The rules of chess change very slowly.Way back in the year 1275, the pawn was given the right to move two squares on its first move.That was but one of many alterations over the years that have ushered in the modern game as it is now played.

At a very high level double roundrobin tournament just concluded in Bulgaria and featuring a number of the world’s top players, yet another new rule was introduced, with potentially far-reaching effects. Players are forbidden to offer each other draws. A game must end in victory for one side, or a natural draw by the 50-move rule or a three-fold repetition of the position. The result was positive: an event full of exceedingly exciting chess.

Veselin Topalov’s brilliant play against Ruslan Ponomariov in the Bulgarian tournament might be called the swindle of the decade. But since the year is only 2006, it might also be called the swindle of the millennium.

TO PA LOV VS. PONOMARIOV

(white) (black)

Ruy Lopez

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.h3 Bb7 9.d3 d6 10.a4 Na5 11.Ba2 c5 12.Nbd2 Nd7

A novelty in a popular position. Instead of this, the game Anand-Kasimdzhanov (Linares 2005) continued 12…Nc6 13.Nf1 Nd7 14.Ne3 Nb6

15.Nf5 Bc8 16.Nxe7+ Qxe7 17.Bg5 Qc7

18.Nh4 Be6 19.Nf5 c4 20.dxc4 Nxc4

with an unclear struggle. 13.Nf1 Nb6 14.Bd2 b4 15.c3 bxc3 16.Bxc3 Nc6 17.a5

Otherwise, black could play a6-a5,Ba6,

and Nb4. 17… Nc8 18.Ne3 N8a7 19.Nf5 Bc8 20.Nd2 Rb8 21.f4!?

Black has played the opening precisely and after the natural 21.Nxe7+

Qxe7 22.Nc4 Nb5 23.Nb6 the game would have been approximately equal. Instead, Topalov plays a risky move which puts him on the edge of defeat. 21… Bxf5 22.exf5 exf4! 23.Qg4 Nd4 24.Ne4!? White continues to increase the tension. In case of 24.Bxd4 cxd4 25.Nf3 Bf6 26.Qxf4 Nc6 he would be simply worse. For example, immediately losing is 27.Bc4? d5 28.Bxa6 Nb4 24… Nab5 25.Bd2!? Unattractive for white is 25.Rf1 f3! (not 25…Nxc3 26.bxc3 Nc2 27.Rxf4! threatening 28.f6) 26.gxf3 d5 with a big advantage for black. 25… Nc2! 26.Bxf4 Kh8! Avoiding the trap 26…Nxe1? 27.Bh6 Bf6 28.Bxg7! Bxg7 29.f6 and white is winning. 27.Qh5 Nxe1 28.Rxe1 Qxa5! 29.Ra1 Rbd8? Until this moment, Ponomariov’s play has been exemplary. But now, after long thought, he overlooks white’s threat. The strongest move here was 29…f6! 30.Kh2 d5! not overlooking the threat 31.Bg8! 31.Bxb8 Rxb8 32.Bxd5!? (A final attempt. In case of 32.Nf2 Bd6+ 33.Kg1 Be5 white’s position is hopeless.) 32…Qxa1 33.Qf7 Bd6+ 34.Nxd6 Nxd6 35.Qc7 Qxb2 36.Qxd6 Qe5+ and black is winning. 30.f6! gxf6 31.Kh2!!

(See Diagram)

A perfidious plan. After this, Topalov probably held his breath and waited to see if Ponomariov would discover his sly conception. 31… d5? Black evidently did not see how a2 bishop might be employed to attack the h7 square because the diagonal b1-h7 is closed by both the d3 pawn and the e4 knight. Instead 31…Rg8! 32.Qxf7 Rg7 33.Qd5 Qb4! would leave black with a handsome advantage. 32.Nxf6! Bxf6 33.d4!! Qxa2 The only defense against 34.Bb1! simultaneously attacking the h7 and a5 squares. The desperate 33…Bg5 34.Be5+ f6 35.Bb1 did not help at all and white is still winning. 34.Rxa2 Nxd4 35.b4! Despite the loss of the queen, black preserved some drawing chances. Thus, after 35.Rxa6 Ne6 36.Bd6 Ng7 37.Qxd5 Bxb2 38.Qxc5 Rfe8 black would be close to building a fortress. Now white obtains a passed pawn in the center. 35… Ne6 Black lost a piece after 35…cxb4? 36.Be5. 36.Be5 Bg7! 37.bxc5 Rc8 Immediately losing is 37…Nxc5? 38.Bxg7+ Kxg7 39.Qg4+ Kh6 40.Qh4+ Kg6 41.Qg3+ Kh6 42.Qe3+ and white wins the knight. 38.Bd6 Rfd8 39.Ra5 Kg8 40.Rxa6 Rd7 Once again the pawn is untouchable: 40…Nxc5 41.Ra7 Nd7 42.Qf5 Nf6 43.Be7 winning. 41.Qxd5 Bf8 42.Qf3 Bxd6+ 43.cxd6 More precise was 43.Rxd6! exchanging the rook. 43… Rcd8 44.Qd5 Ng7? After the stubborn 44…h6! white had problems activating his misplaced rook. Bad for him was 45.Ra8? Rxd6. 45.Ra8! Ne6 46.Rxd8+ Rxd8 47.g4 h6 48.h4 Rb8 49.Kg3 Re8 50.Kf3 Nf8 51.Qd2 Kg7 52.Qd4+ Kg8 53.Qf6 Re6 54.Qe7! Kg7 55.Qc7 Kg8 56.d7 Nxd7 57.Qxd7 Kg7 Black has some slim chances. If he could exchange his h-pawn for any of the white pawns it would be a theoretical draw. White manages to avoid this. 58.Qd4+ Kg8 59.Kf4 Rg6 60.Kf5 Re6 61.Qd7 Rg6 62.h5 Rg5+ 63.Kf6 Kh8 64.Qe8+ Rg8 65.Kxf7! 1-0