Hey! Say! JUMP

Hikaru Nakamura – Veselin Aleksandrov Topalov
Candidates Tournament; Moscow, March 19, 2016
Queen’s Gambit Declined D12

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 Bf5 5. Nc3 e6 6. Nh4 Bg6 7. Nxg6 hxg6 8. Rb1 Nbd7 9. c5 a5 10. a3 Be7. For 10. ... e5 11. b4 axb4 12. axb4 Qc7 13. f4 exf4 14. exf4 Be7 15. Be2 Nf8 16. 0-0 Ne6 17. g3 Qd7 18. Qd3 Ne4 see Topalov – Kramnik, Elista 2006, World Chess Championship match game 11. 11. g3 e5 12. Bg2 e4 13. b4 axb4 14. axb4 Nf8 15. b5 Ne6 16. Bd2 0-0 17. Na4 Ng5 18. h4 Nf3+ 19. Bxf3 exf3 20. bxc6 bxc6 21. Nc3

21. ... Bxc5!? Quite an interesting sacrifice. 22. dxc5 d4 23. exd4 Qxd4. Black has only a Pawn for the sacrificed Bishop, but fortunately for him, his lively play provides sufficient compensation. 24. 0-0 Qg4 25. Re1 Rfd8 26. Rb2 Rd4. 26. ... Rd3 27. Re3 leads nowhere. 27. Re7 Rad8 28. Qb3 Rf8 29. Qd1 Rfd8 30. Qb3 Rf8 31. Nd1 Nd5. Also 31. ... Qf5 32. Re3 Rfd8 33. Rxf3 Qxc5 would have given Black good play. 32. Re5 Kh7? Topalov misses 32. ... Ra8! and if 33. Kh2 then 33. ... Rxd2! 34. Rxd2 Nf4! 35. Kg1 Ne2+ 36. Kh2 Nf4 drawing by repetition. 33. Kh2 Nf6. It worsens matters, but it’s not easy to suggest good moves. 34. Be3 Rb8 35. Qxb8 Rxd1 36. Rb1 Qd7 37. Rg5! Ne4 38. Rxd1 Qxd1 39. Qf4 1 : 0. Topalov evidently is not in good form.

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Hikaru Nakamura vs. Veselin Aleksandrov Topalov
Photo: Worldchess.com