Piket trounces Topalov in world chess c'ships

By Kristianus Liem

This is the third part of a report on the world chess championships held in Groningen, the Netherlands, in December.

JAKARTA (JP): Another big surprise in the second round of the world chess championships which were held in Groningen, the Netherlands, from Dec. 8 to Dec. 30, was when world number four and second seed Veselin Topalov (2745) of Bulgaria was trounced by former Dutch champion Jeroen Piket (2630).

Topalov tried to unnerve Piket in game two by choosing an opening he had previously rarely employed, but Piket knew it well and he improved the line (15.Qa3) on an earlier game. Four moves later Topalov made a mistake (18...Bc6?) and Piket moved into destroy mode by sacrificing his Knight on e6 square. One move later Topalov was left a pawn down and in a bad position. Piket ended the Bulgarian's hopes in a few more moves.

In game one, Piket had to defend slightly inferior positions with the Black, but he succeeded in holding it to a draw.

White: GM Jeroen Piket Black: GM Veselin Topalov Queen's Gambit Declined

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.c4 d5 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.e4

Other continuations here are 5.Qa4+ or 5.Bg5.

5...Bb4 6.Bg5

The text leads to the Vienna Variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined.

6...c5 7.Bxc4

The older continuation 7.e5 cxd4 is fine for Black.

7...cxd4 8.Nxd4 Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 Qa5 10.Bb5+ Bd7

For 10...Nbd7 11.Bxf6 Qxc3+ 12.Ke2 gxf6 13.Rc1 Qb4 14.Rc4 Qe7 15.Qc1 0-0 16.Rc7 White is compensated for the pawn, Ljubojevic- Timman, Reykjavik 1991.

11.Bxf6

Piket eliminates Black's good Knight and ruins its pawn structure in one move. Topalov can't avoid this with 11...Bxb5 12.Nxb5 Qxb5?? due to 13.Qd8#.

11...gxf6 12.Qb3 a6 13.Be2 Nc6 14.0-0 Qc7 15.Qa3!

Preventing a short castle is better than Kasparov's move 15.Rab1, but White still won the game after Black made a blunder, 15...Na5 16.Qa3 Rc8 17.Rfd1! Qxc3? Kasparov-Hjartarson, Tilburg 1989.

15...Rc8 16.Rad1!

Piket's new ploy. White does not mind sacrificing his weak c-pawn as long as he can swing his Queen to the king-side. The right Rook goes on the d-file, leaving the other for a king-side play. Grandmaster Khenkin had played 16.Rfd1 before in 1989 and 1990 against Kramnik and Akopian respectively.

16...Na5 17.Qc1 Ke7?

After 17...Qxc3 18.Qf4 Ke7 19.Nf5+ exf5 20.Qd6+ Ke8 21.Qxd7+ Kf8 22.Rd3 White is clearly better. Black should have tried 17...e5 or 17...h5.

18.Qh6 Bc6?

See diagram. Also not helping 18...Qxc3 19.e5 fxe5 20.Nf5+ exf5 21.Qd6+ Ke8 22.Qxd7+ Kf8 23.Qxf5 Rg8 24.Rd7 Rg7 25.Qf6 Nc6 26.Rfd1 Re8 27.Bh5 Qc4 28.Bxf7 and White is winning.

19.Nxe6!

Breaking up the pawn covers nicely.

19...Qe5

Topalov was forced to leave a pawn in a bad position. If 19...Kxe6 20.Bg4+ Ke7 21.e5! fxe5 22.Qg5+ Ke8 23.Bxc8 White wins, because 23...Qxc8 allows 24.Qxe5+ with a quick mate, for example 24...Qe6 (or 24...Kf8 25.Qxh8+ Ke7 26.Rfe1+ Be4 27.Rxe4+ Qe6 28.Qd8#) 25.Qxh8+ Ke7 26.Qd8#; also 19...fxe6 run a quick mate after 20.Qg7+ Ke8 21.Bh5+ Qf7 22.Qxf7#.

20.Nd4 Rcg8 21.f4 Qc5

White will be delighted to see his e-pawn disappear, because after 21...Qxe4 22.Bf3 Qe3+ 23.Kh1 Bxf3 24.Rxf3 Qe4 25.Re3 Qxe3 26.Nf5+ followed by 27.Nxe3, Black loses his Queen.

22.Kh1 Rg6 23.Qh3 Bxe4 24.Bf3 Bxf3 25.Rxf3

The Black King has no place to hide.

25...Qc7 26.Nf5+

Also wins 26.Re3+ Kf8 27.Rde1 threatening mate in two 28.Re8+ and 29.Nf5 mate.

26...Kf8 27.Rfd3 Nc6 28.Rd7 1-0

Black resigns because White's Knight has Black's completely trapped, for example. 28...Qxf4 (or 28...Qb8 29.Qd3 Qe8 30.Rxb7 h5 31.Nd6 Qe6 32.Rxf7+ White wins) 29.Rd8+ Nxd8 30.Rxd8# mate!