Let us not forget that "sumer" is no longer "icumen in," but "going to bed."

Lhude sing, cuccu! Murie sing!

Sing whilom thou canst, both loud and merry, for thy season passeth apace.

WAIT, you speak <chrisowen>'s language?! Please be all C3PO and interpret his analysis. Please? Thx.>

No. I was speaking Chaucer's language, Middle English.

I think <chrisowen>'s language is sui generis. :-)

Another terrific game from this tournament was Topalov vs Anand, 2005. Topalov’s sacrifice in that game (<14. Nxf7!?>) in this position:

click for larger view

was of a decidedly speculative character. He was probably counting on the fact that he had heavily analyzed the resulting position at home, whereas his opponent would be needing to find his way over-the-board, but to play such a move against a great defender like Anand invites comparison with the first well-known essay of the Marshall Gambit: Capablanca vs Marshall, 1918.

Topalov fared better against Anand at Sofia 2005 than Marshall against Capablanca at New York 1918 when Vishy went astray with <21. … Be7??> (Better would have been <21. … Kg8>.) If two moves later Topalov had found the best continuation (<23. Re5!> putting Black’s pieces in an inextricable tangle from which major material losses could not have been avoided) instead of playing the much weaker <23. Rxe7?!>, the game would have ended much sooner. As the game actually went, Topalov won a beautiful ending coming down to a final position in which Anand, in the position where he resigned:

click for larger view

Topalov on 8 Rc1:
"I don't think 8 Rc1 is better than the other moves here, but you start a new line with new ideas on move 8, instead of playing ten more theoretical moves and look for new ideas then. The point of Rc1 is that the bishop is still on f1 and in this game, for instance, I played it to d3."

In a 2004 blindfold game against Gelfand had quickly played 10 Bd3?! which was not consistent with his intentions; 10 e5 was new and more in line with what he had originally envisioned. After 13..bxc?! White's attack accelerated; 13..d4 14 Rc1..Bb7 would have been playable for Black. Topalov's preparation went though 15 Bb1!. After the game Ponomariov said he had trouble guessing several of Topalov's moves in the opening. Black was lost after 15..f5?; 15..Nd7 would have been better though White would still have had a promising initiative.