Anand,Viswanathan (2787) - Topalov,Veselin (2805) [A29]
WCC 2010 English Four Knights Sofia BUL (11) 09.05.2010 Annotated Stan Yee



1.c4 e5
Positions similar to a reversed Sicilian are common after this move.

2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3
Now there may be similarities to a reversed Accelerated Dragon.

4...d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.Bg2 Nb6
Immediately putting the Knight to safety, as White has a move in hand.

7.0-0 Be7 8.a3 0-0 9.b4
Normal would have been 9.d3, with a reversed Sicilian and a move in hand. Now the landscape changes.

9...Be6 10.d3 f6 11.Ne4 Qe8 12.Nc5
A Sicilian move in reverse. In the Sicilian Black plays ...Nc4, usually supported by ...Qc7. Here the recapture with the pawn hopes to reveal the weak b7 square.

12...Bxc5 13.bxc5 Nd5 14.Bb2
The Bishop is in the way here. Better may have been 14.Bd2.

14...Rd8
This Rook move is wrong. The Queenside pawns, especially b7 needs guarding.

15.Qc2 Nde7 16.Rab1 Ba2 17.Rbc1 Qf7 18.Bc3 Rd7 19.Qb2 Rb8
So it took three Rook moves to put Rooks on the b and d files. After 14.Rab8, ...Qf7 and ...Rfd8 it would have only taken two Rook moves.

20.Rfd1 Be6 21.Rd2
Hello, the White Bishop on c3 is trapped after 21...Nd5.

21...h6 22.Qb1 Nd5 23.Rb2 b6
Strange. I would have chopped the Bishop off the board.

24.cxb6 cxb6
Maybe 24...axb6 is better. [24...Nxc3 ?? 25.Rxc3 cxb6 26.Rxc6 loses a piece.]

25.Bd2 Rd6 26.Rbc2 Qd7 27.h4 Rd8 28.Qb5 Nde7 29.Qb2 Bd5 30.Bb4 Nxb4 31.axb4 Rc6 32.b5 Rxc2 33.Rxc2 Be6 34.d4
34.Nd2 followed by 36.Bc6 makes use of the "Catalan" Bishop.

34...e4 35.Nd2 Qxd4
35...f5 would have shut out the White Bishop.

36.Nxe4 Qxb2 37.Rxb2 Kf7 38.e3 g5 39.hxg5 hxg5 40.f4
40.Rc2 may be better. White now has weak dark squares.

40...gxf4 41.exf4 Rd4 42.Kf2 Nf5 43.Bf3 Bd5 44.Nd2 Bxf3 45.Nxf3 Ra4 46.g4 Nd6 47.Kg3 Ne4+ 48.Kh4 Nd6 49.Rd2
? 49.Kg3 maintains the balance. Now Vishy throws a pawn for nothing.

49...Nxb5 50.f5 Re4 51.Kh5 Re3 52.Nh4 Nc3 53.Rd7+ Re7 54.Rd3 Ne4 55.Ng6 Nc5
Trying to force off the Rooks.

56.Ra3
? [56.Nxe7 ! 56...Nxd3 57.Nc8 a5 58.Nxb6 Nb2 59.g5 a4 60.Kh6 fxg5 61.Nxa4 Nxa4 62.Kxg5 Draw.]

56...Rd7 57.Re3 Kg7 58.g5 b5 59.Nf4 b4 60.g6 b3 61.Rc3 Rd4 62.Rxc5 Rxf4 63.Rc7+ Kg8 64.Rb7 Rf3 65.Rb8+
Getting the draw the hard way. Not 65.Kh6?? Rh3 Mate.

65...Kg7 1/2-1/2