Topalov - Anand, the nrs. 1 & 2 (active) players in the world had a memorable game yesterday at the MTel tournament in Sofia. Topalov had prepared a novelty (at least at that level) in the queens indian with 11.Ng5 (instead of Bg2, Bd3 or c5), followed with a positional piece sacrifice at move 14 (Nxf7+). An interesting battle followed, but Anand was not able to maintain the material advantage and lost.
The future analysis will have to show if the sacrifice is sound or not, but regardless of that, the game was one of the more exciting games of the recent past. The no-draw policy may not have much effect on the overall draw score, but it sure gives the signal that fighting chess is what kibitzers want to see. Btw, all three games yesterday were wins by white.
edit: here is the full game
Topalov - Anand
18.05.2005
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Ba6 5.b3 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 Be7 7.Nc3 c6 8.e4 d5 9.Qc2 dxe4 10.Nxe4 Bb7 11.Neg5 c5 12.d5 exd5 13.cxd5 h6 14.Nxf7 Kxf7 15.0–0–0 Bd6 16.Nh4 Bc8 17.Re1 Na6 18.Re6 Nb4 19.Bxb4 cxb4 20.Bc4 b5 21.Bxb5 Be7 22.Ng6 Nxd5 23.Rxe7+ Nxe7 24.Bc4+ Kf6 25.Nxh8 Qd4 26.Rd1 Qa1+ 27.Kd2 Qd4+ 28.Ke1 Qe5+ 29.Qe2 Qxe2+ 30.Kxe2 Nf5 31.Nf7 a5 32.g4 Nh4 33.h3 Ra7 34.Rd6+ Ke7 35.Rb6 Rc7 36.Ne5 Ng2 37.Ng6+ Kd8 38.Kf1 Bb7 39.Rxb7 Rxb7 40.Kxg2 Rd7 41.Nf8 Rd2 42.Ne6+ Ke7 43.Nxg7 Rxa2 44.Nf5+ Kf6 45.Nxh6 Rc2 46.Bf7 Rc3 47.f4 a4 48.bxa4 b3 49.g5+ Kg7 50.f5 b2 51.f6+ Kh7 52.Nf5 1–0
Originally posted by OuermyhteNote that the sacrifice on f7 must have been planned beforehand while making the unusual move 11.Neg5, knowing that black would play h6 and c5, thereby threatening the knight on f3 with the bishop, and the rook on h1.
Would u mind going over the advantages of the sacrifice Mephisto? I wouldn't have a clue when to make a positional sacrifice
Given that, on move 14, the reasons (and hopefully for white, the justification) for playing Nxf7 are based on weakening the white squares around the king and kingside, and keeping the king unsafe, thereby building a set of tactical threats. White threatens Ne5 and Qg6+ (or Ng6) in one instance, Bc4 followed by d6 in another instance, and as played in the game - d6 was blocked with the bishop - Nh4 followed by either Ng6 or Qg6 (and Nf5 threatening mate on g7).
Note that white keeps the threats as long as possible (rather than executing one of them and letting black defend the chosen one) and continues development, making all his remaining pieces participate.