1.d4
d5
2.c4
c6
Apparently, during the last three games Kramnik has managed to convince his opponent that the Slav is not such a bad opening after all.
3.Nf3
Nf6
4.Nc3
e6
But only this must have been the real surprise for Kramnik! Topalov usually employs the ...a6 systems and only accidentaly played the Semislav throughout his carrier. If his intention was to confront Kramnik with the unpleasant psychological situation of fighting against his own weapons, we can safely state that the experiment has been crowned with success.
5.e3
Nbd7
[Even here, Topalov preferred 5...a6
in his game against Ponomariov, played at Sofia 2006.]
6.Bd3
dxc4
7.Bxc4
b5
8.Be2
Kramnik is consistent with his policy of avoiding sharp opening lines. The modest bishop retreat to e2 is supposed to offer White little chances for an advantage, but even less danger of getting into trouble.
8...Bb7
9.0-0
b4
Topalov's desire to take his oppponent out of the well-known paths as soon as possible becomes obvious. Black usually plays 9...Be7 here or, even more frequently, 8...a6.
10.Na4
c5
11.dxc5
Nxc5
12.Bb5+
Ncd7
13.Ne5
Qc7
14.Qd4
Rd8
15.Bd2
Looking at this position, I have the feeling as if players would have changed places with each other. It is Kramnik who has a slight advance in development, while Topalov mainly relies on the solid character of his position. Quite opposite with what we have seen during the last few days.
15...Qa5N
And now, Topalov moves for the second time with his already developed queen, something that Kramnik did frequently in the first part of the match. The move is a novelty, which is quite curious because it is the computer's first suggestion. We can suppose that Kramnik had looked at it at home (even though not especially for this game or match) and the time spent on the next moves was destined to let him remember the old analysis.
16.Bc6
Be7
17.Rfc1
[This looks like the more logical way of maintaining the advance in development, but knowing the further course of the game it is easy to recommend 17.b3
instead.]
17...Bxc6
18.Nxc6
Qxa4
19.Nxd8
Bxd8
20.Qxb4
Qxb4
21.Bxb4
Nd5
22.Bd6
At first glance it might look as if White is doing just great. His material deficit is almost insignificant, while his rooks are ready to invade the enemy queen side. However, there is a certain detail that favours Black: the centralized position of his king. Since the white king would need considerable amount of time to get into play, we can state that for practical purposes Black is a whole... king up! From this point of view, Kramnik's 20th move is slightly questionable. In order to prove 17.Rfc1 to be playable, White needs to exchange queens only after Black gets castled. The only open question remains whether this can be achieved in practice.
22...f5
23.Rc8
N5b6
24.Rc6
Be7
25.Rd1
Kf7
26.Rc7
Ra8
27.Rb7
Ke8
Black's last three moves can be considered some sort of artificial (but huge) castle.
28.Bxe7
Kxe7
29.Rc1
a5
30.Rc6
Nd5
Both sides have completed the first phase of piece mobilisation. The placement of the white rooks creates a strong optical impression, but they fail to create any serious threats. With the e6-pawn and the d7-knight safely defended by the king, Black has little to fear here. At the same time, the transfer of the white king to the queen side is highly problematic, because of the numerous possible forks.
31.h4?!
"Do not move pawns on the wing where you are weaker" they say. It is remarkable how much quicker Black will make progress on this wing after White's unnecesary pawn move.
31...h6
32.a4
g5
33.hxg5
hxg5
34.Kf1
g4
Now, White has to permanently reckon with the enemy rook's penetration through the h-file or the pawn break ...g3.
35.Ke2
N5f6
The start of a highly original manoeuvre.
36.b3
Ne8!
[Black intends to drive the enemy rook away from the b-file by means of ...Nd6. The seemingly more active 36...Ne4
, bearing the same idea, would have been less accurate in view of 37.Rcc7
]
37.f3
It is hard to apply to this move the same kind of criticism as to White's 31st move. Kramnik must have felt that he is rapidly losing ground and aimed to exchange as many pawns as possible.
37...g3!
Rejected.
38.Rc1
Nef6
Now that White has weakened his king side, the knight changes plans.
39.f4
But this looks like suicide already. White weakens his structure even more, in order to get the possibility to attack the g3-pawn, without noticing that it is posioned.
39...Kd6
40.Kf3
Nd5
41.Kxg3?
White offers to his opponent the only thing that he was missing yet: an open file for attack.
41...Nc5
42.Rg7
Rb8
43.Ra7
Rg8+
44.Kf3
Ne4
Black has a decisive attack already.
45.Ra6+
Ke7
46.Rxa5
Rg3+
47.Ke2
Rxe3+
48.Kf1
Rxb3
49.Ra7+
Kf6
50.Ra8
Nxf4
51.Ra1
Rb2
52.a5
[Allowing mate in 5. However, 52.Rg8
would have failed to safely defend the g2-square because of 52...Kf7
]
52...Rf2+
0-1