[Event "Match"]
[Site "Bucharest ROM"]
[Date "2006.04.06"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Nisipeanu, LD."]
[Black "Topalov, V."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C67"]
[WhiteElo "2693"]
[BlackElo "2801"]
[Annotator "Mihail Marin"]
[PlyCount "58"]
[EventDate "2006.04.06"]

1. e4 {This move has been efectuated by the President of Romania, Traian
Basescu, who mentioned in his characteristic cheerful manner that he had
received very clear indications to advance the king's pawn with two squares.
Later, reporter Florin Orban from Radio Romania International speculated about
the matter about who would the President receive "indications" from.} e5 2. Nf3
Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Nxe4 5. d4 Nd6 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. dxe5 Nf5 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8 {
By refraining from his beloved Najdorf Sicilian and choosing the rock-solid
Berlin variation, Topalov gave the sensation that he aimed to take some
preliminary contact with a player whom he had only faced some 15 years ago in
a youth event, which also took place in Romania. However, this might be pure
speculation, since the Berlin variation occurs with increasing frequency in
the FIDE World Champion's games.} 9. Nc3 Ne7 10. Ne4 h6 11. Nd4 $5 ({Surprising
ly, this active move has never been played before. The knight enjoys only
temporary stability in the centre, because after taking the b5-square under
control Black will be able to drive it away with ...c5. The outcome of the
battle greatly depends on White's possibility of provoking some damage to the
enemy position with the help of this knight, before it gets attacked. The more
common continuation is} 11. h3 Ng6 12. Re1) ({I have found a game where, in
spite of a different move order, White managed to obtain an improved version
of White's position after 14 moves. However, this was only as a consequence of
Black's careless play at some moment.} 11. Bf4 Ng6 12. Bg3 Be7 $6 ({
Black should have prepared the transfer of the king to the queen side with} 
12... Bd7 $1) 13. Rad1+ Ke8 14. Nd4 Bd7 15. Rfe1 {Now, all White's pieces are
optimally placed, while the black king feels quite uncomfortable.} c5 16. Nb3
b6 17. Nf6+ $1 gxf6 18. exf6 {
with better chances for White, Dervishi-Zaja, Austria 2003}) 11... b6 12. Rd1 (
{This is a small concession White has to make in order to prevent the enemy
king from reaching absolute safety on the queen side. Of course, he would
prefer to place his rooks on the central files (d1 and e1), but} 12. Bf4 {
(preparing the same setup as in the aforementioned game) could be met by} c5
13. Nb5 Be6 14. Rad1+ Kc8 {and Black has little to complain about.}) 12... Ke8
13. Bf4 Ng6 14. Bg3 ({
White could threaten win a pawn and threaten mate in one with} 14. Nxc6 $2 {
just to resign one move later after} Bb7 {
when all his minor pieces would be handing.}) 14... Bb7 {White's advantage of
space and activity look impressive, but this is usually a delusive sensation
in the Berlin variation.} 15. f4 ({
Nisipeanu decides to include more forces into the attack. The tempting} 15. e6
{would have been also double edged, because it would give up the advantage of
space and would help Black develop his king. For instance} a6 ({Threatening ...
c5, with simultaneous attack on both knights. If played immediately,} 15... c5
$2 {would lead to disaster after} 16. Nb5 Bxe4 17. Nxc7+ Ke7 18. Rd7+ Kf6 19.
Rxf7+ Kg5 20. Nxa8 {with some material advantage and, more important, a
crushing domination for White.}) 16. f3 $5 {(This move was suggested by
Topalov immediately after the game. White intends to maintain some stability
in the centre.)} c5 17. exf7+ Kxf7 18. Nf5 Ke6 19. Ne3 Rc8 ({The more radical} 
19... Bxe4 20. fxe4 c6 {is also entirely playable for Black. His king would
feel very comfortable under the shelter offered by the enemy e-pawn, while his
compact queen side mass of pawns could become dangerous if advanced gradually.}
) 20. Rd2 Be7 {and Black has a comfortable position because of his active pair
of bishops and the centralised king.}) 15... a6 16. f5 $5 ({White decides to
start concrete action, hoping to take advantage of his advance in development.
In the press centre,} 16. Re1 Rd8 17. Nf5 {was considered to be a better
alternative, but Nisipeanu indicated that Black can evacuate the dangerous
zone with} Kd7 {when the concentration of white forces on the king side has a
rather sterile character.}) 16... c5 {Once the long diagonal has been opened
for the bishop, Black can hope for adequate counterplay.} 17. fxg6 cxd4 18.
Rxd4 ({The only way to maintain the initiative.} 18. gxf7+ {
would have the drawback of allowing the enemy king to be activated with} Kxf7 {
. The position would suddenly become double-edged, for instance} 19. e6+ $5 ({
An interesting resource, suggested by IM Mircea Pavlov. After} 19. Rxd4 $6 Ke6
{Black is definitely not worse in spite of his small material deficit. His
king enjoys safe centralisation, while his pair of bishops is more active than
White's minor's pieces. As for the e5-pawn, it will most likely be lost after
the previsible exchange of all rooks.}) 19... Kg6 $1 (19... Kxe6 $6 {
looks slightly risky. After} 20. Rxd4 {the king feels slightly uncomfortable
in the absence of the e-pawn. The attempt to win material with} c5 $6 {
would only weaken Black's sixth rank when after} 21. Rd2 Bxe4 22. Re1 {
White would recuperate the piece maintaining the more active position.}) {
and now, in view of the threat ...Re8, it would be time for White to think
about equalitywith} 20. Rxd4 c5 21. Rd2 Bxe4 22. Re2 Bf5 23. e7 {when the prese
nce of opposite coloured bishops in a symmetrical position would make a draw
the most probable result.}) 18... fxg6 {With his poor development, Black
cannot afford to maintain the tension in this area.} 19. e6 ({White opens the
diagonal for his bishop, putting the whole black queen side under some danger.
He would have no winning chances after} 19. Rad1 Bxe4 20. Rxe4 Bc5+ 21. Kf1
Rf8+ 22. Ke2 Rd8 {either. His central pawn can be easily blocked and does not
present any danger even in the case of exchanging all rooks.}) 19... Rd8 $1 ({
Black defends his c7-pawn by indirect means and forces the exchange of one
pair of rooks, which reduces White's attacking potential. The other possible
way to simplify the position wouldbe} 19... Bxe4 $6 20. Rxe4 Bc5+ {
(driving the king further from the centre)} 21. Kh1 Bd6 22. Bxd6 cxd6 {
but after} 23. e7 Ra7 24. Rae1 {Black would have big problems with the
activation of his king's rook. White would most likely find a favourable way
to exchange his e-pawn for any Black pawn from the sixth rank in order to
obtain a better single-rook endgame.}) 20. Rad1 Rxd4 21. Rxd4 Bxe4 {Now, this e
xchange is well timed for reasons that will be highlighted in the next comment.
} 22. Rxe4 Bc5+ 23. Kf1 ({The king has to get out of his castle because after} 
23. Kh1 {Black would win a tempo with} Rf8 {anyway in view of the weakness of
the first rank, not protected by White's other rook any more.}) 23... Rf8+ 24.
Ke1 (24. Ke2 {looks more active, but would hardly chance anything if Black
plays in the same way as in the game. Instead of that,} Ke7 $2 {
would be bad because after} 25. Bxc7 Rf2+ 26. Kd3 Rxg2 27. b4 {the bishop
have to leave his king alone against the concentrated action of White's pieces,
for instance} Bg1 28. Bd6+ $1 Kd8 29. Rf4 Rf2 {and now, apart from the fact
that the bishop ending is easily winning for White, the forced sequence} 30.
Rf8+ Rxf8 31. e7+ $1 {queens immediately.}) 24... Bd6 25. Bxd6 cxd6 {
In spite of the mass simplifications, White seems to maintain some initiative.}
26. Rc4 ({White has no better way to attack the enemy queen side.} 26. Rb4 {
(suggested by IM Vlad Barnaure) can be met by} b5 27. a4 ({In case of} 27. c4
$6 Rf4 28. b3 d5 {White can get the worse position already.}) 27... Rf5 {
and White cannot make any progress.}) 26... Rf5 $1 {
This simple move solves all Black's problems.} 27. Rc8+ ({White's intended} 27.
Rc6 {can be adequately met by} Rc5 {with general exchanges and an obvious draw.
}) 27... Ke7 28. Rc7+ Kxe6 29. Rxg7 Re5+ {Remarkably, the black rook is
supported by the own pawns along the whole fifth rank. In order to escape from
checks, the king has to hide passively behind his pawns, which would hardly
look like a winning attempt. I am not sure whether a draw was agreed here or
after some more checks, because after Black's 25th move the electronic
transmission of the moves was broken.} 1/2-1/2

