John Henderson Dortmund Reports

Round 3 Saturday 14th July 2001

TOPALOV OF THE WORLD

WELL the exciting news from Dortmund is that, in a show of magnanimity, Vladimir Kramnik has agreed after all to Garry Kasparov’s demands for a rematch – providing he qualifies through from the Candidates-style tournament being organised here next year!

Guess what? My report yesterday was basically all correct on the details of the Brain Games press conference today – we scooped everyone! It’s surprising what a journalist, a bar and few drinks can do!

And, just as Dortmund brought out the best of my father and his Lancaster Bomber during WWII, Ray Keene also has fond memories of the German City, which was way he was so happy to see the BGN cycle coming here. The great Raymundo played 5-times in Dortmund, and indeed won here in 1980. "Dortmund has proposed the most appropriate and convincing framework for the BGN Championship," said Keene during the press conference. "Other cities which have expressed interest in BGN qualifying cycles are London, Leon, Buenos Aires and Bahrain; where Kramnik will be challenged for $1m by the Hamburg computer program Fritz 7 in October."

The main details emerging from a packed press conference are the following:

Next year’s 30^th anniversary tournament will provide a challenger for Kramnik’s crown, and will take place from 6-21 July 2002. Two players (Garry Kasparov and Vishy Annad) will be invited and they will be joined by four of the top players on the rating list. The additional two players will come from a special online tournament (costing $10 to join) that will start this August, organised through the BGN site (www.braingames.net).

This will be open to the world (see, told you: a chance for immortality) with the games being 20-minutes each, and will (eventually) see eight qualifiers go through to another tournament. From there, in the true style of the cult Japanese game show "Endurance", the Internet qualifiers will be joined by a further eight invited players, with two winners going through to the Candidates tournament where no doubt Garry will demand to know why there are "tourists" on the stage playing alongside him.

The eight players will receive 30,000DM in appearance money for Dortmund, and the prize fund for the Candidates will be $200,000. The event will then be seeded into two groups of four playing a double round robin. And, much to the angst of Mr Crowther, the top four players from the round robin will take part in a KO event with the winner of group A playing the runner-up of group B and vice versa. The semi-final KO will be held over two games and final over four games. The overall winner will then go forward in October 2002 to play Kramnik in a 16-game title match in Bahrain ("99% certain" - RD Keene) with a prize fund of no less than $2m.

It was also revealed by Carsten Hensel that Dortmund, as a build-up to the regions 2012 Olympic bid, had also agreed to host the 2004 BGN World title match.

So there you have it – the BGN shindig is under starters orders. Will Kasparov play? “There is actually no reason for him [Kasparov] to avoid this candidates tournament”, according to Kramnik at the press conference. “The conditions are outstanding and I hope and believe that he will be there.” And I think Vlady’s right. If Gazza’s hungry to win big “his” title, then he’ll accept the invitation.

However, there’s a big question mark as to whether Vishy Anand will be there. The Fide champion must be coming under enormous pressure just now – and it doesn’t help him that Fide haven’t declared their hand yet for a title defence that’s due for the end of this year.

Veselin Topalov believes that his time has come, and hopes that shortly he’ll finally make the big breakthrough he’s always threatened by appearing in a big, showpiece final – and he doesn’t care if its organised by Fide or Brain Games!

So far he’s proved to be the most entertaining player at this year’s edition of Dortmund, with all three of his games being decisive. After losing to Kramnik in the first round, he’s stormed back with two successive wins over Morozevich and Anand to join Kramnik and Leko in first place on 2/3. And, for the last two rounds he’s been the star attraction in the pressroom as he’s annotated his games on the demo board for those of us too lazy to use Deep Fritz.

Topalov,V (2711) - Anand,V (2794) [C10]

1 e4 e6 In recent years Anand has eschewed the Sicilian in favour of the French. 2 d4 d5 3 Nc3 Nf6 4 Bg5 dxe4 5 Nxe4 Nbd7 6 Nf3 h6 [6 ..Be7 7 Nxf6+ Bxf6 8 h4 c5 9 Qd2 cxd4 10 Nxd4 0–0 11 0–0–0 h6 12 Nf3 Qb6 13 c3 e5 14 Be3 Qa5 15 g4 e4 16 g5 Be7 17 gxh6 Qxa2 18 Qd4 Nf6 19 hxg7 Re8 20 Bc4 Qa1+ 21 Kc2 Qa4+ 22 Bb3 Qxd4 23 Nxd4 Kxg7 24 Rdg1+ Kh7 25 Bxf7 Rf8 26 Bg6+ Kh8 27 Nf5 Bxf5 28 Bxf5 Nd5 29 Bxe4 Nxe3+ 30 fxe3 Rf2+ 31 Kb1 Bc5 32 Rg5 Bxe3 33 Rh5+ Kg7 34 Re1 Bb6 35 Rg5+ 1–0 Topalov,V-Shirov,A/Leon ESP 2001/The Week in Chess 344 (35).] 7 Nxf6+ Nxf6 8 Bxf6 Qxf6 9 Bb5+ c6 10 Bd3 a6 11 c3 c5 12 Ne5 Bd6 13 Qe2N [Topalov improves upon his own play against Shirov from the recent Advanced Chess Match in Leon: 13 Qa4+ Ke7 14 0–0 Bxe5 15 dxe5 Qxe5 16 Rae1 Qc7 17 Qh4+ g5 18 Qh5 Bd7 19 f4 c4 20 fxg5 Qc5+ 21 Kh1 cxd3 22 Rxf7+ Kd8 23 Qg6 Qd6 24 Rd1 Kc8 25 Rxd3 Qe5 26 h3 Be8 27 Qg7 Qxg7 28 Rxg7 hxg5 29 Rd6 Bc6 30 Kg1 Re8 31 Kf2 e5 32 g4 e4 33 Rf6 e3+ 34 Ke2 Bb5+ 35 Ke1 Kb8 36 b3 Ka7 37 Rd6 Rh8 38 c4 Be8 39 Ke2 Rxh3 40 Rxg5 Bc6 41 Re5 Bf3+ 42 Kxe3 Bxg4+ 43 Kd4 Rh2 44 Rg6 Bd1 45 Ra5 Rd8+ 46 Kc3 Rdd2 47 Rg1 Bf3 48 a4 Rc2+ 49 Kd4 Rh4+ 0–1 Topalov,V-Shirov,A/Leon ESP 2001/The Week in Chess 344 (49).] 13 ..cxd4 14 cxd4 Bd7 [Topalov: “Taking the check on b4 allows white to take full control of the c-file: 14 ..Bb4+ 15 Kf1 0–0 16 Rc1! Bd6 17 Qe4 Rd8 18 g3 with a strong position.“] 15 0–0 Qf4 Anand is practically forced into the following continuation due to the strong knight on e5 preventing him from castling. 16 g3 Qxd4 17 Nxd7 Kxd7

18 Qf3! Ke7 [Topalov: “18 ..Ke8?! 19 Bxa6! Rxa6 20 Qxb7 Bxg3! (20 ..Qb6 21 Qc8+ Ke7 22 Qxh8 wins) 21 hxg3 (21 Qxa6? Bxh2+! 22 Kxh2 Qh4+ 23 Kg2 Qg4+=) 21 ..Rb6 22 Qc8+ Qd8 23 Qc3! Kf8 24 Rfd1 and black's in a bad way due to the problem of developing the rook on h8 and white's total control over the d-and c-file.“] 19 Qxb7+ Kf6 20 Rad1 Qa7 [Topalov: “20 ..Rab8 21 Qf3+ Ke7 22 b3 Qb2 23 Bxa6 Qxa2 24 Bc4 leaves black to defend against numerous threats, such as Rfe1 and Qg4 - all creating more weaknesses in the black camp.“] 21 Qf3+ Ke7 22 Qg4 g5 [22 ..g6 23 Rfe1 and white's threatening Bxg6.] 23 Bc4!

The problem for Anand is there for all to see: his pieces have become disjointed in an effort to stop Topalov from crashing through. Anand has been resilient so far, but there's a limit to who much pressure he can defend against. 23 ..Qb6 24 Rd3 Rad8 [24 ..Qxb2? 25 Re1 Qf6 26 Rf3 Qg6 27 Rxf7+!] 25 Rf3 Black's in a terrible bind - eventually something has to give. 25 ..Be5 26 Re1 [Perhaps stronger was: 26 Rb3! Qd4 (26 ..Qc7 27 Bxa6 Rb8 28 Bb5) 27 Qe2 Rb8 28 Rd1 Qc5 29 Re3 f6 (29 ..Rxb2? 30 Rxe5!) 30 b3] 26 ..f6 27 Qh5 Qb4 28 Rxe5! Qxc4 [28 ..fxe5? 29 Qf7+ Kd6 30 Qxe6+ Kc7 (30 ..Kc5 31 Qxe5+ Kxc4 32 Qe4+ Kc5 33 Rf5+ wins the queen - and then the king!) 31 Rf7+ Kb8 32 Qxa6 Qe1+ 33 Bf1 anf there's no way to prevent the numerous white mating threats.] 29 Re1 Qxa2 30 Qg6 Rhf8 31 Qxh6 Qxb2 32 Qg7+ Rf7

33 Rxe6+! Kxe6 34 Re3+ Qe5 35 Rxe5+ fxe5 36 Qxg5 Rdf8 37 Qg4+ Kd5 38 Qd1+ Kc5 39 Qc2+ Kb4 40 Qb2+ Kc5 41 Qxe5+ Kb6 42 h4 a5 [42 ..Rxf2 43 Qe3+ Kb5 44 Qxf2 Rxf2 45 Kxf2 easily wins.] 43 h5 Rd7 44 Qe6+ Kc7 45 h6 1–0

You can contact John Henderson at: jbhthescots@cableinet.co.uk

The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of TWIC, Chess & Bridge Ltd or the London Chess Center.