The Topalov-Kamsky match has been without a doubt the most exciting match in the first round of the Candidates. Of course, these great players would not let us down in the final game.
1.Nf3
Nf6
2.c4
g6
3.Nc3
d5
4.cxd5
Nxd5
5.Qc2
Topalov reveals a surprise as early as move five! 5. Qa4+ has been played thousands of times.
5...Bg7
6.e4
Nb6
This move allows Black to keep using familiar themes and strategies as opposed to radically changing the pawn structure and having to come up with ideas in a less familiar environment. [6...Nxc3
7.dxc3
This pawn structure is slightly better for White, as Black's bishop is quite passive (nothing a Gruenfeld player wants to hear about...). ]
7.d4
0-0
8.Be3
Bg4
9.Ne5
This is the other point of White's system. With the queen on c2, and out of harm's way, the knight can jump to e5 to control the g7 bishop.
9...Bxe5
[9...Be6
was worth considering, with the idea of c6 and N8d7 eventually.]
10.dxe5
Nc6
11.h3
Be6
12.Rd1
Qc8
13.f4
Rd8
14.b3
Nb4
15.Rxd8+
Qxd8
16.Qb1
f5!?
Maybe not the strongest move, but Black had to do something. At least now the position is getting opened while White's king remains in the center.
17.exf6
exf6
18.Be2
Qe7
19.0-0
Bf7
20.Bf2
Rd8
21.Rd1
Rxd1+
22.Qxd1
The dust has cleared a little, as White has finished his development. Black hasn't achieved anything tangible, but at least his position remains solid and he has enough space for all his pieces as he has managed to take the rooks out of the game.
22...c5
23.Bf1
Nc6
24.g3
Kg7
25.Bg2
h5
26.Nb5
Nc8
27.Qd2
Black can now sit back and wait until White threatens a breakthrough, which may be now or in twenty moves, but Gata is just not that type of player.
27...c4
28.bxc4
Bxc4
29.Nd4
Qb4
30.Qc1!
It is important to understand the power of this move. The queen is the last remaining heavy piece in the game, and without it White will not be able to generate a strong enough initiative to overwhelm his opponent. [30.Qxb4
Nxb4
31.a3
Nd3!
And Black's pieces are just as active as their counterparts. Kamsky would very likely hold this endgame without any problem.]
30...N8e7
31.a3
Qa4
32.Qb2
With every move White's position gains more and more strength.
32...b6
33.Kh2!
An important prophylactic move. Remember king safety!
33...Kf7
Now White must find a way to strike. The game begins to heat up!
34.Qc3
Ba2
35.f5
And here it is. This move was played, in my opinion, at exactly the right time. With five moves to go it is still difficult to make time control considering that Gata only had one minute and thirty seconds at this point, while Topalov had a full eleven minutes. It is difficult to react to a challenging move with such a short amount of time.
35...Qc4
36.Qb2
Ne5
37.Qd2!
g5
38.Ne6
Topalov has played a flawless game. His knight and queen will create deadly threats.
38...N7c6?
[38...Bb3
, defending d1, is an extremely hard move to find, but might have been the only way to defend.]
39.Qd6!+-
The decisive penetration. Black simply does not have enough glue to keep his entire position together.
39...Ke8
40.Nc7+?!
It is hard to criticize this move, as it seems to be extremely strong, and the computers like it. However Bd4 was cleaner, albeit much more difficult to find. The game now takes a very unexpected turn...
40...Kf7
41.Nd5
and f6 falls, as well as the game... or so it would seem!
41...Qe2!
Kamsky does not give up! He sees that his only hope now is the somewhat weak position of White's bishops, which cannot move because they must stay to defend the king. Resourceful, but should be insufficient.
42.Qxf6+
Ke8
White *seems* to be winning, but it is not so easy, and he might not even be winning at all now!
43.Qe6+
Kf8
44.Kg1?!
[44.Qh6+
Kf7
45.Qf6+
Ke8
46.Qh8+
Kf7
47.Bg1
And now that the queen takes h5 with check against most Nf3+ variations, White should be winning. Although far from easily.]
44...Qd1+
45.Bf1??
[45.Kh2!
]
45...Bxd5!
Eliminating the knight is, of course, the first order of business.
46.exd5
[46.Qxd5
Qxd5
47.exd5
Ne7
48.Be2
Nxf5
49.Bxh5
Ke7
is not much better for White, as Black's knights miraculously control the White bishops. However, this position can be squeezed.]
46...Nd4=
The position is already drawn. White doesn't have enough resources to defend his own position, and he is missing a piece in the attack to finish off the Black king. Amazing!
47.Qf6+
Kg8
48.Qxg5+
[48.Bxd4
did not solve White's problems, as too many simplifications arise and his king is too weak. 48...Qxd4+
49.Kh1
Qxd5+
50.Bg2
Qd1+
51.Kh2
Nf3+!
52.Bxf3
Qxf3
with a clear draw.]
48...Kf7
49.Qd8
Qc2!
The key move! The White king is completely controlled, and the threat is Ndf3+ followed by Ne1+, with a perpetual.
50.Bg2
Qc1+
51.Kh2
Qc2
52.Bg1
Ndf3+
53.Kh1
Ne1
54.Bf2
Qxf2
55.Qc7+
Kf6
56.Qd6+
Kf7
White is in time to give a perpetual and not lose, but that is all. A fantastic struggle. It is easy to blame Topalov for not calculating properly or for breaking down nervously. It is easy to say this when you have a computer that is throwing numbers such as +3 and +4 after 42. Qxf6+. However, I challenge the readers to calculate that position with or without a computer! It is extremely complex, and Black's resources plentiful while White's continuation is unclear. In most cases in chess, the position is as natural as it seems. Black's weak king, pawn deficit, etc. seemed to clearly indicate he was easily lost, but that might not have been the case. Again, a fantastic save by the American grandmaster, but props to both players for providing us with unbelievably exciting chess. 1/2-1/2