In a recent interview following his Linares triumph, it was noted that the Bulgarian “played quite surprisingly — recklessly, and even…in a ‘hooligan’ manner.” Clearly, Toppy didn’t want the champ to get a clearer picture of his, Veselin’s, ongoing preparations for their match.
Asked about the mano a mano in Sofia, Topalov noted that the head of the organizing committee is Bulgaria’s prime minister himself, and that the two players have already signed the contract. Toppy said he was willing to play in India and blamed Anand for not getting the required financial backers. “The world champion preferred to come to a ready made situation and even to present himself as a victim. Of course he does not want to play in Bulgaria…. We were ready to play in India, the entire match or half of it, but Anand ‘did not lift a finger’ to do something in this direction.”
Asked about Anand as a chess player, Topalov pointed out that the champ “is one of the greatest talents in the history of chess; he is now 40, and half of that time he is one of the strongest players in the world. However, I have to note that in Mexico, where Vishy won the world title, I did not participate due to the FIDE regulations.”
Toppy believes that in Sofia, it will be “psychologically” easier for Anand. “From me everyone awaits victory, while from him, nothing. If he loses, they’ll say: he played in a foreign country. And if he wins, he is a hero!”
Asked if there is no “plus” in his position, the Bulgarian replied: “My pluses — a ‘plus one,’ which I have in the classic games played with Anand, and ‘minus five,’ in the age. He is 40, I am 35.”
I’m rooting for Topalov, but I’ve to concede that Anand is the more seasoned match player.
Game of the week. The Informant’s latest publication, “The Greatest Tournaments 2001-2009,” is now available and it features the crosstables of each tourney and their best games as well as the most important theoretical novelties. There is also a selection of game fragments, the most beautiful combinations and endings.
Topalov is the star of this volume, winning 12 of the featured events. Here he is in a game against the now reigning world champ, who annotates it for the Informant.
White: V. Topalov (2778)
Black: V. Anand (2785)
Queen’s Indian Defense
Sofia 2005
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Ba6 5.b3 Bb4 6.Bd2 Be7 7.Nc3 c6 8.e4 d5 9.Qc2 de4 10.Ne4 Bb7 11.Neg5! [a novelty] c5 [11…h6 12.Nf7 Kf7 13.Ne5 Kg8 (13…Kf8 14.Bh3 Qd4 15.Ng6 Ke8 16.0-0 Qe4 17.Qe4 Ne4 18.Rfe1! c5 19.Bg2 Bf6 20.Re4!! Kd7 21.Re6 Bg2 22.Rf6 gf6 23.Nh8 and White is superior) 14.Bh3 Qd4 15.Be6 Kf8 16.Ng6 Ke8 17.0-0-0! Qa1 18.Qb1 Ba3 19.Kc2 Qb1 20.Kb1 and White is superior] 12.d5 (only move) ed5 13.cd5 h6 [13…Bd5 14.0-0-0 h6 15.Bc3 hg5 16.Bf6 gf6 17.Bc4 and White is superior] 14.Nf7 Kf7 15.0-0-0 Bd6 16.Nh4 Bc8 [16…Na6 17.Bc3!?; 17.Bh3 with attack] 17.Re1 Na6 [17…Re8 18.Bb5 Re7 19.Bc3!] 18.Re6! Nb4 [18…Nc7 19.Bc4 b5 20.Bc3! with attack] 19.Bb4 cb4 20.Bc4 b5 [20…Kg8 21.Nf5! Be6 22.de6 Be7 23.Rd1 Qf8 (23…Qc7 24.Rd7 and White is winning) 24.Rd7 Re8 25.Nh4 Nh7 26.Qg6 Ng5 27.f4 (27.Nf5 Nf3) b5 28.Nf5 bc4 (28…Rh7 29.Bd3! and White is winning) 29.Ng7 Rh7 30.Ne8 Kh8 31.Nc7 and White is slightly better; 28.Bd5!? and White is winning; 28.Bb5 and White is winning] 21.Bb5 Be7? [21…Kg8! 22.Bc4! Be6 23.de6 Be7 24.Rd1 Qe8 25.Rd7! and White is superior] 22.Ng6 (and White is winning) Nd5 23.Re7? [23.Re5 Bb7 24.Nh8 Qh8 25.Qf5 Bf6 26.Qe6 Kf8 27.Qe8! Re8 28.Re8 Kf7 29.Rh8 and White is winning] Ne7 24.Bc4 Kf6! 25.Nh8 Qd4 26.Rd1 Qa1 27.Kd2 Qd4 28.Ke1 Qe5 29.Qe2 Qe2 30.Ke2 (and White is superior) Nf5 31.Nf7a5 [31…Be6 32.Be6 Ke6 33.Nd8! and White is superior] 32.g4 Nh4 33.h3 Ra7 34.Rd6 Ke7 35.Rb6 (and White is winning) Rc7 36.Ne5 Ng2 37.Ng6 Kd8 38.Kf1 Bb7 39.Rb7 Rb7 40.Kg2 Rd7 41.Nf8 Rd2 42.Ne6 Ke7 43.Ng7 Ra2 44.Nf5 Kf6 45.Nh6 Rc2 46.Bf7 Rc3 47.f4 a4 48.ba4 b3 49.g5 Kg7 50.f5 b2 51.f6 Kh7 52.Nf5 and 1-0.
Puzzler.
White — Ka4, Ba6, Nb8, Nc6, Qc1, pawns on e3 and h4
Black — Kd5, Nd6, Rf7, Bh7, Rh3, pawns on b3, c4, c7, d4, e6 and f3
White to play and mate in four.
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