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Round 7 (May 18, 2006)
Anand, Viswanathan - Topalov, Veselin 0-1 61 B80 Sicilian Scheveningen
Bacrot, Etienne - Kamsky, Gata 1/2 52 D15 Slav Defence
Ponomariov, Ruslan - Svidler, Peter 1-0 53 B42 Sicilian Paulsen
Mtel Masters Sofia BUL (BUL), 11-21 v 2006 cat. XX (2745)
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1 2 3 4 5 6
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1 Kamsky, Gata g USA 2671 ** 1. 0. 1. 1= =1 5.0 2906
2 Anand, Viswanathan g IND 2803 0. ** 10 =. 1= 1. 4.0 2789
3 Topalov, Veselin g BUL 2804 1. 01 ** =0 =. =. 3.5 2744
4 Svidler, Peter g RUS 2743 0. =. =1 ** =. 10 3.5 2752
5 Bacrot, Etienne g FRA 2708 0= 0= =. =. ** =. 2.5 2645
6 Ponomariov, Ruslan g UKR 2738 =0 0. =. 01 =. ** 2.5 2632
-------------------------------------------------------------The seventh round of the Mtel Masters took place on Thursday 18th May 2006. One of the mini-battles take place in the event is that between World number one and number two in the FIDE rating list. Anand has been fighting for the lead and Topalov has been struggling. However Topalov closed the gap between the two by beating him on the black side of a Scheveningen Sicilian. Anand came up with a novelty but it soon became clear that black had at least equalised. Topalov managed to complicate and he emerged with a favourable ending which Anand was unable to defend. Anand,V (2803) - Topalov,V (2804) [B80] Mtel Sofia (7), 18.05.2006 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.f3 e6 7.Be3 b5 8.Qd2 b4 9.Na4 Nbd7 10.c4N A novelty its not clear if its a good one. [10.0-0-0 Qa5 (10...d5 11.exd5 Nxd5 12.Bc4 N7f6 13.Bg5 Qc7 14.Bxd5 Nxd5 15.Rhe1 Bb7 16.Qe2 Qd6 17.Kb1 h6 18.Bh4 Nf4 19.Qf2 Qc7 20.Nf5 g5 21.Bg3 Rc8 22.Qd4 Rg8 23.c3 Rd8 24.Qxd8+ Qxd8 25.Rxd8+ Kxd8 26.Ne3 Bc6 27.Nb6 bxc3 28.bxc3 Bg7 29.Bxf4 gxf4 30.Nd1 Bb5 31.a4 Bd3+ 32.Kc1 Kc7 33.a5 Bh8 34.Kd2 Bb5 35.Rg1 Bc6 36.Ke2 Be5 37.c4 Bd4 38.Nf2 Bc3 39.Ne4 Bxa5 40.c5 f5 0-1 Leko,P-Topalov,V/San Luis 2005) 11.b3 Bb7 12.a3 Qc7 13.axb4 d5 14.c4 dxe4 15.f4 Nd5 16.Nc2 Nxe3 17.Qxe3 Be7 18.Rxd7 Qxd7 19.Nb6 Qc7 20.Nxa8 Bxa8 21.Be2 0-0 22.Rd1 a5 23.bxa5 Qxa5 24.Rd7 Bc5 25.Qd2 Qb6 26.b4 Rb8 27.b5 e3 28.Qc3 Bxg2 29.Qe5 Bc6 30.Rc7 Bf3 31.Bxf3 Bd6 32.Rc6 1-0 Ponomariov,R-Grischuk,A/Sochi RUS 2006/The Week in Chess 599] 10...bxc3 11.Nxc3 Bb7 12.Be2 d5 13.exd5 Nxd5 14.Nxd5 Bxd5 15.0-0 Qb8 16.Nf5 Qe5! 17.Ng3 Bb4 18.Qxb4 [18.Qd4 Qxd4 19.Bxd4 e5] 18...Qxe3+ 19.Kh1 Rb8 20.Qd6 Rb6 21.Qc7 Rc6 22.Qb7 Rc2 23.Qxa6 Grabbing a queenside pawn but probably more in an attempt to draw the game than anything else. 23...0-0 24.b3?! [24.Qa4 Looks much stronger.] 24...Ne5 25.Rae1 Qd2 26.Rd1 Qf4 27.Bb5 [27.Qa4 Qxa4 28.bxa4] 27...h5 28.Ne2 Qe3 29.a4 Rb2 30.Qd6 Rc8 31.Rde1 Nxf3! 
Poses the most difficult problems for white. 32.gxf3 Bxf3+ 33.Rxf3 Qxf3+ 34.Kg1 Qe3+ 35.Kf1 Qf3+ 36.Kg1 Qxb3 Turning down a repetition and going for the win, a typically aggressive decision from Topalov. 37.Qe5 Rd8 38.Qc3 Qxc3 39.Nxc3 h4 40.Re4 Rb3 41.Ne2 g5 42.Re5 Rd5 43.Rxd5 exd5 44.Bc6 Ra3 45.Nd4 [45.Bxd5 Doesn't seem any worse than the game. Black's pretty close to a win here.] 45...Kg7 46.Bxd5 Rd3 [46...Rxa4 Is not as strong. The white a-pawn is practically useless anyhow.] 47.Nf5+ Kf6 48.Be4 Rd1+ 49.Kg2 Rd2+ 50.Kf3 Rxh2 Removing the h-pawn, the three connected passed pawns will inevitably win. 51.Ne3 Ra2 52.Bc6 Ra3 53.Kf2 Ra1 54.Bd7 Ke5 55.Kf3 Ra3 56.Kf2 Ke4 57.Bc6+ Kf4 58.Ng2+ Ke5 59.Ne3 Ra2+ 60.Kf3 f5 61.Bd7 h3 0-1 The leader Gata Kamsky played a very unusual line of the Slav Defence as black against Etienne Bacrot. At first it looked like he might get squeezed but he freed his position and he had the better options. He didn't make much progress and the players swapped off to a sterile ending. Bacrot,E (2708) - Kamsky,G (2671) [D15] Mtel Sofia (7), 18.05.2006 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 Qb6 5.c5 Qc7 6.g3 Bg4 Kamsky goes for a side-line so he doesn't have to remember a lot of theory. He gets a pretty cramped position in return. [6...b6 7.Bf4 Qb7 8.cxb6 axb6 9.Bg2 Bf5 10.0-0 h6 11.Nd2 Nbd7 12.e4 dxe4 13.Ndxe4 Nxe4 14.Nxe4 Bxe4 15.Bxe4 Nf6 16.Qf3 Nxe4 17.Qxe4 e6 18.Rac1 Rc8 19.d5 cxd5 20.Qa4+ b5 21.Rxc8+ Qxc8 22.Qxb5+ Qd7 23.Qb8+ Qd8 24.Qe5 Rg8 25.Rc1 g5 26.Bd2 Bd6 27.Qe2 Ke7 28.Bc3 f6 29.Re1 e5 30.Qd3 Ke6 31.a4 Qc7 32.a5 Rb8 33.g4 Qc4 34.Qf5+ Ke7 35.h3 Qf4 36.Qd3 1/2-1/2 Stanec,N-Stefanova,A/Vienna AUT 1996; 6...Nh5 7.e4 dxe4 8.Nxe4 g6 9.Bg2 Bg7 10.0-0 0-0 11.Re1 Bg4 12.h3 Bxf3 13.Bxf3 Nf6 14.Nc3 Na6 15.Qb3 Rfe8 16.Bf4 Qc8 17.Rad1 e6 18.Be5 Nc7 19.Nb1 Rd8 20.Na3 Nfe8 21.Nc4 Nb5 22.Qe3 f6 23.a4 fxe5 24.axb5 exd4 25.Qb3 cxb5 26.Qxb5 Rb8 27.Bg4 Kh8 28.Bxe6 Nc7 29.Bxc8 Nxb5 30.Bg4 Kg8 31.Rd3 Re8 32.Rxe8+ Rxe8 33.Kf1 Re7 34.Nd6 Nxd6 35.cxd6 Re8 36.d7 Rd8 37.Rb3 b6 38.Ra3 Kf8 39.Rxa7 Ke7 40.h4 Kd6 41.Ra3 Kc5 42.Rf3 d3 43.b3 Kd4 44.Rf7 h5 45.Bf3 Be5 46.Bc6 Kc3 47.Rf3 Kc2 48.Be4 Rxd7 49.Rxd3 Rxd3 50.Ke2 1-0 Kagan,N-Pastorini,M/Forli 1988] 7.Ne5 Be6 8.Bf4 Qc8 9.Bg2 g6 10.0-0 Bg7 11.b4 0-0 12.Re1 Nh5 13.e3 Nd7 14.Bf3 Nxf4 15.exf4 Nxe5 16.fxe5 f6 17.exf6 Bxf6 18.Bh1?! This move really doesn't look right. 18...g5 19.Qd2 Qd7 20.Re3 Bf5 21.Rae1 e6 22.Bg2 Qg7 23.Ne2 Kh8 24.Rd1 Rae8 Black is the one with all the chances now. 25.Nc1 Re7 [25...e5 26.dxe5 Rxe5] 26.Nb3 h5 27.Qe2 h4 28.g4 Bg6 29.b5 e5 30.bxc6 bxc6 31.Re1 e4 32.Qd2 Be8 [32...Rb7] 33.f3 exf3 34.Bxf3 Bd7 35.Bd1 Rxe3 36.Rxe3 Bd8 37.Rf3 Rxf3 38.Bxf3 Qg6 39.Bd1 h3 40.Qe3 The game is now heading towards a draw. 40...Kg7 41.Qxh3 Qb1 42.Qf1 Be8 43.Qe2 Bg6 44.Kf2 Kf7 45.Nd2 Qxa2 46.Nf3 Qxe2+ 47.Kxe2 Bf6 48.Ba4 Be4 49.Bxc6 Ke6 50.Nd2 Bxd4 51.Nxe4 dxe4 52.Bxe4 Bxc5 The position is very sterile now. 1/2-1/2 Ruslan Ponomariov got a nice space advantage in the Sicilian Paulsen and eventually he traded that for a dominating position where black's light squared bishop was particularly useless. Svidler tried for counter play but only ended up in a totally lost rook and pawn ending. Ponomariov,R (2738) - Svidler,P (2743) [B42] Mtel Sofia (7), 18.05.2006 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.Bd3 Nf6 6.0-0 Qc7 7.Qe2 d6 8.c4 g6 9.Nc3 Bg7 10.Nf3 0-0 11.Bf4 Nc6 12.Rac1 Nd7 13.Qe3 [13.Rfd1 Nde5 14.Qe3 Qe7 15.Be2 f6 16.Na4 Nxf3+ 17.Qxf3 e5 18.Nb6 Rb8 19.Be3 Nd4 20.Bxd4 exd4 21.Qd3 f5 22.Nxc8 Rbxc8 23.exf5 Rce8 24.Bg4 Qh4 25.Qg3 Qxg3 26.hxg3 gxf5 27.Bf3 Re7 28.Rd3 Bf6 29.Kf1 Rc8 30.Re1 Kf8 31.Rxe7 Kxe7 32.Bxb7 Rxc4 33.Bxa6 Ra4 34.Bc8 Rxa2 35.Bxf5 h6 36.b3 d5 37.Rd1 Kd6 38.b4 Rb2 39.Rb1 Rxb1+ 40.Bxb1 Kc6 41.Bd3 Be7 42.b5+ Kc5 43.Ke2 Bd8 44.Kd1 Bc7 45.f4 Bd6 46.Ke2 Bc7 47.Kf3 Bd8 48.g4 Be7 49.g5 hxg5 50.fxg5 Bxg5 51.Kg4 Bd8 52.Kf5 Kb4 53.g4 Kc3 54.Bf1 d3 55.g5 d2 56.Be2 Kb4 57.g6 1-0 Hernandez,G-Disconzi da Silva,R/Paranana 1993] 13...Nce5 14.Nxe5 Nxe5 15.Be2 b6 16.Rfd1 Re8 17.Qd2 Black's position is already under a lot of pressure. 17...Nxc4 18.Bxc4 Qxc4 19.Qxd6 Bb7 20.Be5 Bxe5 21.Qxe5 Rad8 22.f3 b5 23.Kf2 Qc6 24.Ne2 Qb6+ 25.Rd4 Rd7 26.b4 Red8 27.Ke3 Rxd4 28.Nxd4 Rd6 Black has already been reduced to fiddling about. His bishop is particularly useless. 29.Qf6 Rd7 30.Rc5 Qd6 31.g3 a5 32.a3 axb4 33.axb4 Qa6 34.Ne2 Qd6 [34...Qa4 is an alternative but not really a plan.] 35.Qc3 h5 36.Qd4 Qe7 37.Qe5 f6 Really not a move you want to play unless you have to. Black is reduced to waiting for an opportunity for counterplay against the white king. 38.Qb8+ Kg7 39.Nc3 e5 40.Nd5!  Turns out to be well judged. In return for allowing the useless black bishop to be exchanged he gets a strong passed pawn as well as an extra pawn. He also judges that black's counterplay won't be enough. 40...Bxd5 41.exd5 f5 42.Qxb5 f4+ Black has no option but to go for it. 43.Kf2 e4 [43...fxg3+ 44.hxg3 h4 45.Qc4 hxg3+ 46.Kxg3 Might have been another way to get counter play.] 44.fxe4 fxg3+ 45.hxg3 Qf6+ 46.Kg2 Qb2+ 47.Kh3 Rf7 48.Qd3! All black has to do is get the queen's off to win. 48...Qxb4 49.Qc3+ Qxc3 50.Rxc3 Re7 [50...Kf6 51.Rf3+ If black's king could have made it to e5 quickly then he may have had saving chances but the unfortunate position of his rook means that things collapse almost immediately.] 51.Rc4 Kf6 52.Kh4 Ke5 53.Rc6! The black rook is on another unfortunate square, 53. ..Kxe4 54. Re6+ wins for white. 1-0 |
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 Kasparov Books |
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 Giant Chess Sets |
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 Chess Computers |
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 Chess Assistant |
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 Books 2000/1/2/3 |
