Kamsky has been playing himself back into form after a long layoff from top-flight chess. This will be his first real match since losing the FIDE World Championship to Karpov in 1996, as in fact the first Candidates matches since the last one that took Kamsky right to the top. Ratings wise, Kamsky and Bacrot are about the same strength, but Kamsky has been on a consistent move upwards in the rankings, Bacrot’s performances have been uneven.

Game 1 is a typical tense affair, neither player wanting to overpress, so no surprise it ends as a draw. Game 2 sees Bacrot failing to capitalise on his advantage and Kamsky pressuring Bacrot into an error leading to the first decisive result of the match. Game 3 again shows Kamsky applying pressure on Bacrot forcing a mistake and another Bacrot resignation.

Game 4 sees another uneven performance from Bacrot, and again collapses under Kamsky’s pressure. And so an expected close match turns lop-sided, and its Kamsky through to the next round of Candidates Matches.

Kamsky – Bacrot, Game 1

In a Closed Slav a solid blocked position arises, neither side gaining the upper hand. Kamsky’s queenside expansion is eroded by Bacrot’s queen excursion down the a-file. The queenside pawn structures disappear along with the rooks. Neither side can make progress, so its a draw.

Bacrot – Kamsky, Game 2

Bacrot meets Kamsky’s Leningrad Dutch with an aggressive queenside expansion. As in the first game, the queenside pawn structure disappears. Bacrot has a small edge, but blunders shortly thereafter, handing Kamsky the initiative and forcing Bacrot into a retreat. This allows Kamsky the thematic …e5 break and takes over the position – even exchanging queens fails to halt Kamsky’s advantage. In the tension, both sides miss stronger moves, but Kamsky manages to hold on to his advantage. But Bacrot finally collapses under the pressure, leaving Kamsky to take a lead in the match.

Kamsky – Bacrot, Game 3

Kamsky adopts an Anti-Marshall against Bacrot’s Ruy Lopez, and Bacrot opens the centre with a prepared …d5 break. Kamsky emerges with a better position, and a flurry of exchanges sees him with a good pair of central pawns backed by his two rooks. Bacrot fails to keep a tight grip on the position allowing Kamsky to steam-roller his two central pawns forward, supported by his rooks and well-placed light-squared bishop. Bacrot blunders and allows Kamsky to create an advanced passed-pawn as well as allowing Kamsky’s rook onto the seventh rank, and Bacrot’s resignation ends the game.

Bacrot – Kamsky, Game 4

After a brief foray into the Queen’s Indian, Kamsky decides to adopt a Semi-Slav set-up against Bacrot’s unassuming development. Kamsky then evolves his structure into a Stonewall formation. Bacrot has the opportunity of seizing a large advantage, but instead is content in a quiet buildup, and emerges into the middle game with a small advantage. By rolling his pawns down the queenside, Bacrot builds his advantage. Kamsky reacts by pawn-storming down the kingside. Bacrot blunders by allowing Kamsky to open up the central dark-squares, and Kamsky’s attack is irresistible. Kamsky makes a decisive entry into Bacrot’s position forcing another resignation from Bacrot.

And the match is over after only four games.

Svidler – Kamsky

More Anti-Marshall Ruy’s with both sides saddling themselves with doubled d-pawns after an initial exchange of knights. The rooks are soon to follow as the game heads into an early bishops and queen ending. A quick repetition of moves secures a comfortable draw.

Topalov – Bacrot

Bacrot tries the same Slav variation that Kamsky failed to hold against Topalov earlier in the tournament. Topalov acquires the bishop pair after a lengthy knight manoeuvre, and manages to restrict the Black king in the centre. After opening the e-file, with a pawn sacrifice, Topalov presses home his attack on the now vulnerable Black king. Bacrot manages to exchange of queens but it doesn’t defuse Topalov’s initiative. Topalov’s two rooks dominate the position after a superb pseudo pawn sacrifice that open’s up Black’s queenside. Bacrot’s pieces are tangled up and so he fights hard for counterplay, but in vain as Topalov’s rooks retains control. Two pawns down and still facing mating threats, Bacrot throws in the towel.

Ponomariov – Anand

Ponomariov battles to retain a tiny edge against Anand’s super-solid Queen’s Indian. But a pawn sacrifice sees Ponomario detonate Black’s kingside pawn structure. Anand defends actively and tenaciously and slowly makes the extra pawn count. In an intense battle all over the board it is Anand that emerges with an advantage, the minor pieces and queens endgame sees Anand two pawns up. Its Ponomariov’s turn to defend tenaciously, and he battles into an opposite coloured bishops ending. A fascinating and exciting encounter.

Related Resources

• Chessbase: MTel R10: Topalov wins M-Tel Masters
• TWIC: Mtel Masters 2006 Round 10
• TWIC: Malcolm Pein on Mtel Masters Round 10
• CheckMate: Topalov wins M-tel Masters 2006
• Washington Post: Kavalek on MTel Masters 2006

Kamsky – Topalov

Kamsky declines to take Topalov on in the poisoned pawn Sicilian Najdorf. Topalov’s rapier-like queenside thrust pushes Kamsky on the backfoot. Kamsky’s knights get into a tangle, and Topalov is efficient at making White’s position critical. Kamsky’s e-pawn falls, and after Topalov sacrifices the exchange, Kamsky’s position breaks.

Bacrot – Ponomariov

Ponomariov builds a solid position from the Queens Indian Defence, and his pawn centre gives him the initiative. His pressure gains no ground and the position heads towards a rook ending, where a draw by repetition gains the draw.

Anand – Svidler

More anti-Marshall Ruy Lopez, and Anand is struggling a little to get his knights under control. Svidler takes control, but loses his way allowing Anand a brief tactical sequence leaving Svidler with the only option of taking a draw by perpetual.

• TWIC: Mtel Masters 2006 Round 9
• Chessbase: MTel R9: Topalov on top after victory over Kamsky
• ChessMind: MTel Masters: Round 9 – Topalov on Fire
• ChessNinja: MTel 2006 Round 9
• Closet Grandmaster: Draws are for Cowards!

Topalov – Ponomariov

Yet another ant-Marshall Ruy Lopez and Topalov’s bishop development right through Black’s centre is a prelude to a kingside attack. Topalov sacrifices an exchange – which becomes an entire rook – to keep his threats alive. This snare’s Ponomariov’s queen, which he has to sacrifice for a bishop. Topalov finishes the game masterfully using his major pieces and passed pawn.

Svidler – Bacrot

An anti-Marshall Ruy sees both players pushing hard on the queenside. The game finishes with a repetition of position in a difficult position for both sides.

Kamsky – Anand

Kamsky surprises Anand with an Exchange Ruy Lopez, but Anand quickly obtains a comfortable position. As pieces are whittled off a balanced rook endgame sees a draw by repetition.

Related Reading

• ChessNinja: MTel 2006 Round 8
• ChessNinja: Player Hating
• TWIC: Mtel Masters 2006 Round 8
• TWIC: Malcolm Pein on Round 7 and 8
• Chessbase: Topalov beats Ponomariov
• Chessbase: MTel R8 analysis by GM Mihail Marin

Anand – Topalov

Topalov’s rapid b-pawn thrust in a Sicilian pushes Anand’s English Attack off-balance. Topalov quickly equalises and starts to pile on the pressure, forcing the entry of his rook into White’s second rank. Topalov sacrifices a knight to open Anand’s king to a barrage of threats from Black’s strongly centralised pieces. This forces Anand to exchange a defending rook for Topalov’s two minor pieces. Topalov’s extra kingside pawns and his rooks hold the initiative and brings home the full point.

Bacrot – Kamsky

Kamsky enters into the same gritty Slav-Grunfeld that saw it end badly against Topalov. He gets some kingside and central pressure to alleviate the lack of space. Bacrot prepares and carries out a typical queenside pawn storm, to be met with a thematic central break from Kamsky. After some gritty manoeuvring Kamsky enters an endgame with two bishops, but Bacrot’s collected defence sees the position whittle down to a draw by repetition.

Ponomariov – Svidler

Svidler adopts the Sicilian Kan, and plays into a typical hedgehog position with a weakened d6-pawn. In the major piece middle game Ponomariov’s pieces get better squares as he assumes the initiative. Svidler’s chances are ground into dust. Ponomariov’s pressure nets him a strong passed pawn as Svidler desparately seeks a breakthrough to White’s king, but Ponomariov bundles the game into a winning rook and pawns endgame.

Related Resources

• TWIC: Mtel Masters 2006 Round 7
• Chessbase: MTel R7: Topalov beats Anand, Ponomariov wins
• Chessbase: MTel R7 analysis by GM Mihail Marin
• ChessNinja: MTel 2006 Round 7

Kamsky – Ponomariov

Ponomariov tries out Kamsky’s favoured anti-Marshall manoeuvre as the queenside knight sails over to …e6. He follows that with an energetic break in the centre. Both sides are strongly centralised, so the exchanges start. Kamsky repulses Ponomariov’s queenside attack, which leaves Ponomariov with a weak a-pawn. This opens the route for the White major pieces onto the seventh rank. Kamsky wields this into a dangerous kingside attack. Ponomariov can’t fend off Kamsky’s strong threats.

Topalov – Svidler

Svidler gets stuck into Topalov’s position in a Classical Exchange Grunfeld. Black’s pieces create threats through White’s porous centre. Svidler’s aggression expands over both wings as well as the centre, and his two bishops scythe through Topalov’s position virtually unchallenged. Topalov is dead lost in the ensuing rook and same-coloured bishops endgame.

Anand – Bacrot

Anand allows a Marshall Gambit in the Ruy Lopez, and he offers the exchange to defuse Bacrot’s initiative. Anand gains the two bishops and a strong pawn-centre for the exchange, as well as the initiative. After a complicated middlegame the game drifts toward an ending where a repetition of position splits the points.

Related Resources

• Chessbase: MTel R6: Kamsky wins, Topalov loses to Svidler
• Chessbase: MTel R6 analysis by GM Mihail Marin
• TWIC: Mtel Masters 2006, Round 6
• TWIC: Malcolm Pein on Mtel Masters 2006, Round 6
• CheckMate: M-Tel Masters 2006 – Round 6 Report

Topalov – Kamsky

Out of a Slav Defence full of feints and nudges, Topalov emerges with a slight edge thanks to a prepared e4-break. Kamsky splits the two dominating White central pawns, but Topalov sacrifices a pawn followed by the exchange which destroys the pawn formation around Kamsky’s king. Topalov’s attack gradually breaks through Black’s position as Kamsky’s king is hustled back to the centre. Kamsky resigns when mate is inevitable.

Svidler – Anand

Svidler adopts the anti-Marshall Ruy Lopez against Anand, but Anand gets his queenside play rolling quickly after weakening White’s queenside pawn structure. The two bishops gives Svidler compensation for his shattered queenside, and he uses them to claw his way back into the position. And both sides seem content to repeat the position claiming a draw.

Ponomariov – Bacrot

Ponomariov opts for the a4 anti-Marshall Ruy Lopez, Bacrot plays a little insipidly allowing Ponomariov to instigate some kingside threat. Bacrot defends and the game heads into a major piece endgame where Ponomariov takes a draw by repetition.

Related Resources

• TWIC: Mtel Masters 2006 Round 5
• TWIC: Malcolm Pein: Mtel Masters 2006 Round 5
• Chessbase: MTel R5 Express: Topalov beats Kamsky
• Chessbase: MTel R5 analysis by GM Mihail Marin
• CheckMate: M-Tel Masters 2006 – Round 5 Report

Kamsky – Svidler

Out of a Classical Scheveningen Sicilian, Svidler provokes white with an …e5 thrust, saddling himself with a small hanging pawn centre. Svidler tries to regroup his minor pieces but Kamsky surprises with a typical pseudo-sacrifice of the knight on d5. Svidler blunders in the coming tactics, and Kamsky presses home the attack by sacrificing a further exchange. Kamsky nets the whole point with a clever bishop manoeuvre.

Anand – Ponomariov

Ponomariov equalises quickly in a Classical Caro-Kann, and the game heads towards a sterile endgame. Ponomariov stumbles into a strategic mistake in exchanging off his good bishop for Anand’s knight. This opens up the d-file. Anand wastes no time in entering the Black position with his rooks. Anand’s bishop proves far more useful in the semi-closed nature of the position, and engineers a breakthrough on the queenside. Black’s counterplay is lacking, and not enough to defuse the danger. Just after time control the game is decided when White’s passed pawns cannot be stopped.

Bacrot – Topalov

Bacrot allows a Nimzo-Indian, and heads towards a Kasparov system. Topalov unveils an original manoeuvre, bringing his a5-placed queen to a6 to pressure the c4-pawn. Although White holds a slender advantage, it is Topalov that’s directing play, aiming against the weakened c4-pawn. Bacrot keeps his head and simplifies leading to a barren opposite colour endgame.

Related Resources

• Chessbase: MTel R4 Express: Anand wins, Kamsky on the rampage
• CheckMate: M-Tel Masters 2006 – Round 4 Report
• ChessNinja: MTel 2006 Round 4

Anand – Kamsky

Another anti-Marshall Ruy Lopez (why the sudden popularity?) sees Kamsky again employ the manoeuvre Nc6-d8-e6 adding pressure on the centre and the kingside, and continuing with Ne6-f4-g6. Kamsky’s c6-break allows him to equalise in the centre, as the game drifts towards an endgame Kamsky has a tiny advantage thanks to his e-pawn. Into a balanced rook endgame and with a clever manoeuvre, Kamsky has a strong centralised king which forces Anand backwards, and switches into a winning pawn endgame.

Ponomariov – Topalov

Ponomariov gets an edge out of a Semi-slav even after Topalov gets his …c5-break in. Topalov sacrifices a pawn to get his rook to the seventh rank and wins control of the open b-file. His two rooks dominate, but its White that holds the advantage. But in a tense endgame Ponomariov goes astray and Topalov claws his way to equality. Ponomariov blunders his a-pawn allowing Topalov to take control by sacrificing his knight for three pawns. A repetition of position allows both players a sigh of relief.

Bacrot – Svidler

Svidler is back into a Grunfeld (which suffered disastrously in Linares 2006), this time an Exchange Grunfeld. Bacrot wastes some time with his queen which allows Svidler to demolish the White pawn centre with …e6. This triggers off a tactical sequence which pushes the game into a balanced rook and minor piece endgame, where a repetition of position splits the points.

Related resources

• Chessbase: MTel R3 Express: Cowboy beats Indian to take the lead
• TWIC: Mtel Masters 2006 Round 3
• CheckMate: M-Tel Masters 2006 – Round 3 Report
• ChessNinja: MTel 2006 Round 3

Topalov – Anand

Topalov’s anti-Marshall Ruy Lopez comes a little unstuck as Anand first tangles up Topalov’s queenside, gets in the freeing d5 break, and temporarily monopolises the centre. Anand then gets the tactics rolling with the surprising 27. Ng5 offering his queen. This turns into a temporary piece sacrifice that forces the full mobilisation of Black’s pieces. White resigns in the face of an unstoppable attack.

Svidler – Ponomariov

Svidler’s English Attack against Ponomariov’s Sicilian Najdorf gives him the initiative and a slight plus. The subsequent play revolves around the c6-square, thanks to the strong d5-pawn. The flow of tactics see a quick trade-off of pieces, and with a temporary pawn-sacrifice Svidler enters the endgame with a big advantage. Svidler’s bishop is far stronger than the opposition knight – plus Black has no pawn structure, and with threats on both sides of the board, Ponomariov has nothing better than to resign.

Kamsky – Bacrot

Kamsky grabs a pawn out of the anti-Marshall Ruy Lopez, and holds on for dear life. The endgame resolves to a strong passed b-pawn for Kamsky, and he invests it to create a passed h-pawn. Later he invests his extra pawn to shepherd his passed pawn through. This forces Bacrot to sacrifice his rook for the pawn. Bacrot fights tooth and nail, and is forced to promote his own passed pawn into a knight – a theoretically drawn endgame, but Kamsky manages to pull off a win.

Related Resources

• TWIC: Mtel Masters 2006 Round 2
• Chessbase: MTel R2: Anand beats Topalov with black
• ChessNinja: MTel 2006 Round 2
• Central Oregon Chess Journal: Mtel Rounds 1 &2
• Central Oregon Chess Journal: Topalov vs Anand
• CheckMate: Anand – Topalov analysed