Morelia/Linares MEX/ESP 2007 (7), Topalov, Veselin - Morozevich, Alexander, 1-0, French, Steinitz, Boleslavsky variation: (C11), Chess-Theory Viewer

ANALYSED GAME N^o 094
Updated: April 2008

Topalov, V. (2783) - Morozevich, A (2741)
[C11] - Morelia/Linares XXIV SuperGM
Morelia/Linares, MEX/
ESP (7), 25.02.2007

(Annotation: John E Hawkes)

«Pictures of Morelia, Mexico
The fountain on the west end of the zocalo.
©Photograph: Mexico-Connect»

X0

French Defense, Steinitz, Boleslavsky variation: (C11).

1.e4 X1 e6 X2 2.d4 X3 d5 X4 3.Nc3 X5 Nf6 X6 4.e5 X7 Nfd7 X8 5.f4 X9 c5 X10 6.Nf3 X11 Nc6 X12 7.Be3 X13 a6 X14 8.Ne2 X15 Qb6 X16 9.Qc1 X17 g5!? X18 10.c3 X19

[ 10.fxg5 X20 cxd4 X21 11.Nexd4 X22 Bc5 X23 12.c3 X24 Ndxe5 X25 and Black has equalised - if not more; 10.dxc5!? X26 ]

10...cxd4 X27 11.cxd4 X28 Bb4+ X29 12.Kf2 X30

Theoretically of the highest interest. The position is now a relative of the Sebastyen variation of the French Tarrasch, where the move ...g5 is known to be quite good for Black: Morozevich' s play is based on the same motifs in a context with slight differences - the White Q on c1 and Black P on a6 notably.

12...f6 X31 13.g3 X32 Rf8!? X33 14.Kg2 X34

[ 14.Bh3 X35 is another possibility - and extremely complicated.]

14...g4 X36 15.Nh4 X37 Rg8? X38

The opening is a mess!

[ 15...fxe5 X39 is surely the consistent move. 16.fxe5 X40 Be7!=/+ X41 ]

16.h3 X42

[ 16.Qc2!? X43 ]

16...h5 X44

Black should be opening up the g-file for active Rook play - but he dares not - it all seems wrongly conceived.

[ 16...gxh3+ X45 17.Kh2 X46 fxe5 X47 18.fxe5 X48 followed by Bxh3 and Rf1 is crushing.]

17.hxg4 X49 hxg4 X50 18.Nc3 X51

[ The text allows the Bf1 to come into play, whilst 18.f5 X52 fxe5 X53 19.fxe6 X54 Nf8 X55 is probably rather better for Black.]

18...fxe5 X56 19.fxe5 X57 Ncxe5? X58

[ 19...Nxd4 X59 20.Nf5! X60 Bc5 X61 ( 20...exf5 X62 21.Nxd5+/- X63 ) 21.Nh6 X64 Rf8 X65 22.Na4 X66 is a disaster for Black.; 19...Be7 X67 is the solid move but Qside development is going to be a problem.]

20.dxe5 X68 d4 X69 21.Na4 X70 Qa5 X71 22.Qc4! X72

The point. Black' s play is refuted.

22...Nxe5 X73 23.Qxd4 X74 Nf3? X75

[ 23...Bd7 X76 must be better, but its still a bad deal for Black. e.g. 24.Nc5 X77 Bc6+ X78 25.Kh2 X79 Qxc5 X80 26.Qxc5 X81 Bxc5 X82 27.Bxc5 X83 Bxh1 X84 28.Kxh1 X85 Rc8 X86 29.Bb4+/- X87 ]

24.Nxf3 X88

[ 24.Qd1 X89 Bd7 X90 25.a3 X91 ( 25.Nb6 X92 Bc6! X93 and White cannot permit the discovered check; 26.Nxa8?? X94 Nxh4+ X95 27.Kg1 X96 Qe5 X97 28.Bf2 X98 Bc5 X99 and White must resign! ) 25...Bd2! X100 ( 25...Nxh4+ X101 26.Rxh4 X102 Bc6+ X103 27.Kg1 X104 Bxa4 X105 28.axb4+- X106 ) 26.Bxd2 X107 Nxd2 X108 and the White King is the more exposed to danger.]

24...gxf3+ X109 25.Kf2 X110 Qxa4 X111 26.Bd3? X112

[ After the simple pin exploitation 26.Bd2 X113 a5 X114 27.a3 X115 Black is absolutely lost. Awful position!]

26...Qd7 X116 27.Qe4? X117

Another mistake!

[ 27.Rh8 X118 ]

27...Bd6 X119

[ Or 27...Qg7 X120 ]

28.Rag1? X121

Weak!

[ 28.Rh7 X122 is correct, and if 28...Bxg3+ X123 ( 28...Qc6= X124 ) 29.Kxf3 X125 Qd5 X126 30.Rg1+- X127 Game over!]

28...Qg7! X128 29.Rh6!? X129

[ Better are 29.Kxf3 X130 ; and 29.Bd4 X131 e5 X132 30.Qd5 X133 ]

29...Qxb2+ X134 30.Kxf3 X135 Rf8+ X136 31.Bf4 X137

[ 31.Kg4 X138 e5+ X139 32.Kh5 X140 Rf5+ X141 33.Kg6 X142 Qxa2! X143 34.Bc4 X144 Qa3 X145 35.Rh8+ X146 Bf8 X147 36.Bf7+! X148 Rxf7 X149 37.Qxe5+ X150 Qe7 X151 38.Rxf8+ X152 Rxf8 X153 ( 38...Kxf8 X154 39.Qh8# X155 ) 39.Qxe7+ X156 Kxe7 X157 40.Bc5+ X158 Ke6 X159 41.Bxf8 X160 is an alternative scenario - in this Rook plus Bishop of opposite colour ending White will find it hard to draw.]

31...Qe5! X161

[ 31...Qxa2 X162 32.Qd4 X163 Qa3 X164 Forced! 33.Kg2 X165 Qa2+ X166 ( 33...Bxf4 X167 34.Bg6+ X168 and Topalov will mate his opponent. ) 34.Kh1 X169 Qd5+ X170 35.Qxd5 X171 exd5 X172 36.Rxd6+- X173 ; 31...Kd8!? X174 was the alternative - it gives Black some security for his K. 32.Rb1 X175 Qc3 X176 33.Rb3 X177 Qc6=/+ X178 ]

32.Qg6+ X179 Kd8 X180 33.Kg2 X181 Qb2+ X182 34.Kh1 X183 Bxf4 X184 35.gxf4 X185 Bd7 X186

[ 35...Kc7 X187 36.f5! X188 Bd7! X189 37.fxe6 X190 Bc6+ X191 ( 37...Rg8 X192 38.Qh7 X193 Rxg1+ X194 39.Kxg1 X195 Rd8 X196 40.exd7 X197 Rxd7 X198 is absolutely crazy: Black is a piece down but has great play - possibly winning! 41.Qh8 X199 Rg7+! X200 42.Kf1 X201 ( 42.Kh1 X202 Qg2# X203 ) 42...Qa1+ X204 43.Ke2 X205 Qxa2+ X206 etc) 38.Be4 X207 Rh8 X208 39.Rh7+ X209 Kb6 X210 40.Bxc6 X211 Rxh7+ X212 41.Qxh7 X213 Rh8 X214 42.Be4 X215 Rxh7+ X216 43.Bxh7 X217 Qh8! X218 44.Re1 X219 Qxh7+ X220 and Black wins.]

36.Be4! X221

One cannot keep making poor moves!

36...Kc7? X222

[ 36...Qd4 X223 37.Rc1! X224 Bc6 X225 38.Bxc6 X226 bxc6 X227 39.Qxe6+/= X228 ]

37.Rb1 X229 Qf2 X230

[ 37...Qe2 X231 38.Rxb7+ X232 Kc8 X233 or it' s mate! 39.Rb1+- X234 ]

38.Rxb7+ X235

[ Alternatively, 38.Qg7! X236 b5 X237 39.Rc1+ X238 Kb6 X239 40.Rxe6+ X240 Ka5 X241 41.Qc3+ X242 b4 X243 42.Qc7+ X244 and mate follows.]

38...Kc8 X245 39.Rb1 X246

[ One cannot really call this a mistake, especially in time pressure, but retreating and leaving the seventh rank does not impress me. The quiet move 39.Bg2! X247 is positionally crushing e.g. 39...Qc5 X248 40.Qe4! X249 Ra7 X250 41.Rh7+- X251 Seventh-rank domination! Black must capitulate.]

39...Ra7 X252 40.f5 X253

This isn' t precise either!

[ 40.Qg5 X254 Rc7 X255 41.Qe5 X256 threatening Rh8 keeps a White initiative alive: 41...Qxf4 X257 42.Qxf4 X258 Rxf4 X259 43.Rh8+ X260 Be8 X261 44.Rxe8+ X262 Kd7 X263 45.Rh8! X264 ( 45.Bg6 X265 Rh4+ X266 46.Kg2 X267 Rg4+ X268 47.Kf3 X269 Rxg6=/+ X270 ) 45...Rxe4 X271 46.Rh7+ X272 Kc8 X273 47.Rh8+ X274 Draw!]

40...Rc7? X275

Morozevich has survived the attack and if he had passed the control he would probably have seen how to counterattack - but this 40th-move mistake is fatal!

[ The correct (only move) and good enough for more than equality, however, was 40...Qf4! X276 41.fxe6 X277 ( 41.Re1 X278 Rc7 X279 holds everything together and counter-attacks, because of the trap 42.fxe6?? X280 Be8!! X281 and Topalov can resign! ) 41...Be8! X282 42.e7! X283 Forced 42...Bxg6 X284 43.exf8Q+ X285 Qxf8 X286 44.Rxg6 X287 when Black should win.]

41.fxe6 X288 Be8 X289 42.Qg5 X290 Qd4 X291 43.Bg2 X292 Rf4 X293 44.e7 X294 Rc5 X295 45.Qg3 X296 Rc3 X297 46.Qe1 X298 Re3 X299 47.Qa5 X300 Bb5 X301

And he will be mated after all!

48.Rc1+

A rather lucky point for Topalov after making so many errors!

1-0

«Morelia/Linares (MEX/ESP) 2007, Round 7
A view from the TOP: The Theater in
Morelia with the games in progress
©Photo: ChessBase-Morelia 2007»

************

John E Hawkes - February 2008

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