Mtel Masters, Sofia 2006. Rounds 7-8. Comments by Malcolm Pein

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Mtel Masters, Sofia 2006. Rounds 7-8

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

Round 8 (May 19, 2006)

Kamsky, Gata        -  Anand, Viswanathan  1/2   39  C68  Ruy Lopez Exchange
Topalov, Veselin    -  Ponomariov, Ruslan  1-0   65  C88  Ruy Lopez Closed
Svidler, Peter      -  Bacrot, Etienne     1/2   37  C88  Ruy Lopez Closed

Mtel Masters Sofia BUL (BUL), 11-21 v 2006     cat. XX (2745)
-------------------------------------------------------------
                                  1  2  3  4  5  6 
-------------------------------------------------------------
1 Kamsky, Gata        g USA 2671 ** 0. 1= 1. 1= =1  5.5  2896
2 Topalov, Veselin    g BUL 2804 1. ** 01 =0 =. =1  4.5  2786
3 Anand, Viswanathan  g IND 2803 0= 10 ** =. 1= 1.  4.5  2773
4 Svidler, Peter      g RUS 2743 0. =1 =. ** == 10  4.0  2746
5 Bacrot, Etienne     g FRA 2708 0= =. 0= == ** =.  3.0  2660
6 Ponomariov, Ruslan  g UKR 2738 =0 =0 0. 01 =. **  2.5  2602
-------------------------------------------------------------

The seventh and eighth rounds of the Mtel Masters took place on Thursday and Friday 18th-19th May 2006.

Malcolm Pein of the Daily Telegraph commentates on rounds 7-8.

The Fide champion Veselin Topalov forced his way back into contention with two brilliant wins in rounds seven and eight of the MTel Masters at Sofia. The world number one avenged his defeat at Anand’s hands in the first half of the tournament with a trademark victory in his favourite Sicilian Najdorf. The game followed Topalov’s home analysis for at least 20 moves.

Anand’s defeat was good news for Gata Kamsky who maintained a one point lead with two to play after draws with Etienne Bacrot and Anand who he kept at bay by employing the Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation, a pretty safe line at the top level.

Topalov’s defeat of Ponomariov was fortunate and brave in equal measure as he just went ‘all in’ with a sacrificial attack that was not altogether sound. In a lost position he set a trap which was not difficult to see but Ponomariov fell into it, lost his queen and eventually the game.

Round 7 Anand 0-1 Topalov, Sicilian Najdorf, English Attack 6.Be3 e6, 61 moves; Ponomariov 1-0 Svidler, Sicilian 53; Bacrot draw Kamsky, Slav 4. ...Qb6, 53;

Round 8 Svidler draw Bacrot, Ruy Lopez Anti Marshall, 8.h3, Topalov 1-0 Ponomariov Ruy Lopez Anti Marshall, 8.h3, 61; Kamsky draw Anand, Ruy Lopez Exchange, 39;

Scores with two to play: 1 Kamsky (USA) 5.5/8; 2 Anand (India), Topalov (Bulgaria) 4.5; 3 Svidler (Russia) 4; 5 Bacrot (France) 3; 6 Ponomariov (Ukraine) 2.5;

Ponomariov

Topalov Position after 31.Kh2

The diagram shows the position after the cunning 31.Kh2! which is designed to ensure Qxa1 is not check. Black can defend now with 31...Nd4 32.Bxf7 Qxa1 33.Bg6 Nf3+ which is unclear but 31...Rg8! 32.Bxf7 (if 32.Qxf7 Rg7 33.Qh5 d5 34.Ng3 Nd4 or 32.d4 Qb4 33.Bxf7 Qxd4!) 32...Qxa1 33.Bxg8 Rxg8 34.Qf7 Qxb2 wins.

V Topalov - R Ponomariov
MTel Masters Sofia (8)

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 Bb7 9.d3 d6 10.a4 Na5 11.Ba2 c5 12.Nbd2 Nd7 13.Nf1 Nb6 14.Bd2 b4 15.c3 bxc3 16.Bxc3 Nc6 17.a5 Nc8 18.Ne3 N8a7 19.Nf5 Bc8 20.Nd2 Rb8 21.f4? Bxf5! 22.exf5 exf4 23.Qg4 Nd4 24.Ne4 Nab5! 25.Bd2!? Nc2 26.Bxf4 Kh8 27.Qh5 Nxe1 28.Rxe1 Qxa5! 29.Ra1 Rbd8? (29. ...f6 30.Kh2 d5!) 30.f6 (30.Kh2!? Nd4 31.Bxf7!! Qxa1 32.Bg6 wins) 30. ...gxf6 31.Kh2! d5?

32.Nxf6!! (not 32.Bxd5 Rxd5 33.Rxa5 Rxh5) 32...Bxf6 33.d4! (Threat Bb1 with mate on h7 while also attacking the queen) 33. ...Qxa2 34.Rxa2 Nxd4 35.b4 Ne6 36.Be5 Bg7 37.bxc5 Rc8 38.Bd6 Rfd8 39.Ra5 Kg8 40.Rxa6 Rd7 41.Qxd5 Bf8 42.Qf3 Bxd6+ 43.cxd6 Rcd8 44.Qd5 Ng7 45.Ra8 Ne6 46.Rxd8+ Rxd8 47.g4 h6 48.h4 Rb8 49.Kg3 Re8 50.Kf3 Nf8 51.Qd2 Kg7 52.Qd4+ Kg8 53.Qf6 Re6 54.Qe7 Kg7 55.Qc7 Kg8 56.d7 Nxd7 57.Qxd7 Kg7 58.Qd4+ Kg8 59.Kf4 Rg6 60.Kf5 Re6 61.Qd7 Rg6 62.h5 Rg5+ (62...Re6 63.Qxe6 fxe6+ 64.Kxe6; 62...Rb6 63.Qd8+) 63.Kf6 Kh8 64.Qe8+ (64.Qxf7 Rf5+ 65.Ke7 Re5+ 66.Kf8 Rf5 with stalemate tricks) 64...Rg8 65.Kxf7 1-0 ( 65.Kxf7 Rxe8 66.Kxe8 Kg7 67.Ke7 Kh7 68.Kf7 Kh8 69.Kg6)

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