Chess from Malcolm Pein Chess Monday May 21st 2007

Not even an eighth round defeat could remove Krisnan Sasikiran as the leader of the MTel Masters at Sofia. The Indian GM lost to Gata Kamsky who is gradually finding his best form. As England number one Michael Adams lost badly to Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu the scores have an odd look about them. Sasikiran is the only player above 50% and Adams the only player below.

In the ninth round all three games were drawn leaving Sasikiran half a point ahead with one to play.

Scores: 1 Sasikiran (India) 5/9; 2-5 Mamedyarov (Azerbaijan), Topalov (Bulgaria) Nisipeanu (Romania), Kamsky (USA) 4.5; 6 Adams (England)4;

The game between Shakriyar Mamedyarov and Veselin Topalov lived up to expectations as these two most uncompromising of players went headlong for huge complications. I will try and shed some light on them.

Topalov,V (2772) - Mamedyarov,S (2757) [B46]
MTel Sofia BUL (8), 18.05.2007
[IM Malcolm Pein]

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Nxc6 bxc6 7.Bd3 d5 8.0-0 Nf6 9.Re1 Be7 10.Qf3 0-0 11.Bg5 d4 Black takes the centre before White plays e4-e5 12.Na4 e5 13.b3 Nd7 [13...Be6 0-1 Kudinov,I (2255)-Taimanov,M (2425)/Stockholm SWE 1997 (94)] 14.Bxe7 Qxe7 15.c3 c5 16.Rac1 Qd6 17.Qg3 Bb7 18.Rc2 Rac8 19.Rec1 Qh6 20.Nb2 f5!? 21.exf5 e4 22.Bc4+ Kh8 23.cxd4 cxd4 24.Bf1 Qxc1 25.Rxc1 Rxc1 26.Qf4 Rc5 27.g4 [27.Qd6 Rcxf5 (27...Rd5! 28.Qe7 Rdxf5 29.Nd1 is unclear (not 29.Qxd7 Rxf2 30.Bc4 d3 31.Qxb7 Rf1# mate) ) 28.Qxd4 Rxf2 29.Qxf2 Rxf2 30.Kxf2 is better for White and similar to Adams-Mamedyarov we saw last week.] 27...Ne5 28.Nc4 [28.Bg2 e3 29.Bxb7 e2 30.Qd2 Rc2!] 28...Nf3+ 29.Kg2 Nh4+ 30.Kh3 Nxf5 31.b4!! DIAGRAM [A brilliant intermezzo accepting the sacrifice immediately loses: 31.gxf5 Rcxf5 32.Qc7 Bc8 33.Kg3 Rg5+ 34.Kh4 Rg4+ 35.Kh5 g6+ 36.Kh6 Rh4+ 37.Kg5 Rh5#

mate.] 31...Rc6 [31...Rd5 32.Bg2!] 32.gxf5 Rxf5 33.Qb8+ [33.Qxf5 Bc8 34.Qxc8+ Rxc8 35.Nd6 Rc2 36.Nxe4 Rxa2 37.Kg3 a5 38.bxa5 Rxa5 will draw] 33...Bc8 34.Kg2! Rf8 Threat Bh3+ 35.Qe5 Rg6+ 36.Kh1 e3! 37.Qe7 [37.f3 Bb7 38.Bg2 unclear] 37...Rgf6 38.Ne5! exf2! [38...Rxf2? 39.Bc4 Bh3 40.Ng6+! hxg6 41.Qh4# mate] 39.h4 Making space for the king 39...Be6 40.Kh2 Bxa2 Material is roughly equal and with White's king exposed Black has some counterchances. If White can make a passed b pawn he might win 41.Nd7 R6f7 42.Qc5 [42.Qxf8+ Rxf8 43.Nxf8 Bb1 44.Ne6 d3 45.Kg2 d2 46.Be2 Bc2 47.Kxf2 d1Q 48.Bxd1 Bxd1 draws] 42...Re8 43.Qxd4 Rd8 44.Qb2 Rfxd7 45.Qxa2 Rd4 46.Kg3 Rxb4 47.Qxf2 a5 48.h5 h6 49.Qf7 a4 Black already envisages the finish 50.Bc4 a3 51.Qe7 Rdb8 52.Qd6 a2 53.Bxa2 R4b6 54.Qd3 Rb2 55.Bc4 R2b4 56.Qd6 R4b6 57.Qd5 Rb4 58.Bd3 Rb3 59.Kf4 [59.Qe4 Rxd3+ 60.Qxd3 Rf8] 59...Rxd3! 60.Qxd3 Rf8+ 61.Ke5 Rf6

Black has a fortress. 62.Qd8+ Kh7 63.Qxf6 gxf6+ 64.Kxf6 Kh8 1/2-1/2