Topalov wins game one after blunder

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World Chess Championships 2010 (1)

Topalov wins game one after blunder

IM Malcolm Pein - Monday 26th April 2010

Veselin Topalov won game one of the World Chess Championship when the World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand seemed to forget his preparation.

Topalov - Anand Game 1. Photo © Europe-Echecs

Topalov - Anand Game 1. Photo © Europe-Echecs | http://www.europe-echecs.com

The world champion Vishy Anand suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the challenger Veselin Topalov in the first game

of their FIDE World Chess Championship Final match underway in the challenger's home city of Sofia. Anand finds himself 0-1 down in the best of twelve contest after gifting Topalov the game.

Playing black, the champion simply forgot his home analysis on the 23rd move after both sides had rattled off 22 moves of a sharp line in the Gruenfeld Defence. Anand's 23rd move allowed a knight sacrifice that demolished his position and to make matters worse, Topalov's demeanour made it obvious he had analysed the ramifications at home on a computer. Anand was stunned and only survived a few more moves. He admitted afterwards that he suffered a memory lapse.

This is one of the worst defeats suffered in the first game of a title contest. Anand plays white in game 2 and a full report will appear tomorrow.

The Exchange Variation with 4.cxd5 is the sharpest, Black concedes the centre but counterattacks the d4 square. Topalov's answer was to sacrifice the d4 pawn in order to attack the kingside and as we see, the position is on a knife edge. 7.Bc4 is the old move, 7.Nf3 is more common nowadays as Kramnik played against Kasparov in 2000.

10...Bg4 11.f3 Na5 12.Bxf7+ Rxf7 13.fxg4 was played by Karpov against Kasparov at the 1987 WCC at Seville. 12...e5 is a relatively new idea, 12...e6 13.Rac1 cxd4 14.cxd4 Bb7 is more typical Gruenfeld when 15.h4 and 15.Bh6 are possible. 16.f4 f6 17.e5 was Topalov - Kamsky WCC Candidates Final Sofia 2009 but Black was OK. 16...Qd6 was a novelty, 16...Bb7 was played in Karjakin - Carlsen 2008.

V Topalov - V Anand

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Bc4 c5 8.Ne2 Nc6 9.Be3 0-0 10.0-0 Na5 11.Bd3 b6

12.Qd2 e5 13.Bh6 cxd4 14.Bxg7 Kxg7 15.cxd4 exd4 16.Rac1 Qd6 17.f4 f6 18.f5 Qe5 19.Nf4 g5 20.Nh5+ Kg8 21.h4 h6 22.hxg5 hxg5 23.Rf3

Viswanathan Anand

Veselin Topalov

Position after 23.Rf3 after which it seems Anand forgot his preparation.

23...Kf7??

( 23...Bd7 is best and if 24.Rg3 Kf7 when 25.Nxf6? allows Qxg3. The critical lines might be 23...Bd7 24.Nxf6+ Qxf6 25.e5 Qxe5 26.Qxg5+ Kf7 27.Qg6+ Ke7 28.f6+ Kd8 and 23...Bd7 24.Bc4+ Nxc4 25.Rxc4 Be8 26.Nxf6+ Rxf6 27.Qxg5+ Rg6! Not 23...Rf7 24.Nxf6+!! Qxf6 25.e5! Qxe5 26.Qxg5+ Qg7 27.Qd8+ Rf8 28.Qd5+ winning)

24.Nxf6!!

Viswanathan Anand