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

{ Games from Grandmaster Events http://webpages.marshall.edu/~hathawa2/chess/ 
 Mark Hathaway: } 1. e4 d6 { I can't recall the defense Topalov
"normally" plays, but this (Pirc Defense) is rare among the top GMs. } 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Be3 { This move has several purposes. It prevents an early
c7-c5, defends Pd4 and possibly prepares Qd1-d2, Be3-h6 to trade-off Black's
dark-square Bishop. } 4... Bg7 5. Qd2 c6 ( 5... Ng4 6. Bg5 h6 7. Bh4 { is an interesting, but even rarer, approach by Black. } ) 6. f3 { prevents Nf6-g4,
so that after Be3-h6, Bg7xh6, Qd2xh6 Black won't have Nf6-g4 to chase the
Queen out. } ( { But, } 6. Bh6 { seems stronger. The Bishop trade weakens Black's
king-side, regardless of whether White's Queen would be able to invade. } ) 6... b5 7. Nge2 Nbd7 { This Knight can be used in one of several ways:
Nd7-b6-c4 or supporting c6-c5 or e7-e5 are most likely. } 8. Bh6 Bxh6 9. Qxh6 Bb7 { Black continues to develop and control the center, but now he will
have to also consider 0-0-0. } 10. a3 e5 { This weakens the dark squares
significantly. I'm amazed he would play such a move. He must be concerned with
the safety of Pf7 after 0-0-0; } ( { even so } 10... e6 { might have been better. } ) 11. O-O-O Qe7 12. Kb1 a6 13. Nc1 O-O-O { The two positions are in stark
contrast. Black's position exudes piece and pawn activity with a slightly
weakened king position, the White position is all King safety and little piece
activity. Fortunately for White he can improve his piece activity, Black will
find it difficult to improve his King's safety (pawns don't move backward). } 14. Nb3 exd4 15. Rxd4 { White would like to pressure Pd6. Doubled Rooks on the
d-file would be very good. } 15... c5 16. Rd1 Nb6 { Black threatens
d6-d5 to force simplifications. White's piece activity isn't sufficient to
prevent this or fight through it to take advantage of the weak Kc8. } 17. g3 Kb8 ( 17... d5 $2 18. Qf4 { is awkward for Black's King. Bf1-h3+ is threatened. } ( 18. exd5 { appears to transpose to the game } 18... Nfxd5 19. Bh3+ f5 20. Rhe1 Qc7 $13 ) ) 18. Na5 Ba8 19. Bh3 d5 20. Qf4+ Ka7 21. Rhe1 d4 ( 21... dxe4 22. Rxd8 Rxd8 23. fxe4 $36 ) 22. Nd5 Nbxd5 23. exd5 Qd6 { Black appears ready to gobble Pd5. } 24. Rxd4 { An amazing move. It's not often this kind of move is correct. } 24... cxd4 { This is the only way to challenge the idea, not to mention avoiding the loss
of a pawn. } 25. Re7+ Kb6 ( 25... Rd7 $4 26. Qxd6 ) ( 25... Qxe7 $4 26. Qxd4+ Kb8 27. Qb6+ Bb7 28. Nc6+ Ka8 29. Qa7# ) ( 25... Kb8 26. Qxd4 Nd7 27. Bxd7 Rxd7 28. Rxd7 Qxd7 29. Qxh8+ Ka7 30. Qd4+ Kb8 31. Qb6+ Kc8 32. Qxa6+ Kb8 33. Nc6+ Bxc6 34. Qxc6 $18 ) 26. Qxd4+ Kxa5 { Courageous or foolhardy? } ( 26... Qc5 27. Qxf6+ Qd6 { and White's attack seems to end with a perpetual check. } 28. Qd4+ Qc5 29. Qf6+ Qd6 $11 ) 27. b4+ Ka4 28. Qc3 Qxd5 29. Ra7 ( 29. Kb2 $2 { threatening 30. Qc3-b3+ Qd5xb3+ 31. cxb3# } 29... Qd4 ) 29... Bb7 ( 29... Rd6 30. Kb2 { and Rook d6 would be overloaded. If then } 30... Qd4 31. Qxd4 Rxd4 32. Rxa6# ) 30. Rxb7 Qc4 $2 { I suppose he was in time trouble. Why else would
he leave Rh8 unused? With this move he also loses coordination with Rd8. } ( 30... Rhe8 31. Ra7 ( 31. f4 $4 Ne4 $19 ) ( 31. Qxf6 $4 Qxb7 32. Qc3 Qd5 33. Kb2 Qd4 $19 ) 31... Rd6 32. Kb2 Qe5 $19 ) ( 30... Qxb7 $4 31. Qb3# ) 31. Qxf6 Kxa3 $6 ( 31... Ra8 32. Rb6 Kxa3 { and if White is
required to allow a Rook trade to keep any attack going then Black's King
might escape. } ) 32. Qxa6+ Kxb4 33. c3+ { Here is an excellent position to
demonstrate the power White's attack has when his Rook is still on the board. } 33... Kxc3 ( 33... Qxc3 34. Qxb5+ Ka3 35. Ra7+ Qa5 36. Rxa5# ) 34. Qa1+ Kd2 ( 34... Kb4 35. Qb2+ Kc5 ( 35... Ka5 36. Qa3+ Qa4 37. Ra7+ ) 36. Rc7+ { winning Black's Queen. } ) 35. Qb2+ Kd1 { It appears White's attack has fizzled, but... } ( 35... Ke3 36. Re7+ Kxf3 37. Qg2# ) 36. Bf1 $3 Rd2 { Again, it appears White's attack is at an end and
that he must accept a Rook and pawn ending. } ( 36... Qe6 { guarding e2 } 37. Qc1# ) ( 36... Qc5 { guarding c1 & c2 } 37. Qe2# ) ( 36... Qxf1 37. Qc2+ Ke1 38. Re7+ Qe2 39. Qxe2# ) 37. Rd7 $3 ( 37. Bxc4 $2 Rxb2+ 38. Kxb2 bxc4 39. Kc3 ) 37... Rxd7 38. Bxc4 { threatening both Qb2-c1# and Qb2-e2# } 38... bxc4 39. Qxh8 Rd3 ( 39... Rb7+ 40. Ka2 Kc2 41. Qd4 c3 ( 41... Rc7 42. Qe4+ Kd1 43. Kb1 c3 44. Qd5+ Ke2 45. Qe5+ $18 ) 42. Qe4+ Kd2 43. Qxb7 c2 44. Qd5+ Kc3 45. Qc5+ Kd2 46. Kb2 $18 ) 40. Qa8 c3 41. Qa4+ Ke1 42. f4 f5 43. Kc1 Rd2 44. Qa7 { This prevents Rxh2 because of Qa7-g1+ } ( 44. Qc4 Rxh2 45. Qxc3+ Kf2 { is a little complicated because White's King isn't well placed. } ) 1-0