[Event "WCHM 2010 Sofia"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.05.11"]
[Round "12"]
[White "Topalov, Veselin"]
[Black "Anand, Vishwanathan"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D56"]
[WhiteElo "2805"]
[BlackElo "2787"]
[Annotator "Giri,Anish"]
[PlyCount "112"]
[SourceDate "2010.04.25"]

{In this game Anand chose the solid QGD and after employing a relatively
unknown idea, at least for Topalov, he easily equalized. Topalov, on the other
hand, wanted to finish the match today. He took risks and displayed great
self-confidence. However, with strong strikes 30...e5! and 31...f5! Anand took
the initiative. Then something absolutely unbelievable happened: In less than
five minutes, despite having more than half an hour left on his clock, Topalov
committed suicide with 31.exf5? and 32.fxe4??. Anand obtained a decisive
attack as a result, which he converted with great precision to the end.} 1. d4
d5 2. c4 e6 $1 {A Queen's Gambit Declined! And a classic World Championship
opening. Remember the famous Capablanca-Alekhine match? Or Karpov-Kasparov? To
be honest, before the game I tried to guess the opening, and believe it or not,
I actually managed to predict it! After all, which opening could be more solid
or trustworthy than the good ol' Queen's Gambit?#} 3. Nf3 ({I had expected} 3.
Nc3 {in Kasparov style.} Nf6 (3... Be7 {is how to avoid it-} 4. cxd5 exd5 5.
Bf4 {and there are plenty of games to study. For example, Kasparov-Karpov 1985
as well as 2009!}) 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Bg5 {The point being that later White will
develop his knight to the far more flexible e2, planning f3 and e4.} Be7 6. e3
c6 7. Qc2 Nbd7 8. Bd3 O-O 9. Nge2 Re8 10. O-O Nf8 11. f3) 3... Nf6 4. Nc3 Be7
5. Bg5 (5. Bf4 {is another main-line with thousands of games played.}) 5... h6
{It is important to include this little move.} 6. Bh4 O-O 7. e3 Ne4 {#The
Lasker Defence! The solidest of the solid.} 8. Bxe7 Qxe7 9. Rc1 c6 10. Be2 {A
new little nuance.} (10. Bd3 {was more popular previously, but here black has
an interesting idea.} Nxc3 11. Rxc3 Nd7 $5 12. O-O (12. Qc2 $5) 12... e5 $1)
10... Nxc3 11. Rxc3 dxc4 12. Bxc4 Nd7 13. O-O b6 {One of the two main moves.} (
{Hundreds of games have been played with} 13... e5 {as well. The position is
always between slightly better to equal.}) 14. Bd3 c5 15. Be4 Rb8 {#} 16. Qc2 (
{I thought that} 16. Qa4 $5 {was slightly stronger, but mainly for
psychological reasons.}) 16... Nf6 $1 {An idea from the Polish player,
Grabarczyk, which was probably a surprise for Topalov.} (16... a5 {was used to
be one of the main moves here, as well as Bb7 and Ba6.}) 17. dxc5 (17. Bc6 {
covers the c6 square, and can thus be answered with} cxd4 18. Nxd4 e5 $1) 17...
Nxe4 18. Qxe4 bxc5 {#So, let's stop and evaluate the position. Black has a
weak pawn on c5 and later possibly on a7 as well. On the other hand, his
bishop, which will be developed to b7 on the next move, will be much better
than the white knight. All in all the position is about equal.} 19. Qc2 {An
ambitious move. Topalov is not satisfied with the very slight advantage he
would obtain after 19.b3.} (19. b3 {was played twice against the inventor of
16...Nf6.} Bb7 20. Qf4 (20. Qe5 Rbc8 (20... Bxf3) 21. Rfc1 Rfd8 22. e4 Qd6 $1
$11) (20. Qh4 $5) 20... Bxf3 21. Qxf3 Rfd8 22. Rfc1 Rd2 23. R1c2 Rbd8 24. g3 {
and White is a little better, but Black should draw this without any real
problems.}) 19... Bb7 20. Nd2 (20. Rxc5 $6 Bxf3 21. gxf3 Rxb2 $1 {is a trick
that you will have to remember, because I don't want to mention it on every
move.}) (20. e4 {can be answered with the sharp} f5 $5 {Now, one of the
possible lines is} 21. Nd2 Rfd8 22. exf5 Bxg2 $1 23. Kxg2 Qg5+ 24. Rg3 Qxd2 25.
Qxc5 exf5 $11) 20... Rfd8 21. f3 {This is slightly weakening, especially
considering that later White would also play g3. However, White has to
restrict Black's bishop, so the move is justified.} (21. Rxc5 $4 Rxd2 $1) 21...
Ba6 $146 {#Until now, they were following a German correspondence game from
2000, but now Anand accidentally plays a novelty, and a good one at that.
Since White is blocking the h1-a8 diagonal, why not bring the bishop to
another?} 22. Rf2 {Another fighting move.} (22. Rc1 {seemed more logical to me,
but here Black could immediately draw, among the other possibilities, which
would favor the World Champion.} Qd7 23. Nb3 c4 {And White would to exchange
the annoying c4-pawn for either b2 or a2.} (23... Bd3 $11)) 22... Rd7 {Simply
doubling on the d-file.} (22... Rd5 23. e4 Rd7 {only look clever. White
doesn't mind playing e4 anyway.}) 23. g3 {A committal move, but White needs
space for his king. Here it became clear to me that it was not Anand, but
Topalov who may be in trouble.} Rbd8 24. Kg2 {#} Bd3 {Anand smartly decides to
avoid making any committal moves, while it is not yet clear. He prefers to
wait for Topalov to do part of the job.} ({More aggressive moves were also
possible. For example,} 24... h5 $5 25. Ne4 (25. h4 e5 26. e4 $6 g5 $1 $19)
25... Bd3 26. Qa4 Bxe4 (26... c4 $5 27. Nd2 e5 28. Nxc4 Qe6 {is unclear}) 27.
Qxe4 Rd2 {with equality}) ({Or} 24... e5 $5 25. e4 h5 26. Nc4 h4 27. Ne3 Qe6 {
and here White can play the non-standard} 28. gxh4 $1 {with an unclear
position.}) 25. Qc1 (25. Qa4 {was dangerous.} Qg5 (25... Bb5 $11) 26. e4 $6 (
26. Ne4 $1 $11) 26... Qe3 27. Qa5 Qe1 28. Qxc5 Be2 $1 29. Nb3 Rd1 30. Kh3 R8d3
{and White is in danger to say the least.}) 25... Ba6 $1 {The c5-pawn was
hanging, and Vishy decides to come back with the bishop and ask Topalov what
he thinks.} 26. Ra3 {I had no doubts that Topalov would play on.} Bb7 $1 {Now
that c5 isn't in any danger, Vishy returns the bishop to its rightful spot.
Now the bishop also smiles towards White's king, who will suffer a lot in this
game!} 27. Nb3 (27. e4 {can be answered by} f5 $1 28. Qc2 g5 $1 {and the
bishop smiles again!}) 27... Rc7 28. Na5 Ba8 {Of course!#} 29. Nc4 {If any
other move had been played, then 29...g5! was strong.} ({For example} 29. e4 g5
$1 {and now let me demonstrate how White could end up if he calculated badly.}
30. Re3 Rd4 31. h3 h5 $1 32. g4 hxg4 33. hxg4 f5 $1 34. gxf5 g4 $1 {opening
the diagonal for the bishop and winning}) ({or} 29. Rc3 g5 30. Nb3 g4 31. e4
gxf3+ 32. Kxf3 f5 33. Nxc5 Qg7 $5 {and it is clear that white king is not the
happiest piece on board.}) 29... e5 $1 {Played instantly. Anand is playing it
safe. 29...g5 was possible here as well, but it would lead to a double-edged
position.} ({For instance} 29... g5 $5 30. e4 (30. h3 f5 31. Kh2 (31. g4 h5 $1)
31... h5 {with an unclear position.}) 30... g4 (30... f5 $5) 31. Qxh6 gxf3+ 32.
Kxf3 Rd4 33. Nd2 Rcd7 34. Kg2 Qd8 35. Rf4 $1 Rxd2+ 36. Kh3 Bxe4 $3 37. Rxe4
R2d4 38. Ra4 Rxe4 39. Rxe4 Rd4 40. Re5 Rd5 41. Re4 Rd4 {is a truly beautiful
draw.}) 30. e4 {Other moves were possible, but then Black would be able to
play e4-f4 securing the d3 square for a rook, or make some other useful move.}
f5 $1 {#} 31. exf5 $2 {Crazy.} (31. Nd2 $1 {was the right move.} fxe4 32. Nxe4
{Now Black can choose between equalizing or keeping his bishop and the
pressure with} Rd4 $5 (32... Bxe4 33. fxe4 Rd4 $11)) 31... e4 $1 32. fxe4 $4 {
Even crazier. Without any calculation it seems pretty obvious that it is very
dangerous to expose your king this much. So it was even more surprising that
Topalov played this and the previous move so quickly!} ({Something like} 32.
Re3 {was essential, but it is clear that} exf3+ 33. Kg1 Qg5 {is not really
what White wants. Black is clearly better.}) 32... Qxe4+ {From now on Anand
never let Veselin escape, nor gave him a single reason to hope.} 33. Kh3 Rd4
34. Ne3 {#} Qe8 $3 {THE move, that Vishy had to find. I assume that it was the
one that Topalov had missed.} 35. g4 h5 $1 {It is hopeless for White. All
Black's pieces are ready to meet alone with the white king.} 36. Kh4 g5+ $5 {
Vishy chooses the most elegant way to keep his title.} (36... Qd8+ 37. f6 hxg4
{was winning as well}) ({but surprisingly} 36... hxg4 $4 {loses the advantage.}
37. Nxg4 {and White's king doesn't feel so bad anymore with a knight on g4 to
keep him company, and a queen coming to g5.}) 37. fxg6 Qxg6 38. Qf1 Rxg4+ 39.
Kh3 {#} Re7 $1 {Anand again goes for the most beautiful solution.} ({For
example} 39... Kh7 {to avoid checks, was winning too.}) 40. Rf8+ Kg7 {#} 41.
Nf5+ (41. Rxa8 {Now I can imagine how happy Vishy was while executing his
moves.} Rxe3+ $1 42. Rxe3 Rh4+ $3 43. Kxh4 Qg4# {Ohh, what a picture!}) 41...
Kh7 $1 {Naturally not taking the rook which would turn the tables upside down.}
42. Rg3 Rxg3+ 43. hxg3 Qg4+ 44. Kh2 Re2+ 45. Kg1 Rg2+ 46. Qxg2 Bxg2 {#At this
point, some people got very nervous, screaming that they had found a draw. The
calm World Champion, however, had seen everything in advance.} 47. Kxg2 (47.
Rf7+ Kg6 $1 48. Rg7+ Kxf5 49. Rxg4 hxg4 $1 50. Kxg2 Ke4 51. Kf2 Kd3 {and the
pawn ending is hopeless.}) 47... Qe2+ 48. Kh3 c4 $1 {Our human Champion is as
precise as an engine.} 49. a4 a5 50. Rf6 Kg8 $1 {#It is zugzwang!} 51. Nh6+ Kg7
52. Rb6 Qe4 (52... Qf3 {would win as well, but Anand decided that today was
Zugzwang Day!} 53. Kh4 Qe4+ $1 54. Kxh5 Qd5+) 53. Kh2 Kh7 $1 {Zugzwang again!}
54. Rd6 Qe5 55. Nf7 Qxb2+ 56. Kh3 Qg7 $1 {#Great and flawless play by Anand! A
perfect game to defend one's title with.} 0-1

