After sharing first and second place in the ultra-strong Corus tournament earlier this year, Magnus Carlsen of Norway has just had a second stellar performance, winning second place in the second super-tournament of the year, just now concluded in Morelia, Mexico and Linares, Spain. This propels Carlsen into the upper crust of the inner circle of the top elite. All of seventeen years old, no grandmaster has previously achieved such results at such a young age. Carlsen plays with the positional sophistication of Capablanca, the tactical ingenuity of Alekhine, and the psychological mastery of Emanuel Lasker. This last quality was on ample display in his win against Veselin Topalov.

CARLSEN VS. TO PALOV (White) (Black) Sicilian Reversed

1.c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4.d3 d5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6.e4 Nb6 7. Be2 Be7 8.0-0 0-0 9.a4 A well known position from the Boleslavsky variation of the Sicilian has arisen with the colors reversed. Here interesting was 9. Be3 f5!? (no good was 9…Bg4?! 10. Nxe5!) 10.b4!? f4 11. Bc5 with an unclear position. 9… Be6!? This is probably better than the usual reaction 9…a5 10. Nb5 and white will stand somewhat better after the eventual d3-d4. 10. Be3?! More logical was 10.a5 Nd7 11.a6 b6 12. Nd5 Nc5 with mutual chances. 10… Nd7! 11.d4 exd4 12. Nxd4 Nxd4 13. Qxd4 Black would be okay in the event of 13. Bxd4 Nc5 14. Be3 a5. 13… c6 14.a5 Nc5! 15. Qe5!? In case of 15. Qxd8 Rfxd8 16. Rad1 b5! black would have a better endgame. So Carlsen starts to look for complications. 15… Nb3 16. Ra4 Bd6 17. Qh5 g6 18. Qh6 Be5! 19. Bg5 No good for white 19.f4? Bg7, and after 19. Rd1 Qe7 and without a rook on f1 the push f2-f4 is not so promising. 19… Qc7 20. Be3!? A sophisticated psychological venture. White offers a repetition of moves. In case of the straightforward 20.f4 Bg7 21. Qh4 b5 22. axb6 Qxb6+ 23. Kh1 Nd2 24. Rfa1 Qxb2 black’s counterplay would be too strong. 20… Nxa5 21.f4 Bg7 22. Qh4 Bb3

(See Diagram)

Also good was 22…b5, obtaining the c4 square for the knight. 23. Rd4!? A brilliant psychological decision. Black has outplayed white and after the natural 23. Raa1 Nc4 Carlsen would lack compensation for the pawn. After this move, however, the character of the position has been abruptly altered Topalov fails to find the best continuation. 23… Rad8?!

Black would have been better off verifying white’s conception. After 23…Bxd4! 24. Bxd4 f5! 25. exf5

Qd8! 26. Qf2 Rxf5 27. Bg4 (even worse is 27. Bd3? c5! 28. Bxf5 cxd4 29. Qg3 Qf6!) 27…Rf7 28. Ne4 Rxf4!

29. Qxf4 Qxd4+ 30. Kh1 Kh8! black should win. 24.e5! Rxd4 25. Bxd4 c5 26. Be3 f6! 27. Nb5 Qd8 28.f5!

White develops an initiative that compensates for black’s material advantage. Bad was 28. Bxc5 fxe5, but equal opportunities arose after 28.e6!? Bxe6 29. Bxc5 f5 30. Qf2.

The move in the game creates more problems for black. 28… fxe5 29. Bg5 Qb6 30.f6 c4+ 31. Kh1 Qxb5 32. fxg7 Rxf1+ 33. Bxf1 Kxg7!

Too risky was 33…Qd7 34. Bh6 Nc6

35. Be2 Qf5 36.h3! and the black king is in permanent danger. 34. Bd8!

An excellent practical decision.

After the natural 34. Bh6+ Kf7 35. Qd8 Bc2! white only has a perpetual check. 34… Nc6??

After the unexpected move of his opponent, Topalov abruptly collapses. Correct was 34…Qd5 35. Qe7+ Kg8 36. Qe8+ Kg7 37. Qe7+ leading to a draw by perpetual check. 35. Qf6+ Kg8

Or 35…Kh6 36. Qf8+ Kh5 37. Be2# 36. Qe6+ Kf8 37. Bg5 1-0

Black resigned because after 37… Kg7 38. Qf6+ Kg8 39. Bh6 and mate is inevitable.