Topalov could not get any significant advantage from his (practically) third game with White in a row. His only chance for attack consisted of a more resolute advance of the g-pawn on the 25th move. Later, he sacrificed two pawns in order to get some activity, but his initiative was just sufficient to maintain the balance even.
1.d4
d5
2.c4
c6
3.Nf3
Nf6
4.e3
Both players remain consequent to their match strategy displayed so far. Kramnik sticks to the same openings (well, the fifth game was an exception; we can hardly call it "a Catalan") while Topalov tries to find the Achilles' heel in the opponent's preparation by permanently changing the systems of development.
4...e6
5.Bd3
dxc4
6.Bxc4
c5
But this is a deviation from the mentioned pattern already: although the game started as a Slav, it transposed now to a genuine... Queen's Gambit Accepted! I suppose that Kramnik did not play 2...dxc4 in order to avoid the sharp lines based on 3.e4, consequent to his policy of playing solid, though sometimes passive positions with Black.
7.0-0
a6
8.Bb3
cxd4
9.exd4
Nc6
10.Nc3
Be7
11.Re1
0-0
Kramnik has considerable (and rather successful) experience with this position as... White! It might seem as if Topalov intended to confront his opponent with the difficult psychological situation of playing "against himeslf", but the next move clearly speaks against this hipotesis.
12.a4
A practically unexplored move. White usually develops his queen's bishop to f4 or g5. The position bears some similarity with those arising after the 6.a4 system, but I feel that the small differences tend to favour Black. After 6.a4 (well, it would actually be 7.a4 with the move order from this game), the bishop would be placed on c4, allowing the transfer of the a1-rook to the king side in certain cases. Besides, the queen would stand on e2 and the king's rook on d1, creating the permanent threat of opening the centre with d5. On the other hand, after 6.a4 Black is not forced to capture on d4 and open the c1-h6 diagonal. The plan based on ...Qc7 and ...Bd6 is considered to be more solid. Be that as it may, Topalov's last move suggests that he does not necesarily aim for an advantage from the opening, but hopes to outplay his opponent in a complicated middlegame.
12...Bd7
13.Ne5
Be8
By this temporary retreat, Black puts the d4-pawn under pressure, preventing the early development of the c1-bishop on an active square such as g5.
14.Be3
Rc8
15.Rc1
Nb4
Now that the queen side development has been completed, Black releases the pressure against d4. If White will play Bg5, he will lose a tempo just as Black will do by playing ...Bd7-e8-c6.
16.Qf3
Bc6
17.Qh3
Bd5
18.Nxd5
Nbxd5
19.Rcd1
Rc7
20.Bg5
Qc8
21.Qf3
Rd8
Black has completed his regroupment and has a very solid position. White's chances for a king side attack are rather vague yet.
22.h4
h6
This move might not threaten to capture the bishop in view of the weakness of the f7-square, but it certainly prevents a further advance of the White h-pawn, when ...h6 could be answered by Bh4 already.
23.Bc1
Bb4
24.Rf1
Bd6
25.g3
[Actually, I was expecting 25.g4
with some attacking chances for White. True, such a resolute advance of the g-pawn involves certain amount of strategic risk, but after Topalov's over-cautious move, White will not get even close to such a possibility.]
25...b6
26.Qe2
Ne7
27.Rfe1
Bxe5
28.dxe5
Rxd1
29.Qxd1
Nfd5
The material situation (and, to a certain extent, the structure) is similar to that from the dramatical 5th game of the match Karpov-Kortschnoj, Baguio 1978. In that game, Kortschnoj had an advantage with White and eventually missed a simple mate just before the second time control. The main difference here consists of Black's firm control of the c-file. Under these circumstances, his knights, enjoying stable squares in the centre, are a worthy match for the white pair of bishops. White's main problem is that he cannot build up a mating battery along the b1-h7 diagonal.
30.Bd2
Rc5
31.Qg4
Nf5
32.Qe4
b5
33.h5
bxa4
34.Qxa4
Rb5
35.Rc1
Qb7
36.Bc2
Nb6
37.Qg4
Rxb2
38.Be4
Qd7
39.Be1
In order to get some activity, Topalov sacrificed the relatively insignifiant b2-pawn. However, he is far from creating dangerous threats yet.
39...Nd5
40.Bd3
Nb4
41.Bf1
Nd3
42.Qd1
Nxe5
43.Qxd7
Nxd7
Black has won a second pawn but his initiative has been completely extinguished. It will be White who will do the attacking now, but this will only compensate for the considerable material deficit.
44.Rc8+
Kh7
45.Rc7
Rb1
46.Rxd7
Rxe1
47.Rxf7
In view of the activity of his rook and of the weak position of the black king, White is out of the danger of losing, in spite of Black's extra pawn.
47...a5
48.Kg2
Kg8
49.Ra7
Re5
50.g4
Nd6
51.Bd3
Kf8
52.Bg6
Rd5
53.f3
e5
54.Kf2
Rd2+
55.Ke1
Rd5
56.Ke2
Rb5
57.Rd7
Rd5
58.Ra7
Rb5
59.Bd3
Rd5
60.Bg6
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