16.09.2008 – Veselin Topalov won his final game in Bilbao against Vassily Ivanchuk in fine style, securing first place by a big margin and advancing to number one in the world in the unofficial live rankings. Teimour Radjabov beat Levon Aronian with the black pieces, putting Magnus Carlsen in second place according to the Bilbao system. Anand was a shocking last. Big pictorial report.
Grand Slam Chess Final Masters Bilbao
The Chess Grand Slam Final is being staged in Bilbao, Spain, from September 1st to 13th 2008. It is a six-player double round robin event, one of the strongest in the history of the game (at least by Elo average, 2775.6, making it a category 22 tournament). Games start at 17:00h local time (CEST). The scoring system in this tournament is different and experimental. Players get three points for a win, one point for a draw and zero points for losing a game. For rating purposes the traditional 1-½-0 system will be used. The prize fund for the event is 400,000 Euros, with the winner receiving €150,000, the second place €70,000, etc. with the 6th player getting €30,000. The sums are unprecedented for an event like this. Only World Championships have exceeded the amount.
Topalov,V (2777) - Carlsen,M (2775) [B78]
Grand Slam Final Bilbao ESP (8), 10.09.2008
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 Nc6 8.Qd2 0-0 9.Bc4 Bd7 10.0-0-0 Rc8 11.Bb3 Ne5 12.Kb1 a6 13.h4 h5 14.g4 hxg4 15.h5 Nxh5 16.Rdg1 Rc5 17.Bh6 Kh7 18.Bxg7 Kxg7 19.f4 Nc4 20.Bxc4 Rxc4 21.f5 e5 22.Nde2 Rh8 23.b3
Here the Norwegian GM had a choice of playing for a draw with 23...Rc8 or going for more with 23...Rc6. After Black had lost Lev Aronian commented: "Maybe it is too much even for Magnus to play for a win in every single game!"
24.Rxg4 Nf6 25.Rgg1 Rxh1 26.Rxh1 Ng4 27.Ng3 Kg8 28.Nd5 Rc5 29.Ne3 Nxe3 30.Qxe3 Qf6 31.Qh6 Qg7 32.Qg5 f6 33.Qd2 Rc6 34.Kb2 gxf5 35.Qa5 Qe7 36.Qd5+ Be6 37.Qd1 Qg7 38.exf5 Bf7 39.Ne4 Kf8 40.Nxd6
Black is in deep trouble already, but one move before the time control he really jumps into the fire: 40...Ke7? (40...Bg8 would have put up token resistance) 41.Nxb7. Threatening mate in one. 41...Qg8. Good enough, but there was something more spectacular: 42...Rh7! with overwhelming tactical continuations in every line. 42.Qd2 Rb6 43.Rd1 Qc8 44.Nd6 (44.Nd8 is stronger) Qd7 45.Nxf7 Qxd2 46.Rxd2 Kxf7 47.c4 Ke7 48.Kc3 1-0.
Topalov,V (2777) - Anand,V (2798) [E15]
Grand Slam Final Bilbao ESP (4), 05.09.2008
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Ba6 5.Qc2 Bb7 6.Bg2 c5 7.d5 exd5 8.cxd5 Nxd5 9.0-0 Be7 10.Rd1 Qc8 11.a3 Nf6
12.Bg5N. The new move. 12.Nc3 d5 13.Bg5 d4 14.Bxf6 gxf6 15.Ne4 was played in Rodshtein,M (2517) - Pashikian,A (2527), Yerevan 2006, where White on in 34 moves, and 12.Nc3 d5 13.Bg5 Nbd7 14.e4 d4 15.e5 in the receint Kramnik-Leko, Tal Memorial, 2008, which ended in a 28-move draw. We are told that Topalov's novelty was found by Spanish GM Paco Vallejo Pons, who used to work with Anand.
12...d5 13.Bxf6 Bxf6 14.Nc3 Bxc3 15.bxc3 Na6 16.Nh4 g6 17.Bxd5 Bxd5 18.Rxd5 0-0 19.Rad1 Nc7 20.Rd7 Ne6 21.Qe4 Qe8 22.Nf3 c4 23.Qh4 Nc5 24.Re7 25.Rf1
And now if 25...Qc6 26.Ng5 h5 27.Nxf7 Rxf7 28.Rxf7 Kxf7 29.Qxd8+–. 1-0. The entire game was played by Topalov with the utmost precision. He probably had most of it on his Fritz or Rybka computer screen in his home preparation (both programs reproduce every white move after the novelty). Excellent preparation once again by former FIDE world champion Topalov, a painful defeat for the current champion Vishy Anand.
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