[Event "WCh"]
[Site "Elista RÜS"]
[Date "2006.09.23"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Kràmnìk, VlãÚdimir"]
[Black "Topälov, Vèsélin"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2743"]
[BlackElo "2813"]
[ECO "E04b"]
[EventDate "2006.09.23"]
[Annotator "IM Malcolm Pein"]
[PlyCount "149"]

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1...Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3 dxc4 ( 4...Bb4+ 5.Bd2 Be7 6.Bg2 O-O 7.O-O c6
8.Bf4 b6 9.Nc3 Ba6 10.cxd5 cxd5 11.Rc1 Nc6 12.Nxd5 Qxd5 13.Ne5 Nxd4 14.
Bxd5 Nxe2+ 15.Qxe2 Bxe2 16.Bxa8 Rxa8 {And Kramnik ground out a technical 
win against Topalov at Dortmund 2005, the last time they played} ( 16...
Bxf1 17.Rc7 $1 ) ) 5.Bg2 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 a5 {Something of a sideline which has 
been played by Grischuk and Efimenko.} 7.Qc2 {The calmest move which 
ensures the regain of the c4 pawn. Of the other moves; 7.0-0 is sound; 
7.a3 wastes time; 7.Bxb4 doesn't seem right but has been played, 7.Nc3 
gambits a pawn for decent compensation and is not how Kramnik wants to 
play against Topalov in game one. 7.Qc1 was played by Jan Gustafsson 
against Efimenko and there is also 7.Na3!? when 7...Bxa3 8.bxa3 is also 
reasonable compensation.} 7...Bxd2+ ( 7...b6 8.Ne5 ( 8.Qxc4 Ba6 9.Qc2 O-O 
10.Nc3 {Also looks quite good for White} ) 8...Qxd4 9.Nxf7 Kxf7 10.Bxa8 {
Is probably better for White} ) ( {Trying to keep the pawn with} 7...b5 {
is risky because of} 8.a4 c6 ( 8...bxa4 9.Ne5 Ra6 10.Qxa4+ Bd7 11.Nxd7 $14
{Tkachiev-Moiseenko 2002} ) 9.axb5 Bxd2+ 10.Nfxd2 $1 {and not} ) ( 7...b5 
8.a4 c6 9.axb5 cxb5 10.Bxb4 axb4 ) 8.Qxd2 ( 8.Nbxd2 {Is the main move but 
Black can try and keep the pawn and as the most combative plan, Topalov 
might well be attracted to it.} 8...b5 9.a4 c6 10.b3 cxb3 11.Nxb3 {When 
White has at least enough compensation but perhaps not a suitable line for
the circumstances and in any event Black has done quite well} ) 8...c6 ( {
Qxd2 looked odd because it moved the queen twice but the point is} 8...b5 
9.Qg5 $1 ) ( 8...Bd7 {going to c6 has been played and 8...b6 was played 
just once. 1/2-1/2 Wojtkiewicz,A (2554)-Gulko,B (2585)/San Diego USA 
2006/The Week in Chess 592 (31);} ) 9.a4 b5 ( 9...O-O 10.Na3 Ne4 11.Qc2 
Nd6 12.Nxc4 $14 ) ( 9...Nbd7 10.Na3 Nb6 11.Ne5 $14 ) 10.axb5 cxb5 11.Qg5 {
Regaining the pawn} 11...O-O ( 11...b4 12.Ne5 ( 12.Qxg7 Rg8 13.Qh6 Bb7 $13
) 12...Ra7 13.Nxc4 O-O 14.e3 ) 12.Qxb5 Ba6 ( {TN} 12...Na6 13.Qxc4 Nb4 14.
Qb3 {Did not give Moiseenko enough compensation against Grischuk at Sochi 
2006 TWIC 599. Black sacrificed a second pawn now with 14...e5 but lost in
102 moves} ) 13.Qa4 ( 13.Qxa5 Bb7 $1 14.Qxd8 Rxa1 15.Qxf8+ ( 15.Qb6 Rxb1+ 
16.Kd2 c3+ $1 {Is the sweet point of this home preparation} 17.Kxc3 Nd5+ )
15...Kxf8 16.O-O Ra2 17.Ne5 Ba6 18.Nc3 Rxb2 {Should be OK for Black} ) 
13...Qb6 14.O-O Qxb2 15.Nbd2 Bb5 ( 15...c3 $2 16.Rfb1 ) 16.Nxc4 Bxa4 17.
Nxb2 {This is the kind of position White aims for in the Catalan with a 
stable structure and a target to aim at however with active play Black 
cuts across this plan} 17...Bb5 18.Ne5 Ra7 19.Bf3 ( 19.Nbc4 $5 Nbd7 20.
Nxa5 Nxe5 21.dxe5 Nd7 22.f4 Bxe2 {would be tenable but unpleasant} ) 19...
Nbd7 20.Nec4 Rb8 21.Rfb1 g5 $1 {A great move from Topalov, typically 
aggressive. Kramnik needs to play e2-e3 and Topalov has worked out he can 
exploit thef3square} 22.e3 ( 22.Rxa5 Rxa5 23.Nxa5 g4 24.Bg2 Bxe2 $15 ) 
22...g4 23.Bd1 Bc6 $1 24.Rc1 ( 24.Nxa5 Be4 $1 25.Nac4 Rab7 $17 ) 24...Be4 
25.Na4 Rb4 {With clever tactics Topalov has covered his weakness on a5 and
now he outplays Kramnik to an extent} 26.Nd6 Bf3 27.Bxf3 gxf3 28.Nc8 Ra8 
29.Ne7+ Kg7 30.Nc6 Rb3 {The pawn on f3 is not weak because it cannot be 
easily attacked and it forces White to worry about f2 continually} 31.Nc5 
Rb5 32.h3 {Making space for the king and if} ( 32.Na4 Ne4 {Not Rb3 
repeating} ) 32...Nxc5 33.Rxc5 Rb2 34.Rg5+ Kh6 35.Rgxa5 Rxa5 36.Nxa5 Ne4 
37.Rf1 Nd2 38.Rc1 Ne4 {Needless to say Topalov does not want a draw but 
this play for a win at all costs is not necessarily good tactics in a 
match but of course at this stage Topalov can test Kramnik's resolve at no
risk.} 39.Rf1 f6 40.Nc6 Nd2 41.Rd1 Ne4 42.Rf1 Kg6 {Black has many 
interesting ideas here with White completely passive. There are pawn 
breaks and a serious possibility of trapping the white knight} 43.Nd8 $1 {
Played afte r a long thought. It is essential to tie one black piece down 
otherwise he will have a completely freehand} 43...Rb6 ( 43...e5 44.dxe5 
fxe5 45.Nc6 Kf6 {was another idea but why hurry ?} ) 44.Rc1 h5 45.Ra1 ( 
45.h4 $6 {would invite the Black king in} ) 45...h4 ( 45...e5 ) 46.gxh4 ( 
46.g4 {Kramnik wants to get Black pawns off the board but this entails 
some risk as the Black kinggetscloser} 46...e5 47.dxe5 fxe5 48.Ra2 $2 ( 
48.Rc1 ) 48...Rb1+ 49.Kh2 Rf1 {In all these lines the h4 pawn restricts 
the White king even more} ) 46...Kh5 47.Ra2 {Some progress for Kramnik 
because now with the rook covering f2 from a more active spot the knight 
is unlikely to be snared} 47...Kxh4 48.Kh2 Kh5 49.Rc2 Kh6 50.Ra2 Kg6 51.
Rc2 Kf5 52.Ra2 Rb5 53.Nc6 Rb7 {Introducing the threat of Rg7-g2} 54.Ra5+ (
54.Rc2 $2 Rg7 55.d5 e5 ) 54...Kg6 ( 54...e5 55.Nxe5 $1 ) 55.Ra2 Kh5 56.d5 
$1 ( 56.Ra5+ Kh4 $1 {and Rb2 or Rg7 comes and Black is close to winning} 
57.Ra8 Rb2 58.Rh8+ Kg5 59.Rg8+ Kh6 60.Kg1 Rb1+ 61.Kh2 Rf1 62.Rg4 f5 $1 63.
Rxe4 ( 63.Rf4 Rxf2+ 64.Kg1 Rg2+ 65.Kf1 Rc2 66.Ne5 Rc1# ) 63...fxe4 ) 56...
e5 ( 56...exd5 57.Nd4 Ng5 58.Kg3 {With serious winning chances} ) ( 56...
Rg7 {Perhaps this was the intention but there seems to be a subtle 
technical win for Kramnik with knight v rook} 57.dxe6 Rg2+ 58.Kh1 Nxf2+ ( 
58...Ng3+ 59.fxg3 Rxa2 60.e7 Ra1+ 61.Kh2 Ra2+ 62.Kg1 Ra8 63.Nd8 $18 ) 59.
Rxf2 Rxf2 60.e7 Rf1+ 61.Kh2 Rf2+ 62.Kg3 Rg2+ 63.Kxf3 Rg8 {and now Nd4, 
e3-e4, Nd4-f5 and h3-h4 looks very promising} 64.Nd4 ( {The king march 
does not quite work} 64.Ke4 Kg6 65.Kd5 Kf7 66.Kd6 {Threat Nd8+ to e6 and 
c7 but} 66...Rg3 {draws after} 67.Kd7 Rxe3 68.Nd8+ Kg6 69.e8=Q+ Rxe8 70.
Kxe8 Kg5 ) 64...Kg6 65.e4 Kf7 66.Nf5 Rg1 {Defending behind the h pawn does
not seem to work} ( {The passive approach also loses} 66...Rh8 67.h4 Rb8 
68.h5 Rh8 69.h6 Rg8 70.Kf4 Rh8 71.Ke3 Rb8 72.Kd4 Ra8 73.h7 Rh8 74.Kd5 Rxh7
75.Kd6 Rh8 76.Kd7 $18 ) 67.h4 Rh1 68.h5 Rh2 ( 68...Rxh5 69.e8=Q+ Kxe8 70.
Ng7+ ) 69.h6 Rh1 ( 69...Ra2 70.Kg4 Rh2 71.Nh4 $18 ) 70.Kg2 $18 {And the 
rook runs out of squares} 70...Rh5 71.Ng7 ) 57.Ra4 f5 $4 {The question is 
what did Topalov miss or was it just first game nerves? Its not the first 
time its happened} ( 57...Nxf2 {Still draws after the nice line} 58.Kg3 ( 
58.d6 Rb2 59.Rb4 Rd2 {Leads to a lovely mate} 60.Kg3 Nh1+ 61.Kxf3 f5 62.
Nxe5 Rf2# ) 58...e4 $1 ( 58...Nd3 59.Kxf3 f5 60.d6 Rd7 61.Ne7 Rxd6 62.Nxf5
Rf6 63.e4 {Black should draw this} ) 59.Kxf2 Rb2+ {and the white king has 
to submit to perpetual as leaving the f3 pawn loses} 60.Kf1 ( 60.Kg3 $2 
Rg2+ 61.Kf4 f2 62.Ra1 Rg1 ) 60...Rb1+ 61.Kf2 Rb2+ 62.Ke1 Rb1+ 63.Kd2 $2 f2
) 58.Nxe5 Rb2 59.Nd3 ( 59.Rxe4 {Even this gets to knight and three v rook}
59...fxe4 60.Kg3 Kg5 ( 60...Rd2 61.Kf4 Rxf2 62.Kxe4 Kh4 63.Nxf3+ Kxh3 64.
d6 $18 ) 61.Nf7+ Kf6 62.Nd6 Rb4 63.Kf4 ) 59...Rb7 ( 59...Rd2 60.Rd4 $1 ( {
Not} 60.Ra3 Kh4 $11 ) ) 60.Rd4 Rb6 61.d6 $1 {The simplest solution, giving
the d pawn for the f pawn and emerging a clear two pawns ahead with an 
active king} 61...Nxd6 62.Kg3 Ne4+ 63.Kxf3 Kg5 64.h4+ Kf6 ( 64...Kxh4 65.
Nc5 {Leads to a technically won R+P endgame} ) 65.Rd5 Nc3 66.Rd8 Rb1 67.
Rf8+ Ke6 68.Nf4+ Ke5 69.Re8+ Kf6 70.Nh5+ Kg6 71.Ng3 Rb2 72.h5+ Kf7 73.Re5 
Nd1 74.Ne2 Kf6 75.Rd5 ( 75.Rd5 Rxe2 76.Rd6+ Ke7 77.Kxe2 ) 1-0

