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09/26/2006 Archived Entry: " Tablas en la tercera partida"

Hace minutos finalizò la 3ra partida del match "Kramnik-Topalov" para reunificar el tìtulo mundial de ajedrez. Fue tablas tras 38 jugadas de una Apertura Catalana. Partida 3 con anàlisis Web oficial Partida 3, comentada por GM rusos

VISITA TWIC, con cobertura del mundial
http://www.chesscenter.com/twic/twic.html

Kramnik,Vladimir (2743) - Topalov,Veselin (2813) E02
WCh Elista (3), 26.09.2006
[IM Malcolm Pein and James Coleman]

1.d4 Nf6 Topalov should not be too down-hearted he has after all had two great positions in the

match so far. However conventional match strategy dictates that Kramnik should try and kick his man

while he is down. 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3 dxc4 5.Bg2 Nc6 [5...Bb4+ 6.Bd2 a5 7.Qc2 Game 1] 6.Qa4

Kramnik undoubtedly wants to avoid messy lines where Black keeps the c4 pawn and so Nc6-a5 has to be

considered a potential threat. This rules it out. 6...Bd7 7.Qxc4 Na5 8.Qd3 [8.Qc2 is not so good

8...Rc8 intending ...c5 and the Q is not well placed on c2.] 8...c5 9.0-0 Bc6 10.Nc3 cxd4 11.Nxd4

Following Tkachiev-Solozhenkin France 2000, note that there was a Tkachiev game in the theory of the

first game 11...Bc5 Now 12.Rd1 Bxg2 13.Qb5+! was the Tkachiev game [11...Bxg2 12.Kxg2 Qd7 13.Rd1 Bc5

14.Bg5+/= the Na5 is poor and White is better developed] 12.Rd1 Bxg2 13.Qb5+ Nd7 14.Kxg2 a6 Still

following the aforementioned Tkachiev game, which White won in 33 moves. Where will Topalov unleash

an improvement? [14...0-0?? would of course be a disastrous blunder 15.Nf3 wins the knight] 15.Qd3 #

If Black can solve the problem of his knight he should be fine. What he wants to avoid is putting it

back on c6 when it can be captured leading to isolated queenside pawns [15.Qd3 Rc8 16.Bg5! Qxg5

17.Nxe6!+/- Ne5 18.Nxg5 Nxd3 19.Rxd3] 15...Rc8 In the cold light of day 16. Bg5 can be met by Be7

but it still looks like a small edge. [15...Be7 16.Bf4!+/= Tkachiev-Solozhenkin in view of 16...e5

17.Nf5 exf4 18.Nxg7+ Kf8 19.Qxd7; There is some concealed venom here in this Bg5 idea 15...Rc8

16.Bg5 Be7 17.Ne4 Bxg5 18.Nd6+ Ke7 19.Nxc8+ Qxc8 20.Qa3++-] 16.Bg5 Be7 [16...Ne5 is an interesting

idea which doesn't work: 17.Bxd8 Nxd3 18.Bxa5 Nxb2 19.Rdb1 Bxd4 20.Rxb2 b6 21.Bxb6! Bxc3 22.Rc2 and

White wins.; 16...Be7 17.Ne4 Ne5 (17...Nc4! 18.Bxe7 Qxe7 19.b3 Nde5 20.Qb1 Na3 21.Qb2 0-0 22.Rac1

and the knight still looks like a liability) 18.Bxe7 Qxe7 (18...Nxd3 19.Bxd8 Rxd8 20.Rxd3+-) 19.Nf5!

Nxd3 20.Ned6+ Kf8 21.Nxe7+/-] 17.Bxe7 More interesting was 17 Ne4. The immediate exchange on e7

seems to help Topalov. 17...Qxe7 18.Rac1 Nc4 19.Na4 [There are still some traps to avoid, such as

19.Na4 b5 (19...Nde5 20.Qe4 0-0 21.b3 f5 also seems better for White.) 20.b3 Ndb6?? Simply 20...0-0

or 20...Nde5 are OK 21.Nxb6 Nxb6 22.Rxc8+ Nxc8 23.Nc6] 19...b5 20.b3 0-0 wisely accepting doubled a

pawns in order to finish his development. 21.bxc4 bxa4 22.Nc6 Rxc6 23.Qxd7 Kramnik has a safe edge,

its not altogether surprising he went for this he retains winning chances even after 23...Qc5,

keeping the queens on Black is still OK maybe then Qb7 idea Rd7 [23.Qxd7 Qxd7 24.Rxd7 Rfc8 25.Rb7

Kf8 (25...f6 26.Rb4 a3 27.Rc3+/=) 26.Rd1 R8c7 27.Rxc7 Rxc7 28.Rc1] 23...Qc5 24.Rc3 Preparing Rb1 and

eyeing a3 should the a4 pawn go there also Rf3 may be useful one day 24...g6 25.Rb1 h5 26.Rb7 e5

Typically active defence he wants to play Rf6 attacking f2 27.e4 Now Qd5 is a possibility 27...Rf6

28.Rc2 Qa3 Going for counterplay but freeing the c4 pawn and so a double edged move 29.Qd1 Rd6 Now

just Rd2 and Black must probably avoid exchanges 30.Rd2 Rfd8 [30...Rf6 31.Rc7 intending c4-c5]

31.Rd5! The benefits of 27.e4 come to fruition. Black now looks to be teetering on the brink of a

3-0 deficit in the match, which would surely be decisive, even at this early stage. 31...Rxd5

32.cxd5 [32.exd5 with two passed pawns was the more ambitious way to play, however with a clear lead

in the match Kramnik sees no reason to take even the slightest risk.] 32...Qxa2 33.Qf3 Rf8 34.Qd3

Black has some hidden resources ! [34.Qf6 Qa1! 35.Qxa6 Qd4=; 34.Qc3 Qe2 35.Qxe5 a3 looks double

edged; 34.Qd3 a3 35.Rb3 f5!! 36.Rxa3 fxe4!-/+] 34...a3 35.Rb3 f5!! 36.Qxa6 Qxb3 37.Qxg6+ Kh8 38.Qh6+

Kg8 An impressive save from Topalov, he is on the scoreboard ! 1/2-1/2

Kramnik and Topalov Re-unification match

Kramnik and Topalov to play re-unification match. (FIDE :http://www.fide.com/news.asp?id=978 There

will be a 12 game reunification match between Vladimir Kramnik and Veselin Topalov in Elista.

Each player will receive 500,000 USD net from FIDE and in addition certain revenues from possible

commercial sponsorships. The winner goes to the WCC tournament 2007, the loser has to wait for the

next cycle. The games will be played under classical time control (120 minutes for the first 40

moves, 60 minutes for the next 20 moves and then 15 minutes for the rest of the game plus an

additional 30 seconds per move starting from move 61). Possible Tiebreak: 4 games of rapid chess

(25min+10sec), then 2 blitz games (5min+10sec), then sudden death (6min/5min) with white to win.

Dates: Open Ceremony 21st September 2006, 7.00 p.m. Play on: 23rd, 24th, 26th, 27th, 29th, 30th

September, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 8th, 10th and 12th (tie-breaks) October 2006. Closing ceremony 13th

October 2006.