by Joel Benjamin

Veselin Topalov-Garry Kasparov [B30]
Linares 2005
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 e5 4.Bc4 d6 5.d3 Be7 6.0-0 Nf6 7.Nh4!?

This move also prepares f2-f4, but White can try for a central phalanx with a preparatory g2-g3. It seems a bit slow and the knight is awkward on h4, but the unexpected nature of this move argues for its use in this particular game. Kasparov no doubt knew 7.Ng5 like the back of his hand, and could have anticipated it from Topalov (you may have noticed his name has popped up here a few times).

7...Nd4

Black could try to exploit the hanging knight with 7...Nxe4. After 8.Nxe4 Bxh4 9.Qh5 d5 (9...0-0? 10.Bg5 wins) 10.Bxd5 Qxd5 11.Qxh4 with some advantage to White. Unfortunately, Black can do much better with 8...d5!

IT'S NOT CHECKERS, HE DOESN'T HAVE TO TAKE

This seems to give Black the edge. White can try instead 8.dxe4 Bxh4 9.Qh5 (9.Nb5 Be7 10.Bg5 Nd4 holds the pawn) 9 0-0 10.Nd5. My computer seems to like this but I think White's comp is a bit nebulous. What did Topy have in mind?

Kasparov could have plausibly castled here, but somehow he never got around to it!

8.g3 Bg4 9.f3 Be6 10.Bg5 Ng8 11.Bxe7 Nxe7 12.f4 exf4 13.Bxe6 fxe6

13...Nxe6 14.gxf4 leaves White with a dynamic position.

14.Rxf4 Kd7

A COOL WAY TO CONNECT THE ROOKS

15.Nf3 Rf8 16.Rxf8 Qxf8 17.Nxd4 cxd4 18.Ne2 Qf6 19.c3 Rf8

Kasparov pitches a pawn to prevent a White initiative. 19...dxc3 20.Qa4+ Nc6 21.Rf1 Qg5 22.Nxc3 Qe3+ 23.Kg2 Qd2+ 24.Rf2 Qxd3 25.Rf7+ Ke8 26.Rxb7 Qd2+ 27.Kf1 Rc8 28.Qd1 Qxd1+ 29.Nxd1 would lead to a White edge.

20.Nxd4 Nc6 21.Qf1

Topalov also values the initiative. After 21.Nxc6 Qf2+ 22.Kh1 Kxc6 white would be too tied down to win.

KING GAME LIKE KNIGHT GAME, KINGO BINGO

21...Qxf1+!?

Kasparov makes a bold decision to enter the pawn ending. It may well be a draw, but only with exact play! Instead 21...Nxd4 22.Qxf6 Rxf6 23.cxd4 Rf3 24.Rd1 g5 would produce enormous technical difficulties for White.

22.Rxf1 Rxf1+ 23.Kxf1 Nxd4 24.cxd4 d5

I think Black needs to avoid this move, which gives White's king an invasion route.

25.Kf2 Ke7 26.Kf3 Kf6 27.h4 g6 28.b4 b5 29.Kf4 h6 30.Kg4

Not 30.g4?? g5+ with a fortress--though Fritz tells me White is still winning! Here Kasparov resigned in view of 30...Kf7 31.h5 Kf6 (31...g5 32.exd5 exd5 33.Kf5 +-) 32.hxg6 Kxg6 33.Kf4 Kf6 34.g4 and Black is in zugswang. 1-0.

Topalov's 7.Nh4 has not been repeated, but lately grandmasters have tried a different strategy for White. The cutting edge is represented by a very recent game between two young superstars.

Alexander Morozevich-Teimur Radjabov [B30]
Biel 2006
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 e5 4.Bc4 Be7 5.d3 Nf6 6.0-0 d6 7.h3

White eschews the f2-f4 break and plays slow moves instead. The strategy will involve occupying the d5-square followed by breaking with b2-b4 or d3-d4.

A more direct but more committal attempt is 7.Bg5. White succeeded beyond his wildest dreams in Anand-Leko, Dortmund 2004 7...0-0 8.Bxf6 Bxf6 9.Nd5 Bg5 10.a3 b6 11.b4 Bh6 12.c3 Ne7 13.bxc5 bxc5 14.Rb1 Kh8? 15.Nxe7 Qxe7 16.Bd5 and White won the Exchange. The control of the open b-file already gave White an edge without the blunder.

HOW EMBARRASSING!

Black fared better in Balogh-Timofeev, Eur. Team Ch. Gothenburg 2005: 7...0-0 8.Bxf6 Bxf6 9.Nd5 Bg5 10.c3 Bh6 11.a3 a6! 12.b4 b5 13.Bb3 Be6 14.h3 Kh8 with equality.

White can initiate similar play with 7.a3 or 7.Bd2.

7 0-0 8.a3 a6 9.Ba2 b5

In Kramnik-van Wely, 9...Be6 10.Nd5 Be6 11.Ne3 left White a bit better, and a lot better after 11...Bxa2 12.Rxa2 d5? 13.exd5 Nxd5 14.Nxe5! Nxe3 15.fxe3 Qd5 16.Nc4 b5 17.b3.

10.Nd5 a5!?

Radjabov clamps down on Whites' b2-b4 while gaining space on the queenside, looking to bottle up the a2-bishop.

11.c3 a4 12.d4 c4 13.Re1 Re8 14.Nxe7+ Qxe7 15.Bg5 h6 16.Bh4 Bb7 17.Bb1 Na5 18.Bc2 Nb3 19.Rb1

You may notice that this position, like some other games cited above, resembles a Closed Ruy Lopez. After a bit more maneuvering, the position exploded. Somehow, it managed to last 92 moves. I'll leave you all to work on the rest with your computers.

19...Qe6 20.Bg3 Rad8 21.Re3 Nh5 22.Bh4 Rd7 23.d5 Qg6 24.Kh2 Bc8 25.Ng1 Rc7 26.Ne2 Nf4 27.Nxf4 exf4 28.Re1 Re5 29.Qf3 f5 30.Qxf4 Rf7 31.Bg3 fxe4 32.Qh4 Rg5 33.Rxe4 Kh7 34.Rbe1 Nc5 35.f4 Rxd5 36.Qd8 Rd2 37.Qxc8 Rxc2 38.Re8 Qf5 39.Rh8+ Kg6 40.Qg8 Kh5 41.Qe8 Qd7 42.Qe3 Qf5 43.Qf3+ Kg6 44.Qc6 Ne6 45.Rd1 Rxb2 46.Rxd6 Re7 47.Re8 Kf7 48.Rxe7+ Kxe7 49.Qd7+ Kf6 50.Bh4+ g5 51.fxg5+ hxg5 52.Qd8+ Kg6 53.Qg8+ Kf6 54.Bxg5+ Ke5 55.Rd2 Rxd2 56.Bxd2 Qd3 57.Be1 Qe3 58.Bg3+ Kf6 59.Bh4+ Ke5 60.Qb8+ Ke4 61.Qxb5 Qxc3 62.Qc6+ Ke5 63.Qxa4 Nd4 64.Qe8+ Kd5 65.Qd7+ Ke4 66.Qh7+ Nf5 67.Qb7+ Ke5 68.Qb5+ Ke6 69.Qc6+ Nd6 70.Bg3 Qxa3 71.h4 Qd3 72.h5 Qd5 73.Qxd5+ Kxd5 74.Bf4 c3 75.g4 c2 76.Kg3 Ne4+ 77.Kf3 Nf6 78.Bd2 Ke6 79.Kf4 Nd5+ 80.Kg5 Nf6 81.Bc1 Kf7 82.Kf5 Nd5 83.g5 Ne7+ 84.Ke5 Nc6+ 85.Ke4 Ne7 86.Kf3 Ke6 87.Kg4 Kf7 88.Bb2 Ke6 89.g6 Ng8 90.Kg5 Nf6 91.h6 Ne4+ 92.Kh4, 1-0.

3...e5 offers Black a solid but often uninspiring position. White can try for an edge in the well-traveled lines of 7.Ng5. Black is more or less holding his own, but a well-prepared White player can be optimistic (and you are pretty well-prepared if you read this article).

White can play quietly a la the Ruy Lopez (7.h3) with play suited to maneuvering types. In any case, Sveshnikov aficionados have not gotten their way.

Peace. GM Joel out.