Game 11 of FIDE WCC: Anand vs. Topalov

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Current Match Score:
Anand: 5
Topalov: 5

Overall Classical Chess Score:
Anand win: 12
Draw games: 29
Topalov win: 13

Live Rating – Top 5:
1 Carlsen: 2813
2 TOPALOV: 2809
3 ANAND: 2794
4 Kramnik: 2790
5 Aronian: 2783

Match so far:
01 Topalov-Anand 1-0 (Grunfeld)
02 Anand-Topalov 1-0 (Catalan)
03 Topalov-Anand 0,5 (Slav)
04 Anand-Topalov 1-0 (Catalan)
05 Topalov-Anand 0,5 (Slav)
06 Anand-Topalov 0,5 (Catalan)
07 Anand-Topalov 0,5 (Catalan)
08 Topalov-Anand 1-0 (Slav)
09 Anand-Topalov 0,5 (Nimzo)
10 Topalov-Anand 0,5 (Grunfeld)

Game 11: Anand-Topalov
1.c4 e5 (English Opening!)

Yay for the English, and one of the more interesting variations as well!! Don't let me down Anand!

Anand – Topalov
1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.Bg2 Nb6
7.O-O Be7 8.a3 O-O 9.b4 Be6 10.d3 f6 11.Ne4 Qe8!?

(Novelty by Topalov, 11...Qd7 got played in Miles-Timman, Tilburg 1984)

Did Anand stop playing 1. e4 completely? This is his last white and he should have attempted e4 rather than too many catalans I would think.

Originally posted by enrico20
Did Anand stop playing 1. e4 completely? This is his last white and he should have attempted e4 rather than too many catalans I would think.

Actually, with e4 games tend to draw more easily than with d4 on the super-GM level nowadays. Although we patzers like e4 for the open play and tactics, they have all that figured out (theory up to move 40) and the petrov and the marshall are just awesome drawing weapons. I really think that they are being very senisble not playing e4, although I would like to see sicilians too, it is just ATM not a good match opening move. They have to make the best of their white game and in e4 games there are a lot of forced draws or drawing variations.

I think we can be happy with the english, which leads to tactical and strategical complexity without too much long drawing lines and theory. And maybe the petrov and marshall will get crushed sometime soon and e4 will become all the rage again, atm it is not the way to get a complex game where the players are playing on their own.

I like the position right now and this game could well become very interesting AND tactical!

Originally posted by Gatusso
Actually, with e4 games tend to draw more easily than with d4 on the super-GM level nowadays. Although we patzers like e4 for the open play and tactics, they have all that figured out (theory up to move 40) and the petrov and the marshall are just awesome drawing weapons. I really think that they are being very senisble not playing e4, although I would like ...[text shortened]...

I like the position right now and this game could well become very interesting AND tactical!

Maybe that is true but Anand has gone for the catalan 4 times out of 6 games which leaves Topalov and his seconds time to prepare. Anand has also been lagging behind on time.

Who would have thought that both sides would be confined to their own side of the board by move 27? Interesting position, though - just jockeying for position. Like a long safety battle in snooker, but interesting.

What do you guys think about 28.Bb4? I think that might have been interesting...

Edit: He played it on move 30. but wasn't the position on the 28th better?

Originally posted by enrico20
Maybe that is true but Anand has gone for the catalan 4 times out of 6 games which leaves Topalov and his seconds time to prepare. Anand has also been lagging behind on time.

But this is not a catalan, this is a reversed sicilian, I think he decided the catalan didnt give him enough chances and went for the nimzo his last game and now played the english.

Originally posted by Gatusso
But this is not a catalan, this is a reversed sicilian, I think he decided the catalan didnt give him enough chances and went for the nimzo his last game and now played the english.

It's not a reversed sicilian, its an english!

Originally posted by Gatusso
But this is not a catalan, this is a reversed sicilian, I think he decided the catalan didnt give him enough chances and went for the nimzo his last game and now played the english.

Yes I know this is the English opening not the Catalan.

Match so far:
01 Topalov-Anand 1-0 (Grunfeld)
02 Anand-Topalov 1-0 (Catalan)
03 Topalov-Anand 0,5 (Slav)
04 Anand-Topalov 1-0 (Catalan)
05 Topalov-Anand 0,5 (Slav)
06 Anand-Topalov 0,5 (Catalan)
07 Anand-Topalov 0,5 (Catalan)
08 Topalov-Anand 1-0 (Slav)
09 Anand-Topalov 0,5 (Nimzo)
10 Topalov-Anand 0,5 (Grunfeld)

Round 6 Anand plays the Catalan and gets his knight chased for nearly 15 consecutive moves - I didn't see why he went for the Catalan in game 6 onwards. Unless his main preparation was on Catalan, he should have gone for something else.

Originally posted by orion25
It's not a reversed sicilian, its an english!

It is a reversed sicilian - the variation of the english where black plays e5 and d5 (cd5 Nxd5).

Originally posted by enrico20
Yes I know this is the English opening not the Catalan.

Match so far:
01 Topalov-Anand 1-0 (Grunfeld)
02 Anand-Topalov 1-0 (Catalan)
03 Topalov-Anand 0,5 (Slav)
04 Anand-Topalov 1-0 (Catalan)
05 Topalov-Anand 0,5 (Slav)
[b]06 Anand-Topalov 0,5 (Catalan)
07 Anand-Topalov 0,5 (Catalan)
08 Topalov-Anand 1-0 (Slav)
09 Anand-Topalov 0,5 (N ...[text shortened]... 6 onwards. Unless his main preparation was on Catalan, he should have gone for something else.[/b]

Two wins out of four using the catalan. Good enough reason I guess.

Originally posted by arterioes
Two wins out of four using the catalan. Good enough reason I guess.

Yes but what happened in game 6 and game 7? Why was Anand behind on the clock while Topalov used his home preparation? Was the Catalan really good in those games for Anand? If anything he is more tired for the remainder of the match and Topalov intends to press him very hard.

Looks as though Anand may be fighting for a draw here.