BIRTHDAY WISHES TO TOPALOV

BIRTHDAY WISHES TO TOPALOV

(1) Topalov,Veselin (2757) - Kasparov,Garry (2804) [B30]
Linares 22nd Linares (14), 10.03.2005
[Tyomkin,D]
Garry knew that he is a winnner of Linares even he loses (the first tie-break was more wins with black). As well as, Garry knew that this game is the last in his professional chess career- Garry announced his retirement from professional chess right after the end of this game ( this decision was not any spontaneous,and the loss of this game didn't cause to that). 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 e5 Garry chooses a solid variation for the last round game. 4.Bc4 d6 5.d3 Be7 6.0–0 Garry prepared 6.Nd2 line with white for Linares 2005 and was very close to beat Leko in round 8 of the same tournament. [6.Nd2 Roiz in CBM 106 6...Bg5 7.h4 Bxd2+ 8.Bxd2 Nf6 That position was tested many times on the highest level. 9.0–0 A latest att empt to fight for the opening advantage which connected with an idea of f2-f4. 9...Be6 10.f4N White allows black to exchange the bishops,as it will make the Pd6 very vulnerable. 10...Bxc4 11.dxc4 h5! A typical defensive idea in such a positions. Black exploits a drawback of 7.h4 and gets a nice square for his knight. 12.f5 Ng4 13.f6 1/2–1/2 Kasparov,G-Leko,P/Linares 2005/CBM 106_01/[Roiz] (31) White chooses a very energetical continuation. He tries to use some vulnerablity of Ke8.] 6...Nf6 7.Nh4 A real surprise! This move has never been tested before. Out of other seven tries, the 7.Ng5 is a most popular and promises white a good play. In Dortmund 2004 Vishy tested 7.Bg5, and managed to achieve some opening advantage, but for some reason this line hasn't gained any popularity. The main idea of Topalov was to keep Garry out of book and his analysis, and his strategy worked successfully in this game. [7.Ng5 0–0 8.f4 Bg4 After the game Kramnik,V-Grischuk,A/Wijk aaz Zee 2003 [Roiz] that move became very popular. 9.Qe1 exf4 That helps white to complete his development, but there is nothing better. 10.Bxf4 Nd4 11.Qd2 h6N This is a dubious novelty in my opinion, as after h7-h6 white gets excellent attacking possibilities, using the open ''g'' file (after an exchange on f3). 12.Nf3 Bxf3!? Black tries a new concept in this common position. He keeps his knight in the centre, trying to start a quick counterplay by b7-b5. (12...Nxf3+ 13.gxf3 Be6 14.Kh1ƒ - Here whit e's initiative is more dangerous than in Kramnik-Grischuk, as Qd8-d7 is a quite useful move for black. At the same time a2-a4 is obviously not white's best attacking continuation.) 13.gxf3 Qd7 14.Be3 b5 There is no other way of counterplay-otherwise black is just much worse. 15.Bxd4 (15.Bd5!? Rae8 16.Qg2 Kh8 17.a3! Nxd5 18.Nxd5 Nc6 19.Kh1²) 15...bxc4 (The alternative was: 15...cxd4! 16.Nxb5 d5 17.exd5 Bc5 18.b4 Bb6 19.a4 Nxd5² and black has some compensation due to weakness of white's kside, although white's chances are preferable.) 16.Bxf6 (16.Be3!? cxd3 17.Qxd3 Rfe8 18.Rad1 Rad8 19.b3²) 16...Bxf6 17.dxc4 Bd4+? The idea of getting counterplay by f7-f5 is right, but black chooses a wrong redaction forthat! (After the correct: 17...Rab8! 18.b3 (18.Rab1?! Qh3! …19.Nd5 Bd4+ 20.Kh1 Rxb2³) 18...Qh3! 19.Rae1 Bd4+ 20.Kh1 f5 21.exf5 Rxf5 22.Nb5 Rxf3 23.Rxf3 Qxf3+ 24.Qg2 Qxg2+ 25.Kxg2 Be5² white has only a small advantage in this endgame.) 18.Kh1 f5 19.Nd5!± 0–1 Grischuk,A-Cheparinov,I/Mallorca 2004/CBM 104/[Roiz,M] (39) Finally white's knight has got an ideal spot, while the Bd4 couldn't stay in the centre too long in view of the following c2-c3.; 7.Bg5!? 0–0 8.Bxf6 Bxf6 9.Nd5 Bg5 10.a3 b6 11.b4 Bh6 12.c3 Ne7 13.bxc5 bxc5 14.Rb1² 1–0 Anand,V-Leko,P/Dortmund 2004/CBM 103 (27); RR 7.Bd2 0–0 8.Nd5 Nxd5 9.Bxd5 Kh8 10.a3 f5 11.h3 a5 12.Rb1 a4 13.exf5 Bxf5 14.b4 axb3 15.Rxb3 Ra7 16.Be3 Qe8 17.Qb1 Nd8 18.Nd2 Be6 19.Bxe6 Nxe6 20.Rxb7 Rxa3 21.Qb6 Nd8 Anand,V (2766)-Kramnik,V (2777)/Monte Carlo 2004/CBM 099 ext/1–0 (43)] 7...Nd4N [7...Nxe4 8.dxe4 (8.Nxe4 d5 9.Bxd5 Qxd5 10.Bg5 f6!³) 8...Bxh4 9.f4 (9.Nd5 0–0 10.f4 exf4 11.Bxf4 Ne5 and black is safe.) 9...0–0 10.f5© and white has a full compensation.; RR 7...0–0 8.g3 Bh3 9.Ng2 Qd7 10.a3 a6 11.Bg5 b5 12.Ba2 Kh8 13.Bxf6 Bxf6 14.Nd5 Bd8 15.Nde3 g6 16.c3 Be6 17.Bd5 Rb8 18.f4 f5 19.Bxe6 Qxe6 20.exf5 gxf5 21.Qh5 Qg6 22.Qh3 Urbanec,L (2255)-Hlavac,R (2158)/Brno 2005/EXT 2006/1–0 (37)] 8.g3 Bg4 [8...Bh3 only helps white 9.Ng2] 9.f3 Be6 10.Bg5 Ng8! getting rid of the bad bishop. 11.Bxe7 Nxe7 12.f4 exf4 13.Bxe6 [13.gxf4 Qd7 following with 0–0–0. 14.f5 Bxc4 15.dxc4 0–0–0 white kingside pawns are vulnerable.] 13...fxe6 14.Rxf4 Kd7?! Very unusual way to connect black rooks. Both 14...Qb6 and 14...Qd7 followed with 0–0–0 would give black at least an equal play. I believe, if no pressure of the last round game (as well as of the last game of Garry's professional career), Garry would choose one of those moves. [14...Qb6; 14...Qd7=] 15.Nf3! This move wouldn't be possible in case of 14..Qb6 or 14...Qd7 since there black had Ng6 reply. 15...Rf8 16.Rxf8 Qxf8 17.Nxd4 cxd4 18.Ne2 [18.Nb5!? Nc6 19.c3 (19.Qh5 Qe7 20.Rf1 (20.Qxh7 Qg5 with at least a perpetual check.) 20...Rf8 21.Rxf8 Qxf8 22.Qxh7 a6 23.Na3 Ne5 and black has a nice compensation for a sacrificed pawn.) 19...dxc3 20.bxc3 Qf6 21.d4 Rf8 22.Qd2 Qf3 and the activity of black pieces compensate the unsafe position of black king.] 18...Qf6 [‹18...Nc6 19.Qd2!² (19.c3 Qf3 20.Nxd4 Nxd4 21.cxd4 Qe3+ 22.Kh1 Rf8 and black is fine.) ] 19.c3 Rf8 [19...dxc3?! 20.Qa4+ Nc6 21.Rf1±] 20.Nxd4 Nc6 The game move keeps it equal, while 20...Qf2+ line gives black at least a draw; [20...Qf2+ 21.Kh1 Nc6 (21...Rf6!?) 22.Qg4! Nxd4 23.Qxg7+ Rf7 24.Qxd4 Qxb2 and black is not any worse.] 21.Qf1 Qxf1+ I don't put a question mark to Garry's move since I can't prove that the pawn ending is winning for white. Although, Garry had two safe ways for a draw: 21...Qd8 and 21...Nf6. [21...Qd8 22.Qe2 (22.Nf3 Qb6+ 23.d4 Qxb2 24.Rb1 Qxc3 25.Rxb7+ Ke8 (25...Kd8!?; 25...Kc8? 26.Rb3± black king is vulnerable on c8;) 26.Rb3 Qc2 27.Qe1! in other cases black is just fine. 27...Qxa2 28.Qc3 Kf7! 29.Rb7+ Kg8 30.Qxc6 Qe2 31.Qc3 Rxf3 32.Qc8+ Rf8 33.Qxe6+ Kh8 34.Qf5 and here black must go for perpetual check.) 22...Nxd4 (22...Qb6? 23.Qg4!) 23.cxd4 Qb6 24.Qe3 Qxb2 and this position is equal.; 21...Nxd4 22.Qxf6 Rxf6 (22...gxf6 23.cxd4 Rc8 24.Rf1 Ke7 25.Kg2 with winning chances.) 23.cxd4 Rf3 24.Rd1 g5 and in view of d3 weakness, white can't reach any progress in this ending.] 22.Rxf1 Rxf1+ 23.Kxf1 Nxd4 24.cxd4 d5? Garry played this move instantly, however, if black keeps his pawn on d6, the win of white is very doubtful. This way was mentioned by GM Shipov, he believes that this pawn ending is winning for white anyhow, but does not show the way. Same here... [24...b5 25.Ke2 Ke7 (25...a5 26.Kd2 Kc6 27.a3 (27.Kc3 b4+ 28.Kc4 d5+ 29.Kb3 Kb5=) 27...Kd7 (27...b4 28.axb4 axb4 29.Ke3 Kb5 30.b3 Kc6 31.Kf4 Kd7 32.d5+-) 28.Kc3 Kc6 and I don't see a winning plan for white.) 26.Kd2 Kd7 27.Kc3 Kc6 28.a4 a5!; 24...Ke7 25.Ke2 Kf6 (25...b5!) 26.Kd2 Kg5 27.e5 ! Shipov, source: www.chesspro.ru 27...d5 and I don't see any chance for white here - the white king can't go to the queenside since black's king is just faster.] 25.Kf2 Ke7 26.Kf3 Kf6 27.h4? This move loses couple of tempis, as well as gives Garry an excellent chance to save the game! [27.Kg4 h6 (27...g6 28.h4! leads to the game line.) 28.Kh5 Kf7 29.g4 Kf6 30.h4 Kf7 31.g5+-] 27...g6? Garry returns the favour and misses a chance to draw the game. [27...h6 28.Kg4! a) 28.Kf4 g5+ 29.Kg4 Kg6 30.hxg5 (30.h5+ Kf6) 30...hxg5; b) 28.h5 Kg5 29.g4 g6 30.hxg6 Kxg6 31.Kg2 Kg7 32.Kg3 Kf7 (32...Kg6 33.Kh4!) 33.Kf4 (33.Kh4 Kg6) 33...Kf6=; 28...Kg6 (28...g6 29.Kf4 (29.b4 b5 30.a3 a6 Same position as in the game with white to move, so white can't win a tempi!; 29.Kf3 g5!) 29...g5+ 30.Kg4 Kg6=) 29.Kf4 Kf6 30.h5] 28.b4 b5 28...h6 doesn't help here; [28...h6 29.b5 g5 30.Kg4 Kg6 31.hxg5 hxg5 32.a3 Kh6 33.exd5 exd5 34.Kf5+-] 29.Kf4 h6 [29...h5 30.g4 hxg4 31.Kxg4 and white king gets in;] 30.Kg4 [30.Kg4 Black is in zugzwang and resigned. I still don't want to accept that Garry will not play in big tourneys like this one nor in matches for the World Championship title. I grew up as a chessplayer learning from Kasparov's games. He is my favourite chess player, and a chess writer (and probably yours too!). I hope he will reconsider and will come back to Big Chess.... Chess needs you, Garry, and we, chess fans, don't accept your withdrawal. 30...Kf7 31.h5! gxh5+ (31...g5 32.exd5 exd5 33.Kf5; 31...Kf6 32.hxg6 Kxg6 33.Kf4 Kf6 34.g4 a6 35.a3 Kg6 36.Ke5 Kg5 37.Kxe6+- Kxg4 38.exd5 and white pawn is faster.) 32.Kxh5 Kg7 33.g4 Kh7 34.g5 hxg5 35.Kxg5 Kg7 36.e5! final zugzwang;] 1–0