Chess from Malcolm Pein Chess Monday May 14th 2007

Veselin Topalov is the only winner of the MTel Masters the third edition of which is taking place in his town of Sofia. However the former Fide champion who must have had high hopes of regaining the world number one spot from Vishy Anand with a good performance has started terribly. In round one he over-pressed and lost to Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu. In round two he was held to a draw by Michael Adams and in round three he was smashed flat by Shakriyar Mamedyarov. Here are his last two games.

Scores after three rounds

1 Mamedyarov (Azerbaijan) 2.5/3; 2-3 Adams (England), Sasikiran (India) 2; 4 Nisipeanu (Romania) 1.5; 5-6 Kamsky (USA), Topalov (Bulgaria) 0.5

Topalov,V (2772) - Adams,Mi (2734) [E15]
MTel Sofia BUL (2), 11.05.2007
[IM Malcolm Pein]

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Ba6 5.b3 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 Be7 7.Bg2 c6 8.Bc3 d5 9.Ne5 Nfd7 10.Nxd7 Nxd7 11.Nd2 0-0 12.0-0 Rc8 13.Re1 [Preparing 13.e4 to control\the centre and increase the range of the Bg2] 13...c5 14.cxd5 exd5 15.e3 [15.a3 Nf6 16.b4 cxd4 17.Bxd4 Qd7 18.Qb3 Bb5 19.Qb2 Ba4 20.Rac1 Rxc1 21.Rxc1 Rc8 22.Rxc8+ Qxc8 23.Nf1 Bd7 24.Ne3 Be6 25.Be5 h6 26.f4 a5 27.Bf3 axb4 28.axb4 Qf8 29.Kg2 Qd8 30.Qd4 Bf8 31.f5 Bc8 32.Nxd5 Nxd5 33.Bxd5 Qe7 34.e4 Bb7 35.f6 gxf6 36.Bxf6 Qc7 37.Bxb7 Qxb7 38.b5 Qc7 39.e5 Qc2+ 40.Kh3 Kh7 41.Qd7 Qb3 42.Qf5+ Kg8 43.Qc8 Qb4 44.Qg4+ Kh7 45.Qf5+ 1-0 Dautov,R (2625)-Shneider,A (2540)/Lubniewice POL 1998] 15...Nf6 16.Qb1 Qd7 17.Qb2 cxd4 18.Bxd4 Bd3! Taking control of e4 and preparing to move the bishop to the kingside 19.Rac1 h5 A typical idea. If Black can exchange the bishop on g2 and get this pawn to h3 he will have strong pressure on white king 20.Nf3 Be4 21.Ne5 Qe6 22.f3 Bf5 23.b4 Aiming to establish a knight on c6 attacking a7 and e7 23...Rfe8 24.b5 Rxc1 25.Rxc1 Bc5 26.Qc3 Bh3 27.Re1 [27.Bh1 h4 28.g4 Bd6! 29.Nc6 Nxg4! 30.fxg4 Qxg4+ 31.Kf2 Bxh2 is good for Black] 27...h4 28.Nc6

28...Nd7! [A well calculated sequence of tactics by Adams now follows. This defends the bishop on c5 and allows the black queen to cross to the kingside. However it also looks suicidal as it leaves g7 en prise. The sacrifice 28...Bxg2 29.Kxg2 Ne4 30.fxe4 Qxe4+ 31.Kg1 hxg3 32.hxg3 Qf3 33.Qd2 Qxg3+ 34.Kf1 falls short] 29.Bxg7 [29.Nxa7 Bxg2 30.Kxg2 Ra8 31.Nc6 Rxa2+ 32.Kg1 Qh3 wins] 29...hxg3 30.hxg3 Qg6 31.Bxh3 Qxg3+ 32.Bg2 Qxg7 33.Qxg7+ Kxg7 34.Kf2 f5 Threatening f5-f4 35.f4 Nf6 36.Bf3 Ne4+ 37.Ke2 [37.Bxe4 Rxe4 38.Kf3 Kf6 39.Re2 Ra4 and Black is more active] 37...Nc3+ 38.Kd3 Nxb5 39.Ne5 Topalov has calculated that his rook, knight and bishop can create strong threats so he is happy to sacrifice apawn 39...Kf6 [39...Nc7 40.Rg1+ Kf6 41.Rg6+ Ke7 42.Rg7+ Kf6?? 43.Rf7+ mate is an extreme example but with better play Black would lose the f5 pawn] 40.a4 Nc7 41.Rh1 Rxe5! This solves all Black's problems. He gets two pawns for the exchange and well placed pieces 42.fxe5+ Kxe5 43.Rh7 Ne6 44.Rxa7 b5 45.Ra8 bxa4 46.Rxa4 f4 All the pawns come off, the draw is clear 47.exf4+ Nxf4+ 48.Rxf4 Kxf4 49.Bxd5 Ke5 1/2-1/2

Mamedyarov,S (2757) - Topalov,V (2772) [D43]
MTel Sofia BUL (3), 12.05.2007
[IM Malcolm Pein]

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 c6 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bxf6 Qxf6 7.Qb3 Nd7 8.e4 dxe4 9.Nxe4 Qf4 10.Bd3 e5!? [Risky, but 10...Be7 which is more solid and the usual move is not Topalov/^s style] 11.0-0 exd4 12.Nxd4 [12.Rae1 Be7 13.Bb1 0-0 14.Ng3 Nc5 15.Qa3 Qc7 16.Nxd4 Rd8 17.Ndf5 Bxf5 18.Nxf5 Bf8 19.Qh3 Re8 20.Nxh6+ gxh6 21.Qf5 Bg7 22.g3 Rad8 23.Rxe8+ Rxe8 24.Rd1 Rd8 25.Rxd8+ Qxd8 26.Kg2 a6 27.Be4 Qc7 28.f4 Qd8 29.Kh3 Qc7 1/2-1/2 Ivanisevic,I (2588)-Schenk,A (2495)/Gonfreville FRA 2006/The Week in Chess 596] 12...Nc5 13.Nxc5 Bxc5 14.Rae1+ Kf8 15.Re4 Qf6 16.Qc3!

Stopping any unravelling with g7-g6 due to Ne6+ 16...a5? [But this is too much. 16...Bxd4 17.Rxd4 c5 18.Rd5 Qxc3 19.bxc3 g6 20.Rxc5 wins a pawn but Black can fight for a draw] 17.Rfe1 Bd7 18.R1e3! Bb4 19.Qc2 Qd6 20.Rf3 h5? 21.c5! Exposing f7, the game is already won 21...Bxc5 22.Bc4 f6 23.Ne6+ Bxe6 24.Rxe6 Qd7 25.Qf5 Black has no hope without his rooks 25...Qd4 26.Re4 Qd1+ 27.Bf1 Bd6 28.Rd3 Bxh2+ 29.Kxh2 Qxf1 30.Rd7 1-0