The Breakthrough

Magnus Carlsen – Veselin Aleksandrov Topalov
5th Gashimov Memorial; Şəmkir, April 26, 2018
English Opening A28

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e5 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. e3 Bb4 5. Qc2 Bxc3 6. bxc3 d6 7. e4 0-0 8. g3 Ne8 9. Nh4 Ne7 10. d3!? Certainly no one could seriously expect Carlsen to follow Mihai Șubă’s footsteps: 10. Qb3 Rb8 11. d4? c5! 12. dxc5? dxc5 13. Qa3 b6 14. Qxa7 Bb7 15. f3 Bxe4! 16. Qa4 Bd3 17. Bg5 Bxf1 18. Rd1 Bd3 19. Bxe7 Qxe7 20. Rxd3 Nd6 21. 0-0 Ra8 22. Qb3 b5! with great advantage to Black, Șubă – Komarov, 43rd Romanian Team Chess Championship, Sovata 1998. 10. ... f5 11. exf5 Nxf5 12. Nxf5 Bxf5 13. Bg2 c6 14. h3 Nc7 15. 0-0 Ne6 16. Be3 Nc5 17. Rad1 Qd7 18. Kh2 Bg6 19. Rd2 Rae8 20. Qd1 b6 21. Re1 h6 22. Bxc5 dxc5. 22. ... bxc5!? might have been sounder. 23. Re3 Re6 24. Kg1 Rd6 25. h4 Rd8 26. Rxe5 Bxd3 27. Be4

27. ... Bxc4? This is a strange decision on Topalov’s part, who seems to have believed that Black could somehow establish a fortress. Stockfish’s 27. ... Kf8 28. Qf3+ Kg8 29. Bxc6 Qxc6 30. Qxc6 Rxc6 31. Rd5 Rxd5 32. cxd5 Rd6 33. Rxd3 b5 appears to lead to a drawish 3 vs. 2 Pawns on the same side Rook endgame. 28. Rxd6 Qxd6 29. Re8+ Rxe8 30. Qxd6 Rxe4 31. Qxc6 Re1+ 32. Kh2 Bxa2 33. g4. Carlsen denies Black any possible Rook + Pawn fortress set-ups, and finishes the game with great elegance. If, instead, 33. Qa8+ Kh7 34. Qxa7 there might follow 34. ... Re2 35. Qxb6 Rxf2+ and Black could still hope for survival. 33. ... Kh7 34. f4 h5 35. f5 hxg4 36. h5 Bf7 37. Qb7 Kg8 38. Qxa7 Bxh5 39. Qxb6 c4 40. Qd8+ Be8 41. Kg3 Kh7 42. Qc7 Kg8 43. Qxc4+ Bf7 44. Qd4 Re8 45. c4 Rf8 46. c5 Be8 47. Qd5+ Kh7 48. Qe6 Bb5 49. c6 Bxc6 50. Qg6+ Kg8 51. Qxc6 Rf6 52. Qe8+ Kh7 53. Kxg4 Rh6 54. Kf4 Rf6 55. Ke5 Rh6 56. Qe6! 1 : 0.

Magnus Carlsen (standing) and Veselin Aleksandrov Topalov (seated) shaking hands. Photo: Jeroen van den Berg (@Jvdbergchess).

The Game in Reverse

Mis-fits, pink and red — AnOther Magazine, spring/summer 2017. Photo: Mark Peckmezian.

Pray, Edna, let him enjoy his joyful moment rather than continually warning him about the risks of falling into Cruella’s royal cathedral train

No Capes! T-Shirt by Raffiti | Credit: TeePublic

Briefly Told

Fabiano Caruana – Varuzhan Eduardovich Akobian
62th U.S. Chess Championship; Saint Louis, April 25, 2018
French Defence C11

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6. Nf3 Be7 7. Be3 Nc6 8. Qd2 b6 9. Bb5 Qc7 10. 0-0-0!? A novelty, but only to a certain extent. 10. h4 0-0 11. 0-0-0 a6 may eventually transpose into 12. Bd3 f5?! (12. ... cxd4 13. Nxd4 Nc5) 13. g4! c4 14. gxf5! cxd3 15. fxe6 Ndb8 (15. ... Ndxe5!? 16. Nxe5 Bxe6) 16. Nxd5 Qd8 17. Nxe7+ Nxe7 18. Ng5 h6 19. Qxd3! hxg5 20. hxg5 Bxe6 21. Qh7+ Kf7 22. d5 Bf5 (Kramnik – Buhmann, 44th Sparkassen Chess Meeting, Dortmund 2016) and now, according to the elaborate analysis of Alexey Borisovich Yarovinsky, 23. g6+! gave White excellent prospects for a win. 10. ... a6 11. Bxc6 Qxc6 12. f5! Caruana is uncovering a great number of his “secret weapons”, and also Akobian gets entangled into the web of a short story. 12. ... c4

13. f6! This could be the point where a story teller must not ask computer what is real and what is makebelieve. So, while Stockfish is still absorbed into the analysis of 13. Bg5 Bb4 14. g4 h6 15. Bh4 b5, Caruana doesn’t hesitate to give up a Pawn just for the sake to open the f-file. 13. ... gxf6 14. exf6 Bxf6. Clearly not 14. ... Nxf6?? because of 15. Ne5 followed by Rh1-f1 and Be3-g5. 15. Rhf1 b5? Rather than worrying about his opponent’s threats, Akobian immediately launches himself into a counterattack on White’s castled King, thus giving Caruana’s intentions a complete fulfillment. Whether for the good or for the bad, Black ought to have played 15. ... Be7 16. Ne5 Nxe5 17. dxe5 Bd7 18. Qf2 0-0-0 19. Bxb6 Rdf8(!). 16. Qf2! Her Majesty takes over the f-file. 16. ... b4 17. Ne2! 17. Ne4! dxe4 18. Ne5! is also very strong, but not necessary. The text simply threatens Nf3-e5 with devastating effect. Black has no good moves, for if, for instance, 17. ... Bg7 then 18. Ng3! intending both Ng3-h5 and Nf3-e5, so Akobian tries a desperate gamble: 17. ... b3!? But, of course, White goes straight to the goal: 18. Ne5! Bxe5. No better is 18. ... bxa2 19. Nxc6 a1=Q+ 20. Kd2 Qxb2 21. Rb1 Qa3 22. Ne5! with an easy win. 19. Qxf7+ Kd8 20. dxe5 bxa2 21. Kd2 Rf8 22. Qxh7 Rxf1 23. Rxf1 d4 24. Qg8+ Kc7 25. Nxd4 Qd5 26. Qxe6 Qa5+ 27. c3 Nxe5 28. Rf7+! Nxf7 29. Bf4+ Kb7 30. Qxf7+ 1 : 0.

Fabiano Caruana (left) vs. Varuzhan Eduardovich Akobian (right). Photo: Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis (@STLChessClub).

Mirage

Anish Giri – David Navara
5th Gashimov Memorial; Şəmkir, April 25, 2018
Caro-Kann Defence B12

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. Nf3 e6 5. Be2 c5 6. Be3 Qb6 7. Nc3 Nc6 8. Na4 Qa5+ 9. c3 cxd4 10. Nxd4 Nxd4 11. Bxd4 Ne7 12. 0-0. If 12. Nc5 then 12. ... Qc7 13. g4 Bg6 14. f4 Nc6 15. 0-0 Nxd4 16. cxd4 Bxc5 17. Rc1 0-0 18. Rxc5 Qd7 19. Qb3 Be4 20. Rfc1 Rac8= Vachier-Lagrave – So, 2nd Gashimov Memorial, Şəmkir 2016. 12. ... Nc6 13. b4 Qc7 14. Rc1 Be7 15. g4!? Theory changes continuously. A recent game ran as follows: 15. b5 Nxd4 16. cxd4 Qa5 17. Nc5 0-0!? 18. Nxb7 Qxa2 19. Bd3 Bxd3 20. Qxd3 Rfc8? (better was 20. ... Rab8 in order to reply 21. Rc7 with 21. ... Bb4 22. Rfc1 Ba5) 21. Rc6!± Bok – Saltaev, 37th SchachBundesliga, Bremen 2018. 15. ... Be4 16. f3 Bg6 17. f4 Be4 18. Nc5 a5!? 19. Be3! axb4? The opening of the c-file will soon prove to be much more dangerous for Black than the a-file for White. 20. cxb4 Ra3 21. Bf2 Bxc5 22. Bxc5 Rxa2

23. b5? 23. Ra1 Rxa1 24. Qxa1 Kd7 25. Qa4 seems a more straightforward way of putting Black in a terrible bind. 23. ... Bc2?? Really a mysterious mirage. 23. ... Na5 was called for, even though after 24. b6 (24. Bd6 Qb6+) 24. ... Qc6 25. Rf2 Black should have had to find 25. ... Rxe2! 26. Qxe2 Nb3 27. Rc3 Nxc5 28. Qe3 0-0 29. Qxc5 Qa4 with full compensation for the Exchange. 24. b6. Sic et simpliciter. It looks like Navara was hoping for 24. Rxc2 Rxc2 25. Qxc2? Nd4!, but even in that case 25. b6 (instead of 25. Qxc2) would be a trivial win for White. 24. ... Bxd1 25. bxc7 Kd7 26. Bxd1 Kxc7 27. Bd6+ Kd7 28. Rb1 1 : 0.

Anish Giri (right) vs. David Navara (left). Photo: Shamkir Chess (@ShamkirChess).

Jeremy, something tells me that she’s going to name a street after you in downtown London

Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May speaks at the unveiling of a statue of suffragist Millicent Fawcett in Parliament Square in London, United Kingdom to celebrate the 100th anniversary since British women were first guaranteed the right to vote. Photo: AFP/Adrian Dennis.

And yet you knew it was a difficult book for him to read, Edna

The Importance of Not Being Arcovazzi

Today is Wednesday, April 25, 2018, a holy day which marks the 73rd Anniversary of Italy’s Liberation Day from nazi-fascism. All over the country there will be solemn ceremonies and colourful mass parades for paying homage to those who lost their lives in the liberation war. The Orchestra Regionale Toscana (ORT) Foundation will celebrate the anniversary with a free concert entitled “Peace and Love | Dreaming a better world” performing Gian Francesco Malipiero’s and Ludwig van Beethoven’s music coupled with readings from Pier Paolo Pasolini, Elsa Morante, Robert Francis Kennedy, Martin Luther King at the Teatro Verdi in Florence, starting at 21,00. Free entrance until the seats are exhausted.

The Lottery Ticket

In spite of her disappointing result at the recent 19th European Individual Women’s Chess Championship in Vysoké Tatry, Slovakia, former Women’s World Champion Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk, who placed 14th by virtue of having the best tie-breaks of the twelve players tied at 7 points, eventually took the last available spot for qualifying at the next Knockout Women’s World Chess Championship Tournament.

Layla

It amazes me what one can do with only five fingers!

Disney Girl Challenge: Edna Mode. Credit: Finger Candy.

Don’t judge by appearances, Edna! He’s perfectly able to read “Anna Karenina” while playing soccer with his friends

Layla

The Importance of Not Being Arcovazzi

A bronze statue of the suffragist leader Millicent Fawcett is unveiled during a ceremony in Parliament Square in London, United Kingdom. Photo: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images.

Aladdin’s Lamp

Concentric circles created by the Swiss artist Felice Varini help to mark the 20th anniversary of the medieval castle in Carcassonne, France becoming a UNESCO world heritage site. Photo: Armando Babani/EPA.

I’m pretty sure, Edna, he reads only what you tell him to read

Artwork © LittleMissyXDL

Short story

Ray Robson – Fabiano Caruana
62th U.S. Chess Championship; Saint Louis, April 23, 2018
Russian Defence C42

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. Nc3 Nxc3 6. dxc3 Be7 7. Be3 0-0 8. Qd2 Nd7 9. 0-0-0 c6 10. Kb1 d5 11. c4 Nb6 12. cxd5 Nxd5 13. Bc4 Bf5!? A prepared novelty, implying a Pawn sacrifice. The old try was 13. ... Be6 14. Rhe1 Bb4 15. c3 Be7 16. Bb3 Qa5 17. Nd4 Bd7 18. Bc2 Rfe8 19. Nb3 Qc7 20. Bc5 Bxc5 21. Nxc5 Rxe1 22. Rxe1 Re8 23. Rxe8+ Bxe8 24. Qe2 Kf8 25. g3 Nf6 26. Qe3 b6 ½ : ½ Vachier-Lagrave – Giri, 6th Chess World Cup, Baku 2015, tie-break game 2 (25+10). 14. Bxd5 cxd5 15. Qxd5 Qc8 16. Nd4 Bg6 17. Ka1 Re8 18. Rhe1 Bf6. Black enjoys a powerful Bishop pair and three open files as a compensation for the Pawn. 19. c3 Re5. Black could recover his Pawn with 19. ... Be4, but Caruana prefers to bet on his dynamic assets – and not to open the g-file. 20. Qb3 a6 21. Bf4 Rxe1 22. Rxe1 Qd7 23. Be5 Re8 24. f4 Bd8 25. a4 h6 26. Rd1 Qg4 27. Rd2 b5!? Caruana wants to strip the White King naked, so he sacrifices another Pawn (his second one) on purely intuitive grounds, in order to open files. 28. axb5 axb5 29. Qd1? Robson believes his opponent on his word! The text makes no sense, as it gives Black an overwhelming initiative free. The critical line seems to be 29. Qxb5(!) f6 30. Bd6 Qc8! 31. f5 (31. Qc6 Bc7!! 32. f5 Bf7) 31. ... Re1+ 32. Ka2 Be8 33. Qb8 Bf7+ 34. Nb3 Qd7 with very unclear play, but plenty of compensation for Black. 29. ... Qd7! (Δ ... Qd7-a7+) 30. f5? The second mistake in a row means surrender. However, after 30. Nc2! Qc8(!) Black would have kept both the initiative and the attack.

30. ... Bg5! And the curtain falls. 31. Rd3 Bxf5 32. Nxf5 Qxf5 33. Bg3. If 33. Bd4 then 33. ... b4! (Δ ... b4-b3) 34. cxb4 Ra8+ 35. Kb1 Rd8 and finis. If, instead, 33. Bc7 then 33. ... Rc8 winning easily. 33. ... Ra8+ 34. Kb1 Rd8 35. Kc2 b4 36. cxb4 Rc8+ 37. Kb3 Qe6+ 38. Rd5 Rd8 39. Kc4 Qc6+ 0 : 1.

世界图书与版权日 (World Book Day)

On the occasion of the 24th World Book Day, the yearly event organised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) encouraging reading and publishing, to be celebrated worldwide on Monday, April 23, 2018, most people from everywhere did not miss to recommend their must-read-book for the night.
So, what book should one read first? Four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)’s suggestion is “Ungeduld des Herzens” (Chinese: 《心灵的焦灼》; English: “Beware of Pity”), a 1939 novel by the Austrian writer Stefan Zweig.

Roll of Thunder

Magnus Carlsen – Radosław Wojtaszek
5th Gashimov Memorial; Şəmkir, April 23, 2018
Sicilian Defence B23

1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Qxd4 Nc6 5. Qd2!? Carlsen avoids to eventually transpose into the Chekhover Variation by 5. Bb5, preferring instead a more creative and personal approach as usual. 5. ... Nf6 6. b3 e6 7. Bb2 a6 8. 0-0-0 b5!? Theoretical novelty? The Alhambra’s book mentions a brief reference: 8. ... Qa5 9. Kb1 Be7 10. f4 ½ : ½ J. Fernández de Bobadilla – G. Fernández de Bobadilla, 2nd Nazarí Chess Festival “Hotel Corona”, Granada 2015. 9. f3! h5? Wojtaszek’s whole idea to... open the h-file seems totally unsound, and the main cause of his impending trouble. He should have played 9. ... Be7 at once. 10. Nh3 Be7 11. Ng5 h4? 12. f4! Bb7 13. Kb1 Rc8 14. Be2 Qc7 15. Rhe1. Black’s King does not look at home in the centre. 15. ... Nh7? 15. ... Nd7? 16. Nd5! is an even more didactic representation of Black’s nightmares. On the other hand, if Black were compelled to move his King to f8, then anyone could draw his own conclusions on the opening’s outcome. 16. Nxh7 Rxh7

17. g4!? Not only intuition, but also his chess culture should have moved Carlsen to dare the thematic pseudo-sac 17. Nd5! which secured White a crushing advantage; for instance: 17. ... exd5 18. exd5 Kf8 19. dxc6 Bxc6 20. Bg4 Re8 21. Qc3 and Black is tied like a knot. That said, however, I should say that the text is also good, because, as Aron Nimzowitsch wrote, “A position that is healthy has at least two ‘only’ moves”. 17. ... hxg3 18. hxg3 Bf6 19. Bd3 Rh8 20. g4 Nd4 21. Re3 Kf8 22. Ne2. 22. g5? Nxb3! would have made Black’s dreams come true. 22. ... Nxe2 23. Rxe2 Bc3 24. Bxc3 Qxc3 25. Qe3 Rc5. After a long and vain struggle, and with shortage of time dominating the finale, Wojtaszek ended up precipitating his defeat, which, however, even after 25. ... e5 26. fxe5 dxe5 27. Rf2 would have been almost inevitable. 26. e5! dxe5 27. fxe5 Rh1? This loses almost immediately, but, objectively speaking, 27. ... Rc7 28. g5 (Δ g5-g6) cannot last much longer either. 28. Rxh1 Bxh1 29. Rh2. Threatening both Rh2-h8+ and Rh2xh1. 29. ... Rxe5 30. Rh8+ Ke7 31. Qa7+ 1 : 0.

Magnus Carlsen (right) vs. Radosław Wojtaszek (left). Photo: Shamkir Chess (@ShamkirChess).

Don’t worry, Edna, it is all under control

Artwork © Lisa Penney (@lisapenneyart)

Jeremy, even Tony thinks we cannot allow her to destroy all our dreams and wishes

Jeremy Corbyn speaks at the annual conference of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) at Bournemouth International Centre in Bournemouth, Dorset, England. Photo: Andrew Matthews/PA.

Jeremy, Theresa is in very much of a hurry to rebrand herself at your image and resemblance

Theresa May speaks to a worker while visiting to Boss Design during a local election campaign in Dudley, England. Photo: Darren Staples/Reuters.

Homœopathy

Samuel L. Shankland – Fabiano Caruana
62th U.S. Chess Championship; Saint Louis, April 22, 2018
Queen’s Gambit Accepted D27

1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Bxc4 c5 6. 0-0 a6 7. a4 cxd4 8. exd4 g6?! A new but not particularly impressive idea. For 8. ... Nc6 9. Nc3 Be7 10. Re1 0-0 11. h4 Nb4 12. Ne5 Nc6 13. Be3 Qc7 take a look at Jobava – Ivanchuk, 38th Chess Olympiad, Dresden 2008. Just crazy stuff. 9. Nc3 Bg7

10. d5! exd5 11. Re1+ Be6 12. Nxd5 Nxd5 13. Bxd5 0-0 14. Bxe6 fxe6 15. Qe2. Thus White wins a Pawn. Therefore, the most Caruana can hope to obtain from his theoretical novelty is hopefully to be a 2 vs. 3 Pawns on the same side Rook and Knight or Rook endgame. After his endgame technique display in the previous round’s game against Zviad Izoria, maybe he thought this was the best way to raise his own mood. 15. ... Qd5 16. Rd1 Qf5 17. Ng5 Nc6 18. Qxe6+ Kh8 19. Qxf5 Rxf5 20. Ne6 Be5 21. Be3 Re8 22. Nc5 Bf4 23. Bxf4 Rxf4 24. f3 Rb4 25. Rd2 Re7 26. Kf1 a5 27. Re1 Rxe1+ 28. Kxe1 Kg8 29. b3 b6 30. Rd6 Ne7 31. Nd7 Rxb3 32. Rxb6 Ra3 33. Nc5 Ra2 34. Re6 Nd5 35. Re2 Ra1+ 36. Kf2 Nc3 37. Re8+ Kf7 38. Ra8 Ra2+ 39. Kg3 g5 40. Kg4. 40. Kh3 Ne2 41. Kg4 (41. Rxa5 h5!=) 41. ... Nd4 42. g3 Rxh2 43. Rxa5 h5+ 44. Kxg5 Nxf3+. 45. Kf4 Nd4 should hold for Black anyway. 40. ... Rxg2+ 41. Kf5 Rxh2. 41. ... Nd5! 42. Ra7+ Ne7+ 43. Ke5 Rd2! is another drawing line spotted by computer analysis. 42. Ra7+ Ke8 43. Rxa5 Rf2 44. Kxg5 ½ : ½.

Samuel L. Shankland (right) vs. Fabiano Caruana (left). Photo: Lennart Ootes/Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis (@STLChessClub).

The Seasons

Georgian International Master and Woman Grandmaster Nino Khurtsidze, born on September 28, 1975 passed away in Tblisi, Georgia on April 22, 2018 at 42 years of age. Last summer her most intimate friends had launched an urgent appeal for help due to her impossibility to meet all costs of the medical treatment necessary to treat and cure her very serious illness.
Two-time World Junior Girls Chess Champion (in 1993 and 1995), she also won the unisex Georgian Chess Championship in 1998 and five times the Women’s Georgian Championship (in 1989, 1993, 2005, 2006, and 2013).

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Nino Khurtsidze

Women’s World Chess Championship Knockout Tournament; match game 2; Ekaterinburg, March 16, 2006

8/kp6/pr3p1p/2pQ2nP/r2pP1P1/3P4/1PP4q/1KNR1B2 b - - 7 54

Position after 54. Bg2-f1

54. ... Ra1+! 55. Kxa1 Qxc2 0 : 1.

The Far Game

Veselin Aleksandrov Topalov – Shakhriyar Hamid oglu Mamedyarov
5th Gashimov Memorial; Shamkir, April 22, 2018
Spanish Game C83

1.e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Nxe4 6. d4 b5 7. Bb3 d5 8. dxe5 Be6 9. Be3 Be7 10. c3 0-0 11. Nbd2 Nxd2 12. Qxd2 Na5 13. Bc2 Nc4. “A very dangerous manœuvre, as White can evade the exchange of his Bishop and the Black Kt does not get back in time for the defence of the K side, where White’s attack becomes virulent. He should have played 13. ... c5 followed by ... Na5-c6”, Edward Lasker wrote in his book “Chess Strategy”, New York, Dover Publications, 1959, p. 178. It’s an emotional assessment, but well illustrates how a human feels when he has to play without computer assistance. 14. Qd3 g6 15. Bh6 Nxb2 16. Qe2 Re8 17. Nd4 Bd7. Topalov must have deeply studied – probably when he was still a boy – an old classic: 17. ... Nc4 18. f4 Bd7 19. Rae1 c5 20. e6 Bf6 21. Qg4 cxd4 22. f5 d3 23. Bxd3 Bxe6 24. fxe6 Qb6+ 25. Kh1 1 : 0 Yates – Gunsberg, Chester 1914. It’s interesting to note how quickly Gunsberg destroyed his still defensible position after 20. e6, so one could argue that an easier way to neutralise White’s aggressive purposes may be 17. ... Bf8 18. Bxf8 Rxf8 19. f4 c5 20. Nxe6 fxe6 21. Bxg6 hxg6 22. Qxb2 Rb8 23. Rad1 Qb6 24. Qc2 Kg7 25. Rf3 c4+ 26. Kh1 b4 27. Rg3 Rf5 28. Rxg6+ Kxg6 29. g4 Qe3 30. gxf5+ Kh6 31. Qg2 Rg8 32. Qxg8 Qf3+ 33. Kg1 Qxd1+ ½ : ½ Romanovsky – Tolush, 11th USSR Chess Championship Semifinal, Leningrad 1938. 18. f4 c5 19. Nf3 Qb6 20. Qf2 d4 21. Bg5. Topalov sacrifices a second Pawn in order to fuel his initiative on the Kingside. 21. ... dxc3 22. Qh4 c4+ 23. Kh1 Bf8 24. f5 Nd3 25. e6! Bxe6! Not 25. ... fxe6?? on account of 26. fxg6 hxg6 27. Bf6 Bg7 28. Ng5 forcing mate in short order. 26. fxe6 Rxe6 27. Rad1 Rae8 28. Bxd3 cxd3 29. Rxd3. White is up a Bishop for three Pawns, but has no clear way to compensate for Black’s Pawn preponderance on the Queenside. 29. ... Re4!? 29. ... b4(!)∓ was probably stronger, as the text allows White to redeploy his forces on the Kingside in a more effective way. 30. Bf4! Be7 31. Qg3 b4 32. Ng5 Bxg5 33. Bxg5 Qe6 34. h3 Qe5 35. Kh2 Qxg3+ 36. Kxg3 h6!? This may appear superfluous, but indeed it is quite necessary to avoid trouble on the back rank. 37. Bxh6 Re1

38. Rf6! Topalov grabbed the initiative, but it’s still unclear to what extent he can exploit it. 38. ... R1e6 39. Rf2 Re2. 39. ... a5 40. h4 f5 was still quite tough. 40. Rd5 Rxf2? It often happens that the 40th move is also the losing move! 41. Kxf2 f6 42. Be3 1 : 0. White’s Queenside Pawns are doomed.

Topalov vs. Mamedyarov. Photo: Chess-News.ru.