TWIC is 30. First issue 17th September 1994.
World Chess Championships 2010 (4)
Anand - Topalov World Championship Game 4
Mark Crowther - Thursday 29th April 2010
Game 4 saw Anand score a crushing victory. Photo © ChessDom | http://www.chessdom.com
After the draw in game 3 it was Anand who is looking to make progress with white in game 4. Anand opened with the Catalan as Kramnik did in his match against Topalov in Elista.
Anand played a novelty with 10.Na3 which led to a long think from Topalov. It may be Topalov had studied this position but not for a while. But in the end he played 10...Bd7. So the big question was if Anand's preparation could cause serious problems for Topalov.
The answer was an emphatic, yes. Topalov's pieces gradually got tied up on the Queenside and far away from his king. Anand needed no second invitation to go for a sacrificial attack which he prosecuted with no problems at all.
Now it is up to Topalov to strike back with white on Friday. This has been a match where the white pieces have dominated (three wins and a draw so far) but Topalov will have some recovering to do after this loss.
Final version of the notes now up.
Game 4 Anand and Topalov. Photo © http://www.chessdom.com who are on the spot with commentary, photos and reports.
Anand,Viswanathan (2787) - Topalov,Veselin (2805) E04
WCh Sofia BUL (4), 28.04.2010
Notes IM Malcolm Pein
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3
I think we get Anand's match strategy now, play like Kramnik and remind Topalov of his favourite person :)
4...dxc4 5.Bg2 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 a5 7.Qc2 Bxd2+
The seventh world champion preferred 7...Nc6 8.Qxc4 Qd5 9.Qxd5 exd5= Browne-Smyslov Las Palmas 1982
8.Qxd2
The Catalan has been all the rage since Kramnik started to play it. For the latest theory it is best to consult the brilliant book by Boris Avrukh.
(Grandmaster Repertoire 1.d4 Volume 1 - UK Shop (with link to sample PDF Download) Link or
Grandmaster Repertoire 1.d4 Volume 1 US Shop Link
I refer to it all the time. 8.Nbxd2 b5 9.a4 c6 10.b3 cxb3 11.Nxb3 0-0 unclear White has some play but not enough for advantage - Avrukh
8...c6 9.a4
9.Ne5 b5 10.Nxc6 Qc7= Avrukh 11.Qg5 Nxc6 12.Qxg7 Ke7 13.Qxh8 Bb7 14.Qg7 Nxd4-/+
9...b5 10.Na3
Veselin Topalov
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Viswanathan Anand
Position after 10.Na3. A new move.
A novelty !
10.axb5 cxb5 11.Qg5 0-0 12.Qxb5 Ba6 13.Qa4 Qb6 14.0-0 Qxb2 15.Nbd2 Bb5 16.Nxc4 Bxa4 17.Nxb2 Bb5 18.Ne5 Ra7+/= Kramnik-Topalov game 1 Elista 2006 but Avrukh suggests Black can improve
10...Bd7
10...Ba6 11.Ne5 Nd5 12.Nxc6 Nxc6 13.axb5+/=
11.Ne5
11.axb5 cxb5 12.Qg5 h6! 13.Qxg7 Rh7!-+
11...Nd5 12.e4
Veselin Topalov
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Viswanathan Anand
Position after 12.e4
12...Nb4
12...Nb6 Anand is already ahead on the clock after the novelty 13.axb5 cxb5 14.Nxd7 Qxd7 15.Qg5!+/- Qxd4? 16.Rd1 Qf6 17.Qxb5+
13.0-0 0-0 14.Rfd1
Veselin Topalov
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Viswanathan Anand
Position after 14.Rfd1
A new but typical Catalan position where White has full compensation. Black has to watch out for d4-d5 opening the Catalan bishop and undermining his queenside pawn chain
14...Be8
14...Qe7 15.Nxd7 Qxd7 16.d5 exd5 17.exd5 cxd5 18.axb5 Rd8 19.Qg5+/=
15.d5!
Well timed and I guess still preparation
15...Qd6
15...exd5 16.exd5 cxd5 17.axb5 Nd7 18.Nc6 Nxc6 19.Qxd5!+/-
16.Ng4
16.dxc6!? Qxe5 17.axb5 looks promising but Black can sacrifice back and is only a bit worse
16...Qc5 17.Ne3
Veselin Topalov
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Viswanathan Anand
Position after 17.Ne3
The perfect square supporting d5. Topalov's problem is capturing on d5 opens the Bg2 but leaving it allows dxc6
17...N8a6 18.dxc6 bxa4
18...Bxc6 19.axb5 Bxb5 20.Naxc4! Bxc4 21.Rac1 with a nice edge
19.Naxc4 Bxc6 20.Rac1
Veselin Topalov
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Viswanathan Anand
Position after 20.Rac1
White looks more comfortable here but nothing could prepare us for what follows. Topalov's sense of danger deserted him
20...h6?!
Stops Qg5 in some lines and challenges Anand to do something constructive which he declines to do and does something very destructive instead! Getting the queen near the kingside made sense
20...Qe7 21.Nxa5
(21.Nd6!?)
21...Rfd8 22.Nxc6 Nxc6 23.Qc3
21.Nd6 Qa7
Veselin Topalov
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Viswanathan Anand
Position after 21.Qa7
22.Ng4!
Suddenly it's critical. The black pieces have deserted the king
22...Rad8?
Veselin Topalov
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Viswanathan Anand
Position after 22...Rad8
22...Nc5 Speelman 23.Nxh6+ (23.Rc4 maybe best here.) 23...gxh6 24.Qxh6 Ncd3
22...f6 is better than the game but still very bad for black.
22...Rfd8 23.Nxh6+ gxh6 24.Qxh6 Qe7 25.e5 Bxg2 26.Rd4 Bf3 27.Rcc4! sums up the attacking plan.
23.Nxh6+
Veselin Topalov
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Viswanathan Anand
Position after 23.Nxh6
23...gxh6 24.Qxh6 f6 25.e5
Veselin Topalov
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Viswanathan Anand
Position after 25.e5!
Anand reached to play this move, the brought his hand back then played it a minute later. Nerves? not surprising. It took him 10 minutes in total but now it's game over
25...Bxg2
25...Qg7 26.Qxg7+ Kxg7 27.Bxc6
26.exf6!
Veselin Topalov
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Viswanathan Anand
Position after 26.exf6+
26...Rxd6
26...Qh7 27.Qg5+ Kh8 28.Rc4 Rg8 29.Nf7+! Qxf7 30.Rh4+ Qh7 31.Rxh7+ Kxh7 32.Qh5#
27.Rxd6 Be4
27...Bd5 28.Qg6+ Kh8 29.Rc4! you've guessed it 29...Bxc4 30.Rd4! Qh7 31.Rh4 Rf7 32.Rxh7+ Rxh7 33.Qe8#
28.Rxe6 Nd3 29.Rc2 Qh7 30.f7+ Qxf7 31.Rxe4 Qf5 32.Re7 1-0
Veselin Topalov
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Viswanathan Anand
Final Position after 32.Re7
At the press conference after the game Anand wasn't getting carried away with his win and Topalov didn't really seem too down either.
Anand: After Ng4 I thought it was quite strong for white, if he plays h5 I play Ne5.
Topalov wasn't slow to pinpoint his main error.
Topalov: I think ...h6 was especially bad and I think after the move Nxh6+ I think I was lost.
Topalov found time for some dark humour. How could he explain his bad result today?
Topalov: If I was able to answer this so easily then probably the result would have been different.
Topalov added that he was taking the loss philosophically.
Topalov: ...if you play according to the Sofia rule draws are usually very rare and if you have such complicated games, and high tension of course you will suffer some losses as well.
Both players were not in much doubt that black was busted after the Nxh6 sacrifice. So they go on to Friday's game where Topalov has the white pieces.
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