nxe3 Rhd8 19.h6 g5 20.Bb5 Nde5 21.Nc4 Nxc4 22.Bxc4 Rxd1 23.Rxd1 Rd8 24.Rxd8 Nxd8 25.e5 f5 26.Nb5 Nc6 27.Be2 Be8 28.b3 Nxe5 29.Nxa7 Nf7 30.a5 Nxh6 31.b4 Nf7 32.Nc8+ Kd8 33.Nb6 Nd6 34.Nc4 Nxc4 35.Bxc4 Bd7 36.Bd3 e5 37.g4 fxg4 38.Bxh7 gxf3 39.Kxf3 Kc7 40.Bd3 Kd6 41.b5 Kc5 42.a6 bxa6 43.bxa6 Kd4 44.Bf1 e4+ 45.Kg3 1/2-1/2 Nielsen – Hracek, Hamburg, 2006]
12…Nxd7 13.Bxc4 a6 Preventing any Nb5 or Bb5. [13…Rc8 14.Ba2 a6 15.Ke2 Nb8 16.Rhd1 Nc6 17.Bb6 Bb4 18.Rd2 Ke7 19.Rad1 Nb8 20.Bf2 f6 21.Bg3 Be8 22.Rd4 a5 23.Bd6+ Bxd6 24.Rxd6 Bd7 25.Ke3 Rc6 26.R6d4 Rhc8 27.R1d2 Be8 28.Nb5 Bf7 29.Na7 e5 30.Nxc6+ bxc6 31.R4d3 Bxa2 32.b3 Na6 33.Rd7+ Ke8 34.Ra7 Nb4 35.Rxa5 Bxb3 36.Rb2 Nc2+ 37.Kd2 Nd4 38.Ra7 c5 39.Rxg7 Ra8 40.Kc3 Rxa4 41.Rxb3 Nxb3 42.Kxb3 Rb4+ 43.Kc3 h5 44.Rh7 Ra4 45.Rxh5 Ra2 46.Rf5 Ke7 47.g4 Rxh2 48.g5 fxg5 49.Rxe5+ Kf6 50.Rxc5 Rh3 51.Rf5+ Ke6 52.Kc4 Rg3 53.Kd4 Rh3 54.Re5+ Kf6 55.Rf5+ Ke6 56.Rxg5 Rxf3 57.Rg6+ Kf7 58.Ra6 Rf1 59.Ke5 Rb1 60.Kf5 Rf1+ 1/2-1/2 Pia Cramling – Smyslov, Marbella, 1999]
14.Ke2 In endgames or Queenless middlegames, castling is usually not so important.
14…Rg8 To protect the g7 Pawn so the Bishop on f8 can develop.
15.Rhd1 Rc8 16.b3 Bc5= 17.a5 Ke7 [17…Bxd4 18.Rxd4 Ne5 19.Na4 Nxc4 20.bxc4 gives white some hope.]
18.Na4 Bb4 19.Nb6 [19.Nb2 Bd6 20.h4 Be5=; 19.Bb2 Rgd8 (19…Bxa5?! 20.Ba3+ Ke8 21.Rac1 Bc7 (21…b5? 22.Bxb5+-) 22.Bxa6 bxa6 23.Rc6+/-) 20.Bxg7 Bxa5=]
19…Nxb6 20.Bxb6 f6 Finally, Black is ready to solve the problem of the awkward positioned bishop on g6. [20…Bc5 was also OK. 21.Bxc5+ Rxc5 22.Ra4 (22.h4 f6) 22…Rgc8=]
21.Rd3 Rc6 [21…Bc5 22.Rad1 Be8 23.Rd8 with a clear advantage for White]
22.h4 [22.Rad1 Rd6 23.Rxd6 Bxd6=]
22…Rgc8 23.g4 Bc5 24.Rad1 Bxb6 25.Rd7+ Kf8 26.axb6 Rxb6 27.R1d6 [27.g5 would be over pushing. 27…Be8 28.R7d6 Rxd6 29.Rxd6 fxg5 30.hxg5 e5]
27…Rxd6 28.Rxd6 Rc6 [28…e5 is also fine]
29.Rxc6 bxc6 30.b4 e5 31.Bxa6 1/2 – 1/2
One should write a book
Draw with Kramnik
How to avoid a risk and force draw against any opponent
More seriously… Ugh, for the chess side of the match, it is really pity, that Kramnik took the lead so early.
Kramnik is like Italy at soccer: secure at defense, mortal at contra-attacking…do u think italien people have a problem with it?! no!
People talk about draw as an easy task. Turn off your chess engine and play. Remind u all, that master draw Leko couldnt achive a “simple” draw on last game against who? Kramnik!
kings gambit and some other blood belong to 19th century. this is a world championship. Watchout Danailov your tackle deserved a red card…next time they kick u out for sure. (unless your friend Azmai uses his fights like he did in spain…)
It’s definitely not trivial to defend as Kramnik did. For example, he plays
18 … Bb4 avoiding the exchange of dark square bishops, but then
23 … Bc5 now forcing that same exchange.
Mostly it’s a matter of keeping the position well coordinated, but it’s choices like this I’m sure that are Kramnik’s greatness. Maybe Susan or another strong player could explain.
Further to that, I doubt if any other current player could make drawing with black against Topalov look that easy (see San Luis, MTel, Corus… Topalov always had chances with black in just about every game).
I think Topalov must be getting worried now. Kramnik’s play with black has come on in leaps and bounds – from oversight in a clearly worse position in #2 to strong defence while on the back foot in #4 to totally effortless in #6.
And now it seems Svidler and Bareev are joining Kramnik. Tough days ahead for Topalov.
Defending is much more difficult than attacking.
I think Kramnik deserves a lot of credit for playing his style in these times of computer home preparation. He is always at risk of running into a computer aided prepared attack and still he is confident in his natural defensive abilities.
And Topalov is just the other way -he seems to get an attack out of nothing.
A true intriguing matchup and I think it is far from over.
But I personally would prefer Kramnik, because he makes it look as even we normal players are only one step away from playing as sound as he does.
For sure that is not very spectacular, but I am surprised by myself as I keep enjoying his matches more and more as I am getting a feel for his style.
And he keeps up the hope that with sound positional play mankind can repel the attacks of calculating computer monsters.
Chris
Having following the game on playchess, i was astonished to see Gm like yaser, short , dorfman saying that it was an easy draw since the end of the opening.
Dorfman even said how make a draw with black, when everything was in a tense battle, for me.
I was also surprise to read comments something like: small plus for white but not that much, when i saw all topalov’s army on play,with a firm grip on the center!
That sounds over my humble chess skill to understand that, when it was stated so, but the curse of the game showed that they were right!
So, It’s again a dangerous swamp in that game too.
What is most important: Kramnik didn’t play the main line, but play second move order in a position he liked to play with white some years ago. That shows that he is afraid of topalov habilities in finding news and strongs ideas in well traden paths!
This match is continuing i’m happy!
What is not played is still hidden, but they will not escape all the traps on their way, and it’s the sign, to my mind, that the end of the match will be like a thriller!
See you tomorrow for the 7th game!
Comment from Daily Dirt:
“For those who asked how many times Kramnik has been to the toilette in game 6, a bulgarian TV channel said that it was again 15+ times. No further comments on that.
Posted by: Vasil Mihailov at October 2, 2006 13:45″
I find that quite suspicious.
The thrue question is:
How many time did he leave the table?
now we all know that kramnik s habbit and need to walk.
Can this tv answer that ? Im’ curious enough about that.
More than 15 times.
There is a misunderstanding in what i’m saying.
When kramnik is on his restroom, he walks in and out his bahtroom.Then the number of visits increase.
In order to go to his restroom, he must quit the table.
So,the numbers of time he is going in and out his bathroom must be divided by the number of time he comes to his restroom.
In the first two games, the number of bathroom visit are 11-12, but we don’t know how many time he has left the table.
Those who love numbers, danailov lies and so should think about that.
The cheater afficionados would be eager to search that . It would be more relevant than danailov ‘s one.
Susan, Thank-you again for the quick game analysis. You are diligent and hard-working. Surely your students benefit! (…and now we are all your students!)
Susan,
Thank you,
for your analysis of todays Game,
especially the comment regarding . . .
14.Ke2 In endgames or Queenless middlegames, castling is usually not so important.
I know I expressed interest in this development earlier and perhaps it would have otherwise drawn little notice. Even so I find it interesting to understand general guiding principles as well as specific sequences in order to grasp the strategy and tactics utilized by GMs for this event.
Face it chess people, if Topalov is going to beat Kramnik, he will not beat him on mistakes in familiar situations. To beat Kramnik he needs to role out NEW brilliant moves.
Or, now that The Three Stooges: Danailov, Topalov, and Ilyumzhinov have stolen a point from Kramnik successfully, what is to prohibit (or stop them) from doing it again (and again)?
Why wasn’t 12.Nxg6 an option for Topalov? I’m just an amateur, but this gives Topalov the two bishops, and forces Kramnik to double his pawns.
It’s the type of unbalance that one would think Topalov was looking for.
To Mark Shepherd
If 12. Nxg6 Black is okay after 12… hxg6 13. Nb5 Bb4+ 14. Kf2 O-O 15. Bxc4 Rc8 16. Be2 a6 17. Nc3 Nc6 18.Be3 Rc7