In a recent interview, Toppy admitted that against Anand, he cannot afford to make the same mistakes he committed in his Sofia match against Gata Kamsky, which the Bulgarian nevertheless won. Anand, Toppy said, “will not forgive me.”
Asked if he could beat Anand in a match, Toppy said: “Frankly speaking, by comparing my play in the match with Kamsky and the level demonstrated by Anand in his match against Kramnik, one can say that this goes clearly in favor of Vishy, but I will be well prepared and I hope to capture his world champion title.”
A database on the two players’ head-to-head record indicated that Anand won 23 while losing 14 times to Toppy and drawing 48. Anand will be 40 in December while Toppy turned 34 last month. Anand is the more seasoned match player and his play is less erratic than his Bulgarian challenger. But Toppy is definitely hungrier and is getting better as a match player.
I’m rooting for him, but I must say Anand will be expected to retain his crown.
Game of the week. After their candidates match in Sofia, Topalov and Kamsky met again over the board, twice, in the Amber tourney last month in Bonn. Toppy beat Kamsky in their blindfold game, but the American GM got his revenge in their rapid game. IM Jack Peters annotates.
White: GM Veselin Topalov (2796)
Black: GM Gata Kamsky (2725)
Amber Rapid, Nice 2009
1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 a6 The Kan or Paulsen variation of the Sicilian Defense. 5 Bd3 Nf6 6 0-0 d6 7 c4 b6 8 Nc3 Bb7 Black chooses a Hedgehog formation, with little space but considerable potential for activity from…b6-b5 or…d6-d5. 9 a4!? Various Kingside buildups are more common. Be7 10 a5 By exchanging Black’s b-pawn before it can advance to b5, White gets an edge on the Queenside. Unfortunately, he pays less attention to the center. bxa5 11 Qa4+ Nbd7 12 Nb3 0-0 13 Nxa5 Qc7 Calm development generates counterplay. Black welcomes 14 Nxb7 Qxb7, threatening 15…Nc5. Then 15 b4?! Rfb8 16 Ba3 Ne5 17 Qc2 Rc8 helps only Black. 14 f3 Rab8 15 b4 Ba8 This Bishop will play an important role! The immediate 15…d5 is promising too. 16 Kh1 d5!? Making the position much too complicated for either player to calculate in a 25-minute game. Nevertheless, they will find most of the best moves intuitively. Also tempting is 16…Ne5 17 Be2 d5, as 18 c5 d4 19 Nb1 d3 drives White back. 17 c5 Qe5 18 Bd2 Qd4 19 Qc2 Ne5!? Speculating on his Kingside prospects. The exchange sacrifice 19…Rxb4 20 Ne2 Qxc5 21 Qxc5 Bxc5 22 Bxb4 Bxb4 gives Black ample compensation. 20 Bxa6 dxe4 21 Ne2 Qd8 22 f4 Sensibly rejecting the gain of the exchange by 22 Bf4?! exf3 23 gxf3 Nxf3 24 c6 Nh4 25 Rad1 Qb6 26 Bxb8 Rxb8, when White’s King is too exposed. Nf3! Thanks to the Bishop at a8, Black can still cause trouble on the long diagonal. 23 Bc3! Not 23 gxf3? exf3, as both 24 c6 fxe2 and 24 Nc3 f2+ 25 c6 Bxb4 favor Black. In the latter variation, Black threatens to capture either Knight so his Bishop or Queen can work on the a8-h1 diagonal. Ng4!? 24 c6 Shutting the long diagonal is most natural. The computer claims a White advantage after 24 Rad1 Qc7 25 Qa4, which is difficult to believe. Nfxh2 25 Rfd1 Again, White can snatch material by 25 Be5? Bxb4! 26 c7, but Black’s attack decides after 26 . . . Qh4 27 Kg1 Nxf1 28 cxb8Q Nfe3. Bd6 26 Be1 The other critical line begins 26 g3 Nf3 27 b5 Qb6. Black threatens 28…Qf2 and apparently forces 28 Bd4 Nxd4. I think Black has the advantage, but I cannot prove it. Qf6 27 Rxd6?? Losing. White could survive 27 Qc3! Qh6? 28 Qh3, but 27. . . e5 probably keeps an advantage for Black. Nf3! Relying on 28 gxf3 Qh6+ 29 Kg1 Qh2+ 30 Kf1 Ne3 mate. 28 Ng1 Nxe1 29 Qe2 If 29 Qd2, then 29…Qh4+ 30 Nh3 Qg3 31 Kg1 Nf3+ wins White’s Queen. Qxf4 30 g3 Qh6+, White Resigns. Topalov excels in wild positions, but Kamsky proved even more masterful.
Puzzler.
White — Qc2, Nd3, pawn on d5, Bd6, Re7, Kh3
Black — Bb2, Qc3, Re4, Nf3, Kh8, pawns on d7, f4
White to play and mate in two.
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