Self-Portrait with a Straw Hat

Veselin Aleksandrov Topalov – Levon Grigori Aronian
4th Sinquefield Cup; Saint Louis, August 15, 2016
8/4k3/2K1p3/2R5/P1p1P3/8/2r2P2/8 w - - 2 50

The position in the diagram above (after 49. ... Rc3-c2) doesn’t leave doubts: it features a classic endgame, with referential value, which is easily winning for White. 50. Kb5 c3 51. Kb4 Rxf2 52. Rxc3 Kd6 53. Rc4 Rf8 54. a5 Rb8+ 55. Ka3? This is a very strange mistake on the part of Topalov, or maybe did he never study the ending ensuing from Kasparov – Karpov, Moscow 1984, World Chess Championship match game 6? His half step did not compromise anything yet, but it is conceptually wrong. Grandmaster Bachar Kouatly rightly recommends 55. Kc3! Ra8 56. Ra4 Ra6 57. Kb4 Kc6 58. Ra1 Kb7 59. Rh1 Rc6 60. Kb5 Rc2 61. Rh7+ Kb8 62. a6 Rb2+ 63. Kc6 Ra2 64. a7+ Ka8 65. Kd6 Ra6+ 66. Ke5 Rb6 67. Re7 Rb4 68. Rxe6 Kxa7 69. Rc6 Kb7 70. Rc1 Rb2 71. Ke6 Re2 72. e5 Re3 73. Kd6 Rd3+ 74. Ke7 Re3 75. e6 Re2 76. Kf7 Rf2+ 77. Ke8 Re2 78. e7 Re3 79. Rc4 Re2 80. Kd7 Rd2+ 81. Ke6 Re2+ 82. Kd6 Rd2+ 83. Ke5 Re2+ 84. Re4 and wins. 55. ... Ra8 56. Ka4 Ra7 57. Rd4+?? This is a beginner-like blunder, but otherwise Black could not have achieved a draw in a reliable way. 57. Kb4 Rb7+ 58. Kc3 was quite a simple way to win. 57. ... Kc5 58. Rd8 Rb7 59. Rc8+ Kd4 60. a6 Re7 61. Kb5 Kxe4 62. Rc4+ Kd3 63. Ra4 e5 64. Ra3+ Kd4. Of course! And, of course, what now follows is already theory, calling just for thought and memory. 65. a7 Rb7+ 66. Kc6 Rxa7 67. Rxa7 e4 68. Ra4+ Kd3 69. Kd5 e3 70. Ra3+ Kd2 71. Kd4 e2 72. Ra2+ Kd1 73. Kd3 e1=N+. The painting is embellished by the forced promotion of Black’s e-Pawn to a Knight to avoid mate. 74. Kc3 Nf3 75. Rf2 Ne1 76. Rd2+ Kc1 77. Rh2 Kd1 78. Rf2 Kc1 79. Rd2 Nf3 80. Rd5 Ne1 81. Rd8 Nf3 ½ : ½.

Hikaru Nakamura (standing) watching Topalov’s game
Photo: Lennart Ootes (@LennartOotes)