Vladimir Kramnik vs Veselin Topalov (2014)

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Vladimir Kramnik vs Veselin Topalov
World Championship Candidates (2014), Khanty-Mansiysk RUS, rd 13, Mar-29
Semi-Slav Defense: General (D43) · 1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

Given 8 times; par: 64 [what's this?]

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Mar-29-14		ChessVip: the revenge for Kramnik!

Mar-29-14		chancho: It was all too deep for Vesko this time. :-)

Mar-29-14		Petrosianic: The Topster bottoms out.

Mar-29-14		madlydeeply: Love it when the jumpers beat the bishops. Open position, too!

Mar-29-14		MarbleSkull: Outplayed in a most satisfying fashion

Mar-29-14		dumbgai: 47. d6+! is very nice and hard (for me) to see.

Mar-29-14		Gypsy: A 'tour de force' from Kramnik.

Mar-29-14		keypusher: 34....Bxf5 35.Nxf5 Rxa2 seems like it must be better for Black, but Shredder sees it as even after 36.Re8 Kf7 37.Rb8.

Mar-29-14		Marmot PFL: No doubt csmath or someone else will point out that both sides made quite a few mistakes. Topalov of course should play 45...Bxf5 so that Rd2 will never be blocked by its own bishop.

Mar-29-14		maxi: This is what I call a complex game.

Mar-29-14		Petrosianic: Thanks for assuring us of that.

Mar-29-14		keypusher: Rc8+ has been a good move for Kramnik in this tournament...

Mar-29-14		maxi: What's your problem, <Petrosianic>? My note is aimed at readers who are just passing through to check the whole game.

Mar-29-14		csmath: 10. ...c5!? [New move it seems. By the way, Kramnik did not go Catalan which is interesting, assuming he expected Topalov to be prepared for that.] 13. Re1 [Obviously 13. Nxd5?! Qd6 14. Bc4 (14. Qb3!? Be6 15. Be4 Nc6! 16. Qxb7 Nxd4 does not look promising for white given how dangerous pair of bishops became) Nc6 offers black good game and easy return of pawn.] 16. ...Rd6 [preparing Nd7 without weakening with 16. ...b5?!] 18. Ne2! b5 [...Nd7?! 19. Qb3 Bf8 20. Bxd7 Bxd7 21. Rc7 ] 21. Qg3 [Kramnik is not going to release pressure any time soon now shifting the game to kingside.] 22. ...Ne7 [Beginning of problems for Topalov. 22. ...Be7! 23. h5 Qg5 24. hxg6 Nxe5 25. dxe5 Qxg3 26. fxg3 (Nxg3?? Rdc6) Rdc6 27. gxf7 and black is just fine. click for larger view ] 24. f4 [This is surely the most unpleasant but not yet decisive.] 25. Rf1 [the most direct with threat of f5. 25. Qf2 with the same idea was no better : 25. ...f6! 26. Nd3 or 26. Ng6!? with minimal advantage.] 28. ...Qxg5 [Topalov played defence well and it seems the game is headed for equality. click for larger view ] 34. Re1 Bd7?! [Black is probably nervous because of h-passer but cool 34....Kf7 35. h6 Bxf5 36. Nxf5 Kg6 and draw.] 35. Ne7 Kf7? [Error that leads to a loss. It was better 35. ...Kg7 36. Nxd5 Rd2 37. Nf6 Rxd4 (or ...Bc6) 38. Nxd7 Rxd7 looks like an equal ending though it is for a moment a little more uncomfortable for black. click for larger view ] 36. Nxd5 Bc6 [...Rd2 does not work now because 37. Rf1+ and the h-passer becomes decisive.] 45. ...Rd2? [Black position is clearly uncomfortable but this move leads to immediate loss. 45. ...Ra1+ 46. Kh2 Bxf5 47. Nxf5 Kf7 48. d6 Be5+ 49. g3 looks bad as well but offers at least more fight. click for larger view ] 46. Ng7! click for larger view Black is completely lost as white pieces are functioning perfectly and the weakness of the last rank cannot be defended with black rook out of game. 46. ...Ke7 47. d6! Kxd6 48. Re8 and here the game should be over but ... 50. N7f5? [Kramnik, uncomfortable with black passers, throws the win. 50. Ne4 wins easily. For example 50. ...Bxe4 51. Rd8+ Ke5 52. Rxd2 a5 53. g4! Bh7 54. Nf5 a4 55. Nd6 and pawns are stopped. click for larger view ] 50. ...N7f5+? [There was a saving study but extremely hard to calculate: 50. ...Kc7! 51. h7 b2 52. Rc8 Kxc8 53. Qh8 Kb7! 54. Nd6+ Kc6 55. Qc3 Kd7 56. Qxd2 b1Q+ 57. Kh2 Kxd6 click for larger view with complete equality say after 58. Qxg5] 55. Qh7! click for larger view [black is lost in all lines. For example 55. ...Ke6 56. Ne3 (guarding d1).] ========= Very interesting game with uncomfortable position for black that Topalov failed to defend eventually.

Mar-29-14		talwnbe4: Csmath : 50. h7!! b2 51. Rd8+ Kc5 52 Ne6+ Kb4 53. h8Q b1Q+ 54. Kh2 Qc2 55. Qf8+ Ka4 56. Nc5+ Ka5 57. Nxd3 Rxg2+ 58. Kh3 Rh2+ 59. Kg4 Qc4+ 60. Kxg5 Qh4+ 61. Kf5 Qh3+ 62. Kf4 6.4 would have won as well. Amazingly enough the black queen and rook can't do anything to the white king in this line. Found by fruit in a few minutes of analysis. 50. Ne4 definitely wins, while N7f5+? allows the drawing line

Mar-29-14		csmath: 50. Ne4 is human and easier to find. I am fully aware of Houdini's choice of 50. h7 but I would have never played that as it is "inhuman" move.

Mar-29-14		MarbleSkull: Maxi, I can't speak for Petrosianic, but it reads like he was trying to respond to Marmot's assurances that someone would point out the mistakes.

Mar-29-14		perfidious: <csmath: 50. Ne4 is human and easier to find....> Good to see an honest post, as well as being free of computer claptrap. A useful reminder from a strong player that OTB, the best lines are not always so easy to discern.

Mar-29-14		maxi: <csmath> The influence of computers on human chess may make those "unhuman" moves also human with time. I mean, we humans are learning a lot from computers, too.

Mar-29-14		Kaspablanca: Enjoy this game because this probably be the last Kramnik game of his professional career.

Mar-29-14		Mr. Bojangles: <Mar-29-14 Kaspablanca: Enjoy this game because this probably be the last Kramnik game of his professional career. > Well we shall know in 24 hours.

Mar-29-14		Ulhumbrus: 5...h5 disturbs the king side pawns without necessity 6 Bxf6 concedes the bishop pair 6...Qxf6 misplaces the queen. This concedes as much time it will take to transfer the queen to the right square 7...g6 disturbs the king side pawns again but this time there is at least one justification: White has parted with his dark squared bishop and Black has kept his dark squared bishop, so Black chooses to weaken himself on the dark squares 11 cd frees Black's QB .Instead of this 11 f4 strengthens the N on e5 14 Bb5!! attacks the square d7 before a knight has moved to the square. It is a brilliant idea but not new. It was seen before in a famous trio of games, the games Geller vs Panno, 1955 Keres vs Najdorf, 1955 Spassky vs Pilnik, 1955 Instead of 17 Qb3 Carlsen recommended 17 Re3 and Topalov also favoured this move Topalov said that 17...b5 instead of 17...b6 would have led to a draw 22...Ne7 allows h5. Instead of this 22..h5 prevents h5 and also clears the square h6 for the manoeuvre ...Bh6 26...Rdc6 gives White time to play 27 Ne3 keeping Black's N out of f5. This suggests 26...Nf5 before White can prevent this move by Ne3 and this frees Black's king bishop. 27...f5 drops the f5 pawn. Instead of this 27...Rc8-c7 clears the square c8 for the manoeuvre ..Nc8 freeing the KB Instead of 34...Bd7 34...Bf7 keeps the d5 pawn covered at the price however of leaving the square f5 unguarded One resource which Kramnik indicated - amongst other things- is that with Black's king on f8, the h pawn on h6 and White's N on f5, after h7 the knight on f5 and pawn on h6 together control respectively the wall of squares g7 and g8 so the Black king can't stop the coronation of the h pawn

Mar-29-14		Chess for life: Topalov resigned this game by signing his scoresheet and then handing it over to Kramnik. No handshake. No eye contact. These guys despise each other!

Mar-29-14		Petrosianic: I think the animosity is mostly on Topalov's side. Kramnik got the world title, Topalov got a permanently scarred reputation. Kramnik hasn't got much to be angry about at this point.

Mar-29-14		AgentRgent: <Petrosianic: I think the animosity is mostly on Topalov's side.> Oh no, Kramnik despises Topalov. Look what the loss to him earlier did for Kramnik's game.

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