Anand, Viswanathan – Topalov, Veselin

2783 2013 · White wins (resignation, time or agreement)

Anand (2783) against Topalov (2793), 2013: a Sicilian in which White castles long with 10.O-O-O and pushes g4 and h4, while Black counters in the centre. After 21.Qxd5 Qxa5 the position stays sharp and Topalov holds the edge. The turning point comes in two half-moves: 33.R1d3 is a mistake that lets a winning position slip, from −2.9 to −1.4; then 33...Qe5 gives back far more, from +1.4 to +3.2, and Anand keeps the pressure through to 41.Ra7. Accuracy: 93% for White, 88% for Black. The lesson: in a won but messy position, the move right after your opponent’s slip is often the one that decides.