Anand - Topalov World Championship Game 1

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World Chess Championship 2010 (1)

Anand - Topalov World Championship Game 1

Mark Crowther - Saturday 24th April 2010

Game one starts. Photo © Europe-Echecs

Game one starts. Photo © Europe-Echecs | http://www.europe-echecs.com

The World Chess Championship between defending champion Viswanathan Anand and his Challenger Veselin Topalov got under way at 3pm UK time. In just about an hour Anand was in a lost position. Both players powered down a very well known Gruenfeld line. Then Anand started to think, but he must still have been in preparation. He then blundered with 23...Kf7?? which was almost certainly as a result of trying to remember his preparation rather than studying the position. He probably mixed up lines in his own mind. After 24.Nxf6 Anand didn't put up a lot of resistance and resigned after 30 moves but there was little he could do after his blunder anyway.

Now with a detailed commentary for reading and download by IM Malcolm Pein.

Game 1 Anand and Topalov. Photo © http://www.europe-echecs.com who are on the spot making videos.

Topalov,Veselin (2805) - Anand,Viswanathan (2787) [D86]
WCh Sofia BUL (1), 24.04.2010

Notes by IM Malcolm Pein

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5

Anand has been playing the Gruenfeld a lot but nevertheless, even as a Gruenfeld afficionado I have always thought it risky at WCC level. However in this concrete age of computer preparation the top players have everything worked out but not it would seem, memorised.

Viswanathan Anand

Veselin Topalov

The Gruenfeld Defence

4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Bc4

No surprise, this has been Topalov's choice before

Viswanathan Anand

Veselin Topalov

Position after 7.Bc4

7...c5 8.Ne2 Nc6 9.Be3 0-0 10.0-0 Na5

[10...Bg4 11.f3 Na5 12.Bxf7+ Rxf7 13.fxg4 was the battleground in the 1987 WCC match at Seville with Karpov white and Kasparov black

10...Bg4 11.f3 cxd4 12.cxd4 Na5 13.Bd3 Be6 14.d5 is an exchange sacrifice from the 1950s that Topalov has enjoyed success with

10...Qc7 Smyslov Variation is the sharpest]

11.Bd3 b6

Viswanathan Anand

Veselin Topalov

Position after 11...b6

12.Qd2

[12.Rc1 is the other main line 12...e5 13.dxc5 Be6 14.c4 bxc5 15.Bxc5 Re8 As in the stem game Topalov - Svidler Linares/Morelia 2006 but 15...Bh6! is better and Black seems to be OK

12.dxc5?! bxc5 13.Bxc5 Qc7 14.Bd4 e5 15.Be3 Nc4 with good compensation is a typical Gruenfeld theme]

12...e5

[The modern move which Peter Svidler explained to me on ChessFM he invented 12...e6 13.Rac1 cxd4 14.cxd4 Bb7 15.h4 or 15.Bh6 is the older line which is rarely seen nowadays. The plan of h4-h6 and e4-e5 can be problematic for Black]

13.Bh6

[13.d5?! f5

13.dxe5?! Bxe5]

13...cxd4 14.Bxg7 Kxg7 15.cxd4 exd4 16.Rac1

[16.f4 f6 17.e5 Topalov - Kamsky WCC Candidates Final (ish) Sofia 2009 17...Bd7 18.exf6+ Qxf6 19.Ng3 Kh8 and Black seemed OK so it's no surprise Topalov varies]

16...Qd6

Viswanathan Anand

Veselin Topalov

Position after 16...Qd6 which seems to be a novelty that both players knew.

[A novelty but both sides had obviously looked at it in detail 16...Bb7 17.f4 Rc8 18.Rxc8 Qxc8 19.f5 Nc6 20.Rf3 Ne5 21.Rh3 Rh8 22.f6+ Kg8 23.Qh6 Qf8 24.Qxf8+ Kxf8 25.Nxd4 Ke8 26.Bb5+ Kd8 27.Rc3 a6 28.Ba4 b5 29.Bb3 Re8 1/2-1/2 Karjakin,S (2732)-Carlsen,M (2765)/Foros UKR 2008/The Week in Chess 711]

17.f4 f6 18.f5 Qe5

It's vital to prevent e4-e5 in all circumstances as this would liberate white's pieces and expose what is a weakened Black kingside. Black would like to play Na5-c6-e5 but it can't be organised

[18...Nc6 19.Bb5 Ne5 20.Nxd4+/=]

19.Nf4

[19.Kh1 Bd7 20.Ng1 Rac8 21.Nf3 Qd6=/+]

19...g5 20.Nh5+

All played in just a few minutes - who is going to blink first ? Putting the knight on h5 has to be justified by concrete computer analysis as it could be badly placed later

20...Kg8 21.h4 h6 22.hxg5 hxg5 23.Rf3

Viswanathan Anand

Veselin Topalov

Position after 23.Rf3 after which it seems Anand forgot his preparation.

23...Kf7??

Losing on the spot. It looks like Anand forgot his preparation.

[23...Bd7 looks best as Nxf6 does not appear to work. 24.Nxf6+ Qxf6 25.e5 Qxe5 26.Qxg5+ Kf7 27.Qg6+ Ke7 28.f6+ Kd8 unclear

23...Bd7 24.Bc4+ Nxc4 25.Rxc4 Be8 26.Nxf6+ Rxf6 27.Qxg5+ Rg6! unclear ]

23...Bd7 24.Rg3 Kf7 may have been what was in his computer. It may well have been the classic error of forgetting the move order rather than the moves. 25.Nxf6? Qxg3

25.Bc4+ Nxc4 26.Rxc4 Rh8 27.Rxd4 Bxf5 28.Rd7+ Bxd7 29.Qxd7+ Qe7 30.Qd5+ Qe6 31.Qb7+ Qe7 32.Qd5+=)

23...Rf7 Is the kind of defensive move Black wants to make but it allows 24.Nxf6+ Qxf6 25.e5 Qxe5 26.Qxg5+ Qg7 27.Qd8+ Rf8 28.Qd5++-

Viswanathan Anand

Veselin Topalov

Analysis Diagram 28.Qd5+ wins

24.Nxf6!!

This ends the game. Topalov thought about this for just a few minutes, played it and walked off leaving Anand in no doubt that this was prepared analysis and that he was lost. The main tactical theme is that Black cannot hold c7 and g5. Positionally his Na5 and Ra8 are out of the game

Viswanathan Anand

Veselin Topalov

Position after 24.Nxf6!!!

24...Kxf6

[24...Qxf6 Makes no difference 25.Rh3 Rh8 26.Rxh8 Qxh8 27.Rc7+ Kf6 28.e5+

24...Qxf6 25.Rh3 Kg8 26.e5 Qxe5 27.Qxg5+

24...Qxf6 25.Rh3 Bd7 26.Rh7+ Ke8 27.e5 Qxe5 28.Re1]

25.Rh3!

The best move to win.

Viswanathan Anand

Veselin Topalov

Position after 25.Rh3

25...Rg8

[25...Qf4 26.e5+! Qxe5 27.Rh6+

25...Bd7 26.Rh6+ Kf7 27.Rh7+ Kf6 28.Rxd7 Rad8 29.Rh7 Rh8 30.Rcc7 Rxh7 31.Rxh7 Qf4 32.Qxf4 gxf4 33.Kf2 Rc8 34.Kf3 Rc3 35.Kxf4 Rxd3 36.e5# Was found by Peter Svidler just for fun.

Viswanathan Anand

Veselin Topalov

Analysis Diagram ending in mate.

26.Rh6+ Kf7 27.Rh7+ Ke8

[27...Rg7 28.Rxg7+ Kxg7 (28...Qxg7 29.Rc7+) 29.Qxg5+]

28.Rcc7

Black cannot make a constructive move

28...Kd8 29.Bb5! Qxe4

[29...Qxb5 30.Qxd4+ Ke8 31.Qf6

29...Qxc7 30.Qxd4+ Bd7 31.Rxd7+ both mating]

30.Rxc8+ 1-0

Choosing a prosaic win

Viswanathan Anand

Veselin Topalov

Final Position after 30.Rxc8+

[30.Rxc8+ Kxc8 31.Qc1+ Nc6 32.Bxc6 Qe3+ 33.Qxe3 dxe3 34.Bxa8

30.Rce7 Qxe7 31.Qxd4+ Bd7 32.Rxe7 was more Topalov's style but what a start for the challenger. At least Anand may be able to say he had a playable position but that depends on the assessment of 23...Bd7, if that does not hold up he really has to fall back on plan B and will be struggling even more. Anand has white on Sunday at 1pm UK, 8am EST - see you then for commentary at TWIC - Malcolm Pein ]

Ian Rogers said the Anand looked shell-shocked after the game.