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Viswanathan Anand vs Veselin Topalov
Anand - Topalov World Championship Match (2010), Sofia BUL, rd 6, May-01
Catalan Opening: Open Defense (E04)  ·  1/2-1/2

ANALYSIS [x]

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Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 35 OF 35 ·  Later Kibitzing>
May-01-10  Ulhumbrus: Seirawan and Polgar both disapproved of the move 29 Na7. This suggests the question of what alternatives White has.

Suppose White tries 29 Nd6.

One variation is 29...Rf8 30 b4 Bb6 31 Nc5 Bxc5 32 bxc5 Bc6 33 Nf5 threatening the fork 34 Ne7+ as well as 34 Nxd4.

Another variation is 29 Nd6 Re6 30 Nf5 Re4 31 Nh4 Bb6 32 Ng2 Rbe8 33 Ng2-f4 Re4-e7 34 b4 Bg4 35 Rc6 Ba7 36 f3 Bf5 37 Rc7 Bb8 38 Rxe7 Rxe7 39 Rc6 with advantage

We can assume that both Anand's team and Topalov's team will examine this game.

May-01-10  shreyaslathi: < Eyal > in above Tal vs Botavnik game they mention games played in adjournment era ; wht r adjournment rules ; how is winner decided without playing ???????
May-01-10  vanytchouck: at each time control (40, 60, 80) each player has the right to ask for the adjournement.

This player just have to note his move on a paper. The move remains secret until the tomorow.

Players who tought that their position was desperate and - most of all - that his opponent would surely find out the winning moves and/or plan had the possibility to resing before the game re start.

Spassky has resigned the last game against Fischer in an adjourned game.

May-01-10  sillybilly47: 13 Knight moves in a row. Championship Match record?
May-01-10  SufferingBruin: I am somewhat amazed that the Bulgarian contingent hasn't tried to rattle Anand with some form of gamesmanship. If they don't pull anything off before the end of the match, I will be very amazed.
May-01-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  Richard Taylor: Anand doesn't get up (gamesmanshiply?) to go to the crapper every 5 seconds is perhaps a reason they wont.
May-01-10  boz: <shreyaslathi> Thanks for the kind words.
May-01-10  shreyaslathi: < vanytchouck > thnx
May-02-10  Kingsmen72: 13 Knights moves. It was Derby day!
May-02-10  rossvassilev: at least Topalov managed a draw with the Black pieces this time. maybe it's not over for him yet.
May-02-10  Ulhumbrus: One interesting variation is the blockade sacrifice 20 Nc5 Rfe8 21 Ne5-d3 Bxd3 22 Nxd3 Rxe2 23 Rfd1! Rae8 24 Kf1. Black can make no further progress, his bishop does little useful work apart from defending the d4 pawn, and there is nothing to oppose the invasion of White's Rook on c1.
May-02-10  Ulhumbrus: 37...b4! is the move which equalizes, by fixing the b4 pawn as a target. On 38 Rc4 Be6 39 Nxe6 Rxc4 40 bxc4 Rxe6 41 Rxd4 Rxe2 White's advantage disappears. However this is now the fair result.

38 Rxd4? is the move which passes the advantage to Black. Anand goes too far tryng to win and commits an error.

After 38...Rxe2! Black's threats are so great that the advantage passes to Black and it is now White who has to play carefully to avoid losing the game, although White can -and does manage to draw in the end.

May-02-10  vanytchouck: <shreyaslathi>
You're welcome. ;-)
May-02-10  vanytchouck: <Ulhumbrus:
(...) and it is now White who has to play carefully to avoid losing the game, although White can -and does manage to draw in the end.>

There wasn't any chance for black to dream about winning that game.

The two rooks on the 2th rank look terrifying but it's nothing but a mirage.

Even a patzer like me has seen on the board ( and without any engine) the moves Ne4; Rb1 and even Nd2 (even if i can easily acknowledge that i wouldn't have played it otb).

I'm pretty sure that any good tactician GM can see the key of the position :

Ne4 wich was both protecting f2 and attacking a black rook.

Rxd4 a mistake? I don't know, but i feel that this position was a dead draw for a long time even if it's beyond our understanding.

Topalov has simply found out a way to accelerate things.

May-02-10  Ulhumbrus: <vanytchouck: <Ulhumbrus: (...) and it is now White who has to play carefully to avoid losing the game, although White can -and does manage to draw in the end.> There wasn't any chance for black to dream about winning that game. The two rooks on the 2th rank look terrifying but it's nothing but a mirage. Even a patzer like me has seen on the board ( and without any engine) the moves Ne4; Rb1 and even Nd2 (even if i can easily acknowledge that i wouldn't have played it otb). I'm pretty sure that any good tactician GM can see the key of the position :

Ne4 wich was both protecting f2 and attacking a black rook.

Rxd4 a mistake? I don't know, but i feel that this position was a dead draw for a long time even if it's beyond our understanding. >

One example of how Black can dream of winning after 38...Rxe2 is this. On 39 Rxb4 Bh3 White can't try to chase Black's bishop away by 40 Rh4?? because on 40... Rxc5! White's Rook on c1 has to guard the back rank so it can't recapture on c5. So Anand has to make choices which avoid all such pitfalls.

White has an alternative at each of three points in the game before 34...b4 which may keep the advantage:

1. Instead of 20 Rc2, 20 Nc5 offers a blockade sacrifice . On 20...Rfe8 21 Ne5-d3 Bxd3 21 Nxd3 Rxe2 22 Rfd1! Rbe8 23 Kf1 Black can make no further progress, his bishop does little except to defend the d4 pawn and Black seems to have no satisfactory way to oppose the invasion of the White R on c1.

2. Instead of 29 Nb7, on 29 Nd6 Re6 30 Nf5 Re4 31 Nh4 Re4-e7 32 Ng2 Rbe8 33 Nf4 Bg4 34 f3 Bf5 35 b4 Bb6 35 Rc6 once again White has a monopoly on play on the c file and Black sems to get little out of the e file

3. 34 Nc5 may be the move which lets the advantage slip. Instead of this, on 34 a3! Bg4 35 f3 Bf5 36 Kf2 Re3 37 Rc2-d2! watches d2 and now once again Black gains little from the e file while White has a monopoly on threats from the c file.

So there are three points in the game before 37...b4! where White may gain or keep the advantage, and in all three cases for the same reason: Black can do little with the e file while White has a monopoly on threats to use the c file for invasion by a White Rook on c1.

May-02-10  znsprdx: <CG> and <Premium Members> I'm confused: where is the "premium" of having a commentator of Nigel Short's stature if he provides next to no analysis - particularly - from a human viewpoint; checking computers is a deadend, since often the continuations are profoundly obscure, notwithstanding the fact that top SGM's do often follow suit.

When compared to the superb efforts of e.g. <Ulhumbrus:> & <Eyal:> frankly his witty remarks are no substitute and would surely be more appropriate AFTER the game: where again he fails to provide much insight

...to whit what about an answer by< Nigel Short> to yesterday's 5th game post by <Ulhumbrus:> [which was followed up by: <chesstoplay:>

"One question is whether Anand could have won by playing 40...Kf5, instead of 40...a5 as in the game."

May-02-10  Funicular: I took the liberty of making this, someone might find it useful:

Anand:
Pawns:6 moves (10.34%)
Knights: 23 moves (39.65%)
Bishops: 4 moves (6.89%)
Rooks: 15 moves (25.86%)
Queen: 4 moves (6.89%)
King: 5 moves (8.62%)
+ castling

Topalov:
Pawns: 16 moves (27.58%)
Knights: 2 moves (3.44%)
Bishops: 12 moves (20.68%)
Rooks: 22 moves (37.93%)
Queen: 3 moves (5.17%)
King: 2 moves (3.44%)
+castling

It's interesting how Topalov's heavy rook usage has more to do with replying to anand's threats rather than mere rook endgame technique

May-02-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  tamar: Low percentage of pawn moves for

Anand-10.34%

versus Topalov-27.58

No pawn moves for Anand between moves 4-36. which is surprising.

Is this why his Catalan is so difficult to beat? White has so many more piece moves.

May-02-10  kooley782: Hey all

Click here for my commentary on this game: http://edsnotofthisworld.wordpress....

May-03-10  outplayer: What is the objective of the move 13.Qa4. I guess black can grab a knight after 13...b5.
May-03-10  arnaud1959: <outplayer: What is the objective of the move 13.Qa4. I guess black can grab a knight after 13...b5.> 13...b5 14.Qc2 bxc4 15.Qxc4 and black has to give back the knight with Nc6 or White wins Ra8.
May-05-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  kingscrusher: I have video annotated this game in three parts:

Part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVRm...

Part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YisK...

Part 3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VC4Q...

May-05-10  sillybilly47: Tied up. Topa forever!
Sep-06-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  Check It Out: Pun: Knightsly done draw
Dec-24-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  Penguincw: Video analysis of this game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9df....
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