SIMPSON'S

IN•TH E•ST RAND

SIMPSON'S

15•THE•STRAND

CHESS

Top of the world

Raymond Keene

THE BULGARIAN grandmaster Veselin Topalov has joined that charmed circle of players, which also includes Viswanathan Anand, Vladimir Kramnik and Vassily Ivanchuk, who might genuinely be consid- ered as future world champions.

Bulgaria has long enjoyed a distin- guished reputation as a chess-playing nation, but this had been put down to the high level of chess generally associated with the game's promotion by the state in Eastern bloc countries. In spite of an excel- lent general standard, no Bulgarian had ever emerged as a true international super- star. This has now all been changed by Topalov's remarkable results. Virtually no elite tournament now goes past without Topalov either winning outright or sharing first prize. The category 19 tournament at Novgorod last month added further laurels to his already glowing reputation.

Novgorod International — Double Round

1 2 3 4 5 6

1. Topalov

1/20 1/21/2 1/21/2 1/21 11

6 2. Ivanchuk 921

92921/2 I/2 10 01 592 3. Short V242 002 " 421

9242

420 5 4. Gelfand

1/21/2 4212

'/20

1121 1/20

492 5. Kraninlk

420 01

1/21/2 1/20

"

1 ih 492 6. Polgar 00 10

1/21 1/21 01/2

" 492

Polgar–Topalov: Novgorod, 1996; Sicilian Defence.

1 e4 c5 2 Nc3 g6 3 ND Bg7 4 d4 cxd4 5 Nxd4 Nc6 White's move order is not particularly felicitous in terms of combating the Accelerated Dragon, into which the game has now transposed. If Polgar suspected that Topalov might use this particular counter-attacking weapon (and he has played it before) then the sophisticated sequence would have been 1 e4 c5 2 ND Nc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 g6 5 c4 Bg7 6 Be3 Nf6 7 Nc3. In this case, White would have established the so- called Maroczy Bind, with the pawn on c4 severely restricting Black's counterplay both in the centre and on the queen's flank. As played in the game, White's second move already rules out c4, and the further course of the encounter shows just how dangerous Black's manoeuvres can become if he is allowed to push through with the central advance ... d5. 6 Be3 Nf6 7 Bc4 0-0 8 Bb3 d6 9 h3 White's plan is to advance with f4, but she does not wish to be bothered by the annoying riposte ...Ng4. The alternative is 9 f3, also ruling out ... Ng4, but forfeiting the chance of aggression with f4. In the further course of action White would follow with Qd2, with likely transposition to a main line of the normal Dragon Sicilian. 9 ... Na5 An excellent idea. Black will trade off White's dangerous bishop and then fianchetto his own queen's bishop to augment the pressure against White's main cen- tral bastion, the pawn on e4. 10 0-0 b6 11 Qd3 Bb7 12 Bg5 Nxb3 13 axb3 a6 A necessary prelim- inary to placing his queen's rook on the valuable half open 'c' file. 14 Rfel Which rook to develop where is a perennial question. In this case, where the strategic advantage has already passed to Black, White should put the other rook on el and then go for an all-out attack with f4. After 14 Rael at least White would have concentrated all her forces near the black king. 14 ...h6 15 Bd2 b5 16 f4 e6 17 Kh2 Rc8 18 Re2 Qc7 19 b4 This weakens White's position in the 'c' file and also gives away the c4 square for future occupa- tion by a black piece. However, at some stage White has to address Black's own threat of ... b4, chasing away White's well placed knight. 19 ...Rfd8 20 Nb3 e5 White would now like to play 21 f5 but after 21 ...gxf5 22 exf5 d5 Black's ram- pant central pawns are too powerful. For exam-

plc, 23 Nc5 e4+ 24 Qg3 Ng4+ 25 hxg4 Be5 win- ning White's queen for insufficient compensa- tion. 21 fxe5 d5 There is little wrong with the simple recapture 21 ... dxe5, but the text, blast- ing open the centre for his rooks and bishops, is even more powerful. Note that the pin against White's pawn on c5 prevents White from captur- ing Black's knight on f6. 22 exd5 NxdS 23 Qg3 Nxb4 24 Rfl The need to play this move con- firms that the idea Rfl-el-e2 was a severe loss of time. 24 ...Re8 25 Bf4 g5 Black boldly weakens his kingside in the expectation that White's pawn on e5 will fall, with disastrous consequences. Instead of meekly retreating her bishop, Polgar sacrifices a piece to stir up complications. 26 Nd4 gxf4 27 Rxf4 (Diagram) At first sight White

Position after Rrf4

has generated powerful compensation for the lost piece, there are threats of Rg4 and Nf5 and a moment's hesitation by Black would prove instantly fatal. However, Topalov has accurately calculated that by resolutely capturing on c5 he can ward off all of White's threats. 27 ...Rxe5 After this move, White's attacking chances founder, since on 28 Nf5 Black beats off the attack with 28 ...Rxf5 29 RxfS Qxg3+ 30 Kxg3 when Black's two bishops are more than a match for White's rook. Alternatively 28 Rg4 Rg5 29 RxgS hxg5 30 Re8+ Rxe8 31 Oxc7 Be5+ ulti- mately leaving Black a rook ahead. 28 Rxe5 QxeS 29 Nf5 Rc4 30 Nxb6+ Kh7 31 Rxc4 Qxg3+ 32 Kxg3 bxc4 33 Nxf7 Kg6 34 NdS Bc8 35 Na4 Be5+ White resigns.