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Veselin Topalov vs Vladimir Kramnik
"The Battle Lines Are Drawn" (game of the day Feb-25-2007)
Dortmund Sparkassen (1996), Dortmund GER, rd 9, Jul-14
Semi-Slav Defense: Botvinnik System (D44)  ·  1/2-1/2

ANALYSIS [x]

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Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 2 OF 2 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Aug-24-05  deadparrot: i'm sorry for being so very very blind today, but what happens after 16. ...bxc3 17.bc Qa6 ? I do not see any actual threat against the black king, except that the b-file is opened for white's rooks. Please help and tell me which obvious move i am overlooking again :-)
Aug-24-05  Reegan Milne: <deadparrot> my guess is the same thing will happen as in the game only white will have the threat of Q a8 leading to mate after 19 Qd5
Oct-18-05  Resignation Trap: 26. exd8=B+ Humor, ar, ar, ar.
May-04-06  DP12: mack you can't just dabble with this baby you have got to work with it.
May-05-06  whatthefat: <refutor: sickeningly, this exact game was copied at the American Junior Championship...> That is truly putrid.
May-05-06  DP12: Not this game I guess but another even longer game. Some Azmai-Shirov game. The interesting part about that is that in 2005 Van Wely played a novelty on move 27 of that game against Smeets that made the whole line unplayable, including this game I might add.
Jun-20-06  refutor: <deadparrot> 16. ...bxc3? 17.bxc3 Qa6 18.Rxb7! Qxb7 19.dxe6
Sep-05-06  Marvol: I want lots of THIS stuff at the upcoming WCC.

Did you read that, Vesili and Vladi? LOTS OF THIS STUFF!!

Sep-05-06  chessarmenia: i like a4 after b5 as well; it is certainly the best move on the board
Feb-25-07  Troglodyte: Old-fashioned chess; White sacrifices and attacks like crazy while Black chows down on the material and defends.
Feb-25-07  ajile: <chessarmenia: i like a4 after b5 as well; it is certainly the best move on the board>

Ditto- 7.a4 is the logical move to rip up Black's Q-side pawns.

Feb-25-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  Domdaniel: "This stuff" is the reason they're all playing the Catalan now. Incredible in its day but it got literally analyzed to death.
Feb-25-07  tatarch: Chessarmenia- are you telling Topalov what the best move on the board was? I don't think it works that way.
Feb-25-07  Dr.Lecter: Good stuff from Vlad.
Feb-25-07  Themofro: Love the game, if you didn't know who this was you'd think it would have been a 19th century game, well, i guess they'd have to change the opening to, lol. 26. exd8=B+ =).
Feb-26-07  kevin86: A perpetual check that wasn't really a perpetual-an unnecessary underpromotion. Is this game smoke and mirrors,or is it not?
Feb-22-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  Peligroso Patzer: Compare: V Mikhalevski vs V Akobian, 2008
Feb-28-09  WhiteRook48: silly sacrifices
Mar-01-09  WhiteRook48: don't think we can expect anything like this in the Umansky game
Mar-13-09  WhiteRook48: 26. exd8B+!! brilliant
Sep-14-09  Raginmund: Topalov will never, never, never(!!!!) defeat the great Kramnik.
Aug-19-11  Michael1234567891011: the tactics that come out of this situation are simply incredible. I was trying to find an improvement for Topalov's 19. Qd5. I considered 19.Qxd7?! followed by 19...Kxd7 20. Rd1 with the idea of queening on the next move. But Kramnik has 20...Bd3. Just crazy...
Jun-05-12  Zugzwangovich: Cute of Topalov to bishop his pawn rather than queen it on move 26; it's mate either way unless Black eats the promoted pawn.
Apr-17-19  Hulkhogan357: Nice one!!!
Oct-27-21  tbontb: In this hyper-analysed line, 23....Bd3 was the novelty, improving on 23....Rdg8. Unsurprisingly, avoiding the draw by 25....Ka4 is suicidal after 26.b3+ Ka5 (Ka3 27.Bc1+ leads to mate) 27.exd8=Q+ Rxd8 28.Nc4+ Kb5 29.Bc7.
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