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

{ THE NEW YORK TIMES http://nyt.com/diversions/chess/990228chess.html 
 Kasparov Shows His Critics He Can Still Work Miracles In response to
criticism that his chief strength in chess is openings research, in which he
is helped by a team of grandmasters, Garry Kasparov stated that his forte is
not in openings but in middle-game tactics. To prove his point, one has only
to look at his tour de force against the Bulgarian grandmaster Veselin Topalov
last month in Round 4 of the Hoogoven International Tournament in Wijk-aan-Zee,
the Netherlands. Kasparov did not do well in the opening. Despite his
having White and the advantage of moving first, he got nowhere. But then,
simply amazing, he conjured up a shower of arrows to engulf his opponent. It
is one of the most scintillating games of recent years. GM Robert Byrne: } 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Be3 Bg7 5. Qd2 c6 { The Classical System
offshoot against the Pirc Defense that Kasparov was setting up with } 6. f3 { was nicely met by } 6... b5 { ; any thought by White of aggression in the center
would find Black ready for a queenside counterattack. } 7. Nge2 Nbd7 { Topalov had wisely delayed castling on the kingside, so Kasparov's } 8. Bh6 Bxh6 9. Qxh6 { had little effect. } 9... Bb7 10. a3 e5 11. O-O-O Qe7 12. Kb1 a6 13. Nc1 { After } 13... O-O-O { the black King was safe on the other wing. } 14. Nb3 exd4 15. Rxd4 c5 16. Rd1 Nb6 17. g3 Kb8 18. Na5 Ba8 19. Bh3 d5 20. Qf4+ Ka7 { After } 21. Rhe1 { Topalov could have shown that Kasparov's opening play had gained no advantage
for White and was thus a failure. But he went for more with } 21... d4 { unwittingly unleashing Kasparov's tactical genius. 
Topalov had not calculated the almost incalculable } ( { Thus, } 21... dxe4 22. fxe4 Nxe4 23. Rxd8 Nxc3+ 24. bxc3 Qxd8 25. Qxf7+ Kb8 { will produce perpetual sheck. } ) 22. Nd5 $1 Nbxd5 { But after } ( { He saw enough to back away from } 22... Nfxd5 $2 23. exd5 Qd6 24. Qxf7+ Kb8 25. Re6 Qc7 26. Re7 Nd7 27. Nc6+ Bxc6 28. dxc6 Qxc6 29. Bxd7 { which wins a piece. } ) 23. exd5 Qd6 { he surely had not imagined that Kasparov's amazing Rook sacrifice } 24. Rxd4 $1 { was in the offing.
 
But Topalov, unaware of the depth of the danger, snapped up the Rook with } 24... cxd4 $2 { With } ( { Refusing it with } 24... Bxd5 25. Qxd6 Rxd6 26. Rd3 Kb6 27. b4 cxb4 28. Nb3 { was the correct course. } ) 25. Re7+ $1 { Kasparov offered a second Rook, but this one was also hands off: } 25... Kb6 { After } ( { thus } 25... Qxe7 $2 26. Qxd4+ Kb8 27. Qb6+ Bb7 ( { or } 27... Qb7 28. Nc6# { mate. } ) 28. Nc6+ Ka8 29. Qa7# { mate. } ) ( { And after } 25... Kb8 26. Qxd4 Nd7 27. Bxd7 Bxd5 28. c4 $1 Qxe7 29. Qb6+ Ka8 30. Qxa6+ Kb8 31. Qb6+ Ka8 32. Bc6+ Bxc6 33. Nxc6 Rd7 34. Nxe7 Rxe7 35. Qxb5 { Black loses flatly. } ) 26. Qxd4+ Kxa5 ( { Topalov could not hold out with } 26... Qc5 27. Qxf6+ Qd6 { because of the lovely, lethal } 28. Be6 $1 Bxd5 ( 28... Kxa5 29. b4+ Ka4 30. Qc3 Bxd5 31. Kb2 $1 fxe6 32. Qb3+ Bxb3 33. cxb3# { mate } ) 29. b4 $1 Ba8 30. Qxf7 Rb8 31. Bb3 Rhf8 32. Re6 Rxf7 33. Rxd6+ Kc7 34. Rxa6 Re7 35. f4 { with a winning Knight-plus-three-pawns for a Rook. } ) 27. b4+ Ka4 28. Qc3 Qxd5 {  } 29. Ra7 $1 Bb7 ( { Defense by } 29... Rd6 { is exploded by } 30. Kb2 $1 Qd4 31. Qxd4 Rxd4 32. Rxa6# { mate. } ) 30. Rxb7 Qc4 ( { A more subtle defense would have been } 30... Rhe8 31. Rb6 Ra8 { but the incredible } 32. Bf1 $1 { (keeps the black Queen out of the vital c4-square) } 32... Nh5 33. Rd6 $1 Re1+ 34. Kb2 Qe5 35. Rd4 $1 { permits no defense to the threat of 36.Qb3! Thus, } 35... Qxd4 36. Qxd4 Rc8 37. Qd3 { ends it. } ) 31. Qxf6 Kxa3 ( { Topalov might have tried } 31... Rd1+ 32. Kb2 Ra8 33. Qb6 Qd4+ 34. Qxd4 Rxd4 35. Rxf7 Rd6 36. Rd7 $1 Rf6 ( 36... Rxd7 $2 37. Be6 $1 { forces mate } ) 37. f4 a5 38. c3 Raa6 39. Bg2 Rfe6 40. Bf3 Rad6 41. Rxd6 Rxd6 42. Be4 $1 { forces a winning King-and-pawn ending. } ) 32. Qxa6+ Kxb4 { Kasparov's } 33. c3+ $1 { started a virtuoso finish to his amazing attack. After } 33... Kxc3 34. Qa1+ Kd2 ( 34... Kb4 35. Qb2+ Qb3 36. Rxb5+ $1 { was also disastrous } ) 35. Qb2+ Kd1 36. Bf1 $1 Rd2 ( 36... Qxf1 37. Qc2+ Ke1 38. Re7+ { forces mate } ) 37. Rd7 $1 { The last bit of fight had gone out of Topalov. } 37... Rxd7 38. Bxc4 bxc4 39. Qxh8 Rd3 40. Qa8 c3 41. Qa4+ Ke1 42. f4 f5 43. Kc1 Rd2 { After } 44. Qa7 { he gave up his hopeless position. } 1-0