GM Topalov – GM Carlsen [D38]
24.01.2007
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 Bb4 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5 0-0 7.e3 c5 8.dxc5 Nbd7 9.Rc1 Qa5 10.a3 Bxc3+ 11.Rxc3 Ne4 12.b4 Nxc3 13.Qa1 Qa4 14.Qxc3 a5 15.b5 Nxc5 16.Qxc5 Be6 17.Qc1 Rfc8 18.Qa1 Qc2 19.Be2 Qc1+ 20.Qxc1 Rxc1+ 21.Bd1 Ra1 22.a4 Rc8 23.Nd4 Rc4 24.0-0 f6 25.Bf4 Bf7 26.h4 White wins 1-0
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GM Karjakin – GM Anand [B90]
24.01.2007
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e5 7.Nb3 Be6 8.Qd2 Nbd7 9.0-0-0 b5 10.f3 Be7 11.g4 0-0 12.g5 b4 13.Ne2 Ne8 14.h4 a5 15.Kb1 Nb6 16.Ng3 a4 17.Nc1 d5 18.Bxb6 Qxb6 19.exd5 Rd8 20.Bc4 Nc7 21.dxe6 Rxd2 22.exf7+ Kh8 23.Rxd2 Nb5 24.Bxb5 Qxb5 25.Nf5 Rxf7 26.Nxe7 Rxe7 27.Rd8+ Re8 28.Rhd1 Rg8 29.b3 a3 30.R1d5 Qf1 31.Rxg8+ Kxg8 32.Rxe5 Qxf3 33.Rc5 Qh1 34.Rc4 Qe1 35.Rf4 h5 36.gxh6 gxh6 37.Rg4+ Kf7 38.Rf4+ Kg6 39.Rg4+ Kf5 40.Rc4 h5 41.Rc5+ Kg4 42.Rc4+ Kf3 43.Rd4 Qe5 44.c3 Qh2 45.Rd3+ Ke4 46.Rd4+ Kf5 47.Nd3 Qd2 48.Rd5+ Kf6 49.c4 Qd1+ 50.Nc1 Qg4 51.Rd2 Qxh4 52.Nd3 Qd4 53.Kc2 h4 54.Nxb4 Qb2+ 55.Kd1 Qb1+ 56.Ke2 Qe4+ 57.Kd1 h3 58.Nd3 Qh1+ 59.Ke2 h2 60.Nf2 Qg2 61.Ke3 Ke7 62.Rd5 Black wins 0-1
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With those early draws Kramnik proves that he is an anti-player who is afraid to lose and does not risk because it is bad for his aura as a WC. An aura, which only he sees because for the chess community it is clear who the King is.
Sorry for posting this twice. Not intentional.
After two repeated posts, you sent a third to apologize? That makes sense…
About the early draws, it is normal for a player at this level, playing with black pieces, to be happy with a draw. For some reason the opponents of Kramnik accept the draw when they are white, that really shows who is the King.
If they dont accept the draw then KGB will kill them, mwhawhawha
But seriously, Kramnik play is disappointing. I know it’s OK for a player to get a draw with black. And I know that many players will be happy to draw against Kramnik. But they just agree to do that, they dont get the draw on the board. IMO, the 17 first moves is just because it would be too bad to agree the draw on the 1st move.
Double Bad Whammy
Not only did Magnus lose but Topalov won.
No end to hell on earth.
lp said:
For some reason the opponents of Kramnik accept the draw when they are white, that really shows who is the King.
The King? I didn’t know Elvis played chess 🙂
Just kidding.
Gabor
Kasparov was the King.
A real King also tries to win with black.
LP,
It is not normal for Kramnik to play a 17 move draw against a demoralized Carlsen.
Anand also showed several times he does not have the fire in the belly to be World Champion.
Topalov showed how to get it done.
>>With those early draws Kramnik proves that he is an anti-player who is afraid to lose >>
Yawn. Topalov lost the match. Get over it. Be satisfied knowing that he’s better than Kramnik as a tournament player, and get over the fact that he’s inferior head to head.
nuclear physics.
fix the typo. sorry on that.
Kramnik accepted the draw offer by Motylev – he did not offer the the draw by himself. only as noted in the margin… btw: Kramnik’s Petroff and Catalan have started to bother me …
Topalov impresses me a lot in these Corus days – he does not only play spectacular but successful attacking chess. very concentrated, no blunders – the good old Topalov. GREAT!
Anand has apparently recovered from his mysterious loss against the number #1. but to be honest, i expected the spectacular 55…h3!! 56.Rxb2 to yield a position, where a naked king with two simple side pawns, one on the a file, the other on the h file, will defeat an armada of three combined pawns, a rook, a knight and – of course – a king – what picturesque position – never ever seen in a real GM game – if i’m not wrong! but Anand decided to play the equivalent 55…Qb1+ and won this routinly …
greetings
>>Yawn. Topalov lost the match. Get over it. Be satisfied knowing that he’s better than Kramnik as a tournament player, and get over the fact that he’s inferior head to head.>>
Nobody mentioned that match.
Obviously it is you who must “get over it”.
I am repeating that funny joking letter and adding some comments.
“Let me ask the Topalov fans who keep criticizing Kramnik playing style. Do you understand brain surgery or neuclar physics. Then why dont you criticize the details of those professions. You do not understand chess. You are like the house painter criticizing da vince or rembrandt. You are simply unknowing. So keep your opinion to yourself. Stop acting like a know it all. You know nothing of top level chess.”
Chess are not nuclear physics, it is a Play. It is enough to see the games with comp assistance to estimate the playing qualities. Kramnik is like tennis base line player you can compare him with Tigran Petrosian on style of playing. He is nothing extraordinary. Do You play chess at all ?
” Kramnik has the perfect style for the World Champion. No one can beat him in a series of games over the board.”
The style is not perfect, WC has to fight with White and Black but Kramnik is the draw king.
Kramnik lost matches to Shirov and Kamsky, has not won the match against Topalov in normal time games. There are the facts.
Regards
P.
Guys, pls stop fighting, it is not civilized and childish
Both kramnik and topalov are extremely strong players, in my opinion they are the strongest in the world, they have different styles, i do not think one can say which one is a better player based on the last match’s result between them, topalov is better than kramnik at tournments, kramnik is better at matches (by his over all results against kasparov, leko, topa)
but i would still give slight plus for topalov for 2 reasons
1-being able to play different styles at tournments and win is remarkable (which is much better than just drawing your games, let alone 20-moves-draws type of games)
2-topalov in the match agains kramnik, did not lose badly, he was v close in beating him, take into account that fact that this was the 1st match for topalov against the more experienced kramnik, matchwise
from 1 and 2 i give topalov a + over kramnik
QED
With the result in all likelihood this will be final position. Anand still will be joint winner but sadly with losses against Kramnik and Topa
V. Topalov 9
V. Anand 9
V. Kramnik 8
T. Radjabov 8
R. Ponomariov 7.5
L. Aronian 7.5
P. Svidler 7.5
S. Karjakin 6.5
A. Motylev 6
D. Navara 5.5
L. van Wely 4.5
S. Tiviakov 4.5
M. Carlsen 4.5
A. Shirov 4
lol interesting predictions
i would love seeing that happens :p
here i’ll give you my impression of the beauty of chess: the following position is a side line from Karjakin – Anand today, which was not on the board – but it is beautiness pure… it is black to move – and it is black to win…
8/8/5k2/8/1NP5/pP5p/PR6/3K4 b – – 0 56
sincerly
PS: it is not our’s to decide this Topalov vs. Kramnik bullshit – it can not be our’s and this blog’s (greatly assisted by GM Susan Polgar) intension, to flame around like european soccer (football) prolls on pro or contra Kramnik or Topalov. these GM level chess guys receive and honor the million bucks check(s), not us!
Please, be aware of this fact!
sincerly
go Topalov go!!!!!
he rules!!! like always…..fantastic player…..Kramnik, who is??
Go Topalov!!!
Dario
I’m only ELO 2150,but after 13.Qa1
I knew young Carlsen had lost the game .I stopped watching than.
One more painful loss of the youngster in only two couples of moves.Clear indicate the youngster is still too weak for a 2700+ elite.
At least Karjakin fought bravely against Anand.I think Karjakin is stronger than Magnus at present.
@anonym 1.35: very intersting! and thank you!
since that match in Elista i’m searching for someone who can give me a detailed summary of this mate in three, missed by GM Topalov – i havn’t found it yet. Please, if you are in the knowledge, would you please have me – and other bloggers – take part on the “secrets of the three moves mate missed by Topalov”.
(no mate there – in my humble opinion)
wishful, Vohaul (be sure, i know the position by rote!)
Vohaul, you’re right no mate in 3 just a completely destructive combo that Kramnik must give up the queen and everything else….
Game 2…
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1430952
instead of 32. Qg6
32.Rxg4 Bg7 33.Qc7 Qf1+ 34.Ng1 Qg2+ 35.Rxg2 Rxg2 36.Kxg2
and now Kramnik is at -10 and can resign.
Topalov missed mate in 3 right after that with Rc7.
It was also reported he missed the as well.
Sorry 33.Qc7 given by anonymous is the correct sequence. Vlad has to give up his Queen to prevent mate. Topalov also missed a draw later on.
More rubbish from Topa fans about Elista. In game one Topalov overpressed gradually; sure he missed one saving opportunity but by then he was coming under pressure. Game two Topalov had a strong attack, possibly objectively decisive but absolutely unclear in practice; both players blundered horribly and thereafter Kramnik simply played the better. The next four games were draws in which only Kramnik ever pressed (in game three). Topalov won games eight and nine, nice games but he caught Kramnik both times in the opening, with a computer novelty in game eight and an idea suggested by his second in game nine. In game 10 Topalov blundered in a position where he was under pressure although certainly within the bounds of the draw. The last two games were even draws, and Kramnik won the rapids completely on merit – Kramnik is simply stronger at rapid. The further game in which Topalov ‘blundered in a won position’ does not exist.
It’s a fair point that Topalov’s lack of match experience probably cost him, but at the same time he lost not because of some outrageous fluke but because of much the same flaws in his game that he’s always had. When he did win, it was his trump card of computer-assisted opening preparation, rather than superior understanding of the game. These weaknesses are harder to disguise in matches, and if anyone is ever willing to play Topalov in one again after his absurd behaviour, it will be interesting to see if he overcomes them.
Kudos to the chap who said that Kramnik was like Tigran Petrosian (actually he is more like Smyslov, but anyway) and that he was nothing extraordinary. It’s not easy for Topalov supporters to find something more stupid to say than the usual stuff, but with this suggestion that Petrosian was not ‘something extraordinary’ I think we have managed to reach new depths.
I hate to talk to all those anonymous people. It’s not that hard picking up a screen name.
Anonymous said:
“When Topalov did win, it was his trump card of computer-assisted opening preparation, rather than superior understanding of the game.”
I read the same rap about Kasparov that his superiority was due to superior computer preparation. Topalov Chess is the New Chess. Tal like tactics based on deep Home preparation.
Chess Fans are grateful to Topalov that he is keeping Chess alive into the nex the next century.
Polo mateo, I rather agree about anonymity. Sometimes I sign my posts, but I forgot.
The difference with Kasparov was that he was a supreme exponent of opening preparation both before and after the computer era. And also that only the very foolish said that his superiority was solely due to opening preparation; he had an advantage in that area, but he was the best in most areas. There are few who would maintain that Kasparov didn’t have the best understanding of chess out there for much of his reign; on the other hand I think few GMs would suggest that Topalov has presently the deepest understanding out there.
I suspect that you are right, if not about Topalov keeping chess alive, certainly about his strengths being those that will be required more and more in future. Kramnik, with his distaste for computers and his preference for correct over speculative opening play, may well be a dinosaur, the last of his kind.
It’s a shame though that Topalov is behaving so disgustingly, and that Kramnik gets traduced by the ignorant on websites like this – not that he cares, I’m quite sure, but I prefer to see people treat great players with respect and make some effort to appreciate what they’re seeing, rather than the rubbish one reads on here (including from Susan, frankly).
Percy
Percy,
I agree that unlike Kasparov, Topalov is susceptible to blunder but he he is formidable when he keeps the blunders under control. What makes Topalov and Kasparov great is first and foremost their uncompromising Chess and fighting spirit.
By your own recap of the match, Topalov played the most exciting Chess while Kramnik just capitalized on three of his blunders. It is a shame that this Championship was decided by Rapid Games.
While it is regretable to see Topalov act as a puppet of Danailov, his actions were no more outrageous than any previous shenanigans of previous World Cup Contests. From Bronstein, to Fischer, to Karpov and Kortchnoi there has always been accusation of cheating, outside interference (Kortchnoi son held in the Gulag during his match with Karpov), Mind games, etc.