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Veselin Topalov vs Alexander Grischuk
Linares (2010), Linares ESP, rd 5, Feb-18
Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation. Adams Attack (B90)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

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Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 13 OF 17 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Feb-18-10  JohnBoy: <kb, Eyal> - while you are correct, the knight is currently well-placed to defend against incursion on the white squares. I am sure that the issue of advancing the peons versus king safety is exactly what AG is contemplating.
Feb-18-10  JohnBoy: 43...Qd7 eliminates a lot of checking possibilities.
Feb-18-10  ajile: I think the bishop is better than the knight with kings exposed.
Feb-18-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  Annie K.: Grischuk is working hard on regaining his lost time trouble...
Feb-18-10  ajile: If Black plays Qd7 then he's going backwards on defense.
Feb-18-10  uscfratingmybyear: Black's Qd6 supports the kt pawn as it moves down the board to g3.
Feb-18-10  badest: <Annie K.: Grischuk is working hard on regaining his lost time trouble...> lol ... yes, he must feel uncomfortable with so much time on the clock ;)
Feb-18-10  zanshin: Susan Polgar's analysis (but you already know what she says ;-))

Topalov, V (2805) - Grischuk, A (2736) [B90]
Linares (5), 18.02.2010

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 Ng4 7.Bc1 Nf6 8.h3 Nc6 9.g4 Qb6 10.Nde2 e6 11.Bg2 Be7 12.b3 h6 13.Qd2 g5 14.Ba3 Ne5 15.0–0–0 Qxf2 16.Bxd6 Bxd6 17.Qxd6 Nfd7 18.Nd4 Qf6 19.Qa3 Qe7 20.Qb2 =

20...0-0 21. Nf5?! This does not seem to be a sound sacrifice.

21...exf5 Grischuk accepted the sacrifice and called Topalov's bluff.

22. Nd5 Qc5 23. exf5 a5 24. h4 gxh4 25. Rxh4 Ra6 26. Kb1 Qf2 27. Ne7+ Kg7? Grischuk would have an overwhelming advantage with 27...Kh7!

28. Rh2 f6? Now Grischuk has thrown away his advantage. 29. Qc1 Nxg4 30. Nxc8 Nc5 31. Rd2 Qxf5 32. Bh3

29. g5? This is not a precise continuation by Topalov. 29.Qc1 is better. But Grischuk is in time pressure so it may not be so easy to find the best moves.

29...fxg5 30. Nxc8 Raf6 31. Ne7 R8f7 32. Nd5 Nf3 33. Bxf3 Qxh2 34. Nxf6 Nxf6 35. a4 Qf4 36. Bd5 Rd7 37. Re1 Qxf5 38. Bc4 Qf2 Even though White is down a pawn, he has enough compensation for it due to Black's weak King. =

39. Qe5 Qd4 40. Qf5 Qg4 Grischuk barely made time control.

Feb-18-10  Eyal: <43...Qd7 eliminates a lot of checking possibilities.> True - on the other hand, after 44.Qe5 the white queen is dominating and it would be hard for Black to make any progress.
Feb-18-10  Shadowling: nd7 looks interesting stopping the checks and bringing the knight closer. Then he can reposition his queen with tempo
Feb-18-10  chessic eric: <uscfratingmybyear: Black's Qd6 supports the kt pawn as it moves down the board to g3.> my thought too, ...Qd6 preferable to ...Qd7, but for disallowing Qe5 moreso than the pawn support.
Feb-18-10  ajile: <zanshin:>

excellent summation.

Feb-18-10  Shadowling: nevermind that just loses, time for more coffee
Feb-18-10  Eyal: 44.Qa7 is apparently the only downside of 43...Qd6 rather than Qd7...
Feb-18-10  zanshin: <ajile: <zanshin:> excellent summation.>

Thanks <ajile>, but I just copied and pasted from http://susanpolgar.blogspot.com/

Feb-18-10  chessic eric: well, have to be on my merry way - hoping for a deserved 0-1, but not expecting it...
Feb-18-10  grebenarov: Grischuk looks determined to fall in another time trouble
Feb-18-10  whiteshark: black's position is a open as a barn door. I wonder how he'll manage/solve this problem.
Feb-18-10  Marmot PFL: Little better for white due to safer king, weak pb7 and long range B, but should draw if black handles his clock better.
Feb-18-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  blazerdoodle: dos he feel he can play better on the edge of his seat?
Feb-18-10  Eyal: Anand on Grischuk:

<If I have only five minutes left on the clock, I start to get nervous. For Grischuk, time trouble only begins when he has five seconds left. Before that he carefully writes the moves on his scoresheet, including minutes and seconds spent by each player - all that with unbelievable calm. Maybe he needs the thrill.>

Feb-18-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  Peligroso Patzer: <Eyal: <43...Qd7 eliminates a lot of checking possibilities.> True - on the other hand, after 44.Qe5 the white queen is dominating <and it would be hard for Black to make any progress>.>

Although the position after 44. Qa7 is almost certainly a theoretical draw, it seems to me that it is White who is slightly better. If the Queens are exchanged, White might even have some practical chances in the minor piece ending.

Feb-18-10  ajile: Now we see why the exchange of rooks was a bad idea. Black has the awkward task of defending his pinned b pawn.
Feb-18-10  whatthefat: Before the rooks went off the board, I was thinking that this is one of those endings where I feel a bit lost wondering which trades would be beneficial for which side, but GMs tend to just 'get'.
Feb-18-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  blazerdoodle: Eyal:

Thanks. He's got guts, I guess. Really amazing. I'd fumbling for my hip flask, ready to scream and flip the board, lol...

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