24.01.2006
Wijk aan Zee round 9: Karjakin-Topalov
Karjakin (2660) - Topalov (2801)
Wijk aan Zee Netherlands (9), 24.01.2006
Annotated by Konstantin Sakaev
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5 6.Ndb5 d6 7.Bg5 a6 8.Na3 b5 9.Nd5 Be7 10.Bxf6 Bxf6 11.c3 Bg5 12.Nc2 0-0 13.a4 bxa4 14.Rxa4 a5 15.Bc4 Rb8 16.Ra2 Kh8 17.Nce3 On 17.0-0 Black obtains a good game by 17...f5!
17...Bxe3 A strategically useful exchange, otherwise the e3-knight will eventually replace exchanged knight on d5 or jump to f5, and Black will remain with a bad dark-squared bishop. Garry Kasparov played sharper, considering that two knights can't occupy one square: 17...g6 18.0-0 f5 19.Qa4 Bd7 20.Bb5 Rxb5 21.Qxb5 Nb4 22.Qxa5 Nxa2 23.Qxa2 fxe4 24.b4 - the position is double-edged, but White is nevertheless better, Anand,V-Kasparov,G/Linares 2005.
18.Nxe3 Now Black is left with good pieces only, but White has a microscopic advantage thanks to his better pawn structure.
18...Ne7 19.b3 f5 20.exf5 Nxf5 21.Nd5 Bb7 22.0-0 Rc8 23.Qd3 Nh4 24.Rd1 h6
All pieces are arranged well, so Topalov decides to make a luft. Initiating some action is difficult for both White and Black.
25.Qg3 The move 24...h6 also has a disadvantage - the Black's knight now can't return to g6, and on 25...Nf5 White may continue 26.Qg4 with a small advantage.
25...Nf5 26.Qg4 Rc5
Now 27.Rad2 looks good. Weaker is 27.b4 axb4 28.cxb4 Rc8 29.Ra7 Bxd5 30.Bxd5 Qf6 - the knight comes to d4, and Black obtains a counterplay sufficient to equalize.
27.Rad2 Bc8 Unpleasantly X-raying the White's queen. A move repetition 28.Qe4 Bb7 29.Qg4 is quite possible.
Carlsen has a small advantage. As for the Anand game, I don't think the plan mentioned by Jai is realistic, as it is too time consuming. Right now it seems van Wely holds.
28.Qe4 Bb7
29.h3 Karjakin rejects the repetition - applause!
Bacrot is close to a draw, his compensation is sufficient. Mamedyarov had a very good position, but I dislike his 18th move. Now it looks like a draw: 22...Rxf3 23.Bxe5+ dxe5 24.Rc8 Rxf2 25.Rxf8+ Rxf8 26.Qe2 Kg8 27.d6 Qf6 - White is slightly better thanks to the strong d-pawn, but his king is weak.
Adams stands better, Kamsky misplayed the opening once again. Gelfand's position looks promising, but there is everything to play for. Aronian has an advantage against Tiviakov, because it is difficult for Black to place his knight well, and, moreover, White controls the d-file.
29...Nh4 30.Bd3 After 30...Nf5 White again faces a choice: to accept the repetition or to go for 31.Bb1 Rxc3 32.Qg4 Bxd5 33.Rxd5 Qf6 with mutual chances.
30...Rf5 31.Bb1 The с3-pawn can be taken, Black risks nothing in both possible continuations.
Ivanchuk-Mamedyarov - after 23.Bxe5+ dxe5 24.Re3 Rh5 25.Qg1 Rg5 26.Qf1 Rh5 it looks like a draw.
31...Rxc3 Now 32.Qa4 (32.Nxc3 Bxe4 33.Nxe4 Rf8) 32...Bc6 33.Nxc3 Bxa4 34.Rxd6 Qg5 35.Rd8+ Kh7 36.Bxf5+ Nxf5 37.bxa4 leads to a position much better for Black.
32.Qg4 h5 33.Qe2 Now the position objectively favors Black - he has a very promising attack as well as extra material - but the game is very sharp, and White also has his chances. After 33...Qg5 34.Be4 - Topalov has a pleasant choice: 35...Rcf3, 35...Rxb3, and 35...Rxh3 (this is also possible).
33...Qg5
34.f4? A mistake, 34.Be4 is more stubborn. Now Whtie loses.
34...Rxf4 35.Kh1 Nxg2
Anand wins against van Wely. It was genius play!
36.Qxg2
36...Rg3?! 36...Qh4! would win immediately: 37.Bd3 Rd4, and White can resign.
37.Nxf4 Bxg2+ 38.Nxg2 Rxh3+ 39.Kg1 Rg3 40.Rf2 Now Black must demonstrate some precision in order to net a point. He can play 40...g6 or 40...Kg8. It is difficult for White to coordinate his pieces.
In the game Carlsen-Koneru White is better, but Black has good drawing chances... Magnus should continue by f4 and Kf3 and hope for best.
40...Kg8 The only practical chance of Karjakin is a paradoxical-looking move 41.Ba2.
41.Rxd6 Now Topalov wins by 41...Qc1+ 42.Kh2 Rxg2+ 43.Rxg2 Qxb1, and Black has too many pawns.
41...h4 42.Rc6 42...Qg4 43.Rd6 e4 44.Rd4 h3 45.Bxe4 Qg5 -+
The game Kamsky-Adams developed incomprehensibly! At some point Black had dozen ways to a victory, and now he must resign... Gelfand won and reached +2. Other games must end in draws.
I take my words back: in Kamsky-Adams there was a relay error. Adams did take the rook with check and eventually won the game.
42...Qg4 43.Bf5 Rxg2+ 44.Rxg2 Qxf5 45.Rcg6 Qf7 46.R6g4 Qf6 47.Kh2 Kf7 48.Kh3 e4 49.Rg5 The evaluation hasn't changed: White can't survive.
49...e3 50.Kxh4 g6
White resigned. 0-1
Tomorrow we'll take the game Topalov-Aronian. Topalov is the most spectacular player at this tournament, and his encounter with the World Cup owner will surely be exciting. This is more so because Veselin has a very difficult opponents in the final rounds... See you tomorrow!
