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Kasparov-Topalov, Wijk aan Zee 1999

© Copyright 2000, Jim Loy

You may have seen this game; it is famous. In is definitely one of the best games ever played (Kasparov said it was his best game ever). And it may be one of the two or three best games of all time. It contains quite a few really amazing moves, with even more amazing moves provided by the many commentators. Here I will not provide any in-depth analysis. This will be fairly superficial, actually. Many many pages have been published on this game, both in print and on the Internet:

Kasparov-Topalov, Wijk aan Zee 1999
1 e4 d6 2 d4 Nf6 3 Nc3 g6 4 Be3 Bg7?! (Seirawan recommends 4...c3!) 5 Qd2 c6 6 f3 b5 7 Nge2?! (7 0-0-0 Nbd7 8 Bh6! Seirawan) 7...Nbd7 8 Bh6 Bxh6 9 Qxh6 Bb7 10 a3 e5 11 0-0-0 Qe7 12 Kb1!? (12 g3 0-0-0 13 Bh3 Seirawan) 12...a6 13 Nc1 0-0-0 14 Nb3 exd4 15 Rxd4 c5 16 Rd1 Nb6 17 g3 Kb8 18 Na5 Ba8 19 Bh3 d5! 20 Qf4+ Ka7 21 Rhe1 d4 (White seems to be in trouble, but he has an amazing plan which seems to at least draw) 22 Nd5 Nbxd5 23 exd5 Qd6 [diagram #1 (on the left)]

24 Rxd4!! cxd4? (Understandable, but probably loses! 24... Kb6! draws, Kasparov) 25 Re7+!! Kb6(A) 26 Qxd4+ Kxa5 27 b4+ Ka4 28 Qc3?!(B) (May win) 28...Qxd5 29 Ra7 Bb7 (Other moves lose) 30 Rxb7 Qc4!?(C) 31 Qxf6 Kxa3? (Loses. 31...Rd1+ 32 Kb2 Ra8 33 Qb6 Qd4+ 34 Qxd4 Rxd4 35 Rxf7, Black may survive, Kavalek & Seirawan) 32 Qxa6+ Kxb4 [diagram #2 (on the right)]

33 c3+!! Kxc3 (33...Kb3 loses, Seirawan) 34 Qa1+ Kd2 35 Qb2+ Kd1 [diagram #3 (on the left)]

36 Bf1!! Rd2 (Other moves lose) [diagram #4 (below right)]

37 Rd7!! Rxd7 38 Bxc4 bxc4 39 Qxh8 Rd3 40 Qa8 c3 41 Qa4+ Ke1 42 f4 f5 43 Kc1! Rd2 44 Qa7! 1-0

A - 25...Kb8? (25...Qxe7? leads to a quick mate) 26 Qxd4 Nd7 27 Bxd7 Bxd5 28 c4! Qxe7 29 Qb6+ Ka8 30 Qxa6+ Kb8 31 Qb6+ Ka8 32 Bc6+ Bxc6 33 Nxc6 Rd7 34 Nxe7 Rxe7 35 Qxb5 wins, Seirawan

B - 28 Ra7!! (Kavalek) with these three continuations:
B1 - 28...Nxd5 29 Bd7!! (29 Rxa6+ also wins, Kavalek) 29...Rc8!? (Others lose) 30 Qd3 Nc3+ 31 Kb2 Qf6 32 Qd4!! Nd1+ 33 Kc1!! wins, Kavalek
B2 - 28...Bxd5 29 Qc3! wins, Kavalek
B3 - 28...Bb7 29 Rxb7 Qxd5 (29...Nxd5 30 Bd7!! wins, Kavalek, or 29...Rhe8 30 Bf1!! wins, Kavalek) 30 Rb6! a5 (30...Ra8 loses, Kavalek) 31 Ra6! Ra8 32 Qe3!! wins, Kavalek

C - 30...Rhe8!? 31 Bb6 Ra8 32 Bf1!! wins, Ligterink. Some continuations:
C1 - 32...Re6? 33 Rxe6 Qxe6 34 Kb2 wins, Seirawan
C2 - 32...Rec8? 33 Qxc8! wins, Seirawan
C3 - 32...Nh5 33 Rd6! wins, Seirawan
C4 - 32...Nd7 33 Rd6 Re1+ 34 Kb2 Re3 35 Qxe3 Qe5+ 36 Qxe5 Nxe5 37 f4 Nc4+ 38 Bxc4 bxc4 39 Rd5! wins, Seirawan
C5 - 32...Re1+ 33 Qxe1 Nd7 34 Rb7!! Ne5 (34...Qxb7? 35 Qd1!! mates, Serawan) 35 Qc3 Qxf3 36 Bd3 Qd5 37 Be4! Qc4 38 Qxe5 wins, Seirawan.

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