Jet lag

Veselin Aleksandrov Topalov – Pyotr Veniaminovich Svidler
4th Sinquefield Cup; Saint Louis, August 5, 2016
Spanish Game C84

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 0-0 8. a4 b4 9. d3 d6 10. a5 Be6 11. Bxe6!? fxe6 12. Nbd2 d5. For 12. ... Nd7 13. c3 Bf6 see Parma – Sanguinetti, Mar del Plata 1962. 13. c3 Bd6 14. d4 bxc3 15. bxc3 exd4 16. cxd4 dxe4 17. Nxe4 Bb4 18. Bd2 Nxe4 19. Rxe4 Qd5 20. Bxb4 Qxe4 21. Bxf8 Rxf8 22. Rc1 h6 23. Qd2 Rb8 24. Qe3 Qd5 25. h3

25. ... Rb4?? A blunder which loses a piece. “It felt like he’s still in jetlag”, then Topalov said. Apparently 25. ... Nxa5 26. Rxc7 Rb1+ 27. Kh2 Qd6+ 28. Qe5 Qxe5+ 29. dxe5 Rb7 would have given Black drawing chances. 26. Qc3 Nxd4 27. Qxb4 Ne2+ 28. Kh1 1 : 0. For after 28. ... Nxc1 29. Qb8+ Kh7 (29. ... Kf7 30. Qxc7+) 30. Qb1+ Nd3 31. Ne1 White remains a Knight ahead. “I have lost many games with stupid mistakes, so it’s nice to receive sometimes”, Topalov finally said.

Veselin Aleksandrov Topalov (R.) vs. Pyotr Veniaminovich Svidler (L.)
Photo: Silvio Danailov (@SilvioDanailov)