Topalov vs Anand Game 3

[Sven]

Maybe Topalow has given away a small advantage with 20.b4. Anand could have taken the pawn by 20...Bxb4 21.Rb1 Bxa5 22.Rxb7 Rgb8 23.Rhb1 Rxb7 24.Rxb7 but it is not clear for me who would have had the better position in that case.

In the current game position after 23.Nb6 Rd8 having been played, I think it is very close to draw. Probably black can't make use of the presence of white pawns on his bishop's color since this would require activating his bishop, but opening the a2-g8 diagonal by e6-e5 leads to exchanging bishops and tends to a drawn rook ending.

Sven

[AdminX]

[d]8/1prrk1pb/p3pp1p/P1P4P/4P3/3B1P2/4K1P1/2R4R b - - 0 25

[Houdini]

After the excitement of the first two games, I think both players will be quite happy with a draw.

[AdminX]

After the excitement of the first two games, I think both players will be quite happy with a draw.

Yeah, looks like the draw prediction will be correct here. Give that man a prize! The new version of Deep Sjeng maybe, No wait he already has it!

[JuLieN]

Anad just played a non-optimal move (26. ..., Rd6), and Stockfish now gives white nearly half a pawn of positional advantage.

[AdminX]

[d]6b1/1r2k1p1/p2rpp1p/P6P/4P3/2RB1P2/4K1P1/7R b - - 0 28

[AdminX]

[d]4b3/1r2k1p1/p2rpp1p/P6P/4P3/2RBKP2/6P1/7R w - - 0 30

As the Hotness Meter Drops to zero.

Analysis by Stockfish 1.7.1 JA 64bit:

30.Rhc1 Rb4 31.Rc7+ Bd7 32.g3 e5 33.f4 Rdd4
+/= (0.36 --) Depth: 6 00:00:00 3kN
= (0.24 --) Depth: 30 00:02:41 495mN

[Eelco de Groot]

6b1/1r2k1p1/p2rpp1p/P6P/4P3/2RB1P2/4K1P1/7R b - -

Engine: Rainbow Serpent 1.7.1s(dc) Build 020 (256 MB)
by Tord Romstad, Marco Costalba, Joona Kii

27.01 10:26 -0.16++ 28...Bf7 29.Ke3 Be8 30.g3 Rb2
31.Rc7+ Bd7 32.f4 Ra2 33.e5 fxe5
34.fxe5 Rc6 (327.270.047) 522

27.01 14:31 -0.16 28...Bf7 29.Rhc1 Be8 30.Rc7+ Rd7
31.R7c2 Rd6 32.Ke3 Rb4 33.Rc7+ Bd7
34.g3 e5 35.f4 Rdd4 36.fxe5 fxe5
37.Bxa6 Ra4 38.Bc8 Rxa5 39.R1c3 Ra1
40.Kf3 Rh1 41.Ra7 Ke6 (447.972.714) 514

It still looks fairly equal. Black has to activate his Bishop and White his pair of Rooks. Apparently the pawn on h5 is out of bounds, White simply leaves it under attack with 29.Rhc1

[Sven]

Anad just played a non-optimal move (26. ..., Rd6), and Stockfish now gives white nearly half a pawn of positional advantage.

Interesting, which move would Stockfish prefer over 26...Rd6? After 26...Rxc6 27.Rxc6 bxc6 28.Rb1, White would have looked quite good for me, so I think Rd6 was the better move. But I'm not at GM strength.

Sven

[JuLieN]

Yes, Stockfish preferred Rxc6 and gave it a 0.00 mark at depth 33 with this continuation :
26. ... Rxc6; 27. Rxc6, bxc6; 28. Rc1, Kd6; 29. Rb1, e5; 30. Rb6, Kc5; 31. Bxa6, Bf7; 32. g4, Ra7; 33. Kd2, Be6; 34. Kc3, Bf7; 35. Kd2

As Stockfish plays at more than 1000 Elo points than I ever will, I don't even bother expressing my own opinion about this continuation.