Mtel Masters Sofia












(1) Polgar,Ju (2732) - Ponomariov,R (2695) [C67]
Mtel Masters Sofia BUL (7), 19.05.2005

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.Nc3 h6 10.h3 Ne7 11.Be3 Bd7 12.Rad1 Kc8 13.Rd2 b6 14.Rfd1 Be6 15.Nd4 Nd5 16.Nxc6 Nxc3 17.Rd8+ Kb7 18.bxc3 Bd6 19.Rxh8 Rxh8 20.exd6 Kxc6 21.dxc7 Kxc7 22.a3 Rd8 23.Rxd8 Kxd8 24.g4 h5 25.gxh5 Bxh3 26.h6 gxh6 27.Bxh6 Bf5 28.Kf1 Bxc2 29.Ke2 1/2-1/2













(2) Anand,V (2785) - Kramnik,V (2753) [C42]
Mtel Masters Sofia BUL (7), 19.05.2005

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 The Petroff, the most potent weapon against the Sofia rule which denies players the right to offer draws. 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Nc6 7.0-0 Be7 8.c4 Nb4 9.Be2 0-0 10.Nc3 Bf5 11.a3 Nxc3 12.bxc3 Nc6 13.Re1 Re8 14.cxd5 Qxd5 15.Bf4 Rac8 16.Qc1N This is the novelty in a well-known position. Kramnik himself had it twice against Peter Leko in the 2004 world championship match in Brissago, reaping 1.5 points from it. The moves played by White are c4 (with a 50% score), Bd3 (77% in 11 games), h3, Qa4, Nd2. Confronted with Anand's new move Kramnik went on a 40-minute think. 16...Na5 17.c4 Qe4?? The most incredible blunder in this tournament, and one of the most astonishing in Kramnik's adult career. The point is that the knight on a5 and the bishop on f5 are potentially forkable, and the queen is overworked, unable to defend both pieces adaquately. 18.Bd1 Where can the queen go? 18...Qc6 leaves both Na5 and Bf6 open to the rook fork on e5, so Black only has the d3 square, covering the bishop (the knight can be retracted or protected if attacked). [Kramnik had spent his 40 minutes befor 16...Na5 looking at lines like 18.Bf1 Qc2 19.Re5 (of course he had seen the fork) 19...Nc6 20.Qxc2 Bxc2 21.Re2 Bf5 and White is only slightly better.] 18...Qd3 Re5 doesn't work -- yet. But the black queen is in a very uncomfortable position, right in the middle of the hostile and well-protected white camp. 19.Re3 Forcing the queen to abandon the protection of the bishop. Unfortunately she is unable to defend the knight instead. 19...Qxc4 Both pieces are now vulnerable to the rook fork 20.Re5 and Black will lose a piece and the game. 1-0













(3) Adams,Mi (2737) - Topalov,V (2778) [B91]
Mtel Masters Sofia BUL (7), 19.05.2005

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.g3 e5 7.Nb3 Nbd7 8.Bg2 b5 9.0-0 Be7 10.a4 b4 11.Na2 a5 12.c3 bxc3 13.Nxc3 Nb6 14.Nb5 0-0 15.Bd2 Nc4 16.Bc3 Be6 17.Re1 Qb8 18.Nd2 Rc8 19.b3 Nxd2 20.Qxd2 Nd7 21.Reb1 Nc5 22.Qd1 Ra6 23.b4 axb4 24.Bxb4 Qa8 25.Nc3 Bd8 26.Bf1 Ra7 27.Nb5 Rd7 28.Nxd6 Rc6 29.Bxc5 Rxc5 30.Bb5 Rdc7 31.a5 g6 32.a6 Bg5 33.h4 Be7 34.Ne8 Ra7 35.Qd2 Rxb5 36.Rxb5 Qxe8 37.Rb7 Bc5 38.Ra5 Qc8 39.Rxa7 Bxa7 40.Kh2 Qc7 41.Kg2 h5 42.Ra1 Qc4 43.Qe1 Qd3 44.Ra5 Bg4 45.Kh2 Kh7 46.Ra2 Bf3 47.Ra5 Qc2 48.Kg1 Kg7 49.Rd5 Bxe4 50.Rd2 Qc4 51.Kh2 Qc3 52.Qe2 Bd4 53.Ra2 Ba8 54.Qd1 Qc4 0-1



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