"A prepared forced variation may run into a forced refutation...., as. there are no infallible chess players, and this applies both to over the board play and to analytical homework. This means, as a rule, that this is not the way to obtain an opening advantage. 

 There is, therefore, another interpretation of opening strategy, which can be formulated thus: it is not necessary to make best moves, but merely good ones." - David Bronstein


A fine artistic shot (courtesy "ai Arts Illustrated")

It reveals as well as projects....., and the dimensions are obscure.... and if what lies on the floor is the actual possibilities 'seen' during home preparation, then, what is projected on to the wall is the one that one 'feels' over the board! 



Chess cannot be reduced to formula variations, even in such over-analysed opening variation like Sicilian Najdorf!  One has to play the mind of their opponent in order to confuse him and commit errors....and here lies the beauty of this game; in the past and now!

I was contemplating which one of the two games from the last two rounds for delineation:


  • The one which won the heart with a couple of piece sacrifices...but where the other-side was clueless on what was happening....
  • or the other which stole the same heart for its adventurous spirit...!


.....and finally, the one which stole the heart, won! 

Vaselin Topalov - Fabiano Caruana




A position ripe enough to agree for a draw.... or so would many think and sign a peace treaty, with 28.Qc6.  Nothing wrong about it!

It is not about winning or losing or drawing.... it never was...., when it comes to Master's Chess.

Rather, it is how!?

Topalov played....

28.Qa1!!

One might argue, going by what happened to him in this tournament, that Topalov may be expecting....!!

....but to put his Queen on this square, cutting its radiating power by three fourths, it requires some guts and great bit of 'will to continue' the fight!

28....Qc7; 29.Bh3

Flirting with danger!

29....Qc2; 30.a4 Ba6; 31.Qa3!?! Qd1; 32.Kh2! Qd2; 33.Bg2! h6; 34.a5 Qa5; 35.Qc1!




From move 28 to now, White has achieved in gaining control of the c-file: c7-square in particular, at the cost of his a-pawn!

Topalov took all the risk in order to activate or give meaning to the existence of his Knight and Bishop!!

35....Qb4!

In order to cover the c7-square with Qd6!

36.e4!!



Incorrigible optimism!

36....Qd4

The other possibility 36....de4 leads to a fairytale position after 37.d5! e5! 38.Qa1 Qd4! 39.Ne6! fe6; 40.Qa6 Ne7; 41.Qa7 Kf7;



.....and after White captures that e4 pawn will still remain a pawn down and though draw seems to be the only result, White would seem to have laboured it in quest of some adventure!

37.ed5 e5; 38.Ne6!

The modus operandi is same as in the variation shown above!

38....fe6; 39.Qc7 Kf6; 40.Qd8 Kf7; 41.Qd7 Kf8; 42.Qd8 Kf7; 43.Qd7 Kf8; 44.Qd8 Draw


A draw which would have tasted like a win!




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