Sofia, Bulgaria, is home to an un usual annual six-player round robin tournament in which, ac cording to the rules, players can not agree to a draw in any situa tion, guaranteeing some very bloody chess. A number of leading players who usually participate decline to take part this year opening the way for some younger stars to enter. The co-winners of last year’s tournament, Veselin Topalov and Gata Kamsky both got off to bad starts, losing their first two games each. The leaders were thus Mam edyarov from Azerbaijan and, up until the final round, Sasikiran from India. In a fighting finish Topalov defeated Sasikiran in the final round and for the third suc cessive year took first place in this event, scoring a modest 5.5 points out of a possible 10. The English man Michael Adams finished in last place with 4.5 points. All the remaining participants scored 5 points.

TOPALOV VS. SASIKIAN
(white) (black)
Nimzo-Indian Defense

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 b6 5. Bd3 Bb7 6. Nf3 0-0 7.0-0 d5 8.a3 Bd6 9. cxd5 exd5 10.b4 Nbd7 11.b5!? The unusual inception of a usual plan in this kind of position–white prepares the exchange of the black colored bishops on a3. After the more common 11. Qb3, black can prevent this plan by playing 11…c6. But in this event white could profitably at some point play e3-e4. 11… Ne4 12. Bb2 Re8 13.a4 Re6 14. Ne2 a5!? Preventing the possibility of a4-a5 black starts to build a fortress of a sort known to theory, the most important part of which will be black’s 16th move. Instead after 14…Rh6!? he could create the threat 15…Bxh2+! 16. Nxh2 Qh4. White would probably continue 15. Ne5!? with a complicated struggle. 15. Ba3 Rc8 16. Bxd6 cxd6! This is much better than 16…Rxd6 17. Rc1 and white creates pressure on the c7 pawn. Now it is very diffi cult for white to find a way to break through black’s fortress. 17. Rc1 Ndf6 18.h3 Re7 19. Qb3 h6 20. Rxc8 Qxc8 21. Rc1 Rc7 22. Rxc7 Qxc7 23. Qc2 Qe7 In case of 23…Qxc2!? 24. Bxc2 white could try to bring his knights to c3 and f4 and the bishop on b3 would create pressure on d5. Black decides that with the queens still on the board his position will be safer. 24. Qc1 g6 25. Nh2 Kg7 26.h4 Ne8 27.f3 N4f6 28. Nf1 h5 29. Nf4 Nd7 30. Qe1 Nf8 31. Qg3 Kh6?!

(See Diagram)

An unfortunate way of solving a seemingly easy task: defending the h5 pawn. No better was 31…Kh8?! 32. Bxg6! fxg6 33. Qxg6! with an advantage for white. The best defense was 31…Nf6! and white doesn’t have 32. Qg5 N8h7 33. Nxh5+? Kh8! and white loses the knight. Now Topalov unleashes a spectacular combination. 32. Nxh5!! gxh5 33. Qg8 f5 34. Ng3! The best way. In case of 34. Bxf5 Qg7! black’s position would be safe. 34… Ng7! The right defense. In case of 34…Qxe3+ 35. Kh2 Qxd3 36. Qh8+ Kg6 (losing 36…Nh7 37. Qxe8 Nf6 38. Qf7) 37. Qxh5+ Kg7 38. Nxf5+ Kg8 39. Ne7+ Kg7 40. Qxe8 white has a huge advantage. 35. Bxf5 Ng6! Again bad was 35…Qxe3+ 36. Kh2 Ng6 37. Bxg6 Kxg6 38. Qxg7+! Kxg7 39. Nf5+ and white wins. 36. Bxg6 Kxg6! 37. Nxh5! Qxe3+ 38. Kh2 Qe7? From the point of white’s sudden sacrifice until this moment both players found the best moves, but now black makes a single mistake and it costs him the game and first prize in the tournament. He had to play instead 38…Qxd4! 39. Kh3 Bc8+! 40. Qxc8 Nxh5 41.g4 Nf4+ 42. Kg3 Ne2+ 43. Kh3 Nf4+ and black has a perpetual check. 39. Nf4+! Wrong for white would be 39. Qxg7+ Qxg7 40. Nxg7 Kxg7 41.g4 Bc8 42. Kg3 Bd7 43.f4 Bxb5! and the “dead” black bishop is resurrected and brings black victory. 39… Kf6 A beautiful mate could happen after 39…Kf5 40. Qh7+ Kxf4 41. Qh6+ Kf5 42.g4#. 40.g4 Qf7 41. Qd8+ Qe7 42. Qg8 Qf7 43. Qd8+ Qe7 44. Qxe7+ More complicated variations could arise in case of 44. Qxb6 Kf7 45.h5 Bc8 46. Qxa5 Qh4+ 47. Kg2 Bxg4 Topalov hopes that the endgame that emerges would be winning. 44… Kxe7 45. Kg3 Ne6? After the knight exchange, black is losing. Fighting chances were preserved by 45…Kf6! 46. Nxe6 Kxe6 47.f4 Bc8 48.f5+ Kf7 49.h5 Bd7 50.h6! Kg8 Black is obviously too late in the race after 50…Bxb5 51. axb5 a4 52.g5 a3 53.g6+ Kf6 54.h7 Kg7 55.f6+ 51. Kf4 Be8 52. Kg5 Kf7 53.h7! Kg7 54.h8Q+! Kxh8 55. Kf6 Bxb5 Hopeless as well was 55…Kg8 56. Ke7 Bf7 57. Kd7 (avoiding 57. Kxd6 Be8 58. Kc7? Bxb5) 57…Kg7 58. Kc7 and black is losing on the queenside. 56. Ke7! Bd3 57.f6 Bg6 58.f7 Bxf7 59. Kxf7 1-0