[Event "GotM #48"]
[Site "Sofia"]
[Date "2005.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Topalov, Veselin"]
[Black "Ponomariov, Ruslan"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E15"]
[Annotator "Connaughton, Ken"]
[PlyCount "59"]
[EventDate "2005.??.??"]
[EventCountry "BUL"]
{[%evp 0,59,26,13,38,-30,-16,-16,23,-5,43,-30,4,14,46,4,30,-15,59,58,41,42,42,
42,82,58,59,46,18,18,36,17,69,69,240,173,418,86,33,-122,-1,-300,-42,45,-28,32,
32,49,49,-50,-50,-50,162,363,363,363,351,706,29995,29996,29997,29998]} 1. d4 {
Queen's Pawn Game} Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 {Queen's Indian Defense} 4. g3 {
Fianchetto Variation. A popular move for White in the Queen's Indian. His
Bishop will contest Black's Bishop for the long diagonal.} (4. a3 {Petrosian
Variation} c5 5. d5 Ba6 6. dxe6 fxe6 $11 {holds interesting possibilities.}) (
4. Nc3 Bb4 $11 {Nimzo-Indian Defense}) 4... Ba6 (4... Bb7 {was the old Main
Line but it was judged to be passive and has been replaced by the text move.} {
After} 5. Bg2 Be7 $11 {Black would have a solid position. But some players
wanted more dynamism from the Queen's Indian and that is why 4...Ba6 started
to get some traction.}) 5. b3 {Holding the c4-pawn and allowing completion of
his Kingside development unimpeded.} (5. e3 $11 {to defend the pawn is not
attractive as White wants to fianchetto his Bishop soon.}) 5... Bb4+ {This
comes as 6.Nc3 is no longer available since 5.b3.} 6. Bd2 (6. Nbd2 $2 {is a
mistake and now White will have to play precisely to hold his Rook.} Bc3 7. Rb1
Bb7 {[%csl Rb1][%CAl Rb7e4,Re4b1]} 8. Bg2 Be4 9. Nh4 Bxg2 (9... Bxb1 $2 10.
Bxa8 $11) 10. Nxg2 Bxd4 $17 {And Black has taken the d-pawn, a key actor for
White in this opening.}) 6... Be7 {Black likes the 5...Bb4+ 6.Bd2 Be7 maneuver
because he feels his Bishop on e7 makes much more sense than White's Bishop on
d2 which would be much better on b2.} 7. Nc3 O-O 8. Rc1 c6 9. e4 d5 {[#] White
has a big center but his King is still stuck in the middle so Black wants to
open central files if he can.} 10. e5 Ne4 11. Bd3 {It seems counterintuitive
from White. After g3 it seems like his Bishop belongs on g2 but Topalov
decides the piece can do more on d3.} Nxc3 12. Rxc3 {Sensing that it may be
possible to slide the Rook across the 3rd rank in front of the King later,
circumstances allowing.} c5 {Black is determined to open the center.} 13. dxc5
bxc5 14. h4 $1 {Topalov reveals that he may not castle at all. The master
tactician is ready for a sharp battle with his positionally inclined rival.} h6
15. Bb1 {[%CAl Rd1c2,Rc2h7] The beautiful thing about this subtle manuever is
that h6 is hanging if ...g6 is successfully provoked.} f5 {Trying to close
that dangerous diagonal.} 16. exf6 {This frees Black's center somewhat but
White needs to keep the b1-h7 diagonal open.} Bxf6 17. Qc2 $1 d4 (17... Bxc3
18. Bxc3 $18 {[%CAl Rc3g7,Rc2h7] Acceptance of the exchange sac only helps
White.}) 18. Ng5 {[%CAl Rc2h7,Rg5f7] The Knight must be eliminated immediately.
} hxg5 19. hxg5 $3 {[#] Having already sacrificed a Knight, White offers his
Rook. With his King sitting in the center and his Kingside pawns rushing at
the enemy we have to say Topalov is playing with some bravado.} dxc3 20. Bf4 {
[%CAl Rc2h7,Rh1h8] Preserving the Bishop is a good choice and f4 is a good
square. The Bishop is now raking through Black's Queenside which is where the
Black King will soon be forced to flee.} Kf7 {No time to save the Bishop. The
King does not even wait for his attackers. He's on his bike.} (20... Bxg5 $4
21. Rh8+ Kf7 22. Qg6+ Ke7 23. Qxg7+ Rf7 24. Qxg5+ Rf6 25. Rh7+ Kf8 26. Qg7+ Ke8
27. Rh8+ Rf8 28. Bg6#) (20... Bd4 21. Qg6 c2 22. Bxc2 Qa5+ 23. Kd1 $18 {
with Rh8+ and Qh7# soon to come.}) 21. Qg6+ {And a devastating attack is ready
to launched.} Ke7 22. gxf6+ Rxf6 23. Qxg7+ Rf7 24. Bg5+ Kd6 25. Qxf7 Qxg5 26.
Rh7 {[%csl Ra6,Ra8,Rb8] [#] Ponomariov is one of the best players in the world
and look at his pieces. The Knight and Rook haven't even moved and the Bishop
looks even more miserable.} Qe5+ 27. Kf1 Kc6 28. Qe8+ Kb6 29. Qd8+ {[#]} Kc6 {
The Black Queen is covering the crucial c7 square preventing #. But Topalov's
eye was never going to miss the nature of the overworked Black Queen. She is
protecting a second mating square which allows White to win with one final
sacrifice.} 30. Be4+ $1 {[#] The King has no flight squares. The Queen must
take or block the check. Nothing to do but resign.} 1-0
