Carlsen (2733) - Topalov (2780) [A28]

Morelia/Linares (12) 2008


1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. d3 d5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. e4 Nb6 7. Be2 Be7 8. O-O O-O 9. a4 Be6 More common is 9... a5 e.g. 10. Be3 f5 11. Rc1 f4 12. Bd2 Bb4 13. Nb5 Bxd2 14. Nxd2 Kh8 15. h3 Be6 16. Nf3 Bg8 17. Rc3 Agdestein-Ivanchuk, Tilburg 1993 10. Be3 Nd7 11. d4 exd4 12. Nxd4 Nxd4 13. Qxd4 c6 14. a5 This pawn later turns out to be weak here. After the game Carlsen said he 'blundered a pawn' in the opening but it's difficult to pinpoint where it cannot be saved anymore. 14... Nc5 15. Qe5 Nb3 16. Ra4 16. Rfd1 Qb8 16... Bd6 17. Qh5 g6 18. Qh6 Be5 18... Nxa5? 19. e5! Bxe5 20. Rh4 19. Bg5 Qc7 20. Be3 Nxa5 21. f4 Bg7 22. Qh4 Bb3 23. Rd4! It's far too dangerous for Black to take this rook; White will continue Bf6, e5 and Ne4 with a very strong attack. "The best Black can get is that he gives back the exchange somewhere, and then nothing has chanced." - Carlsen. 23... Rad8 24. e5 Another possibility was 24. Rxd8 Qxd8 25. Qxd8 Rxd8 26. Bxa7 Nc4 but Magnus decided to play for an attack. 24... Rxd4 25. Bxd4 c5 26. Be3 f6 27. Nb5 Qd8 27... Qb6 28. f5 fxe5 29. fxg6 Rxf1+ 30. Bxf1 hxg6 31. Nc3 also gives White lots of compensation. 28. f5 28. Bxc5 fxe5 28. e6!? 28... fxe5 29. Bg5 Qb6 30. f6 c4+ 31. Kh1 Qxb5 not 31... Bxf6 32. Rxf6 Rxf6 33. Bxf6 Qxb5 because of 34. Qh6 Qd7 35. Bg4! Qf7 36. Be6! Also after 31... Bh8 Magnus felt he had reasonable compensation, because "Bh8 is out of play and the black pieces on the queenside also look very silly". 32. fxg7 Rxf1+ 33. Bxf1 Kxg7?! The safest, but after this move White can force the draw. The last winning attempt was 33... Qd7 34. Bh6 Nc6 35. Bxc4+ Bxc4 36. Qxc4+ Qf7 although it's not easy to actually win this. 34. Bd8 Magnus thought about 25 minutes about this one, looking for a win, but it's not there. 34. Bh6+ seems to be leading to a draw as well: 34... Kf7 35. Qd8 Bc2 (35... Nc6? 36. Qd7+ Kf6 37. Bg7+ Kg5 38. Be2 and Black gets mated) 36. Bg5 Ke6 37. Qe7+ Kd5 38. Qf7+ Kc6 39. Qf6+ Kc7 40. Qd8+ 34... Nc6?? After 34... Qd5 White will forcing the draw with 35. Bxa5 Qxa5 36. Qe7+ 35. Qf6+ Kg8 36. Qe6+ Kf8 36... Kg7 37. Bf6+ Kf8 38. Bg5 is the same 37. Bg5 A lot of major errors are being made, which you normally only see at a certain tournament in March. Magnus didn't have an explanation for it, and unfortunately players such as Ivanchuk, Shirov and Topalov are hardly approachable at this event. 1-0