Veselin Topalov vs Alexander Grischuk (2010)

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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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< Earlier Kibitzing · PAGE 12 OF 17 · Later Kibitzing>
Feb-18-10		ajile: Black can combine threats to exchange queens and at the same time improve his position. White needs to keep queens on so he can harass Black's king if the pawns roll.

Feb-18-10		uscfratingmybyear: Apparently white passed on the exchange of Qs and the win of the b pawn since black's 2 king side passers are faster than white's Q side pawns. So G can keep improving his piece placement by forcing the white to move and not exchange.

Feb-18-10		Ulhumbrus: 41 Qxa5 regains the pawn and defends the Rook on e1 and so threatens the fork Be6. However if a time control has been reached, both players have now some time to think.

Feb-18-10		chessic eric: <Marmot PFL: seems more likely than not to be a draw after 41 Qxa5 Rd1+ 42 Rxd1 Qxd1+ 43 Kb2 Qd4+> Why should black choose to exchange rooks? Why not 41...Qd4 first, with ideas of ...Ne4 ?

Feb-18-10		ajile: So maybe Black just pushes his h pawn now?

Feb-18-10		Ulhumbrus: 41...Qd4 places the black Queen on a central square.

Feb-18-10		dakgootje: <41 Qxa5 Rd1+ 42 Rxd1 Qxd1+ 43 Kb2 Qd4+> White king can hide with 44. Ka2 I assume Topalov is going to take the draw however.

Feb-18-10		JohnBoy: I don't think Topalov has the draw in hand. 42.Be6 is hardly a threat given that black can respond with Rd1+. Black has two passed pawns and white has none.

Feb-18-10		Ulhumbrus: 41...Rd1+ exchanges Rooks after which the Black Queen may go to d4

Feb-18-10		chessic eric: <dakgootje: <41 Qxa5 Rd1+ 42 Rxd1 Qxd1+ 43 Kb2 Qd4+> White king can hide with 44. Ka2 I assume Topalov is going to take the draw however.> Since Qa5 protects Re1, white can even play 42.Ka2.

Feb-18-10		Sneaky: Interesting coincidence: on this board, White suffers under the threats of two outside Black passers. Meanwhile on Vallejo-Gashimov, White suffers under the threats of two outside Black passers. <Ulhumbrus: I have actually erased my first reply and sent another one.> I see that and I can't criticize your revised version.

Feb-18-10		ajile: Oh I forgot the fork Be6. : /

Feb-18-10		Ulhumbrus: On 41...Qd4 threatens ...Ne4 followed by ..Nc3+ and the Black Rook on d7 keeps the White Q out of c7.

Feb-18-10		kb2ct: <JohnBoy: I don't think Topalov has the draw in hand. 42.Be6 is hardly a threat given that black can respond with Rd1+. Black has two passed pawns and white has none.> Neither king has enough protection to make the passers count. Likely perp. :0)

Feb-18-10		ajile: Yes I'm kind of thinking Black doesn't want to trade rooks yet also. With rooks gone White's king is a little bit safer than Black's

Feb-18-10		Eyal: Black has two passers, but they're on the K-side where his king is as well, and it's quite exposed.

Feb-18-10		dakgootje: < Meanwhile on Vallejo-Gashimov, White suffers under the threats of two outside Black passers.> ... and Vallejo has resigned... Now that seriously messed up my bets.

Feb-18-10		Shadowling: I think Grischuk should play Qd4 with the idea of bringing his knight over to the king side via the e4 square

Feb-18-10		chessic eric: 41...Qd4 looks best to me, since even if white plays 42.Bd3 to prevent ...Ne4, black then has ...Nd5 instead, still eyeing c3.

Feb-18-10		Sneaky: The bottom line here is that Grischuk had to make 10 moves in a minute, against a 2800+ player with a full blown raging attack. Topalov was playing Grischuk's clock, plain and simple--and there's nothing wrong or unethical about that. (That's also something that Rybka doesn't plug into its equation.) Faced with insane sacrifices, Grischuk defended valiantly, where many players would be a quivering pile of goo.

Feb-18-10		ajile: Qd4 looks solid enough and allows the Nf6 to move. But it's too bad Black had to lose his extra pawn. Not clear that Black has anything after Qd4 and Ne4 but his position is more centralized.

Feb-18-10		chessic eric: argh; rooks exchanged.

Feb-18-10		OneArmedScissor: Hear Hear! Good Sir Sneaky! Well said!

Feb-18-10		blazerdoodle: WEll, okay, I guess it must be nice to just breath normally again.

Feb-18-10		ajile: Rooks exchanged. Now White has more ways to check Black's king. I'm thinking draw now.

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