25.01.2006
Wijk aan Zee round 10: Topalov-Aronian
Topalov (2801) - Aronian (2752)
Wijk aan Zee Netherlands (10), 25.01.2006
Annotated by Konstantin Sakaev
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Ba6 5.b3 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 Be7 7.Bg2 c6 8.Bc3 d5 9.Ne5 Nfd7 10.Nxd7 Nxd7 11.Nd2 0-0 12.0-0
This is one of the key positions of the 4.g3 variation of the Queen's Indian Defense, in which legendary Anatoly Karpov triumphed countless times. This variation had fallen out of fashion at some point ue to its drawing tendencies, but recently it came back in style, being employed as White by Topalov, Kramnik, Bacrot, Bologan, etc.
12...Nf6 One of the most debated positions arises after 12...Rc8 13.e4 c5 14.exd5 exd5 15.dxc5 dxc4 16.c6 cxb3 17.Re1.
13.e4 b5 14.exd5 exd5 15.Re1 Rb8 16.c5! White secures a spatial advantage.
16...Bc8 17.Nf3 Ne4
18.Rxe4 A bolt from the blue! The bomb has exploded! Earlier White used a small tactical nuance: 18.Ne5 Nxc3 19.Qd3 Qc7 20.Qxc3, but the advantage turned too small, Kramnik,V-Leko,P/Dortmund 2004. There is logic in 18.Bb2, which is yet to be tested in a practical game. White saves the bishop and plans to drive away the e4-knight later.
18...dxe4 19.Ne5 Qd5 20.Qe1 Bf5 21.g4! In the variation 21.f3 e3 22.Qxe3 f6 23.Nxc6 (not 23.f4? Qe6) 23...Qxc6 24.Qxe7 White is worse. Black drives away the White's queen with the rook, and brings the bishop via e6 to d5.
21...Bg6 22.f3
There is no doubt that Veselin Topalov demonstrates his home analysis. Nevertheless, the game is very double-edged - and exciting! Not dangerous for Black is 22.Nxg6 hxg6 (weaker is 22...fg6, keeping a pawn closer to the center is more important than opening the f-file) 23.Qxe4 Qxe4 24.Bxe4 b4 25.Bb2 Rfc8 - the bishop comes out to f6, and 26.f4 will be met by 26...g5!, nevertheless securing the f6-square for the bishop.
22...b4 White's idea is that there is no 22...e3 because of 23.Qxe3, and after 23...f6 24.Nxg6! the e7-bishop is loose. Added: after 22...Bxc5?! White can just take the bishop. In this kind of position two minor pieces are superior to a rook, so White would have a serious edge.
23.fxe4 White has a pawn for an exchange, and a strong pawn center in addition, so the compensation is sufficient - and maybe even more than that: the game will show.
Van Wely-Leko - the position is equal. I will not be surprised if this ends in a quick draw. The same applies to the games Sokolov-Adams, Gelfand-Karjakin, Mamedyarov-Anand and Tiviakov-Ivanchuk. Quiet positions arose after the opening in all five encounters. The game Bacrot-Kamsky is a tough struggle. Bacrot chooses between 16.Be4 and 16.Nc3. White has an advantage and plays without risk.
23...Qe6 24.Bb2 Bf6
Now the strongest is 25.Nxc6! (25.Nxg6 fxg6! and Black obtains counterchances on the f-file) 25...Qxc6 26.e5 with mutual chances.
Kamsky simplified Bacrot's task by 17...Ne5? He should have played 17...e5. Now the Frenchman has a pleasant choice of promising continuations.
In the tournament B Motylev equalized against Navara, while Carlsen entered his favorite double-edged kind of position against Almasi...
25.Nxc6 Qxc6 26.e5 Qa6 27.exf6 Rfe8 Topalov sunk into thought. He should play 28.Qf1! in order to prevent the Black's rook from lifting to e2. Then after 28...Qe2! (28...Re2 29.Bf3! Rbe8 30.Bxe2 Rxe2 31.Re1 or 30...Qxe2 31.Qxe2 Rxe2 32.c6! +-) 29.Qf2! Qd3! Black maintains counterplay, which might suffice to hold the balance.
28.Qf1! Qe2! 29.Qf2 Qxg4 30.h3 Qg5 On 30...Qh5 White plays 31.Re1! After the text-move 31.d5 is bad in view of 31...Be4, but there is a strong bishop transfer 31.Bc1! and 31.Bf4. So, it was difficult to choose between two queen retreats.
31.Bc1! Now 31...Qh5 is possible, and after 32.Bf4 Rbd8 33.Re1 Topalov has better chances.
31...Qh5 32.Bf4
33...Be4 34.c7 Rc8 35.Re1 Black's most natural moves lose almost by force: 35...Bxg2 36.Rxe8+ Rxe8 37.Qxg2 Qd1+ 38.Kh2 g6 39.Qe4;
and 35...Qg6 36.Rxe4 Rxe4 37.d5 Rce8 38.d6 Re1+ 39.Kh2 Qf5 40.Qg3 g6 41.Qg4. After 35...Qf5 there are still practical chances: 36.Qg3 Qxf6 37.Rxe4 Rxe4 38.Bxe4 Qxd4+ 39.Qe3 Qxe3+ 40.Bxe3 Rxc7 41.Kf2, but I think such move is almost impossible to find at the board.
35...Qg6 36.Rxe4 White wins.
36...Rxe4 37.d5 Rce8 38.d6 Re1+ 39.Kh2 Qf5 40.Qg3 g6 The relay is lagging, but Black can resign already: 41.Qg4, and the pawn queens.
Van Wely-Leko - it still looks like a quick draw; White has a symbolic advantage. Sokolov-Adams - Adams is slightly better, but Sokolov has good chances to hold. Only some accuracy is demanded from Bacrot to convert a winning position against Kamsky.
41.Qg5 Topalov played a whole game like a machine gun.
41...Qxg5 42.Bxg5 Rd1 43.Bc6 Re2+ 44.Kg3 Black resigned. 1-0
What a confident win!
Tomorrow there is a last free day in Wijk, and on January, 27th we will follow the game Ivanchuk-Topalov. See you!
