Guerrilla Attack

Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin – Veselin Aleksandrov Topalov
Candidates Tournament; Moscow, March 25, 2016
Sicilian Defence B90

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. h3 e6 7. g4 Nfd7 8. Be3 Be7 9. g5 b5 10. a3 Bb7 11. h4 0-0 12. Qd2 Nb6. Topalov’s escaping a bad memory: 12. ... Nc6 13. 0-0-0 Nxd4 14. Bxd4 Rc8 15. Rg1 Ne5 16. Qe3 Nc4 17. Bxc4 Rxc4 18. f4 Re8 19. f5 Bf8 20. f6 e5 21. Bb6 Qd7 22. fxg7 Bxg7 23. Bc5 Bf8 24. h5 Rxc3 25. bxc3 Re6 26. Bb4 Qc7 27. Qa7 Qc8 28. Rdf1 Be7 29. Rf6 Bxf6 30. gxf6+ Kf8 31. Qb6 Bc6 32. Rg8+ 1 : 0 Vallejo Pons – Topalov, 25th Torneo Magistral Ciudad de León, León 2012. 13. h5 N8d7 14. g6 Ne5 15. 0-0-0 Nbc4 16. Bxc4 Nxc4 17. Qe2 Rc8? Topalov immediately counterattacks, but more circumspect was 17. ... Bf6 with pretty unclear game.

18. h6! Very strong break-up of Black’s castled position. 18. ... fxg6. Black cedes the Exchange as after 18. ... hxg6 19. hxg7 Re8 20. Qf3 White’s attack will soon strike home. 19. Nxe6 Qd7 20. Nxf8 Bxf8 21. hxg7 Bxg7 22. Bd4 a5 23. Bxg7 Qxg7 24. Qg4 Re8 25. Qg5 Bc6 26. Qh6! Qh8 27. b3! Nxa3 28. Rh3 Bd7 29. Rg3 Qf6 30. Rh1. Even stronger was 30. Rdg1! Re6 31. f4 with an immediate win. 30. ... Re7 31. Qh4 Qg7. More tenacious is 31. ... Qxh4 32. Rxh4 Rf7, although after 33. f4 White should still win anyway. 32. Nd5! Rf7 33. Qd8+ Qf8 34. Qxa5 Nxc2 35. Qc3! 1 : 0.

Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin
Photo: Worldchess.com