A well prepared Gata Kamsky held a dynamic draw in game three against Veselin Topalov.

Topalov,V - Kamsky,G [D81]

World Chess Challenge Sofia BUL (3), 20.02.2009
[Pein,Malcolm]

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Qb3

We get a Russian System hybrid in which White has played Be2 and not Nf3 but Kamsky is well prepared

4...dxc4 5.Qxc4 Bg7 6.e4 0-0 7.Be2 a6

With Nf3 this is the Lukhin Variation which intends a queenside expansion and has the clever point,

8.Bf4

[8.a4 b5 9.axb5 axb5 winning]

8...b5!

Same idea as in the main line

9.Qxc7 Qxc7

[9...Qxd4 10.Rd1 Qb4 11.Rd2 Nbd7 12.Be3 Rb8 13.a3 Qb3 14.Nf3 Threatening Nd4 was awkward for Black Yakovich-Shomoev 2004]

10.Bxc7 b4 11.Na4 Nc6

Black's later Rc8 will gain more time and yield some play for the pawn

12.d5 Nd4 13.Bd3 Bd7!

14.Nb6 Bb5 15.Be5

[15.Nxa8? Bxd3 16.Rd1 Nc2+ 17.Kd2 Bxe4 -/+]

15...Nxe4!= 16.Bxg7 Kxg7 17.Bxe4 Rab8

trapping the knight

18.0-0-0 Nf5 19.Bxf5 gxf5 20.d6 Rxb6 21.dxe7 Re8 22.Nf3 Rxe7 23.Nd4 Bd7

Black's pieces are active enough to cope with the fractured pawns

24.Rhe1 Rxe1 25.Rxe1 Rh6 26.Re7 Rd6 27.Ne2 Kf6 28.Re3 Ba4 29.b3 Bc6 30.Nf4 a5 31.g3 Be4 32.f3 Bc6 33.h4 Rd4 34.Kc2 Bb5 35.Nh5+ Kg6 36.Nf4+ Kf6 37.Nh5+

½-½

Play through the game.