Chess from Malcolm Pein Chess Tuesday May 15th 2007

Michael Adams nearly joined leader Shakriyar Mamedyarov at the head of the MTel Masters at Sofia but after four rounds he remains in second place. Adams outplayed the American Gata Kamsky to reach an endgame with three pawns for a piece but Kamsky defended doggedly for 94 moves to secure the draw.

Veselin Topalov was back to his usual self and dismissed Krishnan in one of the most brutal King’s Indian Defences you will ever see.

Scores: 1 Mamedyarov (Azerbaijan) 3/4; 2 Adams (England) 2.5; 3-4 Sasikiran (India), Nisipeanu (Romania) 2; 5 Topalov (Bulgaria) 1.5; 6 Kamsky (USA) 1

Sasikiran,K (2690) - Topalov,V (2772) [E92]
MTel Sofia BUL (4), 13.05.2007
[IM Malcolm Pein]

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.c4 Bg7 4.Nc3 0-0 5.e4 d6 6.Be2 e5 7.Be3 Ng4 8.Bg5 f6 9.Bh4 g5 10.Bg3 Nh6 11.d5 Nd7 12.h3 [White usually plays 12.Nd2 to anticipate Black's plan of pawn f6-f5. then 12.Nd2 f5 13.exf5 Nf6 14.Nde4 when White tries to play pawn c4-c5 and Black seeks play on the kingside)] 12...f5 13.exf5 Nc5 14.Nd2 [14.Qd2 Nxf5 15.Nxg5 Bh6 16.h4 Nxg3 17.fxg3 a5 18.g4 Qe7 19.0-0-0 Bd7 20.Rhf1 Rxf1 21.Rxf1 Rf8 22.Rxf8+ Qxf8 23.Qe3 Qe7 24.Bf3 Be8 25.Nce4 Nxe4 26.Bxe4 Bg6 27.Bxg6 hxg6 28.Kc2 Bxg5 29.hxg5 b6 30.Kd3 Kg7 31.Ke4 Qf8 32.Qf3 Qd8 33.Qe3 1/2-1/2 Akesson,R (2437)-Nataf, I (2535)/Stockholm SWE 2002/The Week in Chess 374] 14...Bxf5 15.0-0 e4! Before f2-f3 and Ne4 after which the bishop on g7 would be locked in 16.Nb3 b6! My computer tells me this is a novelty, my brain tells me it is a screamingly obvious move. Black would love a capture on c5 when he gets control of d4 and the b file 17.Nd4 Qf6 18.Nc6 [18.Nxf5 Nxf5 19.Bh2 Nd4] 18...a5 19.f4 Bd7! 20.Nb5 Bxc6 21.dxc6 Qxb2 22.Rb1 Qxa2 23.Nxc7 Nf5

Black's knights and bishops are already rampant, the rook on a8 can go back in the box 24.Bf2 e3 25.Be1 Nd4 26.Nxa8 [26.Bf3 e2] 26...Nxe2+ 27.Kh2 Nxf4 28.Rxf4 [28.Rg1 Be5 29.Bg3 e2 30.Qc1 Ne4 splat] 28...gxf4 29.Rxb6 f3 30.Qd5+ Ne6! Not necessary but the strongest move, diverting the queen 31.Qxe6+ Kh8 32.Qg4 Be5+ 33.Kh1 f2 0-1