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Topalov is in hot pursuit at Linares
Bulgarian superstar Veselin Topalov closed in on solo leader Garry Kasparov of Russia by thrashing with Black Spanish champion Francisco Vallejo Pons, the cellar-dweller, in the penultimate 13th round of the Linares Super Chess in Spain.
Topalov overtook Viswanathan Anand of India in second position with 7.0 points, a full point behind Kasparov, who drew with the second-seeded Indian wizard after only 22 moves of a Petroff’s duel.
The Russian megastar had posted his third straight win, over Michael Adams of England in the 12th round, before coasting along for his sixth draw and a total of 8.0 points entering the 14th and final round.
Topalov will have White against Kasparov in the final canto. If the Bulgarian wins, chances are he will take the first prize home on tiebreak.
Anand slid down to solo third with 6.5, followed by the winless Hungarian, Peter Leko, who posted his 11th straight draw for a 5.5 score, Michael Adams of England with 4.5, world champion Rustam Kasimdzhanov of Uzbekistan with 4, and Vallejo with 3.5.
Playing Black, Topalov capitalized on Vallejo’s weak opening to prevent White’s king from castling, and then mounted pressure steadily on the Q-side until he trapped the enemy knight on c2 with his rooks.
The end came when Black’s bishop sneaked up on White’s rook on the edge of the board to ensure the capture of the knight.
Here is how the Bulgarian did it:
1 Nf3 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 d5 4 d4 Be7 5 Bg5 h6 6 Bxf6 Bxf6 7 Qc2 dxc4 8 e3 c5 9 dxc5 Qa5 10 Bxc4 Qxc5 11 Ne4 Qa5+ 12 Ke2 Be7 13 Qc3 Qxc3 14 Nxc3 a6 15 Rhd1 Nd7 16 Ne4 b5 17 Bb3 Bb7 18 Nd6+ Bxd6 19 Rxd6 Ke7 20 Rad1 Rhd8 21 R6d4 Rac8 22 Ne1 a5 23 f3 Rc7 24 e4 Rdc8 25 a3 g5 26 Ke3 Ne5 27 R4d2 Ba6 28 Rd6 Ra7 29 R6d2 b4 30 axb4 Rb8 31 Ra1 Rxb4 32 Ra3 a4 33 Ba2 Bc4 34 Bb1 Bf1 35 Ba2 Rab7 36 Nc2? …
36 Kf2 should be tried, e.g., …Bc4 37 Rc2.
36...Rxb2! 37 Rxa4 Rc7 38 Kf2?? …
Better but still losing was 38 Ne1, e.g., …Rc3+ 39 Kd4 Rc4+ 40 Bxc4 Rxd2+ 41 Kc3 Nxc4 42 Rxc4!
38...Bb5! 0â€"1
After 38…Bb5!
The best. Now, if 39 Ra5 Rbxc2 40 Rxc2 Rxc2+ 41 Kg1 Nd3!
The King is gone...the world is sad... 
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Topalov is in hot pursuit at Linares
Bulgarian superstar Veselin Topalov closed in on solo leader Garry Kasparov of Russia by thrashing with Black Spanish champion Francisco Vallejo Pons, the cellar-dweller, in the penultimate 13th round of the Linares Super Chess in Spain.
Topalov overtook Viswanathan Anand of India in second position with 7.0 points, a full point behind Kasparov, who drew with the second-seeded Indian wizard after only 22 moves of a Petroff’s duel.
The Russian megastar had posted his third straight win, over Michael Adams of England in the 12th round, before coasting along for his sixth draw and a total of 8.0 points entering the 14th and final round.
Topalov will have White against Kasparov in the final canto. If the Bulgarian wins, chances are he will take the first prize home on tiebreak.
Anand slid down to solo third with 6.5, followed by the winless Hungarian, Peter Leko, who posted his 11th straight draw for a 5.5 score, Michael Adams of England with 4.5, world champion Rustam Kasimdzhanov of Uzbekistan with 4, and Vallejo with 3.5.
Playing Black, Topalov capitalized on Vallejo’s weak opening to prevent White’s king from castling, and then mounted pressure steadily on the Q-side until he trapped the enemy knight on c2 with his rooks.
The end came when Black’s bishop sneaked up on White’s rook on the edge of the board to ensure the capture of the knight.
Here is how the Bulgarian did it:
1 Nf3 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 d5 4 d4 Be7 5 Bg5 h6 6 Bxf6 Bxf6 7 Qc2 dxc4 8 e3 c5 9 dxc5 Qa5 10 Bxc4 Qxc5 11 Ne4 Qa5+ 12 Ke2 Be7 13 Qc3 Qxc3 14 Nxc3 a6 15 Rhd1 Nd7 16 Ne4 b5 17 Bb3 Bb7 18 Nd6+ Bxd6 19 Rxd6 Ke7 20 Rad1 Rhd8 21 R6d4 Rac8 22 Ne1 a5 23 f3 Rc7 24 e4 Rdc8 25 a3 g5 26 Ke3 Ne5 27 R4d2 Ba6 28 Rd6 Ra7 29 R6d2 b4 30 axb4 Rb8 31 Ra1 Rxb4 32 Ra3 a4 33 Ba2 Bc4 34 Bb1 Bf1 35 Ba2 Rab7 36 Nc2? …
36 Kf2 should be tried, e.g., …Bc4 37 Rc2.
36...Rxb2! 37 Rxa4 Rc7 38 Kf2?? …
Better but still losing was 38 Ne1, e.g., …Rc3+ 39 Kd4 Rc4+ 40 Bxc4 Rxd2+ 41 Kc3 Nxc4 42 Rxc4!
38...Bb5! 0â€"1
After 38…Bb5!
The best. Now, if 39 Ra5 Rbxc2 40 Rxc2 Rxc2+ 41 Kg1 Nd3!
The King is gone...the world is sad...
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