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Round 2 (May 12, 2006)
Topalov, Veselin - Anand, Viswanathan 0-1 36 C88 Ruy Lopez Closed
Svidler, Peter - Ponomariov, Ruslan 1-0 43 B90 Sicilian Najdorf Variation
Kamsky, Gata - Bacrot, Etienne 1-0 103 C88 Ruy Lopez Closed
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 Anand, Viswanathan g IND 2803 ** .. .. 1. .. 1. 2.0
2 Svidler, Peter g RUS 2743 .. ** .. =. 1. .. 1.5 2964
3 Kamsky, Gata g USA 2671 .. .. ** .. =. 1. 1.5 2916
4 Topalov, Veselin g BUL 2804 0. =. .. ** .. .. 0.5 2580
5 Ponomariov, Ruslan g UKR 2738 .. 0. =. .. ** .. 0.5 2514
6 Bacrot, Etienne g FRA 2708 0. .. 0. .. .. ** 0.0
-------------------------------------------------------------The second round of the Mtel Masters took place on Friday 12th May 2006. Malcolm Pein of the Daily Telegraph commentates on round 2. Vishy Anand has already taken control of the 2nd MTel Masters at Sofia after starting with two wins with the black pieces. Wins with black a rare commodity at the top level and Anand, ranked two, followed up his victory over Etienne Bacrot with a superbly crafted win over the home favourite, Fide champion and world number one Veselin Topalov. Anand defended the Ruy Lopez and after Topalov’s plan to pressure the queenside failed, the centre opened up for Anand’s pieces which were better coordinated. Anand offered his queen twice but these ‘Pseudo Sacrifices’ could not be accepted without the loss of both rooks. Having smashed open the White kingside with a knight sacrifice Anand gave up another rook and finished in style. Topalov 0-1 Anand, Ruy Lopez, 36 moves; Svidler 1-0 Ponomariov, Sicilian Najdorf, English Attack 6.Be3 e5, 43; After a long line of theory Svidler exploited the weak square on c6 and his white square control which followed an exchange of knight for bishop on d5. Kamsky 1-0 Bacrot, Ruy Lopez, 103; Bacrot blundered a pawn and then defended a rook and pawn endgame doggedly only to miss a clear draw and then finally succumb in a drawn endgame of rook v knight in a speed chess finish. Scores: Anand (India) 2/2; Svidler (Russia), Kamsky (USA) 1.5; Topalov (Bulgaria), Ponomariov (Ukraine) 0.5; Bacrot (France) 0; V Topalov (2804) - V Anand,V (2803) Mtel Masters Sofia (2) Ruy Lopez 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.h3 (The most popular way at present of avoiding the Marshall Attack 8.c3 d5) 8...Bb7 9.d3 Re8 10.c3 h6 11.Nbd2 Bf8 12.a3 d6 13.Ba2 Nb8 (A plan invented by the Hungarian Gyula Breyer. Black reinforces his kingside with Nbd7 and prepares to improve his central presence with c7-c5. Breaking out now would be risky 13...d5 14.exd5 Nxd5 15.Ne4 Qd7 16.Bxh6 gxh6 17.Bxd5 Qxd5 18.Nf6+] 14.b4 (14.Nh4 Topalov-Adams Linares 1999 14...d5 15.Qf3 c6) 14...c5 15.Nb3 Nc6 16.Rb1 Bc8! (This second retreat avoids any tactics on the b file and prepares Be6) 17.Be3 Be6 (Defending the c pawn by virtue of the pin on the Ba2) 18.Qc2 Rc8 19.Qb2 ( Not19.bxc5 dxc5 20.Nxc5 Bxa2 21.Qxa2 Nb8 22.d4 Bxc5 23.dxc5 Nxe4 or 19.bxc5 dxc5 20.Bxc5 Bxb3 21.Qxb3 Bxc5 22.Qxf7+ Kh8 and if 19.Nbd2 Nd4!) 19...c4! (Changing the pawn structure favourably) 20.dxc4 Bxc4 (20...Nxe4!?) 21.Nbd2 Bxa2 (21...Bd3!? 22.Rbd1 Nxe4 23.Nxe4 Bxe4 24.Bg5! hxg5 25.Rxe4) 22.Qxa2 d5 (Black has an extra centre pawn and c3 is weak but its about equal) 23.Rbd1 d4!! 24.cxd4 exd4 25.Nb3 ( 25.Nxd4 Nxd4 26.Nb3 Nxe4 27.Rxd4 Qf6 is level. Topalov probably missed Anand's 27th move) 25...Nxe4 26.Bxd4 (26.Qb2! Anand 26...dxe3? 27.Rxd8 exf2+ 28.Qxf2!) 26...Nxd4 27.Rxd4 Ng5!!  28.Ne5 (28.Rxd8 Nxf3+ 29.gxf3 Rxe1+ 30.Kg2 Rxd8; 28.Rxe8 Nxf3+ 29.gxf3 Qxe8) 28...Nxh3+! 29.gxh3 Qg5+ 30.Kh2 (30.Rg4 Rxe5 31.Rxg5 Rxe1+ 32.Kg2 hxg5) 30...Qf5 (Threat Rc2 and Qxf2+; 30...Rxe5 31.f4 Qg6 32.Rxe5 Rc2+ 33.Qxc2 Qxc2+ 34.Nd2 is not totally clear) 31.Rde4 (31.Rd5 Bd6! 32.Rxd6 Rxe5 33.Rdd1 Rc2 34.Qxc2 Qxc2 35.Rxe5 Qxd1) 31...Rxe5! 32.Rxe5 Bd6 (Winning back the rook as e5 and c2 cannot both be defended) 33.Nc5 Bxe5+ 34.Kg2 Rc6 35.Qb3 Rg6+ 36.Kf1 Bg3 0-1 (h3 falls) |
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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 |
