GM Einar Gausel annotates the
Corus tournament
Timman
(2629) - Topalov (2718)
Wijk aan Zee (3), 2001
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 c5 3.d5 b5 4.Bg5
4.c4 transposes to the Benko Gambit.
4...Ne4 5.Bh4 Bb7 6.e3 g6 7.c3
7...Qa5
7...Qb6 8.a4 b4 9.a5 Qd6 10.c4 e6 11.a6 Bxa6 12.Nbd2 Nxd2 13.Nxd2
Bg7 14.Ne4 Qe5 15.Bd3 0-0 16.Nxc5 Bc8 17.0-0 exd5 18.cxd5 Qxd5
19.Be4 Qxc5 20.Bxa8 Bxb2 21.Rb1 Bc3 22.Bg3 Qb6 23.Bd6 Re8 24.Bd5
Kg7 25.Qf3 f6 26.Qf4 Na6 27.h4 Nc5 28.Rfd1 a5 29.Ba2 Ne4 30.Bc7
Qc5 31.Rd5 Qc6 32.Rxa5 b3 33.Bxb3 Bxa5 34.Bxa5 Nc5 35.Bd1 Nd3 36.Qd4
Ne5 37.Rb6 Qc1 38.Bc3 Ba6 1-0 (Gausel -Svedenborg,Oslo 2000).
8.Nbd2 Nxd2 9.Qxd2 Bg7 10.e4 d6 11.Bd3 Nd7 12.0-0 a6 13.Rfc1
Too enigmatic for me.
13...Rc8 14.h3 Qb6 15.Bf1 Nf6
16.Re1
The e5-break is basically what White has to play for in this kind
of position. Black will usually counter with e6 or further advancement
of his queenside pawns.
16...0-0 17.a4 Rfe8 18.a5 Qc7 19.c4 b4 20.e5
It was now or never.
20...dxe5 21.Nxe5 Nh5 22.Ng4 Bd4 23.Rad1
23...e6!
The black bishops are better placed than their white counterparts,
so attempting to open the centre is very logical.
24.Re4?
Timman is obviously flying by the seat of his pants here.
24...f5!
"Bring it on, Jan!"
25.Nh6+ Kg7 26.Rxe6 Rxe6 27.dxe6 Nf4
28.Re1?
28.Bg3 runs into 28...Nxh3+! 29.Kh2 (29.gxh3 Qxg3+) 29...f4. The
only way of saving the knight appears to be 28.Nf7 Nxe6 29.Ng5,
although this allows Black to pick up a safe pawn with 29...Nxg5
30.Bxg5 Qxa5.
28...Kxh6 29.Bg3
29.g3 Qc6 30.Qxf4+ Kg7 and White will have to shed a rook to stop
mate.
29...g5 30.h4 Re8 31.e7
31...Be4?
White appears to have next to nothing for the sacrificed piece
after 31...Bf6.
32.hxg5+ Kxg5 33.Kh1 Rxe7 34.f3 Re6 35.Bh2 Rh6 36.fxe4
36...Kg6?
Black's only shot was 36...Rxh2+ 37.Kxh2 Qd6 38.Re3 fxe4 with an
unclear position. The text goes down without a fight.
37.g3 Nh5 38.exf5+ resigns.
38.exf5+ Kg7 39.Qg5+ wins a whole rook.
1-0
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Einar Gausel