Kasparov, Garry – Topalov, Veselin

A.J.’s Chess Home Page http://www.geocities.com/lifemasteraj/kasp-topa1.html My annotation of this game is based mostly on Soltis’s annotations in his book “The 100 Best Games of The 20th Century, Ranked.” But I have also accessed dozens of other books and magazines. I have indicated what the major sources of other material are when they are used. LM A.J. Goldsby I:

Metadata » Click to open.

Date: January 20, 1999
Location: Wijk aan Zee
Tournament: ?
Round:
Opening: B07 Pirc Defence
Submitted by: Goldsby (edit.)
Published on: February 9, 2020

[Event "?"] [Site "Wijk aan Zee"] [Date "1999.01.20"] [Round "?"] [White "Kasparov, Garry"] [Black "Topalov, Veselin"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B07"] [Annotator "Goldsby (edit.)"] [PlyCount "87"] [EventDate "1999.01.20"] [Source "TaL's Chess"] [SourceDate "1999.01.20"] {A.J.'s Chess Home Page http://www.geocities.com/lifemasteraj/kasp-topa1.html My annotation of this game is based mostly on Soltis's annotations in his book "The 100 Best Games of The 20th Century, Ranked." But I have also accessed dozens of other books and magazines. I have indicated what the major sources of other material are when they are used. LM A.J. Goldsby I: } 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 3... g6 {The Pirc Defense. A fairly regular part Topalov's opening repertoire. (GM Yasser Seirawan also plays it. But not many GM's, especially those in the 'Top 25' of the world's best players use this defence today.) } 4. Be3 {A relatively new move to opening theory. This move did not even appear in Master praxis until probably the 1980's. } ( {The Main Lines are: } 4. f4 { This is the Austrian Attack. (The preferred line of Bobby Fischer.)} 4... Bg7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Bd3 Nc6 7. e5 dxe5 8. dxe5 Nd5 9. Bd2 9... Bg4 { } (9... Ncb4 10. Be4 c6 11. Nxd5 {(11.a3!?)} 11... cxd5 12. Bxb4 12... dxe4 ) { } 10. Be4 10... e6 11. h3 Bxf3 12. Qxf3 Nd4 13. Qf2 c5 14. O-O f6 15. exf6 Nxf6 16. Bd3 16... Nh5 { (unclear) (Maybe " "?) Grigorian - Spilker; U.S.S.R. 1978. }) ( {or} 4. Nf3 {The "Classical Line" vs. the Pirc.} 4... Bg7 5. Be2 O-O 6. O-O Bg4 7. Be3 Nc6 8. d5 8... Bxf3 9. Bxf3 Ne5 10. Be2 c6 11. f4 11... Ned7 12. dxc6 bxc6 13. Qd3 Qb8 14. a3 14... Nc5 { } ( {or} 14... Rd8 15. Rad1 Ne8 16. b3 Nc7 17. Kh1 {Malaniuk - Tseshkovsky; Kropotkin, 1995.}) { } 15. Bxc5 15... dxc5 16. e5 Nd5 17. Na4 17... f6 18. c4 Nb6 19. Nxc5 fxe5 20. Ne6 { (Maybe " ") Hracek - Ftacnik; Yerevan Olympiad, 1996. }) 4... Bg7 { There cannot be anything wrong with simple development. (No matter what anyone says.) (Although several annotators have questioned the move, 4...Bg7. They pointed out that by playing the Bishop to g7, then Bishop on g7 captures on h6 is a basically a loss of tempo. This may or may not be true. But to play a new system as Topalov has done here is very brave. The first person to play a new system almost never plays it perfectly.) } ( {MCO gives} 4... c6 { "Queen-side expansion is demanded, the sooner the better." - GM DeFirmian in MCO. } 5. Qd2 {Development, and preparing Queen-side castling. } ( { GM's Ftacnik and Stohl (in their ChessBase analysis) give the line} 5. h3 { ('!?') But the final position of their analysis is not convincing, indeed the computer gives the evaluation that Black is slightly better! So I will not reproduce it here.}) { } 5... b5 {Not only gaining space, but it keeps the White (light squared) Bishop off the potent c4-square. Black can also kick the White Knight at c3 at an appropriate moment, preferably when the Knight has no good retreat squares to go to. - A.J.G. } 6. f3 {Seemingly the best.} (6. Bd3 Nbd7 7. Nf3 7... Qc7 ( {or} 7... e5 8. dxe5 dxe5 9. h3 { GM J. Nunn - GM B. Gelfand; Munich, 1991.}) { } 8. O-O {The most logical. } ( {If} 8. Bh6 8... b4 9. Ne2 Bxh6 10. Qxh6 10... c5 {"is equal," according to MCO. The computers still show White to have a slight edge of about +0.35 ) }) { } 8... Bb7 {... with the plan of ...a6 and ...c5 should equalize. - GM Nick DeFirmian in MCO. } {Now the move} 9. a3 { and the computers still give White a slight but clear edge here. - A.J.G. }) 6... Nbd7 7. g4 { } ( {The move} 7. Bh6 {looks reasonable here.}) ( { The continuation} 7. Nge2 7... b4 8. Nd1 a5 9. Nf2 { also looks very playable.)}) { } 7... Nb6 8. h4 { } ( {A logical line is} 8. g5 8... Nh5 9. d5 {"with a slight edge for White," or " " ...although MCO fails completely to point this out. - A.J.G.}) { } 8... h5 9. g5 Nfd7 10. d5 10... Ne5 11. dxc6 11... Nbc4 12. Bxc4 Nxc4 13. Qd4 13... Rg8 14. Nxb5 {('?') } ( {Much better was} 14. Nge2 14... Qa5 ) { } 14... Qa5+ 15. Nc3 15... Be6 {("=" ...or "good compensation for Black.") "...allows Black fine play for the Pawns." - GM DeFirmian in MCO. GM F. Nijboer - GM I. Smirin; Pula, 1997. It is hard (impossible!) to believe this line represents the apex[the absolute best] of White's play!!! }) 5. Qd2 5... c6 {A modern continuation. It is played with the idea for Queen-side expansion, a concept which has gained favor in recent years. } ( {Not} 5... Ng4 {(Maybe '?!') and now just} 6. Bg5 { and Black only winds up losing tempo, according to GM Seirawan. }) ( {or} 5... O-O 6. O-O-O 6... Nc6 {('?')} ( {Maybe better is} 6... c6) 7. f3 e5 8. Nge2 8... exd4 9. Nxd4 Nxd4 10. Bxd4 Be6 11. Be3 Re8 12. Bg5 Qd7 13. g4 {... "allows White a strong attack." - GM DeFirmian. GM Chernin - Zaichik; Lvov, 1987. }) {With his next move, White erects a pawn formation/attacking position similar to the Samisch of the King's Indian and The Yugoslav Attack of The Sicilian Dragon. (White also securely anchors his King's Pawn and prevents intrusions into the g4-square.) } 6. f3 {(Maybe '!') Very aggressive and modern. Someone just recently (late Sept, 2001 - AFTER I posted this game on the Internet) sent me a letter from Europe. (It was in English, so thank goodness I did not need an translator.) This individual (who asked not to be named), was nice enough to photo-copy about 9 different European chess magazines that contained an analysis of this game. There was a lot of stuff in there I had not seen before. (He also sent me a fairly comprehensive list of nearly all the magazines - in Europe and in Russia - that had published an analysis of this game. The list was quite long. Around - at least 20-30 different magazines.) '!' - Apparently several annotators liked this move enough to award it an exclam. (It was also not a novelty, but apparently may have been only a fairly recent development in Master praxis. This may have also been the first time this system was played at this level.) } 6... b5 {Queen-side expansion. With White getting a firm grip on the squares on the King-side, Black grabs some squares (and some space) on the Queen-side. } 7. Nge2 {Development. This is interesting, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with this move. (There can be nothing wrong with developing a piece!) } ( {Several annotators recommended} 7. O-O-O {with the id ea of Bh6 next, as better. I personally don't feel its better, just different. (The computers show little or no difference in the evaluation of these lines.) }) 7... Nbd7 8. Bh6 8... Bxh6 {Probably the best. Soltis writes: "An astute decision. Black recognizes he will not castle King-side but can benefit from the Bishop trade by creating dark-square play in the center." } ( { Risky is} 8... O-O 9. h4 {White will have a strong King-side attack. }) 9. Qxh6 Bb7 10. a3 {The best decision. Soltis writes: "Black has fine counterplay after 10.O-O-O, b4 and 11...Qa5." '!' - Many annotators give this move an exclam, as does GM Soltis. '!' - GM Ftacnik awards this move an exclam, and then says: "The right moment for prophylaxis." } (10. O-O-O b4 11. Nb1 11... Qa5 {(with counterplay) }) 10... e5 {I like this move. '!' - Several annotators have given this move an exclam. Black fights for his fair share of the center. Apparently[many] other moves have been tried here,[in Master praxis] but have had[much] less success. } 11. O-O-O 11... Qe7 {(Maybe '!') The safest thing to do, is if you are unsure of the course the game might take... is to keep a powerful piece like the Queen in the center. Here it will be the most flexible and can meet threats on either side of the board. } ( {The continuation} 11... Qa5 12. g4 b4 13. axb4 {is at least slightly better for White, according to the computers. (Maybe even " ".) }) 12. Kb1 {(Probably '!') Almost worthy of an exclam too. The basic idea is that immediately attacking the King-side is pointless if the King flees to the other side of the board. And until Black reveals more of his intentions this is a good waiting move. Also, the White King will be much safer here than on c1. (Generally, as a rule... in these types of positions.) '!?' - GM Seirawan, in his magazine "Inside Chess". '!' - (A German chess magazine gave this move an exclam.) } ( {If} 12. h4 {then} 12... Qf8 {(unclear) White may have the slightly better endgame. }) 12... a6 {Protection and prevention. Black reinforces the b5-square with the idea of a later freeing advance of ...c6-c5. (This will also release his Bishop on b7.) } (12... a5 ) 13. Nc1 {Relocating the Knight. '!' - Many annotators have given this move an exclam. (Ftacnik, Stohl, Ligterink & Soltis, to name a few.) Soltis writes: "The Knight heads for a5." } (13. dxe5 13... dxe5 14. g4 {and White has a slight edge to his having more space, better development, and better piece co-ordination. }) 13... O-O-O 14. Nb3 14... exd4 {Unbalancing the position. '!' - Soltis gives this move an exclam, '!' - as does the Dutch annotator in "New In Chess." *** Topalov, typical of his style, plays every position very aggressively - going for the win. (Which he usually does.) I should also point out that this is "the norm" for Topalov, a young man whom I admire and respect very much. Regardless of who he plays, his chess is always aggressive, dynamic, and he fights for the full point at every turn. (Topalov rarely plays dull chess, cravenly going for a draw.) *** With the last move, Black accomplishes several nice things: 1.) He breaks down White's center a little; 2.) He breaks the symmetry of the position somewhat; & 3.) He prepares the freeing advance ...d6 to ...d5. } ( {Apparently the continuation} 14... c5 15. dxe5 15... dxe5 16. g3 {gives White a significant edge. }) 15. Rxd4 { Very nice. And not at all obvious. This is a very subtle move. Anextremely subtle one. 99% of the chess players I have asked would have taken with the Knight here. (Including several Masters!) '!' - And no one[else] seems to notice just how unusual a move it is. (No one - other than myself - gives this move an exclam, to the best of my knowledge.) It looks artificial to capture with the Rook this way. But the idea is logically sound. White wants to send the Knight on b3 to a5, so this move actually saves White several tempo! } ( {Perfectly playable was} 15. Nxd4 { when White retains a small, but steady advantage. }) 15... c5 16. Rd1 16... Nb6 {Preparation. '!' - Soltis gives this move an exclam. (As do a couple of other annotators.) Apparently it is far superior to Black's MANY reasonable alternatives, such as 16...Rhe8. It also prepares the very energetic advance of ...d6-d5. This move, IF left unpunished, would have virtually freed Black's game and equalized completely. } ( {If} 16... Rhe8 { then} 17. Na5 {Maybe " ". }) 17. g3 {(Maybe '!') Very innovative. '!' - GM Ftacnik. A very unusual deployment of the White King's Bishop for this type of position. But Garry is a very creative and imaginative player. (Even though the game started off as a Pirc, we now have a Sicilian-type Pawn Structure.) '!' - Many annotators have given this move an exclam. (Such as France's chess magazine, "Les Eschechs".) } ( { An average player would probably play the move} 17. Be2 {in this position. }) 17... Kb8 18. Na5 {The Knight reaches the prized square. Some people have praised this move, others have questioned it. '?!' - Stohl and Ftacnik give it a dubious in ChessBase. But the move looks logical and it is the first choice of many computer analysis engines. So it is VERY difficult to agree with Ftacnik's assessment. Certainly this is the destination square White had wanted to play this piece to for a very long time. (Completion of a plan means a lot in chess!) } ( {White could have played} 18. Be2 ) ( {or} 18. Bh3 ) 18... Ba8 {A humble retreat. Black does not want to trade his