Tuesday, October 11, 2005

Topalov-Morozevich, Monte Carlo Rapid 2005

diagram Black to play after 21.Ng5.


I had been lamenting the fact that Morozevich did not play the Albin Counter Gambit against Topalov in their recent meeting in the FIDE World Championship, unaware that he had done so in a fascinating rapid game earlier this year (sent to me by a friend who read my post). This is an amazingly deep game and I'm sure my notes only scratch the surface (especially since the computer is very little help here due to the trapped piece theme). And to think that this was blitz!

As always, you can view the game online, download the PGN, or get it as text below. If Morozevich had played like this in the World Championship, we'd have a completely different tournament!

[Event "Amber Rapid"]
[Site "Monte Carlo MNC"]
[Date "2005.??.??"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Topalov, V."]
[Black "Morozevich, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D08"]
[WhiteElo "2757"]
[BlackElo "2741"]
[PlyCount "76"]
[EventDate "2005.??.??"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5 d4 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. a3 Nge7 $1 {The best move.} ({a)} 5... a5 $6 {is what I used to play, but White has an easy edge after simply} 6. Bg5 $1 (6. e3 Bc5 $1 7. exd4 Bxd4 $1 $44) 6... Be7 7. h4 $14 { Karpov-Stoma, Simul 2002}) ({b)} 5... Be6 $5 6. e3 dxe3 7. Qxd8+ Rxd8 8. Bxe3 Nge7 $44 {Van der Weil-Ligterink, Groningen 2001, gave White no advantage but was nothing special for Black either.}) 6. b4 $1 ({a)} 6. e3 Nf5 $1 {the point! } 7. exd4 (7. e4 Nh4 $1 8. Nbd2 Bg4 $44) (7. b4 $5 dxe3 8. Qxd8+ Nxd8 9. Bxe3 $13) 7... Nfxd4 8. Nxd4 Qxd4 $1 9. Qxd4 Nxd4 10. Ra2 Bf5 $44) ({b)} 6. Bf4 Ng6 7. Bg3 h5 $1 8. h3 h4 9. Bh2 Rh5 $5 {is a cute way to recover the e-pawn!}) ({ c)} 6. Bg5 h6 7. Bxe7 Bxe7 $44 {gives Black good long-term compensation.}) 6... Ng6 7. Bb2 a5 8. b5 Ncxe5 9. Nxe5 (9. Bxd4 Nxc4 10. e3 Be6 { is similar to the game line.}) 9... Nxe5 10. e3 Be6 11. Bxd4 Nxc4 12. Qc2 Nd6 13. Bd3 Qg5 $1 $132 14. f4 $1 {The best way to defend g2 without immediately surrendering the initiative to Black.} Qh4+ 15. g3 Qh5 16. Nc3 Nf5 $1 (16... O-O-O 17. b6 $40) 17. O-O O-O-O $5 18. Ba7 $1 { A highly original and challenging move!} (18. Bxf5 Bxf5 19. Qa4 b6 { gives White no entries on the queenside.}) 18... Qg4 $1 {Counter-attack or die! } 19. Ne4 $6 (19. Na4 $1 { threatening immediate mate with Nb6 seems hard to meet!} Rd6 $5 20. Rfc1 $40 { but maybe Black can hold with} c6 21. Bc5 Nxg3 $3 $13) 19... Rd7 20. Rfd1 Qf3 $5 {Black wants to remove the Queens and trap the Bishop at a7--a deep conception for blitz!} 21. Ng5 Nxe3 22. Nxf3 (22. Qd2 Rxd3 $1 23. Nxf3 Rxd2 24. Rxd2 b6 $17) 22... Nxc2 23. Bxc2 b6 24. Ne5 Rxd1+ 25. Rxd1 Bxa3 $1 { Black's in no hurry to pick up the Bishop.} 26. f5 (26. Be4 a4 $1 { and the Bishop is irrelevant due to the scary passed a-pawn.}) 26... Ba2 $1 { The Bishop must stay on the a2-f7 diagonal to combat Be4, and thanks to some tactics it can withadvantage!} 27. Ra1 Bc5+ 28. Kf1 Re8 $1 29. Re1 (29. Rxa2 Rxe5 $19) 29... f6 (29... Bd4 $142 $1) 30. Nd3 Rxe1+ 31. Kxe1 Bd6 $1 { Stopping Nf4 and Be4} 32. Nc1 Bd5 {and White never had time for Be4!} 33. Bb3 Be4 34. Bxb6 cxb6 {The trapped Bishop has sold himself for a pawn, but Black remains up a dangerous outside passer, with the two Bishops and a likely second pawn on the way. White's position is hopeless.} 35. Be6+ Kc7 36. Ke2 Be5 37. Nd3 Kd6 38. Ke3 Bd5 {An amazingly good fighting game from both players! } 0-1

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