Anand,Viswanathan (2787) - Topalov,Veselin (2805) [E04]
WCC 2010 Catalan Sofia BUL (6) 01.05.2010 Annotated Stan Yee



1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3 dxc4 5.Bg2 a6 6.Ne5 c5 7.Na3
Sacrificing the d4 pawn, maybe 7.Be3 was better.

7...cxd4 8.Naxc4 Bc5 9.0-0 0-0 10.Bg5
An improvement over Game 2, which went 10.Bd2 Nd5.

10...h6 11.Bxf6
?! Why give up the Bishop? Having provoked a weakness, the Bishop should now withdraw with 11.Bd2, and threaten 12.b4.

11...Qxf6 12.Nd3 Ba7 13.Qa4
13.Na5 wins the pawn back, but Black is left with the initiative. [13.Na5 Qe7 14.Qb3 Nc6 15.Nxc6 bxc6 16.Ne5 Bb7 17.Nxc6 Bxc6 18.Bxc6 Rab8 19.Qd3 Rxb2 20.Qxa6 Rb6 21.Qa4 ]

13...Nc6
! Wisely offering the pawn back, so he can untangle himself. [13...b5 14.Qc2 bxc4 15.Qxc4 ]

14.Rac1 e5 15.Bxc6 b5
! Sacrificing most of his pawns after 16.Bxb5 axb5 17.Qxb5 e4 18.Nde5 d3! 19.exd3 Bh3 and the Bishops come to life.

16.Qc2
?! Should have taken up the challenge with 16.Bxb5.

16...Qxc6 17.Ncxe5 Qe4 18.Qc6 Bb7 19.Qxe4 Bxe4 20.Rc2 Rfe8 21.Rfc1 f6 22.Nd7 Bf5 23.N7c5 Bb6 24.Nb7 Bd7 25.Nf4 Rab8 26.Nd6 Re5 27.Nc8 Ba5 28.Nd3 Re8 29.Na7
?! Trapping his own Knight.

29...Bb6 30.Nc6 Rb7
?! 30...Bxc6 31.Rxc6 Rxe2 wins a pawn.

31.Ncb4 a5 32.Nd5 a4 33.Nxb6 Rxb6 34.Nc5 Bf5 35.Rd2 Rc6 36.b4 axb3 37.axb3 b4
This drops a pawn, but gains the initiative. The idea is to stop the creation of a Knight outpost with 38.b4, and swap the d4 and b4 pawns for the e2 pawn, then pressure the b3 pawn with the Rooks and get the Bishop to h3 to create back rank threats.

38.Rxd4 Rxe2 39.Rxb4 Bh3 40.Rbc4 Rd6 41.Re4 Rb2 42.Ree1 Rdd2 43.Ne4 Rd4 44.Nc5 Rdd2 45.Ne4 Rd3 46.Rb1 Rdxb3 47.Nd2 Rb4 48.f3 g5 49.Rxb2 Rxb2 50.Rd1 Kf7 51.Kf2 h5 52.Ke3 Rc2 53.Ra1 Kg6 54.Ra6 Bf5 55.Rd6 Rc3+ 56.Kf2 Rc2 57.Ke3 Rc3+ 58.Kf2 Rc2 1/2-1/2