G3: Kramnik,V (2743) - Topalov,V (2813)
G3: Kramnik,V (2743) - Topalov,V (2813) [E02] WCh Elista RUS (3), 26.09.2006 [IM Malcolm Pein and James Coleman] (Thanks to Mark Crowther, The Week In Chess , and Malcolm Pein for commentary and analysis) 1.d4 Nf6 Topalov should not be too down-hearted he has after all had two great positions in the match so far. However conventional match strategy dictates that Kramnik should try and kick his man while he is down. 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3 dxc4 5.Bg2 Nc6 [ 5...Bb4+ 6.Bd2 a5 7.Qc2 Game 1] 6.Qa4 Kramnik undoubtedly wants to avoid messy lines where Black keeps the c4 pawn and so Nc6-a5 has to be considered a potential threat. This rules it out. 6...Bd7 7.Qxc4 Na5 8.Qd3 [ 8.Qc2 is not so good 8...Rc8 intending ...c5 and the Q is not well placed on c2.] 8...c5 9.0-0 Bc6 10.Nc3 cxd4 11.Nxd4 Following Tkachiev-Solozhenkin France 2000, note that there was a Tkachiev game in the theory of the first game 11...Bc5 [ 11...Bxg2 12.Kxg2 Qd7 13.Rd1 Bc5 14.Bg5+/= the Na5 is poor and White is better ...