[Event "?"]
[Site "Wijk aan Zee"]
[Date "1999.01.20"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kasparov, Garry"]
[Black "Topalov, Veselin"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Ree"]
[ECO "B07"]
[EventDate "1999.01.20"]
[PlyCount "87"]
[Source "TaL's Chess"]
[SourceDate "1999.01.20"]

{ THE CHESS CAFE ("NRC-Handelsblad" 01/23/1999) http://www.chesscafe.com/text/
hans31.txt Heroic Tales Sometimes Kasparov does things that no other
chessplayer is able to do, things that are so stunning that colleagues and
spectators ask themselves in astounded admiration how for heaven's sake it is
possible that a human being can invent them. So it was in the fourth round of
the Hoogovens tournament. Against Topalov he conjured up an attack out of
nothing, with a rook sacrifice. Topalov thought long before he accepted the
sacrifice. He could have reached an equal position by refusing, which of
course he saw. After the game Kasparov said grinningly that for a brief moment
Topalov had looked up, maybe receiving a message from above that he should
contribute to Beauty by taking the rook. After that not only the moves
that Kasparov made were stunning, but also the speed with which he executed
them. Fifteen mortal blows in a row, all of marvelous beauty. Neither humans
nor computers knew what to make of it while they saw it happening before their
eyes, but Kasparov had already seen everything long before. After he had won,
he said that this had been one of the most beautiful combinations of his
career, maybe the most beautiful. This was no exaggeration. Those who were
privileged to be present knew they would tell it to their children and
grandchildren, as long as chess will be played in this world. When we were
discussing this miracle afterwards, with rosy cheeks and glittering eyes, Jan
Timman said: "Still it is difficult to say what is more admirable, the ease
with which Anand is winning his games, or the almost supernatural effort that
Kasparov puts into them." But we agreed that emotionally, the choice is easy.
Games like Kasparov - Topalov fill one with joy and make one glad to be a
chessplayer. Comparing Kasparov and Anand this way brought Alekhine and
Capablanca to mind. Alekhine was the rock-thrower, Capablanca the man who made
it all seem easy. But the difference between Kasparov and Anand, which can be
stated in the same terms, is more pronounced. GM Hans Ree: } 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Be3 Bg7 5. Qd2 c6 6. f3 b5 7. Nge2 Nbd7 8. Bh6 Bxh6 9. Qxh6 Bb7 10. a3 e5 11. O-O-O Qe7 12. Kb1 a6 13. Nc1 O-O-O 14. Nb3 exd4 15. Rxd4 c5 16. Rd1 Nb6 17. g3 Kb8 { Kasparov, on commenting this game for the press,
did not say much about the opening. "Neither of us is an expert in this
variation, I did nothing special and just made ordinary, sound moves." But at
this point in the game Kasparov had had a vision that would have ocurred to
few others: to bring over his queen from h6 to b6, into the attack. } 18. Na5 Ba8 19. Bh3 d5 20. Qf4+ Ka7 21. Rhe1 d4 22. Nd5 Nbxd5 23. exd5 Qd6 {  } 24. Rxd4 { Here (and in fact already a few moves earlier) Kasparov had calculated
exactly that he had a draw in hand and his intuition told him that there
should be more. Then, while Topalov was pondering on his reply, Kasparov saw
everything to the end to move 39. This may seem incredible, but there is no
reason to doubt his words, as from this point on he played all his moves with
amazing speed. } 24... cxd4 ( { The modest } 24... Kb6 { would lead to an equal game, e.g. } 25. b4 Nxd5 26. Qxd6+ Rxd6 27. bxc5+ Kxc5 28. Nb3+ Kb6 { Of course Topalov realized that. The next day he said: "My
curiosity became my doom." } ) 25. Re7+ ( { Not } 25. Qxd4+ Qb6 26. Re7+ Nd7 { and Black is winning. } ) 25... Kb6 { Of course the second rook sacrifice could not be accepted. } ( { After } 25... Qxe7 26. Qxd4+ { Black is mated. } ) ( { And after } 25... Kb8 26. Qxd4 Nd7 27. Rxd7 { White wins because Black's Rh8 is hanging, a motif that will reappear later. } ) 26. Qxd4+ Kxa5 ( { After } 26... Qc5 27. Qxf6+ Qd6 { (by which Black aims for a draw by repetition) White has the wonderful move } 28. Be6 { (shown by Kasparov, who else?) which seems to win in all variations. } ) 27. b4+ Ka4 28. Qc3 Qxd5 29. Ra7 ( { The draw that was guaranteed white, when he
played 24. Rxd4, could be reached by } 29. Qc7 { when Black has to give a perpetual. } ) 29... Bb7 ( { Defending against the mate on a6 with } 29... Rd6 { is refuted by } 30. Kb2 { with the threat 31.Qb3+ and mate. Black must be able to meet Kb2 with } 30... Qd4 ) 30. Rxb7 { Now white threatens to play Ra7 for the second time, and then
mate would be unavoidable. Black has one move to organise a defence, but what
to do? } 30... Qc4 { All this was
computer-checked and Kasparov-checked and no defense has been found for Black
at the moment of writing. } ( 30... Rd6 { is easily refuted by } 31. Rb6 $1 { and then after } 31... Rxb6 { White wins with } ( { or } 31... Rhd8 ) 32. Kb2 ) ( { A few hours after the game Topalov thought he could have succesfully defended
with } 30... Rhe8 { His main line was } 31. Rb6 Ra8 { But then the next day Dutch IM Gert Ligterink found the beautiful quiet move } 32. Bf1 $1 { which prevents 32...Qc4 and threatens 33.Rd6. After } ( 32. Be6 Rxe6 33. Rxe6 Qc4 $1 { and Black reaches a rook ending which is about equal } ( 33... -- ) ) 32... Red8 { White plays } ( { Another line after 32.Bf1 is } 32... Rec8 33. Qxc8 Qd1+ 34. Ka2 Qd5+ 35. Bc4 $1 Qxc4+ 36. Qxc4 bxc4 37. Rxf6 { and White wins the ending. } ) 33. Rc6 { followed by 35.Rc5. } ) 31. Qxf6 Kxa3 ( { Black could reach another ending with } 31... Rd1+ 32. Kb2 Ra8 33. Qb6 Qd4+ { but it would be lost. } ) 32. Qxa6+ Kxb4 { At move 24 not only
Kasparov, but also Topalov had looked far ahead, and he had foreseen this
position. But he had not evaluated it accurately. } 33. c3+ Kxc3 34. Qa1+ Kd2 35. Qb2+ Kd1 {  } 36. Bf1 $1 { This move White must have seen a long time
ago, as without it he would be lost. When Black's attacked queen moves, he is
mated. } 36... Rd2 37. Rd7 { One brilliant move after another and the comment
to White's previous move also applies to this one. } 37... Rxd7 38. Bxc4 bxc4 39. Qxh8 { And with this move, the final point of the combination that started
with 24.Rxd4 (or even with 21.Rhe1, as the rook sacifice was an almost
necessary consequence of it) the great work has been done. Now some accurate
technique is still needed, to prevent Black from winning one of White's
kingside pawns and then building a fortress. } 39... Rd3 40. Qa8 c3 41. Qa4+ Ke1 42. f4 f5 43. Kc1 Rd2 44. Qa7 { Black resigned. } 1-0