World Chess Championship 2010 (7)
Looking back at Anand - Topalov game 7
IM Malcolm Pein - Friday 7th May 2010
Malcolm Pein looks back at a possible missed opportunity for Anand in game 7.
Karpov plays the opening move in Game 7. Photo © | http://www.chessdom.com
Game nine of the World Chess Championship at Sofia was underway at press time. The score is 4-4 with four to play after Topalov's victory in the eighth game. There has been a lot of speculation about whether Anand missed a win in game seven. Some very powerful computer engines have concluded that he did but the line is not one a human would readily see. As is so often the case in computer generated lines they look a little random. Here is the key position after the idea 42.Qb5-a4!! retreating. Anand actually played 42.Qb5-b7.
Viswanathan Anand
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Veselin Topalov
Position after 42.Qa4!!
Before we look at the lines let's consider what White would like to achieve. It's often a good idea in an endgame to imagine where you want your pieces and then try and find a way of getting them there. White would like to control the e file with his queen from e1,e3 or e4 because then Black would have to retreat. White also wants to prevent d3-d2 and that is the first point:
A) 42...d2 43.Qc2+ wins
B) If Black tries to hold the e file after 42.Qa4 Qd5+ 43.Kf1 Qe6 44.Qa2! threatens Nxd3 and to stop it Black has to give way 44...Qd5 45.Qa6+ Kg7 46.Qa7+ Kg6 47.Qe3 threat Qd4+ 47...Qb5 48.Kg2 Qb3 49.Ne4 Qc2+ 50.Kg3 making progress
Even in this line 44...Kg7!? 45.Nxd3 Qxc3 would be hard work.
Finally the most obscure line
C) 42.Qa4 Qc8 43.Qd1 Qe6 44.Kf1! idea Qe1 44...Qf6 45.Qe1 Kf7 46.Kg2 Kg7 47.Nd1 Qc6+ 48.Kg1 Qb6+ 49.Nf2 Qd6 50.Qe4! and there is progress, Qb7+ and Ne4 may come.
There was a three way tie at the Presidents Cup, a Rapid event, held at Baku but Vladimir Kramnik won the trophy on tie break from Shak Mamendyarov and Gata Kamsky. The trio scored 5/7. Final scores:
1-3 Kramnik (Russia), Mamedyarov (Azerbaijan), Kamsky (USA) 5/7
4 Radjabov (Azerbaijan) 3.5
5-6 Polgar (Hungary), Sutovsky (Israel) 3
7 Mamedov (Azerbaijan) 2
8 Guseinov (Azerbaijan) 1.5
Black was always planning to win the knight on a4 but by the time he does so his position has been overrun.
T Radjabov - E Sutovsky
Presidents Cup Baku
Sicilian Najdorf
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 Nbd7 7.Bc4 e6 8.0-0 h6 9.Be3 Ne5 10.Bb3 g5 11.Qe2 Nfg4 12.Bd2 Bd7 13.Rad1 Rc8 14.a3 Be7 15.f4 Qb6 16.fxe5 dxe5 17.Qxg4 exd4 18.Na4 Qc7 19.Qh5 Rh7 20.Rxf7! Rxf7 21.Rf1 Kd8 22.Qxf7 b5 23.Qg8+ Be8 24.Bxe6 1-0
