World Chess Championship 2010 (9)
Horror story for Anand in Game 9
IM Malcolm Pein - Saturday 8th May 2010
Viswanathan Anand missed many opportunities to win against Veselin Topalov in game 9 of their World Chess Championship in Sofia. Malcolm Pein analyses the game.
Anand had his chances but in the end it all ended in disappointment. Photo © | http://www.chessdom.com
A complete horror of a game left the scores level at the world championships as defending champion Vishy Anand missed several opportunities to win his ninth battle with Veselin Topalov at Sofia. If Anand surrenders his title he will rue these missed opportunities. Topalov has two games with the white pieces in the three that remain and Anand must improve on his last game with black which saw him emerge from the opening with a difficult position.
Topalov was outplayed but escaped before the time control at move 40. In the next twenty moves Topalov played very quickly and as the next time control approached at move 60 he was completely lost before Anand threw away win after win in a fog of time pressure and nerves. At the post game press conference Topalov appeared weary but Anand looked shattered. Both are doubtless exhausted but Topalov must be buoyed by the great escape.
Anand played white and abandoned the Catalan which had brought him two victories. Topalov defended with the first Nimzo-Indian Defence of the match but was soon outplayed. The Bulgarian gave up two rooks for a queen but must have overlooked a clever intermezzo that undemined his defensive edifice and led to tactical complications that favoured the champion.
V Anand - V Topalov
WCh Sofia (9)
Nimzo-Indian Rubinstein
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 0-0 5.Bd3 c5 6.Nf3 d5 7.0-0 cxd4 8.exd4 dxc4 9.Bxc4 b6 10.Bg5 Bb7 11.Re1 Nbd7 12.Rc1 Rc8 13.Bd3 Re8 14.Qe2 Bxc3 15.bxc3 Qc7 16.Bh4 Nh5 17.Ng5
(17.Bxh7+ Kxh7 18.Ng5+ Kg6 19.g4 Qf4)
17...g6 18.Nh3
(A novelty and quite a good one defending f4)
18...e5 19.f3 Qd6 20.Bf2! exd4
Veselin Topalov
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Viswanathan Anand
Position after 20...exd4 giving up two rooks for queen.
21.Qxe8+ Rxe8 22.Rxe8+ Nf8 23.cxd4 Nf6 24.Ree1 Ne6 25.Bc4 Bd5 26.Bg3 Qb4
(If Black can exchange white squared bishops he would be solidly placed but Anand prevents this with his next move)
27.Be5! Nd7 28.a3 Qd2 29.Bxd5 Nxe5 30.Bxe6 Qxd4+ 31.Kh1 fxe6 32.Ng5 Qd6
(32...Qd2 33.h4! Nd3? 33.Rc8+ Kg7 34.Rxe6 wins)
33.Ne4 Qxa3 34.Rc3 Qb2 35.h4 b5 36.Rc8+ Kg7 37.Rc7+ Kf8 38.Ng5 Ke8
39.Rxh7 Qc3 40.Rh8+?
(Letting the king escape 40.Re4 b4 41.Rxa7 b3 42.Rb7 b2 43.Kh2! Qc1 44.Ra4! Nd7 45.Rab4 stops the pawn and keeps winning chances)
40...Kd7! 41.Rh7+ Kc6 42.Re4 b4
(42...Kb6! computers was much better. Topalov was playing very fast)
43.Nxe6 Kb6 44.Nf4 Qa1+ 45.Kh2 a5 46.h5! gxh5?!
(46...g5)
47.Rxh5 Nc6
48.Nd5+ Kb7 49.Rh7+! Ka6 50.Re6 Kb5 51.Rh5!
(Winning but only 7 minutes left for Anand)
51...Nd4 52.Nb6+ Ka6 53.Rd6 Kb7 54.Nc4??
(with four minutes for 7 moves a blunder 54.Nd5 wins Nxf3+ 55.gxf3 Qb2+ 56.Kg3 Qb1 57.Rhh6 Qe1+ 58.Kg4 Qg1+ 59.Kf5 Qb1+ 60.Ke6 Qe1+ 61.Kd7 wins)
54...Nxf3+! 55.gxf3 Qa2+ 56.Nd2 Kc7 57.Rhd5 b3 58.Rd7+ Kc8 59.Rd8+ Kc7 60.R8d7+ Kc8
(Time control and an extra 15 minutes and an increment of 30 seconds per move)
61.Rg7! a4
Veselin Topalov
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Viswanathan Anand
Position after 61...a4
62.Rc5+?
(62.Rdd7 wins 62...a3 63.Kg3 Qa1 64.Rc7+ Kb8 65.Rb7+ Ka8 66.Nxb3)
62...Kb8 63.Rd5?
(Again 63.Rd7!)
63...Kc8 64.Kg3?
(Now it's a draw 64.Rdd7 still wins)
64...Qa1 65.Rg4 b2 66.Rc4+ Kb7 67.Kf2 b1Q 68.Nxb1 Qxb1 69.Rdd4 Qa2+
(Perpetual cannot be avoided)
70.Kg3 a3 71.Rc3 Qa1 72.Rb4+ Ka6 73.Ra4+ Kb5 74.Rcxa3 Qg1+ 75.Kf4 Qc1+ 76.Kf5 Qc5+ 77.Ke4 Qc2+ 78.Ke3 Qc1+ 79.Kf2 Qd2+ 80.Kg3 Qe1+ 81.Kf4 Qc1+ 82.Kg3 Qg1+ 83.Kf4 draw
Veselin Topalov
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Viswanathan Anand
Final position after 83.Kf4
