Topalov - Kamsky

Game Five

Topalov,V (2796) - Kamsky,G (2725) [C07]World Chess Challenge Sofia BUL (5), 23.02.2009

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 c5
3...Nf6 Is another major line


4.Ngf3
I don't think anyone would have picked a French defence being on the board today.
4.exd5 4...Qxd5 5.Ngf3 cxd4 6.Bc4 Qd6 7.0-0 Nf6 8.Nb3 Nc6 9.Nbxd4 Nxd4 10.Nxd4 a6 11.a4 Qc7 12.Qe2 Bd6 13.h3 0-0 14.c3 h6 15.Re1 b6 16.Bd3 Bb7 17.Bd2 Rfd8 18.Rad1 Bc5 19.Nf3 Bd6 20.Bc2 Rd7 21.Be3 Rad8 22.Bd4 Bc5 23.Bxf6 Rxd1 24.Rxd1 Rxd1+ 25.Qxd1 gxf6 26.Nd4 Qe5 27.Bd3 Bd6 28.Nf3 Qf4 29.Be2 Kg7 30.Kf1 Bc7 31.Ne1 a5 32.Qd7 Bd5 33.Nd3 Qh2 34.Bf3 Bxf3 35.gxf3 Qxh3+ 36.Ke2 Qh2 37.b4 h5 38.bxa5 bxa5 39.c4 h4 40.c5 h3 41.c6 Bb6 42.Qb7 Qg1 43.Qxb6 h2 44.c7 h1Q 45.Qb3 Qf1+ 46.Ke3 Qh6+ 0-1 Short,N-Ivanchuk,V/Montreal 2007
4...cxd4 5.Nxd4 Nc6 6.Bb5 Bd7 7.Nxc6 Bxc6 8.Bxc6+ bxc6 9.c4
Kamsky Second/Manager Sutovsky has played games down this line.



9...Bd6
Not the main continuation here. Kamsky had a bit of think before playing this move but then made his next moves almost instantly.
9...Qa5 Talliveson 10.Qc2 Qa6 11.0-0 Nf6 12.b3 Be7 13.Bb2 0-0 14.Qc3 Rfd8 15.Qe3 Ne8 16.h3 Rd7 17.Rfc1 dxe4 18.Nxe4 Rad8 19.Qf3 Rd3 20.Qe2 Qa5 21.Rc3 R3d7 22.Rg3 Qf5 23.Bc3 e5 24.Re1 f6 25.Ba5 Nc7 26.Qe3 Rc8 27.Qxa7 Nb5 28.Qe3 Nd4 29.Qh6 g6 30.Bc3 Ra8 31.Bxd4 Rxd4 32.Nc3 Bb4 33.Rf3 Rf4 34.Rxf4 exf4 35.Rc1 Qe5 36.Na4 Rd8 37.Qh4 Be1 38.Qg4 Bxf2+ 39.Kh1 Rd2 40.Rf1 Bg3 41.Qf3 Kg7 42.c5 Kh6 43.Qxc6 Rf2 44.Qb5 Qd4 0-1 Wells,P-Gurevich,M/Port Erin 2007
10.cxd5 cxd5 11.exd5 exd5 12.0-0 Ne7 13.Nf3 0-0 14.Qd3 Qd7 15.Rd1 Rfd8 16.Be3 a5 17.g3
Both players are moving quickly useing 20 - 25 minutes each.
17...h6
17...Qg4 18.Kg2 a4 19.h3 Qe4 20.Rac1 h6 is an option for black
18.Bb6 Rdc8 19.Bd4 Bc5 20.Bc3 Bb4 21.Be5 Bd6 22.Rd2



22...Bxe5?!
22...Bb4 Kamsky seems in a hurry to draw this game.
23.Nxe5 Qd6 24.Re1 Rc7
24...a4 25.Qf3 Rf8 Liquidating the a pawn will be a mjor goal for black. His main weakness in the position are his two isolated pawns.
25.Qf3 Rf8 26.Kg2
After the trade of bishops white has picked up a little bit of iniative and forced black into some defesive moves. Topalov is still along way from winning.
26...Rb7 27.h4 Qb4
27...a4 must be played soon 28.h5 Rbb8 29.Qg4 Nc6
28.Ree2 Qa4 29.b3 Qb4 30.Nd3 Qd6
Time is 41 minutes remaining for Topalov and 27 for Kamsky.
31.h5 Rc7 32.Nf4 d4 33.Re4 Nc6 34.Nd3 Rd8 35.Rc2



35... Nb4?
An unbelievble mistake. In a position that has white with a small advantage Kamsky looses concentration and drops a pawn. Throughout the game Kamsky would pace the stage while Topalov remained seated.
35...Qd7 or 35...Rcc8 and Black will have some nagging problems but a position that is very far from lost.
36.Nxb4 axb4 37.Rxd4



37... Qf8?
Mistakes rarely come alone and Kamsky now blunders again, simply 37...Qxd4 38.Rxc7 Rf8 39.Rc4 Qd2 and white is a pawn ahead but black may have some slim chances to draw.
38.Rxd8
Now black will lose a second pawn and be dead lost.
38...Qxd8 39.Rxc7 Qxc7 40.Qa8+ Kh7 41.Qe4+ Kg8 42.Qxb4 Qc6+ 43.Kg1 Qc1+ 44.Kh2 Qc2 45.Qe1 Kf8
45...Qxa2 46.Qe8+ Kh7 47.Qxf7 is still winning for white.
46.a3 Qb2 47.Qb4+ Kg8 48.Kg2 Qe5 49.Qg4 Qb2 50.Qc8+ Kh7 51.Qc4 Qxa3 52.Qxf7 Qb4 53.Qc4 Qb7+ 54.Kg1 Qf3 55.g4

1-0

A very strange and tragic loss for Kamsky,
After 5 games Topalov leads 3-2 with 3 reamining.