02.10.2006
Game VI V.Topalov - V.Kramnik
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4 Bf5 6.Ne5 e6 7.f3 c5 8.e4 Bg6 Kramnik chose the rare variation 7...c5 currently condemned by theory. His last move leads us to even less investigated positions, 8...cxd4 used to be a common reply.
9.Be3 cxd4 10.Qxd4 Qxd4 11.Bxd4 Nfd7 12.Nxd7 Nxd7
12.Nxd7 White got nothing from the opening in a game Nielsen-Hracek, Bundesleague 2006 after 12.Nxc4 Nc6 13.Be3 Bc5 14.Kf2 Ke7 15.h4?! f6 16.h5 Bf7 17.Rd1 Bxe3 18.Nxe3 Rhd8
12...Nxd7 This position is still theoretical, game Cramling P.-Smyslov, Veterans vs Women 1999 continued 13.Bxc4 Rc8 14.Ba2 (much stronger 14.Bb5! could cause serious problems for black) 14...a6 15.Ke2 Rb8 16.Rhd1 Nc6 17.Bb6 and her black could equalize by 17...Be7! with the idea Be7-d8 13.Bc4
13...a6! Strong novelty. b5-square is taken away from white's minor pieces. 14.Ke2 Rg8! Without any complexes! Development of Bf8 is underway. No doubt that Vladimir is following his home preparation.
15.Rhd1 [15.Rad1 could deserve some attention reserving an idea of h2-h4-h5, because with light-squared bishops still on the board, reply h7-h5 would be somewhat unfavourable for black]
15...Rc8 16.b3 Retreating with the bishop promised white nothing special either. Now black's position looks very solid, 16..Bc5 looks quite well carrying out favourable dark-squared bishops exchange and providing black king with a perfect square e7.
16...Bc5 17.a5 Ke7
18.Na4 The only slight weakness of black pawn structure is b6-square, thus white knight put his eye on it. It takes some precision from black to reach complete equality. 18...Bb4 Good tactical resource, white has to be distracted by defence of a5-pawn. 19.Nb6 Nxb6 20.Bxb6 Bc5 leads to heavy simplifications, 19.Nb2 is likely, although knight in this case leaves its strong position.
19.Nb6 [19.Nb2 Nc5 20.Nd3 Nxd3 21.Rxd3 led to a position similar to the one in the game - white has to exchange the knights anyway] 19...Nxb6 20.Bxb6
20...f6 In case of 20...Bc5 Vladimir ma have disliked 21.Bxc5+ Rxc5 22.Bd3 , with the idea of b-pawn advance and creating a weakness on b7, though black would have probabley had enough time to play f7-f6 and support the kingside by the bishop via e8. 21.Rd3 Possible 21.Rac1!? Rc6 22.Rd4 with the idea to cast a blow on e6 in a proper case, for example 22...Rd6??23.Bxe6! actually couldn't bring any achievements, after 22...Bd6 23.Rcd1 Rgc8 followed by Be8 simplifications are inevitable. 21...Rc6 22.h4 With no direct plan available, Topalov seizes space on the kingside. 22...Rgc8 23.g4 Bc5 Simple and solid, after exchanges of the dark squared bishops on c5 light squared bishops exchange on b5 is hard to be prevented, insofar as it takes just two moves for g6-bishop to reach the square.
24.Rad1 This tactical trick is not dangerous for black and leads to heavy simplifications. The most logical way to draw appears to be the following one: 24...Bxb6 25.Rd7+ Kf8 26.axb6 Rxb6 27.R1d6 Rxd6 28.Rxd6 Bf7 (less precise is 28...e5 29.Rb6 Rc7 30.Bd5 Be8 31.Bxb7 a5 32.Bd5 and white keeps some pressure.) 29.Rb6 Rc7 30.Bxe6 Bxe6 31.Rxe6 b5! We'd be reluctant of allowing white's rook to b6. 32.Rxa6 Rc3 33.h5 h6! (preventing h5-h6) 34.b4 Rb3 with a drawn position.24...Bxb6 25.Rd7 Kf8 26.axb6 Rb6 27.R1d6 Rxd6 28.Rxd6
28...Rc6 Vladimir Kramnik demonstrates another way to achieve draw, the cleanest one without positional consessions. 29.Rxc6 bxc6 30.b4 Black has no problems after 30.Bxe8 c5
30...e5 31.Bxa6 All black kingside pawns are to be positioned on dark squares, and there remains no field on the board to uphold the conflict...29.Rxc6 bxc6 30.b4 e5 31.Bxa6
Draw.
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Summary.
Modern theory can sometimes stump any player, today it happened to Topalov. Esssentially, there was no fight in game 6 of the match, and it's Vladimir Kramnik's better home preparation that is to be blamed for the fact. In the endgame resulting immediately from the opening only a symbolic advantage was on the white's side, and it posed no difficulties for such a skillful in chess technique player, as Kramnik is, to reach draw. It's under no doubt that the forthcoming games of the match will be filled with fight much more, and today's "harmless easy walkabout" just turned out to be an exclusion from the rules.
