tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post550917328760015194..comments2023-12-28T02:11:22.501+00:00Comments on The Streatham & Brixton Chess Blog: Why didn't Topalov play 3.Nc3?Tom Chivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09850710685193416732noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post-55278086225449354362010-07-19T09:17:38.762+01:002010-07-19T09:17:38.762+01:00I thought about this some more over the weekend. M...I thought about this some more over the weekend. My guess is Topalov went down a mainline because up to this game, he'd been doing well as white in the mainlines with 1.d4.Tom Chivershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09850710685193416732noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post-31086427424226006172010-07-18T13:17:33.345+01:002010-07-18T13:17:33.345+01:00Ah the Vienna variation. So two complimentary theo...Ah the Vienna variation. So two complimentary theories <br /><br />(a) 3 Nf3 fitted in better with whatever he had in mind against the Slav<br />(b) he wanted to avoid the sequences 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Nf6 4 Bg5/Nf3 Bb4<br /><br />Anand himself could have tried to provoke Nf3 with the Nimzo order 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 and if 3 Nf3 then 3 .. d5Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post-44120085574493631022010-07-17T16:37:03.202+01:002010-07-17T16:37:03.202+01:00Richard - well yes, I bet he was well surprised by...Richard - well yes, I bet he was well surprised by 2...e6, precisely because (contra Anonymous) the Marshall Gambit is pretty rare at the top level* as far as I'm aware. So presumably he must have thought well, Anand must have something (just as, he may have thought, Anand had that Vienna Variation prepared against Kramnik) and so he avoided it. And presumably Anand did have something. But what, I wonder? And I think Topalov blinked first in deciding to not to see it. Which kind of backs up Matt as far as fear is concerned - but if a draw was an unacceptable result, wouldn't the Marshall be a better way of going about it than the QGD?<br /><br />[* at club level nobody seems to play 4.e4]ejhhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01582272075999298935noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post-78491661197072711122010-07-17T10:41:15.569+01:002010-07-17T10:41:15.569+01:00Maybe he just wasn't expecting the QGD, and di...Maybe he just wasn't expecting the QGD, and didn't have anything specifically planned against it...<br /><br />RichardAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post-6587248801685579332010-07-16T23:23:58.465+01:002010-07-16T23:23:58.465+01:00"Fear of any kind - that's not Veselin To..."Fear of any kind - that's not Veselin Topalov" ...well... The whole reason he played the last game so badly was because he was very much afraid! He was afraid of going to the tiebreaks because he knew he had no chance to beat Anand in that case.Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post-82532320714303729002010-07-16T18:57:58.267+01:002010-07-16T18:57:58.267+01:00It's a nice post, but you're mistaken abou...It's a nice post, but you're mistaken about the Marshall Gambit - Black has done just fine there. It's more dangerous for Black at the club level, but at the professional level White had nothing in this gambit, at least the time I looked.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post-27331747164677214802010-07-16T14:29:20.410+01:002010-07-16T14:29:20.410+01:00Superb post, very clear to this 1 e4 player. I lov...Superb post, very clear to this 1 e4 player. I love this sort of move-order stuff.dfanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16523251716744122695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post-86689690962156210852010-07-16T11:44:44.282+01:002010-07-16T11:44:44.282+01:00Ah ha! I had no idea Qc2 was such a nuanced idea. ...Ah ha! I had no idea Qc2 was such a nuanced idea. & I wonder if Topalov just didn't think to try the Marshall.Tom Chivershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09850710685193416732noreply@blogger.com