G6: Topalov,V (2813) - Kramnik,V (2743) [D17]
WCh Elista RUS (6), 02.10.2006
[Malcolm Pein]
(Thanks to Mark Crowther,
The Week In Chess, and Malcolm Pein for commentary and analysis)
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4 Bf5 6.Ne5 A tacit admission that he did not have an opening advantage in game 2 although he did have a winning position 6...e6 7.f3 The sharpest line just trying to push Black off the board. Kramnik had a lot of success with this as white earlier in his career. 7...c5 Avoiding the argument! this is a sideline. The main line is [ 7...Bb4 8.e4 Bxe4 9.fxe4 Nxe4 10.Bd2 Qxd4 11.Nxe4 Qxe4+ 12.Qe2 Bxd2+ 13.Kxd2 Qd5+ 14.Kc2 Na6 which is terribly dangerous for White but not necessarily bad for him and ideal for Topalov's needs in this match.] 8.e4 White hopes he will shut this bishop out of the game and gain the advantage. Getting it back with f7-f5 weakens Black's structure but at the cost of a couple of tempi he can play f7-f6 and Bg6-f7 if there is time later. Black has some compensation for the badly placed bishop in White's weakened b3 and b4 squares 8...Bg6 9.Be3 cxd4 10.Qxd4 Qxd4 11.Bxd4 Nfd7! The b8 knight must come to c6 or be ready to go to a6 in case White plays Nb5 12.Nxd7 [ 12.Nxc4 Nc6 13.Be3 Bc5 14.Kf2 Ke7 15.h4 f6 16.h5 Bf7 17.Rd1 Bxe3+ 18.Nxe3 Rhd8 19.h6 g5 20.Bb5 Nde5 21.Nc4 Nxc4 22.Bxc4 Rxd1 23.Rxd1 Rd8 24.Rxd8 Nxd8 25.e5 f5 26.Nb5 Nc6 27.Be2 Be8 28.b3 Nxe5 29.Nxa7 Nf7 30.a5 Nxh6 31.b4 Nf7 32.Nc8+ Kd8 33.Nb6 Nd6 34.Nc4 Nxc4 35.Bxc4 Bd7 36.Bd3 e5 37.g4 fxg4 38.Bxh7 gxf3 39.Kxf3 Kc7 40.Bd3 Kd6 41.b5 Kc5 42.a6 bxa6 43.bxa6 Kd4 44.Bf1 e4+ 45.Kg3 1/2-1/2 Nielsen,P (2644)-Hracek,Z (2595)/Hamburg GER 2006/The Week in Chess 589] 12...Nxd7 13.Bxc4 Diagram
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13...a6 [ 13...Rc8 14.Ba2 ( 14.Bb5!? a6 15.Bxd7+ Kxd7 16.Ke2 Rg8
( 16...Bc5 17.Bxg7) 17.Rhd1 Ke8 18.Bb6+/=) 14...a6 15.Ke2 Nb8 16.Rhd1 Nc6 17.Bb6 Bb4 18.Rd2 Ke7 19.Rad1 Nb8! 20.Bf2 f6
( 20...Rhd8 21.Bh4+ f6 22.Rxd8 Rxd8 23.Rxd8 Kxd8 24.Bxe6; 20...Rc6) 21.Bg3 Be8 22.Rd4 a5 23.Bd6+ Bxd6 24.Rxd6 Bd7 25.Ke3 Rc6 26.R6d4 Rhc8 27.R1d2 Be8 28.Nb5 Bf7 29.Na7 e5 30.Nxc6+ bxc6 31.R4d3 Bxa2 32.b3 Na6 33.Rd7+ Ke8 34.Ra7 Nb4 35.Rxa5 Bxb3 36.Rb2 Nc2+ 37.Kd2 Nd4 38.Ra7 c5 39.Rxg7 Ra8 40.Kc3 Rxa4 41.Rxb3 Nxb3 42.Kxb3 Rb4+ 43.Kc3 h5 44.Rh7 Ra4 45.Rxh5 Ra2 46.Rf5 Ke7 47.g4 Rxh2 48.g5 fxg5 49.Rxe5+ Kf6 50.Rxc5 Rh3 51.Rf5+ Ke6 52.Kc4 Rg3 53.Kd4 Rh3 54.Re5+ Kf6 55.Rf5+ Ke6 56.Rxg5 Rxf3 57.Rg6+ Kf7 58.Ra6 Rf1 59.Ke5 Rb1 60.Kf5 Rf1+ 1/2-1/2 Cramling,P (2504)-Smyslov,V (2485)/Marbella ESP 1999]
14.Ke2 Rg8 A typical Kramnik line, there is no doubt White is slightly better but Black can slowly equalise. This prepares Bc5 with more exchanges possibly
15.Rhd1 Rc8 16.b3 [ 16.Ba2]
16...Bc5 17.a5 Ke7 18.Na4 Bb4! Interesting decision, This attacks a5 and invites a swap on knights and not bishops. In the long run Black needs to be able to contest the d-file.
19.Nb6 Nxb6 20.Bxb6 f6 [ 20...Bc5 21.Bxc5+ Rxc5 Should gradually equalise but Black has slight concerns as his only minor piece remaining is still poor and the queenside pawns fixed on white squares]
21.Rd3 Rc6 22.h4 Rgc8 23.g4 Not very threatening, Black has Be8 in reserve if White doubles on the d file
23...Bc5 24.Rad1 Diagram
24...Bxb6 [ 24...Be8 25.Bd8+ Kf8 26.f4; 24...Rd6 25.Bxc5+-]
25.Rd7+ Kf8 26.axb6 Rxb6 27.R1d6 Rxd6 28.Rxd6 Rc6 [ 28...e5 29.Rb6 Rc7 30.Bd5 Bf7 31.Bxb7 a5= 32.Kd3 Rd7+ 33.Kc3 Ke7 Maybe White can try and press here but it does not look like much however Kramnik's move is much simpler]
29.Rxc6 bxc6 30.b4 [ 30.Bxe6 a5 31.Kd3 Ke7 32.Bc4 Kd6=]
30...e5 31.Bxa6 Both a practical success and moral victory for Kramnik whom many forecast might collapse today
1/2-1/2
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