Chess Notes
The decisive game in the Anand/Topalov match, Game 12, was oddly a well-trodden Queen’s Gambit Declined, the Lasker Variation. However, Anand as black varied slightly from the normal variation, electing to defer equality for a move and then getting a bishop for a knight but putting a queen bishop pawn at risk. In effect on move 21, Anand seemed to be willing to take a draw with the black pieces, but Topalov would not repeat moves.
Topalov had weakened his king side slightly, and apparently made the fatal errors of the match on his 31st and 32d moves, after which Anand was able to assault white’s king. Possibly Topalov did not see 34Qe8, or possibly his assessment of his king safety was wrong. In any event Anand played with accuracy and got Topalov’s queen for a bargain and very soon a successful defense of his title.
a) One of Anand’s strategies in the match has been to shuffle his openings to keep Topalov off balance, and so for the last game he chooses a completely different defense than in previous games.
b) Apparently this is a rare/new move. Black accepts an isolated c-pawn to gain the bishop for the knight and to activate his pieces.
c) 20.Rxc5 Bxf3 21.gxf3 Rxb2 is certainly no worse for Black.
d) Not 21.Rxc5?? Rxd2; the most straightforward try is 21.Nb3 although Black may be able to generate counterplay against the weak g2 point somehow.
e) Topalov wants to remove the king from the back rank before taking aim at the c-pawn, but this plan looks slow and it weakens the light squares.
f) Objectively it might have been best to offer to repeat moves with 26.Qc2.
g) As numerous commentators have said, White should have shored up e4 with e.g. 31.Nd2.
h) Suddenly White’s king is caught in a vicious crossfire!
i) Or 37.Kxg5 Rg7+ 38.Kh4 hxg4 with a winning attack.
j) This has the vicious threat of 40. . .Rxe3+ 41.Rxe3 Rh4+! 42.Kxh4 Qg4#. It wins, but it had to be calculated carefully!
k) Not 40. . .Kh7? 41.Rh8+! Kxh8 42.Qf8+ Qg8 43.Qxe7 and there is no way to White’s king.
l) Forced, e.g. 41.Qf2 Rxe3+! 42.Rxe3 (42.Qxe3 Rh4+ 43.Kxh4 Qg4#) 42. . .Rh4+! 43.Qxh4 (43.Kxh4 Qg4#) 43Qg2#.
m) Not 41. . .Kxf8? 42.Nxe7+ Kxe7 43.Rxa7+ and suddenly White is the one chasing Black’s king!
n) There is no other defense to the twin threats of 42. . .Rh4+ and 42Bg2+ but now Black gets a winning endgame by force.
o) Or 47.Rf7+ Kg6 48.Rg7+ Kxf5 49.Rxg4 hxg4 50.Kxg2 Ke4 51.Kf2 Kd3 and Black wins the pawn endgame.
p) Anand is playing very accurately. Now White is forced to split his rook and knight apart and the win is easy.
q) It’s completely hopeless after 57.Nd8 (57.Rd7 Qg4+ wins the rook) 57. . .Qg4+ 58.Kh2 h4 etc. as 59.gxh4 Qf4+ loses the rook.
Annotations by grandmaster Patrick Wolff, a two-time US champion who offers chess exercises and more at www.wolffchess.com. 
