1. e4 After reaching virtually nothing with White against Kamsky's Gruenfeld, Topalov decides to switch to the king's pawn.
1... e6!? Surprisingly, Kamsky choses the French Defence - an opening he never plays.
2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 c5 4. Ngf3 cxd4 5. Nxd4 5. exd5 Qxd5 6. Bc4 Qd6 7. O-O is a more popular line.
5... Nc6 6. Bb5 Bd7 7. Nxc6 Bxc6 8. Bxc6+ bxc6 9. c4 Bd6
9... Qa5 10. Qb3 (10. Qc2 Rd8 11. O-O Qa6 12. Nf3 h6 13. exd5 cxd5 14. c5 Ne7 15. b4 f6 16. a4 e5 17. b5 Qe6 18. c6 g5 Kuzmin-Strelnikov, Elista 2008)
10... Rd8 11. O-O Nf6 12. e5 Nd7 13. Qg3 Qa6 14. cxd5 cxd5 15. Nb3 g6 16. Bg5 Rc8 17. Rac1 Bg7 18. Qd3 Rc4 19. Rxc4 Qxc4 20. Rc1 Nxe5 21. Qe3 Qa6 22. Qc5 f6 23. Bh6 1/2-1/2 Vachier Lagrave-Malakhatko, Paris 2008
9... Bc5!? 10. cxd5 cxd5 11. exd5 Qxd5 12. Qa4+ Qd7 13. Qxd7+ Kxd7 14. Ne4 Bb6 15. Bf4 Ne7 16. O-O-O+ Nd5 17. Nc3 Kc6 18. Nxd5 1/2-1/2 Glek-Jussupow, Bundesliga 1991
9... Nf6 10. Qa4! Qd7 11. e5 Ng4 12. Nf3 h5 13. O-O Rb8 14. a3 Be7 15. b4 Rb7 16. Bf4 Nh6 17. Bxh6 Rxh6 18. c5 Rg6 19. Nd4 Rg4 20. Rfd1 Rc7 21. f3 Rg5 22. f4 Rg4 23. Rf1 Bg5 24. g3 Be7 25. Kg2 Rg6 26. Qc2 h4 27. f5 and White won in Tseitlin-Vaganian, Soviet ch (Leningrad) 1971
10. cxd5 cxd5 11. exd5 exd5 12. O-O Ne7 13. Nf3 O-O Topalov's play against Kamsky's French hasn't been very aggressive - again he's not really playing according to his usual style, or so it seems.
14. Qd3 Qd7 15. Rd1 Rfd8 16. Be3 a5 17. g3 h6 18. Bb6 Rdc8 19. Bd4 Bc5 Although his structure is slightly worse, it favours Black to exchange the bishops and simplify the postion. It won't be too difficult to defend just one weakness!
20. Bc3 Bb4 21. Be5 Bd6 22. Rd2 White can't prevent the exchange.
22... Bxe5 23. Nxe5 Qd6 24. Re1 Rc7 25. Qf3 Rf8 26. Kg2 White still has an annoying little plus, but is it enough to win the game? With perfect play by Black, probably not.
26... Rb7 27. h4 Qb4 28. Ree2 Qa4 29. b3 Qb4 30. Nd3 Qd6 31. h5 Rc7 32. Nf4 d4 33. Re4 Nc6 34. Nd3 Rd8 35. Rc2 Nb4?? A big blunder where Black was close to the draw.
35... Qd7 36. Rc4 Rcc8 and White will really have to be creative here to find a way to create serious winning chances.
36. Nxb4 axb4 37. Rxd4! Ouch.
37... Qf8?! Kamsky decides to try the queen ending.
Perhaps after 37... Qxd4 38. Rxc7 Rf8 the b4-pawn is also doomed, but it's not so easy. e.g. 39. Qb7 Qe5 40. Rc4 Rb8
while 37... Qxd4 38. Rxc7 Qd5 39. Rb7! Qxf3+ 40. Kxf3 Ra8 41. Rxb4 Rxa2 42. Rb8+ Kh7 43. b4 is most probably winning as well.
38. Rxd8 Qxd8 39. Rxc7 Qxc7 40. Qa8+ Kh7 41. Qe4+ Double-ouch.
41... Kg8 42. Qxb4 This is clearly winning, but Kamsky is a fighter, always a fighter.
42... Qc6+ 43. Kg1 Qc1+ 44. Kh2 Qc2 45. Qe1 Kf8 45... Qxa2 46. Qe8+ Kh7 47. Qxf7
protecting two pawns at the same time.
46. a3! Again using the theme of double-attack.
46... Qb2 46... Qxb3 47. Qb4+ Qxb4 48. axb4 Ke7 49. Kh3 Kd6 50. Kg4 Kc6 51. Kf5 Kb5 52. Ke5 Kxb4 53. Kd6 is a very easy win for White.
47. Qb4+ Kg8 48. Kg2 Qe5 49. Qg4 Qb2 50. Qc8+ Kh7 51. Qc4 51. a4 Qxb3 52. Qa8 was another way to win.
51... Qxa3 52. Qxf7 Qb4 53. Qc4 Qb7+ 54. Kg1 Qf3 55. g4 1-0