Reply #7: Sasikiran - Topalov, Round 4, Sofia

[Jack Rabbit]

Veselin Topalov
Photo: ChessBase.de (Germany)

Krishnan Sasikiran vs. Veselin Topalov
MTel Masters' Tournment, Round 4
Sofia, May 2007

West India Game: King's Indian Defense (Imperial opening)

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. c4 Bg7 4. Nc3 0-0 5. e4 d6 6. Be2 e5 7. Be3

• If 7. 0-0 Nc6 8. d5 Ne7 then:
• 9. Ne1 Nd7 10. Nd3 f5 11. Bd2 Nf6 12. f3 f4 13. c5 is foggy.
• 9. b4 Nh5 10. Re1 f5 11. Ng5 Nf6 12. Bf3 c6 13. Be3 h6 14. Ne6 Bxe6 15. dxe6 fxe4 16. Nxe4 Nxe4 17. Bxe4 is unclear.
• 9. Nd2 a5 10. a3 Nd7 11. Rb1 f5 12. b4 Kh8 13. f3 axb4 14. axb4 c6 15. Kh1 Nf6 is cloudy.

7. -- Ng4 8. Bg5 f6 9. Bh4 g5

• 9. -- Nc6 10. d5 Ne7 11. Nd2 Nh6 12. f3 c5 13. dxc6 bxc6 14. b4 Kh8 15. Nb3 g5 16. Bf2 f5 17. 0-0 Nf7 18. Qc2 h5 19. Rad1 g4 20. c5 gives White the edge in space. (Shukman-Zuegler, Gothenborg 1996).

10. Bg3 Nh6 11. d5

• If 11. h3 then:
• 11. -- Nc6 12. d5 Ne7 13. Qd2 Nf7 14. Nh2 f5 15. exf5 Nxf5 16. 0-0 Nh8 17. Bh5 Nd4 18. Ne4 h6 19. Rfe1 Bf5 20. Rac1 is unclear (Boensch-Gelfand, A Group, Dortmund 1990).
• 11. -- exd4 12. Nxd4 Nc6 13. 0-0 Nxd4 14. Qxd4 f5 15. Qd5+ Kh8 16. f4 fxe4 17. fxg5 Nf5 18. Nxe4 Bxb2 19. Bf2 Bxa1 20. Rxa1 Qe7 21. g4 Ng7 22. Re1 Bd7 23. Nf6 Bc6 24. Qd4 Rae8 draw agreed (Halkias-Smirin, Eur Ind Ch, Istanbul 2003).

11. -- Nd7 12. h3

• If 12. Nd2 f5 then:
• 13. exf5 Nf6 14. Nde4 Nxe4 15. Nxe4 Bxf5 16. Bd3 g4 17. 0-0 Kh8 18. Qe2 Bd7 19. f3 Qe7 20. fxg4 draw agreed (Gelfand-Radjabov, Russian Club Cup, Sochi 2006).
• 13. f3 Nf6 14. h3 c5 15. Bf2 f4 16. a3 b6 17. b4 Nf7 18. Qb3 h5 is unclear (Bacrot-Radjabov, Rapid Tnmt, Cap D'Agde 2006).

12. -- f5 13. exf5 Nc5 14. Nd2 Bxf5 15. 0-0 e4 16. Nb3 b6!?

• Since what is mapped after this is rough sailing for Black, he heads to uncharted waters.
• The text is sure to be an improvement over 16. -- Nxb3? 17. Qxb3 Bg6 18. Rae1 Re8 19. Qxb7 giving White a huge advantage in space and an extra pawn. (Onischuk-Smirin, Russian TCh, Togliatti 2003).

17. Nd4?!

• Black's novelty is good enough to equalize.
• After 17. Nxc5 bxc5 18. Qd2 Rb8 19. b3 then:
• 19. -- Qf6 20. Rac1 Qg6 21. Nb5 g4 22. hxg4 Bxg4 23. Rce1 is equal.
• 19. -- Bd4 20. Rae1 Qf6 21. Nb5 a6 22. Nxd4 cxd4 23. Bh5 is unclear.

17. -- Qf6 18. Nc6

• The best thing for a chess master to do when he sees a hole is fill it; when the hole is on the sixth rank, fill it with a Knight.
• 18. Nxf5 Nxf5 19. Bh2 a5 20. Bg4 a4 21. Rc1 Nd4 22. Qe2 Nd3 23. Rc2 is equal.
• 18. Nc2 Rae8 19. Ne3 Bg6 20. Qd2 Nf5 21. Nxf5 Bxf5 22. Rfe1 a6 is level.

18. -- a5 19. f4?!

• White digs himself a hole with this move.
• 19. Qd2 a4 20. Rad1 a3 21. b4 Qxc3 22. Qxc3 Bxc3 23. bxc5 bxc5 038

19. -- Bd7 20. Nb5?

• White drops a pawn and lets Black into his camp.
• After 20. Kh2 Rae8 21. Bh5 Bxc6 22. dxc6 Nf7 23. Qc2 Qh6 24. Bxf7+ Rxf7 25. fxg5 Qg6 Black has a lead in space, but White can still fight.
• 20. Qc1 g4 21. hxg4 Nxg4 22. Bxg4 Bxg4 23. Qe3 Rae8 gives Black more freedom.

20. -- Bxc6!?

• Black exchanges White most effective piece.
• Even tronger is 20. -- Nf5 21. Be1 Qxb2 22. Rb1 Qxa2 23. Bf2 e3 when Black owns the board.

21. dxc6 Qxb2 22. Rb1

• This is futile, but objectively speaking, White has no good moves.
• With nothing to lose, White would might try in this position 22. Nxc7!? when:
• 22. -- Rac8! 23. Nd5 then:
• Nf5 24. Rb1 Qxa2 25. Bf2 gxf4 26. Rxb6 e3 gives Black an advantage in just about every department.
• If 23. -- Qxa1? 24. Qxa1 Bxa1 then:
• If 25. Ne7+! Kg7 then:
• After 26. Rxa1! Kg7 26. fxg5 Nf5 27. Bf2 Rxc6 28. g4 e3 29. Be1 Nd4 30. Bc3 White has equalized.
• After 26. Nxc8? Bd4+ 27. Kh2 gxf4 28. Nxd6 fxg3+ 29. Kh1 Black has an easy win.
• 25. Rxa1? Kg7 26. fxg5 Nf5 27. Bf2 Rxc6 Black is up by an exchange for the ending.


• After 22. -- Nf5?! 23. Rb1 Qxa2 24. Bf2 Rac8 25. Qxd5+ Kh8 26. Bg4 Rxc7 27. Bd4 Rcf7 Black's win is more problematic.

22. -- Qxa2 23. Nxc7

Black: Veselin Topalov
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White: Krishnan Sasikiran
Position after 23. Nb5c7:p

23. -- Nf5!

• Now in just a few short moves Black completely annihilates White. The Rook at a8 is expendible.
• Black's victory is less certain after 23. -- Rac8?! 24. Nd5 Nf5 25. Bf2 Rxc6 26. Bg4 e3 27. Bxe3 Nxe3.

Analysis Diagram
Black: Veselin Topalov
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White: Krishnan Sasikiran
Position after 27. -- Nf5e3:B (Analysis)


24. Bf2 e3 25. Be1 Nd4!!

Black: Veselin Topalov
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White: Krishnan Sasikiran
Position after 25. -- Nf5d4

• Note the difference between this and the last variation where Black took the time to save the Rook at a8.

26. Nxa8

• If 26. Kh1 Rab8 then:
• 27. Nd5 Qxe2 28. Qxe2 Nxe2 29. c7 Rbc8 30. Ne7+ Kf7 31. Nxc8 Rxc8 32. fxg5+ Ke6 Black has two minor pieces for a Rook. Black also has a strong passed pawn while White's is deadwood.
• 27. Bd3 e2 28. Bxe2 Nxe2 29. Rf2 Ng3+ 30. Kh2 Qxc4 leaves Black up by two pieces.

26. -- Nxe2+ 27. Kh2 Nxf4 28. Rxf4 gxf4 29. Rxb6 f3 30. Qd5+

Black: Veselin Topalov
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White: Krishnan Sasikiran
Position after 30. Qd1d5+

30. -- Ne6!

• The Knight sacrifice wins faster than 30. -- Kh8 31. Qxf3 Be5+ 32. Bg3 Rxf3 33. Bxe5+ dxe5 34. c7 Rf8.

31. Qxe6+ Kh8 32. Qg4 Be5+ 33. Kh1 f2 34. 0-1

• If White saves the Bishop, the pawn queens with mate.
• Sasikiran-ji resigns.