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Viswanathan Anand vs Veselin Topalov
Hoogovens Group A (1999), Wijk aan Zee NED, rd 13, Jan-31
Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation (B90)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

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Kibitzer's Corner
Aug-09-06  Albertan: On move 21 Topalov could have played 21...Nxb3:
(21... Nxb3 22. cxb3 Bxd4 23. Qxd4 Rh7 24. g5 Rc5 =

Topalov could have played 22...hxg4 on move 22 with the following variation possible: 22...hxg4 23. fxg4 Rxh4 24. Na7 Rc7 25. Nb5 Rc8 =

Topalov also could have played the move 22..Nxb3 with this continuation possible:

22... Nxb3 23. cxb3 Rh7 24.
Bxg7+ Kxg7 25. Qg5 Kf8 26. Rge1 Rc5=

Aug-09-06  Albertan: On move 25 for Topalov the move 25...hxg4 was possible with one continuation being:

25... hxg4 26. fxg4 Rc5 27. Nf5+ !? Kf8 (If 27... gxf5 ? 28.Qg5+ Kf8 29. gxf5 Qc7 30. Qg7+ Ke8 31. Qxh8+ )

On move 26 Anand could have played 26.Qg5 with a possible continuation being: 26. Qg5 Rc5 27. Ne2 hxg4 28. fxg4 e5
)

Aug-09-06  Albertan: Topalov could have tried playing 28...Ba6 with a possible continuation being:

28... Ba6 29. Nf5!?
Rh8 (29... gxf5 30. Qg5 e5 31. Qxh4 fxg4 32. Qf6 Qd8 33. Qh6+ Ke7))

Another idea for Topalov on move 32 was to play 32...Qf4 with this variation possible:

32... Qf4 33. Qh4 Ke8 34. Nc4 g5 35. Qh6 Qe4+ 36. Ka2 Rxc4!? 37. Qxd6 Qxh7 38. bxc4 Bc8=

Aug-09-06  Albertan: Topalov's 34th move of ...Bd3? was a mistake.Instead he could have played

38...Ke8:

34... Ke8 35. Rh8+ Ke7 36. Qg1 (36. Qf2 e4 37. Ra8 Bc8 38. Rxa5 Bxg4 39. Qg3 f5 and white has compensation for the pawn) 36... Bb7 37. Nc4 Rc5 38. Re8+ !? Kd7 (38... Kxe8? 39. Nxd6+ Kd7 40. Qxc5 Qe7 ) 39. Rxe5 !? Qh4 40. Re4 Kc7 41. Nxa5 Rxa5 =

Aug-09-06  Albertan: Anand had a better move he could have played on move 37. Instead of 37.g5 he should have played:

37.Qh6!:

37. Qh6 Kd7 38. g5 Rc1 39. Nc2 (If 39. gxf6?? Bb1+ 40. Ka1 Bf5+ =) 39... Qd8 (39... Qe7?? 40. Ra7+ Ke8 41. Qh8+ Qf8 42. Ra8+ Kd7 43. Qxf8 Ra1+ 44. Kxa1 Kc7 45. Qe7+ Kb6 46. Qa7#) 40. Rxd8+ Kxd8 41. Qf8+ )

Aug-09-06  Albertan: The move 38....e4? was a mistake. Better was 37...Bf5:

38... Bf5 39. Rxa5 Qg8 40. Qxb4 Bd3 41. Ng4 Qh8 42. Qb6 Rd7 43. Ra7 Qd8 44. Rxd7+ Kxd7 45. Qa7+ Ke8 )

Topalov's move of 39...Rd7?? was a blunder. Better was 39...Ba6:

39... Ba6 40. Rxa6 Rc8 41. Qf4 Rd8 42.
Ra7+ Kf8 43. Nh6 f5 44. Rxg7 Kxg7

Anand missed a forced continuation on move 40 which would have lead to checkmate.Instead of 40.Nf6 he could have played 40.Qf2 with the following moves leading to checkmate:

40. Qf2 Rc7 41. Qf6+ Qxf6 42. Nxf6 Bb5 43. axb5 Rc8 44. Rxc8 e3 45. Re8#

Aug-09-06  Albertan: Topalov resigned on move 41 because he was faced with the move 42.Qf2 which leads to checkmate after 42...Kf8 43.Qa7+. The only way to avoid the checkmate is to first give up his bishop by playing 41...Bc4 and then give up his queen 42...Qxf6 and he will still be checkmated in 11 moves.

Apr-13-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  tpstar: 37. g5! set up the final combination, as 37 ... Qxg5? 38. Qh8 mates on the back rank. So 37 ... Qg7 38. Qd2 e4 39. Ng4:


click for larger view

White had to foresee 39 ... Rc2 40. Nf6! (blocking the mate threat on b2) Rxd2 41. Re8#, or 40 ... Qxf6 41. gxf6+ winning Q for N. The finish would be 41 ... Rxa8 42. Qc7+ Kf8 43. Qxd6#.

Anand's only game with 6. f3 b5 = Repertoire Explorer: Viswanathan Anand (white)

Apr-03-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  plang: One point of 6 f3 is that it avoids the 6 Be3..Ng4 line. 6..b5 was new; Anand's comment: " I don't like this move for Black but I don't know if it's bad." After 13..Nf6 the position resembled a Dragon as much as a Najdorf. Topalov's creative play led to him getting a good game and had he played 33..Kg8 if 34 Rh1 (if 34 Qh2..Qxe3? 35 Qh4..Qxb3+! wins) he would have maintained a small edge. After 33..Ba6? 34 Qh2! Topalov would have been punished had he played 34 Qxe3 with 35 Qh4..g5 36 Qh6+..Ke8 37 Qxd6. Instead after the even worse 34..Bxd3? he fell victim to a bank rank mating attack; Anand thought his best defense would have been 34..Bc8 with some drawing chances.
Apr-03-11  Shams: <plang><One point of 6 f3 is that it avoids the 6 Be3..Ng4 line.>

A lot of water has gone under the bridge the last twelve years, but White players aren't seriously avoiding that line, are they?

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