[Event "Mtel Masters"]
[Site "Sofia BUL"]
[Date "2006.05.17"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Kamsky, G."]
[Black "Ponomariov, R."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C88"]
[WhiteElo "2671"]
[BlackElo "2738"]
[Annotator "Mihail Marin"]
[PlyCount "81"]
[EventDate "2006.05.11"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. h3
Bb7 9. d3 d6 10. a3 Qd7 {Kamsky does not mind playing this variation with both
colours. This is the third time in this tournament that he reaches this very
position. The first time it happened against the same opponent, but with
reversed colours.} 11. Nbd2 ({But now he deviates from Ponomariov's} 11. Nc3)
11... Rfe8 ({Ponomariov shows that he has his own ideas, too.} 11... Nd8 {
was succesfully tried in Anand-Kamsky, Sofia 2006.}) 12. Nf1 Nd8 13. Ng3 Ne6
14. c3 c5 15. d4 {If we compare with the game Anand-Kamsky, Black cannot hold
his e5-pawn here, because White is much better developed and the threat of
winning a pawn is quite real.} exd4 16. cxd4 d5 17. e5 Ne4 18. Nf5 Bf8 19. Be3
Rac8 20. dxc5 N6xc5 21. N5d4 {The almost absolute stability on the d4-square
offers White the more pleasant position.} Nxb3 22. Qxb3 Nc5 23. Qd1 a5 24. Qb1
Ne4 25. Rd1 b4 26. axb4 Bxb4 27. Nc2 Qe7 28. Nxb4 Qxb4 29. Qa2 Ra8 30. Rd4 Qb5
31. Ra4 Bc6 32. Rxa5 Rxa5 33. Qxa5 Qxb2 34. Rc1 Ba8 35. Rc7 {In spite of
simplifications, White maintains unpleasant pressure. With his next move,
Ponomariov tries to solve his problems by unblocking the d4-square and
activating the a8-bishop (something Nimzovich would certainly recommend from
general point of view) but misses Kamsky's spectacular reply.} d4 $2 36. e6 $3
{This successive pawn moves are very much related to each other regarding
their basic ideas but differ enormously from the point of view of their
objective merits. White cleares the fifth rank for his queen and the long dark
diagonal for his bishop, forcing Black to weaken his seventh rank at the same
time. Can we ask for more from a modest pawn?} Qb1+ ({
Removing the queen from the exposed b2-square. The immediate} 36... fxe6 {
would have been met by} 37. Rxg7+ $1) 37. Kh2 fxe6 38. Qh5 {
The Black king is helpless against the combined action of the white pieces.}
Nd6 39. Bxd4 {The bishop captures this pawn 3 moves later than Ponomariov
might have expected and with devastating effect we must say.} Bxf3 40. Rxg7+
Kf8 41. Qh6 ({After} 41. Qh6 Re7 {(What else?)} 42. Qf6+ {
Black has a choice betwen two echo-variations:} Rf7 ({In case of} 42... Nf7 43.
Rg8+ Kxg8 {the mate is delivered on a different square:} 44. Qg7#) 43. Rg8+
Kxg8 {and now} 44. Qh8#) 1-0

[Event "Mtel Masters"]
[Site "Sofia BUL"]
[Date "2006.05.17"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Anand, V."]
[Black "Bacrot, E."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C89"]
[WhiteElo "2803"]
[BlackElo "2708"]
[Annotator "Mihail Marin"]
[PlyCount "100"]
[EventDate "2006.05.11"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. c3
{Finally! It has been quite some time since I have seen White allowing the
Marshall Attack in super-tournaments.} d5 9. exd5 Nxd5 10. Nxe5 Nxe5 11. Rxe5
c6 12. d4 Bd6 13. Re1 Qh4 14. g3 Qh3 15. Re4 g5 16. Qe1 ({
This is a rare move. More customary is} 16. Qf1) 16... Bf5 17. Nd2 h6 ({
Bacrot slowly consolidates his position, relying on his advnace of development.
Also possibleis} 17... Nf6 {aiming to dislocate the rook from e4, for instance}
18. f3 c5 19. Qe3 h6 20. Qf2 cxd4 21. cxd4 Rad8 22. Re2 Bd3 23. Re3 Qf5 {
Shchekachev-Gustafsson, Austria 2005}) ({The immediate capture on e4 with} 
17... Bxe4 $6 18. Nxe4 {would only help White continue his development.} Rae8
$2 {is impossible now because of} 19. Bxd5 cxd5 20. Nf6+ {winning a whole rook.
}) 18. f3 Kg7 ({This is a novelty, continuing the policy induced by the
previous move. Here, too} 18... Nf6 {is possible:} 19. Re2 Bd3 20. Re3 Rae8 21.
Nf1 c5 {Zhigalko-Livshits, Instanbul 2005}) 19. a4 Bxe4 20. fxe4 Rae8 21. axb5
axb5 {Strategically, White has more than sufficient compensation for the
exchange, in view of his strong centre, the active light-squares bishop anmd
the weakness of the f5-square. His only problem remains the incomplete
development.} 22. Nf1 $6 ({
White should not have weakened the e4-square. More consistent seems to be} 22.
Qf2) 22... Qg4 23. Bc2 Re7 24. Bd2 Rfe8 {Black threatens now to equalize by
sacrificing the exchange back with ...Rxe4. Anand's ambitious continuation is
not without risks.} 25. e5 f6 26. h3 $5 Qxh3 27. Qe4 Kh8 $1 {
A rather unaesthetical, but strong defensive move.} 28. Ra6 fxe5 29. Rxc6 Rf8
30. Bd3 Ref7 31. Qg2 Qxg2+ 32. Kxg2 Rf6 33. dxe5 Bxe5 34. Rc5 Rd6 35. Be4 Rfd8
36. Rxb5 Bg7 {If White could transfer his dark-squared bishop on a favbourable
square, such as f2, his chances would be better, but this is not easy to
accomplish.} 37. Bc1 ({For instance,} 37. Be1 {would be met by} Re6 {
pinning the bishops and forcing favourable simplifications.}) 37... Nf6 38. Bf3
g4 39. Be2 Re8 40. Bc4 Rd1 41. Bf4 Ne4 {
In view of the dangerous situation of his king, White has to be careful now.}
42. Be2 Nxc3 43. Bxd1 Nxb5 44. Bxg4 Re1 45. Ne3 Nd4 46. Nc4 Rb1 {This pawn will
not be too easy to capture; Anand's bishops control a lot of important squares.
} 47. Bd2 Nb3 48. Be3 Nd4 49. Bd2 Nb3 50. Be3 Nd4 1/2-1/2

[Event "Mtel Masters"]
[Site "Sofia BUL"]
[Date "2006.05.17"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Topalov, V."]
[Black "Svidler, P."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D87"]
[WhiteElo "2804"]
[BlackElo "2743"]
[Annotator "Mihail Marin"]
[PlyCount "122"]
[EventDate "2006.05.11"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 {In spite of the small disaster from Morelia and
Linares, Svidler remains faithfull to his beloved Gruenfeld. His persistence
will be fully rewarded.} 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Bc4 c5 8. Ne2
Nc6 9. Be3 O-O 10. O-O Qc7 ({Black chooses one of the oldest systems of
development, employed by such players like Botwinnik and Fischer. Of course,
the forced variations arising after} 10... Bg4 11. f3 Na5 {
would entirely suit Topalov's style of play (and home preparation).}) ({
In Linares, Svidler tried} 10... Na5 {
against the same opponent, but failed to solve the opening problems.}) 11. Rc1
Rd8 12. Bf4 ({
This move started becoming very popular in the late eighties. Previously,} 12.
Qd2 {was considered to be the main move. The greatest specialist of the past
with this system, Boris Spassky, always played f4 in this variation,
immediately or after such preparatory moves as 12.h3 or 12.Qe1. Quite
successfully, I must say, since he twice inflicted two painfull defeats to his
successor to the champion's throne: Robert Fischer.}) 12... Qd7 13. d5 Na5 14.
Bd3 {The black knight certainly looks awkward on a5, but Black plans to make
the d6-square available for it, by either ...e5 or ...e6 and ...exd5.} b5 15.
Rb1 a6 16. c4 ({A novelty by Topalov and, possibly, not a very adequate one!
The knight is allowed to get into play without having to spend additional time.
The main continuation is} 16. Qc1 {, removing the queen from the d-file and
taking two important dark diagonals under observation (in view of the possible
threats Bh6 and Qa3).}) 16... e6 17. Bg5 Re8 18. Qd2 (18. cxb5 exd5 {
would allow Black obtain strong counterplay in the centre.}) 18... Nxc4 19.
Bxc4 bxc4 20. d6 {If White will manage to consolidate this pawn, his chances
would be obviously better, but this will not happen.} Bb7 21. Qe3 f6 22. Bh4 g5
23. Bg3 f5 {This is the kind of positions where we can see why one likes to
play the Gruenfeld. The position is very hard to control by White.} 24. Qxg5
Bxe4 25. Rb6 Qd8 $1 ({By exchanging the queens, Black avoids any dangers
regarding the slightly exposed position of his king.} 25... Bd3 {
would be less clear after, say,} 26. Re1 e5 27. Nc3 {followed by Nd5.}) 26.
Qxd8 Raxd8 27. Rd1 Rd7 {It becomes clear now that Black has a big advantage.
His powerfull pair of bishops control the numerous weak square available in
White's camp, while the c-pawns are not easy to block.} 28. f3 Bc2 29. Re1 Bd3
30. Rxa6 c3 31. Ra3 Bxe2 32. Rxe2 Rb8 33. Rb3 Rxb3 34. axb3 Kf7 35. Kf1 Rb7 36.
Ra2 Bf6 37. Ke2 c4 $1 {Ths simplest. Black wins material now.} 38. b4 Rxb4 39.
Ra7+ Kg6 40. Rc7 c2 41. Kd2 f4 42. Be1 Rb1 43. Rxc4 Rd1+ 44. Kxc2 Rxe1 45. Rxf4
Re2+ 46. Kd3 Re5 47. Rg4+ Kf7 48. Ra4 Rd5+ 49. Ke3 Rxd6 50. Ra7+ Kg6 {
This ending is not easy to win yet. With his next move, Topalov simplifies his
opponent's technical task.} 51. Kf4 $2 {
He should have removed the rook from the exposed a7-square.} Rd4+ 52. Kg3 ({
After} 52. Ke3 Rh4 {(threatening ...Bd4+)} 53. Ra6 Rxh2 54. Rxe6 Rxg2 {
the presence of rooks on board ensures a win, in spite of the fact that the
promoting h1-square is not controlled by the bishop.}) 52... Bh4+ 53. Kh3 Bf2 {
With the brutal threat of mate in onw.} 54. g3 Rh4+ $1 {
After the exchange of rooks, Black wins easily.} 55. Kxh4 Bxa7 56. Kh3 Kf5 57.
Kg2 Be3 58. Kh3 Ke5 59. Kg4 Bg1 60. h4 Bf2 61. h5 h6 0-1

